Media allowed to film home-bound bodies again.

Ann Scott Tyson, of the Washington Post, writes:

In a CNN-Opinion Research Corp. poll conducted last week, 67 percent of respondents said coverage of the return of remains should be allowed and 31 percent said it should not.

What a relief. For years, I've wanted the public to see what I saw in my tenure as an Air Transportation Journeyman in the Air Force Reserve. But I've also wanted to respect the privacy of service peoples' families. This data tells us that truth is winning over sentiment.

The problem begins with the law being repealed in the post-Fox News/MSNBC media world; you know, the one that has more in common with P.T. Barnum than Peter Jennings.

Governor Perry one of several wanting to turn away stimulus money

Did I not predict this?

“I remain opposed to using these funds to expand existing government programs, burdening the state with ongoing expenditures long after the funding has dried up,” Mr. Perry wrote in a letter to Mr. Obama last week.

Translation: "I don't want to take this money because then we'll have to change the way we do things around here. I don't care if the current system is ruining lives. I don't want to help people."

My open letter to Governor Perry: "You're a jerkoff."

Translation: "You're a jerkoff."

Sentiments on Street Fighter IV

Heather Campbell of Play Magazine, writes:

Street Fighter IV is a collection of old fetishes, polished till they give off a twenty-four carat shine. It's fanservice; cheap and manipulative. The game is weighed down by nostalgia, stuck in the swamp of yesterday. They say when dynasties become preoccupied with the past, their cultures shackled by sentimentality, that it signals the end of the empire. If this is so, then Street Fighter IV may be an epitaph for fighting games, as the game's roster and its mechanics are chiseled into the stone of the genre with decade-old tools. 


But my god, what a set a knives. 


What a clamor this game makes. What an attempt. If Casual Gaming is closing in like the dirty walls of a trash compactor, then at least Street Fighter IV gave us one last fight before the compression crushed us all. Before we all were forced to play games by shaking a Wiimote or balancing on one leg. At least Street Fighter IV left some claw marks.


Campbell has it. I've been trying to put my finger on this game since I got it last week. Everything about it is both refreshingly and disappointingly familiar, despite all the significant changes to the game play. I boot it up with heavy heart, grateful for it's existence, mournful for the fact that it may indeed signify the "End".

Separating Terrain from Terror

On 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand--where rap group G Unit wars in the Middle East--Garnett Lee, of 1up.com, writes:

Despite the association that comes almost reflexively now after seeing so many similar looking settings on news reports, Blood on the Sand neatly sidesteps almost any reference to terrorism. 50 and company just want to get paid after a concert promoter stiffs them.

"Despite" isn't the right word. It's "because".

Steele Extends Jindal some 'Slum Love'

Get the audio here.

Now we all know the RNC was seeing the Democratic Party's raise when they hired Michael Steele. But recordings like this tell me they got a little Biden in their Obama. We shall see whether Steele doesn't turn into a Gaffo'tron in the next year or so.

Listen to This

Any music fan knows that most acts inevitably descend into irrelevance. Not Underworld. Like the Chemical Brothers or Spoon, the trio of vocalist Karl Hyde, composer Rick Smith, and DJ Darren Price just resurface every few years and drop electronic masterpieces like still-lit cigarette butts on the back porch. The case is no different with Oblivion With Bells, Underworld's eighth LP in twenty years. Whether it's the epic opening pop-house suite of "Crocodile" and "Beautiful Burnout" or the infectious social-commentary-turned-love-song "Ring Road", Underworld deliver Oblivion With Bells as if they're clocking into a good ass job.

Required.

Ad Sense

To quote Joe Rybicki, of EGM and Official Playstation Magazine fame:

I realize it may be considered gauche to run ads on a personal blog. But here’s the thing: If I run ads, and lots of people see them, then that means there’s a chance that writing on this blog may actually generate a little bit of money.

So yeah, trading a little attractiveness for corporate schlock might be a wise idea in the long run. That said, I'd like to ask any readers that enjoy this blog to please encourage your friends to visit. I update this thing furiously and I have some promotions in the planning stages. But I'll need all the help I can get.

Oh yeah, did I mention the link for this blog is now www.adamthebrute.com? Tell everyone.

Think About This

"I've seen these children with their boredom and their vacant stares.
God help us all, if we're to blame for their unanswered prayers."

-Billy Joel, "No Man's Land"

Memos to the Video Game Industry: Character

Late in Grand Theft Auto 4, protagonist Niko Bellic tracks down Florian Cravic, who Niko suspects betrayed the Army unit both men fought in in the Bosnian war. Niko discovers that Florian isn't the man he's looking for, though Florian (like Niko) has tried to begin a new life in Liberty City. Florian now goes by Bernie Crane. He's out of the closet, teaches aerobics, and has a love affair with Liberty City's deputy-mayor Bryce Dawkins. Ironically, Dawkins got elected on the "Family Values" platform. So Niko and Florian become friends again, with Florian eventually asking Niko to help fend off a gay-basher in Middle Park. This mission, "Hating the Haters", positions the player to do exactly what they might expect: hunt down a homicidal homophobe.

Niko Bellic

This section of the game illustrates the state of the video game industry regarding lifestyle acceptance. In passing, Niko tells Florian that his new lifestyle shouldn't garner harassment and gladly wastes the hater. Yet, game developer Rockstar North cloaks Florian in gay stereotypes: sing-songy vocal intonations, effeminate hand-talking and excessive vanity.

Florian Cravic

It's this let's-have-it-both-ways mentality that drives Grand Theft Auto. All media in Liberty City is soaked in ironic condemnations of pop culture, but then the game uses dick jokes when cultural/political commentary won't do the job and the gags flop as much as they stick. For now, this can be accepted as cultural evolution in the video game industry, though it shouldn't necessarily be acceptable anywhere.

If the industry is serious about becoming an art form to the outside world, then game developers need to care more about the literary aspects of games. Naturally, this begins with scrapping stereotypes, but it also means defining a sincere, consistent ideology. Eventually, the player gathers that Rockstar is critical of conservative politics, but their methods answer more to Southpark than The Simpsons. When all else fails, they get crass and, unfortunately, undermine their own agenda.

Thankfully, Niko Bellic, GTA4's illegal immigrant protagonist, is a start towards serious character developement. He's a principled, honest anti-hero who wants to believe in the American Dream, but who keeps his cynicism in play. He attempts normalcy by shooting pool, checking e-mails and meeting women, but does this between committing murders and running drugs. And in the throes of a firefight, he becomes a madman drugged on survival adrenaline who taunts anyone keeping him from his objective. In this way, Niko Bellic is something of a U.S. Everycitizen, one who would quit the madness that is his life should he be able to rise above it.

...And I Make Pretty Good Spaghetti Sauce!

Viewer beware. There's a fair amount of MF-bombs, but it's an otherwise pointed satire on the ego of hip-hop.

Elsewhere Interweb

I dislike that hard-core pro-lifers often vote on only two other issues: gay marriage and immigration. In other words, they go into the voting booth thinking, "There are only three issues I care about, two of which I don't have to participate in, but I want made illegal anyway, and a third one I depend upon despite outwardly opposing it and being completely powerless to boycott it." And then they vote. Every time some one like that pulls the lever, Socrates must drown a sophist.

So, wait, what was the hold up?

Jackie Calmes and Robert Pear, of the New York Times, discuss the G.O.P.'s panty-bunching over the stimulus. But you knew about that already. Here's what really matters:

After initially saying they might reject any federal aid, several conservative governors said in interviews over the weekend that they were likely to reject only the money for expanded unemployment compensation because of federal strings that could require them to provide relief to part-time workers who lose jobs as well as to full-time workers. Many other states already provide such aid.

So despite all the bill waving, bill slamming and ranting that "America's best days are behind her", opponents of the stimulus and can accept and decline what's in the bill as they see fit? Well f*ck me, then what exactly was all the deliberation about just a few weeks ago? *cough* Ideological warfare on the taxpayer dime.*cough* Furthermore, because of outlandish Oscar coverage or some other nonsense in the news, you can bet we're only going to get generalizations about where the money's going.

God, are you're there? It's me, The Brute. Please thump the heads of the G.O.P. with your righteous middle finger and save this economy.

And, yes, I am aware of the irony of this post.

Listen To This

"You've got to get mad. You've got to say, 'I'm a human being, dammit! My life has value!" implores a voice of discontent midway through Erykah Badu's ostentatiously-titled New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War. The scream is a culmination of this batch of Badu's songs, which take up the cross of being a person of color in the new millenium. When these issues clash with Badu's roster of A-List hip-hop/soul producers, the result is a record that pays homage to the past while looking forward, both sonically and socially.

Required.

Think About This

"One of the most tired accusations is that so-and-so “blames America first,” which in a more sane world would be understood as taking responsibility for one’s own flaws. One would think that a more damning charge would be to say that someone never blames America, and so refuses to take responsibility for anything done in her, our, name, but even this use of the word blame is misguided. In fact, most of the people who “blame America first” go to great lengths to identify the flaws of America only with the parts of the country unlike theirs and only with the people on the other side of cultural and political divides. The more comprehensive the critique, the fewer people there are who want to hear it. When making a cultural critique of private habits, the resistance becomes even more fierce. The more prophetic and less convenient the warning, the less political traction it has because it unites more enemies against it. To call for self-restraint, rather than self-congratulation and self-rewarding, from everyone is necessarily to be a voice in the wilderness."

-Daniel Larson of www.amconmag.com.

Elsewhere Interweb

From a discussion on bumper stickers that read "Obama is the Antichrist".
--
A citizen who calls a politican "The Antichrist" with a straight face is not your average person who follows the news. This person is a fringe radical, one who builds a pillbox in the backyard (for zee Germans) or who insists on sewing their own clothes and living in a box to "stick it to the man". When their ideological opposite is elected into office, they decide the country is circling the drain. As admirable as their rugged invidualism is, these people are motivated by fear, hatred and ignorance. Hence the extreme labeling. Sometimes racism is involved, as in the above example.

Think About This

"...it turns out that most Americans are, to some degree, closeted socialists, especially when they're suddenly confronted by the darker realities of free market capitalism..."

-Bob Cesca

Elsewhere Interweb

(Name omitted), it's impossible to separate one way in which this cartoon offends from another. The reason: this nation's historic linking of the African-American identity with apes/monkeys. This is inseparable from American politics because the nation has not yet atoned for it. Even afterward, it probably won't be acceptable. You're right, the president is open to criticism, but not anything that can be construed as racist. That's why Bush can be called a monkey and Obama can't. Well, that and the fact that Bush really did look like a monkey.

Neither the editors of the New York Post nor the illustrator are stupid. They knew the connotations that came with the cartoon and ran it anyway. That should be enough for any American who cares about civil rights to never buy the New York Post again.

In other words, there is no "if you're a member, then I understand". If you believe in Civil Rights (which I'm sure you do) you should be offended.

And (name omitted), this isn't a case of political correctness gone too far; see this nation's ongoing history of oppressing minorities. Political cartoonists don't have to be extra careful. They just have to be not-racist.

Don't Like Socialism? Withdraw.

Bob Cesca, of the Huffington Post, on socialism:

The message is clear. The voices on the far-right are unanimous.

Therefore, I'm calling upon Sean Hannity to use his prime time television program as a platform to rally Republican politicians, cable news hacks and citizens alike to refuse delivery of not just recovery bill spending, but all so-called "socialist" government programs. Send it all back. End American socialism now! All of it.

Refuse to send your kids to socialized public schools and universities; refuse to use socialized roads and highways; refuse to call upon socialized police and fire departments; shut down the socialized air traffic control; refuse to visit socialized national parks; tell grandma that her Social Security and Medicare will have to be sent back to the government; demand the immediate dismantling of our socialized American military. Sarah Palin and her supporters in Alaska should refuse all forms of "redistributed wealth" by sending back their checks from the socialized oil program there.

Well, there you have it. But, hell, it's gets better.

Meanwhile, on her MSNBC show Tuesday night, Rachel Maddow asked Governor Pawlenty of Minnesota if he would refuse his state's share of the recovery plan. Pawlenty hemmed and hawed and finally relented that he wasn't totally opposed to the recovery bill -- just the yucky parts. I assume Pawlenty meant the totally nonexistent parts like the fake ACORN thing and the fake mouse thing, both of which were entirely conjured from thin air by the Republicans. Or did he mean the part of the bill that's otherwise known as, you know, the largest middle class tax cut in American history? Was he opposed to that part?

Get the full read here.

Banner Week for Video Games and Gender Portrayal

This week saw two high profile video game releases: Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and the Damned (Xbox 360) and Street Fighter 4 (PS3/Xbox 360). More importantly, both games garnered some attention for their portrayal of men in video games.

GTA4:TLTD features the first (I'm fairly sure) portrayal of polygonal male genitals in a mainstream video game. (Watch here at own risk; NSFW). Meanwhile, SF4 features Rufus, a character whose very fat body makes use of "boob physics", previously only featured on female characters. (Watch here, also at own peril, though SFW.)

For those of you not in tune, let me clue you in: The video game world is unapologetically sexist in its portrayal of both genders. The blame falls in the usual places--the market, the developers, patriarchy, the players--and these two games actually constitute progress. It is times like these that fill me with hope and hopelessness for my favorite hobby.

Barbie's Turning 50!

Keep up the good work, SA.

This month's Men's Health features a study on cities doing the best recycling. San Antonio came in at #3! w00t! Go SATown!

New York Post On Cartoon: Not What You Thought

Editor-in-Chief, Col Allan:

The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist.

Anyone buy it?

Listen to This

RJD2's Since We Last Spoke is a difficult transitory record between masterworks. What initially sounds like a sleep-inducing trip-hop record evolves through repeat listens into a sound collage of moody sketches driven by understated melodies. It features RJD2's debut on vocals (one song a cover of Labi Siffre), foretelling his move away from instrumental hip-hop into beat-heavy pop.

A nice distraction.

Lap-dogging has begun.

Charlie Savage, of the New York Times, clues us in on how Obama's War on Terror policy isn't so different from W. Bush's.

During her confirmation hearing last week, Elena Kagan, the nominee for solicitor general, said that someone suspected of helping finance Al Qaeda should be subject to battlefield law — indefinite detention without a trial — even if he were captured in a place like the Philippines rather than in a physical battle zone.

Ms. Kagan’s support for an elastic interpretation of the “battlefield” amplified remarks that Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. made at his own confirmation hearing. And it dovetailed with a core Bush position. Civil liberties groups argue that people captured away from combat zones should go to prison only after trials.

As a voter who drank the Obama Kool-Aid, I'm disappointed but not surprised. Democratic Presidents always hold center in office. Republicans, especially in recent decades, go off the deep end.

Guys, don't make me agree with Al...

The latest cartoon from Sean Delonas.

Sharpton's very restrained response:

"The cartoon in today's New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys. One has to question whether the cartoonist is making a less than casual reference to this when in the cartoon they have police saying after shooting a chimpanzee that "Now they will have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill."

Think About This

"Everyone should be abstinent but it's not realistic."

-Bristol Palin

Changing Media I

In 1999, Napster changed media forever, not by allowing hoards of cheap media hogs to hoard media hoggily, but by revealing that media buyers didn't care as much for packaging as previously believed. The unfortunate closing of EGM and a recent issue of Wired confirm these notions. The advent of file-sharing, along with other medias going to the internet, has revealed that consumers don't necessarily need something they can hold. They need something they can experience.

The biggest benefit of this movement: cost. There's no packaging for digital music/video and most websites are free. Plus, information is both uploaded and updated at a pace no print outlet could match. Media is easily stored on your hard drive or device and can be discarded at your leisure. There's no fortified packaging, no killing the garbage men with half-read daily news and no figuring out "Where I'm gonna shelve all these movies."

The downside: it can't last this way, at least not with the non-music/video sites. In a country where commodities must be priced--no matter how intangible--to keep people working, the bottom has to drop out eventually. The music industry responded quickly to Napster by packing discs with companion DVDS, T-Shirts and even scented packaging earlier this decade. Meanwhile, Napster went legit and iTunes started selling digital music. Advertisers, tired of the faulty distribution practices of the magazine industry, are flocking to online versions of mags. The consumer seems to win all around: less mess, less cost, high bandwidth, instant updates. But where there used to be thousands of paying subscribers to EGM, there are now thousands of 1Up.com-ers that only pay their free time. We may have to start shelling out.

I could be wrong about this. Dan Hsu's theory on magazine distribution implies that advertisers get their money's worth online because the ads guarantee more views per dollar. In other words, information may remain free at your favorite websites. Only time will tell. For now, try not to get creeped out by ads like this one. It is small price to pay, after all.

Troop Levels in Afghanistan to Increase

The President is delivering on his promises regarding the war on terror.

This action frightens me a little. While I see nothing wrong with warring with our real enemies--you know, the people who actually attacked us--I worry this country is already fed up. Furthermore, history has told us that we never really "withdraw" from a theatre; we only draw down and, for a time, Barack Obama is going to be fighting two major wars at once. I admire his resolve and sense of justice and the Democrats need a war where they brought home an enemy of the state, but still, this makes me uneasy.

Rustle and Blow

It turns out there's a reason why Terence Howard might stick up for Chris Brown and it has more to do with fellowship than humanity.

Now, to be fair, Brown does deserve an opportunity at reformation. He acted despicably and Rihanna needs to kick him to the street. That said, Brown needs to go to anger management and disappear for a while. That's the only way "they're going to be alright".

Cali in Trouble

Holy moly. I heard things, but I didn't know it was this bad.

Think About This

"Everyone Matters."

-United Way Billboard

Stop Ken Starr From Undoing Gay Marriages

More info here. Sign the petition and pass it on. And for Christ's sake, Kenneth Starr, act like Jesus for a change.


"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Academy "Acknowledges" Moore Controversy

According to AntsMarching.org writer Jake Vigliotti, the video tribute was likely made well in advance of the its airing, indicating Moore was never intended to be featured. The Academy press release confirms this notion.

I confess, as a lover of Dave Matthews Band and fan of LeRoi Moore, that I'm not terribly annoyed with the Academy for such a snub. But it is weird that they left out someone they nominated so many times. Ah, well. We love you, Roi!

Elsewhere InterWeb

Plato asserts: Rhetoric is not neutral.

I agree. Objectivity in the art of persuasion is a complete
contradiction. Even so, when we make objectivity a virtue in searching for truth, habit always gives way to preconceptions that develop along the way. This isn't such a bad thing; it's just the way things are.

Consider the current political climate. President Obama recently put a spending freeze on big Federal salaries and helped author an ambitious bi-partisan stimulus package. One might presume that bi-partisanship indicates an ignoring of party rhetoric, but I say no.

It's just a shift to the needs of the citizenry, which may happen to coincide with the wants either political party. I know some of you might disagree and my advice to you is to read up on previous presidencies.

For example, W. Bush thought only tax cuts would revive an ailing economy in the wake of September 2001 [as opposed to the massive over haul we're undergoing now] and, eventually, the bottom dropped out. First the housing crisis, then the credit crunch, the banks failing, energy costs increasing and massive lay offs. Was Bush to blame for these problems exclusively? Absolutely not. But Bush was in office when the focus shifted to the economy in 2001 and his answer was tax-cuts only, most of which gave the biggest breaks to the wealthiest citizens (i.e. those who
suffered the least).

"But Brute, stop bashing Bush! He's not even in office anymore!" Point taken, but this is about something greater. Besides Clinton (the former president, not the senator), also looked the other way when faced with signs of the same economic problems. As a conservative lapdog, he did away with the Federal Welfare Program and deregulated the telecommunications industry, which is why cable and cell phone services are either oligopolies or monopolies.

Anyway, the actions of both presidents indicate an allegiance to one thing: ideology. Bush was reluctant to anger his constituents (and wanted to get re-elected), so he put the tax-cut band-aid on the economy. Clinton acted similarly in that he conceded to a Republican congress when he should have been thinking about the average citizen.

The decisions by both men were primarily forced by the political establishment (the rhetoric of the party). If they wanted careers in politics, they had to lose some scruples and maybe not think about the people.

Today, it would seem that President Obama is in tune to rhetoric of the people. He remains objective to the ideas of both parties, but, as one of his most ardent supporters, I predict that he too will make concessions to the establishment. Regardless, rhetoric, the art of persuasion, can not be seen as nuetral.

Sorry, LeRoi.

So the Grammy's also did a tribute to fallen musicians of last year and they managed to forget someone...who they nominated 12 times.

Boomers Still Controlling Grammy's + Satriani Vs. Coldplay Surpise!

How obnoxious. Robert Plant and Allison Krauss took five awards last night, including record of the year, beating out Coldplay and Lil' Wayne. Don't get me wrong, I'm not much of a Wayne fan, but I'm tired of over-educated fifty-somethings always rewarding the establishment over the up-and-comers. Last year, Kanye got shafted on similar grounds.

Meanwhile, check out this story for an interesting twist on the Satriani Vs. Coldplay Plaigiarism case.

Think About This

"You make a mess of me.
I'll dance a thousand steps for you.
And if you say, 'Yes' to me,
I'll be whatever gets you through."

-Dave Matthews, "Fool to Think".

Straight Talk Express

President Obama in Williamsburg last Thursday:

Then there's the argument that this is full of pet projects, but when was the last time that a bill of this magnitude moved with no ear marks in it? Not one....And [when you start asking], 'Where's all this waste in spending?' 'Well, you want to replace the federal fleet with hybrid cars.' Well, why wouldn't we want to to do that? That creates jobs for people who make those cars, it saves the federal government energy, it saves the tax payers energy. Well then you get the argument, 'This is not a stimulus bill, this is a spending bill.' What do you think a stimulus is? That's the whole point. No, seriously, that's the whole point.

How quickly has Barack Obama's tone changed after his inaguration. Some would attribute this to arrogance, and while I concede that the President's self-awareness sometimes translates so, this excerpt tells us much more.

The President takes his job personally, viewing himself as the nation's top civil-servant more than anything else. Some of you are probably saying, "Yeah, no sh*t, Brute.", but the truth is our last president viewed the seat as an opportunity to become a war hero, not to improve on a country that wasn't doing half-bad at the turn of the century. Today, the state of things matches the state of the man. He will be frequently angry, and even mocking, but only at those that are keeping him from doing his job.

Furthermore, the particular proposal above is, like it or not, a perfect blend of both parties' ideals. President Obama views the overhauling of the federal fleet as an investment. It's conservative in that it saves money over time. It's liberal in that addresses alternative energy and carbon emissions. Most of his legislation will answer to this dynamic.

Lastly, note how elsewhere President Barack Obama actually utters something we'll call an "apology" for when the administration makes missteps.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Make no mistake; this is the real Straight Talk Express.

Texas House Bill 386 wants to 86 Hogs From the Sky

In case you haven't heard, Texas has a feral hog problem. There are an estimated 2 M of them in this state alone racking around $50 M in damages annually. They are of primarily nocturnal, amorous and stealthy sensibilities. They eat, breed and destroy while evading bear traps, electric fences and the like.Enter State Representative Sid Miller, a Republican of Stephenville, with his solution. He wants to approve Texas House Bill 386, which would allow the hunting of the pigs from helicopters.In addition to evoking this and this, I think it's obvious why this is a bad idea: Hunting pigs from a loud helicopter at night will disturb the peace tremendously, (potentially) drive native wildlife from their homes and open the door to poaching with a heli, a vehicle that easily ignores property lines. Furthermore, I don't care if you have Pvt. Daniel Jackson on that chopper, uttering the holiest of holies before each pull. Landing clean, dignified shots at high speed at night (AT NIGHT!) will be virtually impossible. Imagine hundreds of pigs stumbling through the woods with trails of blood in their wake, hoping for the relief of death. Yeah, bad idea.

Look, if they want to get dramatic, they need put a new spin on an old idea. Set up traditional feeding posts with hired hunters (put it in the Stimulus Package!) and distribute sets of night vision goggles. You can bet there would be a Hog Rush from all corners of the U.S. trying to get a piece of this.

Real World Was Calling. Back Now.

So I've gone a record 4 days or so with no posts. Mostly it's been school, work, the gym and an increased sleep demand that have kept me away. I break my respite with news that my poetry has been accepted into the Sagebrush Review again.

The Sagebrush staff will also host an Art Show and Open Mic event, where those accepted into the journal are encouraged to read. I'll be there, along with other local writers William Lemley and Kacee Lynn Belcher to name just two. The reading is 7-9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13 at the Blue Star Contemporary Arts Center downtown. Be there or be in jail.

RNC Chairman: GOP should return to 'Contract'

Sam Stein reports on a recent interview with RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who believes that the GOP doesn't need to change, despite all signs pointing to an end of the Neo-Con era. Steele even evokes Newt Gingrich's "Contract With America" and champions Sarah Palin as a future leader of the party. Further proof that the Republican party is going to be reorganizing for a long time, if you ask me.