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Motiveless Crime

Motiveless Crime
A forum for the author and reader. Covers world news and societal aspects including pop culture. Random humor peppered daily to ad flavor.

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Articles

Misrepresentation: How the Media is Spreading AIDS
2008-03-11 21:00:00
Sociological studies of The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) reach far and wide into the topic and encompass nearly three decades of research concerning the epidemic. While many studies begin their analysis with a primer on AIDS and/or HIV such information is not necessarily required for the analysis that is to follow. It is important to note that The World Health Organization tells researchers that there are three zones and patterns of infection inherent in the spread of AIDS: Asia, which now represents the majority of the infection?s growth; the entire continent of Africa, which is possibly the origin of AIDS and also is primarily heterosexual in transmission; and industrialized Western nations make up the last zone. For cultural analysis, we will limit the field of study to the third zone where it is believed that the primary modes of transmission are intravenous drug use and homosexual intercourse (Marshall, 1998). Where other analysts might find credence in...
More About: Media , The Media , Aids

Artist Review: Beth Hart
2008-03-07 02:40:00
Beth Hart isn?t a household name, nor does she strike a fan as the type of person who would want to be one. Four studio albums and a landslide of gumption have lead the songstress into new territory on the most recent album, 37 Days, which was released in Europe in July 2007. From 1996?s humble Immortal beginnings Hart has managed to harness a soul-wrenching voice and musical talent and build upon it until every song on her discography seems to build itself on top of its predecessors. While Screamin? for My Supper (1999) and Leave the Light On (2003) fill the gap between Hart?s Immortal and 37 Days, the musical journey of Beth Hart is the real reason even the casual listener becomes an instant fan. Born in 1972, Hart has yet to reach her 40?s yet each successive album betrays an old-soul who some believe could be a reincarnated Janis Joplin (who died in 1970) or the unknown descendent of Joan Armatrading. The story that led to such passionate and raw talent is what drives and influ...
More About: Artist , Review , Beth

Book Review: Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
2008-03-07 02:18:00
Daniel Woodrell now has eight novels, the majority of which are set in the Missouri Ozarks, where the author resides. His most recent work, Winter ?s Bone, presents the reader with a horrifyingly primal set of characters who live on the fringe of society. The book shines as an easily readable tragedy that has much in common with Dorothy Allison?s Bastard Out of Carolina (Allison endorses Winter?s Bone in its long list of PR snippets). Where Allison creates a compellingly torn character (Bone) whose main goal seems to be surviving and escaping her own hell, Woodrell creates Ree, a character who is comparable but lacking any real control of her own world. Winter?s Bone follows the tale of a young girl named Ree Dolly whose father, a ?crank? cooker, disappears, leaving behind a debt that threatens to take the family home. Aside from Ree, the other characters are broadly drawn and Woodrell?s descriptions seem more focused on propelling action than explaining the motive behind such action...
More About: Book Review , Review , Book , Daniel

Movie Review: Across the Universe
2008-03-06 03:20:00
Very few modern day movies manage to combine the best of American and British culture in the past and present. Even fewer (if any) manage to do it while reworking an entire collection of Beatles’ songs and encapsulating the history of the 60’s in flashes of imagery. Across the Universe attempts to bring all of these slices of apple-pie together in a tightly wrapped package complete with psychedelic ribbon. While some consider the result to be an utter failure (“A yawn and most unforgivably features some appalling arrangements of the Beatles' best-loved songs.” –Washington Post), others believe Across the Universe is a complete ode to Americana with a modern twist (“Here is a bold, beautiful, visually enchanting musical where we walk INTO the theater humming the songs.” – Chicago Sun Times.)Early on the film declares itself as taking two different vantage points, one of which attempts to cover the generational conflicts of the 60’s, the other being a more personal ...
More About: Movie , Movie Review , Review , The Universe

Midwest Marijuana Trade: Local is Always Better
2008-03-06 03:15:00
*Names and locations have been changed to protect sources. ____ College’s marijuana trade originates from the suburbs of Chicago and can at times come from as far as Oklahoma before being sold off in small little plastic bags. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 37.5% of full-time college students use illicit drugs. What most don’t know is that the trafficking of such substances can come from halfway across the country before it makes its way to ____ College. “I’m just the middle-man. Correction: middle-woman.” Alice, a senior from St. Louis, explains while packing a duffle bag for her upcoming trip. Alice, like most others, agreed to be interviewed only if her real name was not revealed. She is packing for a day trip to an outlying Chicago suburb where she hopes to purchase a few ounces of low-grade cannabis. “We don’t really call ahead because that makes our source too nervous about phone taps. Instead we just drive up there and hope ...
More About: Trade , Local , Marijuana , Midwest

Modern Art: Hitler's Other Genocide
2008-03-05 02:00:00
Adolph Hitler and his legion of followers, better known as the Third Reich, are best known for the scores of bodies they accumulated on their path for what they considered to be Aryan supremacy. What most don?t know is that Hitler not only believed in racial supremacy, he also believed that culture, in its many forms, should also follow a certain guideline and norm. Starting January 31, 1933, the day Hitler rose to power in Germany, a massive campaign to change the face and destiny of Modern Art was undertaken. Genocide is perhaps best known as the systematic destruction of a particular race, but if you were to look up the term in the dictionary, it would become clear that genocide can also be the deliberate destruction of a political group as well as a cultural norm. In that regard, Hitler not only attempted to kill off an entire race of people, he also tried to destroy and denigrate the works of countless artists whose work he termed entartete Kuns,t which in English directly tran...
More About: Modern Art

Boxcar Charlie: Man of the Rails
2008-03-05 01:40:00
Charlie has been riding the rails off and on for nearly twenty years and has no intention of stopping anytime soon. An educated man full of secrets, Charlie looks like he was lifted straight out of a Kerouac novel. He can be seen wandering the streets of small towns and hamlets wearing a dark brown tweed jacket, slightly oil-stained jeans and a dark blue button-up shirt. The only reason one would suspect he has no home is because of the graying beard that hangs long and ragged off of his chin, which he calls his ?soup catcher?. ?I?m not sure how many years I have left,? he responds when asked about his time on the rails, ?The winters are long but the summers are bliss.? Charlie pauses in thought and glances at the multi-colored leaves that mark the end of his seasonal bliss. ?Thought I?d missed the leaves changing ?round here. Looks like that global warming stalled it for me.? He laughs, slapping his right knee with glee before quickly falling into deep and...
More About: Charlie , Rails

September 11th: Six Years Ago, Just Yesterday
2007-09-11 21:19:00
September 11th, 2001 was a devastating day for myself and every other American. I was a senior in high school at the time and was working at my desk when another student rushed into the room followed by the principle, who hurriedly started plugging in the TV. The principle, normally a very reserved and composed woman with an easy smile, seemed strained and tight as if she were preparing to see the worst. At that point it had seemed like any other day. Once the TV turned on I knew nothing would ever be the same. Eventually the sound of gasps and news commentary began to filter threw the school and soon everyone was congregated in front of the TV watching in horror as the second plane struck the World Trade Center. I felt myself go numb, as if every drop of blood in my body had suddenly been sucked out. I somehow ended up at the front desk, calling my mother. ?Mom?? ?I?ll be right there.? She semi-croaked and gasped out, obviously aware of what was going on. She had expected...
More About: September 11th , Al Qaeda , Yesterday , Years , September

Something Before Bed
2007-08-29 05:56:00
After all of the storms, literal and figurative, Motiveless Crime is back in action. Of course I must forewarn all readers that things will remain rocky for the coming weeks as I try to balance the site with course work and having a social life. Segments will change in priority as will the times when they are posted. Motiveless Crime will continue pumping out new material whenever possible. Some thing Before Bed is rather simple tonight, considering that one video is 9 minutes long and the other is a short and humorous faux-ad:It is funny because it is true.Ditto.Motiveless Crime is on the rise.
More About: Microsoft , Fore

Motiveless Crime News Headlines
2007-08-29 05:14:00
Dangerous gun battles have interrupted a major religious festival in Iraq this week which draws hundreds of thousands to the holy city of Karbala. The fighting has left over 50 dead with another 200 reportedly wounded. Troops have been called into Karbala to establish order while worshipers have been ordered to leave the city for their own safety. Miltias loyal to the radical Shia cleric, Moqtada Sadr, have been accused of causing the violence while Sadr has denied any involvement and asks for calm. Sadr City in Baghdad has also seen increased violence with reports of five dead.President George W. Bush warned Tuesday that retreating from Iraq could embolden Iran to develop atomic weapons and therefore begin a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Just hours before his announcement, Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad (the President of Iran) stated that his country was ready to fill a "power vacuum" that was being created with the growing U.S. influence within the region. President Bush went on to ...
More About: News , Phone , Afghanistan

Guilty Pleasures
2007-08-29 03:14:00
It has been sometime since Motiveless Crime posted anything. Problems arose when a major storm struck my hometown area and left us without power for a period of time. After that personal issues took control. Right now the blog is in a transition period as we try to figure out how it fits in with the rest of my life and the time that can be applied daily. Without further ado, here is today's Guilty Pleasures.The major story of the week in Hollywood is, of course, Owen Wilson 's attempt at suicide. Slightly after noon on Sunday an ambulance was called to Owen's home in Santa Monica. The log for the call has been passed and made public as an attempted suicide. Reports have it that his older brother, of similar fame, Luke found Owen with his wrist slashed after he took multiple pills. Wilson was transported to St. John's Hospital and was later moved to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Wilson released this statement from the hospital:"I respectfully ask that the media allow...
More About: Britney Spears , Iraq , Brad Pitt , Madonna

Guilty Pleasures
2007-08-23 03:41:00
Lindsay Lohan is working in a Utah supermarket. While this may shock some, those of us in the know realize that this is simply a part of her rehabilitation for drug and alcohol abuse. Lohan was spotted with family in tow wandering the isles of a local supermarket, supposedly not the one she is working at, looking for chocolate. Her mother, brother and little sister all came to see her yesterday and decided to head to a local grocery to get some kicks. While Lohan typically prefers Red Bull and Vodka shooters, she instead opted for some candy. Obviously the visit wasn't to show family support but rather to cause some press to show up. After all, why else would the red-headed stepchild wear all black, as if poking fun at the attempt at a disguise?Lohan has also made news recently when she signed off on an OK! magazine article that is supposed to reveal her time behind bars...I mean, trying to catch up to the wagon....Odd pictures related to the article have surfaced, showing Lohan (q...
More About: Britney Spears , Tom Cruise , Brad Pitt , Justin Timberlake , Guilty Pleasures

Something Before Bed
2007-08-22 06:54:00
Motiveless Crime went on a short sabbatical due to personal issues that inhibited my ability to tend to the site. Luckily I've put those issues behind me and am moving on and letting things come as they may. Tonight's Some thing Before Bed is an attempt at being more streamlined and less cluttered.Annie Lennox, a personal favorite of mine, released her latest music video today. Her new album is slated for release in October but this video gives us some idea of where she is headed:Check out this interesting site which is a clock for everything...and I do mean everything.This is a great, short and entertaining clip. I really can't imagine training yourself to do that sort of thing:Motiveless Crime is on the rise.
More About: Fore

Motiveless Crime News Headlines
2007-08-22 06:39:00
A roadside bomb has killed the governor of the Muthanna province in Iraq on Monday. On the same day a number of men in a group of SUVs kidnapped a senior government minister on a Baghdad street. The attack that killed a governor is the second in less than a week which has been caused by a rise of violence in southern Iraq as Shiite Muslims battle for control of the area. Shiite Muslims are battling for the area, which is rich in oil, as local elections quickly approach. Analysts agree that the violence will only escalate as political factions across the country attempt to gain a place in a newly formed government.It has been announced today that a major database run by the Pentagon that monitors suspicious activity around US military bases will be shut down. Critics of the system, known as TALON, have cited that the database is used against peaceful antiwar protesters. The system is set to shut down on September 17, not because of criticism but instead because of its declining usefu...
More About: News , Barry Bonds , Crime

Guilty Pleasures
2007-08-22 00:45:00
There for a while the celebrity gossip was devoid of Lohan goodness. Then she turned up in a small town in Utah, getting a tan and looking sober. Of course we all know why she is there. Ms. Lohan went on a bender, commandeered an SUV and proceeded to chase after another car and then being arrested and found to have cocaine in her pants. Typical Saturday. But since she reappeared and stepped into the fake sunshine, she has now been spotted all over the place in the Utah wilderness. Apparently Lindsay has reached a point in her rehab cycle where they will allow her to go outside and get some fresh air. She has been spotted biking, running with dogs and even rafting. Of course, during all of this, Lindsay managed to look good and show off the rack.Lindsay is rumored to be sending out word that she would like to get back in the studio for her third album. Obviously this would be the wise choice considering that Hollywood is more than just a little sick of her. Most major studios are pro...
More About: Keira Knightley , Ryan Seacrest , Guilty Pleasures , Guilty

Something Before Bed
2007-08-17 06:33:00
Tonight's Something Before Bed concerns itself with advertising and prejudice. Keep in mind that the two topics are commonly intertwined but the portrayals here are far more humorous than they probably should be.Whoever planned this display either had a sick sense of humor or is utterly devoid of conscience. Perhaps it was both.Seriously, how do you tell Hitler that he stole your seat? I guess the best way would be to insult human rights...maybe then he would simply give it up out of respect? Same thing with George W . Bush.Check out this site which concerns itself with bad, very, very bad, placements of advertisements on websites. Read the headline, then notice the ads that are placed within the same page. It may be hard to do considering most of us are well-trained to ignore them now. Here is just a glimpse:To wrap things up tonight I have come across two very short videos which are both humorous and alarming, much like this site. The first reflects my extreme distaste for the hyp...
More About: Apple , Tokyo , Fore

Motiveless Crime News Headlines
2007-08-16 22:58:00
The death toll from a major earthquake that hit Peru late Wednesday night has reached 450 and continues to grow as emergency workers and volunteers begin sifting through the rubble searching for survivors. The earthquake, which was of an 8.0-magnitude toppled countless homes, churches and other buildings in Peru's central coast. Rescuers can be seen across the area rushing by citizens who are standing on the side of the road next to the bodies of family, friends and neighbors, waiting for directions on what to do with the mass number of deceased. A road near the epicenter of the quake was severely damaged and caused fuel tanks and merchandise trucks to overturn, coating the roads in dangerous chemicals and products. Hospitals across the region are overrun with the injured which are believed to be too numerous to even guess a total.The death toll from Tuesday's four suicide bombings in Iraq has reached past 500 according to reports Wednesday. Iraqi Army and Mosul police earlier rep...
More About: News , Crime , Headlines , Headline , Rime

Guilty Pleasures
2007-08-16 20:46:00
Yesterday's Guilty Pleasures was skipped because too little celebrity news was available. Of course other sites find plenty of fodder in the simplest of actions. They love it when any starlet goes shopping or when any family walks down the street. Here at Motiveless Crime we tend to ignore mundane stories like this. Luckily the celebrities supplied enough for us to put forward a decent Guilty Pleasures today!You really can't escape Britney Spears and her craziness anymore. Britney is not only on the cover of Allure (photoshopped to the max) but also graces the cover of four celebrity tabloid magazines. Us Weekly, Star, Life & Style and OK! Magazine are all using bad images and questionably factual lead stories about Britney for their covers. Among the stories are accusations that Britney has a new female lover, that Britney demanded her nannies to sleep with her and children, Kfed wants more custody and its even been said that Britney told both children that they were mistakes. Ob...

Something Before Bed
2007-08-15 06:59:00
After assimilating the past few weeks of Motiveless Crime News Headlines I began to notice a severe increase in situations that normally are considered flukes and or random attacks on the world. First there was a major bridge collapse in Minneapolis, then one in China and now a major attack on a bridge in Baghdad. Multiple airplane crashes, a bombed railroad track in Russia, tornado in Brooklyn and even 403 lightning deaths in China. The world is truly out of control. Therefore, here is a bit of humor before bedtime:I bet if Lobsters had this option, we wouldn't have such a huge population crisis.HAHAHAHA! It's too just too good. Also, take a look at this study which took into account the IQ scores of voters that voted for John Kerry vs. George W. Bush in the last presidential election.It took me a few seconds to realize why this is so horrible yet so funny. Poor guy didn't even see it coming.Enough said on that note (click the image for a better view). Here is Dick Cheney commen...
More About: Iraq , Republican

Motiveless Crime News Headlines
2007-08-15 06:48:00
A total of four suicide bombers attacked Kurdish Yazidi communities in Iraq today killing at least 175 people and injuring an additional 200 at nearly simultaneous explosions. The death toll is the second highest in Iraq since November when 215 people were killed by car bombs and mortar fire in Sadr City. At least 30 homes were destroyed in the bombings which were aimed at Yazidis which are members of an ancient and primarily Kurdish religion that idolizes an angel creature that both Christians and Muslims identify as the devil. The mayor of Sinjar, a town near the attacks, attributes the attacks to Al-Qaida: "This is a terrorist act and the people targeted are poor Yazidis who have nothing to do with the armed conflict," he said. "Al-Qaida fighters are very active in this area near the Syrian border."Another attack in Iraq killed 10 today when a suicide bomber blew up a bridge north of Baghdad in an attempt to disrupt an American supply route. The bridge in question has been attack...
More About: News , Google , Yahoo , Crime

Guilty Pleasures
2007-08-14 21:10:00
So it seems that Amy Winehouse has finally made a joke out of her hit song "Rehab". Initial reports earlier this week had it that Winehouse had overdosed, was taken to a hospital and then transferred to a rehab facility in London. These turned out to be untrue and it turned out that Amy was actually hanging out and lying low in a hotel. Both Winehouse and her husband are now said to be headed to rehab after witnessing a rather vicious fight between their fathers concerning their shared/mutual addictions. In an odd choice the two have decided to seek treatment in the United States...because that has proven so useful for celebrities.So we all love to hear about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie . In fact some of us check the tabloids first thing in the morning in the hope that some new rumor will surface concerning a possible breakup or even sexual pleasures that one or both enjoy. But today's rumor wasn't as nice and comforting. In fact it appears that the two odd-birds are considering m...
More About: Britney Spears , Desperate Housewives , Guilty Pleasures

Something Before Bed
2007-08-14 06:39:00
If you didn't notice, the roman numerals that normally occompany this segment have been removed. Once the numerals got high enough to warrant second-guessing I figured that it wasn't really worth it. After all, how many people actually read the numerals for what they are?Motiveless Crime has mostly finished its overhaul. Most widgets and buttons are in the place that they will remain in for some time (at least until another overhaul). A few things may still move around but no major changes are on the slate.After putting together tonight's Some thing Before Bed it became apparent that everything was politically charged in one way or another:I want this bumper sticker. Of course I wouldn't put it on my car. Bumper stickers are good for a lot of things, but putting them all over your car is a bit trashy. Still, nice message on this one.Here is a great satirical piece on United States foreign policy. Albeit it is a bit long, but still humorous.If you can't easily read it, click on t...
More About: George W , Fore

Motiveless Crime News Headlines
2007-08-14 06:20:00
Karl Rove announced today that he would be resigning later this month on August 31st. Rove will leave his White House chief of staff position as one of the few remaining members of George W. Bush's original cabinet members that followed him to the White House in 2001. He is known as a bare-knuckle politician who holds the title of being Bush's longest-serving and closest aide. During the announcement today Rove's voice broke many times, betraying the obvious emotional undertow that the announcement had. George W. Bush stood behind his aide the entire time, patting him on the back encouragingly.A bridge that was currently under construction in central China collapsed today killing 14 and injuring 22. The bridge, which spanned the Jiantuo River, was built as a terrorist attraction. Construction workers were removing scaffolding from the structure when it randomly collapsed on Monday. 65 people remain missing from the collapse, most of which were local farmers who had been recruited...
More About: News , Crime , Headlines , Headline , Rime

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