Dirty Ninja Radio (10-8-13)

Another week of mayhem with the ninjas!
Watch as they discuss the most pressing topics in ninjography and hip hopology.
Yeah we make up words, so what, big whoop, want to fight about it?

Synopsis For Neill Blomkamp's Next Film Released

In 2009 first-time film director Neill Blomkamp released DISTRICT 9. A powerful directorial debut that thrust Blomkamp into the public eye as a film maker to watch. The years since have seen Bloomkamp taking his time thoughtfully choosing his next film instead of "striking while the iron is hot" and doing any project that came across his desk. Among those potential projects was a live action film for HALO (yes that HALO). He even did a "low-budget" short to show what he could do with the title. That was some ill shit right??!! Yeah, so officially it was announced back in 2010 that Blomkamp's next film was going to be another sci-fi actioner titled ELYSIUM. This time starring an all-star cast including Matt "I'm Fucking Matt Damon" Damon, Jodie Foster and the awesome, criminally under utilized William Fichtner among others. Since then the film had been kept on the serious "hush,hush". I honestly forgot about the whole thing until today when Collider got a hold of the official synopsis of the film. Check it out:

"In the year 2159 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a hard the government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds."

So it sounds like ELYSIUM will be another foray into a socio-political commentary which Blomkamp is very familar with after making DISTRICT 9. I'm excited to see how this will all play out on screen with such a capable and talented cast. And can't wait until March 1, 2013 when it hits a theater near you.

NYC Zombie Crawl Invades Brooklyn

This Sunday Williamsburg, Brooklyn will host a re-enactment of the hit AMC television show THE WALKING DEAD with an inebriated twist. Yes, there will be alcohol. On Sunday hordes of the fake undead will descend on the trendy Brooklyn section for the sixth annual NYC ZOMBIE CRAWL. Initially sober patrons can become not sober and get a zombie makeover for $5 and up (prices most likely depend on if you wanna be a walker, runner or crawler) at Trash bar (256 Grand St., at Roebling) and Grand Victory (245 Grand St., at Roebling) at about 3:30pm where the crawl will kick off. After a few shots and an healthy serving of grey matter the unholy horde will then spill onto Bedford Ave. at 6 p.m. and shuffle, stagger, thriller or however zombies travel over to McCarren Park, making a pit stop at Spike Hill (186 Bedford Ave., at Seventh St.) ultimately being drunk, belligerent and possibly craving brains at an after-party at Public Assembly (70 N. Ninth St.; $12 cover for zombies, $15 for humans, Rick Grimes gets in free, they owe him that much afterall). Craving more than brains? No worries they got you covered. There will be a “hot zombie contest” for the most doable brain eater (but she's a zombie). Also if you're walking dead on a budget Halloween Adventure's got you covered as well. Buy an outfit at the costume retailer (104 Fourth Ave., at 11th St.) and get 10% off your purchase by simply mentioning “NYC Zombie Crawl.” “The more blood, the better,” suggests zombie ringleader Doug Sakmann, who organized the crawl with his special-effects colleagues and Backseat Conceptions production company. Sakmann’s been known to spray fellow walkers with fake blood from a SuperSoaker. “And drinking beer definitely helps add to the zombie walk and the groaning,” he says. The living can rest in peace - undead etiquette calls for leaving bystanders and private property alone. “Although I’m sure someone will try to start getting the ‘Thriller’ dance going,” he warns. I'm posting this especially for the homie Franky 'cause this event pretty much combines his two favorite things. See you out there bro.

Halo Creator's Next Game Leaked

So Bungie, the creators of HALO have been unfaithful to their first-person shooter. The company has been developing a new game, codenamed: "DESTINY" set to hit your local Game Stop next fallish. The game will be supported by both the 360 and the XBOX 720 (as its been rumored to be called) whenever microsoft decides to put that out (sorry Sony). Information on the game leaked when a contract between Bungie and game publisher Activision went public. With this new deal Bungie has agreed to develop a four-part franchise with DESTINY with one to come out each year after part 1 drops next fall. They'll also release downloadable expansion packs, codenamed: "Comet". Allegedly the game developer is boasting a "massively-multiplayer style" experience, although little is known about what that actually means. One theory is players will be required to authenticate their game online whenever they want to play, alot like the recently released Diablo III. There are rumblings however that the XBOX 720 will require all games to do this, so that could be some evidence there. Because i really don't see how Bungie was making a new online game a year for four straight years. Which is the only other way you could have a massive-multiplayer styled experience. The contract released in the court filing was signed two years ago, and it could be that aspects of it have been adjusted since then. As it stands under the initial terms, though, Bungie's first game in the series will be exclusive to the Xbox and its successor for a year. PlayStation 3 owners will be able to try that shit out in 2014, though it looks like PS4 owners may not be able to (womp womp).

U.S. Catholic Groups Sue Obama Administration Over Contraception

So now the Catholics got beef. Catholic institutions have moved to sue the Obama Administration today to ultimately block a government regulation that requires employers to provide health insurance coverage for contraception to their employees. The regulation, which is part of the president's healthcare reform law, has sparked beef between the administration and the Roman Catholic Church, which is not down with artificial contraception. Some 43 Catholic groups including Notre Dame University, the Catholic University of America and the Archdiocese of New York filed 12 different suits across the country to reinforce the fact that they're not okay with the law. The organizations are accusing the federal government for being insensitive and all around shitty towards their religious beliefs for basically thugging them to support contraception, sterilization and birth control. The original law exempted churches and other houses of worship from covering contraception on the basis of religious objections. However the original regulation did not specify an exception for religious nonprofit groups, like schools, hospitals and charities. Which prompted church leaders stand up and collectively ask WTF, bro?! To compromise, the Pres dialed back the rule back in February (which prompted the POTUS to ask back WTF, guys). So Obama met Catholic institutions in the middle a full 90+ days ago announcing that insurance companies would cover the cost of contraception for its employees. So i ask you what is beef? Well, beef is in this case when the complainers say the accomodation didn't go far enough (WTF, bro!!). "In order to safeguard their religious freedoms, religious employers must plead with the government for a determination that they are sufficiently ‘religious,'" Notre Dame said in its lawsuit, filed in Indiana federal court. Under the revised mandate, religious organizations can only qualify for the exemption if their purpose is to spread their religious beliefs. Additionally, they must also primarily employ and serve people with the identical religious values. The Institution's lawsuit claims that this degree of federal scrutiny radically goes against the law separating church and state. Notre Dame was bitchin' that they didn't know whether their school qualifies for the exemption because they emphasize the employment and service of people of all faiths. Jane Belford, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Washington which joined one suit, basically drew a line in the sand saying "the groups aimed to challenge the government's redefinition of religion". "While this mandate paid lip service to the rights of conscience and religious liberty, it created a definition that was so narrow, even the work of Mother Theresa would not have qualified as religious," Belford said. While the Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on the litigation the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops did not involve its self in any lawsuit but did praise the individual dioceses, charities and schools for upholding religious liberty. This stance should probably be taken seriously because at least 11 other lawsuits have previously been filed against the contraceptive mandate. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services on May 15 warning the administration of today's lawsuits: "Absent prompt congressional attention to this infringement on fundamental civil liberties, we believe the only remaining recourse ... is in the courts." Jennifer Dalven, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the mandate was not new. In fact twenty-eight states have laws requiring insurers to cover birth control to the same extent as other medications. "The lawsuits make it seem like taking a job is the same as joining a church. But organizations that participate in the public sphere are supposed to abide by public rules," Dalven said. Props to Terry Baynes on the original report.

Florida Black Man Denied Stand Your Ground Defense

A Florida judge ruled today that an elderly black man charged in the shooting death of his neighbor couldn't use the now infamous STAND YOUR GROUND defense made so by the shooting death of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman. WTF, yo!! This will be the second time in a week where the controversial law did not provide any protection for the defendant. Today's ruling dealt with the manslaughter case against Trevor Dooley. The defendant willingly admitted to shooting David James in 2010 after a dispute over a teen's right to skateboard on a local basketball court escalated and turned physical. Tampa, Florida news reports that Dooley only shot James, who was defending the teen's right to skateboard because he feared for his own safety after the argument became aggressive and James threatened Dooley. Dooley did have his weapons' permit concealed on his person. A circuit judge apparently said fuck that and ruled that "the evidence suggests that it was not until Dooley "reached for and pulled out his weapon—indicating an intent to escalate from an argument to violence—that Mr. James exerted and used physical force against Defendant." Today's ruling comes only three days after Marissa Alexander, a black woman in Jacksonville, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for three counts of aggravated assault. Alexander's lawyer cited the Stand Your Ground law in her defense, arguing that she fired warning shots to protect herself during a confrontation with her husband. But a judge ruled last year that the law didn't apply because Alexander wasn't in genuine fear for her safety when she fired the gun, according to the Los Angeles Times. Local news station WJXT explains that was because "she left the room, got a gun and returned to confront him." Alexander's sentencing was quickly criticized by Rep. Corrine Brown, a Democratic congresswoman who represents the Jacksonville area. "I have lived here all my life," she said Friday. "And clearly [there] was no justice in this courtroom." Both Dooley and Alexander's respective cases come as the Stand Your Ground law, which allows people to basically kill other people they have a perceived notion mean to do them harm takes center stage in the wake of the February shooting death of Trayvon Martin. George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed the Florida teen, has claimed he did so only in self-defense. He has since been charged with second-degree murder. It still however remains to be seen whether or not this is a case of justice finally catching up to the waning moral compass of the legal system and negating these laws like Stand you Ground or if this is just another case of social & legal inequality.

R.I.P. Adam "MCA" Yauch 8.5.1964- 5.4.2012

Rest In Power brotha. Beasties forver!

Cruise Set To Star in Van Helsing Reboot

Back in 2004 Hugh Jackman starred in a big budget actioner by the name of VAN HELSING. The film based on the true exploits of the monster hunter Van Helsing and co-starring Kate Beckinsale was a complete flop. Both critically & publically the movie was derided as being, well...a shitty film. Unfortunately it was plain to see that the studio responsible for Van Helsing was really counting on it doing well so that it could undoubtedly be turned into a lucrative franchise. That time has since gone and like Batman, Spider-Man and Douglas Quaid before him will soon see a reboot. The Hollywood Reporter via Cinema Blend has gotten a whiff of a new reboot in the works over at Universal reporting that uber-writer/producer duo Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman have signed on to reboot the monster hunter flick with Mr. Impossible Mission, Tom Cruise himself attached to star & produce as well. If you're a geek like i am you may know Orci and Kurtzman as the scribes behind J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot and Michael Bay's first two Transformers films. They also had a hand in Cruise's own Mission: Impossible III and considerable television credits with Fox's sci-fi romp Fringe. And if you don't know who Tom Cruise is by now then there's nothing i can do for you...and you're also weird. In a joint statement from Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson and Co-Chairman, Donna Langley said, "Alex and Roberto are extraordinarily talented writers and producers who know the value of a great story in building successful tentpole films. They have been a major part of some of Hollywood’s biggest movies and television shows in recent history, and we’re eager to have them build on that success at Universal." Translation: these two poor bastards are about to make us a shitload of money with their nerd words and geek speak. Our good fortune will hopefully be being subject to the cinematic awesomeness these two will soon wrought. I'm confident Cruise will make a much better Van Helsing than Jackman. So long as he's running and/or having something blow up sending him flying into a horse drawn carriage or some other medieval-style transport his turn as the monster hunter shouldn't be bad at all.

Sam Raimi To Produce Poltergeist Remake

You May know Sam Raimi as director of movies like DARK MAN, EVIL DEAD I & II, ARMY OF DARKNESS, DRAG ME TO HELL & THE SPIDER-MAN TRILOGY. What you may not know is that he's also a card carrying producer of some of your favorite tv shows & movies (google him). Its in this capacity that Raimi has chosen to facilitate his next project, A remake of Steven Speilberg & Michael Grais' POLTERGEIST. With his next directorial project, OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL in post production Raimi has hit something of a producing "groove" with his remake of EVIL DEAD on the horizon and a confirmed THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS remake coming down the pipe. Yes, it would seem that Sam Raimi enjoys the sh!t out of producing him some movies that shouldn't really ever be re-made (ijs). According to THR, Raimi really doesen't give a f@ck and if you've ever watched any of his movies you would already be privy to this information. Seriously though, THR reports that Raimi has signed on to be a part of MGM's remake of the horror classic POLTERGEIST. Yes ninjas, they're baaaack (sorry i couldn't resist). The filmmaker's primarily role as producer of the remake will be to vet prospects for the director's seat. Nathan Kahane, Roy Lee, and Robert Tapert are all also on-board to produce but it'll be Raimi's ass if he doesn't find a director by the next full moon (that was a joke...maybe). While the idea's been skulking around Hollywood for years it is just now gaining steam to push forward into production. David Lindsay-Abaire, who penned the script for OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL also wrote the script for this new POLTERGEIST rehash. For those of you not in the know the story of Poltergeist follows a family living in a house built on an ancient burial ground who must rescue their daughter from vengeful spirits and sh!t. Released in 1982 the original was written by Steven Speilberg & Michael Grais and directed by Tobe Hooper and terrified the Kool-Aid out of me as a youth. While at the same time piquing my interest and inspiring my imagination. While this all seems like a ploy by MGM to breathe new life into their waning business model I must say i'm confident in Raimi's role as producer on the project. I would be prone to be more confident if he actually decided to directed the mofo himself. I'm not going to lie this smells like a disaster waiting to happen but i'll play along for now and see what comes from this potential sh!tstorm. Stay tuned ninjas we'll keep you posted on this story as it develops.

Tupac Back...As A Hologram?

Let the Tupac sighting frenzy begin. At the Coachella music festival this passed Sunday night the Don Makaveli himself made an impromptu appearance alongside Dr. Dre and Snoop on stage.

This display of awesomeness made so much noise on the blogosphere & media cycles that there is now talk of a new tour. Ed Ulbrich of Digital Domain Media Group Inc. who was responsible for Pac's reincarnation explains that the image isn't a hologram which would be a 3-D depiction but its actually a 2-D rendering of the lengendary rapper.

Reps for both the good doctor and Snoop are going ahead with talks to make the tour a reality. The main challenge is scheduling a tour around a 2-D version of Pac is where to do go & who do you put him with. Obviously candidates to appear alongside Pac would be stars, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa and 50 Cent. Venues would most likely consist of mostly stadium gigs. However Dre & Snoop have expressed interest in doing a smaller more limited tour featuring only them and Pac.

Stay tuned for more info ninjas as this story is bound to develop more in the near future.

Space Dinosaurs: A True Theory

According to Columbia University chemist Ronald Breslow somewhere in the universe lies a civilization of extraterrestrial dinosaurs. Based on his journal article concerning the origins of organic molecules on Earth, he maybe right.

Flying-Car Now A Possibility

Uhh, suck it George Jetson, we comin' fo' yo' spot, BEE-OTCH!! Yeah, so some Massachusetts Institute of Technology-trained engineers are actually making a go of building a profitable business selling, wait for it...FLYING MUTHERF@$%!&# CARS!! Now anybody that knows me knows that since Y2K I've been eagerly anticipating this news. And today, friends i can finally exhale.

New Black Panthers Offer Bounty For Trayvon Martin's Killer

Shit has gotten real and continues to escalate, check this out. In Sanford, Florida today the New Black Panther Party leader, Mikhail Muhammad announced an offer of a $10,000 reward for the "capture" of George Zimmerman, the faux Neighborhood Watch volunteer who infamously killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in cold blood on February 26th.

When asked if he was fanning the flames to incite more violence, Muhammad replied vehemently: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

Japan Unveils Prototype Speech Jamming Gun

Now this little invention seen above gives new meaning to the term "shut the f@ck up already!!" Two Japanese researchers recently introduced a prototype for a device they call a SpeechJammer that can literally “jam” someone’s voice — effectively stopping them from talking. Now they’ve released a video of the device in action.

Yup, you read that right these guys have potentially invented a literal "conversation ender". Kazutaka Kurihara and Koji Tsukada the apparent researchers responsible released a video of how the device works after their PDF went viral on Thursday. Kurihara, a research assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukada & Tsukada, an assistant professor at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo were apparently surprised of the leak.

Check out the video,



Yeah, so the design of the SpeechJammer is deceptively simple. It consists of a direction-sensitive microphone and a direction-sensitive speaker, a motherboard, a distance sensor and some relatively straightforward code. The concept is simple, too — it operates on the well-studied principle of delayed auditory feedback. By playing someone’s voice back to them, at a slight delay (around 200 milliseconds), you can jam a person’s speech.


Its true sonic devices have made more than one appearance in pop culture in the past. Sci-fi author J.G. Ballard in fact wrote a short story called, “The Sound-Sweep”. The story was published in 1960and depicted a vacuum cleaner like device called a “sonovac” that sweeps up the debris of old sounds. The evil genius German composer, Karlheinz Stockhausen had plans for a “sound swallower,” which would cancel unwanted sounds in the environment using the acoustic principle of destructive interference. And in 1984 German film Decoder, proposed special yellow cassette tapes that could play “anti-Muzak” that destroys the lulling tones of Muzak, stimulating diners at a fast-food restaurant to throw up en masse and start rioting (f@cking Germans, man!!)

But instead of sci-fi, terrifying, terrifying sci-fi, the Japanese researchers behind the SpeechJammer were inspired by medical devices designed to help people with speech problems when conceiving their STFU gun. Delayed auditory feedback, or DAF, devices have been used to help stutterers for decades. Turns out if a stutterer hears his own voice at a slight delay, stuttering often improves. But if a non-stutterer uses a DAF device designed to help stutterers, he can start stuttering — and the effect is more pronounced if the delay is longer, up to a certain point. Ultimately hearing your own voice if you don't already stutter will confuse the shit out of you so much it can cause you to shut the f@ck up and listen for a change, asshole.

“We utilized DAF to develop a device that can jam remote physically unimpaired people’s speech whether they want it or not,” write the researchers. “[The] device possesses one characteristic that is different from the usual medical DAF device; namely, the microphone and speaker are located distant from the target.”

The gun has a range of up to several feet. So those jerks arguing in the apartment next door? Pow, STFU!! The asshole on the bus having the loudest private conversation on your iphone 4S? Take notice 'cause I will silence your shit boy-eeee.!!The device also has diabolical and criminal applications as well but i'll let you use your imagination as to what those could be, evil bastards. For now though The Speech Jammer remains merely a prototype.

Limbaugh Apologizes to Law Student

Like the great Don Imus before him conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh apologized to Georgetown University Law Student, Sandra Fluke after heavy criticism from Democrats, Republicans & a resounding public outcry for Limbaugh's job in the passed few days. Limbaugh branded Fluke a "slut" & "prostitute" on his talk radio show a few days back after Fluke testified to congressional democrats supporting their national health care initiative that would compel her college to offer health plans that cover her birth control.

Limbaugh's remarks prompted both public & media outrage as several advertisers discontinued their business relationship with the talk host's show after a boycott of the show & its advertisers began gaining steam on the internet. Many also wanted Limbaugh fired.

Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio show host stated Saturday via his website, "My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir, I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices."

Attempts to reach Fluke by telephone and email were unsuccessful.

The law student, Sandra Fluke had been initially invited by Democratic lawmakers to testify to a House of Representatives committee about her university's health care plan that does not include contraception coverage. Republican lawmakers deaded that noise, but Democrats invited her back and she spoke to the Democratic lawmakers at an unofficial session.

President of the United States Barack Obama, whose landmark health care overhaul requires many institutions to provide birth control coverage, contacted Fluke from the White House on Friday to express his support.

The contraception issue has been a much debated point in the current presidential race, with Republican candidates particularly talking mad shit about the Obama plan's requirements on such employers as Catholic hospitals. Democrats as well as many Republican leaders, have suggested the issue could provoke women to vote for Obama and other Democrats in November.

Limbaugh however, wasn't feelin' none of what Fluke had to say to the House panel.

He said on the Wednesday show that sparked the controversy, "What does it say about the college coed ... who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex."

The day after Limbaugh refused to budge, standing by his statements while being a pervy douche in the process.

"If we're going to have to pay for this, then we want something in return, Ms. Fluke," Limbaugh said. "And that would be the videos of all this sex posted online so we can see what we're getting for our money."(wow, what a douche move.)

Limbaugh didn't stop there though. He also asked the 30-year-old Fluke: "Who bought your condoms in junior high?"

And for his coup de grace on Friday, still shitty even after Democrats beat back Republican retorts to the new health care law, Limbaugh scoffed at the Democrats' talk of a conservative "war on women."

"Amazingly, when there is the slightest bit of opposition to this new welfare entitlement being created, then all of a sudden we hate women. We want 'em barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen," he said. "And now, at the end of this week, I am the person that the women of America are to fear the most."

By Saturday, six advertisers said screw that noise and pulled sponsorship of Limbaugh's show while some Republicans had distanced themselves from the comments.

By Saturday evening, Limbaugh decided to concede saying,

"For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week, in this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke."

But then went on to say the entire debate was "absolutely absurd."

"In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone's bedroom, nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a presidential level," he said.

Limbaugh's detractors called bullshit on his statement.

"In all seriousness, this isn't an apology. It's a public relations statement. It's hollow and deceitful. Don't be fooled," tweeted the account StopRush, the effort online to pressure advertisers to abandon the popular conservative radio host.

This whole madness stemmed from a recent requirement in the president's health care law mandating that religious-affiliated institutions such as hospitals and universities include free birth control coverage in their employee health plans. Georgetown, a Jesuit institution, does not provide contraception coverage in its student health plan.

Many Republicans and some religious organizations accused the president of waging a war on religion. As protests mounted, Obama killed those accusations by proposing religious employers be able to opt out, but their insurers would still have to pay for the birth control coverage.

In his apology, Limbaugh repeated his aversion to the rule.

"I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities," he said. "What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit?"

Illegal Immigrant Enslaved By Rich NY Family For 6 Years

"A wealthy New York woman is facing criminal charges after being accused of keeping an illegal immigrant as an indentured servant and forcing her to live in a closet for nearly six years."
If you're like me you read that last sentence and thought to yourself WTF, yo!! Immediately historically influenced visions of cotton fields, beatings, human auctions & overall oppression ran across my mind. But on further observation (i jump to conclusions, drop of a hat, seriously) the "enslaved" part was more of an indentured servitude scenario than ROOTS. Though that's not excusing the Georges' moral compass. It seems that "documents posted on the Smoking Gun allege that Annie George, 39, and her now-deceased husband, Mathai Kolath George, hired an illegal immigrant from the Indian state of Kerala." The immigrant in question, known only as “V.M.,” was told she'd be paid about $1,000 a month to live in the family’s 34-room, 30,000-square-foot home, called Llenroc mansion or Baller Manor: North to the uninformed (seen above). The house is fully loaded including a helicopter pad, 15 fireplaces, marble flooring, 24-karat gold gilded ceilings and a glass elevator. V.M. on the other hand was given the "closet" suite. The Georges' had V.M. stay in what could be described as the equivalent to a closet. In turn she was tasked with taking care of the Georges’ four young children, along with performing household duties in the mansion located about 20 miles north of Albany.

So New York’s minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Even if V.M. was allowed to leave the home at the end of a regular 40-hour workweek, she would have been entitled to a minimum, pretax income of $290 per week, or $1,160 per month. In reality, V.M. received only about $29,000 over the five and a half years she was forced to work for the George family.

The Smoking Gun reported that immigration agents received a tip from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center last year and removed V.M. from the George’s place. The U.S. Department of Labor conducted its own investigation and said V.M. is entitled to $206,000 in back wages. She was also allegedly denied health benefits, sick days or any personal time off from her labors. Annie George appeared in court on Wednesday before a federal magistrate, facing charges of encouraging and inducing an illegal alien to reside in the U.S. So essentially she's getting bagged for aiding & abetting an illegal immigrant. Gotta love the system.
Source: Yahoo News
Image: Georgetown Week

The Bourne Legacy (Official First Trailer)

So here's what the new Bourne film will look like without Matt Damon. Starring Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz among others. Look for this to be one of the many highly anticipated films coming out this summer. Meanwhile i'm still waiting for them to green light a Bourne vs. Bond flick. C'mon Hollywood you know you wanna.

NASA's Monster Rover To Reach Mars By 2012

After a successful launch this passed Saturday at 10:02am (eastern) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA's car-sized rover called Curiosity is headed for Mars. As we speak the $2.5 billion (day-umm) Mars Science Laboratory is blasting through space, quickly closing the 354 million mile (570 million kilometer, DAY-UMM, DAY-UMM) gap between Earth and Mars. It'll take this nosy bastard 8 and a half months to reach its destination which should put the rover on the Red Planet sometime in August 2012.

"We are in cruise mode," said MSL project manager Pete Theisinger of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Our spacecraft is in excellent health, and it's on its way to Mars."

So most of us have seen Mission to Mars, Red Planet, Ghosts Of Mars and let us not forget the cinematic master work that is Mars Attacks. So why the hell are we going over their to start shit with the big red rock and probably provoke an interplanetary incident anyway?! Well, MSL (Mars Science Laboratory, remember that there will be a test...at some point...probably...not)--Yeah so MSL wants to confirm or not confirm if Mars is, or ever was able to support microbial life. And if you saw any of those aforementioned documentary pieces then the answer would be a resounding YES, and laser guns. The space nerds over at NASA have been planning this Spielbergian mission since 2003 and was originally scheduled for a 2009 launch (slackers). Unfortunately they couldn't meet the 2009 deadline so they pushed it back to this passed Saturday which helped boost the overall cost by 56%. Theisinger while overall satisfied with the mission so far quickly pointed out that the launch was only phase one of a very complicated mission slated to last a minimum of about 2 Earth years (or until the lasers start firing). Theisinger went on to say, "We all recognize that this is the prologue to the mission — necessary, but not sufficient." "We all have our work cut out for us in the next eight and a half months."

Yeah, Curiosity isn't supposed to land on the Red Planet until sometime in August 2012. But the mission team members won't exactly be chillin' in Miami catching a Heat game (lock-out be damned) during the 1-ton rover's long cruise. No, them dudes will. be. workin'. For example, Curiosity's transport craft will make a series of trajectory changes during its journey, with the first happening in about 2 weeks. An engineering test is also scheduled to occur in the next few weeks, with a check of the rover's 10 science-y instrument-y doodads coming shortly thereafter (hey I didn't get Black Friday off either, suck it up nerds). Mission scientists will spend the 8 and a half month trip preparing for the rover's "peace keeping" spy work on Mars' surface. During this time they'll stage 10 separate operational readiness tests, gauging their ability to respond to any potential fuck ups that may occur. "You're basically just kicking the tires and trying to shake it all out," Caltech's John Grotzinger, MSL's project scientist, told Space.com.

When it does touch down on the Martian surface Curiosity will land at the 100-mile-wide (160-kilometer-wide) Gale Crater. A mound of sediment rises 3 miles (5 km) into the Martian air from Gale's center. The rover will spy on this mountain's many layers, scrutinizing the red dirt and rocks for any signs that Martian environments may once have been habitable. The rover's landing will likely be more nerve racking than its launch did. A rocket-powered sky crane will lower Curiosity down onto the red rock on cables, a ballsy maneuver that has never been tried before (in real life). The MSL team have spent innumerable hours not playing Skyrim but instead designing, testing and validating this unprecedented landing system, and they won't even think about picking up a controller over the next eight and a half months to make sure they have the best chance of successfully getting Curiosity onto Mars' surface. Good luck guys it'll be awesome if you can finally not make Richard Branson sound like a crazy person. Mars here we come!! Props to MSNBC.

Senators Want To Lock Up US Citizens Anywhere Deemed A Battlefield

This story is so ill I didn't bother paraphrasing it. Read and let the senate know this can't be allowed to happen. Props to aclu.org. While nearly all Americans head to family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, the Senate is gearing up for a vote on Monday or Tuesday that goes to the very heart of who we are as Americans. The Senate will be voting on a bill that will direct American military resources not at an enemy shooting at our military in a war zone, but at American citizens and other civilians far from any battlefield — even people in the United States itself.

Senators need to hear from you, on whether you think your front yard is part of a “battlefield” and if any president can send the military anywhere in the world to imprison civilians without charge or trial.

The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. Even Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) raised his concerns about the NDAA detention provisions during last night’s Republican debate. The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself.

The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing.

I know it sounds incredible. New powers to use the military worldwide, even within the United States? Hasn’t anyone told the Senate that Osama bin Laden is dead, that the president is pulling all of the combat troops out of Iraq and trying to figure out how to get combat troops out of Afghanistan too? And American citizens and people picked up on American or Canadian or British streets being sent to military prisons indefinitely without even being charged with a crime. Really? Does anyone think this is a good idea? And why now?

The answer on why now is nothing more than election season politics. The White House, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General have all said that the indefinite detention provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act are harmful and counterproductive. The White House has even threatened a veto. But Senate politics has propelled this bad legislation to the Senate floor.

But there is a way to stop this dangerous legislation. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) is offering the Udall Amendment that will delete the harmful provisions and replace them with a requirement for an orderly Congressional review of detention power. The Udall Amendment will make sure that the bill matches up with American values.

In support of this harmful bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) explained that the bill will “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield” and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial “American citizen or not.” Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) also declared that the bill is needed because “America is part of the battlefield.”

The solution is the Udall Amendment; a way for the Senate to say no to indefinite detention without charge or trial anywhere in the world where any president decides to use the military. Instead of simply going along with a bill that was drafted in secret and is being jammed through the Senate, the Udall Amendment deletes the provisions and sets up an orderly review of detention power. It tries to take the politics out and put American values back in.

In response to proponents of the indefinite detention legislation who contend that the bill “applies to American citizens and designates the world as the battlefield,” and that the “heart of the issue is whether or not the United States is part of the battlefield,” Sen. Udall disagrees, and says that we can win this fight without worldwide war and worldwide indefinite detention.

The senators pushing the indefinite detention proposal have made their goals very clear that they want an okay for a worldwide military battlefield, that even extends to your hometown. That is an extreme position that will forever change our country.

Now is the time to stop this bad idea. Please urge your senators to vote YES on the Udall Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

Sony To Release PS4 At The Same Time As XBOX 720

Good news gamers!! Sony's gaming division is making sure they don't get got by Microsoft again as rumors of the new XBOX console start to make the rounds around the interweb. By keeping close tabs on the Microsoft rumors Sony hopes to not get caught slippin' like they did when the XBOX 360 came out & the PS3 pretty much got left. They hope to release their PS4 console at the same time Microsoft puts out the XBOX 720.

PlayStation Europe president Jim Ryan spoke to Eurogamer and basically said it wouldn't be "a good look" for them to launch a new console on the heels of any updated Xbox, so as to not have to suck Bill Gates' dick again.

Sony is making it pretty clear that they'll announce the Playstation 4 as soon as Microsoft solidifies their plans for a new console. There's a rumor that Microsoft could announce their next Xbox as early as this January. Props to Gizmodo