Rep. Lamar Smith, who was responsible for introducing SOPA, wants to get all up in your private business again, this time with the misleadingly named Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act (PCIP) a.k.a. H.R. 1981. Of course protecting youngsters from kiddie fiddlers and the like is no bad thing, problem with this Orwellian bill is that it treats every American as if they were one, and infringes on their privacy accordingly. If H.R. 1981 passes, Big Brother will not only be watching what you browse, but will be recording your every click. In his latest video post, SG political contributor David Seaman discusses its ramifications with web developer and IT expert Chalise Grogan. – Nicole Powers, SG Ed
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David Seaman is an independent journalist. He has been a lively guest on CNN Headline News, FOX News, ABC News Digital, among others, and is the host of The DL Show. Some say he was recently censored by a certain large media corporation for posting a little too much truth… For more, find him on G+ and Twitter.
This Sunday (Feb 19) we’re having a women’s writers’ retreat in the SG Radio Studio. Hosts Nicole Powers (SG’s Managing Editor) and Darrah de jour (SG’s resident post-feminist sex and sensuality expert) will be joined in studio by Love Junkie author and Writers on Fire coach Rachel Resnick and her frenemy, actress, comedian, playwright and author Lauren Weedman, a.k.a. Horny Patty (we’re told by Rachel that she had that nickname prior to her “cameo” in HBO’s Hung!). The two met online on a UCLA Book Proposal Writing course, and have been unhealthily competitive ever since. We therefore expect the claws to be out and the sparks to fly, so it should be a fun show.
When Darrah’s not steering the conversation towards the topic of porn or polyamory, and Nicole’s not banging on about Occupy, ACTA or the freakin’ NDAA, we’ll be more or less on topic, yakking about writing. That’s right. Writing. Like, books ‘n’ shit. Stories. Sketches. Plays. Real writing. Surreal writing. Automatic writing. Manual writing. And ghost writing. Since doing this shit is hard. Very hard. Like if you’re JK Rowling rich, fuck it, you should just pay someone else to do it and go get your nails done. Really. But if you’re not, and you’re embarrassed to let people even read your diary – not because it’s too juicy or cringe-worthy, but because it’s too dull – tune in to find out how to make boring shit sound fun, shameless stuff shameful (in a good way), and how to plain just make cool, uncool, and awesomely wrong stuff up.
Tune in to the world’s leading naked radio show for two hours of totally awesome tunes and extreme conversation – and don’t let yo momma listen in!
Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World…
By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.
Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.
When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.
(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)
“Love is something that you work on over time and the more you get to know someone you love them more or not. Lust is immediate. It’s something that you feel upon first meeting.” – Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson goes through every emotion in the new Woody Allen film, Match Point. After she breaks up with her British fiancé, she begins an affair with his brother in law played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. Rhys-Meyers soon realizes that he doesn’t want to end his marriage and realizes this can only end one way
INTO: Music –– I can listen to anything and everything, I love it. Tattoos –– I love them and will be getting a few very soon, when I get a bit more money! Pierceings are great too, I used to have ten, but I took them out. I miss my third and second navel piercings! I love photography and crazy make-up, and one day hope to be a make-up artist. I love festivals. I went to reading festival this year and was trashed –– it was amazing. My friends are pretty much my main priority; I love them to bits and I’m so protective over them.
MAKES ME HAPPY: My friends, obviously, going out and getting drunk with them, food, new clothes, sparkly things. I’m easily pleased!
MAKES ME SAD: Backstabbing, arguments, fake people in general.
HOBBIES: Athletics, socializing, going to gigs, having a good time in general, drawing, painting.
5 THINGS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: My best friends, laptop, phone, and a splash of make-up.
I SPEND MOST OF MY FREE TIME: Out with my friends, sleeping, eating. I hate being stuck indoors!
Artist / SG Member Name: Jake Prendez a.k.a. Tattoo_Jake
Mission Statement: I live because of art. It was my avenue out of gangs, it was there for me when my mom was sick, it was there for me during all my break ups. It has always been my outlet that has allowed me to express what I couldn’t say in words. I was raised to leave a place better then when I got there and I try to use my talents to make this world a little bit better.
Aesthetic: My style is heavily influenced by street and subversive art, Chicano/indigenous culture, Los Angeles, and social justice movements.
Notable Achievements: Despite having dyslexia, despite constantly being told by teachers that I’d never make it, despite having a drug and alcohol addicted parent, despite being involved in gangs, despite being a father at 19, I was able to graduate from college and enter a masters program. Last December I was able to go to Guanajuato Mexico for two weeks to paint two murals for foster youth girls at the Buen Pastor Shelter with ten other LA artists. We were also able to do workshops for the girls on stenciling, photography, graphic design, drawing, and painting.
[Walk Like An Egyptian]
Why We Should Care: I am still lucky enough to be painting for myself so I really don’t care if anyone else likes my work or not. I paint what I want and what I want to see. Art has saved my life and I try to use my gifts to help others, whether it be “at risk” youth or used in social justice campaigns. My goal isn’t to impress collectors but to use my skills to uplift communities.