Celebrity, Politics

Dear Charlie Sheen:

I’m sick and tired of seeing your face. I’m fed up with your smoky-ass swarming all over every single media outlet, including the radio, blogs, newspapers and even freaking CNN (who even did a package on how much you smoke!) Who gives a DAMN?!?

You are taking precious words, footage and airtime from issues that ACTUALLY matter. Like, I dunno, how the U.S. may or may not take action in Libya, how all of the protest and terrible atrocities happening on that continent is fucking up oil prices and how some idiots in America think that boycotting gas stations because of the hiked up prices is a brilliant idea. Your dumb outbursts are making everyone more stupid.

You are not a “winner,” yet you are a millionaire.

And for that, you can be my new best friend.

– Mel

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Celebrity, Politics

Friday Funday

This is not Friday Funday appropriate. But I liked this pic.

Sorry I didn’t post this week. It’s been sort of a whirlwind in the life of Mel, and things won’t wind down until Wednesday or so.

But anyways. I’ll blog really quick, just so I can get some creative juices flowing before I read up on the legendary David Foster Wallace.

Current thoughts on this fine, fine Friday:

+ I’m in complete awe over the uprising countries that are giving their governments the middle finger. Like fire, the revolutionary outcries and protest have spread from Africa to the Middle East. It’s aspiring yet incredibly frightening. I hope to God that all can be resolved without more bloodshed, but wishful thinking hasn’t given anyone peace.

+ In a related note, I feel bad that in a few hours I’ll be en route to Vegas for the weekend while thousands of people are losing their lives in the world. Lady luck should be overseas right now with the protesters and not with dollar slot machines.

+ What’s a post without mentioning J. Biebs? I heard he cut his hair and then sold it for charity. Okay, Biebs: I let you go to the BET Awards, I also allowed you to premiere a low-budget, high-profit movie that’s in direct competition with Topher Grace’s “Take Me Home Tonight.” And that is my second husband right there. But allowing little girls to man-handle little strands of your hair? Ew. Just ew.

And little girls: Why the fuck would you buy a strand of hair for $7,000? That’s pretty sick, you sick SOBs.

+ I like turtles.

Have a good weekend, bitches!

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Politics

Oh Texas… taking strides in progression…

I’m usually not this serious when I blog about the “real world” issues. I mean, who wants to read about the crime, murders and revolutions when the freakin Kardashians are on. (Pffff, *flamboyant hand gesture*)

But seriously, if you all haven’t heard about the Anthony Graves case, I advise you to get schooled.

When I interned at Texas Monthly, I was the lucky one given the task to copy-edit the online edition of the 8-page story that focused on a brutal murder of a family and how Graves was at the other end of the wagged finger. And due to some good ole small-town Texas racism, a corrupt injustice system and the death of the other main suspect, Graves was behind bars for 18 years for capitol murder.

At the end of 2010, Graves was finally released from prison.

Now, Graves is trying to get his rightful compensation (roughly $80,000) for being wrongfully jailed but because of a small technicality, he’ll get nothing. According to the Houston Chronicle:

The October order dropping the charges lacked those words. Graves’ attorneys discovered that only Burleson CountyDistrict AttorneyBill Parham could ask the judge to insert them. The law gave him 15 days to do it.

But Parham, who had vociferously proclaimed Graves’ innocence, refused to return phone calls from Graves attorney Jimmy PhillipsJr. “Once they put the two magic words in there, that would have solved the problem,” Phillips said.

The 15 days lapsed. Without the words “actual innocence,” the Texas comptroller’s office last week refused to qualify Graves for $80,000 compensation for each year of wrongful imprisonment.

LAMESAUCE. I’m really surprised that Graves is taking it so well, at least it seems like it. If I were him, I’d get all Hulk-roided up and slap the crap out of that District Judge.

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Celebrity, Politics, TV

Hiatus = DUNZO.

 

Not gonna lie – it’s been awhile.

Why?

Blame UT’s Advanced Feature Writing, Video for the Web and Magazine Management classes and Texas Monthly, which swallowed my life last semester… And also my distilled laziness.

Anyways, I’m back and in action and in the City of Angels, ya dig?

[I never say ya dig, but I thought I’d try it on.]

Here are some thoughts:

1. Revolution in Egypt. I just wanted to say… “You say you’ll change the constitution… Well, you know.  We all want to change your head… You tell me it’s the institution… Well, you know… You better free you mind instead.”  So yeah, there’s my two cents folks.

2. I’m so into fat shows right now. Well at least MTV’s “health conscious” reality show, “I Used to Be Fat,” where newly high school graduates vow to lose about a thousand pounds before they start their first day of college. Or something like that. Nazi trainers just do it for me, I guess.

3. Jesse Eisenberg is McHotsenberg. I’m not sure why I suddenly find him attractive. Maybe it’s his jumbled, intellectual jargon that makes my heart skip a small beat,  but I decided to rename him.

4. The Bachelor is the funniest sitcom on the network right now. You guys may argue me on this, but I’m totally sold. Girls crying over a guy they may have spoken to twice because they “were just falling so in love with him”? A “group date” consisting of making $5 budget commercials for the Red Cross Blood Drive? And a bachelor who seems slightly retarded? C’mon this is irony at its best. Can’t stop watching.

5. Schadenfreude makes me feel better, especially on Valentine’s Day. I’m not bitter about my past relationships. If anything, they’ve taught me a handful about myself and what I don’t want in a guy. But it does make me feel awesome to know that people had it worse off than I did during those drunk-crying episodes. Pffff don’t judge me, you know you feel the same way! Check out these break-up stories, (via Gawker) and feel better too!

I also have another blog – melzey.tumblr.com that chronicles most of my Cali travels thus far. Check it out, bitches.

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Politics

So officially, we’re pulling out…

… That’s what she said?

Anywho, I missed Mr. Obama’s address tonight, due to some hopelessly boring text reading/catching some emotional Make It or Break It scenes while my roomate watched the tube.

But after reading a few articles about it, I’m surprised there aren’t hipsters in the street right now, running around, blasting their Hot Chip.

I feel like I’m getting a little soft on this subject, but I personally feel a little bit torn on the Iraq issue. Oil did play a huge factor in it (duh!), Saddam is gone and apparently so are his “weapons,” and we did get the Kurds back on their feet. And I understand that trillions of money and lives were lost with the whole mess. But part of me is just wondering how I’d feel if a person jumped me and beat me up terribly, and some powerful force shunned him away suddenly, but left me still dazed and bruised. Are the civilians ready to be on their feet or do they still need training, protection, whatever.

Still, there’s all of the domestic mumbo-jumbo problems we have right now. Health care. Drug wars. Recession. Immigration policies. Our money and attention should be stressed on those issues, right? Obama thinks so.

But is Obama using now, right before the mid-term elections, to pull out? Well let’s see – polls recently showed that he did have the lowest approval rating of his career, and I’m sure people aren’t too fond of a government-run health care. I’d say yes.

And wth Republicans hyping up their lead in the polls months before the elections, no wonder Dems are shaking in their Toms. Come November, will they still be the Majority Party?

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Politics

Healthcare & Lesbians

A lot has been stirring in this ole brain of mine. Thoughts surrounding a  cornucopia(?) of issues, including:

1. The Healthcare reform bill. DUN dun DUN. I’m sure some people are sick of hearing coverage on this historic event. Well tough cookie, kids… this is important. Why you say? Here are a few reasons:

  1. Health insurance is not mandatory. And yes, unless you hit poverish levels, you will have to pay a fine if you do not get health insurance.
  2. We can ride on the coat tails of our parents! Children can use their parent’s health care benefits until they’re 26. Yipee!
  3. Student loans may take less time to pay off. With an amendment that was tucked into the bill, a $60 billion program that supports private student loans and federal subsidies will be replaced with straight government lending. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it’s supposed to save $61 billion over a span of 10 years.
  4. Abortions will not be funded by the government. Just to set the record straight, rightys.

AND

I hope all of you are following the Constance McMillen lesbian prom ridiculousness.

Basically McMillen wanted to go to her prom with her girlfriend at her uber-conservative high school in Mississippi. And when she asked permission, officials sent out a memo saying that prom dates must be of the opposite sex. When the American Civil Liberties Union tried to intervene, the high school canceled prom.

And just recently, a U.S. district judge said that the high school’s actions were violating McMillen’s civil rights. [Hell yeah!] But would not force the high school to hold prom. [Lame.]

Well readers, this is my blog and I will be biased this time. I support McMillen 100% and I hope that there will be some progress with society during the outcome of this fiasco. And I hope that McMillen’s prom night isn’t half as shitty as mine was. (Oh, it still scars me til this day.)

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Music, Politics

Free Music Mondays: Dr. Dog

Sorry I haven’t updated in the past three days. I was too busy peeing my pants after watching “The Crazies.”

But lots-o-news has happened around the globe, and here are some tidbits:

1. Earthquake in Chile hit Saturday morning. It hit the Richter Scale at an 8.8 magnitude, hundreds of times stronger than Haiti.

Photo by: flickr.com/James Guppy

According to NY Times, the death toll is 723 and counting.  This quake also triggered what was supposed to be a major tsunami in Hawaii, but it turned out to be a lot weaker than expected. Kind of like Kristen Stewart’s acting.

2. The Olympic Closing Ceremonies was last night, and yeah, I didn’t watch it.

Photo by: flick.com/rmarescu

And judging from some of these photos, I’m kind of glad I didn’t. Those giant beavers, mounties, and moose freak me out.

3. Peter Parker is out of a job according to CNN.

Photo by flickr.com/Nemo's great uncle

Mr. Parker, photographer of the mayor and crime fighter by night, will become unemployed due to the shitty economy, and deal with the hardships that many of us are adjusting to.

According to the article, “In the near future, Parker will have to juggle paying bills and buying ‘web-fluid’ and other materials to fix his superhero costume in addition to keeping his dual identities under wraps.”

Now for: Dr. Dog


This psychedelic West-Philly band sounds reminiscent of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Band. With echoing voices, raw guitar chords and gentle harmonies, I’m sure you’ll do a double-take.

I first heard about Dr. Dog in 2007, when they released their “We All Belong” album. And now the boys are back and ready to release their sixth album, “Shame, Shame,” which drops April 6.

To dload some of their awesome tunes, go here. It’s mostly some of their old stuff and some tracks from their EP, but its still treasure’s gold.

Check out as well: Worst Trip – Dr. Dog, the song that made me fall for them.


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Celebrity, Politics

Tiger Woods’ apology video

Just in case you haven’t seen it yet…

Tiger Woods’ PR person worked around the clock for this little speech.

“I felt like I had worked my entire life and deserved to enjoy the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled… I was wrong, I was foolish, I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that applied to everyone applied to me.”

I’m glad Tiger finally realized he couldn’t get away with fucking around everywhere, especially in front of the public eye. Hah.

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Politics

2 more Taliban leaders captured

So kiddies, this is actually important…

After the U.S. and Pakistani’s joint-operation a few weeks ago that captured Taliban military commander, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Times just released that two more key Taliban figures were captured in the last couple of days: Mullah Abdul Salam, the Taliban’s leader in Kunduz, and Mullah Mir Mohammed of the Baghlan Province.

Personally, I think this is huge news. After a decade of feeling like a chicken with its head cut off, hopefully this may mean a turning point for the war… or not?

Read more about it here.

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