News Genius Quotes Of The Week, 08/23/2013

Will we ever have a week where something in every single sector of news, sports, and politics avoids a shattering scandal? Probably not. Thankfully, nothing is as obvious as it seems, which is where News Genius comes in. As long as bias, subtext, and outright lies continue to make headlines, the need to break down the realities becomes more apparent. News Genius: listen to “Dark Side of the Moon” at a reasonable volume - Gavin Matthews

5. “The Plaintiffs, who have the utmost respect for and admiration of Marvin Gaye, Funkadelic and their musical legacies, reluctantly file this action in the face of multiple adverse claims from alleged successors...” - Robin Thicke, Blurred Lines Lawsuit

dayandadream.com

By now, you probably think that the evil Robin Thicke is suing the innocent Marvin Gaye family over “Blurred Lines,” the hit song that self-admittedly is influenced by pieces of Gaye’s catalog. Cut and dry, right? Wrong. As it turns out, certain parties who own “sounds” of Marvin Gaye and Parliament Funkadelic have been repeatedly harassing Thicke and his label over the song, despite having little legal basis. Acting similar to “patent trolls,” they hope to draw Thicke into an expensive legal battle that forces a settlement, profiting from legal stress and very loose claims of copied “feel.” Rather than face it, Thicke’s legal team decided to preemptively sue the parties, preventing the court battle from ever coming about. Music may get its biggest influences from the past, but that never justifies abusing the legal system for a quick dollar.

4. “...the president and the administration believe that targeting individual marijuana users...is not the best allocation of federal law enforcement resources.” - Josh Earnest, White House Stance on Medical Marijuana

i2.cdn.turner.com

After the massive success of his recent change of face on marijuana, Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently asked the White House about its current stance on the drug. Not surprisingly, the same line fed to the press for the past 5 years came up: the White House “only” targets traffickers and dealers. While that sounds nice, the reality is startlingly different: President Obama is the most harsh president in history in terms of marijuana persecution. While otherwise innocent people are sent to jail for cultivating medical strains and pursuing personal use, the exceedingly ivory capitol continues to bait the law. The upside? At least we have Seattle police!

3. “EVA for 2 hours 40 minutes” - NASA, Apollo 11 Flight Plan

wired.com

News does not have to be “new” to continue make a mark on the world. Case in point: Apollo 11. While everyone knows about the flight, few know the actual process of getting to and back from the moon. Thankfully, News Genius breaks it down. Why is “EVA for 2 hours 40 minutes” so important? That 160 minutes may be one of the single most significant moments in history: man’s first steps on the moon. In NASA’s massive understatement is hidden Neil Armstrong’s famous speech, 50 pounds of moon rocks, and the planting of international symbols of peace. In a time when space travel again appears poised to return, looking back to the surprisingly recent roots makes the future seem even more amazing.

2. “I have disappointed the people closest to me -- the ones who fought for me because they truly believed me all along. I kept the truth from everyone.” - Ryan Braun, Mea Culpa

sportsgrid.com

2013 is not a player’s year. With Major League Baseball’s renewed vigor in enforcing its hard ban on performance enhancing drugs, players across the league have fallen. Ryan Braun, outfielder for the Brewers, is no exception. After one of the more public disputes over guilt, leading to a 65 game suspension, Braun finally came clean one month later: he indeed used drugs. While he blames injury recovery and a stupid decision for the error, he honorably refuses to blame others and takes the fall. While his partners in crime, like Alex Rodriguez, continue to oppose and battle the rules, a good choice like Braun’s gives hope for the sport. Even still, we have Suzuki!

1. “As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female.” - Pfc. Chelsea Manning, The Next Stage of My Life

static.guim.co.uk

In light of his 35 year prison sentence (with parole eligibility in 5 years), everyone expected convicted whistleblower Bradley Manning’s first statement to be about the coming jail term. However, Manning shocked everyone by announcing something entirely different: he has, and will now, identify as a female: Chelsea Manning. Hoping to pursue hormone therapy, Manning will use the sentence as a chance to become what he has wanted to be, living life under a perspective that, until this year, would have spelled dishonorable discharge in the military. For the bigots: before you get angry over “cosmetic drugs for war criminals,” realize that the military does not cover hormone therapy: this will be entirely out of pocket. Godspeed, Chelsea.