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THE NDAA & THE NEW TERRORISM: ARE YOU A SUSPECT?

By Willee Roberts

Last Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of operations at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp. Bush-era fear tactics rationalized the creation of the military prison despite its defiance of Geneva Convention protocol against torture. In Obama’s early days in office, he attempted to follow through on his campaign promise to close the camp and return terror suspects to US soil. Gitmo remains open, with 171 prisoners still confined to living in its inhumane conditions. Obama is not soft on terrorism.

Beware America: Osama is dead, but terror lives on. This time, it does not wear turbans or live in a cave. It wears 99% buttons and lives in a tent. But these new terrorists want the same thing as the old, to dismantle the structures that allow capitalism and “western values” to colonize and oppress.

Obama is not soft on terrorism. On the eve of the new year, 2012, our president signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for 2012 (NDAA), a piece of legislation which, among other things, grants the federal government the authority to indefinitely detain anyone suspected of terrorism.

January 29, 2012

| B. Williams | Tags: Knowledge, Politics | 7 Comments

DO iPHONES CAUSE SUICIDES?

On paper, no. I for one, have not come across any person that has thought of or committed suicide as a result of an iPhone. However, in the town of Wuhan, China, some 300 have threatened to do just that. Well, not exactly, let me rewind.

Foxconn, the single largest private employer in mainland China manufacturers many of the products we cherish so deeply in America. Motherboards, camera parts, tablets and yes, iPhones are just some of the products that Foxconn manufactures, making up a sizeable chunk of the $150 billion consumer electronics industry. Employing close to one million employees themselves, Foxconn is responsible for nearly 40% of that revenue annually.

So what’s with all the suicide talk? Well, since 2007, 17 people have committed suicide at one of the various Foxconn plants throughout China. So frequent are the suicides that giant nets have been set up around the exteriors of facilities to prevent against people jumping. Most recently however, some 300 workers threatened to commit suicide at one Foxconn factory in response to the companies unfair labor practices. According to various reports from anti-government Chinese news sites, Foxconn employees had asked bosses for a raise but in response were told to either quit with a months worth of compensation or keep their jobs at their usual salary. While most workers decided to leave, the company never compensated the remaining workers. What resulted was today’s breaking news in regards to the suicides.

January 11, 2012

| Max Gibson | Tags: Culture | 4 Comments

CORRELATION FOUND BETWEEN HIGH CHILDHOOD IQ & ADULT DRUG USE

I feel like the results of this study might be a lot less shocking to some folks in my generation. As an ’88 baby, I feel like I must have just barely missed soaking up a lot of the Reagan-era stigma that used to be so pervasive. The longitudinal study in question, conducted by researchers at Cardiff University’s Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement tracked just over 7900 individuals, starting in 1970, and taking a broad survey of both men and women who had taken IQ tests at ages five and ten.

In addition to other questions, researchers polled the participants about adult drug use (marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines, among other things), and found a consistently positive correlation between high IQ scores early in life, and drug use as teens and as adults. Naturally, words like “stimulation-seeking”, “openness” or “willingness to experiment” all figured into the researchers’ discussion, given the seemingly paradoxical results. With that said, yeah, there are still plenty of stupid people doing drugs, and plenty of intelligent people staying sober. But suffice to say, conventional wisdom isn’t always that wise.

November 22, 2011

| B. Williams | Tags: Drugs, Knowledge | 2 Comments

CONGRESS’ ONLINE PIRACY ACT & THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Here at Wine & Bowties, as is the case with a lot of sites who offer content like ours, we’ve always been aware that we operate in a sort of legal grey area. Among other things, we see ourselves as a vehicle for promoting the creative endeavors of others, and as facilitators of a particular experience for the folks around us. Part of that is sharing music, and sharing it in the way that we, as consumers of media ourselves, like it to be made available. Naturally though, not everyone’s in favor of music being made available, without the consumer paying first. It’s understandable. It’s a debate that’s been going on since Dre and Lars Ulrich brought on the downfall of Napster a decade ago.

Now, in 2011, two pieces of legislation, The House’s Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and The Senate’s Protect IP Act, would give the government the opportunity to intervene, in the interest of protecting intellectual property. Rather than merely punishing an individual, or issuing a warning about a particular piece of content, however, the twin bills would allow the Attorney General to blacklist sites completely, who were found to be hosting “illegal” content.

The legislation, according to The New York Times, would allow the Attorney General to block traffic to any given site (from internet juggernauts to fledgling startups) from “Internet service providers, search engines, payment providers and advertising networks, all without a court hearing or a trial.” As you might expect, a sharp divide has formed regarding the proposed legislation, with the old guard (the Chamber of Commerce, the American Federation of Musicians, The Motion Picture Association of America) on on side, and the internet gods on the other (Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter). Needless to say, this could have a severe impact on our ability to provide content, but more importantly, it sets what many see as a dangerous precedent in the limits it could put on freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

November 18, 2011

| B. Williams | Tags: Knowledge, Politics | 3 Comments

THE NEW ECONOMICS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Ever heard the Louis C.K. standup routine about how everything is amazing, and everybody’s miserable? In it, he’s talking about being on one of the first flights ever to feature wireless internet. Accessing the internet while torpedoing across the country at 500 miles an hour, he explains, is a pretty insane luxury to have, particularly when it comes as a pleasant surprise. Eventually though, the internet cuts off, prompting the guy next to Louis to freak out. “This is bullshit!” the dude announces. How in the world, Louis wondered, did this guy think the universe owed him something that he didn’t even know existed half an hour before? I guess that’s kind of how I feel about Spotify.

November 10, 2011

| B. Williams | Tags: Knowledge | 2 Comments

PORN DEFENDS THE MONEY SHOT

Does anybody not watch porn these days? It really is a fascinating subculture in this country. Mostly because it’s not so sub anymore; in reality, it’s as mainstream as Justin Bieber and Transformers. Folks just don’t talk about it all that much. As a result, there’s a massive industry, a historical legacy, and for some folks, a way of life that goes unseen, even by the vast majority of the people watching the finished product.

For those curious enough, credit LA Weekly for being progressive and cool, and covering porn’s latest legal struggles in depth. The issue in question basically revolves around using condoms (or alternatively, not using them) on set, and as you might imagine, it’s put the porn industry directly at odds with both the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and a handful of proposed regulations. Dennis Romero’s piece is an informative look at a debate that involves complicated questions. More than that though, it pulls back the curtain on an industry that happens to be, ironically enough, kind of underexposed.

October 21, 2011

| B. Williams | Tags: Sex | Add a Comment

STEVE JOBS: HOW TO LIVE BEFORE YOU DIE

Steve Jobs

(February 24, 1955 â€“ October 5, 2011)

Over the last four decades or so, it’s easy to see why Steve Jobs’ name has become synonymous with innovation. In some form or another, reminders of his enduring brilliance and foresight are everywhere — on our desks, in our backpacks or quite literally in our pockets. Even if you’ve never used a single Apple product, the innovations Jobs helped to bring to the forefront of our culture have probably changed the way you lived, from the way we listen to music to the way we share ideas. Jobs took an esoteric, expert-oriented niche product and turned it into something personal, and something accessible. In all likelihood, you’re reading this off something that wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for him. It’s no wonder that today, on the day of his death, some of us feel almost as if he was someone we knew personally.

As impressive as Steve Jobs is for his ingenuity, he’s known just as much for his ability to communicate. The ideas were usually great, but the presentation was always flawless. From one masterful speech to the next, it seemed like every year brought around a press conference showcasing the latest gadget from Apple that would revolutionize some aspect of our lives, and send the competition rushing back to the drawing board. Rather than letting gimmicks speak for the brand, Jobs fostered a culture of straightforward, no-bullshit advertising. He spoke to us. He showed us what these things could do, and why they mattered. In 2006, in one of his most impressive displays of communication to date, Jobs spoke at Stanford’s commencement, reflecting on his extraordinary journey, what he’s learned from his own mortality, and the importance of following your heart. We’ve posted it before, but today, it seems more poignant than ever.

October 5, 2011

| B. Williams | Tags: Extraordinary, Knowledge | Add a Comment

LONDON CALLING: YOUTH REBELLION IN THE UK

Martin Luther King once famously said, “a riot is the language of the unheard”. Watching numerous reports surfacing over the past week from the UK’s capital, I think it’s safe to say that the presence of Britain’s youth has been felt, even if their rallying cries haven’t always been articulate. One side of the story comes from England’s conservative politicians and high society, who might suggest that the riots are the product of eroding family values, and an underclass of urban youth bent on wreaking havoc on polite society.

Another, and probably more convincing story, however, might take into account vast disparities in income equality, widespread economic turmoil, an unruly and often despised police force and massive spending cuts, which decimated funding for youth programs, among other things. One Guardian article highlighted the fact that 44% of children in London’s Hackney Borough now live below the poverty line. The article also evoked a recently popularized African adage on British social media: “If the young are not initiated into the village, they will burn it down just to feel its warmth.” A series of events like this one is rarely simple enough to frame easily. But the discussion is important. And hopefully the images below can help to provide some context.

August 13, 2011

| B. Williams | 7 Comments

WHY WE DON’T FIGHT: HOW THE U.S. CRUSHED YOUTH RESISTANCE

I’ll be the first to admit it, I’m an apathetic American. Lulled to sleep by the convenience of American life, I find myself putting more energy into my weekend activities than social causes. I can name 20 bars in L.A, but I can’t name five Congressmen in America. I don’t want to admit that, but it’s true. But I’m not the only one. I think we’ve all been pacified to a degree in America, but as young Americans the now, and especially the future will be in our hands. My friend Amaka shared this article on the lack of youth resistance in America. A pertinent topic for most of us, columnist Bruce Levine shares his thoughts on why less and less American youth are fighting back.

August 2, 2011

| Max Gibson | Tags: Culture, Knowledge | 9 Comments

THE SNIFFER RATS OF MOZAMBIQUE

It’s pretty cool when different animals can function in harmony. I know you’ve seen those birds that chill on the alligators and stuff. But today’s partnership is between humans and rats. In the war torn country of the Mozambique land mines still lay buried throughout the country. Apparently about 20 people step on land mines each month there.

In response to this troubling reality, Buddhist monk Bart Weetjens created a project known as the APOPO (meaning Anti-Personnel Land Mines Detection Product Development), which works to train rodents to help sniff out and detect buried mines. And it’s working. Light enough to not set off the mines, a team of two rats can clear 200 meters of minefield in two hours. A task that would take humans days. When the rats detect an explosive they make a clicking sound that tips off a receiver. As a reward they are given small bits of banana. Sounds like a win win for everyone.

July 18, 2011

| Max Gibson | Tags: Culture, Extraordinary | 4 Comments

THE HEART OF BLEAKNESS: CONGO’S CONFLICT ECONOMY

A few years ago, I was offered a spot in a teaching program in the Congo. I was told I’d be teaching basic logic, a sort of cursory introduction to philosophical ideas, to children who worked in mineral mines there. In theory, the idea was pretty thrilling. A few weeks later, I read up a bit on the most recent military conflicts in the country, and when I was told there was no guarantee that I’d be able to leave if and when shit hit the fan, I declined. Looking back on it, I wonder what I missed. Stories like this one remind me that there are entire corners of the world that most of us don’t even consider visiting, sometimes with good reason and sometimes without.

I guess that’s part of why Vice‘s foray into international journalism has been so inspiring to me. Danger and turmoil don’t just make for a good story. They literally compel them into action, giving them firsthand experience with some of the most extraordinary places the world has to offer. VBS’ latest, the upcoming Vice Guide to Congo takes a look inside The Democratic Republic of Congo, the legacy of Belgian colonialism, and the conflict mineral economy, fueled by our insatiable appetite for cell phones and other techonology. Fascinating is an understatement.

July 10, 2011

| B. Williams | Tags: Culture, Politics | 3 Comments

MYSPACE SOLD FOR $35 MILLION

Illustration by Danielle Schnur

Things have certainly changed since the days when Tom was everybody’s friend. At its peak, MySpace was valued at over $12 billion by some estimates, and even a few years earlier, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation bought the company for $580 million. Assuming you’ve used a computer or smart phone in the last few years, you’re probably pretty familiar with the story of MySpace’s downfall. Chances are you liked, commented on or posted something on Facebook today, which in other words, means you were most likely a part of it.

Yesterday, News Corporation sold the company to Specific Media for a grand total of $35 million, with News Corp. retaining a minor, undisclosed stake in the company, and Justin Timberlake picking one up. Even considering MySpace’s massive decline in traffic, ad revenue and cultural relevance, the price tag might come as a surprise to those who remember the site’s heyday just a few years ago. It’s hard to know what to take away from this one, but it’s definitely a sign of the times, and how fast we’re moving. A media empire created and collapsed in less than a decade. For the folks working on our own movements, call it a cautionary tale.

July 5, 2011

| B. Williams | 1 Comment

$20 BILLION A YEAR ON AIR CONDITIONING?

I kind of did a double take when I first read this number. The exact breakdown of how and where tax dollars are distributed isn’t all that clear of a picture for me, but $20 billion is a lot of money, any way you look at it. According to NPR, the annual military budget allotted for air conditioning in Iraq and Afghanistan totals around $20.2 billion. To put it in perspective, as NPR explains, that figure is greater than NASA’s entire budget, or alternatively, it’s more than a quarter of the federal education budget. I’ll spare you my opinions for the time being, but however you feel about these wars, or war in general, some perspective is always valuable. As usual, your thoughts are welcome. Full story below.

June 28, 2011

| B. Williams | Tags: Politics | 1 Comment

THE THERAPEUTIC POWER OF SHROOMS?

For many of the folks that have dabbled in psychedelic experiences before, this may not come as much of a surprise. But it’s always nice to have the evidence to back up or validate your intuition. A recent study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins found that psilocybin, the active chemical in magic mushrooms, when administered in an appropriate dosage, often led to a number of long-lasting psychological and therapeutic benefits. Among participants, aged 29 to 62, many even reported their drug experience as one of the most spiritually significant of their lives, with their newfound insight often leading to positive changes in relationships and behavior. Not to get on the after school special hype, but the choice is always up to you. Just try to stay informed.

June 22, 2011

| B. Williams | Tags: Drugs | 3 Comments

VOODOO & VACCINES

I worry sometimes if my shirt is wrinkled when I’m about to go out. Yesterday I got a parking ticket, and today I was frustrated because I had to drop some bread on a past-due gas bill. Halfway across the world, in Benin, folks are more worried about their children falling victim to tetanus, polio, diarrhea or pneumonia. Putting your problems in perspective can be a pretty valuable thing.

Voodoo & Vaccines, a collaboration between Vice and ONE, takes a look at the various health issues in Benin, a country where Voodoo healers outnumber licensed doctors, and where traditional religion and superstitions have often clashed. And yet, the short documentary frames Benin as a success story, as the two supposedly opposing sides have come together in the interest of public health. Although, while certain vaccines have become commonplace, Benin still lacks sufficient aid to buy vaccines for diarrhea and pneumonia, two of the most deadly and preventable diseases in Africa today. With Voodoo and Vaccines, ONE looks to raise awareness, about both Benin’s successes thus far, and the issues they still face.

June 9, 2011

| B. Williams | Tags: Culture, Knowledge | Add a Comment