TresSugar

Cheetahs, and Tigers, and Crows, Oh My!

GiggleSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0700

When a wild animal is discovered running loose on the streets, peeps go batsh*t. The animal, on the other hand, remains as calm as can be. The following surveillance footage shows what happens when unsuspecting pedestrians have surprise encounters with animals typically found in the wild. Their reactions, although totally warranted, are hilarious. Most of them make a run for it. Meanwhile, a tiger with a Frisbee in his mouth is left wondering where the hell he can find a bottle of agua up in this liquor store . . .

Crow Adopts Kitten

GiggleSugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:00:00 -0800

I know you guys can't get enough of the interspecies lovin'--and this story is a doozy. This cute little waif of a kitty wasn't just abandoned--she was tossed over a fence into this couple's yard, only to be welcomed into the loving and feathery arms, er, wings of...Moses the crow.

Does Congress's Apology For Jim Crow and Slavery Matter?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:45:35 -0700

As part of Congress's whirlwind-meets-marathon pace (like voting on 10 amendments in one minute at a pace of six seconds per) in order to finish up before the end of session, votes have been fast and furious. The votes aren't on trivial matters either: Whether people should be allowed to register to vote on election days and if Massachusetts can allow out-of-state gay couples to marry are on the agenda. Part of the voting frenzy included a key apology.

The House voted Tuesday to apologize to black Americans for wrongs committed under slavery and Jim Crow laws. The resolution was fronted by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), the only white lawmaker representing a mostly black district (who's also facing a black challenger in a primary next week.) It's not the first time Congress has apologized - they've said sorry to Japanese-Americans for their treatment in WW II and native Hawaiians for the overthrow of their King, but this the first national apology for slavery.

Five states have issued apologies, but Congressional efforts have stalled previously because they've included reparations. The Cohen resolution says that Africans forced into slavery "were brutalized, humiliated, dehumanized and subjected to the indignity of being stripped of their names and heritage." The move is largely symbolic, and given that reparations weren't mentioned, some think the apology is meaningless. "If you don't follow the apology with action, talk is cheap. Talk is less expensive than reparations."

Should Congress have apologized? Are reparations necessary for it to be meaningful?

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Oh Snap! Medal Winner Adds Another Feather to His Cap

TresSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:31:13 -0700

President Obama struggled to award the Medal of Freedom to Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow at today's White House ceremony that turned into a battle of Head of State vs. headdress. The Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the United States, and this year "agents of change" were honored. Check out some of our favorite recipients.

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Do, Dump, or Marry?

DearSugar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:00:54 -0800

Russell Crowe's new movie, American Gangster, opened this weekend, and the former bad boy is getting rave reviews. Though Crowe was once infamous for his bar brawls, he's since transformed into a family man. But is he marrying material?

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Front Page: Halloween's a Treat For Celebrities and Politicians

TresSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:56 -0800

Dressed as a crow, Heidi Klum went all out for her 10th annual Halloween party where countless celebrities celebrated in costumes. - PopSugar
Barack and Michelle Obama welcomed 2,000 trick-or-treaters to the White House Saturday. - Huffington Post
The USS New York, a warship built with steel salvaged from the World Trade Center, made its entrance into New York City today. - BBC News
Afghanistan's runoff presidential election has been canceled after challenger Abdullah Abdullah dropped out because he said the vote would not be free or fair. - AP
The New York City Marathon happened this weekend; here's a look at runners who have cheated throughout history. - New York Times
Michael Jackson's This Is It moonwalked to the top of the box office this weekend, bringing in $21.3 million in its first weekend in theaters. - BuzzSugar

Take Your First Lady to School Day, She'll Bring the Stars

CitizenSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:45:30 -0700

Michelle Obama really has this women's-history-month thing down! Today she organized a star-studded career day that was held at schools throughout the Washington, DC, area.

Friends of the first lady, including Alicia Keys, Sheryl Crow, actress Alfre Woodard, and makeup mogul Bobbi Brown shared inspiring stories of success.

Michelle advised the students to start preparing for college now and told the inquiring minds that, yes, she puts her own clothes on in the morning.

To see more photos of Michelle, her friends, and the excited students, read more.

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American Violet Shows How War on Drugs Is the New Jim Crow

TresSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Imagine if someone with a grudge against you told the police you were a drug dealer. Officers would come to your work and arrest you. Then you'd be told that you could go home right away by taking a plea bargain. That, however, would come with probation, the loss of your right to vote and to accept federal benefits like food stamps and public housing. If you chose to fight the charges, you would have to come up with $70,000 for bail or stay in jail. And if you lost, you'd be facing 15 years.

That's the choice that character Dee Roberts has to make in the new film American Violet. The movie is based on the true story of Regina Kelly, an innocent woman who was urged to plead guilty to drug charges by her family, friends, and public defender so she could return to her children. She chose to fight the charges, and with the help of the ACLU, she took on the system.

I had a chance to see the film at a screening also attended by the filmmaker and Regina's ACLU lawyer. To find out what I learned, and to see the trailer read more.

American Violet depicts a terrifying picture of the American justice system. The district attorney wields totalitarian power over a hardworking single mother who faces shaming and unemployment after her wrongful incarceration. While she struggles with the decision to sue the blatantly racist attorney general and the police, she ultimately decides to do her part to stop those preying on her community.

Filmmaker Bill Haney was moved to make the movie after Regina's story brought him to tears. The reality that this was not an isolated incident encouraged Haney to share her story.

ACLU attorney Graham Boyd explained that drug law and enforcement practices target the black community. And when 95 percent of criminal convictions are a result of aggressively pushed plea bargain deals, millions of innocent African Americans lose their right to vote, especially in the South.

It's no coincidence the panel argued, that the so-called War on Drugs was soon declared after the Voting Rights Act was passed in the 1960s.

American Violet is now playing in select theaters. The story of a woman who took on the system - bolstered by her strong bond with her mother and four daughters - it will make you second guess the War on Drugs if you hadn't already.

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Yes We Can Buy a CD to Support Obama Campaign

LibertySugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:15:12 -0700

Pro-Obama musicians have teamed up to record "Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement." Proceeds of the first-ever campaign compilation will support Obama's campaign. The artists also hope that the music will mobilize voters.

So whose voices make up a grassroots movement? Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Lionel Richie, Kanye West, Adam Levine, and John Legend all grace the album, whose self-proclaimed inspiration is "hope, unity, and change." It also includes excerpts from Obama's speeches. You can either download, or purchase the CD on Barack Obama's website. Will you pick up the Obama soundtrack, while you're waiting on the world to change?

To see the whole list of tracks, read more.

"Eternity" - Lionel Richie
"Signed Sealed Delivered" - Stevie Wonder
"Waiting on the World to Change" - John Mayer
"American Prayer" - Dave Stewart
"Battle Cry" - Shontelle
"Make It Better" - Los Lonely Boys
"Pride in the Name of Love" - John Legend
"I Have a Dream" - BeBe Winans
"Am I All Alone" - Suai
"One Is the Magic #" - Jill Scott
"Love & Hope" - Ozomatli
"Looking East" - Jackson Browne
"Out of Our heads" - Sheryl Crow
"Promised Land" - Malik Yusef with Kanye West and Adam Levine of Maroon 5
"Hold On" - Yolanda Adams
"America the Beautiful" - Keb' Mo'
"America" - Ken Stacey
"Wide River" - Buddy Mille

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Castells Competition Builds Human Castles in the Sky

LibertySugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:00:29 -0700

If you thought the gravity defying feats your college cheerleading squad performed were awe-inspiring, we can probably agree the 22nd Tarragona Castells Competition in Tarragona, Spain was breathtaking.

The annual human towers or castells (a Catalonian word that means "castles") event took place this weekend, drawing spectators from across the globe and some very nimble participants.

The competition is a bit of a cultural phenomenon - the tradition originated at the end of the 18th century in Valls, Tarragona, when rival groups of people called colles turned creating different kinds of human towers into a competitive sport, according to Castellers de Barcelona.

The last person to climb the whole tower is the anxaneta, a young girl or boy who, on arriving at the very summit raises his or her arm and salutes the public. This is the highlight of the event and the crowing moment for the castell.

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