Remember this?
Check out the e-mail I just got:
HILLTV IS BACK - DECISION OVERTURNEDAll members,
The decision has been reversed and we officially got our station back
today at 4pm EST. A few structural changes will need to be made. For
now HillTV the institution is temporarily suspended until February
1st, 2006...
I'm sure the "structural changes" will involve completely unnecessary regulations regarding what's "offensive," but the important thing is that justice has been done for the 200+ people who didn't do anything wrong.
Oh, and by the way...
Suck it, Chancellor Cantor. Suck it long, and suck it hard.
And now, back to studying Marxist/feminist bullshit that somehow relates to television criticism...
UPDATE
Yep, I was right:
...the panel has suspended HillTV’s operations and recognition as a student organization, effective Nov. 30, through Feb. 1, 2006. The panel also ruled that HillTV’s suspension should continue until it fulfills several requirements.These requirements are as follows:
-HillTV’s issuance of an apology to the campus community;
-a faculty advisor, tenured and schooled in matters associated with broadcasting and its oversight, will monitor and provide consistent guidance and supervision to HillTV staff;
-HillTV will be required to change its name to break its association with discrimination and to signal an improved broadcasting operation;
-The renamed organization must form a “Committee on Cultural Competence” by attracting members from all quarters of the University to assist the organization with matters of content, perspective and tone, both in terms of program development and airing decisions;
-HillTV must amend its bylaws with greater attention to content sensitivity, nondiscriminatory actions and practices, program decision-making, as well as procedures and policies for program oversight and cancellation.
It looks to me like this is a roundabout way of doing the same thing Cantor planned in the first place. This puts me in a strange position.
You see, I couldn't work at HillTV this semester because of marching band, but I was going to go back in the spring. However, after Cantor took a dump on the entire station, I vowed not to go back unless it was restored to its original status.
On one hand, the station is technically going to be HillTV, even with the name change. But with all these dumbass requirements, I'm afraid it'll be more like CantorTV. I think it's great that "the nation's largest and oldest student-run TV station" is basically on the verge of becoming another means of indoctrination. I guess I'll have to wait and see if it's worth my time in a couple months...
Incidentally, have I mentioned that I don't like Nancy Cantor? The general atmosphere of this school has taken a fucking nosedive since she got here. I'm not planning to go stand on the quad with a "Cantor = Hitler" sign or anything, but I think the way I feel about her is the way a lot of liberals feel about President Bush...although I don't have to fabricate reasons for my antagonism.
I think it's great that my TV/film criticism class includes several readings on entertainment from a Marxist perspective. Really.
According to the essay I'm reading right now, the male characters on shows like "The A-Team" and "Magnum, P.I." "can be seen as literally embodying patriarchal capitalism," and the lack of female main characters in these shows "represents the suppression and devaluation of feminine characteristics in patriarchal constructions of masculinity."
Here's another fun excerpt:
The penis is the natural sign of maleness; the phallus is the cultural sign of masculinity -- the totality of meanings, rights, and power that a culture ascribes to maleness. Hence these shows, in their role as "masculine definers," are full of phallic symbols, particularly guns as agents of male power (think how rare it is for a female on TV to use a gun successfully, particularly to kill a male).
Clearly, this essay was written before "24" existed.
I have to take a test on this bullshit in a couple days...
Wow, that's a long title.
Anyway, lo and behold, within two hours of returning to blogging, I've already found something to write about. Little Green Footballs directed me to this story. Excerpt:
Democrats fumed last week at Vice President Cheney's suggestion that criticism of the administration's war policies was itself becoming a hindrance to the war effort. But a new poll indicates most Americans are sympathetic to Cheney's point.Seventy percent of people surveyed said that criticism of the war by Democratic senators hurts troop morale -- with 44 percent saying morale is hurt "a lot," according to a poll taken by RT Strategies. Even self-identified Democrats agree: 55 percent believe criticism hurts morale, while 21 percent say it helps morale.
So, first of all, despite the current liberal talking point that most people are now squarely on the anti-war/anti-Bush side, many still see the Democrats' ignorance as dangerous. But since LGF already covered that aspect (follow the link for more), I'd like to examine another part of the story. Let's look at the first paragraph again:
Democrats fumed last week at Vice President Cheney's suggestion that criticism of the administration's war policies was itself becoming a hindrance to the war effort. But a new poll indicates most Americans are sympathetic to Cheney's point.
Now, if you weren't paying attention, you'd probably think Cheney had suggested that any criticism of the war is a "hindrance to the war effort." After all, aren't liberals constantly claiming that the administration has labelled any type of dissent unpatriotic?
However, if you aren't a mindless drone, and you actually bother to think once in a while, you're probably capable of checking this insinuation against what the vice president actually said:
I do not believe it is wrong to criticize the war on terror or any aspect thereof. Disagreement, argument, and debate are the essence of democracy, and none of us should want it any other way....Nor is there any problem with debating whether the United States and our allies should have liberated Iraq in the first place...What is not legitimate -- and what I will again say is dishonest and reprehensible -- is the suggestion by some U. S. senators that the President of the United States or any member of his administration purposely misled the American people on pre-war intelligence.
So, let's think about this: The survey in the article asked people if criticism of the war hurts the war effort, and the article itself suggests that this is Cheney's position. However, Cheney said that criticism is good for the country, but deliberately lying about the war in order to score political points is irresponsible.
Oh, but Cheney still suggested that some type of criticism hurts troop morale, just like the article says, right?
Wrong:
One might also argue that untruthful charges against the Commander-in-Chief have an insidious effect on the war effort itself. I'm unwilling to say that, only because I know the character of the United States Armed Forces -- men and women who are fighting the war on terror in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other fronts. They haven't wavered in the slightest, and their conduct should make all Americans proud. They are absolutely relentless in their duties, and they are carrying out their missions with all the skill and the honor we expect of them.
Thanks, MSM, for once again proving that you have absolutely no idea how to be objective.
*Blows dust off blog*
Hmmm....
Worst. Open. Thread. EVER.
Anyway, I'm back in Syracuse and back in action. I actually had my computer with me the whole time I was in Pittsburgh, but there really wasn't that much to write about. I was thinking of reviewing my Thanksgiving dinner experiences, but other than my grandfather complaining about Germans and "niggers" moving into his neighborhood and my uncle calling President Bush a liar (did you know that Iraq has no power and no water because of the war? It must be true, because he heard it from an Iraqi...who lives in California), there wasn't really much to tell.
Anyway, don't expect any huge posts in the near future. I've got a script to write and a test to study for. But if anything really important comes up, it'll be here.
Laterz, yo.
Yep. I'm off to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving break. Blogging will resume when I feel like it.
I usually mention this right away, but I've basically been sleeping for the past couple days (seriously, I haven't seen daylight since Friday afternoon), so I didn't get to it:
I'm finished with class registration for next semester. Yay. Check out this amazing lineup:
ECN 203: Economic Ideas & Issues: I desperately need to take an economics class. I figure that it'll help my poli-sci minor, and I'll hopefully be able to understand more issues after this. Added bonus: Since I'm an upperclassman, I don't have to take a discussion section. Sweet.
HST 337: United States in World Politics Since 1914: This class was chosen in about 30 seconds during the scheduling process when I discovered that, according to the online course catalog, the history class I actually wanted to take doesn't exist...even though it's in the time schedule. I had to choose another elective in the same time slot, and luckily, this one looked vaguely interesting. We'll see...
PSC 305: The Legislative Process & the U.S. Congress: Poli-sci minors have to take six classes, so <John Kerry>I have a plan</John Kerry>: One survey class, one class on each of the 3 branches of government, one on the government of a non-U.S. region (foreign/international content is a requirement), and one political theory class. I already took the survey course, and I'm in the process of taking a constitutional law course, so this is the next logical step. I'm also planning to take...
PSC 329: The Modern Presidency. However, it was full by the time my enrollment appointment came up, so I had to waitlist it. The people at the PSC office told me that if I can't get in by the end of the registration process, I should show up on the first day of class in January and ask to be added. I love college. Fun fact: This class is taught by the same professor who taught my history class last spring. Look through the archives from February to May for some fun stories about her...
And finally, for the major...
TRF 521: Dramatic Production: The class meets only one day a week...for three freakin' hours. This is the one I mentioned before that conflicted with half the other crap I wanted to take. I'm lucky to have found enough good classes to fit around it. Anyway, since I'm considering becoming a TV/film editor while I work on writing enough scripts to establish myself as a screenwriter, this class should be very useful. Plus, I'll probably have more movies to post on the blog (if you're unfamiliar with "Against the Wind" and "Pinochle," check the TRF category). Fun fact about this one: It's taught by the same professor who taught my last production class. This means there's a good chance I'll have more moonbat conspiracy theories to report on from the inside. Goooooooood times...
A couple fun facts about the entire schedule: Next semester will be the first one of my college career that contains no 100 level classes. I'm movin' up to the big leagues now. Also, it'll be the first semester with classes beginning at the same time (9:30 AM) five days a week. I'm hoping that'll make it easier to get up.
Meanwhile, the current semester continues to resemble one of those nightmares where you want to get away from something, but no matter how fast you move your legs, you never get anywhere. Ah, procrastination. How I loathe you so. Hopefully, the fact that I actually scheduled afternoon classes for next semester will remedy the situation, but who knows?
Later, minions.
A few minutes ago, a member of the opposite sex said the following to me, in a 100% sincere and complimentary fashion:
"You seem to know everything."
...There's no real point. I just wanted to post that.
Heh.
- I'm a little late on this, but there are a few minutes of Veterans' Day left, in case anyone needs a reminder. There's really not much to say, but I'd like to extend my thanks to all past, present, and future members of the U.S. armed forces for doing quite possibly the most difficult job there is and prevailing. If it weren't for you, who knows whether I'd even have the freedom to write this post?
And remember: Quite a few veterans of the War on Terror have blogs you should check out.
- This weekend is SU's homecoming. For most college students, that means extra festivities, hanging out with alumni, more school spirit, and other generally positive things. For us marching band members, on the other hand, homecoming weekend is pure evil. Imagine marching over a mile (which takes about 45 minutes because of the frequent starts and stops)...at night...with the temperature hovering around 40 degrees...while carrying and playing a snare drum that somehow got screwed up in Pittsburgh and doesn't quite sit right on your shoulders, so every step you take is like having your entire spine compressed in an accordion-like fashion.
Go ahead, ask me how I spent my Friday night.
Anyway, the fun didn't stop there. After the parade, we had to stand outside for...I don't even remember how long...while various members of the community made a pathetic attempt at a pep rally. A few highlights: The president of the University Union led the rally for some reason, and he has apparently decided that the name of our team begins with an H. Thus: "Let's go Horange!"
Yeah, we were just as confused as you probably are.
Next, the judges who were watching the parade gave out awards to student groups for demonstrating school spirit, making banners, etc. As a result, I have concluded that screaming in unison is the only method of celebration that sorority girls are familiar with. Holy crap, I can still hear it now...the horror...the horror...
Oh, and by the way, the band, which clearly has the most spirit because we MARCHED A FUCKING MILE WHILE PLAYING THE FIGHT SONG, was awarded with...a "round of applause" that was pretty much a golf clap on steroids. Yay. Ungrateful bastards.
Finally, the coach of the football team, who should be ashamed to show his face in public (if you don't know, Syracuse has just about the worst team in the NCAA), took the stage and tried to get the crowd going. His words of inspiration:
"Tomorrow, we're going to WIN A GAME IN THE BIG EAST CONFERENCE!!!"
You know your team sucks when simply winning a game becomes the Holy Grail of your season. On the plus side, the coach's unintentionally hilarious statement did inspire something: parody. A comment I heard from another drumline guy seconds later: "Tomorrow, the team's gonna get a first down!!!" A few of us also compared the coach to Howard Dean, and the drumline erupted in impressions of the infamous "YEEEAAAAAGH!!!!" Bwahahaha.
...I'm so glad tomorrow is the last game of the year. Seriously.
- Finally, open the extended entry (or just scroll down, if you're already there) to see the SU Drumline t-shirt for this year, inspired by our Earth, Wind, and Fire show:
Heh. I'm using this as my Facebook picture right now.
All right, I have marching band rehearsal in 8 hours, so...later.
Fun fact: I'm taking four classes this semester (not counting marching band), and I'm currently studying Marxist thought in two of them.
Good times...
Here's my problem with Marxism: Marx correctly observed that history is driven by conflict. However, he incorrectly believed that this is somehow a bad thing.
Consider this hypothetical situation: A public school decides to do away with its grading system and give everyone an "A" just for showing up. However, the school still assigns homework and gives tests. How many people are going to do the work if everybody gets the same grade?
Yeah, that's the problem with Marxism/communism. Marx believed that there is no fixed human nature, so people could be conditioned to share both the means and results of production. However, if history is driven by conflict and oppression, doesn't this indicate that there is, in fact, a fixed human nature? I think it does.
Human beings are selfish, and there is no way to change that, so the proper way to deal with it is to come up with a society that takes advantage of human nature rather than trying to change it. Thus, capitalism. The ideal Marxist society may look good in theory, but the second one person does better than another, the whole system breaks down. In contrast, capitalism relies on the innate competitive nature of human beings to create a society where people are forced to work harder than those around them to succeed, which in turn makes everyone more successful except those who are too lazy to work. It's not perfect, and it doesn't always work that way, but since perfection is impossible, it's the best we can do.
The same goes for Marx's idea of government. He apparently believed that the state-centered government is simply a transitional phase between eeeeeeevil capitalism and a society where everyone controls the means of production. The problem here, once again, is human nature.
Government is composed of human beings. Human beings are selfish. When you give all the power to government, they're not going to give it back unless a revolution forces them to. The only problem is that truly successful revolutions, like the one that happened here a couple hundred years ago, lead to capitalist societies held together by a representative democracy, which forces government to share its power with the people.
This is why I laugh when people claim that the Soviet Union and other Communist states don't represent true communism because true communism gives everybody equal rights. If the state-centered government is a necessary step between capitalism and "real" communism, then real communism is impossible. Once you give government all the power, you're fucked.
In conclusion: Marxism is bullshit. Thank you.
- Well, it's that time again. I'm registering for spring classes a week from today. Of course, I've been trying to plan ahead by seeing what's available, but this is presenting a small problem. You see, there's a TRF course that I need to take next semester if I want to have enough time to take the super-advanced production course, but it conflicts with just about every poli-sci class that I was planning to take, except for one which gives the day and time of class as "TBA." Well, thanks for your help on that one, morons. I hate this school's schedule. Seriously.
- Remember the anti-war vegan I spotted outside my dorm a couple years ago? I saw him outside the dining hall today, still carrying around the same bag with the same patches. How progressive.
- Good times in TRF discussion today. We were talking about different ways to view television, and the TA asked for an example of "negotiated" viewing, which is when you enjoy something you don't totally agree with. One girl had this to say (as usual, somewhat paraphrased):
GIRL: ...the show "24" is about anti-terrorism, and it's a great show, I watch it, like, all the time, but I'm, like, totally against the...uh...um...the...uh...what's it called...the...uh...um...the...
GUY NEXT TO HER: ...PATRIOT Act?
GIRL: Yeah! That's it!
It's probably funnier to me because I was there and everything, but I just think it's great that people can claim to vehemently oppose something when they can't even remember what it's called.
- Captain Loudness has been talking to someone on the phone for about half an hour now. I can almost make out the individual words...but I'm mostly hearing the "uuuuuuhhhhh" that he adds before every fucking sentence (you know the sound a race car makes when it shifts gears? That's what this sounds like). I think this guy has voice immodulation.
- Finally, just a reminder that, to my knowledge, nobody has listened to the full Suspended Agitation demo. We're going to be writing new material in a couple months, so criticism is very important to our future.
- November of 2004: George W. Bush wins the election with a majority of the popular vote. Liberals claim that the idea of this giving the president a mandate is ridiculous, and he should not try to reward the voters by changing his policies. Others claim that he and/or Karl Rove stole the election.
- November of 2005: Polls show that Bush's approval rating is rather low. Liberals incessantly whine that the American people are sick of Bush and his policies, and this should somehow dictate how he governs. None bother to question polling techniques or reasons for the drop in ratings. All that matters is that Americans hate the president now.
Can anyone spot the problem here?
Usually, when I link to a DU thread, I exaggerate the main idea of the discussion for comic effect, but that's the actual fuckin' title of this thing. Check out the brilliant literary accomplishment that's been spewed into cyberspace by a mental giant calling him/her/itself "texpatriot2004:"
Republicans killed the forests
Republicans killed the seas
Republicans killed Alaska
and they killed the air we breatheRepublicans killed America
Republicans killed Democracy
Republicans killed our country
and they killed our economyRepublicans killed our elderly
Republicans killed our children
Republicans killed our Gulf Coast
and they killed our familyRepublicans killed the truth
Republicans killed morality
Republicans killed all justice
and they killed equalityRepublicans killed it all you see
and they killed it all for money
Comedy. Gold.
But the best part is the responses, which demonstrate the firm death grip of hysterical emotionalism on these exceptions to survival of the fittest:
I am so sick of this. I can't sleep. I finally lay down to try to sleep and I cry. I cry for the environment. I cry for the economy. I cry for the fraud. I cry for my country. I cry for my own financial fears. I cry for the fears and worries of others who are struggling, especially those that have it worse than I do. I cry for worry that it won't end. I cry for it to end. I cry for the wildlife. I cry for the Earth. I cry from the stress and worry. I cry, I weep, I sob...and still no sleep.
Awwww, poor baby. Here, have a nice warm glass of SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DEAL WITH SHIT.
(Yeah, I'm in an obscene mood tonight. Can you motherfuckin' tell, bitches?)
...I cry for all the murdered Iraq women and children. And I pray that karma really exists.
This confused poster apparently doesn't realize that the bullshit idea of "karma" contradicts any mainstream philosophy that relies on prayer, so if it is real, you're talking to the ceiling. Isn't this fun?
(Second parenthetical note: Have I mentioned that karma is bullshit? In case I didn't...karma is bullshit. Thank you.)
Fortunately, I live in Allegheny County, PA. close to Pittsburgh - and MOST of us have the brains to see through this slimebag's bullshit...No offense to slimebags, of course...And whatever knuckleheads I run into, I try to convert with the facts...
It is actually kind of fun, when you see the light dawn on these morans, when they realize how badly they have been taken...
Hey, I live in Allegheny County in the summer. And after reading this, I'm glad that I don't live there more often.
I think even many Republifascists, although they may not admit it, would see the plain truth in your lines.
Well, this "Republifascist" does see the plain truth in those lines. And that truth is "texpatriot2004 is fucking insane."
Oh, look, another comment from texpatriot:
I have had a knot in my stomach for weeks now. It feels like I have been kicked there over and over.
You know, I've heard that years of seething with rage can cause stomach problems. I think BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome) is your culprit.
Republicans killed public faith in an impartial judiciary. Republicans killed national unity. Republicans killed decades of social progress. Republicans killed balanced budgets.
"Republicans stole my bong!"
...Oh, wait, that's Frank's line.
And yet another comment from Texpatriot:
Republicans killed our civil rights.
I'll believe that when you're dragged off to...wherever it is you fucktards think dissenters are being dragged off to.
The dirty,dirty, dirty evil bastards they are killing the world.
"Bush-Cheney Clan ain't nothin' to fuck with!!!"
...Oops, my mistake again. That's Old Dirty Bastard, not Dirty Evil Bastards. I'm so scatterbrained tonight...
And now, a comment that has to be from a right-wing spy:
Babie baking...I hear they bake liberal babies in their bread too.
Bwahaha!!!
...here. Here's an excerpt:
We hold these truths to be open to interpretation, that all Men, Wymyrns, Chyldryns, and Animals are created Equal and must remain exactly so throughout the course of their Lives, especially in an economic sense...
A semi-conceptual SIT post:
*ALARM CLOCK!!!*
- Check clock...8:40 AM...hit SNOOZE and go back to sleep...
*CELL PHONE ALARM!!!*
- Get up, turn off cell phone, check time...8:45 AM...turn on computer, go back to bed...
*TIME PASSES*
- Check clock...9:01 AM...turn on light, think about getting up...
*TIME PASSES*
- Check clock again...9:07 AM...actually get out of bed...
- Check e-mail...
- Sloooooowly get dressed...
- Check clock...9:17 AM...no time to eat breakfast, gotta drink a Slim-Fast instead...
- Grab jacket and backpack...
- Put computer to sleep (lucky bastard), turn off light, leave room, lock door, wait for elevator, get downstairs...
- Check watch: 9:22 AM...internal monologue: "It's okay, it's 6 minutes fast anyway..."
- Walk through the cold wind for 8 minutes...
- Get to Hall of Languages, find auditorium, find seat...
- Check watch: 9:30 AM...internal monologue: "HA! I knew setting this thing ahead was a good idea! There's hardly anyone else here!"
*TWO MINUTES PASS*
- Internal monologue: "Man, I'm glad I actually made it to philosophy today. I've slept through the last couple lectures, so it'll be nice to know what we're talking about..."
*TA WALKS IN AND STANDS AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM*
*TA: "Excuse me...class is cancelled."*
- Stare in disbelief, slowly get up, put on jacket, and walk out of building in a daze...
- Walk through the cold wind for 8 minutes, forgetting to stop at Newhouse and pick up a Time Schedule of Classes...
- Get back to dorm, take elevator upstairs...
- Unlock and open door, turn on light, turn on computer...
- Check clock...9:42 AM...
- Sit and wonder why the universe hates me...
- Log in to blog, click "New Entry," type this post...
- Preview and proofread...
- Hit "SAVE."
*THE END*
So...uh...it is November, right? Because I'm watching/hearing a thunderstorm approach my dorm as I type this.
That...that's not right.
When people feel the need to park in front of the building and blast music at obscene volumes for 10 minutes, why is it never good music?
So...does anyone know any strategies for completely resetting your internal clock? I need to convince my brain that night does not, in fact, begin at 5 AM.
Go here for some intelligent, well-researched, and thoughtful commentary from the party of peace and tolerance.