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| New Andromeda Feature: Name Change | August 1, 2012, 8:19PM |
 by: eon |
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Many have asked me, "Say, Eon, can I change my name without creating a new account?" The answer to that question has always been--unfortunately--hell no. The reasoning here is that everyone on this site is identified by the screen name they choose. If it were convenient for people to change their name as often as they liked, we'd have constant name changes going on (even more so than we already do) and things could get really confusing, really fast. I stand by that reasoning still, but have decided to loosen up the policy just a bit. Effective immediately, any member with at least 14 days of Andromeda time on their account will be allowed to change their screen name. Only one name change per six months will be allowed per account, so give your new name some careful thought! This is super convenient if you'd like to change your name but keep the join date on your account, all of your comments, pictures you've uploaded, friends, forum posts, etc. If you haven't had your account for long, it might make more sense to simply delete your account and create a new one with the name you'd like. Taking advantage of the new option is simple. Just go to: Control Panel -> Manage Account On that page, you will either see the option to change your screen name, or a prompt letting you know what reason prevents you from doing so. So here's a really simple feature that a lot of people have asked for. I've tested it (within reason.) Just, uh, keep in mind, this one's fresh outta the lab. If anything unusual happens, I assume you know who to call. Because I don't. (Seriously, though, report any bugs here.) Enjoy . . . | |
topic: Site News | |
[reply] [37 comments] |
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| Medication for the Beauty World | July 23, 2012, 8:22PM |
 by: BOTOXBOTOX |
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I wont shut my fucking my mouth and I have a lot to say right now. So if you have ANY intelligence, continue and read below. BUT if you only look at pictures and cant read, then please click off my nexo. Thanks. Now its time to talk about my favorite subject: BEAUTY. After being victimized every day for not being THIS OR THAT its time I put this shit to rest. I’m SOMEONE. Not SOME THING. Popular culture, reinforced by mass media, plays a cruel, tantalizing game with us all. In its commercial mode it creates an idealized standard of human appearance impossible for 99% of us to attain and then sells us products and services to help correct, minimize or disguise our inevitable shortcomings from this air-brushed image of perfection. Though increasingly aimed at men as well, the primary target of this ongoing campaign of creative dissatisfaction has traditionally been female. It is, after all, women who have been more conditioned from early childhood to equate their destinies with their looks. The wishful notion that with enough time, money, effort and will-power any woman can and should attempt to look like an extremely tall, young, slender-yet-big-breasted, Nordic blonde model of a certain facial bone structure more-or-less summarizes the prevailing beauty myth. Minor variations of the basic look are introduced and recycled periodically to keep more buyers in the fashionable game of adopting the latest imagery. This narrow concept of female beauty has been assimilated and perpetuated by both genders, though from quite different cultural situations. The desire for achieving the right image drives much of our media-saturated culture, especially the most impressionable, our young. The goal of the professional image-makers is that we consumers buy all those self-improvement solutions to keep the market economy going. The unintended consequences are somewhat less benign. The beauty myth of our culture is the psychologically crippling equivalent of foot-binding in an earlier China. Basically stupid. A self-confident teen is a rarity in the Worldwide Billions of young women suffer from chronic, health-threatening eating disorders. Some try to play the dangerous, often deadly game of becoming thin enough. Others opt out by stuffing their negative feelings with excessive, unhealthy food or deliberately making themselves less attractive. Some try to become invisible or even mutilate themselves in reaction to the idealized mold. No girl remains unaffected. Girls with DNA not programmed to fit most of the highly improbable physical characteristics of the beauty myth just give up, often in depression. Even those who come closest to attaining the current "look" tend to magnify or imagine minor "flaws" and are often the least self-satisfied of all. By no means limited to teenagers, weight control has become a world wide obsession and a major, diversified industry. The point being: you are being over-fucked and sold, your soul sold. And not many people seem to care. ITS ALWAYS ABOUT IMAGE and I know some of you who are hurt the most by this will counter act and try to blame it all on me BUT ITS NOT ABOUT ME. I know who and what I am. But do you? Do you know what the fuck you’re thinking, or is someone else doing it for you? Now, when I am walking around and I see signs advertising diets or hear ads on the radio I just shudder. This just reinforces the idea that some peoples' appearances are "wrong". How can this be? Who and What lets the normal standard of beauty exist? Well, pick up a magazine for a minute. Flip through. Look at the ads and pictures closely. Everyone is trim as a supermodel. Turn on your television (or don't, it might not be worth the experience). Look at the sort of people who are on sitcoms. Look at the people on the news and in commercials. All trim and slim as can be. Perfect make up complexions. Scary and sick. I try to confront these people. Asking, what’s wrong with your head.. but it’s a disease that cant be easily fixed. Just try to smile and look pretty. This is our culmination of Miss Universe? This is all very gross. How do you feel now? I guess your part is pretty obvious for what you can do to help. I just wish I didn't have to always only hear this message from women. Men are suffering from the exact same problems. They just don't have as much of a voice. | |
topic: Rants | |
[reply] [32 comments] |
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| Recieved A Hilarious Email Today... | July 19, 2012, 1:13PM |
by: eon |
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Some things, you just can't keep to yourself. A member of our website sent the following email and then identified herself to me in comments. (She'll remain nameless, sorry!) Apparently, she does take this quite seriously and assured me that this wasn't a troll. I'll let you be the judge... ---- This Darkstarlings site of yours, i have discovered after much deliberation and thought, is very problematic. There are very troubled people here, even criminals involved in criminal activity such as drug usage etc. The site is promoting this by allowing comments on favourite drugs and pictures of people nearly nude and using drugs also being allowed. There are also very angry people, dangerously angry. And they feel the need to take it out on eachother, no doubt causing near suicides by the second. I am all for freedom of speech, but people take advantage of this and they think they are being absolutely hysterical and very cool by talking about intimacy and such a free and casual way. I used to believe intimacy could be a beautiful thing, but have since turned asexual thanks to the offhandedness people treat it with. There are some truly disgusting people on your site that need dealing with. I strongly suggest that you address this issue or I will have to consider reporting the site to the police. And before you doubt me, Yes, the police CAN shut you down for this activity on your site. It HAS been done on other sites similar to this. So i leave it with you to reply with your decisiion Nothing against you, you understand, im sure. But you need to take a good look at your site and re-evaulate it. I understand that it's for "alternative" people that want to be "different." But there is a line between this and indecency. Regards. ------ Second letter was sent, titled "Again I hope you don't take this as a threat": ------- It's just that i am very concerned for the behaviour of your users. It's terribly disturbing. -------- To be clear, there is no basis for the legal threats, so don't anyone get too worried. This is purely for grins. I mean: Please also call the police about all of the websites hosting these images. Next, please call the police about the websites hosting these images too! Anyway, hope you enjoyed the read... | |
topic: Site News | |
[reply] [78 comments] |
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| Skepticism 101, The logical philsophic stand point | April 25, 2012, 2:56PM |
 by: TaintingEden |
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Skepticism, long have I believed it should be taken in healthy doses. To look at all things from every imaginable angle. Is not that the road to understanding? Or rather the great intersection? In that light one must continually examine and seek to find the undeniable answers. But can such answers be obtained in regards to a philosophic stand point? Where so much is based upon our own beliefs and the way in which we perceive the world and the workings of it. To me it is the difference between truth and fact. Where in truth can be spoken honestly, if not correctly as it is known to the speaker, but fact is undeniable. And in that sense one cannot claim fact over how they see the world for there shall always be a different opinion. Allow this paper to demonstrate the ways in which perception is born and ultimately lays waste to any “unshakable” foundation to a philosophic truth. Whether the state of humanity or just the human state. There is much to be said about the way it effects how the world is perceived. Imagine if you will a man in the prime of his life, youthful and in perfect health. How might he view the world around him? It is known that when you are youthful you are more full of energy, in an eager state of mind. This has a lot to do with the basic chemistry within the body. Hormones and endorphins are at an all time high, the fuel of life some may say. This energized and excited state has a great affect on how one sees the world. Where in a one may see a wall, a youthful soul may see only a barrier to climb. Optimistic is a common place term for such an attitude. To perceive encounters and barriers as a welcome challenge that confidence ensures they can over come. All this effected and brought about by the healthy and youthful state of their body. And what of the other side of the coin? An elderly person, or perhaps someone who is very ill. A body that feels heavy tends to weight on the mind. A person in this state may see the world in more of a gray scale. Bring up the metaphorical wall once more and a person who's body is frail and tired will tend to shy away from the challenge. Within such a mind set, a general acceptance of limitations comes about. How then does the world seem? Perhaps moving a bit slower and out of reach. These feelings are generally brought about by the drop in hormones or the aches and pains that come with age and illness. Constantly reminding one that their body is not what it once was. Within just these two examples we see a monumental difference in how just a state of health and age in which a person's body can bring forth a generally optimistic or detached sense of being. Thus, the a person's state, greatly affects how they see the world and though the same things may be looked upon, they will not be viewed in the same light. Environment our world in which we live, it would be naive to believe that our surroundings do not influence the way in which we perceive things. To follow that train of thought it would seem obvious that a different environment will generate a different outlook. A few simple examples come to mind. If one examines the difference between rural and urban areas there stands a stark contrast, but how might these contrasts change how we view the world? Let us examine the urban areas first. Quite often refereed to “melting pots” of cultures based upon the variety of cultures and the large population. Growing up exposed to such conditions makes variety and difference common place. One could then argue that growing in one of these “melting pots” will lead you to having a more open mind simply because you are exposed to so much varying attributes of society on a daily basis. The counter part (being the rural area) tends to have a much slower pace of life. Not much changes over decades in these areas. With such a constant life and within a small community there tends to bring about a unified idea of the “norm” where most of the people living within the area, know each other and have similar stand points and ideas. Thus one could inference that growing up in this environment would bring about a mind of customs and traditions. Abrupt change of vast differences would then be rejected or even feared. Effectively closing off ones mind to many new ideas to maintain that state of normalcy. However, the smaller population also brings about another trait, a stronger sense of community. Often rural areas are described as a place “where everybody knows everybody”. How does this effect the mind set? Well when the community is close nit the people tend to think as a whole. Viewing what would be best for everyone. This perception goes hand in hand with our previous observation and in fact fuel each other. Back to our urban area, vastly populated and full of variety. This places breeds independent minds (not to say there is no community) but on such a grand scale the knitting is not as tight. And so the free thinker tends to come from these areas where so many ideals and mini communities come together one is forced to examine things in a different light. And so it is easy to believe that where our minds develop will have a grand impact on the way in which it perceives things. Sense, arguably one of the most important influences of perception. As the senses are our guides to the world around us, of course how they react to things will affect how we ultimately judge them. Perhaps the most basic example would be to look at the varied tastes in food. And how almost every person adds their own little bit of seasoning to their food. A simple but wonderful example of how the sense of taste even on the same type of food can be varied greatly from person to person. Now to, or perhaps to not, look at the sense of sight. Color seems infinite and has long been inspirational and mood changing. All brought about by our ability to see and intemperate colors. Interestingly enough however, color is left to just that interpretation. Whether it be an argument of the proper label for a “shade” of a certain color (i.e. its dark blue not royal blue) or someone who was born with their eyes unable to see the hue all together (color blindness). But even deeper, how might the lack of sight change how we perceive the world? It is said that when one sense ceases to work properly the others improve to help compensate. But lets focus on the lack there of. What might something simple like the color blue be to that person? Curious to think how differently they may see things within their mind when hearing the base word of a color such as “blue”. Truly it is intriguing how something so seemingly simple as the color blue can be so vastly different based on each person. What is there to be said about perception based on circumstance? How might they change as do the circumstances.? It is undeniable that what happens to us throughout our lives changes how we see the world. To touch back on the a persons state, the change of said state would then change ones perceptions. Thus circumstance changes perception. Take a man on top of the world wealthy with an easy going life. His attitude towards the world one could imagine to be a positive thing. When looking on the world he would see freedom as all is available to him nothing out of reach. Now strip away the variable that is his wealth. How might this same my see the world now? With such a sharp fall from grace, he may become bitter or jaded. Remembering what he had and comparing that to what little he does now could cause a spiteful distaste for the world about him. The same man, but circumstance changes his life and that dramatic change does so change how the world is interpreted. Perception is beautiful, arguably the most powerful influence, and yet it is ever so fickle. As has been shown, the simplest of changes whether it be the human state, environment, the senses, or just circumstance can shake the foundations on which our ideals are built. And so with that one can only determine to be unsure. To keep an open mind to all possibility for while it may be true for you (and it may not always be) does not mean it is a fact. That is why a skeptical stand point, is in fact the logical stand point and shall lead to a greater understanding of the world and the ways in which it works. Skepticism in a sense, is the fuel for philosophy. | |
topic: Philosophy | |
[reply] [6 comments] |
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| Anorexic Images, Our Bodies Destroyed | April 8, 2012, 4:52PM |
by: BOTOXBOTOX |
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Tomorrow if I was ran over by a car and scarred for life, none of you would care. Mutilated, disfigured. A monster. It’s horrible to even think about that happening, but I’ve noticed the trend in “I love your looks” responses and no one bothering to take a look behind the pictures and notice the words screamed in vain, written in a time of need. sacrifice. its what I do every day to myself. I cant give credit to everyone because I do have many friends on here who do care and read what I have to say, but everyone else makes me hollow.. sweet bruises.. in a split second my face could be smashed in, forever a fucking troll. no more pretty eyelashes or makeup, no more friends, no more admirers.. no more life. loneliness would swallow me up like a giant fish. I almost pray for that day to come. Makeup. ersatz. false reason. its all here but I choose not to let that side show. the horror of impossibility. my strength can only reach so far. but I’m recognized every day for my beauty. my face, my makeup, my mouth, my skill in destroying something human and normal. I’m foreign, alien. but why do looks matter to everyone? they can be taken away so fast that its hard to believe you ever had them. plastic surgery and psychology help isn’t going to save your soul. so as you see me all fattened with glamor, pregnant with glitz and speaking truth.. just remember: one second and its over. It’s time to face the real world. The planet has become one big mirror and it makes me sick. Everyday I see people trying so hard with priorities and desperate attempts at individuality, but what’s behind it all? Everyone wants to be a Hollywood star with every second of vanity and fame. As we all grow older we see these “beauty queens” every day of our lives. We walk down the street and notice a billboard of the same blonde whore trying to look pretty, we see magazines filled with images of wafer-models and anorexic imagines. It’s “cool” to destroy yourself. We’re raised and taught that those are the people we should become. Male or female, socially acceptable or not, a person that is soooo fixated by their own appearance is vain and a little too self-important. Being vain comes from wanting so bad to be what were not, what we pretend to live for and what we’ll never be… It’s hard to understand why someone would want to be the next rock star just so they can become something fake. But we watch TV, we read articles and talk about looking like actors and singers… why? Society has developed itself into a painful course of images. All we hear about is Britney Spears, who’s hot and “Oh my god, the dress!” and who’s the ugliest. Who really cares? You do. Appearance has become such a huge factor into every day life. Losing weight is the new trend and dying your hair every other month is “cute”. If you’re considered “over weight” by the people around you (like at school or work), your life will miserable. Harassment happens everyday whether we want to admit it or not, and it’s because of what we grow to accept. Seeing that beautiful girl on the front page is what’s wanted SO bad, but it can’t be reached. Is it fun to analyze your body, get plastic surgery and wear a fake smile? Underneath the make-up, clothing and money is a lifeless person that’s been changed to sell and be marketed. We are the ones buying all the weight loss programs, we are the ones trying to live and not be treated horribly. Who cares if you’re a bit heavy. Does that change what kind of person you really are? The old saying “what’s inside counts” hasn’t been understood in centuries. Getting rich and creating the next scandal is always in the back of CEO’s and record companies minds, because if you’re pretty it doesn’t matter. Your face covers up all the lies. I don’t think it will ever be established to like what you have, what your “God” gave u… As long as our eyes are filled with pretty pictures and skeleton models, its useless. Try to look at yourself and see something good. Its hard… but it can be done. Forget the fake eyelashes and the push-up bras, what’s good about you? Everyone has something inside that can be found. Personalities are now shot with vanity, and ego’s are bigger then my waist size. If you say “I’m so hot” you’re probably a low-life who wishes he/she was what we can‘t steal. Forget the nose-jobs and fake nails for once and try to act human. Try to get to know someone next time before saying “she’s too ugly and fat” because it actually hurts the people you’re talking about. Could we make other’s feel nice for a change instead of bashing their life-style? I wear make-up because its spiritual and makes me feel calm, its art and its my passion; not so everyone can like me… because not many people do. It’s obvious I’m not a super star. It’s obvious I could care less what someone who’s never spoken to me says. Burn the magazines and turn off MTV, its slowly decaying who we once were. Love + Lipstick - Jeffrey | |
topic: Rants | |
[reply] [9 comments] |
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| April Fools, Obviously... | April 4, 2012, 7:40PM |
by: eon |
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So on April 1st, I made an announcement that DarkStarlings had been bought out by a web development company in Dubai. Most people caught on to the timeliness of this announcement and correctly deduced that it was an April Fools prank. I figured this was pretty obvious and so didn't bother making a follow up post. Until now, that is. I've actually had a few people come to me, pleading that I not sell the place, so I figured I should clear the air a bit. Take a deep breath, kids . . . | |
topic: Site News | |
[reply] [15 comments] |
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| Cybersplash Buyout Offer | April 1, 2012, 8:57PM |
by: eon |
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I can't imagine why, but an Arab web development company in Dubai has offered a bizarrely large sum of money to purchase DarkStarlings. After thinking it over a bit, I decided to accept the offer. Don't panic, these guys seem to have their act together pretty well. Their main website is located at CyberSplash.org and looks pretty slick. This could mean a lot of new developments on the site . . . or not. I don't know either way, as with any luck, I'll be sitting on a beach somewhere sipping piña coladas about this time next month. Anyhoo, I'll post more details as they become available. | |
topic: Site News | |
[reply] [9 comments] |
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| Informative short speech Re: NDAA 2012 - Speech 148 - Vincennes University | March 22, 2012, 4:04AM |
 by: Jareth |
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Editor: If you feel it proper or necessary, the Abstract in its entirety can be removed. I would appreciate it if this could make it's way to front publication. Thank you. Informative Brief Concerning The NDAA Of 2012 Nicholas A. Corona Vincennes University Abstract In this paper, I will attempt to illustrate the ongoing issues of our Judicial, Legislative, and Administrative branches of government in relation to our Rights and our Freedoms. Focus will be brought to certain legislative measures taken during the 2011-2012 calendar year that effect American Freedoms and Rights, specifically the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012. I addressed what subject matter was covered in this bill, its relation to other bills recently passed and existing legislation. I explored these items primarily by, since they dealt with our rights and liberties, the ACLU references, Library Of Congress data, and a few other informational resources as annotated in the References enclosure. My results were derived from my study of the laws, regulations, and methods of Justice enforcement that have been available to me as a layperson with access to higher education resources. My conclusions should illustrate the vast importance of understanding what our laws are and how they can easily be affected without our knowledge or will to the detriment of our freedom. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'm going to attempt to present you with an educational tidbit or two of information in the next few minutes. I'd like to share with you with my observations and analysis of an item that is very important to me, and I hope to you as well. This item is the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012, or NDAA 2012; also known as HR 1540. (1) This document is one of a series of such documents that deals directly with monetary appropriation and disbursal for all aspects of the Armed Services as a whole, from procurement of parts and materials to the pay and compensation of all who are employed by the DOD. That, however, was the original intent of this document. Over the years with each new revision, as with just about every bill that's introduced, there are additions and subtractions made that ultimately have nothing to do with the main purpose OF the documentation. This is my own observation from studying the laws and those who've written them. These modifications are made by various senators and congressmen in an attempt to get passed into law their own pet projects with little to no opposition by either their constituents or their peers. Most of the time these efforts succeed. What we have with THIS years version of the NDAA, is a slightly more restrained version of it's originally drafted form from last year. However it could still be interpreted by the courts unfavorably for the American people. (1), (2), (3) Specifically, there are 2 sections in the NDAA 2012 that directly deal with with the powers of the President and of the Military to be able to detain people, and what qualifies them as subject to detainment: Section 1021 - p.265 Section 1022 - p.266 – pp(a)-(b) These sections are quite vague in a legal sense as to WHO qualifies, and paragraph (b) of section 1022 only removes the REQUIREMENT and does nothing to PROHIBIT these actions on citizens or legal residents. Further, paragraph ( c ), sub-paragraph (1) of section 1021 specifies detention under the law of war without trial until the end of hostilities. Referenced in paragraph (a) of section 1021 is the Authorization for Use of Military Force (4), also known as Public Law 107-40, listed as a qualifying law for this section. This law was put in place as a direct result of the terrorist acts on 9/11, and specifically authorizes the President to use any and all necessary steps to prevent future acts of terrorism, and to take said steps against “...nations, organizations, or persons he determines” had any relation or knowledge to or of these acts. While there was language in the NDAA 2012, as is stipulated by an absent section 1867 (2) that originally that DID specify indefinite detention of American citizens and legal residents, this has since been removed. However, the items that are remaining are still highly questionable. The Supreme Court COULD possibly rule in favor of detention of a citizen or legal resident, thereby setting a precedent. Here's a quote from the ACLU article by Chris Anders (3) on November 23, 2011 illustrating what is going on without much, if any, advertisement to the American People through popular means: “In support of this harmful bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) explained that the bill will “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield” and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial “American citizen or not.” Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) also declared that the bill is needed because “America is part of the battlefield.”” President Obama had threatened originally to veto this bill (6) on account of the broad sweeping power that was implied by the language of the draft prior to the vote in December of 2011. As of February 2012, the matter of indefinite detention of Americans was brought to the Senate Judiciary committee for review and repeal. (5) However, as the references provided will show, this is a stubborn problem that has been with us as a country and as a global presence for some years now, and shows no indication of fading anytime soon. List Of References Bohm, Allie. “Angry About the National Defense Authorization Act?” American Civil Liberties Union. February 22, 2012. Web. March 19, 2012 http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/angry-about-national-defense-authorization-act (3) Anders, Chris. “Senators Demand the Military Lock Up of American Citizens in a “Battlefield” They Define as Being Right Outside Your Window” American Civil Liberties Union. November 23, 2011. Web. March 19, 2012. http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/senators-demand-military-lock-american-citizens-battlefield-they-define-being “Toolkit: State and Local Resolutions Opposing the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)” American Civil Liberties Union. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. http://www.aclu.org/national-security/toolkit-state-and-local-resolutions-opposing-2012-national-defense-authorization Kain, Erik. “President Obama Signed the National Defense Authorization Act - Now What?”Forbes. January 2, 2012. Web. March 19, 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/02/president-obama-signed-the-national-defense-authorization-act-now-what/ (6) “Obama Seeks to Prevent Defense Bill's Indefinite Detention of US Citizens” ProCon. http://www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005047, December 9, 2011. Web. March 19, 2012 (5) Senate Judiciary committee. “The Due Process Guarantee Act: Banning Indefinite Detention of Americans” February 22, 2012. Dirksen Senate Office Building. http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=8b30fa475a5089d793576cd9470701bd (1) Library Of Congress. National Defense Authorization Act of 2012. Washington DC. 2011. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1540enr/pdf/BILLS-112hr1540enr.pdf (4) Library Of Congress. Authorization For Use Of Military Force. Washington DC. 2001. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ40/pdf/PLAW-107publ40.pdf Library Of Congress. H.J. Resolution 55. Washington DC. 2011 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hjres55ih/pdf/BILLS-112hjres55ih.pdf (2) Levin, Carl. STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY S. 1867 – National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2012. Washington DC. 2011. Web. March 19, 2012 http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/legislative/sap/112/saps1867s_20111117.pdf | |
topic: Essays | |
[reply] [1 comment] |
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| New Feature: Picture Privacy Settings | March 8, 2012, 1:24AM |
by: eon |
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You will notice when browsing your picture gallery, a new option appears beneath each picture (when viewed at full size) which controls privacy. For regular members, this means you'll be able to individually set each picture to either be public, or shown only to your friends. Andromeda members will find additional privacy options. One additional option allows pictures to be restricted to site members (instead of being completely public), and the other makes it so only the owner of the account can view the picture (making it completely private.) Please note that these settings will have no effect on display pics or avatars. For example, if you set a certain picture as "friends only" but also select it to be your main display picture, it will show up as your main display picture for everyone, not just your friends. (However, only your friends would see the picture when browsing your photo gallery.) This has an interesting implication for Andromeda members; you could set certain pictures as completely private and then use them only as avatars. Please reply here with any comments, suggestions, or bug reports, and as always, Enjoy . . . | |
topic: Site News | |
[reply] [13 comments] |
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| Laughing at the Darkness: The Seriousness in Comedic Dissent | February 25, 2012, 11:11PM |
 by: Satchell |
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"Comedy, we have to admit, was never one of the most honoured of the Muses. She was in her origin, short of slaughter, the loudest expression of the little civilization of men" (15). So says Victorian-era English poet and novelist George Meredith. Comedy acts as a cultural indicator, as an elevation from stress, a dissenting force from authority, a method of ridicule, a way to highlight an issue and a vulgar expression of personal urges. Comedy, while having very many applications, can be used to incite important change during very dire and trying circumstances. It is because we exist in a world that is filed with strife and hardship that we need a seriously comedic response. All life ends in death- that is to say that there are no lasting actions in this world for a living being and that all struggle is just that, struggle. It is to this challenge that the true comic tries to address through the meeting of polar opposites as seen by the mixture of the always-laughing playboy and the never-laughing killjoy. Howard Jacobson, comic novelist and winner of the prestigious Man Booker prize explains during an interview called "The Return of the Wry" that the birth of comedy is the very same as the birth of tragedy. He explains that we enjoy things because they are invariably linked to their demise. If we (mortal men and women) were locked in a state of constant suspension from suffering, there would be nothing to rejoice and that would be an intolerable experience, somewhat akin to limbo. Therefore, to be successful in meeting these challenges, we must employ a kind of serious comedy that both aims to accomplish a goal and simultaneously ridicules itself and the situation with a dissenting merriment. As mentioned before, it is because we deal with difficult problems that we must laugh at them. In "Laughing All the Way to Freedom?: Contemporary Stand-Up Comedy and Democracy in South Africa", author Julia Katherine Seirlis tells a narrative of the struggles of South Africa during a period of racial separation known as apartheid, and the effects on stand-up comedians. Under apartheid, a comedian or any person critical of the government was jailed and/or beaten. Nelson Mandela, a comedian in his own right that laughs in the face of adversity, was part of "the struggle" which ended apartheid and started a new era of democracy in South Africa. Even in a democratic South Africa, it is still a very dangerous place to live. It is from this danger that South African comedians feel they have a right and an obligation to laugh about their situations. Comedian John Vlismas mocks the total lack of danger in Australia: "Australians have no natural predators. Nothing. I went to a game park and said, 'Show me a vicious beast. In my country, we have savage monsters: rhinos, buffalos, PAGAD. Vicious. Dangerous. I want to see a flatulent fanged foaming at the mouth'- and he showed me a wombat. This isn't a beast. I've got Nigerian friends. A wombat is not a beast. It looks like a Care Bear came home drunk and pomped a slipper." It's a point to note that PAGAD stands for People Against Guns And Drugs- a popular satiric reference to gangsters who use guns and drugs. This kind of humor is a total deviation from the seriousness of tragedy. During the interview with Howard Jacobson, he explains that when God casts Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, it symbolizes the basic tragic plot line, which is a fall from grace. Just as in many Greek tragedies a person or number of people aspire to rise above the toils and suffering of their low lives and end up having quite horrific things happen to them. In Howard's example, Adam and Eve are tempted by the fruit of Knowledge and because of this, they are cast out of the perfect garden. Comedy, contrastingly, is an acceptance of the world as it is and comedy often expresses this acceptance in it's vulgarity and body humor. Harry Levin is an emeritus professor of literature at Harvard University. In his essay "Playboys and Killjoys: An Essay on the Theory and Practice of Comedy" he asserts that the character of the killjoy is "the figure who seeks to block sex, youth, ... in general to arrest life's self-renewing autonomies. He is the potentially frightening but, in comedy, always futile agent of repressive authority, sterile formalism and legalism" (51). The playboy, the antithesis to the killjoy, is youthful, highly sexual (with emphasis on recreation over procreation), and celebrates folly, bodily functions and other sorts of "pointless" recreation. Levin and Jacobson simultaneously point out that neither by themselves are capable of understanding true comedy. It follows then, based on Jacobson's argument that comedy shares a source with tragedy, that neither the playboy or the killjoy could properly understand tragedy either. As Jacobson draws the comparison between living in the Garden of Eden and an intolerable life (similar to limbo without anything positive or negative about the world they live in), it would seem that a true comic must temper comedy with tragedy. Levin makes an important note that "The propensity towards ridicule seems to have been at it's strongest among the satirists in the Age of Reason" (50). This seems to be a strong support for the need of balance between reason and absurdity, that when one becomes prevalent, the other naturally rises to suppress it, to seek a natural harmony and to correct the system. Often, when the ruling favor is tipped towards rationality and structure, the laws that are enacted actually give power to dissent. A prime example of this is in "On the Uses of Obscenity in Live Stand-Up Comedy" by Susan Seizer. She asserts that the ban of foul language by the FCC changes certain language into a transgressive act, giving it power "in direct proportion to the extent to which they are cordoned off as taboo" (210). True and proper comedians, as outlined in this essay, must use both forces in balance while retaining both within themselves. Levin explains this balance where one side "generates satire, the latter alliance tends towards romance. Comedy is compounded of the interaction of the two, varying in its emphasis from one mode to the other" (96). We see, then, that comedy, proper comedy and not the playboy lightheartedness, as it's explained previously, doesn't aim to merely entertain or make light of the situation. Quite contrary, it seeks to address the dire and possibly life threatening circumstance with a balance of spritely wit and hard-nosed determinism. George Meredith sums up this balance by saying that "Genuine humor and true wit, require a sound and capacious mind, which is always a grave one" (15). It is with both of these tools that we, each of us true comedians, have the possibility to laugh at death and overcome overwhelming adversity. For without both, you have neither and are destitute in an unbearable world. Simply, to utilize merely foolishness or merely sternness would mean unsuccessful attempts towards one's aspirations. Levin highlights true comedy further with "The most protean aspect of comedy is its potentiality for transcending itself, for responding to the conditions of tragedy by laughing in the darkness" (132). The transcending properties of comedy are due to the "gestalten" nature of utilizing polar opposites towards a single goal. Gestalt is a German word that basically means the shape or figure of the whole with the important note that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The representation of the playboy mixed with the killjoy produces something that is beyond either of them individually. This is because individually neither is functional while both together are the near-definition of what it means to be functional. All things said and considered, in order to face off any great challenge of overwhelming proportions, we must meet, within ourselves, a balance of these two factors. Harry Levin called the combination the "Comic Spirit", which could almost be read as Cosmic Spirit because in the world of Nature as well as the work of man, there must be a balance of polar opposites. Cold and warm, up and down, black and white: none of these properties are capable of existing by themselves- none are functional alone and that would be the larger significance. This is a concept that is followed much farther than that of the South African comedian or the 17th Century English page. Without one, we can't have the other because each opposite is part of the same balance that all other life is held in, and that is truly something to laugh about in the dark. Jacobson, Howard. "Return of the Wry" Sydney Writers Festival 2011: Web, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Levin, Harry. "Playboys and Killjoys: An Essay to the Theory and Practice of Comedy." New York: Oxford UP 1987. Print. Meredith, George. "An Essay on Comedy and the Uses of the Comic Spirit." The Pennsylvania State University 2003. Web. Seirlis, Julia Katherine. "Laughing All The Way To Freedom?: Contemporary Stand-Up Comedy And Democracy In South Africa." Humor: International Journal of Humor Research 24.4 (2011): 513-530. Academic Search Premier. Web. Seizer, Susan. "On the Uses of Obscenity in Live Stand-Up Comedy." Anthropological Quarterly 84.1 2011. 209-234. Academic Search Premier. web. | |
topic: Essays | |
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