Cultural Criticism

Danielle Ponder sings at the end of...

"They Think It's a Game, They Think It's a Joke!" with
Dhoruba Toure Shakur & Sixela Yoccm--organizers from Ferguson, MO.

On April 29, 2014, Rochester Indymedia journalist Ted Forsyth and a few other witnesses testified in a court case in Dewitt--just outside of Syracuse--on behalf of John Amidon. Specifically, Amidon was arrested for attempted trespass and wearing a mask (the grim reaper) at an anti-drone demonstration last May. John got up on a barricade and was hauled off of it by Officer Brad Baker. The prosecution claimed Amidon was a potentially violent protester who was jumping the barricade in order to get others to follow. John got on the barricade to do a little dance for the crowd. Forsyth took video of his arrest and Amidon's being hauled off the barricade. The video was used in the trial multiple times.

On April 30th, the next morning, Kathy Manley--Amidon's attorney--sent this email:

"Hi Ted - If you haven't heard yet, we won on both charges. The victory may well not have happened without your video - it was really instrumental - we watched it probably 6 times during the trial and then the judge watched it again while he was deliberating. Without that the judge would likely have believed the cop claiming it looked like John was trying to/ about to cross the barrier.

"You were a great witness. Perhaps you shouldn't have been so sure about how many officers pulled him off them wall but it was an easy mistake to make, and no big deal. Thanks SO MUCH! - Kathy"

In more recent news, Judy Bello reports that, "Mary Anne Grady Flores was sentenced this evening after being convicted of Contempt of Court for violating the Order of Protection taken out by Col. Evans to keep her (and the rest of us- there are 50 outstanding) away from Hancock Base where the Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars has been protesting for the last several years. She was sentenced to 1 year in Jail and a $1000 fine for walking in the road in front of the base during a demonstration despite the fact that she came as an observer and was just taking pictures. She was sent to jail immediately despite the fact that her attorney, Lance Salisbury, has made a request for a stay which will be reviewed next week."

original article: http://roarmag.org/2014/05/subcomandante-galeano-between-light-shadow/

Here is the English translation of Subcomandante Marcos’ last public statement: “We think it is necessary for one of us to die so that Galeano lives.”

 

original article: http://janitorqueer.com/2014/04/01/ask-your-doctor-if-shift-work-disorde...

Last week, we were watching TV, and a commercial about “shift work disorder” came on.  A rugged older gentleman in a flannel shirt was explaining about how he hadn’t realized how his job might be affecting his sleep patterns and quality of life, until his doctor asked him what hours he works.  I laughed out loud.  Then the commercial (which was for Nuvigil – used to improve wakefulness) went on to tell you to talk to your doctor, and then it went through the lengthy list of side effects, you know – the usual drill.

I think it is awesome to have dialogues about what’s going on in people’s lives and what might be improved, whether it’s with a prescription or other changes in lifestyle.  And if having an official diagnosis helps more people figure out what’s going on and what they can do about it, more power to them.  Just… personally, I find it absurd that this wouldn’t be a natural line of thinking.  I think about this kind of stuff all the time.

Local Atheist Dan Courtney travelled to Lancaster, PA on March 15, 2014 engage with Christian Apologist Jon Kaus on the question of morality and its foundation. 

original article: http://queerfamilymatters.com/2013/11/25/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-tra...

K had a great IRL conversation with a friend recently about family, what a traditional family means, what queering a traditional family means. We realized that the idea of “shamelessly queering the traditional family” needed some…explanation. First of all, “traditional” should really have airquotes in our blog’s tagline. Why? Because there is no such thing. Families are diverse. Families are weird. Families are not static–they are always changing and growing. Families are unique–like special snowflakes. (Aww.) The idea of the “traditional family” is a myth and one that has no place here.

On January 8, 2014, Dr. Grania Marcus, who has spent more than 30 years involved with immigration issues in Florida, upstate New York, on the US-Mexico Border and in New York City, discussed US immigration history, the spread of border enforcement throughout the country and what we can do to help end the deportations and family separations that US immigration policy promotes. This was taped at the Downtown United Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY at a meeting of the Rochester Committee on Latin America.

We decided to pull together two One on One shows hosted by James Brown.

original article: http://rochesteraccent.com/post/71777692797/paris-hilton-and-the-art-of-...

#1: Paris Hilton and the art of fake DJing #ROC

#2: A brief history of electronic music with #Roc based DJ and Producer rajmarathe

original article: http://doandroidsdance.com/features/mixed-messages-heinekens-failed-expe...

Corporate branding campaigns, no matter how intricate, are designed to sustain and increase the sale of products by aligning the corporate brand with a particular (sub)cultural symbol or icon. This partnership lends the corporate brand the authenticity and legitimacy it needs to gain our attention, admiration, and money- but more importantly, our loyalty.