Art of Blogging

What the fuck.

There’s your introduction. That’s what this column is going to be for.

(Okay, maybe a bit more than that.)

At some point, we all feel the need to let a WTF fly. If your alarm wakes you up with a start from a blissful night’s sleep, you might find yourself taking an inquisitive look at your iHome and asking it, “What the fuck, it’s already nine?”

Perhaps a friend does something you’re not happy about (Dude, What the fuck?) or you find yourself watching Mitt Romney wax un-poetic on foreign affairs. (What the fuck…)

Everyone has their Threshold of WTFication – and for some people, it’s much lower than others.

I am one of those people. As the creator of the Site for the Educated Sports Fan, I am (surprise!) a diehard sports fan. Thus, my WTF moments are—more often, than not—sports-related.

Everyone at FanMan tries to adhere to the edict of “educated” sports fandom as best they can. We try to stay grounded and avoid overreaction. We do our very best to be rational, to take every development with a shakerful of salt.

But there are times where we let it all loose, where we become so frustrated by what’s happening in the sports world—no, what’s being said about what’s happening in the sports world—that we have no choice but to release our anger into the universe. Or onto the page.

In reality, the whole concept of FanMan was built off a foundation of WTF. All of us got sick and tired of what we were listening to on a broadcast, reading in an ‘expert’ column or hearing on PTI.

Generally, this pent-up anger is released in our writing, as we mold our WTFs into a lengthy explanation of why we’re so confused/pissed/right and the other party is so ignorant/disingenuous/wrong.

Alas, we are only thirty men. It is impossible to write a full column on every single transgression that’s making us tear our hair out.

There is, however, enough time to write one column. And as both the creator and editor of this fine publication as well as the ring leader of the WTF brigade, I’m more than happy to take up the task.

Welcome to “The Week in WTF.”

At risk of spoling future editions of this column, and without getting into too much detail, let me say this: my WTF moments aren’t exactly rare. So, every Wednesday week, I will transform seven day’s worth of sports WTFs into one rant-all column.

You might come to find me ranting over one particularly unforgivable transgression. You might come to find me "curating” a variety of subjects.  Frankly, it all depends on how dumb/off-base the sports world is on any given week.

(It’s also a safe bet that Tim Tebow’s name will appear in this column at some point.)

Now, to stop you from WTFing at the length of this intro, allow me to sign off.

We’ll be back tomorrow. 

What the fuck.

There’s your introduction. That’s what this column is going to be for.

(Okay, maybe a bit more than that.)

At some point, we all feel the need to let a WTF fly. If your alarm wakes you up with a start from a blissful night’s sleep, you might find yourself taking an inquisitive look at your iHome and asking it, “What the fuck, it’s already nine?”

Perhaps a friend does something you’re not happy about (Dude, What the fuck?) or you find yourself watching Mitt Romney wax un-poetic on foreign affairs. (What the fuck…)

Everyone has their Threshold of WTFication — and for some people, it’s much lower than others.

I am one of those people. As the creator of the Site for the Educated Sports Fan, I am (surprise!) a diehard sports fan. Thus, my WTF moments are—more often, than not—sports-related.

Everyone at FanMan tries to adhere to the edict of “educated” sports fandom as best they can. We try to stay grounded and avoid overreaction. We do our very best to be rational, to take every development with a shakerful of salt.

But there are times where we let it all loose, where we become so frustrated by what’s happening in the sports world—no, what’s being said about what’s happening in the sports world—that we have no choice but to release our anger into the universe. Or onto the page.

In reality, the whole concept of FanMan was built off a foundation of WTF. All of us got sick and tired of what we were listening to on a broadcast, reading in an ‘expert’ column or hearing on PTI.

Generally, this pent-up anger is released in our writing, as we mold our WTFs into a lengthy explanation of why we’re so confused/pissed/right and the other party is so ignorant/disingenuous/wrong.

Alas, we are only thirty men. It is impossible to write a full column on every single transgression that’s making us tear our hair out.

There is, however, enough time to write one column. And as both the creator and editor of this fine publication as well as the ring leader of the WTF brigade, I’m more than happy to take up the task.

Welcome to “The Week in WTF.”

At risk of spoling future editions of this column, and without getting into too much detail, let me say this: my WTF moments aren’t exactly rare. So, every Wednesday week, I will transform seven day’s worth of sports WTFs into one rant-all column.

You might come to find me ranting over one particularly unforgivable transgression. You might come to find me “curating” a variety of subjects.  Frankly, it all depends on how dumb/off-base the sports world is on any given week.

(It’s also a safe bet that Tim Tebow’s name will appear in this column at some point.)

Now, to stop you from WTFing at the length of this intro, allow me to sign off.

We’ll be back tomorrow. 

There can be no peace as long as there is grinding poverty, social injustice, inequality, oppression, environmental degradation, and as long as the weak and small continue to be trodden by the mighty and powerful. — Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. – Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Nature is what makes us feel alive. From Thoreau to McKibben, Emerson to Van Jones, the ability to escape into nature and discover ourselves is something we recognize as fundamental to the human experience…

The sun warms my arms on a fall morning as I help rake leaves in the front yard and feel the crisp air in my lungs. Pumpkins line our porch, displaying the general range of emotions that seven-year-old me understands: happy, sad, angry, confused. The sun’s already beginning to set. My brother jumps into the pile, shrieking with laughter, both hands raised high in the air.

There’s a lot of stripes out here in the Badlands. Did God paint those? The sky is bruised and gray for miles around. My mom points out a big cluster of clouds flashing with lightning and pouring rain out in the distance. I’ve never seen a storm that wasn’t right above me. We speed on through the desert, bluegrass playing on the stereo and wind whipping at the doors.

The wooden shacks in the community all perch above pitch black trash water. Everyone dumps their extra food, tras, and waste into the trash water. I imagine a lazy summer day at my house: two nice lawns, a backyard tree, anthills forming along the sidewalk cracks. I wake up at midnight and realize with dread that I have to go to the bathroom… I flick on the light switch and, sure enough, one of Thailand’s largest spiders is hanging out on the wall again. He’s brown, juicy and plump, the size of a small plate, and loves to wait up just for me. In the early morning hours, a dull stench rises from the trash water and slowly fades as the sun comes up. In the morning, I force myself to look into the water. I spot several chip bags, plastic bottles, a school of little fish. How can anything survive in this environment?

What reminds me that I’m alive? What makes my mind race and heart flutter? What gives me a sense of positive burden and challenges me to imagine the way things could be? My passion for social justice: to fight on behalf of the poor and give a voice to the voiceless. For me, the environmental justice movement is a holistic approach to the most complex social justice issues that oppress people today.

The concept behind the term “environmental justice” is that all people – regardless of race, color, nation or income – are able to enjoy equal amounts of environmental protection. The EJ movement acknowledges that the world’s poor are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and advocates for these communities. Research shows that environmental disasters, hazardous land use, and irresponsible pollution affect low-income people of color first and worst around the globe. There are so many “David vs Goliath” stories out there: giant corporations taking over land, toxic spills, mountain top removal. Injustices that ruin the health of a community and displace the vulnerable poor to make room for economic growth. And in most of these stories, Goliath wins. But the defining characteristic of the EJ movement is hope: hope that green jobs, fair land use and grassroots commitment to justice can save us all. In this blog, I hope to discover my personal perspective and passion for EJ by staying informed and getting plugged into valuable resources in the city. I particularly want to highlight some of these David and Goliath stories, particularly from a local (Vanderbilt/Nashville) or current (Election 2012) perspective.

You can read one example of a David vs. Goliath story here, in an article I published in the 2011 Vanderbilt Undergraduate Research Journal. It’s about the horrific use of pesticides on migrant farmworkers and their inability to speak out against the injustice because of their illegal status: http://ejournals.library.vanderbilt.edu/index.php/vurj/article/view/2923

I’m also interested in focusing on the role of race in environmental injustices. I’ve had several eye-opening conversations with white friends here at Vandy who believe we live in a post-racial society, that nobody really treats each other differently based on the color of their skin, that institutionalized and personal racism is a thing of the past. This is just not true. Yes, race has a big influence on socioeconomic class; however, from the built-in biases of the criminal justice system to the overwhelming placement of landfills in communities of color, it’s clear that we’re not as “colorblind” as my friends seem to think.

I’ve taken a few classes at Vanderbilt that addressed the human cost of climate change, and a few years ago I attended a student missions conference in St. Louis where I heard for the first time a Christian perspective on climate change: a combination of stewarding God’s creation, caring for the needs of the poor, and embracing the joys of simple living. My impressions of the stereotypical Republican politician, a Christian who denounces climate change and fights against clean energy bills, didn’t match up with our priorities to serve the poor and live simply. How can we love our neighbor across town or across the globe without caring for his health and wellbeing?

Championing environmental justice is something we all can do, regardless of background, privilege, political beliefs, anything else that divides us and claims that some people deserve to live healthier lives than others. I hope you will join me!

Until next week,

Summy

My name is Jesse Golomb and I like sports.

Of course, I am not alone.

As a sports fan, I’ve been looking for something for a while: a place to read and discuss compelling sports opinions; a site that eschews the quantitative nature of the 24/7 media (get me more content! now!) in favor of quality fan perspective.

Here too, I know I am not alone.

So I did something about it.

Welcome to how sports media should be.

Welcome to TheFanManifesto.

At TheFanManifesto, we are simply in the business of being fans. And as fans, we’re not beholden to the dollar. We don’t publish anything just for the sake of it, or provide sensationalistic opinions just to double our clicks and advertising revenue. We want you to believe what we’re saying because we believe it. Not because Skip Bayless told us so.

What we offer here is something that — incredibly, against all odds — can’t be found elsewhere on the internet; a destination for level-headed sports fans searching not for regurgitation, but for analysis. A forum for our writers and our readers to write and incite compelling arguments.

For the past 18 months, I’ve poured my life into this website. I’m not going to lie to you: it hasn’t always been easy, and we – not surprisingly – haven’t always reached our ideal of an opinion-driven site that stays rational and controversial at the same time.

But we’re working at it. And as we move forward, more and more people are devoting themselves to the fulfillment of that ideal.

Everyone that writes for our site believes in our brand and our message. See, I’m always surfing the web, keeping an eye out for writers who might have an eye for what we’re doing here. Because no matter who we take on our how many writers do work under our masthead, all of us have one thing in common: a commitment to provide you with unique, original and evocative content on a daily basis. And to do so in a readable, reactionary and rational manner.

Nowhere else on the web will you find what attempt to we offer here. The Big Boys (SI, Yahoo, ESPN, FoxSports) are news aggregators that offer a few columns a day on each respective sport. As a visitor to BleacherReport, how do I know which pieces are professional and worthwhile, and which are SEO crap?

Here, you’ll never find regurgitated news reports, tired story angles or disingenuous perspectives. Sensationalism and overreaction lie by the wayside. Nothing about how last night’s two interception game means its Tebowtime. Nothing about how LeBron James needs to be traded. Nothing about one win portending 25 more.

It’s not contrarianism. At FanMan, we like to attribute that adjective to common thinking. For all the talk about how the mainstream media is agenda-driven and corrupted by sensationalism, the coverage of our pastimes have been infected as well.

The perpetuation of the 24-hour news cycle requires the creation—or at the very least, the unnecessary expansion—of stories and angles that may not have merit. For everything that ESPN does well, a visit to the company website often requires one to wade through a giant pile of Wally Matthews to get to what they want.

At FanMan, we look to distill this oversaturation into a digestible interface and readable, rational and reactionary content. No deadlines, no meddling sponsors and no oversight means that there’s no reason to write anything that we don’t believe in. And with even more on the way, we hope you will keep returning to the site to find more grounded perspectives on the issues that matter to you most as a fan.

So explore. Since we don’t necessarily adhere to the news cycle, most of our content stays relevant long after posting. Examine our long list of Manifestos – opinion-based pieces that serve to settle (or perhaps even start) difficult debates. Follow the FanMan twitter feed (@TheFanManifesto) for shorter-form, quicker-hitting, up-to-the-minute analysis. Take a peak into the sports-specific sections to hone in more on what matters to you.

And keep checking back, as TheFanManifesto will continue to–ahem–manifest itself on a daily basis. Original, controversial and rational content every day. That’s a trifecta that’s almost impossible to come by these days.

But you’ll find it here. So stay along for the ride. Read the arguments and respond in the comments section. Start a debate. Do whatever you please. As an educated Sports Fan, this is your playground, your place to be involved with similarly level-headed diehards.

You are not alone.

This is your Manifesto.

Sincerely,

Jesse Golomb

Editor-in-Chief and Founder, TheFanManifesto

Let Hip Hop Ring

After days of consideration, I decided that my blog’s name would be ‘Let Hip Hop Ring’. This is an obvious play on the phrase ‘Let freedom ring.’  Freedom is essential to America and with my blog I hope to show that hip hop is essential to America (well not as essential as freedom) and that America is also essential to hip hop.

Before writing a blog about hip hop, I thought it would be good to get a solid definition of what hip hop really is, so of course my first stop was the dictionary (well actually dictionary.com).  And this is what I got:

So, my first question when reading this definition was “What the heck is a ‘big-city teenager’?” Personally, I really disliked this definition so I kept on looking.  After hours of searching, I found out what I already knew – there are so many misconceptions of hip hop.  Is it music or is it a culture? Is it the same as rap, or different than rap? Where was it founded? Are there still only four elements of hip hop? Is hip hop dead due to the commercialization of many major hip hop artists? The list could go on and on, so I don’t think there is one simplified definition of hip hop.  It has evolved over the years, and means different things to different people.

But what do people who are not invested in the hip hop culture, such as our moms, dads, grandparents, and to be stereotypical, most white people, think about hip hop? My parents think it’s ghetto and my white friends generally like the ‘hip hop’ played on the radio, but usually don’t know about the other elements of hip hop or the underground artists that make hip hop so great.

Hip hop gets a lot of shade from older people and more conservative people about it’s womanizing aspects, violence, drug references, and use of words like n*gga, b*tch, h*e, etc.  But what about the outstanding lyricism of Tupac Shakur?

“The war on drugs is a war on you and me. And yet they say this is the Home of the Free But if you ask me its all about hypocrisy The constitution, yo, it don’t apply to me, Lady Liberty still the b*tch lied to me”

This lyric has violence, drugs, profanity, but it is so profound.  It gives a voice to those who don’t have a voice. It shows the anger Tupac and the people in his community have towards the government.  And there are so many other examples from artists that show that they care about much more than “f*cking b*tches and getting money”

Hip hop artists are always incorporating what’s current in their music.  Gay rights, Women’s rights, Civil rights, presidential elections and much more have all been explored hip hop artists.  Hip Hop is more than just violence, swearing, and womanizing.  So many artists are not only influenced by the streets, but also politics, culture, art, fashion and current events and many other aspects of life that people often forget. 

I’m not your typical hip hop blogger.  Most of my friends and family call me “white girl,” I try to be a lil Gangster, but everyone tells me itdoesn’t work for me, and I use slang in the most awkward ways possible. But my goal is to use my ‘hip hop flaws’ to my advantage and create a blog like none other.  The combination of my passions for hip hop, politics, American culture, and writing will hopefully help my readers get a better understanding of Hip Hop and how it relates to the world outside of the hood.  I want my blog to be a hybrid of a Urban gossip blog such as necolebitchie.com, a political blog such as huffingtonpost.com/howard-fineman and a hip hop music blog such as 2dopeboyz.com.  My goal for my blog is for it to be entertaining, educational, and inspiring.  I want to break down walls, barriers, and stereotypes, to build a greater appreciation of the hip hop culture. Let hip hop ring!

In the 2008 presidential election, voter turnout for the youth population aged 18-29 increased by about 2 million voters, and was around 2 percentage points higher than in 2004. This was one of the highest rates of youth turnout ever recorded in a presidential race, and marked a significant effort to encourage youth participation with programs such as Rock the Vote. However, of the 78% of registered voters who planned on voting in 2012, only 51% actually did. Of the youth voters registered for this year’s election, only 58% plan on participating. While young voter turnout in the last election was impressive, it wasn’t lasting, and shows that a decline in the youth vote is still as steady as ever.

For college students who aren’t students of politics, interest in the subject seems to be waning.  We no longer live in a time when the State of the Union address attracts the most viewers on TV, or where political information is easy to access, easy to digest, or commonly accepted. Where political discussion and compromise are valued instead of discouraged.

Even with active campus political groups like College Democrats and College Republicans, as well as a large number of college-age students who have an interest in being politically conscious, student activism is hardly what it was during the ‘60s. At that time in our nation’s story of political unrest, young voters had an interest in the civil rights movement and anti-war/draft protests. The closest comparison to this era of student-led protests has been the Occupy movement – but even this was far from the student participation in Vietnam protests and Civil Rights gatherings.

In our new political era where ideological warfare is common even among the political leaders of our country, I would argue that political conversations have become more taxing, if not entirely unwelcome. In the event that politics has become taboo, are we, the individual, left in a state of political solitude?

With twitter updating every second, internet blogs every few minutes, and more recognized news sources every hour, our youth electorate is caught under an avalanche of news and often can’t find their way to the top. Under these circumstances, to remain up to date with the influx of relevant information is in itself time consuming and isolating. When social media has taken over as the most frequent and efficient means of conversation, face-to-face discussion seems to fall to the wayside.

But what does this mean for college age voters? Sheltered as we sometimes are in the comfort of our university it seems even more likely that we would turn our backs on a political society defined by disagreement, misinformation, and personal bias. To turn our backs on something that could take years to understand when we have mere minutes.

This blog is being written for every student with the heart of an activist, but no time to be one. It is being written to simplify the politics of this year’s coming election, and provide information relevant to college-age students, without the hassle of absorbing every political news story of the day. This blog is an experiment in escaping the solitude of political involvement, and allowing politics to be a priority, not a disturbance.

My goal is to inspire more of our uninterested and indifferent generation to be passionate about political discussion, and feel empowered to contribute as activists, voters, and catalysts of political dialogue. In order to escape a place of political solitude, we must inspire a generation from apathy to interest, from isolation to collectivism.

Not only should we be responsible for our present, but we have an obligation to construct the kind of future which we might expect others to construct for us. Activism doesn’t apply just to rallies and marches, but to every aspect of political involvement. Only through this reformed view of student activism is our generation able to create a community of responsible citizens – through unified action, informed dialogue, and collective interest. The point of this blog is to inspire the part of every young adult voter in our country that needs encouragement in order to escape the isolation and create our own change.