Watching violence and porn could reduce violent crime and rape

Does pornography breed rape? Do violent movies breed violent crime? Quite the opposite, it seems.

First, porn. What happens when more people view more of it? The rise of the Internet offers a gigantic natural experiment. The bottom line on these experiments is, “More porn, less rape.” A 10 percent increase in Net access yields about a 7.3 percent decrease in reported rapes.
The research that was conducted in this project was done by former consultant to President Nixon’s Commission on Obscenity and Pornography. This consultant holds many titles such as Professor of Law at Northwestern University, J.D. Harvard 1961, Ph.D. Columbia 1968, Social Science Research Council Fellow in Advanced Statistics at University of Michigan, 1968. So for all the die hards focused on accolades, you can rest assured this information has been procured from the top of the pile.

Exposure to violent movies has two main effects on violent crime: (i) it reduces significantly violent crime in the evening on the day of exposure; (ii) by an even larger percent, it reduces violent crime during the night hours following exposure. That study can be found here.

So now when die hard conservatives huff and puff and fuss about violent movies and how things were back in their day, show them the benefits of watching porn and violence (and i dare say playing violent video games) i.e. it prevents people from carrying out their desires it in real life as the urge has been fed.

What is true “art”?

So I’ve been at a few of the KOTE (Kingston On The Edge) events, and I must say I’m happy that this is being continued. The capoeira show was inside the National Art Gallery, last year it was in the courtyard beside the Gallery, which I think was better as it added to the whole vibe, but it was still quite entertaining. Too bad not as many people showed up for it compared to last year. The Open Day at the Gallery showcased the works of a few key artists; sadly my memory fails me at the moment so I can’t drop names, but there was a mixed media collage that was magnificent! It was on the left side of the wall across from the photo collection of the naked men on the beach … which I did not spend much time examining. Being at the gallery reminded me of previous visits, and reminded me of a saying that I have, “it’s not art if I can do it.” I saw some pieces that are little more than a poor attempt at pretending to be deep and artistic, and others that would more fittingly be described as the pinnacle of artistic achievement of the average Joe at age 5. It upsets me to no end to see this shit masquerading as art, it seemed that if you had a good bullshit story about it, people, or at least the National Gallery would feature you. Artist’s are now lawyers who don’t like office work! I should probably clarify, the things KOTE chose to focus on were fine (by and large); my little rant about “it’s not art if I can do it” was directed at some pieces that the National Gallery has up in general, which I find embarrassing for anyone to see, and mistakenly think that they are representative of Jamaican talent. A sensible person cannot help but realize that sometimes people are paying for the hype around an artist, rather than the art itself which may not be worth the value of its raw materials, (much like fashion shows). Art should only be considered art if it can evoke something in the average viewer, otherwise it’s simply an object of sentimental value to the creator. Fin.

Holier than thou!

Half of Jamaica is having a holier – than – thou fit over Milk’s video. For those who don’t know Milk is a local media personality, whose oral sex video was leaked. Now I don’t even feel like sugar coating my words right now, and why should I, half of those who comment on Milk’s video are either naive and ignorant about Jamaica, not just now but “back in the day” as well, or are hypocrites. Prime examples are these comments:

“Why wi so call celebrity dem a freak out dem self like di one dem from the US and Europe. Unnuh fallah too damn much. She lucky she never choke pan it … LOL” - and my favorite -“Ah boy me know say something like this did a go happen, everything way America do them fallah, a that why me little island gone to the devil yea man them fe leaked it out man.”

From my few years in God’s green Jamaica I have come to realize that we do everything, we were always “freaky”. Putting it bluntly, Jamaican women have been sucking cocky since massa had a fancy for dark meat (evidenced by all the brownin’ we have today). And Jamaican men have been eating the ‘other’ pork from before emancipation. Now sure these things were kept on the down low, but the point is they still took place, and commonly enough! Anyone who doesn’t realize this is naïve. And the other set who know quite well but want to chat fu©*eries needs to get over it. Every Jamaican knows at least 10 people that do oral, and yet I’m sure few if any of you see fit to cut off those people, or speak to their face as you do behind their backs. HYPOCRITE!!!

A few of you may claim not to be able to think of even 10 people you know on a personal level that do oral, and if so them I’m sure it’s because they never saw fit to tell you because they knew your attitude regarding it. Let me tell a true story. In high school there was this girl, decent girl, decent grades, Christian but not prudish, dancehall/rap/souls, average looks, nothing out of the ordinary. This girl had tings with a friend of mine, and she was my friend too, and so it was made known to me by both of them, that for her, oral is a must. In fact it was downright necessary for her because she couldn’t climax from penetration alone. Now this other fellow was trying to sweep her off her feet and did a pretty good job, but he had one major flaw. He was loud, obnoxious and ‘bun out’ everything that did not fit into his world view. In fact he went so far as to say, that he has never so much as kissed a girl who “suck hood”. So my friend and I were laughing like crazy when karma delivered him into the hands of our female friend! But she was so afraid to bring it up with him that she just never did, and as he wasn’t satisfying her sexually, her ex took up where he left off. He later found out and humbled himself somewhat. So let it be a lesson to everyone out there who will swear that they will never, or their partner will never or has never, or they aren’t friends with anyone who has ever …

Let (s)he who is without freak speak the first condemnation.

Milk, keep it up, it’s your life – enjoy it.

Whatever happened to responsible journalism?

I find it interesting that every few months some crackpot article springs up in either the Gleaner, the Herald or the Observer, about Goth and Jamaican teens. I also find it very sad that all, yes I mean ALL the articles, groups everyone in what would be our ‘alternative’ cultures as Goths. Not one article differentiates between Goths and good old rockers, no mention of metalheads, and only one said anything about emo, and it was more of a side note. It seems as if most of our reporters are terribly … what’s an appropriate word … lazy, can’t research properly, not worldly, seeking a kneejerk reaction and sensationalism rather than putting across a semblance of truth, and finally, (mis) informing the public about such matters with a less than subtle bias.

One article written by staff reporter for the Observer Tyrone Reid, entitled “Goth subculture here”, was not half bad and must be commended. Fae Ellington, bigshot broadcast journalist, lecturer, and radio and a communication consultant, wrote an article recently; “Self-Mutilation and the Gothic lifestyle”. Both articles spoke about a stereotyped link between goth and self-injury. Fae’s article displayed an amazing lack of clarity on the matter, gross generalizations, cherry picking stereotypes, and the google skills of a 5 year old. Any parent trusting solely in her article will immediately be at odds with their child, being completely misinformed and likely trying to cut them off from what has been termed by Fae as “sinister goth” So one has to ask how is it that a lowly staff reporter like Mr. Tyrone Reid managed to go so far as to interview local students that self-harmed, and also to shed light on a study done on this very matter! Both Tyrone’s interviews with those who had self-harmed and the study clearly showed that while self injury is present in the Goth communities, it is not limited to it, it is not caused by it, and to quote Robert Young, the psychologist who led the study, “I don’t think parents should be worried if their children identify with Goths. Rather than posing a risk, it’s also possible that by belonging to this subculture young people are gaining valuable social and emotional support from their peers.” I sincerely hope Fae’s students will develop better research skills and tact than she has displayed thus far.

I don’t expect the average Jamaican to know or care about the ‘alternative’ cultures, but I do expect our reporters to actually perform their job as if they were doing a serious article rather than a tabloid article.

P.S. - Fae’s article, to date, according to the stats displayed beside it on the Herald website, has received 305 views and 11 comments. I personally left a comment, and I know 2 others that have commented on it as well, all within the week it was published too. I was very careful to phrase everything nicely, spell check, be tactful, and correct gently, because I wanted it to be approved. No comments have been approved thus far. Why is this? I’ve seen comments approved for other articles so I know they have someone to monitor them. Very 1984-esq? Well I’ll let you come to your own conclusion on that one.

Bad News

No one likes getting bad news, it can kill a mood and ruin a night. When someone tells you they can’t type it over msn, they have to talk to you … well news like that can ruin a week. And break out whatever spirits you have on hand if someone says they have to meet face to face to talk … you know you’re in for a M***** fucking pissy month. Is it just me, or does bad news hit harder if you get it at night, especially if you’re alone at home, or somewhere quiet?

The Militant Black Guy

Funny stuff! Who doesn’t like comedy!

Home again!

So I’m finally back in Jamaica! Miss. P gave me a ride to the airport, naturally along the way the question of how you found the stay came up. It’s a reasonable question to which a gave a pleasant generic response because I realize she likes her country, so I may as well not piss her off by saying “well it’s fairly safe and I like that, but I hate your spontaneous showers, rocky beaches, unfriendly people, and virtually no diversity in entertainment opportunities.” Anyway, she said that when she lived abroad she didn’t like it and had grand memories of what home was like and when she returned she was disappointed and it wasn’t as good as she remembered.
I’m not quite sure what she wanted to imply with that, but I have been home 4 days (fri night – now, tue morning) and it’s even better than when I left. My home was fixed up, so was my girlfriends, people are friendlier than I remembered, (probably because I never appreciated it till I had to deal with Bajans), my mix was quite possibly the best I’ve ever done at the party on Saturday night, everyone loved it! And best of all there is more diversity of entertainment opportunities than ever in Jamaica, new places have opened up, Sovereign now has free wireless and Kingston on the Edge (KOTE) looks like it may be better than last year. So with all due respect I can only conclude that her home life must have been dreary, because home is great!
Last year I saw the capoeira show last year, brought by KOTE, it was great. It made me realize it’s a shitty excuse for martial arts, but great for keeping fit and as a cultural expression. This year I want to check out the open day at National Galley, the film at Bones, and the Garden Drum Circle.
The philosophy of Kingston on the Edge (KOTE) is to provide a platform for contemporary artists to showcase their work that pushes the boundaries of the Conventional. Although initially intended for cutting edge avant garde art, this Festival welcomes all artists, including those working in more traditional styles. The goal of the Festival is to combine all forms of art being produced in today’s society into a weeklong celebration of the freedom of self-expression. KOTE will provide an opportunity for artists, venues and the general public to interact creatively, with a view to sustainably developing and harnessing the incredible artistic potential of our country. The festival will see its LAUNCH on Friday, June 20th, 2008 and will be host to multiple events during the following week culminating to its closing on Saturday, June 28th, 2008.
http://www.myspace.com/kingstonedge

Time

It’s exam time, also my modem has screwed itself, and I do NOT intend to buy another one with only two weeks to go before I return home, so my posting will be somewhat decreased for the next two weeks.

Recipe for Happiness

Have sex for a few hours with someone you love and trust and find insanely attractive (no condoms). Afterwards add a dash of rum, an entire bottle to be precise, with some Pepsi. At the same time you should be listening to trance, or drum n’ bass. Once this state is achieved, simmer for a bit. Then, while still optimally euphoric and happily tipsy, drive to a friend’s house (car required as a bus or taxi breaks the mood) and invite over a few others to chat shit and shoot the breeze. Serve and enjoy right away.

I think I’m getting old! Damn that rap music!!!

I think I’m getting old. Damn that rap music!!! So a this morning someone linked me to the Soulja Boy song “I got my report card today”. Essentially the song says I got my report card today, it was all F’s and the teacher needs to throw some D’s on it. Naturally I was pissed at this man for making American Blacks and their culture seem idiotic in a most horrendous way. But someone who actually managed to finish the song enlightened me to the fact that at the end of it, he says it’s all a joke and he gets straight A’s and stay in school children. So yep, I am getting old. I judged the song without fully hearing its case, and ultimate message. A very grandpa-like move indeed. Damn that rap music!!!