My new obsession is Gossip Girl. It really is the new sex and the city, but hotter and more scandalous.
Gossip Girl is an excellent way to keep tab on what is in and what is out. And what is in is layered necklaces, soft golds and cremes, and cardigans. Dan, Vanessa, and Chuck all rocked a cool version of the cardigan.
Dan paired his with a plaid shirt and a pair of jeans mixing that artsy I don’t care guy look that we all love Dan for.
Vanessa rocked a cropped black and gray leopard print cardigan I am pretty sure was circa early 2000 and of course the layers of necklaces adding to her cool girl affect.
The ever stylish barrier breaking chuck offered a golf grandpa esque look that only Chuck could look cool in. He rocked a yellow creme cardigan paired with a button down and tie and the piece de resistance were the plaid pants.
Serena rocked some layered necklaces with her bubble dress and metallic coat. Sadness and anger never looked so good!
Last but not least our Blair is rocking the classics with her ever present collections of headbands. This week while rescuing Serena she rocked a 60’s shift dress and creme colored coat with of course a roped head band.
I love that headbands are back “in” it’s such a fun way to add touch to what would be a dull hair day.
Features Editor Jordan Climie Rick Rolls M-Times fashion columnist Megan Muehl. Awesomeness ensues.
What will happen to Michigan’s delegates to the Democratic National Convention?
That question is rather moot because there are no delegates. The DNC set rules for holding primaries. The Michigan Democratic Party agreed to those rules. Then they broke them. Michigan Democrats, including Governor Granholm, pushed for and agreed to an earlier primary knowing full well they’d be stripped of their delegates at the national level, so why is there a question abou this?
Some people don’t see it as “fair” and want to be counted. These people want what they want and care nothing for rules, obligations or responsibility. Even now, it is reported that a possible agreement has been reached on how to split Michigan representation between Clinton and Obama. The funny thing is, Obama wasn’t on the ballot. He could have been, but he wasn’t. Are they choosing to follow some party rules to move uncommitted delegates over to Obama? Why follow that when you’re already ignoring the larger one about seating delegates at all? And where does Carl Levin fit into this?
Levin is among the four Michigan Democratic Party officials who worked out the Clinton/Obama delegate compromise. Joining him were U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (Kwame’s mom), UAW President Ron Gettelfinger and DNC member Debbie Dingell (wife of U.S. Rep. John Dingell, Jr.). This brain-trust decided to compromise between Clinton’s demand for the 73 delegates “owed” to her from the primary (leaving 55 for Obama) and Obama’s wish for a 64-64 split. Under this plan Clinton would get 69 and Obama 59.
Rules were agreed to and rules were broken. It’s bad enough that the UAW has a seat in deciding internal Democratic Party matters (not every UAW member supports the Democrats) showing just how lopsided labor is with political bias, but we have a sitting U.S. Senator taking part in breaking rules to get people what they want. Translate that behavior to his conduct in the Senate. How can you trust this man?
This is all for the party, all for the many, rule of law be damned. Levin needs to go and he can take Kilpatrick with him.
The Palace of Auburn Hills and Donofrio Entertainment of Detroit hosted a hyped up show April 5 2008. This mixed martial arts event called“2 Countries 1 cage” defined this stellar night with back to back performances between Canadian fighters and American fighters.
The event held 20 bouts that made up a three and a half hour time period. Each fighter had training in various martial arts such as jujitsu, submission/grappling,kick boxing and boxing. The night was a vulgar display of power. Blood soaked towels and red splattered white mats proved this to be true.
The American studded crowd cheered for each American competitor and booed each Canadian. The biggest uproar came when the Canadian National Anthem was sung before the American National anthem. The crowd was not too pleased.
Donofrio upped the anny by hiring the motor city dance team girls to walk each fighter down the walk way. The Entrance to the ring held columns of blazing fire for each to competitor to walk through. Nearing the end of the night enormous pyrotechnics kicked in and shook the spirits of the palace.
It is safe to say that Donofrio delivered a superbly done production. The night was jam packed with just the right drama. But it was the caliber of competition and the special guest appearances by Mary Jo Sanders (Barry Sanders daughter) and James Lee, a UFC competitor, that enhanced the performance and essentially the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Donofrio Entertainment proved to be a forerunner in Michigan’s MMA industry.
What a mixed bag this show was. Finger Eleven opened for Chevelle and might I add that they gave Chevelle a run for their money. Ironic, because I have been a Chevelle fan since first seeing them preform at Ozz Fest 2003 (third row seats). I came to see Chevelle. Since I made the choice to step into “the shop” just for Chevelle I walked in near the end of Finger Eleven ’s set. We caught the Paralyzer, One Thing and a rendition of Another Brick in the Wall a pink Floyd cover. And what a riot that was. Scott Anderson, lead vocals, tied a strong knot between crowd and band by letting the crowd sing out the infamous lyrics “We don’t need no education”. Finger eleven raised the roof on that performance. And I had began to regret my decision. Chevelle came on about 1/2 hour after Finger Eleven and did not deliver. The were lackluster, bland and just plain rude. After the end of each first 5 performed songs they turned their backs to the crowd. There was absolutely no positive interaction but only “talk down” remarks and immature taunts. The only apparent connection was with their hit song Send the Pain Below. It was then they “lightened up” and showed some crowd to band comradeship. At the end of Chevelle’s performance the drummer threw water from a bottle onto the crowd. Sam Loeffler aimed it right at me and my white baby t-shirt. Soaked with water and not with good vibes, I left the show with mixed emotions. My loyalty to Chevelle was essentially destroyed but a “new found friend” was discovered in Finger Eleven.
So this will likely be my last column. I can’t say with certainty, but it’s the outside favorite. No big “thank you” lists or “looking back” meanderings. No; from me, it’s a final warning.
You people need to wake up. You need to take a hard look at the world around you, start asking questions and thinking for your selves. It’s one thing for free-thinking people to disagree on matters, large or small, but it’s another for the essence of disagreement to be born of social programming. As Goethe once wrote; “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.”
I see it every day. I hear it when I discuss social or political issues and instead of getting constructed arguments back, I get the same rhetoric spewed over and over, nearly always verbatim. That’s not learning. That’s not thinking. That’s programming and repetition. I know because it’s not backed up by any system of logical thought. It’s all about ideals that someone else placed in your head. You’re told what it means to be a good person, to serve humanity, that everyone should be equal, etc., etc., ad nauseum. But the arguments don’t rest on reason. They’re always backed by emotional pleas coupled with accusations and threats.
There is a system of order to this world. To defy it is to, at least, tilt at windmills, at most, deconstruct society instead of perfecting it. That’s not how you help. That’s not how you learn. It’s certainly not how you progress. Only a fool would deny the many problems inherent within humanity, but it takes a larger fool to believe one social oppression will remedy another. When Jefferson wrote of all men being created equal, he never claimed all people were identical. He was speaking of errant class divisions and the supposed “divine right” of the monarchy. No man, by virtue of birth, is inherently greater or lesser than another. We create the identities which separate ourselves.
It’s not right to engage in a class war to feel better about yourself after the mountains of social guilt or victim-hood you’ve been instructed with. Treat people as individuals without regard to distinctions of attributes or community groupings. Do not be quick to judge. Think matters through. See all sides. Be able to back up what you’re saying with thought-out reasons.
Do you forget that the road to hell is paved with good intentions? If you spend your entire collegiate life without once ever calling bullshit on someone else in class, especially the professor, then your time is wasted. Blind mass acceptance produces group identity, killing the individual. Not even sheep are this easily led for at least sheep are alive. A leader is such because he takes a stand. Leaders choose their own paths. Education doesn’t teach you what to think; it teaches you how to think. Demand to be educated, not just instructed.
I’ll leave you with an excerpt of commencement remarks given by then-President George H.W. Bush in May of 1991 to those assembled on the Ann Arbor campus in the Big House (found via archives at the Presidential library at Texas A&M, http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research):
“…the freedom to speak one’s mind — that may be the most fundamental and deeply revered of all our liberties. Americans, to debate, to say what we think — because, you see, it separates good ideas from bad. It defines and cultivates the diversity upon which our national greatness rests. It tears off the blinders of ignorance and prejudice and lets us move on to greater things.
Ironically, on the 200th anniversary of our Bill of Rights, we find free speech under assault throughout the United States, including on some college campuses. The notion of political correctness has ignited controversy across the land. And although the movement arises from the laudable desire to sweep away the debris of racism and sexism and hatred, it replaces old prejudice with new ones. It declares certain topics off-limits, certain expression off-limits, even certain gestures off-limits.
What began as a crusade for civility has soured into a cause of conflict and even censorship. Disputants treat sheer force — getting their foes punished or expelled, for instance — as a substitute for the power of ideas.
Throughout history, attempts to micromanage casual conversation have only incited distrust. They have invited people to look for an insult in every word, gesture, action. And in their own Orwellian way, crusades that demand correct behavior crush diversity in the name of diversity.
We all should be alarmed at the rise of intolerance in our land and by the growing tendency to use intimidation rather than reason in settling disputes. Neighbors who disagree no longer settle matters over a cup of coffee. They hire lawyers, and they go to court. And political extremists roam the land, abusing the privilege of free speech, setting citizens against one another on the basis of their class or race.
But, you see, such bullying is outrageous. It’s not worthy of a great nation grounded in the values of tolerance and respect. So, let us fight back against the boring politics of division and derision. Let’s trust our friends and colleagues to respond to reason. As Americans we must use our persuasive powers to conquer bigotry once and for all. And I remind myself a lot of this: We must conquer the temptation to assign bad motives to people who disagree with us.
If we hope to make full use of the optimism I discussed earlier, men and women must feel free to speak their hearts and minds. We must build a society in which people can join in common cause without having to surrender their identities.
You can lead the way. Share your thoughts and your experiences and your hopes and your frustrations. Defend others’ rights to speak. And if harmony be our goal, let’s pursue harmony, not inquisition.”
I don’t care what it is, just put it in your yard and set it on fire.
For added benefit, tell “the man” where he can stick it by not getting a permit.
Stupid hippies.
The Student Voice of the University of Michigan-Flint. The opinions on this blog do not necessarily represent the views or stances of the newspaper.
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