South Park Episodes 1003-1004 and Recent Controversies

Hi,

As some of you know, recent South Park episodes have exploded with more controversy than usual. It seems that Comedy Central did indeed sensor the episodes in a recent about turn of their previous policy seemingly only due to recent world media coverage[1]. Scary.

If you haven't watched Episodes 1003-1004 yet, I highly recommend you do. Even if you don't like South Park, it's a very interesting and important debate that is taking place, and with the recent change to a Conservative government in Canada, will likely be an issue we'll be contending with again very shortly.

Comedy Central has a general feedback page.[2] Here's a quick note I sent to them, because I felt it was important I add my two cents:

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Good day,

I'm sure you've received much feedback on the subject already. I'll just briefly add my two cents that will fit pretty squarely in the liberal camp.

South Park has been pushing the edge of witty comedy and social commentary for ten years now. If you look back ten years ago and what the issues were then, and how South Park handled them, you see the consistency of what they are doing now. The issues are new, the media is going nuts over different things, yet it's all the same.

Hypocrisy is the worst thing you can show. It will bring you no end of trouble, both politically and economically.

You've shown that you support the message they are trying to bring to the USA (And the world - I'm up here in Canada). Don't go half-assed. Commit to help them, fully. In the end, down the road, looking back at what the show has accomplished, you will be happy you did. You'll end up regretting censoring or pulling episodes when you look back at the whole picture of what the show has done and will do.
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Cheers,

Mekki

mekki@mektek.ca
(613) 878-4567


[1] http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004982.htm
[2] http://www.comedycentral.com/help/questionsCC.jhtml

Yes, yes.

Yes, yes. I know I have to post more.

WWTD?

Turing would post properly... I'm not worthy.

WWDWWW

Whap whap, double whapitty web whap:

WWDWWW for short.

Should be added to wikipedia for conciseness.

On the Steps of the Ritz

The tunes a playin'; the night a strollin';
People watchin'; people gawkin'

Where do the summer nights go?

Brain wasting away; potential lookin' for a rooftop to liberate it; to set its bonds free; to create, to articulate, to express its need to plug away idea after idea.

Each person, drone, body; colours, scents, pleasantries, nods, shakes, greets & parts - Why, why, why? To fill the void? To fulfill potential? To meet an image of what the world should be? To create it? In this climate, it's once a hear; a breakin' free... of the cold. that life can inspire like this, subsist like this, day in and day out in the south is tantalizing.

Alcohol is made for this place; this feel; this state of mind. Replace it with caffeine and you turn carefree nonchallance into the vibes that are the essence of that which defines our path through life. Let it flow unchecked and you get jazz, of the spirit, of the pen, or, most often sought, of the hormones. There's no question the city speaks; a different language in each geographic incarnation.

Then what? Write? Listen? Show. Teach. Delve into it. Craft it to logic, sense,purpose; an end to the chaos; a goal, tangible. Otherwise, what's the motivation to succceed? It's all too easy.

Chat with Lee

Having a wonderful chat with Lee Farnworth!

To post requires motivation to write.

The motivation is not there. The mental state, however, is.

I require a device that lets me directly input my brain into blogspace. I would post thrice daily. Honest!

This summer I make it a commitment, with Carleton and other sinks of my brain power dissipating slowly, to dump the contents of my brain here more frequently.

I have also challenged Sarah to an annotated blogging of Technopoly, by Neil Postman. It's an infuriatingly narrow-minded book, with neck-wringing accusations to anyone who enjoys technology. And, I intend to prove it. To that end I will be creating a blog dedicated to following through the book, chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph, highlighting its stupidities, hypocrisy, contradictions, and just plain falsehoods. Sarah will be doing the same, in a separate blog, from her perspective, and you, the audience, in the end, will be the judge of who has more accurately represented the book.

There will also be some discussion of MekTek activities, games, media, and other interesting things that I'll be working on. I intend to give you all the window into my world that you expected this to be when it first went up. Soon my blogs will be hosted on the MekTek servers and I'll be offering space for friends to put up their blogs there too.

Keep your eyes peeled. More to come.

M.

- For no purchase entry into our Spain Giveaway, complete the following web form, including your name, contact information, and a 150 word essay on "The benefits of the Rogers Online Self-service" -

After the tone, please enter your essay... ... ... *BEEEEEP*


The Rogers Online Self Service benefits include reducing the Rogers Cable Inc. and Rogers Wireless Inc. costs for live phone support. It directs customers to a website, properly designed to make them feel like they should be able to find an answer, on their own time, and simultaneously exposes them to Rogers Media marketing, a dual benefit that I'm sure the shareholders love.

The Online Self Service is a clear example of good marketing forethought and planning from a large company, that, unfortunately, as things are wont to be in our current economy, comes at the cost of the customers, and results in reduced service for them. That being said, the benefits of investing into Rogers are clear!

It's all psychological. You need to psych yourself into writing.

We've been enjoying some mini-put followed by some Rockwell's. I'm almost a regular at Rockwell's now. The owner came to say I to me and I gave him crap for their changing the Half-Price Pizza on Wednesdays from 1am to 11pm end time. I was bitter. To my astonishment, he didn't even know about it! He was as surprised as I was! Some heads rolled in the kitchen. *muahaha*

I've been pushing around idea after idea in my head recently. I have the same problem I've had all my life: Focusing on one thing and getting it done. I'm great at generating ideas, and planning stuff, but when it comes down to sitting down and working on one thing to the exclusion of other things... Well... I can't. Instead, I end up focusing on DSL.

Speaking of DSL, I've been enjoying the things I've been learning about real world politiks from the game. For those of you who don't know, I play an Elven Priestess. (Leader of the Church of Nature). She is also the Speaker (Leader) of Shalonesti (The Elven Clan). As such, she is heavily involved in the politiks of Algoron (The DSL world, consisting of 6 continents, 10 races, 8 clans, 7 kingdoms, and 12 Gods) A lot of people have asked me what I get out of the game, and these interactions have surprised me with their complexity. Sabrinaela (my character) was approached by her cousin, the King of Shalonesti (She is a member of the royal house), and by her other cousin, one of the King's closest advisors. They told her about an old, jaded Senator that had been serving in the Kingdom, in House Sha'falas (The House of defenders and protectors of Shalonesti) for several centuries. He was making himself an annoyance with his inflexibility and refusal to update himself to the ways of the younger generations. They wanted to get rid of him, but out of respect for his years and years of service, they didn't want to simply demote him and embarrass him in front of the Elven nation. So, they sought to ask Sabri to "invite" him to come and advise her in the Clan, where his "experience" and "wisdom" could continue to serve Shalonesti.

So, Sabri agreed, as she owed the King a favour, and went to speak with Da'shal (the Senator). She buttered him up and spoke of the "difficulties" taking place in the clan and how she could "really use his wisdom and experience", and more BS like that. The King and his advisor both added to the buttering, saying they would be fine without Da'shal, and that they could fine someone to replace him so that he wouldn't be leaving his responsibilities behind, etc.

The senator thought about it, and a few days later, as everyone crossed their fingers that he would take the hint and leave, he wrote a very lengthy letter to Sabri. In the letter, he told her that he had considered her "request" very carefully and determined that he could not "abandon" his responsibilities in the Kingdom. But, being the kind and responsible Elf he was, and since Sabri so "desperately" and "clearly needed his help", he would gladly advise her from the Kingdom. He told her that he thought the clan was in a terrible disarray and that Elves there no longer knew what responsibility and tradition was. He told her that she was setting a bad example by Leading the Church and the Clan and that she had her priorities messed up. He went on to suggest that he help fix her Senators and Regents and set them straight on how things should be done. He proposed to give them classes and teach them the "right" way.

Well, of course, Sabri read this and fumed. She managed to bite her tongue, and instead spoke to her cousins, and told them about the letter of "advice" she had received. They laughed and answered, "Now you see why we want to get rid of him!"

It amazes me how much this maps to real world political situations. This sort of thing constantly happens in government and royal circles around the world. It also happens in the business world with unions and other pressures. Dealing with this situation has opened my eyes to the entire world of difficult decisions leaders must make. Most of them are not black and white as the public (or Kingdom and Clan Elves) are led to believe. However, mistakes can have drastic consequences.

So, what will they do about the old, jaded Senator? Well, Sabri proposed they just chop off his head and be done with it. We'll see what happens.