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Falwell dead at 73

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Rev. Jerry Falwell dead at 73
Rev. Jerry Falwell dead at 73

The Rev. Jerry Falwell has died, a Liberty University executive said Tuesday. He was 73. Earlier today, Ron Godwin, the executive vice president of Falwell's Liberty University, had said Falwell was found unresponsive around 10:45 a.m. and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital. Godwin said he was not sure what caused the collapse, but said Falwell had "a history of heart challenges."

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Gotta love double-dipping... and The Onion

CBS To Release Own Version Of NBC's The Office

NEW YORK— "We changed some language and cultural references to things our audience would understand," said producers, disputing the notion that the show could only work on NBC.

Wii-reless N64, Genesis?

Messiah Entertainment, creators of the acclaimed Generation NEX (an unlicensed upgrade of the classic Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom deck with built-in wireless capabilities), are apparently targeting Nintendo's next-gen Wii for their next line of wireless products. The niche company is targeting the Virtual Console download service, specifically.

I had been an NEX owner for several months before becoming an employee at Game Crazy, one of the few retail distributors for the system. I was very happy with the system's near-perfect emulation of NES and Japanese Famicom games and did a random inventory search for "Messiah" to find new accessories and was amazed to see a line of products outside of the NEX universe, including wireless Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 controllers.
After successfully running the system on standard-definition 30-some inch sets, I had experienced difficulty running the video signal to an inherited 60" projection television, as the colors bled together and distorted the image onscreen. I e-mailed tech support, stating that my Atari 2600, Sega Master System and original NES all performed without incident on said set. I also took the opportunity to ask them about the Sega and N64 accessories, as I was unable to find any such products online.

I received a prompt reply from the support team, stating that many users have experienced difficulty playing the system on larger sets, as the system was designed to draw a minimal amount of power and thus was designed for smaller sets. Messiah hadn't anticipated the demand for wireless retro play on large sets and was in the works to upgrade hardware in the form of a newer system. They suggested a signal booster from any small-box electronics dealer and asked for input about any success in that area.

The representative also filled me in on the curiously listed products, stating that there are, in fact, official plans for an August release of wireless Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 controllers along with a receiver for more comfortable Virtual Console play on the Nintendo Wii. Adapters will then be released shortly thereafter enabling wireless play on the original Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 consoles.

The Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System already have wireless options available from Messiah, the former also a part of the official NEX line.

The actual e-mail from Messiah is published verbatim below:

Hello John, thanks for your questions. For the first part, the Generation NEX was built on a lower power consumption rating as it was designed for use on small TV sets. Game hardware in the past was often built using more power and therefore can still transmit a signal strong enough for large format TVs, which require a strong signal. We did not originally plan for the number of users who want to hook up old school NES games on their plasmas and large projection TVs. This is something we've received a fair amount of feedback on and we are considering upgrading in the future. Any upgrades would be a new console release. You may consult an electronics dealer and seek out a signal booster (cost?). Let us know if you have success in this area.

Secondly, it's great that you ran a search and came up with some curious listings from us. These Sega/N64/etc. Wireless Controllers are NEW and scheduled for release in August. We have developed a receiver for the Wii console that will come with classic style controllers for playing Virtual Console downloads with a more comfortable controller. After the initial launch, we will release receivers that allow you to use these same controllers on your classic hardware as well. Get it?

Good luck with your Wireless plans, we hope we can assist you in your efforts!


Thank you for Supporting Messiah Entertainment, Inc.

Messiah Support Staff

MySpacism

I have been entrenched in a campus controversy over the past month. My friend and I started a lively discussion regarding a MySpace group that assumed a harsh racial tone against a certain group of students at the University of Michigan-Flint campus.

The group, entitled "2nd Floor UCEN (University Center) -- We're Takin' It Back!" was moderated by UM-Flint student Josh Jenkins and populated by several of his friends, all of whom were members of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. The second floor of the UCEN sports the Loving Cultural Lounge, and is predominantly black, although it is open to everyone. The online community featured a picture of Damon Wayans and referred to our campus as a "damn inner-city pity group."

We first discovered this website over a weekend in mid-February, and by the time we returned to classes on Monday night, news had already spread throughout campus and people were outraged, but at the wrong target: the Kappa Sigma fraternity. So began a debacle, with the fraternity on damage control as the protagonist in the story, Jenkins himself, attempted to explain his actions (apparently he's biracial, so that makes blaming blacks for theft and leaving chairs greasy and messy perfectly acceptable). He stood behind the First Amendment (which does protect him, but hardly applies to his situation) and refused comment when a reporter from The Flint Journal contacted him.

Meanwhile, being the former Assistant Editor of the campus bi-weekly, The Michigan Times, I co-wrote a special editorial with another editorial staff member preaching accountability to Jenkins and deflecting blame from his organization, who had shouldered most of the blame. They did the right thing by taking responsibility for, and denouncing its member's actions (though it shouldn't have had to) and severing ties with Jenkins. The organization posted a formal apology in a subsequent M-Times.

The situation was buzzworthy for several weeks following the initial conflict, but it was reignited this past week. The Journal's story was published in its Sunday edition, raising awareness of the issue. Tuesday, the campus hosted a discussion about racism and hate (although allegedly without much of an answer, as it relied on religion rather than actions to achieve results). Thursday, however, the specific issue was formally addressed by the campus community in an open forum, Word On Da Street: MySpace and Freedom of Speech: Satire or Mockery, that incorporated many of the main players in the initial controversy, and showcased how evidence of hate on campus affected those students who utilized the second floor of the UCEN.

As I walked into the panel, I immediately received a call-out from Jonathan Ettinger, a member of the College Libertarians/antagonist to everyone who took it upon himself to blame the College Democrats for two of its members (myself being one) bringing the event to administrators. His rant was unintelligible as I was on the wrong side of the public address system walking into the debate, but I heard my specific name mentioned, and being tied to bringing the brouhaha to campus in the first place.

I took a seat and held my peace alongside my friend who found the posting. He continued on several more rants, and the issue of satire was brought into the discussion. I asked my friend for a pen and paper and wrote down some bullet points so I could give a proper response to Mr. Ettinger, who has a habit of disagreeing with everyone but himself.

I finally motioned for the emcee (whose name I did not catch, regrettably) that I had something to say, explaining that I was one of the students who started the debate. I introduced myself as such, and immediately contradicted Ettinger's allegations. The organization that I am a part of had nothing to do with bringing the event to campus. Jenkins and his friends started the group on their own, we merely kept the discussion online by providing a dissenting view. Someone else took it upon themselves to bring the issue to administrators, which began the larger controversy.

Furthermore, I stated, the notion of satire was ridiculous. Satirists do not actually believe what they directly say. For instance, Stephen Colbert is not an arrogant Republican commentator. He pretends to be in an attempt to mock arrogant Republican commentators. Carlos Mencia pokes fun at different races as a way of noting the absurdity of stereotypes.

As members of peer networking site Facebook.com, we noticed that Jenkins was recently a member of the National Association for the Advancement of White People (NAAWP) who, among other things, feel that we should not celebrate Martin Luther King day until federal documents about the civil rights leader are unsealed and support reparations against whites for damage done during the race riots of the 1960s. He actually believes this stuff. This is not satire. I felt ashamed that I let such a person into my house before (long story). This call-out was particularly awkward, as I am not a confrontational person and Jenkins himself was present at the event, as well as other members who were part of the online group.

Ettinger immediately countered my comment by asking why I chose not to attach my name to the M-Times editorial. I simply stated, "Because it was an editorial." For the uninitiated, editorials usually do not have bylines.

Unfortunately, being a ridiculously busy college student, I had to duck out of the panel discussion early to meet a class group for a project and missed Jenkins' explanation of his actions, and innumerable instances of Ettinger disagreeing with everyone in the world.

I strongly back up the last point I made before leaving, however. While we may not have been directly responsible for bringing the event onto campus, I am very glad it did make it to campus because this is the first time during my lengthy career at UM-Flint that anyone organized an event to explain the importance of the Loving Cultural Lounge and the emotional toll of racism on campus.

This is not the first time during my academic career that the lounge was a hot topic of discussion (and furthermore, not the first time that the controversy has been related to myself or a close friend -- again, long story), and at this rate it likely will not be the last. Race is a heated issue by nature.

I came from a community that was not diverse at all. Less than one percent of its population is black, and in high school many students who were black were forced to leave due to intimidation and mockery. During my freshman year, a group of juniors and seniors organized what was known as the "Carhartt Clan," inspired by the Ku Klux Klan, who sported the brown work jackets and Confederate flags. This group of students was responsible for the intimidation of many blacks and as a result the school and community became far less diverse. Witnessing this firsthand as an adolescent, it was alarming that in a well-educated crowd like UM-Flint, such ignorance would still exist.

One incredible aspect of UM-Flint is its diversity. There are so many varying opinions and thoughts, butting heads on many topics is a given. I am just incredibly pleased that such a diverse group of students were able to speak their voice about this particular incident. It was cathartic for many, even if it did not provide any clear answers or a resolution.

Is Fox even trying anymore?

"Fair and Balanced" has always been said with a smirk by the likes of Fox News personalities Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly after lengthy, pro-Christian, anti-diversity, pro-Republican diatribes. However, whenever contested, its anchors fiercely defend its network's neutrality.

In recent weeks it appears that Fox just isn't trying anymore. Perhaps they've run out of good news on which to report about their preferred party (Mark Foley, Scooter Libby and the Iraq catastrophe certainly do not help). A series of bizarre recent incidents hint that those at Fox are now hitting a new low on which to convert any lingering doubters who have the misfortune of relying upon cable news.

First, the Ann Coulter debacle. Coulter, bless her Adam's Apple, is never one for subtlety and her homophobic attack against Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards does not necessarily come as a surprise. What was surprising was the event at which the Fox News Channel regular chose to dig into Edwards' sexuality (he is married and has children, by the way), the Conservative Political Action Committee. While most CPAC attendees justifiably demonstrated initial shock at the blunt remarks, they then applauded and gave her a warm response. This event was televised on CSPAN. While many media outlets on which Coulter regularly appeared have dropped her, Fox News has not made any such moves. Instead, they appointed her the Vice President to President Rush Limbaugh on their "fake" news show (is this a joke?), The 1/2 Hour News Hour.

And boyyyy is that show bad. Hideously bad. Not only is there the same annoying laugh track that plagues almost every Fox sitcom (thank you, Arrested Development, for going another route), but the acting is awful, the punchlines are dull and its anchors hit new lows to dig at Democrats. Yes, my friends, the show relies on racism. Comparing Barack Obama's mixed ethnicity to Tiger Woods and making fun of Obama's middle name (Hussein), it is hard to fathom how this show received the green light. Then again, this is FOX.

This could very well be forgivable on a Daily Show-inspired program, but when Fox Chairman Roger Ailes blatantly compares Obama to Osama bin Laden at a black-tie dinner while consistently railing liberals and Democrats, it is fairly easy to see why the network acts as it does. Democrats pulled out of a Fox-sponsored Presidential debate shortly thereafter. When this story broke, it grabbed headlines on every major news network -- except Fox. Perhaps a bit too red-faced to acknowledge their boss' racist remarks, they quietly put the spin machine into motion and waited for their savior, Bill O'Reilly, to explain Ailes' remarks. And so he did just that, blaming MoveOn.org contributor George Soros and likening the MoveOn PAC to Dr. Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi minister of information.

I think Keith Olbermann perfectly summed up Fox News Channel by noting that the network used to be good at cleverly claiming to be "Fair and Balanced" while reporting one-sided news. Hell, it used to be fun when once in a while Hannity and Colmes sometimes agreed. Now their stance shows no effort at all to be a legitimate news organization. How depressing.

Debut Blog

So... I finally have my own blog. Not MySpace. Not LiveJournal. Not Facebook. Just a standalone blog. I feel so special.

My goal is to post essays, articles, opinions and observations -- and in the process join millions of Internet users worldwide by having my own blog.