Beats by Dre gives headphones to British Athletes.
Rapper Dr. Dre
A controversy is boiling in London as the Doctor raids the Olympic Games with a brilliant or devious marketing plan. The rapper Dr. Dre along with his public relations and marketing teams sent British athletes customized versions of his Beats headphones. The headphones were quite impressive as they were complete with personalization and draped in national colors.
So what's the big deal you might ask? Well unfortunately like most things in life it comes down to dollar signs. Apparently it's prohibited to "advertise" from companies that do not hold official Olympic rights. The IOC (International Olympic Committee), the company that regulates advertising for the games are upset being they already have an official electronics sponsor with Panasonic.
A Closer Look at the 2012 Games Hottest Athletes...
Leryn Franco
One of the biggest trending topics that I notice for the 2012 Olympic Games is the highlighting of athletes off the field. More and more it seems that athletes are not only being recognized for their talents but their looks as well. Although looks don't predict who is going to win or lose, they present and interesting career opportunity outside of sports. Paraguayan Track and Field star Leryn Franco is one of those athletes who actually recognizes and acknowledges this fact. She realizes that in the 2012 games she most likely won't place high enough to receive a medal but admits that her career is really in the media. Franco is actually a model who also happens to be an athlete and in 2006 was a runner up in the Miss Universe Paraguay contest. She has also appeared in numerous magazines including Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. For more on the top 25 Hottest Athletes click here.
With the opening weekend of the Olympics coming to a close team U.S.A is currently ranked No. 2 taking home 11 medals total thus far. Most of their medals came by way of swimming events. The break down is as follow; 3 Gold (2 from Women's Skeet Shooting and 1 from Men's 400m Individual Medley). 5 Silver (1 Men's team Archery, 1 Women's Synchronised Diving, 1 Men's 4 X 100 Freestyle Relay, 1 Women's 4 X100 Individual Medley). 3 Bronze, (1 Men's 100m Breaststroke, 1 Men's 400m Relay, and 1 Women's 4 X 100 Freestyle Relay). The Men's Swimming events played out to be a bit on the disappointing side with the return of 8 time Gold medalist Michael Phelps not reclaiming the events that he set world records in at Bejieng 4 years ago. More events are set to start with the beginning of the week bringing more possibilities for the Americans to see the podium. Still in the hunt for medals are Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's Basketball, Women's and Men's Beach and Indoor Volleyball, and Men's and Women's Gymnastics.
Though Mr. Copperhead was quiet eloquent in pointing our that state endorsed genocides, and infantry/officers that fail to exert sympathy, empathy, or self control, I am well aware of there existence. The numbers are staggering even though most of these events took place over years under violent regimes. However what Mr. Copperhead failed to recognize is that I am not talking about military murdering civilians, that has been done before the invention of the assault rifle, hell before the invention of the gun. So while I appreciate all the international statistics and found the link very interesting, let's stick to America who is typically near the top of the list every year, sitting pretty with countries that are either virtual war zones or are suffering from out of control drug cartels. So most of what he addresses I cannot speak too, though it seems like a rather simplistic and cold take on the issue. If Mr. Copperhead his reading this I would like him to take moment and reread my article, because I was not pushing to have assault weapons banned, simply banned from civilian use and distribution. To claim that not allowing our citizens access to weapons made for war, is self defeating and that the 'occassional psychopath' getting his hands on an AA-12 and going berserk in a mall is acceptable..because governments have done it on a larger scale? I'm sorry, I find that logic offensive and disgusting considering how easy it is to procure automatic firearms in some states. In summation, though I respect your views and appreciate your take on the larger scale of things, I hope you can understand these are separate issues and one does not excuse the other. Speaking on the issue of state violence against it's on people. Well, even with the assault rifles, we are outgunned by the states bombs, missiles, and nukes. There is no reason to clutch your AK so the government won't violate your rights. If they want you violated, it's going to happen. So please Mr. Copperhead, uncock the trigger, remove the clip, empty the chamber, and PUT THE GUN DOWN!
Note: For further reading on the issue, one of the guys at Cracked.com wrote a funny but ultimately pointless article that can be read here.
The author of this post, along with Jon Stewart, is correct when he encourages discussion on the topic of gun control; it can never be ‘too soon for discussion’ as the parade of right-wingers chant in the opening minutes of the linked episode. Let us discuss.
My copy of the Constitution is bit dusty and perhaps outdated (my frugality does not permit me to procure the ‘Progressive’ edition), but Amendment II is quite clear in my version, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”. The author acknowledges and agrees with the spirit of this Amendment, but maintains that “assault weapons” should be banned. Let us examine this claim, and the second video in greater detail.
The second video link, featuring a pugnacious AA-12, was a not-so-subtle scare tactic; here we see a terrifying automatic shotgun in the hands of the United States Government (in the case of this video it is the major defense contractor, Blackwater). Rather than strengthening the author’s argument, this video merely reveals the ugly face of the number one enemy of the people: the state. State violence, also known as Democide (a phrase coined by Professor Rummel in “Death by Government”), is a much greater threat than the occasional psychopath. I shall now provide a scare tactic of my own which when taken in conjunction with this AA-12 video will illustrate the threat we face;here is a list of all the states which killed more than one million people during the 20th century:
U.S.S.R. (1917-1987), 61,911,000; Communist China (1949-1987), 35,236,000; Nazi Germany (1933-1945), 20,946,000; and Nationalist (or Kuomintang) China (1928-1949), 10,076,000; Japan (1936-1945), 5,964,000; Cambodia (1975-1979), 2,035,000; Turkey (1909-1918), 1,883,000; Vietnam (1945-1987), 1,678,000; North Korea (1948-1987), 1,663,000; Poland (1945-1948), 1,585,000; Pakistan (1958-1987), 1,503,000; Mexico (1900-1920), 1,417,000; Yugoslavia (1944-1987), 1,072,000; Czarist Russia (1900-1917), 1,066,000.(http://www.fff.org/freedom/1094f.asp)
Banning “assault weapons” to prevent the “slaughter [of] mass groups of people”, as recommended by the author, is self-defeating. As the list makes clear, the state is the leading culprit of mass slaughter, and acquiescing its thirst for superior weaponry above the citizenry will only placate its desire. If citizens are to retain their liberty in the long term it is essential that the second amendment be safeguarded from the erosion of regulations, laws and controls promulgated by the state. As Noah Webster noted in the Examination into the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution (1787):
Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword, because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States. (http://www.constitution.org/mil/rkba1982.htm#37)
Notes: I agree with the author’s comments on drug & gambling laws; my libertarian approach encourages individual choice in these matters with no interference from John Law. Also, this response is limited in scope to merely rejecting the author’s call to ban “assault weaponry”. A multitude of arguments could have been put forth in a more general argument on the right to bear arms, and I stand by with the trigger cocked.
Magic in the air as the 2012 Olympic Summer Games hosted in London, England are set to officially kick off at tonight's opening ceremony. Every 4 years whether it be summer or winter, the Olympic games summon together the best athletes from around the globe to compete on the worlds biggest stage. The opening ceremony is a spectacle within itself as it usually entails a large ceremonial production to light the torch that ushers in hopeful athletes competing for the gold. I can't even explain why it is that I get so excited when the Olympics are on. Most of the games featured I don't even watch on a regular basis which makes them all the more interesting. When do you get the chance to watch sports like Track & Field, Gymnastics, Badminton, Synchronized Diving, Swimming, and the list goes on and on. One of the sports that I hope to catch is Women's Volleyball. Now although I will be watching for the competition, I will admit that cute women bouncing around in bikinis does sweeten the pot. Currently Mens' and Women's soccer is in full swing but the first event officially set to go off after the opening ceremony will be the Women's 10m Air Riffle Qualification. One of the more main scale sports, Basketball, will be under close watch and filled with expectation as Lebron James was quoted saying that the "2012 team would defeat the 1992 Dream Team". Does that mean a gold medal hands down? The excitement and expectation of gold from the team is high but I think that American's still have to see it to believe it after the few last Olympics teams representing the US performed sub par at best. Check back frequently as we will have updates, results, and coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Its rumored that the IPhone 5 is set to be released late September.
Could it be true? After being in the rumor mill for over a year it seems that the mysterious IPhone 5 is coming to life. Rumors predict that Apple Inc. will release the IPhone 5 in late September to mid October. So what does this mean for current IPhone users looking to upgrade? Well for one the new IPhone will be running iOS 6 which at the moment is speculated to not be compatible with current mac applications. Knowing Apples reputation I think that this won't hold true. Apple has been known to keep its products consistent and compatible with all it's product lines. Other features of this phone will be that its 4G/LTE along with a cool new feature know as NCF or Near Field Communication technology. NCF is a technology that can basically turn your phone into a digital wallet. On 24 June 2011 is was reported that the Google wallet mobile payment platform could feature on the new IPhone. Is it finally coming to past will this year be the one where see the IPhone 5 released with the holographic keyboard and screen for watching movies and video. I guess time will tell but word on the street is that time is approaching fast.
Following the tragic events of Aurora, CO last week it appears the nation, or the people on television rather, are not ready to talk about gun control. But I praise Jon Stewart for coming out and saying it, there needs to be a very public discussion about this. I happen to agree with our forefathers, as per the second amendment we have the right to bare arms. Whether it is for piece of mind/protection, hunting, or just in case some shit goes down the American people deserve the right to bare arms, if they choose to exercise that right is up to them. However, our forefathers could not have foreseen the invention of the automatic weapon. The Federal government was right in 1994 with their ban on assault weapons, but they needed to broaden definition on assualt weapons. Any gun that can go fully automatic needs to be banned from being manufactured for civilian use and sold to civilians, or better yet any weapon that can be used to slaughter mass groups of people, plain and simple. Now, I realize that this is really a state issue, but as our government as shown us in the past with drug and gambling laws(which are healthcare and mental health issues not criminal), they don't give a fuck how things 'should work'. Those types of things should be legalized and regulated to drive out the criminal elements that run them and perpetuate more violence. So our federal government could very well bring back the ban of 94, and hopefully improve it with a broader definition and heavier regulations. But, we need the discussion first, no more waiting until the government gets around to it. I would go even one step further and ban everything but rifles and six shooters, and maybe we won't have to see such horrific numbers of dead and wounded when some loose cannon finally snaps. It's a horrible thing that's happening in America but unfortunately I do not see an end in sight if no one will even join the discussion.
In case you didn't recognize the training facility...that's Blackwater USA/Academi. Not government, private EX military, with access to this type of weaponry. Yea, oh shit.
Dollhairs? But that's the only way this move makes any sense....
"Kwame James Brown (born March 10, 1982) is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Philadelphia 76ers." That is now the first line of his wikipedia entry, and it still makes me cringe but not for much longer. Friday night was a dark day. Friday, the nation mourned the loss of those 12 gunned down at the opening of the Dark Knight movie in Aurora, CO. A tragedy indeed, one that overshadowed a much lesser tragedy, but still one that broke my heart in Philadelphia, PA. Friday, the Philadelphia 76ers officially signed this 1st round bust and scrub, as Stephen A so eloquently put it on ESPN(where he works when he isn't on his second job as a Ludacris look a like) Again, Friday, July 20th is when the Sixers officially signed Kwame Brown and Friday, July 20th was the day I officially put a jihad on Sixers management. Incompetence is not an excuse, in fact in their place, it is inexcusable. They haven't been relevant since A.I. and even with all the young talent they refuse to make a serious move. I was glad they amnestied Elton Brand, but resigning Spencer Hawes and those atrocious early picks makes me want to slit my wrists and sob in the corner as I slowly bled out, oh and the kicker, they lost their best scorer in Lou Will. Now they signed Kwame Brown for 2 years and 6 million dollars? It makes no sense, we already have three bad seven footers, why add a forth HORRIBLE six eleven(er)? I'm more puzzled then angry, more embarrassed then enraged, and far too sad to be mad. I've loved this team for maybe 20 years give or take, and I am throwing in the towel and toss my lot in with the Brooklyn Nets, they are close, they will probably have dope uniforms, and if they somehow manage to get Dwight Howard without giving up too much(i.e. Humphries, Williams, Johnson) they are automatically contenders. Not to mention this is probably the only team left in the NBA I don't have a reason to hate for crushing my squad these past 10 years. To any Philly fans reading this, I tried, I really did but you can only get kicked in the dick so many times before you move out of the way. I hope you guys get a championship, but I think we can all agree Kwame Brown is not the solution. Any player that's been in the league eleven years and averages 5 RPG and 6 PPG with almost a 60% free throw shooting average should not be signed by anyone unless they don't HAVE a center. No, I retract the above statement, the Sixers could start Jrue Holiday at center and would get 5 rebounds by ACCIDENT. Well, I digress it was a foolish and shameful move on the Sixers part, but we are all going to have to move on. With that I will leave you with Kobe trying to explain how bad his ex teammate actually is....Good luck Philly this is where we part ways. LET'S GO BROOKLYN!
The same man that declared that hip hop was dead is the same man breathing life back into the art. With his newest studio album release Life is Good, Nas brings back the sounds and styles reminiscent of a golden era that made the east coast a power house. With guest appearances by Mary J. Blidge and Rick Ross coupled with production by Swiss Beats and Large Professor, Life is Good recaptures an era of history in hip hop that now seems lost in todays' modern trend of ass slapping, money tossing, non conscience rap music. Nas has always been well known for his gritty street intellectual lyrics with a delivery that can only be matched by few. Tracks such as Loco Motive, Accident Murderer, and Daughters almost sound as if they could be lost tracks from Illmatic, It was Written, or I am. For those of the older generation this will be a welcomed breath of fresh air and for the younger cats it'll serve as a lesson and tribute to the true soul of hip hop.
This is a test.....If you can see this then that means that you have stumbled upon Whiskey in the Shade. This site is brand new and expected to launch with in the next few weeks. We will have a variety of topics that we cover from sports to politics. Hope you enjoy!
