Tag Archives: society

Esperanza Spalding Beats Justin Bieber, Drake For Best New Artist

Jazz star nabs rookie prize at the Grammy Awards. By Jocelyn Vena Esperanza Spalding accepts the Grammy for Best New Artist Photo: Michael Caulfield/WireImage With household names like Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence + the Machine and even Mumford & Sons all battling it out for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards, it was an unexpected victory for Esperanza Spalding, who nabbed the prize. Donning a lime green halter gown with pink shoes, the jazz chanteuse took the stage and graciously accepted her prize, after passing Drake on the way. “I know I don’t have a lot of time, so first, thank you to the academy for even nominating me in this category,” she said. “Thank you to the incredible community and family of musicians I’m so blessed to be a part of… my friends in Portland, all my teachers, colleagues… my beautiful family who’s here,” she continued, before naming names. The smiling award-winner stated that she had every intention of using this opportunity to continue making music that she felt her friends, fans and family would be proud of. “I take this honor to heart so sincerely, and I’ll do my damndest to make a whole lot of great music for all of you,” she gushed. “It’s such a blessing and an honor. God bless. Thank you.” While most thought the Best New Artist would be landing in the hands of Drake, Bieber or Florence, Spalding came out from behind thanks to a strong following in the jazz community. In 2010 she released several albums including Reencontro and Chamber Music Society, and she also joined Prince for select dates on his Welcome 2 America Tour. Were you surprised by Esperanza Spalding’s win? Let us know in the comments! For Grammy Awards winners, analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News during the big show and beyond. Related Photos The 2011 Grammy Awards Show Related Artists Esperanza Spalding

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Esperanza Spalding Beats Justin Bieber, Drake For Best New Artist

Megan Fox Fuckin’ Sucks of the Day

Remember when Megan Fox was this big deal everyone talked about…you know so relevant in our society that people didn’t even care that she was engaged to a 40 year old from 90210 about 15 years after he was famous…unwilling to get naked in roles, talking bullshit about being bi, trying to milk the whole sex appeal thing, until one day it all ended and people stopped caring, because having an ego when you are so replaceable doesn’t work, because getting fired from the one movie role that put you on the map and actually marrying 90210 actually makes you a joke and even if under your lame clothes lies a bitch worth fucking, even when dressed like an off duty stripper, she fucking sucks….in a bad way.

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Megan Fox Fuckin’ Sucks of the Day

In Skinny Knifed Up White Folks News: Lisa Rinna Is Excited To Be A Size 0

SMH. Lisa Rinna has some serious issues…peep what she’s soooooo excited about: “I am very pleased to have fit into the size 0 Theory trousers today at wrk. Hate me if u like! I’m thrilled!” she tweeted Thursday. Lisa once told People she had trouble understanding people’s obsession with weight. “While I’m definitely a product of this mindset, I don’t get all the fuss our society has over people’s weight,” she said. At the time Lisa had just finished ‘Dancing With the Stars’ and was preparing to pose for Playboy. “I want to encourage other women to be proud of their bodies no matter what age or size,” she continued. Source

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In Skinny Knifed Up White Folks News: Lisa Rinna Is Excited To Be A Size 0

Smiths Snubbed Again by Rock HOF, and 6 Other Stories You’ll Be Talking About Today

Also in today’s edition of The Broadsheet: More awards craziness, featuring Colin Farrell and a mad Italian… Nicolas Cage’s next genre thriller appears set… John Gotti Jr. wants a biopic… Michael Moore puts his money where his mouth is… and more…

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Smiths Snubbed Again by Rock HOF, and 6 Other Stories You’ll Be Talking About Today

You Have Part of My Attention: Mark Zuckerberg Named Time Magazine Person of the Year

Alternate headline: “If you were the inventors of Time magazine’s Person of the Year, you would have invented Time magazine’s Person of the Year.” What started as a rough morning for the makers of The Social Network turned around in a hurry. Late last night the San Diego Critics Society broke ranks with their film critic brethren and voted Winter’s Bone as top film of 2010 instead of The Social Network (punishment will be meted out later this afternoon). Before David Fincher and friends could cry in their Kashi Go Lean, though, Time magazine swooped in this morning and named Facebook head honcho Mark Zuckerberg as their Person of the Year. Suck on that, Ree Dolly!

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You Have Part of My Attention: Mark Zuckerberg Named Time Magazine Person of the Year

Chemical Companies Spied on Greenpeace, Lawsuit Claims (Video)

Today, the world-famous environmental organization Greenpeace filed lawsuits against two chemical companies, Dow Chemical and Sasol. The suit alleges that both companies engaged in

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Chemical Companies Spied on Greenpeace, Lawsuit Claims (Video)

Royal Society Paints Grim Picture of 4°C Temperature Rise

Drought and desertification could be widespread within 50 years. Photo: John Brawley / Creative Commons . With no doubt intentional perfect timing as the COP16 climate talks open in Mexico, the Royal Society has released a special issue on the future impacts of climate change and, as you might imagine if you’ve been following the climate research to date, the … Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Royal Society Paints Grim Picture of 4°C Temperature Rise

Humane Society Accuses Top Turkey Hatchery of Cruel and Inhumane Treatment of Birds

Humane Society accuses top turkey hatchery of abuse By Emanuella Grinberg, CNN November 24, 2010 10:40 p.m. EST The Humane Society says birds at the Willmar Poultry hatchery are subjected to inhumane treatment. STORY HIGHLIGHTS * Humane Society investigator shoots undercover video at a turkery hatchery * Video purports to show live birds tossed in grinder, injured poults left on ground to suffer * Willmar Poultry head says firm is committed “to meeting or exceeding” industry standards * Richard VanderSpek says some employees' actions violate company's policies (CNN) — Undercover video shot at one of the nation's largest turkey producers shows what an animal rights group calls cruel and inhumane treatment of birds. The Humane Society of the United States released its findings this week from an 11-day undercover operation in October at the Willmar Poultry Company in Willmar, Minnesota. The hatchery, described on the company's website as the nation's largest, produces more than 30 million poults, or young turkeys, each year and delivers more than 600,000 a week to customers nationwide. A Humane Society investigator worked at the hatchery and shot video that appears to show employees cutting the toes off poults before tossing them down a chute to a bloody conveyor belt. The video, which is posted on the group's website, also shows an employee scooping up a handful of poults and tossing them into a bin, dropping some on the floor and leaving them there. The video also purports to show an employee pulling a cart of injured animals over to a grinder and throwing them in. “Our latest investigation exposes a callous disregard for animal welfare in the turkey industry, including practices such as grinding alive sick, injured and even healthy but unwanted turkeys,” said Wayne Pacelle, Humane Society of the United States president and CEO. “It's unacceptable for workers to leave injured and nonambulatory animals to suffer on the floor for hours on end, only to then send them to their deaths in a grinder.” Willmar Poultry Company President Richard VanderSpek defended the company's animal welfare practices and policies and said in a statement that the video depicted “the actions of some employees that violate the company's animal welfare policies.” “We condemn any mistreatment of the animals in our care and will take swift action to investigate and address these issues. Willmar Poultry will also review its policies, procedures, employee training and site monitoring to help ensure that our employees understand and follow company animal welfare policies and procedures,” VanderSpek said in a statement. VanderSpek said the company was committed “to meeting or exceeding” industry standards for animal welfare practices and policies, including the National Turkey Federation's Animal Care Guidelines. “The No. 1 priority for our turkey industry is to provide the safest, highest quality products possible. Therefore, it is essential for the industry to ensure the well-being of the turkeys it raises. Whether it is on the farm or in the processing facility, the turkey industry acts responsibly in the raising, breeding, transporting and processing of all turkeys,” he said. added by: EthicalVegan

The Real Fox-Coyote Enclosure | Animal Exploitation at Its Worst | Graphic Video

Music by Eddie Vedder This video shows the truth behind fox-coyote enclosures also known as a fox pen. It describes how wildlife is trapped, crated and then shipped to enclosures and then chased, cornered and mauled by “fox hunters”. To learn more about these cruel and inhumane, yet legal, enclosures, please go to TrainingNotTorture.org. added by: EthicalVegan

The United States imprisons it’s own

With nearly 25% of the world's inmate population, who says the United States doesn't have political prisoners? Excerpt: “Indeed, the United States leads the world in producing prisoners, a reflection of a relatively recent and now entirely distinctive American approach to crime and punishment. Americans are locked up for crimes — from writing bad checks to using drugs — that would rarely produce prison sentences in other countries. And in particular they are kept incarcerated far longer than prisoners in other nations.” How is this helpful to society? Why doesn't Americans and politicians take a good hard look at this issue? Coupled with an extremely dysfunctional judicial system populated largely by opportunistic prosecutors who believe they are empowered to wield the hand of God play the role of Judge, jury and executioner over people's lives, it's little wonder we incarcerate so many. In my own experiences with the judicial system I can tell you with NO uncertainty the legal system has no interest in “truth”, “right” or “wrong”. The judicial system executes sloppily prosecuted people, knowing full well the inadequacies of the process. Prosecutions and executions sought and pushed forward by prosecutors who decided for themselves who was guilty, ignorant of their own weaknesses, failings, projections and externalization. Our nation shoots itself in not just the foot, but the leg and the abdomen. Our judicial system's conduct is terminal and fatal to our society. Need we look at the actions of the Supreme Court allowing corporations the buying of judges, politicians and political favorable agendas and legislation AT the expense of the electorate? That you believe you haven't been touched by the dysfunction of the judicial system is no excuse for ignorance or worse yet, indifference to the violations and victimization's of the judicial system on the American people. Not convinced? Just think about it. Why does the US's 5% of the world's population house nearly 25% of the worlds prisoner population and at what expense to you financially in the form of taxes? At what expense to society to loose so many of it's primarily male population? What is a country more interested in prosecuting and jailing it's people than helping them? More interesting facts: “Children of incarcerated parents have increased risk of anxiety, depression, aggression, truancy, attention disorders and poor scholastic performance.” I met a homeless young man who had been incarcerated for 3 days not paying a bus fee of less than $5.00. And still more interesting facts: “Children of incarcerated parents have increased risk of anxiety, depression, aggression, truancy, attention disorders and poor scholastic performance.” Would you rather the state and Federal Government paid for the bus fare and not incarcerated the young man or waste some $250.00 a day for his incarceration plus court costs? Who makes decisions like this? Is it crazy or has the legal and judicial system itself become the monster? Again, is an unpaid bus fare of less than $5.00 worth blowing more than $600.00 of American tax payer money? Is this what “being tough on crime is”? That's a resounding: YES! Did the people who conduct our legal and judicial system in this way go to college? Are they idiots? Are they intentionally trying to destroy America or are they just really really stupid? Fact 1: Not everyone in prison is guilty. Fact 2: Not everyone accused is guilty. Personally, I can't believe a civilized society would conduct itself so self-destructive and so oblivious to the Obvious! http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/us/23prison.html added by: VoyagerFilms