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News, culture, and politics. Not necessarily in that order.

 

Entries Tagged as 'News'

Mr. Fish on Obama-Wright, That Ad, and the Big Gas Tax Swindle

Posted by Ocelopotamus on May 5th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

The brilliance of Mr. Fish! I really need to start including him in my cartoon roundups.
His take on Obama v. Wright is especially trenchant.
I’m not necessarily saying that I absolutely agree with the cartoon’s comically reductive expression of certain religious beliefs, but its portrayal of the double standard regarding what’s considered fair game for criticism […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Democrats · Barack Obama · Hillary Clinton · Comics · John McCain · Iraq · Harper's · Foreign Policy · Energy · Video · 2008 Election · Elections · The Economy, Stupid · Infrastructure

After Hours Press Poetry Reading at DvA Gallery, Friday May 2

Posted by Ocelopotamus on May 1st, 2008 at 3:00 am

I’ve been meaning to mention for ages now that I have a poem in the latest issue of the Chicago poetry journal After Hours … and I’ll be reading it in public this Friday night.
I’ve always been really bad about actually submitting my poems for publication — I always think, here I am fussing around […]

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Tags: News · Culture · Journal · Chicago · Poetry · Performance · Lit

Roundup: Pansies vs. Chair Sniffers Edition

Posted by Ocelopotamus on May 1st, 2008 at 2:40 am

A little sampler platter for you, my pretties …
First up, a brilliant post by Hunter on Daily Kos:
Things I have learned during this campaign season:
In a race that includes a former First Lady of the United States and a multimillionaire Republican senator rumored to share up to eight residences with his wife, the black guy […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Science · Food · LGBT · George W. Bush · Comedy · Human Rights Campaign · Factory Farming · TV · Democrats · Barack Obama · Hillary Clinton · John McCain · Doctor Who · Video · Nature · Civil Rights · 2008 Election · Religion · Elections · Organic Food · Roundup · Racism · Keith Olbermann · Gender · Homophobia · Transgender

Larry King on the Other Larry King: Day of Silence PSA

Posted by Ocelopotamus on April 25th, 2008 at 1:37 pm

Very cool — CNN’s Larry King records a PSA in honor of his murdered namesake, in support of the 12th annual Day of Silence organized by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

 
Previously on Ocelopotamus:
• Death by Flirting
 

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · LGBT · Media · TV · Human Rights · Video · Hate Crimes · Education · Homophobia · Transgender

Bitter

Posted by Ocelopotamus on April 11th, 2008 at 8:31 pm

This is just sublime.

 
Man, he knows how to talk back.
In fact, I have no choice but to haul out the Oh Snap Flowchart:

(Swiped from this diary.)
 

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Tags: News · Politics · Democrats · Barack Obama · Hillary Clinton · John McCain · Video · 2008 Election · The Economy, Stupid

B-52’s Funplex Roundup

Posted by Ocelopotamus on April 9th, 2008 at 6:16 am

So the new B-52’s album Funplex has been out for a couple of weeks now and is getting hot-pink rave reviews everywhere. Of course all during the recent period when I was busy not blogging I was wanting to post all sorts of breathless updates and links about it. But the truth is Astralwerks seems […]

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Tags: News · Culture · Music · Chicago · LGBT · New Wave · The B-52's · Film · TV · Video

Torch

Posted by Ocelopotamus on April 8th, 2008 at 4:05 am

I’ve said this many times in the past, and I’m sure I’ll say it again in the future:
God bless Peter Tatchell.
Towleroad:
Gay activist Peter Tatchell was one of dozens detained in various protests over the weekend surrounding the transit of the Olympic flame through London, including one dramatic moment in which the torch was nearly snatched […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · LGBT · Activism · Human Rights · China

Schadenfreudian Hillarity

Posted by Ocelopotamus on April 8th, 2008 at 2:41 am

In case you haven’t seen any of these yet, my pals at Schadenfreude (who I love despite the fact that they terrify me sometimes) are doing a good job of capturing the current logic of the Hillary campaign in video.

 
These are turning up all over Greater Blogistania and one of the other installments in […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Blogs · Chicago · Comedy · Democrats · Barack Obama · Hillary Clinton · Fringe · Performance · Video · 2008 Election · Elections

Freedom Is Slavery (Doubleplus for Iraqi Women)

Posted by Ocelopotamus on April 6th, 2008 at 11:41 pm

Newsweek on what life is like for women in Iraq in these days of the glorious surge:
The insurgents have been driven out of her southwest Baghdad neighborhood, but the 30-year-old shop assistant is still frightened. A year ago Al Qaeda in Iraq ruled the streets outside her home, and Mahdi Army militia units kept the […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Peace · Iraq · Foreign Policy · Feminism

Shopping Cart Blanch

Posted by Ocelopotamus on April 4th, 2008 at 7:54 pm

I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s experiencing sticker shock over my grocery shopping bills.
Across the United States, consumers like Norris are finding that grocery shopping has become a sobering experience as their budgets fail to keep pace with food costs.
Reuters reporters visited Wal-Mart stores in Romeoville, Illinois, Secaucus, New Jersey and Santa Clarita, […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Food · Journal · Organic Food · The Economy, Stupid

Andy White at the Celtic Knot

Posted by Ocelopotamus on March 30th, 2008 at 2:28 am

Tonight, Sunday evening March 30th, one of my favorite less-well-known-than-he-ought-to-be performers is playing a no-cover live gig up in Evanston.
If you aren’t familiar with him — and most people I know aren’t — the best way I can describe Andy White is to say that if Jonathan Richman had been born an Irishman, he might […]

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Tags: News · Culture · Music · Performance · Ireland · Folk-Rock · Crowded House · Tim Finn

Death by Flirting

Posted by Ocelopotamus on March 29th, 2008 at 5:11 pm

From Friday’s AP story on Lawrence King:
OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Larry King was a gay eighth-grader who used to come to school in makeup, high heels and earrings. And when the other boys made fun of him, he would boldly tease them right back by flirting with them.
That may have been what got him killed.
No, […]

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Tags: News · Culture · LGBT · Media · Comedy · TV · Human Rights · Hate Crimes · Education · Journalism · Homophobia

Mid-January Frosted Mini-Roundup

Posted by Ocelopotamus on January 17th, 2008 at 10:58 am

I’m starting to worry that Ocelopotamus has become like that stock old-man character from sitcoms and things, who falls asleep for a while and then wakes up sputtering and tries to pick the conversation up wherever it was five minutes ago, as if no time has passed.
On the other hand, it’s heartening that I […]

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Tags: Meta · News · Politics · Culture · Music · Tech · Blogs · Cats · Journal · LGBT · Comedy · New Wave · Democrats · Internet · Barack Obama · Theater · Comics · John McCain · Cardy Pop · Adobe · Crowded House · Video · 2008 Election · Modern Rock · Rudy Giuliani · Mitt Romney · Online Communities · Roundup · The Economy, Stupid · Mr. Blue · Online Networking · Homophobia · Billy Bragg

CIGNA Decides to Commit Murder by Spreadsheet — “Day of Rage” Organized

Posted by Ocelopotamus on December 20th, 2007 at 11:12 am

See update #3 at the bottom of this post: after an emotional roller coaster of a day, Nataline Sarkisyan has passed away.
The fine, caring folks at CIGNA health insurance have made the warm-hearted decision to let a 17-year-old girl die because they don’t want to pay for a liver transplant. And they’re trying to justify […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Blogs · Activism · Human Rights · Healthcare Crisis