Thursday, July 23, 2009

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Dear Editor,
I would like to bring up the topic of California’s Proposition 8 which has been rising up a lot of issues lately, especially for the gay community of Vermont. Proposition 8 was a ballet that was passed in November of 2008 which is in favor of banning gay marriage in the state of California. The gay community in Vermont is very strong, and to have this prop passed created serious havoc. Many law suits have been filed against this and it becoming a big issue. Personally I feel that it is very unfair to have even have made such a proposition. Marriage is something sacred that should be shared with everyone no matter their sexual preference. Today more and more people have been coming out and they should be able to feel comfortable and treated equally in their own state. California is a big state and may have influence on what other states choose to do. Gay rights are not to be looked over, and I feel that maybe if more marketing of the communities’ activities and awareness presentation was made people will stop discriminating against gay individuals and take the time to learn more. I know every year there is a big parade through downtown Burlington, Vermont and if that is promoted more, hopefully it will make a difference.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine McGrath

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Regulation of Exotic Animals Editorial

 

Dear Editor,

 

I have always had a soft spot for animals.  Growing up, instead of sitting in front of a television, I read Zoobooks, and was always outside exploring the natural world right in my own backyard.  By the time I was in high school, I came to the realization that animals are something I am always going to be strongly interested, and I began to be more and more intrigued by the world’s creatures.  Now that I am on the cusp of owning my own residence, I am eager to have my own pet.  However, the traditional animals such as cats and dogs do not really interest me, so I have been exploring the possibility of an exotic pet.

The definition of an exotic pet is always changing, although it currently seems to be anything besides dogs, cats, fish, or small birds, although I am looking at stranger animals as a possible companion.  However, in my research, I came to the realization that this is no easy task, and have been somewhat disturbed by some of the information I found.  It seems that many people who take on the challenge of raising an exotic animal do not consider how difficult it can be. Most exotic animals have a very specific diet, which can be hard to maintain.  Often the animal gets too large, or behaves in a manner that is dangerous for the owner, such as in Stamford, Connecticut chimpanzee attack back in February.  People seem to forget that these are wild animals, and often times are not properly qualified to raise them.

I know that black markets exist and a wide array of animals are circulated illegally (just last week I came across a webpage selling anything from rhinos to sharks, which can’t be legal.) but surely there must be a better way to go about regulating exotic animals?  Rules such as the ones that ban the import of primates but permits breeding show that there are still many loopholes in the regulation process.  The fact is, these are all wild animals, and unless the owner is properly qualified, they put both themselves and their pet in danger. Does anyone else see a problem with the current system?

 

Brad Fishkin

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band



After dropping their two successful albums Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread, which are reggae dub versions of Pink Floyd and Radiohead albums, Easy Star All-Stars are set to drop their newest experiment on April 14th.  If their past albums are any indication, this album is going to be the freshness.  Check out iTunes to pick up the singles "With A Little Help From My Friends" and the dub version.  If your in the Burlington area around 5/14 be sure to check them out.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Iller Thriller Redux

This is actually Sean, the somewhat belligerent yet mild mannered ramblin' man of Champlain, hitting up the Beat Therapy blog with BFishkin's permishkin (holy puns batman).

As you all probably know already, our very own Brad made his own mashup concept album in collaboration with Chad. All the attendees of Beat Therapy have most likely heard the album and the pitch more times then they can count, but ima kick off the blog with a single from said album anyway.




Download Don't Trip Billie



Download Chad's albums and his collab with Brad here



PEACE

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Beat Therapy Rundown

If for some reason you aren't familiar with it, Beat Therapy is an hour long variety show on Champlain College's streaming internet radio station, the Champlain Wave.  Hosted by me, Ben, and Conor, we try and expose our listeners to new and good music.  You can get access to it here.

http://radio.champlain.edu

Be sure to tune in Wednesday nights at 8:00 pm, EST.  Its worth checking out.  Also, if you are on Facebook, you should check out the show's group here.

Beat Therapy Blog

So after finishing up last night's show, I decided that I wanted to contribute more to our listening audience besides a weekly hour of music.  I am going to post past shows, set lists, and general hip hop news (mainly stolen from other blogs) in addition to other miscellaneous stuff. 

I hope you all enjoy the blog!