Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
CONgress
No, I really don’t need to say a word, you already know what evil passed in the middle of the night behind closed doors and quite literally, at gunpoint; Sen. McConnell explaining to democratic leaders 25 minutes prior to going to the floor, “Don’t Read It, Just Vote For It” or “There Will Be Plenty Time To Read It After It Passes”. . .
By P. Craig Browning8 years ago in The Swamp
Freedom of Tweets...
Reading the news (via a news outlet or social media) over the last few days, there are a few social media related stories that pop out at you. One constant feature of the news these days is US president Donald Trump and his ongoing issue with his social media activity. When he's not inventing new words or re-tweeting extremist propaganda, he's tweeting statements that may end his presidential career. By tweeting “I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!” he's pretty much stating he knew about Flynn's actions and therefore is subject to obstruction of justice charges. It's all very political and highly charged at the moment and pro or anti-Trump, it just highlights an element of the issues with social media, blogging, and vlogging; there are ramifications to whatever you post online.
By john harrison8 years ago in The Swamp
The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Being Brown
Five years ago I picked up a book that I never finished, but I fell in love with its title and the promise of a narrative so perfectly laced with a train of political and religious of thought that would fall perfectly in line with mine.
By Sajidah Ali8 years ago in The Swamp
Meghan Markle and Royal Britain's Long History of Interracial Unions
From interracial unions to sibling rivalry, Prince Harry is following very closely in the footsteps of those grandparents and great grandparents before him. Britain’s royal family has been fond of controversial unions for many generations now, and Prince Harry’s lovely fiancé has still managed to cause a stir all over the world.
By Larisha Stone8 years ago in The Swamp
The Importance of Women’s Reproductive Freedom
Women have been fighting for fair and equal rights for two centuries, with the first Women’s Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. At the convention, the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, much like the Declaration of Independence, which “demanded equality with men before the law, in education and employment.” (Imbornoni, n.d.). The struggle for equal rights did not go without violence, protests, resistance, and retaliation, which eventually led to hard-earned victories such as the right to vote; Colorado being the first state to adopt an amendment granting women the right to vote in 1893. 21st century women have been fighting a controversial battle in recent decades, regarding reproductive freedom and being denied the right to access healthcare regarding their reproductive health. Denying women the right to make their own personal and private choices regarding their reproductive health can lead women of all ages, races, and ethnicities to make dangerous, uninformed decisions regarding unwanted pregnancies due to lack of professional assistance and care.
By Jess Didway8 years ago in The Swamp
'Narcocapitalism,' by Laurent de Sutter
I have this (bad?) habit of reading several books at the same time and hence sometimes ideas from different books interweave in my head creating strange patrons. While reading Narcocapitalism (Polity, 2017) by Laurent de Sutter, I also started reading a book about cinema titled Slow Movies’ by Ira Jaffe. In the introduction, Jaffe explains how Gilles Deleuze encountered in Italian neorealism and later in Michelangelo Antonioni, a more real cinema, closer to the experience of time as we live it, as opposed to Hollywood films and its saturation of time and space, its sometimes but not always welcomed unreality.
By Guillermo Fernandez8 years ago in The Swamp
Why I Kept My Promise and Moved to New Zealand When Trump Was Elected
Why I Kept My Promise and Moved to New Zealand When Trump was Elected I have been telling lies. Not ones to harm anyone and not straight up lies, more white laced lies. With politics right now being so emotionally charged and unfashionable, it is much easier to say "I moved to New Zealand for [insert here 'family lifestyle, an adventure, the beauty]..." and the list goes on. While there is truth there, the raw, unclean answer is the 2016 election determined everything for us.
By Tiffany Williams8 years ago in The Swamp
Alone in it
I have observed over the last almost two years how the issues we are trying so hard to avoid in conversations, as well as down play through bogus infallible reasons, to explain why they are not as “deep” as being professed has caused a greater divide of truth in historical facts. It has sparked high priority in the twisted opinions of those who speak about these atrocities in a mellow dramatic moniker. To say the least, all those that have quietly and openly addressed these matters head-on are then showered with the approach of backlash in how the action was executed to bring attention and awareness. For example, the blatant disrespect from the American leader and supposed example of “leadership," Trump, calling the NFL players “sons of bitches” at his Alabama rally, and the barrage of tweets blasting NFL owners for allowing the players to “disrespect the flag, military, and anthem” by kneeling or sitting. He lays it on even thicker by steering focus to NFL ratings, low ticket sales, and home viewer participation. Obviously, disrespect must be a rule, because these and all actions leading up to this point defines every aspect of the word.
By Lashandra Willis8 years ago in The Swamp
US-Mexico Relations & the Avocado. Top Story - December 2017.
If you’re a millennial, chances are you love avocado and will never be able to afford a house. I can’t take credit for this idea — it came from Tim Gurner, an Australian millionaire who, earlier this year, claimed that millennials will be unable to ever buy a house because they buy “smashed avocado for nineteen bucks.” But I digress. The moral of the story is that avocado everything (from the world’s first "avocado bar" in New York City, to the all-avocado restaurant "The Avocado Show" in Amsterdam) has become a phenomenon, and at a price. If you’re an avocado lover like me, you were probably disappointed to see avocado prices skyrocket this summer. Thankfully this has calmed down somewhat, but at the very root of this issue — and many other avocado-related incidents over the past century — there is a deep-seated linkage to the historic relationship between the United States and Mexico. This relationship has returned to the forefront of public consciousness under the leadership of Donald Trump, but is by no means new. How is it that everyone’s favourite green fruit (yes, it’s actually classified as a berry) is so highly politicized, and so closely linked to US-Mexico relations? Allow me to explain.
By Logan Carmichael8 years ago in The Swamp
UCLA Basketball Players Arrested in China
ESPN reported that three UCLA basketball players were arrested in China in November on shoplifting charges.The three basketball players include LiAngelo Ball (18) — who is the younger brother of Lonzo Ball, a Los Angeles Lakers point guard — along with Cody Riley (19), and Jalen Hill (17).These three freshman were accused of shopping lifting sunglasses on Tuesday at a Louis Vuitton store in the Chinese City of Hangzhou. Surveillance cameras caught the three players near the high-end stores counting Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Yues Saint Laurent, and Salvatore Ferragamo. The UCLA basketball team is in China to play its season opener against Georgia Tech in Shanghai, China. It is safe to say this would not be happening Saturday. After being questioned about stealing the sunglasses, the three players were released on bail early Wednesday morning, but were to go to their hotel rooms and wait for the legal process. The case had been reported to the U.S. authorities by Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry.
By Sydney Kennemore8 years ago in The Swamp
'Designated Survivor' Losing More Than Just A Senator — And Twitter Is Mourning The Loss
Any fan of ABC political drama Designated Survivor will tell you that Speaker of the House Kimble Hookstraten owned her role as the designated survivor of the Republican party. A formidable opponent for anyone who dared to cross her path, Hookstraten never backed down from a battle. At no time during her tenure could the term "weaker sex" apply.
By Rachel Carrington8 years ago in The Swamp
