Spike Lee Adds Unnecessary Negativity to the Travyon Martin Case

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Everyone seems to have an opinion on the Trayvon Martin tragedy, and most of those opinions are against George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who fatally shot Martin (for more on the story, check our previous post).  Some are taking these sentiments a step further, though – and I do not just mean setting up and/or attending memorials for the slain teenager.

At some point, an individual named Marcus Davonne Higgins tweeted what he believed to be the home address of George Zimmerman.  He tweeted the address at a number of celebrities ranging from Lebron James to Will Smith, and the only one who responded with a retweet was outspoken director Spike Lee – who boasts about a quarter of a million followers.  Reaching the masses through Spike’s tweet, the address went viral.

With actions such as this, there is no real “best-case scenario.”  If you want my personal opinion, I believe Zimmerman is absolutely guilty and needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the law, and that the Martin family deserves justice.  But this is not seeking justice, this is inciting an angry mob, which could only lead to more violence, and with that more arrests.

And here’s the kicker: the address was not even correct!  It was once the address of a different George Zimmerman, one who once lived there with his parents who still reside in the Florida residence.  Since going viral, Elaine (70 years old) and David McClain (72 years old) have been living in fear as they have received numerous threats of violence against them.  Elaine, who has a heart condition, and her husband are now living in a hotel to avoid potential harm.

Stories like these are a firm reminder that Twitter has become a powerful tool of mass communication, especially for the higher-ups in the world.  When a person in a position of power (i.e. a celebrity) makes such a bold tweet, they must have more foresight about what they are actually doing.  Not only has an innocent, elderly couple been falsely targeted with violence and death threats, but even if the address was correct, much more harm could have been done than good.

-The Cranky PaNda

An Excellent Documentary on OWS – Behind the Scenes

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An excellent documentary on how over 200,000 Occupy movements began, spread, and flourished around the world within a matter of months.  It also gives viewers a sneak peek from behind the scenes – pretty much everything the media fails to mention!

How to Get Fired in Under 5 mins By Exposing the Dirty Lies of the U.S. Government

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This five minute speech got Judge Napolitano fired from Fox after making these remarks, which just shows you how much the media values free speech.  If you speak the truth, you are fired and even laughed at, but if you keep your mouth shut you make millions of dollars.  Something is definitely wrong with this picture. -_-

The Crankiest Grad of Them All Sings A Song We Can All Relate To..

The story so many of us can relate to, who did not major in chemistry or engineering or medicine or physics or “well never mind, you get the point.”  We find ourselves competing for jobs in our field that 30 – 60 other people are applying for as well.  Check out the video, which is highly entertaining.

Cranky New Year’s Resolutions

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Happy New Year everyone! 2012 is here, we are still here, “the world has not ended” as of yet, so what’s new? About 70 Occupy Wall Street protesters were arrested on New Year’s Eve during a protest in Zuccotti Park. The Republicans will soon have a 2012 candidate, however, many young voters could care less. The First Amendment was violated – Occupy Boston’s Twitter account received a secret Court Order to hand over the account’s user information to the Boston Police Department. Yes, the New Year is here, but the U.S. economy is still faced with the same issues we faced in 2011, which we discussed periodically on our blog.

For the New Year, many people make New Year’s resolutions and set goals they wish to achieve in 2012. The most common New Year’s resolutions that I have heard are to make more money, lose 20 pounds, quit smoking, and spend more time with family and friends. However, by March, April many people are back to their old habits.

Well, along with making those resolutions that we may not necessarily stick to, let’s make resolutions that will help make our economy and world a better place:

1. Support American businesses! If we continue to outsource and buy products manufactured overseas, the economy will continue to suffer and American businesses will fail. With the U.S. dollar as weak as it is, the dollar needs to stay and circulate within the country.

2. Do not follow the crowd, stand up for what is right. If you see something that is wrong, speak up. Being a coward may be a safety net, but where does that leave you in the long run. The answer is that it leads nowhere, but to shame and regret.

3. If you do not like something, whether it is a Bill or unethical practices, don’t just talk about it, do something about it! Boycott the companies and corporations involved in supporting these Bills and/or unethical practices. For example, GoDaddy.com was a supporter of the SOPA Bill. However, when about 70,000 customers moved their domain names to their competitors, GoDaddy switched their position and now claim to oppose the SOPA Bill.

4. Create your own opportunities! The reality is that the jobs are scarce, so why not make your own opportunities? Becoming an entrepreneur in a jobless economy may be a solution, but you must have the will power and determination to succeed.

Just something to think about. Wishing everyone the best in 2012!

-Cranky 007-

Silence Is A Cowards Game!!!

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“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

This week, Time Magazine revealed their choice for person of the year, “The Protestor.” From Egypt to Wall Street to hundreds of cities all over the world, people are still coming together for a united cause – to challenge corruption and greed.

Some protesters are taking to the streets, while others are voicing their frustrations using social media. Regardless of what medium we choose, “The Protestor,” is a voice of the times. A voice strong enough to dethrone dictators (ex: Egypt) and a voice loud enough to get the attention of major media outlets.

The role of the protestor in today’s world will continue until corrupt/selfish politicians leave from power and greedy/corrupt corporations fall. As 2012 approaches, world governments will be faced with even more challenges with economic turmoil on the rise; the people know what they want and will not settle. We live in a time where it has become easier than ever to voice our opinions and concerns. It is also a time where a group of anonymous hackers can attack a billion dollar corporation. With that being said, we as world are finally speaking up and opening our eyes to the very things that are ruining our world. So, to the protestors around the world, we salute you. Keep up the good work!

-Cranky Scholar-

There Is Something In the Food -_-

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In our last post, we discussed the evils of Monsanto, who have been genetically engineering foods and crops along with poisoning the population. Check the video out for yourself! It is crucial that you know what you are eating and the toxins/chemicals that Monsanto is placing in the food. You will also learn the history of this corporation and their agenda. This video is part one out of ten.

Who Really Owns the USA?

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Many of you have probably wondered, who really owns the Federal Reserve and how can I help to bring an end to corruption and greed in society? Well, here is a quick video, which is under 2 minutes – short, simple, and to the point. The voices in the video may be monotone, but the information is priceless! 

The Deans List

We’re back! I hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving. Recently, we created Cranky College Grad’s Naughty List (see previous post), and today officially marks our first installation of Cranky College Grad’s Deans List. As you all should remember, the Dean List is used by many colleges to spotlight students who are doing an exceptional job along with maintaining a high GPA. However, our Deans List will spotlight individuals who stand up for what’s right, are making a difference and having a positive impact on our society. Our first member of our Deans List is Naomi Wolf.

feministing.com

Naomi Wolf is an American author and political consultant. She is one of the leading spokespersons for female rights and is best known for her book entitled the End of America: A letter of Warning to a Young Patriot. In this book, Wolf takes a historical look at fascism and shows how the same steps a government uses to implement fascism are currently being used today. Her ten-step outline is listed below:

• Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
• Create secret prisons where torture takes place
• Develop a thug caste of paramilitary force not answerable to citizens
• Set up an internal surveillance system
• Harass citizen groups
• Engage in arbitrary detention and release
• Target key individuals
• Control the press
• Treat all political dissidents as traitors
• Suspend the rule of law

It is not to difficult to see how most of these steps have already been implemented in American society. Portraying Islamic groups as enemies, setting up Guantanamo Bay, the use of private defense contractors, camera systems being used to survey the public in thousands of neighborhoods and highways across America and the mistreatment of Occupy Wall Street protesters are just a few real world examples. Naomi Wolf is doing a great service by bringing these truths to light. She has even protested along  side OWS protests and got arrested during the protests (see video below). For that alone, she deserves to be on the Deans List. Till next time, Stay Cranky My Friends.

-Cranky Scholar-

Jay-Z’s T-Shirt Faces 99 Problems With OWS

Ja-Z's new T-shirt

“I got 99 problems but a [buck] ain’t one.” Jay-Z, the creator of the phrase, and who some would say falls into the category of the one percent, recently faced backlash for trying to capitalize off of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The criticism stemmed from his decision to add a shirt to his Rocawear clothing line which, read “Occupy All Streets.”

The shirt which is being pulled from the Rocawear clothing line would have retailed for $22 and, as far as we know, none of the capital generated from sales was going towards the OWS movement. Jay-Z capitalizing off the OWS movement is nothing new, many celebrities have been trying to find ways to infiltrate the movement to profit and boost their careers. However, OWS does not need celebrities, because the movement will go on with or without them! If “Occupy All Streets” was not the motto Jay-Z was trying to use for his T-shirt line, I would say it could very well be a conscience effort by all US citizens to seek change in their communities. This can be done in a myriad of ways:

• Supporting local businesses and companies that do not outsource
• Performing more cash transaction instead of using credit cards
• Raising attention to local and community issues
• Supporting local banks

The banking and political systems will not change overnight. In the interim we can all make decisions on how we spend our money and who we vote for to make steady changes on a local level. Whether you live in an urban area or rural area we all face common problems. Let us all help take America out of the hands of these Corporate American Gangsters, and give the world a blueprint on how to create a society where no one has to Live a Hard Knock Life. Stay Cranky My Friends.

-Cranky Scholar-