Monday, September 19: We've Gotta Talk About PR
Shrek's wife was ok I guess, but I never met a Fiona I liked
Bad Bunny Benito (Bah Boney if you real) is arguably the biggest artist on the planet right now, selling out shows coast to coast, starring in movies with Brad Pitt, and generally finding new ways to outdo himself every day. He also recently dropped one of the most interesting and relevant music videos of all time! OF ALL TIME!! Benny is a proud and vocal supporter of Puerto Rico, and his music video addresses the ongoing blackouts and gentrification on the island, among other topics, criticizing the local government for their inaction when it comes to important social issues.
“I hope people in PR can watch my video before the lights go out.”
-Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio aka El Conejito Malo
The timing could not be better/worse, as Puerto Rico was hit hard by hurricane Fiona yesterday, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of island residents and drenching them in more than 10 inches of rain. The controversial private company that handles the electricity grid in Puerto Rico (LUMA Energy) stated that full power restoration could take days due to the magnitude of the storm’s damage. Bag o’ Bones Biden declared an emergency and has authorized FEMA to coordinate disaster relief efforts on the island.
Let’s keep in mind that the United States has used and abused the island for decades, refusing to invest in its infrastructure and consistently disrespecting its residents (remember Trump shooting free throws with paper towels?). All the while, more and more wealthy white Americans have taken advantage of the lower prices on the island and made it their second home, exploiting cheap labor and driving up housing prices. It’s softcore imperialism in real time.
Side Items
New COINTELPRO just dropped. A previously classified, heavily redacted FBI file shows that government agencies were keeping close tabs on prominent activists during the Ferguson demonstrations following Mike Brown’s murder. Darren Seals was a family friend of the Brown family, and was an outspoken critic of both mainstream politicians and activists who took advantage of tragedy to enrich themselves. In September 2016 Seals was found shot and killed in his car, which had also been set on fire. The murder has never been solved…
At long last! Finally, after 10 days marinating in a box, Lizzie is going in the ground. I can honestly say I’ve never seen such absurd pageantry surrounding a funeral. Looking forward to doing it all over again when sausage finger Charlie joins his mum in a few short years
Biden says the pandemic is over. 15,000 Americans died of Covid last month. You do the math
Las Vegas takes the title: The WNBA Finals wrapped up yesterday as the Las Vegas Aces finished off the Connecticut Sun in four games, winning 3-1. This is the first title for the Aces, a relatively new franchise, and it comes in their first year under head coach Becky Hammon. Hopefully they soak in the win, because Candace Parker and the Chicago Sky are coming for blood next season