White House: 'Today is Not the Day' for Gun Control Debate - VIDEO

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was asked today about Obama's campaign promise to work to review the proposed assault weapons ban. Carney told reporters that given the unfolding status of the horrific tragedy in Connecticut "today is not the day" to engage in policy debates about gun control.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Kagan Praises Scalia, Says Wisdom Required in 'Disruptive' Cases

SCOTUS Justice Elena Kagan gives an interview to Politico:

Saying she genuinely “loves” her colleagues, Kagan praised her frequent intellectual opponent, Justice Antonin Scalia – with whom she revealed she spent three days hunting in Wyoming this fall. Asked to discuss how she interprets the language in laws the justices consider, Kagan credited Scalia with changing the direction of the court.

“This is in some ways a testament to one of my colleagues, to Justice Scalia, because if you look back 30 years ago … there was much less attention paid to the words Congress used to write a statute,” Kagan said. “One of the terrific things he has done is to make people engage with the words that Congress actually used, because that’s what they thought about and that’s what they actually passed.”

In what may have been a reference to upcoming cases such as two on gay marriage that the justices this month agreed to hear, Kagan was asked what role public opinion plays in the justices’ opinions.
                                                                                                           “Well, I don’t think any of us make our decisions by reading polls,” Kagan said. “One’s sense of what to do as a judge is bounded in some way by the society in which one lives” and the political process of getting appointed, she said.

Still, the justice said, “One does think long and hard as a judge -- and I’m not sure I’ve ever been in this position --… before you do something that you think is required by law that would be incredibly disruptive to society, and that’s where great wisdom is called for.”

AP: 27 Dead in Connecticut School Shooting Include 18 Children

Horrific. Developing story here....

Our thoughts go out to the families affected by this tragedy.

 

The OXD Mirror: New Music for 12.14.12

BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / JOSH APPELBAUM

The OXD Mirror is a weekly music column brought to you by the boys of OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD), a New York City based movement created by three music lovers, Ru Bhatt, Josh Appelbaum, and Tadeu Magalhães, who want to share their love for disco, house and dance music with the world.

 

Katy B x Geeneus X Jessie Ware: 'Aaliyah'

For me, it doesn't get much better than when a few of the most buzzworthy and talented names in pop come together to make a bouncing club track.  Katy B's new Danger EP is available for free on her site, katybofficial.com, and contains this lovely gem on it.  Reminiscent of some of Hercules and Love Affair's music, 'Aaliya'" showcases the chanteuses beautiful voices against producer Geeneus' 90's-inspired dance beat.  We bumped into Jessie Ware at Solange's concert at Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday and she told us she thought it was the perfect track to listen to before starting your night - and I could not agree more with that sentiment.

 

Artful Dodger: 'Please Don't Turn Me On (Disclosure Remix)'

No strangers to our column, brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence, have made quite a splash as the garage-house act Disclosure.  After remixing Jessie Ware's 'Running' this fall, Disclosure teamed up with vocalist Sam Smith for their big hit 'Latch', which hit #11 on the UK charts.  This time the brothers have given their electronic touch to some other fellow British countrymen, R&B band Artful Dodger who are mostly known for their song 'Please Don't Turn Me On,' released in 2000.

 

Dropout Orchestra: 'Your Girl (featuring Kinema)'

Swedish house music duo Dropout Orchestra are masters of production and have worked on mixes for proteges like Mario Basanov, Moullinex and Flight Facilities.  Their latest effort is an original single along with Brighton-based disco band Kinema.  The collaboration is a fun, light-hearted track complete with a little disco piano, syths, and of course top-notch vocals.  Chromeo fans will love this track, as they share a sound eerily similar in both production and vocals.

NEW TRACKS FROM LANA DEL REY AND MORE, AFTER THE JUMP...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lana del Rey: 'Ride (Eli Escobar Edit)'

Admittedly I was not a big fan of Lana del Rey when she first came out.  After fellow OXD-er Ru Bhatt put a few remixes of her epic track 'Summertime Sadness' on his podcasts (this one in particular), I decided to give Lana another try.  And then I fell hard for her.  'Ride' is a song off of her latest EP (or really mini album) Paradise.  Though the original is in the same air of most Lana songs, a very Nancy-Sinatra-like ethereal sound, fellow New Yorker Eli Escobar has revamped the track with a completely different sound.  His signature slick, dark house music is a welcome reprieve from the oversaturated and predictable "EDM" music many house producers are putting out there.  He pairs Lana's crooning with loops of her chorus humming against an intense house track for an entirely new aesthetic that feels like it could be the backdrop to a European fashion runway.

 

Rogue Vogue: 'Feel Love'

As someone who missed out on the 90's house music scene, I sure do have a penchant for music that harkens those golden days of club culture.  Lucky for me, a slew of 90's house inspired artists like Azari & III and Rogue Vogue have been making waves in the music business and bringing house music back to its glory days.  Rogue Vogue makes music that is inspired by, naturally, the vouging movement that became huge in the early 90s.  The Chicago producer's latest, 'Feel Love', will evoke feelings that will bring you back to the days of Paris is Burning and Madonna wearing cone bras.

 

This week's post was written and curated by Josh Appelbaum.

For more information on OXD, check out our website and accompanying blog at www.occupythedisco.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter: @OccupyTheDisco.

 

Rep. Todd Akin Adds Anti-Gay Provision to Defense Bill Allowing Homophobic Harassment, Religious Discrimination

House Republicans working to finalize Pentagon budget legislation are considering an anti-gay provision added by Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), two LGBT advocates tell the Washington Blade's Chris Johnson:

Under the language, the U.S. military would have to “accommodate the conscience and sincerely held moral principles and religious beliefs of the members of the Armed Forces concerning the appropriate and inappropriate expression of human sexuality” and may not use these beliefs as the basis of any adverse personnel action or discrimination. Additionally, it would prohibit the U.S. military from taking action against military chaplains who decline to serve a particular service member based on religious beliefs.

This language has been understood to mean service members could actively harass their fellow comrades for their perceived or actual sexual orientation without fear of reprisal. Additionally, it has been understood to mean that chaplains would have free rein to discriminate against service members on any basis — including religion, gender, sexual orientation, race or any other characteristic — simply by saying serving them is contrary to their beliefs.

The "conscience protection" language is supposedly "very much in play" for the bill's final version.

Tom Daley is a Sexy Shirtless Santa: PHOTO

Who's first for his lap?

And how about the sexy Olympic diver under the mistletoe?

Waiting for you, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via heat magazine)