Jason Rhode
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Articles by Jason Rhode
Soul Asylum - Slowly but Shirley (Album Review)
Some bands have instant name recognition for one reason or another, but how many know what they are truly about?
Serj Tankian - Foundations (EP Review)
Famously known as the voice of System of a Down, Serj Tankian is a very unique character. An Armenian-American, while he has been writing songs with System of a Down for thirty years, as well as a solo artist for nearly twenty years, no one can deny one of the biggest attractions to Tankian is his notorious singing style.
Kat von D - My Side of the Mountain (Album Review)
While most may recognize the name Kat von D as a famed tattooist, turned television celebrity thanks to interest in TLC series LA Ink, there is still much more to her artistry. Becoming well-known during LA Ink’s four season run (2007-11), in that time she was seen tattooing various celebrities at her shop High Voltage Tattoo in Los Angeles, but again, had a lot more to offer.
Nada Surf - Moon Mirror (Album Review)
Coming together over thirty years ago, Nada Surf’s melodies and intriguing guitar notes have captivated fans from all over the world. Now decades later, the band are back with their new album Moon Mirror.
Cuckoo (Movie Review)
David Cronenberg is considered the Father of the Body Horror genre in film since 1975’s Shivers. Now in 2024 Writer/Director Tilman Singer continues to carry the mantle with his second full feature, the German/US co-produced Cuckoo. Released in theaters on August 9th through NEON, Cuckoo has a ton of buzz, starring Hunter Schafer of Euphoria fame, Jan Bluthardt (Luz 2018), and Marton Csokas (xXx 2002, The Equalizer 2014).
Alien: Romulus (Movie Review)
Cryptic RockCrypticRockMovie ReviewsNewsReviews Comments(0) Looking up the word Romulus and you learn that he was the first king of Rome. So, it is peculiar to find that the newly released Alien: Romulus fits between 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens in the timeline. Hitting theaters on August 16, 2024, Alien: Romulus is Fede Álvarez’s (known for 2013’s Evil Dead and 2016’s Don’t Breathe) foray into the Alien franchise.
7 ways to pave the path for remote and flexible work on your campus
The past year has been unlike any other and for obvious reasons. Not only has the scope of roles in supporting the online teaching and learning enterprise radically changed, but so also the environment and mode in which we’ve been working. Prior to the pandemic, much of higher ed required in-person work, my institution being no exception.
Virginia should lead the way on redistricting reform
The 1812 political cartoon that helped popularize the "Gerry-mander," named for Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry. (Public domain) By Sam Wang, Aaron Barden and Jason Rhode This year, Virginia once again has the chance to act as history-maker. Amendment 1 on the statewide ballot will create a hybrid, bipartisan redistricting commission that meaningfully includes citizens for the first time.
Politicians and Media Don’t Really Understand How Hacking Works
Hackers are everywhere. Hackers are omnipotent. Hackers are terrorists. Or so we've been told since the 2016 election, when the Democratic National Committee got hacked. Last year, former DNC chair Donna Brazile released a book about the email leak. The title was "Hacks." She wrote: While you’re laughing, the hackers are dropping malware into your system. They can also use voice mail if the phone system is integrated with the computer network.
Why Insufferable People Love Infinite Jest
David Foster Wallace’s tennis-academy-tale has been out for two decades. Like most Big Works by Important Authors, the novel has never lacked for admirers. But why are so many insufferable people in love with Infinite Jest? What about it drives them to read it, and to insist other folks do as well? One of the most unpleasant people I ever knew adored Infinite Jest—just loved it. Once, he lifted the book to his lips, and kissed it. Talk about an entertainment you can’t quit.
The Woke Fence - Mother Jones Endorses a Neoliberal Vision of Trump's Border Wall
Mother Jones published one of the most hideous takes imaginable on April 21. The piece, by Daniel Setiawan, was titled “If There’s Going to Be a Wall, Let It Be This Collaboration Between American and Mexican Designers.” The title is the high point; it all goes downhill from there. WOKE FENCE The story itself is pretty simple: Trump solicited proposals for his inane barrier, and two hundred large-souled applicants sent in their applications.
Gay & LGBT Atlanta News
Photos by Jean Bartlett once... Did you get your photo taken by The Georgia Voice last weekend at Atlanta Pride? Check them out here! Save... Thank you to everyone who came out last night to our annual Best of Atlanta awards ceremony! You can find... Photos from the Atlanta Braves Pride Night pre-game party at the Coca-Cola Roxy on June 14.... Photos from Purim Off Ponce, a costume party with proceeds going to SOJOURN. This year’s event was held on March...
Our Federal Government is the Marvel Universe
Share Tweet Submit Pin Washington’s balance of power will be thrown in broad relief in October, as a ritualized battle named impeachment kicks into top gear. There’s going to be a lot of questions around a lot of dinner tables: Why is Pelosi in charge of impeaching Trump? Why does the Court matter in this drama? Does the President have the power to quash the investigation? Most people don’t understand the relationship between Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court.
Watch the Numbers: Why Democrats Are Dead Right to Move Impeachment Forward
The first lesson of politics is to be able to count. - Lyndon Johnson When you consider the impeachment of President Donald Trump, there are three sets of relevant numbers. They aren’t the dates of his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, or the number of times that Trump urged Zelensky to work with Giuliani. The first set of relevant figures are 50 percent and 48 percent.
Sign Language: How Robert O'Brien and WeWork Explain America
Share Tweet Submit Pin The story of American politics this week is the story of two impressive institutions: the Office of the National Security Advisor, and the company WeWork. First, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor, or NSA. The most recent, and most important news to come out of the White House last week was the sacking of John Bolton and his replacement by Robert O’Brien.
Is Vladimir Putin Losing Power? The Elections in Russia, Explained
Share Tweet Submit Pin For some reason, I keep hearing about an election in Moscow. Why does that matter? Can you tell me in a sentence? On Sep. 8, Moscow had elections for its city council, Putin’s side lost seats when they weren’t supposed to, and this suggests the Russian government’s strength is weakening. Can you elaborate? There was a long protest summer in Russia, where activists called for free and fair elections. There are 45 seats in the Moscow Duma, i.e. the City Council.
The Hong Kong Protests, Explained
Can you explain the Hong Kong protests in a single sentence? In March, China wanted Hong Kong to accept an extradition law, Hong Kong disagreed, the law was rolled back, but the protests have grown to encompass deep grievances Hong Kong holds toward mainland China. Can you expand on that a little? What’s the background? China essentially told the Hong Kong government to pass an extradition bill. The law meant that Hong Kong citizens would fall under Chinese law in certain circumstances.
The Brexit Mess, Explained for Confused Americans
I’m hearing a lot of news from the United Kingdom. What’s happening over there? Can you give it to me in a few sentences? The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, wants the UK to leave the European Union by Halloween, with or without a deal. Most of Parliament disagrees with him. He’s tried to use strong-arm tactics, and it hasn’t gone over well. The Johnson government is falling apart.
There Won't Be a "Next" Donald Trump. Here's Why.
According to David Maraniss, during his years as Governor, Bill Clintonalways returned a single question, one that his aides never stopped hearing: “What’s next?” What’s next? What’s the next campaign stop? What’s the next race? What’s the next item on the list? What’s next? What’s next? What’s next? Right now, as far as politics goes, that question looms large in the forefront of the collective imagination. We, frankly, don’t know what’s next. Salvation, when Trump loses.
It's Time to Redraw the Borders of Politics: Why Constraints Matter
Share Tweet Submit Pin Politics is the art of the possible. But our idea of what’s politically possible is mostly dictated by arbitrary constraints. The battle over constraints is the real war in American politics. When you control what the constraints are, you control politics. The recent success of the left can be traced back to throwing away the old constraints, and proposing new ones. Therefore, progressives should spend more time redefining constraints.
Epstein is Dead, But the Case Will Never Close
A depraved billionaire died in Manhattan this weekend, and this story will never leave us. I understood this from the moment I heard the news. I was hanging out with a buddy Saturday morning. My friend asked me about the suicide. I said I hadn’t heard. He asked if I was joking. I assured him I wasn’t—I am immune to the evils of hot news on weekends. Then he told me about Epstein. And then I descended into being very online. I quit browsing Twitter a couple of weeks ago.
Millennial Life is Uniquely Tough-Yes, Really-and Last Weekend's Shootings Explain Why
Share Tweet Submit Pin In the back and forth between Clinton and Gingrich, and in the elections of 2000 and 2004, I sometimes felt as if I were watching the psychodrama of the baby boom generation — a tale rooted in old grudges and revenge plots hatched on a handful of college campuses long ago — played out on the national stage. - Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope The political waning of the Boomers is at hand. This conservative generation will be eclipsed, and soon.
We Have Every Reason to Yell: Centrism Lost At The Debates
If we truly care about lifting up every voice and fighting on behalf of the issues that keep Americans up at night, let’s start by making our conversations civil and productive. #YouDontHaveToYellpic.twitter.com/OLsP1qeSze — Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) July 31, 2019 Then I will draw near to you for judgment.
A Reminder: There Was No Trump Realignment, and Centrism Is Still Bad Politics
There wasn’t a Trump-based realignment after 2012. I don’t think this would come as a big surprise to anyone who’s paying attention, who knows American history, or has read a poll—ever. Americans, and people in general, agree with progressive stances. Polls show this, and they show it consistently, and have shown it across time. But a new study confirms what everything else in the universe is already whispering to us.
Let the Mueller Farce End
Let the Mueller farce end. He was called. He came. He went. Nothing new was learned. The New York Times: In seven hours of highly anticipated back-to-back hearings before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, Mr. Mueller, the special counsel who led the probe into Russia’s interference and whether Trump associates participated in it, hewed tightly to his script — the 448-page report he and his team produced in April.
Why You Should Meditate In the Age of Trump
“Do it live! I’ll write it and we’ll do it live!” - Bill O’Reilly, Inside Edition I meditate on the regular. Is it because I wanted psychic powers? Maybe. Yes. No. Sort of. I refuse to answer this question. But look at how many bad things haven’t happened on my watch, and I guess you have your answer. In reality, I meditate for two reasons. I meditate because meditation improves life. Full stop. Not just the experience of life, but the way you live.
What Trump's "Go Back" Insult Really Means
This article is, of course, about Donald Trump’s horrific tweet of the other day. If you haven’t seen his most recent burst of white supremacy, I’ll save you a Google. Here’s Reuters on it: Support for U.S. President Donald Trump increased slightly among Republicans after he lashed out on Twitter over the weekend in a racially charged attack on four minority Democratic congresswomen, a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll shows.
The ICE Raids Are Donald Trump's Saddest, Most Transparent Failure
Share Tweet Submit Pin With his ICE raids, Trump is trying to sell what isn’t there. He’s raiding people who aren’t a threat, who haven’t really committed a crime, in cities that are against him, using a tiny agency, obeying a mandate he doesn’t have, to force an issue that doesn’t really exist. It couldn’t be any more make-believe and hollow unless he slapped “Trump” on it. The ICE raids are the story of his life. And of his presidency.
Ross Perot Saw It Coming
Share Tweet Submit Pin Ross Perot… wha else is there to say? As a kid, he taught me it was okay to be weird — brian feldman (@bafeldman) July 9, 2019 H. Ross Perot is dead, and a part of Texas dies with him. To understand Perot, you must understand my beloved homeland, Texas. Frankly, only a Texan could have done what Perot did. Perot’s campaign required the fantastic, world-beating hubris of Texas. He had the two principal Texas virtues: 1) A lack of patience with bullshit.
The Media Ignored Jeff Epstein Until They Couldn't
Share Tweet Submit Pin Everybody knows, everybody knows That’s how it goes Everybody knows —Leonard Cohen In the case of the United States vs. Jeffrey Epstein, the bare facts are easily stated. From the New York Times on July 9, 2019: Prosecutors in New York have accused the billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls and of asking them to recruit others. What about the facts which immediately surround the bare facts? They are easily stated, too.
On the Second Debate: The Murder of Joe Biden, Marianne the Magnificent, and More
Share Tweet Submit Pin When he feels confident, Trump pictures the Wednesday night Dems. When he feels afraid, the President thinks about the Thursday night Dems. Thursday evening kicked off like an old tractor engine in a playpen: there was a powerful, growling, cranked-up mojo in a bright space. The Kids’ Table debate seemed to need moderators. During the Adult Evening, I thought the candidates might actually eat the talking heads.
The Winner of the First Democratic Debate Was the Rising Seas
Share Tweet Submit Pin It’s been a while. – Staind. Before we discuss what happened last night, a simple point of protocol. These are the only serious candidates from the first Democratic Debate: The candidates were asked: what's our biggest threat? @ewarren: climate change@BetoORourke: climate change@CoryBooker: climate change@JulianCastro: climate change These folks got the answer right. The other candidates did not. #DemDebate — Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) June 27, 2019 That's it.
On Student Debt and Everything Else, the Best Politicians Speak to the Audience (And Not the Pundit)
Share Tweet Submit Pin If politics confuses you, think about the audience. It’s the master-key. The audience explains everything. Here’s an example. Bernie Sandersjust advocated canceling student debt. The centrists seemed genuinely shocked: where had the idea come from? The country’s leading establishment paper, the New York Times, was aghast. They were so upset at Bernie, they lobbed a hand-wringing at him. It was baffling and sad to watch. Just the lamest kind of concern-trolling.
For Politicians, Raising Money Is Easy. But Spending It Smartly Requires an Actual Ideology.
Share Tweet Submit Pin In politics, raising money is not the hard part. When all’s said and all’s done, the tougher game is deciding what to do with the money. It is simpler and quicker to raise money effectively than it is to spend it well. By spend it well, I mean using money for 1) effective ads on behalf of 2) good candidates, for the purpose of 3) popular, winning ideas. If there was a formula for spending money well, those of us in the American political class would have figured it out by now.
Tea Party 1, Obama 0: The Most Enduring Campaigns Are About the Public, Not the Candidate
Share Tweet Submit Pin Don’t get me wrong: I know how it looks, as the drunk burglar said to the bar owner. I mean, the Democrats have 22 candidates for office, and the Republicans have a half-functioning man up for re-election. The media focuses on these 22.5 people day and night. Magazines run profiles about them; Twitter snaps pictures of them in public; CNN hosts town halls for them. With that kind of saturation, how could you not think that campaigns were about the candidates?
For Democrats, Joe Biden Is the Dangerous Choice That *Feels* Safe
Share Tweet Submit Pin Imagine you’re the producer of a hypothetical Broadway show. There’s a lot on the line. So, you’re concerned. You’re worried about letting down the big star who’s the centerpiece of the show. You’ve got serious concerns about recouping your investors’ risk. Most of all—more than you would even admit—you don’t want the talking heads, the people you and all your friends know, to savage your enterprise. How do you make sure it can’t fail? How do you rig the game in your favor?
Do the Rules Apply to You? A Paste Politics Primer
Share Tweet Submit Pin “Norm!” - Literally every episode of Cheers, ever. As part of the duty to our readership, Paste occasionally publishes useful information notices concerning matters before the public eye. This is one such explainer. Today, Paste asks a crucial question: perhaps the most important question you can ask: do the rules apply to me?
Why Bran Stark Is Not Enough to Rescue Our Politics
Share Tweet Submit Pin Our audience is constantly renewing itself, The political times and the climate is changing. We’re always aware that whoever our audience is now, it doesn’t matter what matters we’ve told in the past—it’s going to be fresh for them. — Degrassi: Next Class co-creator Linda Schuyler Nothing being proposed in politics is new. The sun shines all day, but never on a new idea.
The Nightmare Team: Trump's Cabinet Will Never Be Surpassed For Pure Monstrosity
Folks, the most recent horrors have got me thinking. I’m referring to the elimination of female autonomy in Alabama, and the Trump Administration’s lust for war with Iran. These are the newest developments in a long, loathsome Presidency. It’s an odd time to be a political journalist. By contrast, sportswriters live in a world of repetition. Not just in the subject of their writing, but in the writing itself.
Forget the Kitchen Table: All Politics Is Aspirational
Every time a Democrat says something like "we need to focus on kitchen table issue instead of impeachment," they almost always mean "tax credits" instead of "relieving your soul-crushing student debt" or "removing the profit motive from healthcare" https://t.co/kLGSVDiDxW — Paul Blest (@pblest) April 30, 2019 Let’s talk about the kitchen table. Those two words are code for “approved aspirations.” Nothing less, and nothing more.
Centrist Candidates Need to Answer One Question
Share Tweet Submit Pin This is a story about two crises, one line, and one question. We’re entering primary season. Lots of moderate Democrats want to be President. There’s a specific media cycle for centrist candidates. First, excitement. Second, everyone does research on the candidate. Third, disappointment follows. If you watch this close enough, you notice a pattern. It doesn’t matter who the centrist candidate is.
"Gretchen Wieners Hath Been Crack'd": Why Mean Girls Works as a Shakespearean Play
“Fetch” has definitely happened. Ian Doescher’s Shakespeare-inspired Mean Girls works, and it works well. Released alongside his Back to the Future adaptation, Much Ado About Mean Girls reimagines Tina Fey’s screenplay as an Elizabethan play. It’s a tricky premise to get right, but Doescher hits the mark. Shakespeare understood character dynamics, and he helped audiences understand themselves.
Ian Doescher's Shakespearean Back to the Future Retelling Improves on the Movie
“O, call back yesterday, bid time return.” —William Shakespeare, Richard II What if Back to the Future no longer seemed stuck in 1985, 2015 or 1885? What if the story really did span time? With Ian Doescher’s Get Thee Back to the Future!, we’ve gotten as close as humanly possible. Doescher has made a trade of rendering today’s pop culture into Shakespearean plays, starting in 2013 by writing the Star Wars movies in Bardic lingo.
Nancy Pelosi Doesn't Like the Left. Here's Why.
Share Tweet Submit Pin “But our message, our progressive message, is down the middle.” — Nancy Pelosi, 60 Minutes What does Nancy Pelosi want, really? We know what the Democratic Speaker doesn’t care about. As Splinter noted: On Friday night, the president tweeted out a video that included now-familiar clips of Rep. Ilhan Omar speaking to the Council on American-Islamic Relations in March, juxtaposed with images of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The 15 Best Grant Morrison Comics of All Time
Share Tweet Submit Pin “Never underestimate the sentimentality of a Scotsman, Clark.”—Batman, JLA #12: “Rock of Ages” ALERT ALERT INCOMING: PSYCHOSOMATIC EMOTI-MEMORY TRIGGER DESIGNATE: MORRISON, GRANT – SEQUENTIAL ART IMAGINAUT – PASTE-RADIA IS ACTIVATED NOT A DREAM / NOT AN IMAGINARY STORY BEYOND THE SUPERUNKNOWN LIES THE FULL ONSLAUGHT OF ALL-ENCOMPASSING SELF-STUFF ::: ALL IS ONE MAKE READY FOR THE REIFICATION OF MORRISONIAN RANKING LIST Scottish Genius. Paragon heroes. Sequential Panels.
Matt Taibbi's Hate, Inc. Is a (Mostly) Brilliant Indictment of American Media
When American journalism finishes its own Book of Revelations, Matt Taibbi’s name will be on the title page. Until the last trumpet sounds, he’s assured of readership. The man’s been writing postmodern New Journalism for the last twenty-odd years, at a string of impressive publications. Most recently, and most famously, he’s occupied the Hunter Thompson berth at Rolling Stone. During the last two elections, Taibbi returned to glory what P.J. O’Rourke so dismally stained.
Joe Biden Is Paying the Price of History, and It's About Time
Share Tweet Submit Pin “I don’t feel responsible for the sins of my father and grandfather. I feel responsible for what the situation is today, for the sins of my own generation. And I’ll be damned if I feel responsible to pay for what happened 300 years ago.” —Joe Biden, 1975 When people talk about Joe Biden, they’re talking about history. If you ask his supporters, they’ll give you that answer. “Why should we vote for him?” History. “Why should I support him?” He was with Obama: history.
AOC Is Cooler Than Obama. Here's Why That Matters
At Paste, we understand most political questions can be complicated. And yet, to quote from Love Actually, “sometimes things are so transparency, they don’t need evidential proof.” Here it is: The moment you accept that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is cooler than Barack Obamais the day you begin to truly live. It is the exact moment your progressive political soul stops dying. The Obama-AOC conflict is there, between the lines, waiting to emerge.
People Fell For Russiagate For the Same Reason They Fell For Elizabeth Holmes
The Mueller report has arrived, and a season of emotional trauma comes with it. Across the Internet, Twitter account after Twitter account asks: This is it? I accused strangers of being literally and forever Putin for this? In the harsh and completely predictable hangover light, let’s take a second to pause and ask: what in the goodly hell happened to the center-left? Most of the wise people who really studied Russiagate concluded the final result would be underwhelming.
From the Admissions Scandal to Chelsea Clinton to Meghan McCain, Legacies Are the Enemy
Share Tweet Submit Pin Whenever the rate of return on capital is significantly and durably higher than the growth rate of the economy, it is all but inevitable that inheritance (of fortunes accumulated in the past) predominates over saving (wealth accumulated in the present). ... wealth originating in the past automatically grows more rapidly, even without labor, than wealth stemming from work, which can be saved.
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