ESPN’s Social Media Win On Super Bowl Media Day

On Tuesday morning, SportsCenter’s Twitter account asked for followers to submit questions that they would want answered by Giants and Patriots players during the Super Bowl’s media day. I replied with a insightfully silly question: Who is your favorite ninja turtle and why?

I wasn’t expecting an answer, let alone an acknowledgement, but it turns out the social media folks at SportsCenter and ESPN were listening dutifully to the social conversation. Within an hour and a half of my Tweet, my question was chosen, a reporter on the ground asked the question to Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and the answer was taped, put online, and Tweeted out to me and the general public.

Think about those dynamics for a moment. Through following a brand on Twitter, I was able to connect with a major athlete about to play in the Super Bowl about a show we both watched as children. Now that’s successful social engagement.

And it certainly didn’t hurt the answer was pretty good (though the right answer is Leonardo – sorry BenJarvus):

The Best Of 2011 In Satire And Politics On The PBH Network

5. The Real Difference Between Europe And America

This year the global recession has caused many to draw comparisons between the United States and Europe. But is there much of a difference? Here’s an image-based list for you to ponder.

4. The College Lifestyle In Pictures

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drunken missives —-reverb—-

artifice as vé·ri·té

so

just say how to make it right and i swear ————————————————-

]revisions and gaps in history[

you…. you still have all the answers.

A Night With Nero

Coming of age in metropolitan Washington DC in the late 90’s, I was fortunate enough to be a participant in and observant of the high water mark of the electronica scene in the area. Ushered in by Buzz and Yoshitoshi, the Washington EDM scene was marked by high-profile appearances while cultivating local talent in distinct sub-genres from deep house to jungle to psytrance.

Needless to say, I would be considered a part of (relatively speaking) the old guard of the electronica subculture, distinct from the developments of the last 10 years — most notably the rise of dubstep. Some of the older clique have viewed the popularity of dubstep as diluting the rest of the electronic scene while rewarding a form that is seen as more produced than created. However, having no distinct opinion and having never been to a dubstep show, I jumped at the opportunity to see the world-renowned Nero presented by Beats by Dre.

Within the confines of a cozy store in SoHo, I was one of approximately 100 individuals to enjoy an hour long set by Nero. The audience trended younger but was comprised of obvious fans of the music, meaning the atmosphere as well as the music had a noticeable bounce. While I was unfamiliar with a majority of the Nero catalog, the ambiance and acoustics harkened me back to headier days spent in lilliputian outposts filled with young rave acolytes and the requisite sensory overload.

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Examining Racism In Modern Justice And Criminology

There continues to be very real and pervasive elements of racism and classism in the American justice system. Though elements of the law seem colorblind and judicious, the practice of policing, identifying, and punishing ‘criminal’ behavior have taken very serious racial undertones.

Criminal profiling is the process of using known principles of psychology and criminology to create the profile of a potential offender. That’s usually what you see when all the detectives of Law & Order: Criminal Intent get together and start putting pictures, pins, and evidence up on a cork board. There is little evidence that this criminal profiling is actually effective, as it mostly relies on common sense justifications. It is, nonetheless, a tactic that is used in police stations across the country.

The ugly stepsister of criminal profiling is racial profiling. On the surface, it seems to make sense. If reported suspects include a 5’4 white woman and a 6’2 black man, why would the police search for anyone else? Unfortunately, eyewitnesses are often incorrect and influenced by outside factors, and racial profiling can have damaging effects on those innocent people who “fit the profile.”

One of the biggest stories to hit the press in recent years occurred in a vibrant college town in Virginia. For over six years, a serial rapist haunted the town of Charlottesville, home of the University of Virginia. From 1997 to 2003, the police were unable to catch the man who raped at least six women, and devised a plan to acquire the DNA of every person who met the suspects profile. Unfortunately, the information was extremely limited: police had a series of sketches depicting very different people, with the only common denominator being the suspect was a black male:

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