The Weekly Swarm: 12/22 - 12/28
2014 was a great year of progress here at Ruby Hornet. 2015 will see even more progress and evolution, and while it might take some time for all of the moving parts to gel together, I can promise the final product will be well worth the wait. Thank you to everybody that's been along for the ride - you're awesome.
With the holiday last week, we had a bit of a half-week. I also imagine this week will be more of the same. However, we'll still be rocking some quality content. If you missed out on any of our stuff last week because of family get-togethers, The Weekly Swarm has you covered!
Pallbearer and the "Hipster Metal" Phenomenon
FDA Will Now Accept Blood Donations from Gay and Bisexual Men
Silicon Valley: Best Show on TV?
[Trailer] Focus
Netflix to Exclusively Release Pee-Wee Herman Film
Sony Authorizes Select Screenings of The Interview
[Weekly Netflix Fix] Happy Holidays
FDA Will Now Accept Blood Donations from Gay and Bisexual Men
Once upon a time, I used to be a superhero. My lifesaving career began sometime in high school and continued until my early 20s, when I was told I wasn't good enough to save lives anymore. The Food and Drug Administration, at the time, had a restriction in place that didn't allow potential donors to donate blood for 365 days following receiving a tattoo. As a regular blood donor, it was a downer to be restricted to how much I wanted to actually help others, but I could understand. After all, improper tattoo practices can lead to devastating diseases, and the last thing anybody wants is to be given tainted blood because of a faulty tattoo needle. Since then, the FDA eased restrictions on tattooed donors, allowing us to donate 24 hours after receiving a new tattoo.
However, one decades-long restriction is progressing towards being lifted slightly when the FDA announced they will lift the ban on gay donors. Set in place during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, men who have had sex with other men were given life-long bans from donating blood. At the time, it was a safety precaution to protect from AIDS and HIV at a time when the disease was still mysterious and essentially a death sentence. With advancements in both medical and scientific technology, the ban in recent years was seen as an outdated and unnecessary restriction.
The move echoes the country's growing acceptance of homosexuality, especially in the light of same-sex marriages being close to legal across the entire nation. However, while the move is a move in the right direction, a restriction is still put in place that disallows potential male donors from donating blood if they've had sex with another man in the previous 12-month period.
The Williams Institute at UCLA estimates the change will amount to an additional 317,000 pints of blood annually, which amounts to roughly 951,000 potential lives saved. If you haven't donated blood before, find a clinic or organization that does! Trust me, there's nothing better in the world than being able to tell people you're a superhero and actually mean it.
[via New York Times]
The Weekly Swarm: 12/15 - 12/21
The last full week of 2014 is here, so I hope you're all able to finish this New Year's Resolutions in time and get some good karma under your belt in time for Christmas. We'll probably have a shortened week due to the holiday, so re-visit some of last week's content to keep your minds going, including articles like Travis' review of Danny Brown's recent Chicago show, Obama's announcement that the US will resume diplomatic talks with Cuba, an analysis of the different philosophies found in Interstellar and 2001, exactly what's going on between North Korea and Sony, LA's initiative to equip its cops with body cameras, and more!
[RH Photos] Danny Brown at Thalia Hall (12/12/2014)
Bridjet’s Top 10 Live Performances of 2014
United States, Cuba to Renew Diplomatic Talks
Travis Marmon's Top 10 Albums of 2014
[The Friday Five] What to Know in Music This Week (12/15 - 12/19)
Bridjet's Top 10 Albums of 2014
[Trailer] Knight of Cups
Sony Hackers Threaten Attacks on Theaters that Screen The Interview
Romanticism vs Enlightenment in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Interstellar
[Weekly Netflix Fix] Mid-December Update
The Canceled Interview: Sony Bows to Hackers, North Korea Wins, and No One is Laughing
[Trailer] American Sniper
Danielle Tunstall's Horror-Themed Portrait Photography
UK Journalists Show Support for Professional Photographers
Los Angeles is Mandating Body Cameras for Its Police Force
Los Angeles is Mandating Body Cameras for Its Police Force
In a move that will hopefully set the precedent for other major American cities, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced earlier this week that he will be equipping body cameras on every single police officer in the city. While Garcetti's plan is to purchase 7,000 cameras, the first wave will consist of 800 cameras used in areas with high crime rates and police activity. $1.5 million in private funds has been raised for the initiative, with Garcetti's budget to include funding for the rest of the 7,000 cameras to be used citywide.
The initiative is the first step in assuring police are held accountable for their actions and to bring transparency to those who "serve the law." Garcetti elaborated further during his announcement, stating:
Out on the street, things aren’t always clear cut. These cameras will help law enforcement and the public alike find the truth — and truth is essential to the trust between the LAPD and the community, which has been a key factor in lowering crime to record lows.
It's unfortunate that it took the in flux of high-profile cases of police brutality this year to push the button, but the announcement is a step in the right direction for a safer future. There's the old adage "Who watches the watchmen?" If the initiative is successful and becomes the standard for all American cops, the answer will be everybody.
[via PetaPixel]
UK Journalists Show Support for Professional Photographers
In the always-evolving world of journalism, flexibility with multiple abilities and skills has become just as paramount as writing talents. In moves that promote both cost-cutting and finding multi-faceted workers, the world of journalism has become a realm for people with multimedia backgrounds to thrive and flourish. However, the growth towards this direction has left some of the old school behind, while others are put into uncomfortable situations where their duties happen to include aspects outside of their abilities.
Chicago served as one of the most prime examples of the changing landscape of journalism in 2013 when the Chicago Sun-Times laid off 28 full-time staff photographers to opt for journalists and reporters to handle photographic duties, oftentimes from their smartphones. The results were less than stellar, as you can see in the example below featuring the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup win later that summer - on the left is a professional photograph published by the Chicago Tribune, on the right is the photograph published by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The National Union of Journalists in the United Kingdom and Ireland have banded together to protest against the growing change in journalism by refusing to take assignments that should be assigned to professional photographers. The show of solidarity further proves the importance of keeping professional photographers on staff, but also indicates how vital proper photographs can be in crafting the story being written.
The National Union of Journalists thusly ask the question:
Who will be there to do it when [photographers are] gone? An over-stretched reporter or an unpaid member of the public simply whipping out a smart-phone to take a quick snap smacks of exploitation.
The last thing we want happening in the world is mainstream news outlets running stories with TMZ-quality photos and videos. I just shudder at the thought.
[via PetaPixel]
United States, Cuba to Renew Diplomatic Talks
Today, President Obama announced that the United States and Cuba will resume talks to better build diplomatic relations. The announcement comes on the heels of the release of American Alan Gross, who had been in captivity in Cuba for the past five years. The United States, in turn, released three Cuban spies who had been imprisoned since 2001. While the fifty-year-long embargo is still in place, the two nations will have discussions to either ease up on the restrictions or to lift the embargo entirely.
During his speech, President Obama discussed the history of the embargo and how the policy has hurt both nations, stating:
We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries [...] These 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked. It’s time for a new approach.
Cuban President Raul Castro made a joint-announcement, stating:
We have been able to advance the solutions of some themes of interest to both nations. This decision of President Obama deserves the respect and acknowledgment of our people. This does not mean the principal issue has been resolved. The blockade which causes much human and economic damage to our country should cease.
Presidents Obama and Castro spoke on the phone Tuesday, marking the first time leaders of both nations spoke directly with one another in more than 50 years. The rekindling of national relations was conducted in secret over the past 18 months with Canada hosting talks and Pope Francis personally requesting relations be healed, going so far as to hold the final meeting between the two nations in the Vatican.
You can watch President Obama's full speech below.
[youtube id="JbfFmcqjQpk"]
[via New York Times]
Sony Hackers Threaten Attacks on Theaters that Screen The Interview
If you're as attentive to the news as I am, I'm sure you're familiar with the controversy over the Sony hackings that have taken place over the past few weeks that have resulted in Sony computers getting bricked, sensitive information being leaked, and even full films released online. I've made a conscious decision to not report on the various hackings due to the nature of how the information was gleaned, but when serious threats are made, it's hard to turn the other cheek.
Variety is reporting that the group that has taken claim to the hacks has issued a terrorist threat targeting theaters that will be screening the Seth Rogen and James Franco-led The Interview. The full message reads as follows:
Warning
We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places “The Interview” be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to.
Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made.
The world will be full of fear.
Remember the 11th of September 2001.
We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time.
(If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)
Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
All the world will denounce the SONY.
For those that may not remember, North Korea took major offense to the film when the first trailers were released earlier this summer, with the country's government denouncing the comedy as an "act of war." Indeed, the Sony hacks have been publicly seen as retaliation for the film, with even more damage teased and threatened upon the film's release on Christmas.
I'm not one to fall victim to online threats and rumors, but given the extensive threat level being made, and the fact that the group has already caused insurmountable damage across Sony Pictures Entertainment, this latest threat is hard to ignore. As somebody whose local theater is literally at the end of his block, I can honestly say I'm a tad bit concerned about the threats being made. Be careful, true believers.
[via Variety]
Danielle Tunstall's Horror-Themed Portrait Photography
Photos by Danielle Tunstall.
Earlier this month, Gizmodo's sister site SPLOID shared some photos from UK photographer/graphic designer Danielle Tunstall. However, despite being spotlit at the beginning of December, Tunstall's photos are better suited for Halloween. The portraits, some of which you can see below, are rooted in shock horror with their focus on the grotesque. What some might find disturbing, others might find beautiful, and the beauty within Tunstall's details are what make Tunstall's photos so engrossing (no pun intended). Tunstall's photos is also enhanced by entrancing makeup work and post-processing that further highlights the details.
You can check out some of Tunstall's photos below, and be sure to visit her website for more from her portfolio.
[via SPLOID]
