Happy Ghostfacemas!
Changing culture about head injuries
The rapid pace of cultural transformation on some health issues has been pretty impressive. Think about how quick major public conversations about health and safety have been about tobacco, seatbelts, and trans-fats. In these cases it didn’t take long for laws to be changed based on health concerns.
I think we are on the verge of a new way of thinking about head injuries and sports. Probably one that will come with new laws and regulations. As a marker of these changes let us note that several NFL players are suing the league for it’s antiquated approach to head injuries.
Furthermore, the court documents say the league concealed the dangers from coaches, trainers, players and the public until June 2010, when it publicly acknowledged the health threats and warned players and teams.
“While athletes in other professional sports who had suffered concussions were being effectively ‘shut down’ for long periods of time or full seasons, NFL protocol was to return players who had suffered concussions to the very game in which the injury occurred,” the lawsuit states.
Filed under communication, disability, health, representation
Turning Randall Terry gay
Progressives might be losing in this country, but they do seem to be having more fun.
Anyone who has been disappointed by the horrifically bad aim of most glitter bombings can see that this is by far the most successful glitterbombing ever; so good job, crazy dude.
via Man With Boot On His Head Glitterbombs Anti-Gay Racist Randall Terry / Queerty.
Filed under communication, human rights, protest
Primate Freedom 2012
An imprisoned chimp in Louisiana where they do Hepetitis C research. Photo by Tim Meuller in the NYT
Nice to hear that the United States has decided to stopped funding research on Chimpanzees. I’m not feeling the excemptions:
The committee identified two areas where it said the use of chimpanzees could be necessary. One is research on a preventive vaccine for hepatitis C. The committee could not agree on whether this research fit the criteria and so left that decision open.
In the second area, research on immunology involving monoclonal antibodies, the committee concluded that experimenting on chimps was not necessary because of new technology, but because the new technology was not widespread, projects now under way should be allowed to reach completion.
via U.S. Suspends Use of Chimps in New Research – NYTimes.com.
It does seem like a victory for some of the cultural arguments about animal rights. The statement by the director of the National Institute of Health begins with these explanations:
Chimpanzees are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, providing exceptional insights into human biology and the need for special consideration and respect. While used very selectively and in limited numbers for medical research, chimpanzees have served an important role in advancing human health in the past. However, new methods and technologies developed by the biomedical community have provided alternatives to the use of chimpanzees in several areas of research.
Lets note that the development of scientific alternatives is a key theme that Collins uses to justify his decision. This suggests there are tangible rewards for those activists who focus on the alternatives to animals in scientific research.
Collins’ argument about the closeness of Chimps to humans is a non-starter for me — I sympathize with all beings that can suffer regardless of cuteness or similarity to me. I also think it is a temporary persuader for most people.
But in this case, twenty years of making arguments into the public sphere about primates has saturated the knowledge frame of a few decision-makers.
Filed under Animals, communication, learning, protest, representation
Missing link’s got soul night playlist III
Whoo hooo! What a spicy night. DJ Mantease, JAYMORG, Adam & Matt & King Maxwell (myself) shared some nice vinyls with the people. 26o people came out. We raise a couple of hundred bucks for Jonathan Toubin, and had a soulful good time. Here is what I brought to play:
Pingpong contributions (mixed in with the other DJs):
Bobby McNutt – Country living/Country Style
Bobby Rush – Mary Jane
TSU Tornadoes – The Goose
Woody Carr – Peace Dance
Soul set:
1. Rhythm Masters- I can do anything you can do
2. Bill Withers – kissing my love
3. Betty Wright – let me be your lovemaker
4. Willie Mitchell – 20-75
5. Bobby Byrd – I know you got soul
6. The Isley Brothers – Testify I
7. King Curtis – Popcorn Willie
8. Buddy Ace – My Baby
9. The Vibrations – pick me
10. Syl Johnson – Wiggle in your hips
11. Harvey and the Phenomenals – Soul and sunshine
12. Stormy – Devistator
13. Lynn Collins – Think
14. Alvin Cash – keep dancing
15. Naomi Shelton – Promised land
16. Aretha Franklin – House that jack built
17. Charles Bradley – this love ain’t big enough
18. All the people – cramp your style
19. Sugar Pie DeSanto – Git Back
20. Marva Whitney – Tired, tired tired
21. Amy Winehouse – Rehab
22. Bill Withers – Who is he
Next soul night is January 26 at Humbrews in Arcata. In partial celebration of King Maxwell & Adam’s birthdays. Be there or be square!
Filed under funk & soul, Humboldt, music
Juxtaposition: gun selling
Artifact 1:
Thirty-four people were arrested, mostly on suspicion of weapons violations, and 23 guns were recovered in a law enforcement sweep targeting probationers, officials said Thursday.
The operation Wednesday was confined to the area represented by L.A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, including locations in the San Gabriel Valley.
More than 250 officers participated in the countywide operation, including the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles County Probation Department, the Pasadena Police Department, the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services’ Multi-Agency Response Team (MART), and members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
via Gun sweep centered in San Gabriel Valley nets 34 arrests – latimes.com.
Artifact 2:
Around 200 U.S. military personnel will remain in Iraq after this year, but only to administer arms sales and other limited military exchanges as members of the U.S. diplomatic mission.
via U.S. military formally ends mission in Iraq – latimes.com.
Filed under juxtaposition, media
Greenland shark!
A diver swims alongside a Greenland shark, a rarely-seen species that looks like it has been etched from stone. They can survive for more than 200 years at depths of up to 600 metres under Arctic ice. They grow to 23-feet long and are so fearsome they have even been known to eat polar bears. Picture: Doug Perrine/Seapics.com/solent
Filed under Animals
Life of refinement 