26 Magazine » D

Democratic Rep. calls American health care system “holocaust”

Brittany — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:54:58 +0000

A “holocaust in America”? Really? Honestly? Truly? Is this for real?

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) thinks so, or should I say, vehemently knows so.

According to Fox News, efforts to get Grayson to shut his lips on how the Republican health care reform was doomed to “die” were akin to those made by Democrats to get Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) to apologize for the “You lie!” incident we all know (and love) so well. But in Congressman Grayson’s case, as it was surely fact for Wilson, was he telling the truth with his shocking statement?

The Republican effort against Grayson’s statement proved futile, as the Democrat refused to apologize. (Shocking? Hah.) Instead, Grayson gave this apology, as reported by Fox: “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven’t voted sooner to end this holocaust in America.”

Can anyone say, rather, shout MELODRAMATIC? I can, and technically, I think I just did.

I find this all to be extremely interesting. Why? Well, I’ve visited the Holocaust Museum in D.C., I’ve travelled to my local holocaust museum in St. Petersburg, Fla., and I’ve personally written at least ten reports on the horrifying event; however, I see absolutely zero evidence of this “holocaust” Grayson speaks of in the U.S.

So what, exactly, is this man talking about?

I’m sure you can all recall that lovely moment that played to American ignorance or stupidity — whichever shoe fits — on the VMA’s when English comedic idiot Russell Brand compared our health care system to his own back in merry old England. He noted that his version was better because at least in his country, people aren’t dying in the streets.

I wonder how much they paid this moron to fly over the pond and deliver not only a boring — clearly demonstrated in the silence of the audience for almost the entire duration of the show while he was speaking — performance as host, but spew idiotic information to our youth, who likely took it immediately as truth. Of course it has to be true. Russell Brand said it. Duh!

But I digress.

Have you recently witnessed any American citizen die in the street? If you have, please post a comment ASAP and I’ll respond with my personal contact information so we can get together on this.

Of course, I know I won’t be receiving any because this simply does not happen in the United States, even with our currently lacking health care system. That’s because people who need medical attention can go to the emergency room and be treated. Sure, they’ll receive a massive bill in the mail that they likely can’t afford, BUT, they don’t die in the streets.

So, Mr. Grayson, if you’d kindly get your facts straight before you go spouting any more stupidity, I’d greatly appreciate it. I might also mention that I’m ashamed to have you as a representative of my own home state, sunny Florida.

American holocaust? What a stupid laugh.

DJ AM: Another celebrity casualty we shouldn’t care about

Awesome Rob — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:20:21 +0000

The news has been slammed with former member of Crazy Town’s DJ AM and his death. Many people have spoken out and said his or her kind words of remembrance, many of those who had nothing to do with the individual.

DJ AM, who’s real name is Adam Goldstein, died of possible drug use, joining Michael Jackson as another celebrity who’s use and abuse of a drug has lead to their demise. But why all the sudden attention for the B-list celebrity? I suppose it isn’t that unheard of for people to idolize and still look up to rock stars and other musicians as role models, even with the rampant use of drugs for recreational purposes.

I can understand other DJ’s showing respect for one of their own, because it serves as a reminder to them as to what the future may hold if they let things go to far out of control and let themselves be too completely submerged in the night club culture and the drug subculture it has spawned. It is a reminder of mortality and one that DJ’s should be aware of.

I understand Travis Barker and other artists Goldstein has worked with giving public words of sorrow at his loss because outside of simply being a work associate, Goldstein was also friends with many of those he worked with as well as the few he dated like Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore (both of which he was engaged to for a time.)

But the public? DJ AM’s music was not anything deep and memorable. He made great club music that livened up the party and was a great performer for private get-togethers of the rich and famous. Unlike many of the DJ’s that come from the European club scene, DJ AM doesn’t have a huge list of his own material, since he provided tracks for those he worked with. He doesn’t have a song like Adagio for Strings, Lethal Industry or Just Be like DJ Tiesto. He also didn’t ride a solo release like Timberland, who is similar in practice, providing beats and riffs for singers and bands.

Yet several ‘fans’ have popped up stating their sorrow at his loss. I can bet that many of the people claiming to feel this sorrow had not even listened to the majority of his music, or even gone to a club with him performing. Honoring his death, if you can call it that, is the flavor of the week, and since all the “cool” people have made comment about it Friday (the day Goldstein was found dead) it only makes sense for them to repeat and relay the message to stay in the loop.

The man did nothing so special as to deserve the adoration he has received, even from the club culture. He made good dance mixes and if it weren’t for his relationships with Mandy Moore and Nicole Richie, he wouldn’t have had the same media exposure. Even with cheating death in a plane crash with Travis Barker and his involvement in the ultimate failure of the band Crazy Town, his relationships with the higher celebrity circle is ultimately what put him the tabloids for a time and got his name out there.

There are many local and underground DJ’s who put out mixes as good, if not better, yet without having a high profile meal ticket carry them to higher fame, their growth has to be earned through hard work, and through albums, not mix tapes.

Deathwing breathes life into Warcraft

Awesome Rob — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:00:12 +0000

The massively multi-player online gaming industry has seen a lot of press over the last decade, with the huge success of Everquest and then the release of Blizzard’s unstoppable force, World of Warcraft. There are also stories of crazy things people have done, or have let happen, because of their involvement in these online games.

People have paid more attention to the life of their online Avatar, and their second life, and forgetting simple things like eating, showering, going to work, or feeding the baby he or she left in the closet because its crying was distracting. There are also the stories of people being killed or beaten over stealing or selling digital property in these games, and those who’ve committed suicide over things not working out in their digital world.

In many ways, these online games are providing a medium for players to live vicariously through their Avatars to experience excitement that the monotony of their every day lives cannot provide for them. When things come crashing down in their online world and with nothing substantial to fall back on in real life, the consequences can be devastating.

Even with the negative press and the association these games have with negative behavioral changes, the industry has grown and keeps progressing, even with some of the now aging games on the decline.

Gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry even with the economic downturn. For it to remain that way and for consumers to keep throwing in their dollars to keep the industry afloat, new fun ‘toys’ must be thrown into the mix.

Enter World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.

Blizzard’s new expansion to its beast of a game has the Internet buzzing with gamer delight. Information on the two new playable classes, Worgen and Goblin, and changes to guild ranking and achievements, as well as player-vs-player improvements has many people anticipating the release only days after the announcement of its release.

Even with U2 performing at Blizzcon, the Cataclysm announcement drew greater fanfare from the gaming culture.

Other additions to the game are things that have been wanted for years but were never really considered for production, such as Gnome Priests and Blood Elf Warriors.

After the last two expansions, many players also wondered who would be the grand enemy to fight should another expansion pack be released. All of the enemies introduced in the original strategy games for Warcraft have been added and sequentially defeated in every player’s quest for better loot and gear.

Blizzard had to tap into the books and lore behind the game, reaching far back (some thousands of years in the lore) to pull out a fiend that has had influence on the MMO game through a child who was one of the early super villains to defeat in the game’s timeline.

Deathwing the Destroyer is returned for the next, and possibly final, expansion pack for World of Warcraft. If he serves to be the final villain, it will be a proper way to end the game. Deathwing, in Warcraft lore, was the greatest villian to Azeroth, manipulating the other dragon aspects and even using the Burning Legion for his own devices.

There are a handful of other possible enemies for Blizzard to use in the future, such as the Old Gods or bringing Sargeras, the fallen Titan and patriarch to the Burning Legion, but none commanded the same attention as Deathwing did in the lore. Others had pervasive influence, with Sargeras being the only one other than Deathwing to actually affect things directly, but Deathwing is a villain born of Azeroth, and the greatest of all.

It almost makes me want to play again. Almost.

Divorce could damage your health

Brittany — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:00:43 +0000

Who thought the age old phrase “died from a broken heart” was ever to be taken literally? I’m talking heart disease, heart failure, heart attack literally. According to some recent studies, this appears to be the case.

We’re all familiar with the feeling of loss and sometimes depression that accompany the separation of a serious relationship, especially a marriage. Even those who’ve never been married have experienced this with boyfriend/girlfriend breakups. They’re never easy. It truly is as if a piece of your heart is ripped, beating and bleeding, from your chest, a feeling you’re not soon to forget.

What comes after the separation stage is the healing stage, and many find themselves feeling incredibly better about life in general a few weeks or months later. However, it appears that this mental protection device may only provide benefits on the surface. The damage has already been done and there may be no turning back the clock with regard to the detrimental health effects.

According to Daily News, “divorced or widowed people have 20 percent more chronic health conditions than married people (such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer), and 23 percent had more mobility limitations (such as climbing stairs).”

I can only imagine why. I know for myself, having gone through a couple bad breakups, I lost several pounds and barley slept in the days and sometimes weeks that followed. I paid very little attention to my health, I was stressed out, ignored my doctor’s visits and completely disregarded exercise. Depressed. That’s exactly what I was.

(Let’s not forget that acute stress can cause heart failure.)

According to recent studies, these are all contributing factors in poor health that surround divorce and harsh separations.

Only to make matters worse, the current divorce rate in the U.S. is 1 in 2. That’s half. I’m not trying to insult your intelligence by repeating what you got from the first go ’round in delivering that statistic. I’m merely repeating it because it’s so staggering.

With all this information, it’s not difficult to see the flip side of things. Happy marriages equate to healthier bodies and lives.

Another study, published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, reported by WowOWow, shows that married couples over the age of 50 generally lead healthier, more productive and far less depressed lives than those who remain single.

The study also showed that losing a spouse, such as to death or divorce, could be detrimental to your health. Adults who are divorced or widowed experience more health problems when it comes to chronic conditions compared to those who never married. Even those who choose to remarry, a second, third — fourth, fifth, sixth (celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Lopez and Liza Minelli, anyone?) — time doesn’t always eliminate those potentially increased health risks from separation in the first place.

A study performed back in 2005 at the Johns Hopkins University fond that the sudden death of a loved one or other emotional stress can bring on a heart attack, something also known as cardiomyopathy, which, in this case could further be known better as “broken heart” syndrome.

Of course, this information isn’t meant to suggest that if you’re currently in a bad marriage you should try to hang on for as long as you can because you’re worried about the possible negative health effects of a divorce. If you’re, for example, in an abusive relationship, get out as soon as you can. You’ll do far more damage staying in the relationship versus getting out of it.

With that said, the same thing goes for those people unsure of getting into marriage, what to expect from it, what to do, etc. Think of marriage as an investment, one in your own health. The happier, the longer, the better.

So what’s love got to do with it? Maybe not a whole lot, but the marriage part sure does. Love happy. Live happy.

Dubya vs. Obammy: Some questions

Brittany — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:00:30 +0000

In light of the recent shift — perhaps a better term would be plunge — in approval for President Barack Obama, I thought I might bring up a few questions that were forwarded to me by a friend in an e-mail, questions I found to be pertinent to what’s going on exactly right now with our oh-so-wonderful president, or at least, in my opinion, that’s what most of this country has become so gullible and weak as to actually believe.

I know I find it incredibly interesting how hated Bush became toward the end of his final term as president and how beloved Obama became so quickly as he slipped into the presidency, officially, this past January. All in the course of a few months and all over one word; a word he never fully defined; a word that won him the presidency: Change.

So feel free to read on and take a look at some of these questions and decide for yourself what you think:

1) What If George W. Bush had made a joke at the expense of the Special Olympics, would you have approved?

2) If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and incorrectly formatted DVD’s, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved?

3) If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly narcissistic and tacky?

4) If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, would you have approved?

5) If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the non-existent “Austrian language,” would you have brushed it off as a minor slip?

6) If George W. Bush had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with people who cannot seem to keep current on their income taxes, would you have approved?

7) If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to “Cinco de Cuatro” in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the Fifth of May (Cinco de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again, would you have winced in embarrassment?

If George W. Bush had misspelled the word “advice,” would you have hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potato as “proof” of what a dunce he is?

9) If George W. Bush had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a single tree on “Earth Day,” would you have concluded he’s a hypocrite?

10) If George W. Bush’s administration had okayed Air Force One flying low over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown Manhattan causing widespread panic, would you have wondered whether they actually “get” what happened on 9/11?

11) If George W. Bush had been the first president to need a teleprompter installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how he is inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?

12) If George W. Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than in New Orleans, would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of racism and incompetence?

13) If George W. Bush had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so, would you have approved?

14) If George W. Bush had proposed to double the national debt, which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year, would you have approved?

15) If George W. Bush had then proposed to double the debt again within 10 years, would you have approved?

Now that that’s finished, if someone could please enlighten me on what it is about Obama that makes him so wonderful? And don’t worry, you have plenty of time to think on it. He’s accomplished all of the above in 10 weeks, so you’ll have a fat three years and nine-and-a-half months to get back with me.

Debbie Rowe wants the Jackson Three

Brittany — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:00:09 +0000

I love how AOL News reported the latest on Debbie Rowe – M.J.’s ex-wife (1996-1999) and ex-nurse (he met her in a dermatologist office where she was a nurse) – as being “back in the spotlight.”

My question: when did the ex-Mrs. King of Pop, and more importantly, the mother of two of Jackson’s children, ever leave the spotlight? With M.J. dead, questions regarding custody of Jackson’s three children are flying high. I think that makes Ms. Rowe pretty spotlight worthy, at least at the moment.

According to the article on AOL News, Rowe popped out of her shell, rather, busted out of her shell on Sunday when leaving a restaurant in Lancaster, Calif. Rowe recoiled from questions and prodding about the custody of the Jackson kiddies from a reporter who repeatedly asked her “Are you ready to fight for your children?”

Rowe lashed back with an anything but meek response, “Are you ready to get your butt kicked? Don’t f—-in’ touch me!”

Gotta love it. At least the woman’s keeping this Jackson story interesting. I was beginning to get sick of the local radio stations playing his music more often than they used to, and the TV news every five seconds posting a picture or two of the recently deceased pop king.

As of last week, we weren’t really sure whether Rowe was going to step up to the plate and fight for her children, at least the two that are biologically hers: Michael Joseph Jr., 12, and Paris Michael Katherine, 11. I think now, after that little feisty display at the California restaurant, we know where Rowe stands, and if I inferred the context and tone correctly, that stance is pretty firm.

Let me not forget to mention that Rowe’s planning on getting a restraining order against M.J.’s father, Joe Jackson. I guess “pretty firm” was a bit understated.

Rowe told an NBCLA reporter last week, as AOL reported, “I am stepping up. I have to.”

Well, we all know she doesn’t absolutely have to. Sure, she’s the biological mother to two of the little Jackson’s, and we all know how deep a mother’s love runs, but the children could easily be supported by Michael’s parents and siblings. God knows they have the money to do it. Not to mention, what about splitting them up? Only two have biological ties to Rowe. Where would that leave Prince Michael II?

Apparently, Rowe’s planning on fighting for all three. Unless the judge is sympathetic to my last query and sympathetic to Rowe herself, I doubt she’ll get Prince Michael II, too.

As various news reports have said, Rowe, who is now 50, gave up her parental rights in her divorce from Jackson in 1999. No one heard her crying (or cussing at reporters outside of restaurants) then. I guess that nice $8.5 million settlement she received back in 2000 when the divorce became final shut her up pretty good. And AOL reports is wasn’t even six months later that she stopped visiting the children.

Tsk, tsk, tsk Ms. Rowe. Sounds like a big publicity deal to me. How can a mother want to see her children and suddenly not? Did Michael pay her off for the whole thing? We can’t forget to remember to the whole “Jackson is not the biological father” thing.

And what about that interview Rowe did with Fox back in 2003 when she admitted that the children don’t even think of her as their mother. She said her whole goal in giving birth to them was to give M.J. the chance at being a father. “I believe there are people who should be parents,” she said, “and he’s one of them.”

So Rowe takes several million dollars from Michael, ditches the kids, tells a reporter in an interview that she basically only had Jackson’s children because she wanted to make him a father, and now, all of a sudden, she wants to take them back. Something’s just not adding up here.

M.J.’s 2002 will specifically requests that his mother be named guardian of the children, and goes even further to state (more or less) that Rowe should not receive a dime in inheritance. “I have intentionally omitted to provide for my former wife, Deborah Jean Rowe Jackson,” Jackson’s will states.

A custody hearing has been set for July 13 to determine whether Jackson’s mommy will remain in custody of Jackson’s children…one, two, or all three.

Top 10 “do not miss” places in Tampa, Fla.

andrea — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:00:39 +0000

Tampa, on the West coast of Florida, typically is overshadowed by its eastern neighbor Orlando, which is home to Disney World. This town is full of history, diversity and some really good food. If you’re ever in the area, here are the top 10 places to check out.

1. Kaleisia Tea Lounge - Located at 1441 East Fletcher Ave. Suite #133, this community-oriented tea lounge offers loose leaf teas, smoothies and vegan food options. While close to the University of South Florida, it promotes a “tea community” and welcomes anyone. Owners Kim Pham and Lan Ha are dedicated to customer service and love helping people learn more about tea and Asian cultures.

2. Dunderbaks - Located at 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., this German bar and restaurant offers delicious, authentic food and hundreds of draft and bottled beers from all over the world. With more than 50 beers on draft, there’s a beer for everyone and a size for everyone including Das Boot. If you get really lucky, maybe you’ll get to see the accordion player who sings underneath the gazebo some nights.

3. Carmine’s Restaurant - Located at 1802 E. 7th Ave. in Tampa’s historic Ybor City, Carmine’s might have the best deviled crab in all of Florida. There’s nothing here that isn’t delicious. It’s an affordable place to stop off at if you fly into Tampa International Airport. You can find Cuban, Italian and American favorites there.

4. Tampa Theater - Located at 711 N. Franklin St. #A, this is not only a beautiful building but also a great place to see bands and movies. They bring in great indie movies that don’t typically show in theaters. This beautiful, historic building is a definite see even if you only walk through and enjoys the incredible décor.

5. The Hub - Located at 719 N. Franklin St. (right down the road from the Tampa Theater), The Hub has been described as “trashy and fabulous,” so if you’re looking for a classy place, continue on your way. This is a great place to hang out, get some REALLY strong, cheap drinks, and meet some interesting people. The music there is always great and the drinks are always strong. It’s a Tampa classic.

6. Acropolis - This Greek restaurant has three locations: 1833 W. 7th Ave, 14947 Bruce B. Downs and 6108 Winthrop Town Ctr. Ave. For an all-out Greek experience, Acropolis is the place to go. With a different menu for each place, there is a guarantee that nothing will disappoint. Expect the traditional breaking of the plates.

7. Cilantro - Located at 11009 56th Street N., Cilantro offers a lunch and dinner buffet that is the best Indian buffet around. Check out their delicious Indian wines and beers. The service there is great and the ambiance is even better.

8. Salvador Dali Museum - Located at 1000 Third St. S. in Saint Petersburg, offers anything you may need for your surrealistic needs. Any art aficionado needs to check out this world’s-largest collection of Dali art.

9. Florida Aquarium - Located at 701 Channelside Drive, this is a great place to take the family for a day of fun and discovery. You can swim with thousands of coral reef fishes, meet penguins “face to beak,” and get close to some of the ocean’s most mysterious sea creatures.

10. Tampa Museum of Art - If you can hold out until early 2010, its new building will be completed and it will be incredible. Its current exhibition “Dip, Dot, Byte, Spot” showcases digital art and explores current technological advancement. Exhibitions change throughout the year and are well worth checking out.

Destiny Fla. named nation’s first eco-sustainable city

andrea — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:35:48 +0000

In the midst of our “green revolution,” sometimes the steps we’re taking toward living green seem minute. Sure, cutting down on our plastic bag use by using carrying those $2 totes will help the environment, but to what extent? What we need is an entire country of eco-sustainable cities… right?

Well, we’ll see. Central Florida is home to Destiny, Fla., which is the nation’s first eco-sustainable city. Just an hour south of Orlando, Destiny sits leading the country in alternative energy ideas.

Destiny, Fla. is a 41,300-acre community that welcomes eco-friendly people, businesses and environmental research. According to a press release from Fish Consulting and Rubenstein Public Relations, “Destiny serves as a model for future development and stands as a testament to the symbiotic relationship between business and pro-environmental policies.”

Land developments in Destiny will only be where the land was previously disturbed. The city plans to preserve all that it can.

Destiny hopes to lead the world in demonstrating effective ways to reduce carbon emissions and promoting the idea of making the world a better place.

According to the PDF “A Snapshot of 2050” found on Destiny, Fla.’s Web site, there are six principles of growth that Destiny plans to abide by:

1. Preserve resources such as water, farmland, open space and recreational areas.
2. Create a variety of transportation options.
3. Cultivate unique, safe and appealing places to live; raise our families and call home for generations.
4. Support a diverse, competitive economy.
5. Offer a wide range of housing options.
6. Build communities with educational, healthcare and cultural amenities.

These steps are part of the Climate Positive Development Program, a Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) program. Destiny is one of 16 cities throughout the country currently participating, but it has been deemed the nation’s first eco-sustainable city.

If you’re like me, you know nothing about the Climate Positive Development Program or the Clinton Climate Initiative. At the C40 Summit, president Bill Clinton announced that the Climate Positive Development Program would begin coalition with the U.S. Green Building Council. The program was designed to support developing urban projects that can grow in “climate positive ways.”

Pretty cool, huh? I don’t think anyone could disagree with me by saying that these are all great ideas. Still, the word cult keeps coming to mind when I read more into this. For one, naming the nation’s first eco-sustainable city as Destiny is just a bit over-the-top. As for the rest of the things Destiny stands for, these are incredibly great ideas, but remind me a bit too much of an unattainable utopia.

What is extraordinarily creepy (to me) is the “Living at Destiny” section of its Web site. And I quote, “The best part of all, like hometowns of years past, everything will be within walking range or a very short commute. Would you like to ride your bike to work? No problem. Want to walk to the corner café to meet your friends for a latte? Easy. Running errands on the way home from work? It takes minutes, rather than hours and footsteps rather than mileage. Do you like spending weekends in the great outdoors? It’s at your doorstep. Convenience, ease, conservation and a reduction in our carbon footprints.”

What does everyone else think? I find it really strange that I’ve heard nothing about this prior. Is it just something that the hippies are doing, or is it actually legitimate? I guess only time will tell.