The
Impossible Music Sessions are evenings of an American band covering the music of foreign band which is cannot appear for political reasons - they are not allowed to travel by their government for example. The first band to be covered is Iran's The Plastic Wave (their website is down, but for reference it is
here.
Myspace.
You Tube.)
The second band is Guinea Bissau's Baloberos Crew which Impossible Music describes as "a group of hip hop artists who have faced intimidation by the military police because their lyrics are critical of the government." (limited information on the Impossible Music site
here)
Via
All Things Considered.
posted by shothotbot
on Jun 30, 2010 -
3 comments
Reviving an
ancient practice, churches are exposing sinners and shunning those who won't repent. Unfortunately, some of the worshipers are expelled not because of willful or unrepentant sins, but for criticizing the pastor on matters of
church polity. "A lot of times, flocks aren't willing to submit or be obedient to God. If somebody is not willing to be helped,
they forfeit their membership."
posted by mrducts
on Jan 18, 2008 -
130 comments
The Censored Eleven [
IMDB] is a
group of Warner Brothers cartoons that have been withheld from syndication because of their racial stereotypes:
Hittin' the Trail to Hallelujah Land (1931;
info),
Sunday Go to Meetin' Time (1936;
info),
Clean Pastures (1937;
info),
Uncle Tom's Bungalow (1937),
Jungle Jitters (1938),
The Isle of Pingo Pongo (1938),
All This and Rabbit Stew (1941;
info),
Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (1943;
info),
Tin Pan Alley Cats (1943;
info),
Angel Puss (1944), and
Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears (1944).
[more inside]
posted by kirkaracha
on Jul 10, 2007 -
65 comments
Regularly marred by casualties, the two-day
Basant festival in Pakistan leaves 11 dead and more than 100 injured. Kite flyers often use strings made of wire or coated with ground glass to try to cross and cut a rival's string or damage the other kite, often after betting on the outcome.
Previously mentioned on mefi, the practice was banned in 2005 because the sport has become increasingly deadly. The ban on kite running was temporarily lifted for this year's festival.
In an obvious flip-side, the ban proved to be a huge loss to the kite-twine manufacturers.
posted by beta male
on Feb 26, 2007 -
11 comments
Malaysian bookstore Silverfish Books recently
pubhlished a list of books restricted by the Malaysian Home Ministry (confiscated at the border by Customs) - a list that includes
Chinese teapots,
children's prayers, and
Dora the Explorer. Banned books & magazines
aren't exactly news in Malaysia; indeed, possession of said books can lead to
severe penalties, even jail time.The Opposition
has made a statement before, but that hasn't led anywhere. However, since Silverfish's list, Malaysian bloggers have had enough with the arbitrary and Kafka-esque bans and restrictions, and have come together to form
Manuscripts Don't Burn, to protest and talk about banned books and the larger issue of freedom of speech in Malaysia.
posted by divabat
on Nov 7, 2006 -
19 comments
TSA Alert: US Bans Vegemite. Is it because this yeast extract
tastes bad? Do the
Marmite^ people have some sinister influence? Has Australia
offended our government somehow? How is it that a product that has been around for
80 years suddenly becomes forbidden? Who would ban a product that can help prevent
neural tube defects (e.g., spina bifida)?
Blame the FDA, whose has ruled that folate (
folic acid) "should be kept under 1 mg per day ... because higher intake may complicate the diagnosis of
pernicious anemia, one form of vitamin B12 deficiency, which especially affects older people." Of course pernicious anemia is rare (less than 10-20 cases/100,000 people per year in the US), as is the Vegemite market. But when has logic ever dictated policy. The
international fallout has already started:
"I am never going to America", vows Xochiquetal, while a commenter at Geelong blogger Bernie Slattery’s site foresees US regulators going even further down the road to absurdity, "Americans don’t know what they’re missing … they’ll be banning Tim Tams next."
If the government wanted to ban something Australian, the least they could have done is started
here.
posted by scblackman
on Oct 23, 2006 -
47 comments
'Make no mistakes about it', Lake Superior State University issued its 28th annual
'extreme' List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness, which the world needs
'now, more than ever'.
posted by LinusMines
on Jan 1, 2003 -
54 comments
Race-based Science Project Banned Forgetting for a moment how flimsy the premise of science projects at the 5th grade age can be, I think this is a great project. Does anyone find this offensive? Should children be allowed to discuss race and racism in broad daylight and among their peers?
posted by amanda
on Feb 21, 2001 -
49 comments
