A few years ago, at a restaurant, dinner conversation turned to vaginas. Shannon schooled her longtime friend and collaborator, Keith, on his lack of vag knowledge. After Keith spouted some dumbass theory about what a vagina was and wasn't, Shannon pushed aside the bread basket and said, "If you know so much about vaginas, why don't you draw one." So he did. It sucked. Then his boyfriend drew one and it was way prettier, but way more inaccurate. Everyone at the table became fascinated with these drawings.

We were onto something.

A few months later, we set up a "Vagina Collection Booth" in the gayer locales of San Francisco. We wanted to collect as many interpretations of the term vagina as we could from anyone who identified as a gay man. With a big pink "Draw Vaginas Here" sign hoisted high on a PVC pipe, we attracted a range of reactions. Yes, there were the expected negative sneers like "Eww girl, I'm scared of those nasty things," but there were more gay guys who loved what we were doing and were pretty enthusiastic about diving into our box of crayons and markers.

We think the resulting drawings form a continuum—from misogynist on one end, to celebratory on the other—and a mix of bizarre, beautiful, and puzzling vaginas in between. We want more vaginas. We're trying to get Dan Savage to draw one. Maybe Neil Patrick Harris, Perez Hilton, John Waters or George Takei would be interested.

Scroll down for the ones with artists' statements. Click through above for lots more.

James Molito

I drew my vagina with women of color in mind, specifically, Janet Jackson. As a gay man, she was my idol growing up and I was listening to her earlier in the day. So I guess you could say I had Janet's vagina on the brain. While I was in a bit of a rush when I drew this picture, I wanted the vagina to exude creativity, hence the musical notes, and I also added purple on the lips to give it some edge and to make it stand out from your garden variety pink labia. Obviously the vagina itself is a bit enlarged, a veritable showboat even, but given the motif of the book, it's only fitting that the vagina steal the show.

Gregory S.

My vagina (titled “Keep Out, Please”) is what I consider a realistic and heartfelt depiction of the full grown and evolved beast. I managed to capture the anger, depth, texture, color, and—most importantly—the hairiness of this truly spectacular creature. I believe with this drawing, I have elevated the female vagina to a higher level which allows gay men to connect with it, appreciate it, and most importantly comprehend that they should explore it with caution because it is indeed a frightening specimen that still so little is known about within the gay male community.

Larry Collins

My vaginal muse is Hillary Clinton. Clearly this is a vagina that gets shit done. She's in a power skirt suit­ purple with gold buttons. At her core is her love of the US, but the vagina itself isn't dominated by the flag­. In fact it's almost as if the vagina could swallow the flag—and by extension the US—at any minute. Make of that what you will. I'd say that despite the power suit and the patriotism, things are more complex than they might seem. The light emanating behind her was inspired by portraits of La Virgen de Guadalupe. I don't think Hillary is such a compassionate folk hero, but she's definitely iconic.

Cosgrove Norstadt

A friendly, smiling vagina is much more welcoming then the snarling hairy beast I imagine. But just, because the devil disguises himself with a smile, that doesn't means I'll go through that door.

Pixelstud

A rainy thanksgiving night, a covered balcony, a suburban gay bar, a dance remix of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" amidst conversation with strangers. The topic of piercings mixed with the much needed release from cabin (family holiday) fever arose, like the skirt of an overzealous lipstick lesbian who needed to share where her piercing was—under her table­cloth­like dress. I heard the word "vagina." What I saw was a wattle. A pair of small fleshy caruncles hanging between her legs. Those red bits under a Turkey's neck were like he skin of a vagina. 

Peter Max Lawrence

I read articles and looked at diagrams of the clitoris for historical context. Then I consulted a few of my queer/­trans friends with concern to their feelings about the vagina, clitoral and penile similarities and differences. I made about 30 illustrations exploring the idea and settled on this version. I found it fascinating, and worth processing through my actual desire. 

Jonathan Leach

Being a cat lover, I started drawing a cat between two hills and remembered what I was asked to do. I then turned to my phone for a quick peek. I saw everything! I observed that cats and vaginas could both be fluffy, and they are both pussies, so it works.

Austin London

Life to me is like a flower: sweet, fragile, and nurturing. My drawing represents the womb of the world to me, fertile, young, and ready to spread love through life. That is what a vagina is in my mind.

David Ramsay

My inspiration for my vagina was Shirley MacLaine in All That Jazz. I must have really been feeling that song that day in Dolores Park when I did my drawing. I pictured her welcoming visitors with her jazz hand vaginal lips. Her hair being the pubes, pointy nose tip the clitoris, and her red lipstick covered lips, the vaginal opening. Who wouldn't want a jazz singing vagina?

Gent Lee Ryder

My drawing is brightly colored because I wanted it to be different from the mostly taupe­-toned creations I saw. I finished it and thought to myself, Hmm, that looks a lot like the Virgin of Guadalupe. So I decided she needed company. As vaginas are usually worshiped, I figured good ol' Jesus could handle the attention

Joey, a Siberian husky, and his human lover, Oliver Burdinski. Photo by the author

Oliver Burdinski is fighting for the right to have a relationship with his dog. His purebred Siberian husky, Joey, is his sexual partner. And while some of his fellow Germans might reel at the prospect of intercourse with another species, Burdinski is open to discussing the taboo of being a literal animal lover. Just don’t use the word bestiality.

“I don’t like this word because it’s often misleading and used in different cases,” Burdinski told me.

Burdinski first realized he was a zoophile while growing up with a German shepherd—his family dog. He was responsible for taking care of the creature, which lived in his bedroom. Around the age of 14 or 15, the young man started exploring his sexuality with his companion. He remembers being more attracted to the dog than to humans but felt rather alone with such desires. After living without a dog for a decade, Burdinski began dating men and women. He settled down with a long-term girlfriend until 1995, when he got an internet connection. That’s when he discovered forums and chat rooms devoted to the zoophile community. Soon thereafter he broke it off with his human partner (they’ve remained good friends). Burdinski realized he could never be happy in a traditional relationship.

Joey came from an animal shelter in 2004. Burdinski and Joey share ownership of each other because Burdinski disagrees with the idea of treating animals as possessions. But he cares for Joey and uses a leash when he takes him for walks, and there’s a clear intellectual imbalance between them—which is to say there was no wining and dining in this courtship. “I don’t try to humanize him,” Burdinski said. “He gets food made for dogs.”

As for what goes on in the bedroom, Burdinski does have sex with Joey, but the lovemaking does not involve penetration, as Burdinski doesn’t want to harm the dog. “I would never force him,” he said. He tries to be the passive member of the sexual relationship and simply react to whatever Joey wants. Burdinski pointed out that dogs can clearly show what they like and don’t like, whether they’re hungry or whether they like being touched. They can also indicate whether they do or do not want to have sex. Mounting is a sign not only of dominance but also of desire, though Burdinski told me his dog is “not really interested in sex anymore.” Joey is 11 years old, well past any canine’s sexual prime.

Pet owners often neuter their dogs, a process to which the animal, of course, does not consent. “People can’t accept that their dogs are adult animals with adult wishes and desires,” Burdinski said. “They can’t accept that a dog is not a soft toy.”

As in most other countries, zoophilia is a legal no-go in Germany. Prior to the formal criminalization of the practice in February 2013, there were already laws that covered violence against animals in the country, but the new one bans the act itself regardless of the well-being of the creature involved. The Germany-based zoophile activist group ZETA—Zoophile Engagement for Tolerance and Enlightenment—has indicated it would accept a legal framework that prohibits sexual intercourse demonstrated to be physically or emotionally harmful to an animal. But its members argue that the new measure is unjust. “At the moment we work with a special lawyer to prepare the lawsuit,” Burdinski said.

When I asked whether he’s afraid of being charged and having Joey taken away, Burdinski replied, “Of course. That’s one reason I fight against this law.”

ZETA formed in 2009 when the German parliament proposed outlawing zoophilia. At the time, zoophiles were coming under attack from animal activists and far-right groups. Zoophiles say there’s no clear boundary between those who care for animals and those who are sexually attracted to them. Most of the members have relationships with dogs and horses. “I also know zoophiles who are into other mammals, maybe bovines or pigs,” Burdinski said.

A lot of zoophiles also have human partners. They make a distinction between zoophiles and zoosadists, and they don’t tolerate people who harm animals.

Nonetheless, ZETA members have been driven out of their homes and their jobs and shunned by their families. The group’s former chairman, Michael Kiok, had to leave the city of Münster after receiving death threats and being harassed by animal-rights activists. Burdinski has drawn some flak too. “I always get a lot of hate mail, also hate messages on Facebook,” he said.

This February, the German zoophiles will meet for the third annual Zoophile Rights Day in Berlin. They’ll demonstrate at Potsdamer Platz, a concrete intersection steps away from the Canadian Embassy, the Berlin Wall, and the glowing Sony Center. There’s already a rebuttal from animal-rights activists and far-right groups in the works. Burdinski told me that last year’s event saw roughly 30 to 50 neo-Nazis, including representatives from the National Democratic Party of Germany, turn out. “They were aggressive. They insulted us and spat on us,” he said. Police intervened as violence broke out. “Three Nazis were arrested by police.”

Henrik Silvius

Last week, Henrik Silvius presented his debut menswear collection, Caesarean, at Copenhagen Fashion Week. In 2012, the last time I saw Henrik—a 23-year-old with muscular dystrophy who receives 24-hour care and has been on assisted breathing since the age of four—he was just a fashion blogger, part-time stylist, and aspiring designer. Now that those aspirations have come to fruition, I thought I’d pay him another visit.

Walking into his studio a couple of weeks before his debut catwalk show, I was met by a team of people rushing between cutting stations and sewing machines. They were working overtime to get the collection ready before the afternoon’s look-book photo shoot.

A seamstress stepped aside as Henrik entered the room, wearing an all-white outfit—a laced-up top and shorts. He clearly pays the same attention to detail these days as he did two years ago, when he told me: “I choose my outfits the evening before. I mix items, try something new, and match it with my mood. If, in the morning, my mood changes, then I'll start all over again. It's very important for me that the clothes make me feel better.”

Back then, he was already a face in Denmark’s fashion scene, front-rowing between whichever reality star and socialite had managed to cram themselves onto the guest list. He dressed like he was on the runway after all the photographers had packed up their gear and the models had been flown off to endure another 12 months of go-sees.

Sketches for Henrik's collection

“Living life in a wheelchair has given me a different eye level and perspective of the world around us,” he told me.

He might have made huge advancements since we first met, but the pressure’s still on. The Danish Fashion Council gave him center stage at the most sought-after venue during Copenhagen Fashion Week: City Hall. But Henrik doesn’t appear to let the nerves affect him. He’s got a coherent vision for how he wants to bring together every piece and a story to tell with the collection.

“When I started working on this collection, which is my first, I really wanted the clothes to portray the story of my visions,” he explained. “Inspired by the idea of the uniform everybody needs to conquer the world in—and my lifelong obsession with contradictions—I started sketching a fusion of the fashion doll and the superhero.”

Inside a glass box in the center of the studio stood a topless male model. A second model, dressed like a courier, stood there wrapping up the glass box with a ribbon bearing the Henrik Silvius brand name. Henrik was lost in the scene until he turned to me and said, “I have always believed that clothes make people stronger. Clothes define who you are and what you want to be in the future, and I thought it could be very interesting to invent this incredibly strong man whose power comes from his clothes.”

I asked Henrik to elaborate on the concept behind his collection. “All my life I’ve felt I have to make a new perfect world,” he answers. “It’s important for everyone to have an alter-ego with super powers and forge a path for yourself in the future. To become the super you.”

It’s obvious that Henrik’s disability is at the root of his concept, and it’s inspiring how he’s empowering himself through the design. “It’s important to see your opportunities instead of your limitations,” he said. “I have never bought a piece of clothing that fits me. Never. I have to figure out how to work it out. It’s a very important part of life to work with the things you’ve got. You have to find a way to live with your limitations. It’s always been a part of my personality to spot the opportunities above all else.”

Back to the superhero concept, Henrik said: “Menswear needs to boost individuality, strength, attitude, sex appeal, and playfulness,” adding that the collection will balance strong silhouettes with delicate fabrics. Referring again to the power he finds in clothes, Henrik told me, “I want people to feel secure and confident when they wear the pieces.”

Just before I left, Henrik told me: “I hope to make it big. It’s always been a dream of mine. I’m enjoying the ride I’m in right now, and I hope it’ll keep going into the next season.”

With that, Henrik maked his way over to the glass box, directed the photographer, and watched his alter-ego superhero.

Find more from Sol Marinozzi on Tumblr.

Ean Bordeaux. Photo by Mike Poe

When Ean Bordeaux isn’t selling hot dogs at the River Market in Little Rock, Arkansas, he’s writing about racketeering and police misconduct (cops doing racist shit) on his blog, which allegedly motivated Todd Payne, a former cop, to try to kill him. “There are members of the Little Rock Police Department actively and unceasingly engaging in such illegal activities as racketeering, complainant and witness intimidation,” Bordeaux posted. “MOST of these mercenary police officers reside OUTSIDE of Little Rock City Limits. This only adds insult to injury as they are not even citizens of our great city, but are unwisely and irresponsibly allowed to SHOOT and KILL its citizens.”

According to Bordeaux, he had known Payne since 2004 when the cop started hanging out around Bordeaux’s hot dog stand. Bordeaux says Payne began leaking him internal information about cops. At the same time, Bordeaux claims, Payne passed information about his hot dog business to a small group of rogue police officers to sabotage the blogger’s finances. 

These activities eventually caught up with Payne. In 2010 he lost his job because he allegedly had used an illness as an excuse to refuse to break up a bar fight, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. But Payne’s departure from the police force didn’t stop Bordeaux from blogging about him. In the past four years, the hot dog vendor has targeted both Payne and a River Market cop who was his partner. “This corrupt piece of work was besties and rookie school partners with dog murdering hate crime arsonist Joel “Creepy Todd” Payne,” Ean wrote.  

In retaliation, Payne allegedly tried to kill Bordeaux and ruin his hot dog business. In January 2014, Payne allegedly shot up Bordeaux’s house. Five bullets struck six inches above the hot dog vendor’s head, two hit the downstairs neighbor’s window, and another killed his dog, Dixie. 

Dixie. Photo by Ean Bordeaux

Payne messaged Bordeaux on Facebook on March 1 to ask him bizarre questions. “I’m reading your shooting report. Was the dog outside or inside when it was shot?” he wrote. He also asked, “Why were you untruthful with the police dept? They are laughing their asses off at you. That’s why the report was sent to me.” 

In April, Arkansas Online reported on an even more dramatic incident. Payne allegedly returned to Bordeaux’s home—this time to allegedly light the blogger’s hot dog cart on fire. Bordeaux spotted him. Payne bolted from the house and then returned to try to wreck the hot dog cart again. 

Lieutenant Sidney Allen told Arkansas Online that, “The suspect fled on foot and was caught by Bordeaux within a short distance.” The official police version of the story then has a big jump forward in time: “Details are limited, but while Bordeaux was engaged with the suspect, the suspect sustained injuries that later led to his death at a local hospital.”

I called Bordeaux to find out more, and to discuss his hot dog vending business, Payne’s alleged attempt on his life, and police brutality.  

VICE: Before Payne tried to kill you, how did he or other cops try to ruin your hot dog business? 
Ean Bordeaux: His rookie school buddy was happy to manipulate behind the scenes. If it was a private location, [his rookie school buddy] would find out who the landlord was and defame my business. [He would also] look for vendors sympathetic to his cause and get them to “complain” about my affairs or me. For city locations, he tried to get some official to go along with him—he went as far as to go into the code office to push his weight around, looking for a way to get me “cased up.” 

Payne left your house and then came back in April. How long did it take for the police to arrive?When I contacted 911 for the first time, it was at 4:22 AM. My next call was at 4:45 AM. So between 4:22 and 4:45, there was nothing. It was in this time that the masked man returned. I was in my bathroom, practically naked. [My dogs] were barking—I was lying down and waiting for the invasion bark. [The dogs have barks] like I’ve-never-seen-this-motherfucker-before bark and the you-ain’t-doin’-shit-around-here-whoop-your-goddamned-ass bark. These are smart fucking dogs, trust me. 

I was getting the alarm barks which means, “Daddy that’s the same person who did the last shit.” I looked at the monitors on the security surveillance system that I just put in two days prior because my girl just kept bitching at me about it. I caught that bark, and I screamed, “HE’S BACK!” I could barely see the figure coming across the bridge. I was seeing what the figure was going to do. He’s crossing the street, heading directly to the cart. When I was about 10 feet away, he was already at the cart, dumping lighter fluid on it. And I said, “HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” He looked up and started dumping more, and tried to light it more quickly. 

Dixie. Photo by Ean Bordeaux

Is it true Payne wore a mask that night?
He was moving a little bit faster than a fat crackhead would move. In the process, I saw a hand swinging out with something dark and long in it. Every crackhead I know at least has a steak knife on him, so I was thinking, Oh God, I just fucked up. My fucking Crocs were off. I was in pursuit of a man who may have something far more than what I have. 

You claim you eventually tackled him. What did he do after you tackled him?
I saw him down, and I knew I had to get up first. I said, “Stay the fuck down. Don’t fucking move.” I watched for his hands that were underneath him. At this point, I was thinking, This is fucking Todd. He may be trying to act like he’s out or something and shoot the shit out of me. I was still freaking out. I don’t know if he’s going to get up—and then I heard him snore. 

He started snoring? 
Yeah, and to me, this was sweet fucking relief. He’s twitching a little. (I couldn’t tell what it was, but I wasn’t going to be taking no fucking chances.) I called 9-1-1 again. All I could get out was, “I need you now. I need you now. He came back. Where are you?” I sat down on the curb and waited on the police. Man, it was surreal as shit. 

How would you label Payne’s crime? 
It’s a hate crime. He’s an admitted racist trying to burn a nigger up; I gotta fucking hate crime on my lawn. That’s the bottom line here—just having to stand my ground.

A Bugatti parked outside Harrods

It first started in 2010. Fluorescent cars began appearing in Knightsbridge – shiny, ostentatious vehicles that cost more than Lil Kim’s face and do 0 to 60 in the same time it takes any cop hanging out on Exhibition Road to issue them a speeding ticket. They were Arab super cars, shipped over by their owners as they flocked to London to escape the face-dissolving heat of summer at home.

Now, they’re here every year, bringing with them gangs of enthusiastic motorphiles – or “carparazzi”, as they’ve been clumsily dubbed. This lot stand around, take photos of the cars and occasionally get to sit in the driver’s seat if the owner happens to come back and feel generous enough to let the plebeian masses sully the custom leather interiors with their nylon shorts and non-Japanese denim.

This year’s arrivals include a gold-plated Range Rover, a six-wheeled Mercedes and a pink Rolls Royce. Why you’d need six wheels to drive around a well-maintained city is unclear. Equally puzzling is why you’d want to spend your Saturday loitering around Harrods hoping to take a picture of one. I went down to get some answers.

Corey is a 20-year-old drummer. He travelled for three hours from Lincoln to find and photograph the cars.

VICE: Hi Corey. What’s brought you out here today?
Corey: I’ve got my eyes peeled for a Lamborghini – that would make the trip worth it. I haven’t actually seen any of the super cars being driven yet, which is a shame. They’re all just parked about.

What do you make of people bringing their cars all the way over to London?
I think it’s cool. It’s a good opportunity for young lads to come out and see what they can work up to.

You picture yourself owning one of these for yourself at some point?
Oh yeah. I think it’s everyone’s dream do be able to drive round in cars like these.

How do you reckon you can achieve that?
That’s a tough question. I want to get into the police and work my way up from there. I suppose I’d have to get pretty high up to manage that, though.

How would you supe-up your ride?
I’d stick a big exhaust on it straight away. I’d want it as loud as possible, so that it screamed. I think half of the appeal of these cars is the noise. They’ve got some sort of awe about them. When you see people driving these around you think, 'Well, that guy's obviously worked hard enough to be able to spend £200,000 on a car.' You’ve got to say fair play to them coming out to show people. People get annoyed at the noise, but if you’ve got it you’ve got to flaunt it.

Student Gerjan, 17, was visiting London for a week from Holland

What’s been your favourite car so far, Gerjan?
Gerjan: It’s got to be the Bugatti Veyron. It’s the fastest, it’s the most powerful, it’s the most expensive. That’s what it’s all about.

Why do you think we don’t see cars like these driving around all the time?
Well, some might think they cause a lot of trouble with the speeding and the noise, but not me. I think the noise is nice, even if people round here think it’s horrible.

Do you think people look down on the flashiness?
There’s definitely some of that as well, but if you get one of these you want it in a striking colour. Like this green one. Some might think it’s tacky, but you’ve got to stand out. In the Netherlands all the super cars are grey or black, and it’s so dull and boring.

What’s the worst thing you'd do for one of these cars?
It’s not really high on my list of priorities. I don’t want to own one of these myself. Happiness comes from having a nice life and a nice family, not from owning a car. These car owners are obviously just showing off; it’s pretty useless having a super car in the middle of a city. The people who are actually passionate about cars buy them cheaper and tune them up themselves.

Matthew is a 17-year-old student from West London

How much luck have you had spotting the cars today?
Matthew: We’ve seen a McLaren MP4 so far, and an Audi R8 V10. Of the Arab ones, though, we’ve only seen a few Bentleys with chromed out windows. The McLaren’s been my favourite so far. We haven’t seen any in a while, though – we might have got a bit lost.

Have you been here in previous years?
Yeah, I’ve come out two or three times in the past. Today’s been good compared to in the past, but we still haven’t seen any of the major ones, like the Pigani or a Lamborghini.

What sets them apart from the others?
The speed and the styling. They’re very specific to those brands, and that’s what makes them worth the money.

Do you ever think a car could be too expensive?
No.

Jeff is 28 years old and works as an operations manager for a facilities company.

Hi Jeff. What have you come down for today?
Jeff: We’ve come from Wales. Me and the boys had a big night last night; now, we’re out here because of the Arabs. We’re on the hunt for a [Mercedes] G- Wagon 6x6.

What’s the point of having six wheels?
Good question. I don’t think there is a point really, it’s just showing off. That’s the point of all these cars, really, but why not?

Is there a limit to how much you can show off?
Well, I saw the gold Range Rover on Facebook, but I’m glad I haven’t seen it in person. I’m not a fan of that. I think that’s a bit crazy, to be honest.

Why do you think we don’t see these types of cars out here all the time.
I guess it’s just a difference in class, really. We do things differently in this country; we’ve got a bit of restraint.

There's also not much point in having one of these in the middle of a city, right?
I suppose if you’ve got the money, what else are you going to do with it? I’m guessing they do their bit for charity and all that, so you’ve got to keep yourself happy as well. I can see why residents get pissed off with them razzing round, but you’ve got to think about the revenue they bring in. And, at the end of the day, it’s only a few months of the year.

Who would be your ideal driving partner?
It’s got to be Clarkson.

Really? Don't you think he’d do your head in?
After a while, yeah. But he’s driven most cars, so he could show you how everything works.

Jeremy is a Knightsbridge resident. He was less enthusiastic about the new arrivals than everyone else. 

What do you make of all these cars turning up in your neighbourhood?
Jeremy: I think it’s ridiculous. It’s just all the Arabs. I don’t know why they all come here, to be honest.

I think some have homes here.
Well yeah, but they could do it somewhere else. They’ve ruined everything north of Belgrave Square. It’s all ruined.

With the noise?
No, there are just too many Arabs here. There are plenty of other places in the world where they can go and mess around.

Do you admire their cars in any way?
No, because they buy all these things in lime green or orange, or whatever, and they just look ridiculous. The thing you have to understand about Arabs is they’re all wholly uncool. My car here is a very classic Ferrari; it’s not a show off car. No flashy additions, just how it’s meant to be. But these guys don’t know how to drive, they don’t know how to dress. It’s shambolic, really.

Does it annoy you that people come down here to take photos of the cars?
I think it’s almost as sad as the people driving them. It’s a joke. The thing is, you can’t even drive these cars at more than 30mph around here. I can tell you, as someone who owns one of these cars, that it’s incredibly frustrating. I’m not going to race up and down Sloane Street like some of them do. London’s not a racetrack. If only they could see how stupid they look.

Okay then. Thanks, Jeremy!

@Allhorne

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Sheldon and Miriam Adelson teamed up with Mel and Betty Sembler on Fred Thompson's disastrous 2008 presidential campaign, too. Photo via Flickr user freddthompson

If you listen to foes of Florida's medical marijuana ballot initiative, which voters will decide on this November, the measure will unleash the gates of hell: skyrocketing crime, brain-dead zombies roaming the streets and Floridians flocking to rusty shacks covered in dirt to purchase their medicinal weed (yes, that really is a specter they've raised).

These arguments aren't new and they've been debunked over and over again in the past. So what’s motivating the attacks? A closer look at the moneymen opposing the initiative reveals cynical hypocrisy and, in some cases, naked self-interest.

Blocking Pot to Build Casinos


As VICE reported in June, Sheldon Adelson, the GOP mega-donor and casino executive, has raised eyebrows by donating $2.5 million to the Drug Free Florida's campaign against medical pot. The donation immediately raised questions. First, Adelson and his wife are major donors to a medical research facility in Tel Aviv that supports the use of marijuana to treat a number of diseases, so it’s a tad strange for Adelson to seek a ban on medical pot in America while financing it in Israel. Moreover, marijuana-related initiatives are on the ballot in Oregon, Alaska, and now Washington, DC—why is Adelson only donating to defeat pot in Florida, which is 2000 miles away from his home in Las Vegas? Consider the fact that Adelson's casino company, the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, has desperately sought entry into Florida's lucrative table games market, which is currently controlled only by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Adelson's Sands Corp has lobbied furiously to build its own Vegas-style casino in Florida, but has so far come up short. The deal with the Seminoles expires next year, meaning whoever controls the governor's office has a great deal of sway over the decision.

The medical marijuana campaign in Florida has become one of the top issues in the heated gubernatorial race between Republican incumbent Rick Scott and Democrat Charlie Crist, who has pegged his campaign on support for the initiative. So Republicans are now trashing the medical marijuana initiative to boost Scott—or in Adelson's case, perhaps to build a casino.

Florida Cops Rake in Cash Busting Marijuana



The most visible opponents of medical marijuana beyond the Drug Free Florida ads are the Florida Sheriffs Association, a law enforcement group run by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who uses Reefer Madness-esque rhetoric to claim marijuana will ruin society. "I see the guy that's up all night with a baby that's screaming, so he smokes him a blunt and a half and he thinks that'll help and ends up bouncing the baby off the walls," Judd said at an anti-pot press conference earlier this summer.

Though recent evidence suggests that marijuana liberalization actually reduces violent crime, law enforcement has its own motives. In an investigation published last month in The Nation magazine, I noted that marijuana busts have become a huge revenue source for police, which influences their political opposition to drug reform. In Minnesota and other states, police lobbyists have privately told legislators that relaxing marijuana laws could cost them financially. When cops bust a marijuana dealing operation, they employ something called asset forfeiture to seize property and auction it off. The process has generated over $1 billion for law enforcement divisions around the country since 2002, and in Florida, a law enforcement newsletter referred to the local forfeiture program as an "excellent return on investment." In fact, Grady submitted a budget document to his county commission that claimed his force is “doing more with fewer resources” and that seizures from marijuana grow houses provide one of several key revenue sources for his department.



Strange Bedfellows



One of the frequent cases made against medical marijuana in Florida is that the law will spawn a "Big Marijuana" complex akin to the evils of "Big Tobacco." Given that free market conservatives are often the ones making this argument, it's a little weird that they're suggesting profit-seeking is somehow unsavory. And this line of attack becomes even more strange when you consider exactly who it's coming from. The campaign vehicle for opponents of the medical marijuana measure, VoteNo2.org and the Drug Free Florida Committee, was registered by Richard E. Coates, a Tallahassee lobbyist for the cigar industry. While Coates has been instrumental in advancing the cigar industry's policy goals, including the defeat of legislation designed to curb smoking at playgrounds and certain workplaces, his lobbying firm has been retained by the Drug Free Florida committee to help beat the medical marijuana ballot initiative this year. The spokesperson for the Drug Free Florida committee is Sarah Bascom, a longtime lobbyist for Dosal Tobacco Corporation, the third largest cigarette company in the state.

Coates did not return a request for comment, but I suppose his involvement explains the anti-pot crowd's familiarity with Big Tobacco.

Torturing Kids, Now Saving Them? 



The wackiest attacks against Florida's marijuana initiative are coming from Save Our Society From Drugs and the Drug Free America Foundation, two nonprofits founded by Mel and Betty Sembler. The two groups, which claim to be dedicated to saving children, have attacked the ballot measure with a range of bizarre arguments, including a tweet warning of an impending zombie apocalypse. The Semblers are famous real estate tycoons who are well known within the Florida Republican Party for their fundraising prowess. What's less well known is that the Drug Free America Foundation is a legal entity that has existed since the 1970s under the old name STRAIGHT Inc. Under the previous brand, the foundation operated as a drug rehab center that was embroiled in multiple scandals for allegedly torturing children who had been admitted for experimenting with pot. 



STRAIGHT Inc faced complaints that clients were subjected to beatings, rape and psychological abuse. One young woman who was placed into a STRAIGHT clinic said she was locked in a room and forced to wear clothes stained with urine, feces and menstrual blood—a punishment her counselors called “humble pants.” On a visit to his brother, who was in treatment for drug abuse, a young man named Fred Collins said he was detained by STRAIGHT counselors who accused Collins of being high on marijuana because his eyes were red. In 1983, a US District Court awarded Collins $220,000 in damages for being "held against his will" by STRAIGHT Inc. Two state investigations substantiated claims of abuse at Sembler's clinics. After years of negative press, the clinics closed and rebranded into the Drug Free America Foundation and its advocacy sister nonprofit, Save Our Society From Drugs, which helped bankroll the unsuccessful effort to block marijuana legalization in Colorado in 2012. This year, Sembler has donated $100,000 to the Drug Free Florida campaign while his two nonprofits continue to pump anti-marijuana messages into social media and major newspapers.



Corporations such as Publix Supermarkets and Cardinal Health now help finance Sembler's nonprofit. The Drug Free America Foundation has also received nearly half a million dollars in taxpayer grants from programs administered by the Department of Justice and Small Business Administration. Perhaps more surprising, despite the Sembler network’s history of alleged child abuse, is that law enforcement has stood strongly side by his side. Mel’s wife Betty was awarded “honorary agent status” by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and has led various anti-drug commissions and task forces on the state and federal level, according to her biography. The Drug Free America Foundation lists the Florida Police Chiefs Association, Office of Drug Control Policy, and Florida Sheriffs Association as partner organizations.

Will Florida still become the first state in the South to have a strong medical marijuana law despite the best efforts of these cranky, zany old people? The coalition of opponents of medical pot has saturated the television airwaves with negative advertising, but it doesn't seem to be working: The latest poll shows 88 percent of Floridians support medical marijuana.

Follow Lee Fang on Twitter.

This picture originally appeared in the 2014 VICE photo issue.

The author wearing an outfit of awesome stuff by Mishka (jacket), Ale et Ange (hat), and Done to Death Projects (T-shirt) that he got for free .99. Another example of the few and far between times when very cool people sent him dope shit. Photo by Izzy Tuason.

Because I’m an editor for VICE, I get a buttload of free stuff from every kind of retailer you can think of. Unfortunately, most of it is so wack, I end up regifting it. Last year, I gave everyone in my family board shorts by TrukFit (Lil Wayne’s gloriously tacky skateboard fashion line)—even my baby nephew and senile Granddad got a pair. Just the other day, I received a plastic jug of water-based cooch lube; the shit was the size of a gallon of milk. I like oiling the pipe as much as the next guy, but what am I going to do with industrial quantities of skeet grease? My dick would fall off and I’d get carpal tunnel if I beat off that much. I'm contemplating just pouring it on the floor of the reception area at VICE's Brooklyn offices to make a boner butter slip-n-slide.

Most of the time, working at VICE just gets you boxes full of monstrous rubber dicks...

However, there are rare times when the stars align and the PR gods bestow me with shit I would’ve actually spent my paychecks on. Below are interviews with the men behind a couple of awesome products I was sent in the past few months. Chances are, you’re probably not going to be able to get either of these things for free because you’re not an “influencer” like me. But consider yourself lucky. I’d rather pay for streetwear and electronics if it meant I could shake off that $100,000 student loan I took out to get an advanced degree in the booming print media industry.

The best thing about both of these products, other than being dope, is that they are focused on sustainability and they donate a portion of their profits to charities. Which should be a lesson to the PR goons around the globe shucking butt lube and graphic T-shirts—if you want to get a VICE editor’s attention with your nifty new shit, try giving back a little, too.

House of Marley's Get Together Audio System

Music is one of life’s necessities. Like barbecued swine, Air Jordans, and consensual sex, you just can’t live without it. Luckily, new technology has made it so that music is super portable. You can stream Yanni Live at the Acropolis at your work desk or in a tent in the the Catskill Mountains. The problem is that, if you’re like me, you like your Yanni booming and those little built-in iPhone speakers just don't do the music justice.

There are a ton of docking stations out there. The cheap ones sound thin and look shitty, the medium priced ones sound shitty but look nice, and the expensive ones sound great and look great but are fucking expensive. House of Marley’s Get Together audio system, however, is an exception to the rule. The portable little stereo looks pretty with its elegant wood façade, sounds like it has a jet engine trapped inside of it, and won't break the bank. In addition to the good vibes, the Get Together is made with “earth friendly” materials. They also support 1Love, the Bob Marley family charity dedicated to supporting “youth, planet, and peace.”

After rocking out with a Get Together box for a couple of weeks, I hit up House of Marley’s Creative Director Tracy Anderson to learn more about the company and the cool little box.

VICE: Tell me about the Get Together.
Tracy: It’s different from everything in the space. It's wood—not plastic or shiny. And it's fabric. These materials lend it a very different look than any another speaker box.

What’s up with the wood?
The wood is Bamboo. It’s certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. You have to pass a series of tests before they will put their stamp on your product. They make sure the wood has been properly sourced and that you are working with the right tree growers. For every tree cut down and used, there is a tree planted. We are really conscious of the environment—that’s important to the brand.

Cool. It’s got a nice grey fabric on it, too.
Yeah, the fabric is recycled material—water bottles, hemp, and coffee. Also, all the plastic in the unit is recycled. With Get Together, we are really going one step forward. No one else is making recycled audio products.

I like all of that and the fact that it sounds good, too.
Yeah, that is very important. I think it sounds smooth. It has a nice bass, but the mids are pretty precise. The tuning is on point for $200. It stays stable at any volume, but it is bass heavy.

Yeah, a friend of mine has terrible taste and used my box to play some Bassnectar. The woobs nearly made my bowels move.
Bass is a big part of it since it’s coming from the House of Marley. But we're not in the office listening to reggae all day—the system works for any style of music. We wanted it to sound good across the board for all genres. It’s a neat little speaker.

Wild Soul

Sunglasses are the quickest way to switch up your style, for better or worse. When I used to rock my Clubmaster Malcolm X-style glasses, people treated me like I was some kind of dignitary. Then, when I started rocking my pop-bottle Cazals, I was treated like Steve Urkel in the Winslows' kitchen. What you put on your face is fucking important—just ask this dumb ass. Since glasses send a message, you might as well send one that says you're a fresh-ass mother fucker and you care about the world around you—which is why I've been digging Wild Soul. 

They design every one of their glasses after animals, which would almost be corny if the inspirations didn't yield such unique results at a time when everyone in the glasses game is just doing their best interpretation of the wayfarer or the lemtosh. The price point for Wild Soul shades ($135) is awesome, too—considering they are made with the same kind of quality you'd expect from designer glasses that cost $300 or more. But the best part about Wild Soul is that when you buy a pair, a portion of the cost is given to a charity of your choice. After getting a few of these bad boys in the mail, I felt compelled to share how dope they are. Here's a little convo I had with the brand's founders, Marc Battipaglia and Andres Beker. 

VICE: You guys are giving back. That's dope.
Marc Battipaglia: Yes, we partner up with different charities. We ask the charities to give us a tangible goal, like ten gallons of water for kids who don't have access to water or a recycled to computer to kids who don't have access to computers. That way the customer knows they directly impacted someone's life. 

The styles you guys have been dropping are really cool—there are little angles or cuts that make your frames seem fresh and new.
Andres Beker: Yeah, you're not going to find our designs and styles anywhere. We created products that we would wear ourselves. It's a little crazy how it all comes together. I just sketch these animals so many ways until I bring out the special characteristics in them. And then I include those characteristics into a frame. If you look at the bat frame, it looks like a bat with its wings open. It's subtle. You might not pick up on it right away, but it's there. 

Marc: Yeah, we want people to wear these glasses on a regular basis. The subtle design allows for the customer to get that element without it being over the top. 

How'd you guys meet?
Marc: We met in Atlanta, Georgia, during our freshman year at Emory University. We were soul mates from then on. 

Why hop into sunglasses?
Marc: People are getting ripped off. Some of the most expensive glasses felt uncomfortable. It's definitely an issue where we are overpaying for a pair of frames. I can tell you that from experience working in this industry and making glasses. 

What do you make your shades out of?
Marc: Everything we do is cellulose acetate. We make all the frames in Greece. The lenses are by Carl Zeiss lens—they are incredible and we are able to include them at a reasonable price. Lenses are important, sometimes wearing sunglasses can be worse for you because sunglasses make your pupil open up more, letting in UV light. People have to be cautious of that—even expensive glasses might not properly protect your eyes. 

The case is amazing, too. It's the coolest sunglasses case I've seen. 
Andres: The case you have is woven, recycled bamboo. The idea was to make everything sustainable. We actually designed a new one that collapses into a very flat case. 

You guys offer insurance, right?
Marc: Yeah, why not make an insurance policy for the glasses? Losing glasses sucks. We created sunglasses insurance, which you can get by paying a fourth of the cost of the sunglasses. To get a replacement pair, we don't require you to send a tangible pair back to us. If you bought insurance, we take you on your word. 

How's business?
Marc: Last year we sold 3,000 units. We are in 20 stores in New York City and five stores in Colombia. And we are developing our first store in the Dominican Republic. 

Tell me about some of your experiences with the charities. 
Andres: We started working with this small charity in Venezuela. The person who started it lost a child in a pool. She started it to help kids who lost motor skills. They provide special kinds of crutches. I watched a kid who had never walked in his life use them and walk for the first time—he was eight. it was very emotional to know that it happened because of the people who gave money through our glasses. 

What's the charity called?
Andres: It has a Spanish name that basically means "leaving your prints on the future." All the charitable proceeds of our eagle frames go to that charity. 

Follow Wilbert on Twitter.

Editor's Note: House of Marley is an advertiser/sponsor of content for Noisey, VICE's sister music site. Wilbert, however, chose to write about House of Marley's Get Together dock on his own volition, because he thought it's the shit when it comes to playing mp3s and they give money to charity.

Illustration via the author.
My lover is a luddite. He says he doesn’t want to rely on technology because he doesn’t want to feel its absence if ever it were to be taken away. For example, last week Earth skimmed the boundaries of a solar storm, which could have seriously disabled the planet’s electricity grids. Matt would have likely been inconvenienced, whereas I would have likely killed myself before its repair.

As a blogger for a media website, I feel very integrated with technology. I often write about personal experiences and sometimes I’m given free products to advertise under the guise of narrative. The OhMiBod® blueMotion™ Bluetooth™ enabled vibrator sat quietly in a bed of pink packaging paper. The small box depicted a man on an armchair pointing his smartphone at a female who seemed to be dancing. The inner pamphlet said that the device was “perfect for couple’s play,” so I stowed it aside and waited for Matt to come home from work. I was sort of confused by the company’s marketing objectives, ultimately, but curious to test its wares.

When Matt came home we took turns ridiculing the product, which was probably just a result of our insecurity or nervousness.

“Why would anyone want this?” laughed Matt. “Why wouldn’t I just control you with my hands?”

I put on the included, One Size Fits Most thong and inserted the vibrator into its anterior pocket. I stood in front of the mirror, reminding myself of "The Invisible Fence,” with commercials showing dogs running happily, rehabilitated by their electric collars.

Matt orchestrated the vibrations with an accelerometer function called “Wave," (the frequency intensified according to what angle the phone was held). The paradox of being disconnected and connected to Matt’s movement initiated some strange, telepathic kind of titillation. I imagined this product would be great for severely handicapped people who could manipulate the lightweight, touchscreen intuitiveness of a smartphone, but never the sheathing poundage of full-grown adult. For me, it was hard to ignore the ridiculousness of wearing a remote-controlled vibrator, and inherently fucking my phone, while a fully-abled man to whom I’m attracted sat aside, largely unengaged.

“I don’t know what they expect me to write,” I said finally. I curled up in the crux of his armpit and he kissed me on the forehead. He said, “Why don’t you just outline the pros and cons.”

We continued experimenting with a few functions until I got so irritated that I ripped off the thong and threw it at the wall. The ubiquity of sensation imposing on me, without my control, was overwhelming. When Matt pulled me close to him, thankfully Bluetooth™ deactivated and the connection was lost. We made love with just our bodies.

The One Size Fits Most thong where the remote-controlled magic happens. Image via OhMiBod.
The next morning it was raining. I went to a café near our apartment and tried to write about the experience. I felt prohibited by the constant negativity of my thoughts, and considered working as a barista instead. I walked downtown beneath the shelter of my umbrella, contemplating the nature of the OhMiBod® blueMotion™ Bluetooth™ enabled wearable-massager, deciding that I was overcomplicating the task and needed to try again with better, avid optimism.

Matt arrived later than usual, as he’d been working on finishing a project. After a late dinner, I gave him head while he toyed with different angles and rhythms, which felt nice on my clitoris. Afterwards Matt explained that he felt very fulfilled knowing I was being stimulated simultaneously. We talked about perhaps connecting with Wi-Fi (available only through in-app purchase), to perform long-distanced clitoral orgasms while we are apart.

For two days I hovered around my notebook, cataloging the details of the experiences. One morning, after breakfast, Matt had received news that a friend from Uganda was coming to visit him at the university where he does research work. He was overjoyed and tried to explain the significance of their friendship to me, but I was so engrossed in my work that I snapped at him and he promptly left the apartment.

There was soft thunder and dampened flashes of lightning with long breaks in between. I watched the garden plants swing vigorously in the wind, while trying to repress my anxiety for its fresh, young stalks. Matt came home very late from work. We had texted each other earlier but were acting skittishly face-to-face. I found him in the bedroom at midnight, with the vibrator buzzing independently next to his head, resting on a pillow.

“It’s not very responsive to touch,” he said. He tapped on the touchscreen to demonstrate. “It won’t even sync—”

“Maybe it’s because I updated the operating system,” I offered. “Or maybe it’s just a piece of shit.” When I saw my editor in-person, I told him about how aggravating it had been to use the demo. He asked if there was anything positive I could say about it and I nodded. I genuinely believed it would be valuable for someone with muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy or something compromising the mind-body relationship.

After going to a concert, Matt and I were very hungover for much of the following day. Some friends had come to visit us from out of town, and were rehearsing soft music in the living room. I was alone in bed, staring at a square of sunshine moving on the wall, constantly distorting leftwards. At some point I became aroused and started touching myself with my hand. I became even more aroused thinking about the OhMiBod® blueMotion™ Bluetooth™ enabled wearable-massager, and actually considered grabbing it from off the floor. Then I thought about sifting through my bag, getting the phone, opening the app, and weeding through all the functions, before deciding that it was too complicated. Then I considered grabbing the vibrator without the phone, but by that point I had been losing too much momentum.

I inserted one finger and pressed on the upper back wall, which expanded and excreted fluid as the prostate became more stimulated. As I approached climax, all of the muscles in my body constricted—the nerves around my temples and ears tingling increasingly. I could feel the cervix convulsing, wide and tight, repetitively, as my heart rate sped and its vascular extremities bloomed. There was a brief moment of absence at the height of orgasm, extinguishing my ego’s lull. If this quiet could be harnessed and simulated too, it would prove one lucrative commodity.


@karacrabb

Standing atop of the massive hill of dirt, looking at what is suspected to be a chickpea field. All images via the author.
The six-day blockade of an Enbridge construction site ended yesterday with heavy machinery and six arrests in total. Though what was intended to be an indefinite action ended early due to police intervention, Ontario activists organizing against Line 9 are not deterred—in fact, there’s already a new action happening now in North York.

The blockade, known as Dam Line 9, began last Tuesday when activists walked into the site and set up a camp to indefinitely block work that was supposed to occur on part of Line 9, Enbridge’s pipeline project that will see the direction of the line’s flow reversed so it can transport diluted bitumen from the tar sands east. The action cost Enbridge four days of work.

Enbridge ignored a request from VICE to comment on this story.

The blockade was ended by force Sunday when police began to enforce an injunction Enbridge obtained Friday afternoon. When police moved in, Dam Line 9 negotiated time to move their supplies off site and for most people to leave without arrest.

Two activists locked themselves to metal barrels filled with concrete, refusing to leave the site and three others stayed on-site to provide support. All five were arrested. The two locked to barrels were held with access only to water for more than four hours until an intervention team and EMS team arrived to extract them using hammer drills late Sunday night. 

Before police broke the blockade, the site, located almost two hours southwest of Toronto, was home to about 30 activists, three chickens, and several dogs. When I was there over the weekend, it boasted a garden, a zine library, and an impressive makeshift outhouse.

It was being watched by two Enbridge security guards posted at the site around the clock and plainclothes officers from the Provincial Liaison Team, a branch designated to deal with protesters in a politically charged situation. (PLT officers, who the county police told me are on site 24/7, were nowhere to be seen for the 24 hours I was there.)

Lana G was one of the first people I met. She gave me a tour.

A game of volleyball while waiting for dinner on a Friday night. 
The entrance was a circle of camp chairs and board games. There was a volleyball court made of two metal rods and construction fencing. A kitchen with two propane stoves and piles of donated food. Lumber was stacked to make the dinner table. A portable, which the group had chosen not to use, propped up the media tent. The site had a secure internet connection thanks to a solar powered battery and a WiFi hotspot router.

A massive hill of dirt provided a scenic lookout to the active farmland that surrounds the site—and provided a secluded area where a makeshift outhouse has been set up. (There’s a porta potty on site but the group didn’t want to overwhelm it.) Welcome to Dam Line 9’s home for the last six days.

Activists chilling out on the sandbag couch debating how to stage a Euchre tournament.
Lana and I took a seat on “the couch” to talk. She was the designated media spokesperson for the day.

“This was a coalition endeavour so there are groups from Toronto, from Guelph, from Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton—it was a joint effort between groups and individuals. Rising Tide Toronto was one of the groups that was involved,” she explained.

One Rising Tide member who refused to be identified explained how the Toronto local interacts with other locals in the international network of Rising Tide, which connects individuals and organizations who are taking part in local direct action against climate change.

“Each group is very autonomous so we operate autonomously and we've been very active around Line 9, including a lockdown at a site in Toronto last [winter] and we did another action just recently in Etobicoke—a one-day blockade, a work-stoppage at an integrity dig.”

According to the member, Rising Tide Toronto frequently supports other groups by holding solidarity actions or taking part in coalition actions, such as the Dam Line 9 action.

“There's no formal lines of communication but there's informal communication with members. Some members of our groups, and some members of other groups… often Rising Tide North America will pick up actions that we're doing.“

People I met at Dam Line 9 came from various southern Ontario communities as far as Toronto and London, to close by from Six Nations, and minutes away in Innerkip. Some stay for a couple hours, a night, or several days.

The Dam Line 9 action was formulated to block construction on Line 9 and to raise awareness in the process about the Line 9 project and its relation to the tar sands.

Mark the Cook, disposing of rank coffee.
Line 9 is a 38-year-old pipeline that runs between Sarnia and Montreal. Since 1988, it’s been carrying foreign crude oil from Montreal westward. Line 9 travels within close range of millions of people over the course of its 639-kilometre route. Enbridge has an operating record of 73 spills per year and a pipeline expert has assessed the rupture rate of Line 9 to be 90 percent.

In March 2014 Enbridge obtained approval from the National Energy Board to reverse the flow so the pipeline can carry diluted bitumen—dilbit—jfrom Alberta’s tar sands eastbound to Montreal for refining starting early 2015. (Though the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation are appealing the NEB’s approval.)

Currently Enbridge is doing a series of “integrity digs” to ensure the safety of the pipeline. As VICE has previously reported, the digs will only be done in sections where cracks measure at least 50 percent of the pipe, standards set by Enbridge’s engineering assessment.

“There has been a lot of resistance to pipelines in different regions; people are resisting Northern Gateway which would transport tar sands west, people in the US are resisting the Keystone XL project which would transport tar sands south and here we are trying to do our part to resist Line 9 which would transport tar sands east,” said Lana.

Speaking to me on Friday afternoon, just days before the raid, Lana explained how committed some were to maintaining Dam Line 9: “One person quit their job to be here and be able to be here full-time… There has been a steady stream of people coming in so I think we're confident that we can maintain that.”

Despite the action’s end, Dam Line 9 is calling for supporters to continue resisting the Line 9 project, albeit on different work sites. Enbridge’s injunction lasts until this Friday at which time activists could argue in front of a judge to have the injunction lifted.

Media spokesperson Dan Kellar said that Dam Line 9 would be looking into it but it’s unlikely the group will have the funds to see the case through, unless a larger organization comes on board. Dam Line 9 started a crowdfunding campaign on Saturday, but most of the funds will go towards legal support for the six people arrested during the Dam Line 9 action.  

“While we may have lost the ability to take action on this particular site right now there are many other work sites, especially considering the line is in such bad condition,” he said. “Today in Toronto another work site was blockaded and that’s ongoing right now.”

Early Monday morning a group of activists identifying themselves to NOW Magazine as the Citizens' Response Unit for Decontaminating our Environment started a blockade of an Enbridge work site in North York.

When asked whether CRUDE is affiliated with Dam Line 9 and Riding Tide Toronto, Kellar said no. “These are just groups of people getting together under no other group affiliation other than the feeling of environmental responsibility to protect the land and water.”

“We call out for solidarity actions and blockades pop up at different sites so I would hope that this is only going to continue.”

Dam Line 9 was the fourth action this summer on an Enbridge work site. CRUDE’s protest today marks the fifth.

@ek_hudson

All photos by Wizard Skull

Brooklyn-based artist Wizard Skull takes original animation cels from beloved childhood cartoons such as He-Man, The Smurfs, and My Little Pony, and “reboots” the stills by adding new characters to the piece, often in compromising positions. A lot of these stills look like nightmares you might have had as a child—Pac Man attacking a bizarro Mickey Mouse, Ronald McDonald, and Smurfette. Others look more like the messed up erotic fan art you find in the deep, dark depths of old Livejournal accounts. I asked Wizard Skull some questions about the series, titled Michael Bay. This is what he had to say for himself.

VICE: Why is the series called Michael Bay? This is a dig at the guy, right? 
Wizard Skull: I called it that because it is somewhat influenced by what he is doing. Instead of a rebooted movie, it's rebooted artwork. It's nothing negative against him. When the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie trailer came out, I was seeing everywhere on the internet people getting upset because the turtles had nostrils added to them. I was thinking adding nostrils is nothing. If I could redesign the turtles, I'd do a lot more than that. I redrew the turtles as I saw them to be real mutants, and that kind of summed up what the series was about, taking preexisting characters and recreating them in my own way.

So, what inspired you to do this? How did you obtain these cels? 
I love cartoons from the 1980s and early 1990s. If I could be an animator working on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe or The Smurfs, that would be my dream job. Also, owning the animation cels is like holding a piece of my childhood and I can now add my art to it. So that's what inspires me. Also, the idea that there is a limited number of these out there, and I'm destroying them in order to recreate them as my own art is what inspires me to keep doing it. I've gotten most of the cels through the internet and also auction houses.

My initial reaction to seeing these images is obviously "childhood ruined." Do you like that, or is that not the intent? 
That's not really the intent. I think people like cartoon characters and other pop culture things to be ruined. A lot of the time people say that to me, and then they buy my art.

I choose the cels mostly based on cartoons I watched. Also, I like to have my characters interact with what's already on the cel. A lot of them I come across, and start thinking of what I see going on in the scene, then I need that cel.

How do you feel about this type of animation being a dead art form? Do you like the direction animation is going in today (computer generated)? 
I like physical artwork. They are easier to alter permanently.

Have a personal favorite piece? 
My favorite one so far is one I haven't even started yet. It's an animation cel from Garfield and Friends, signed by Jim Davis. As a kid, I collected all the Garfield books and would draw Garfield all the time. I can't wait to ruin it.

How long have you been doing this? Do you plan on retiring this soon? 
I've been doing it for about two months, and I'd like to continue. If I could get my hands on a Mickey Mouse cel from the Fantasia movie that would be the ultimate goal. Those cels can go for over $20,000 though.

So, have any hardcore fans of these shows given you hate mail? 
So far all the feedback has been positive. People who have original animation cels are now contacting me, asking me to add to them, and these cels aren't cheap.

I would like to get in touch with some of the original animators who drew these cels and see what they think.

Follow Alison Stevenson on Twitter.

In 2011, an international peacekeeping force pushed al Shabaab Islamists from Somalia's capital city. The fight continues in the countryside and in Mogadishu. The weakened extremists launch periodic suicide bombs and IED attacks.

For a generation, the lives of young Somalis have been obscured by the violence. Today, the fragile peace in Mogadishu allows youth to imagine a future beyond war.

We asked five people to share their stories.

For more portraits from Mogadishu click here.

Nick Bostrom. Photo via.

Nick Bostrom’s job is to dream up increasingly lurid scenarios that could wipe out the human race: Asteroid strikes; high-energy physics experiments that go wrong; global plagues of genetically-modified superbugs; the emergence of all-powerful computers with scant regard for human life—that sort of thing.

In the hierarchy of risk categories, Bostrom’s specialty stands above mere catastrophic risks like climate change, financial market collapse and conventional warfare.

As the Director of the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford, Bostrom is part of a small but growing network of snappily-named academic institutions tackling these "existential risks": the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge; the Future of Life Institute at MIT and the Machine Intelligence Research Institute at Berkeley. Their tools are philosophy, physics and lots and lots of hard math.

Five years ago he started writing a book aimed at the layman on a selection of existential risks but quickly realized that the chapter dealing with the dangers of artificial intelligence development growth was getting fatter and fatter and deserved a book of its own. The result is Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. It makes compelling—if scary—reading.

The basic thesis is that developments in artificial intelligence will gather apace so that within this century it’s conceivable that we will be able to artificially replicate human level machine intelligence (HLMI).

Once HLMI is reached, things move pretty quickly: Intelligent machines will be able to design even more intelligent machines, leading to what mathematician I.J. Good called back in 1965 an "intelligence explosion" that will leave human capabilities far behind. We get to relax, safe in the knowledge that the really hard work is being done by super-computers we have brought into being.

An intelligence explosion. Illustration via.

All sound good? Not really, thanks to the “control” problem. Basically it’s a lot easier to build an artificial intelligence than it is to build one that respects what humans hold dear. As Bostrom says: “There is no reason to think that by default these powerful future machine intelligences would have any human-friendly goals.”

Which brings us to the gorillas. In terms of muscle, gorillas outperform humans. However, our human brains are slightly more sophisticated than theirs, and millennia of tool-making (sharp sticks, iron bars, guns, etc.) have compounded this advantage. Now the future of gorillas depends more on humans than on the gorillas themselves.

In his book, Bostrom argues that once a super intelligence is reached, present and future humanity become the gorillas; stalked by a more powerful, more capable agent that sees nothing wrong with imprisoning these docile creatures or wrecking their natural environments as part of a means of achieving its aims.

Photo via. 

“A failure to install the right kind of goals will lead to catastrophe,” says Bostrom. A super intelligent AI could rapidly outgrow the human-designed context it was initially designed for, slip the leash and adopt extreme measures to achieve its goals. As Bostrom puts it, there comes a pivot point: “when dumb, smarter is safer; when smart, smarter is more dangerous.”

Bostrom gives the example of a super intelligent AI located in a paperclip factory whose top-level goal is to maximize the production of paperclips, and whose intelligence would enable it to acquire different resources to increase its capabilities. “If your goal is to make as many paperclips as possible and you are a super-intelligent machine you may predict that human beings might want to switch off this paperclip machine after a certain amount of paperclips have been made,” he says.

“So for this agent, it may be desirable to get rid of humans. It also would be desirable ultimately to use the material that humans use, including our bodies, our homes and our food to make paperclips.”

“Some of those arbitrary actions that improve paperclip production may involve the destruction of everything that we care about. The point that is actually quite difficult is specifying goals that would not have those consequences.”

Bostrom predicts that the development of a superintelligent AI will either be very good or catastrophically bad for the human race, with little in between.

It’s not all doom though. Bostrom’s contention is that humans have the decisive advantage: We get to make the first move. If we can develop a seed AI that ensures future superintelligences are aligned with human interests, all may be saved. Still, with this silver lining comes a cloud.

“We may only ever get one shot at this,” he says. Once a superintelligence is developed, it will be too sophisticated for us to control effectively.

Image via.

How optimistic is Bostrom that the control problem can be solved? “It partly depends on how much we get our act together and how many of the cleverest people will work on this problem,” he says. “Part of it depends just how difficult this problem is, but that’s something we will not know until we have solved it. It looks really difficult. But whether it’s just very difficult or super-duper ultra difficult remains to be seen.”

So, across the world’s labs there must be hoards of dweebs chipping away at what Bostrom calls “the essential task of our time," right? Not quite. “It’s hard to estimate how many exactly, but there’s probably about six people working on it [in the world] now.”

Perhaps this has something to do with the idea that working on an all-powerful AI was the preserve of mouth-breathing eccentrics. “A lot of academics were wary of entering a field where there were a lot of crackpots or crazies. The crackpot factor deterred a lot of people for a long time,” says Bostrom.

One who wasn’t deterred was Daniel Dewey, who left a job at Google to work with Bostrom at the FHI and at Oxford University’s Martin School, lured in by the prospect of dealing with the AI control problem. “I still think that the best people to work with are in academia and non-profits, but that could be changing, as big companies like Google start to deeply consider the future of AI” says Dewey.

The former Google staffer is optimistic that the altruistic nature of his former colleagues will trump any nefarious intentions connected with AI. “There's a clear common good here. People in computer science generally want to improve the world as much as they can. There's a real sense that science and engineering make the world a better place.”

Jaan Tallinn, the founder of Skype and co-founder of the CSER, has invested millions in funding research into the AI ‘control’ problem, after his interest was piqued by realizing that, as he puts it, “the default outcome was not good for humans.”

The CSER at Cambridge. Photo via. 

For Tallin, there’s an added urgency to making sure AI is controlled appropriately. “AI is a kind of meta-risk. If you manage to get AI right then it would help mitigate the other existential risks, whereas the reverse is not true. For example AI could amplify the risks associated with synthetic biology,” he says.

He maintains that we are not at the point where effective regulation can be introduced, but he points out that “these existential risks are fairly new.” Tallin continues, “Once these topics get more acknowledged worldwide, people in technology companies may put in new kinds of polices to make these technologies safer.”

“The regulations around bio-hazard levels are a good example of off-the-shelf policies that you use if you are dealing with bio-hazards. [In the future] It’d be great to have that for AI.”

Jason Matheny, Programme Manager of IARPA at the USA’s Office of the National Intelligence agrees. “We need improved methods for assessing the risks of emerging technologies and the efficacy of safety measures,” he says.

The threat of superintelligence is to Matheny far worse than any epidemic we have ever experienced. “Some risks that are especially difficult to control have three characteristics: autonomy, self-replication and self-modification. Infectious diseases have these characteristics, and have killed more people than any other class of events, including war. Some computer malware has these characteristics, and can do a lot of damage. But microbes and malware cannot intelligently self-modify, so countermeasures can catch up. A superintelligent system [as outlined by Bostrom] would be much harder to control if it were able to intelligently self-modify.”

Meanwhile, the quiet work of these half dozen researchers in labs and study rooms across the globe continues. As Matheny puts it: “existential risk [and superintelligence] is a neglected topic in both the scientific and governmental communities, but it's hard to think of a topic more important than human survival.”

He quotes Carl Sagan, writing about the costs of nuclear war: “We are talking about [the loss of life of] some 500 trillion people yet to come. There are many other possible measures of the potential loss—including culture and science, the evolutionary history of the planet and the significance of the lives of all of our ancestors who contributed to the future of their descendants. Extinction is the undoing of the human enterprise.”

And it all could come from clever computers. You’ve been warned.

Follow James Pallister on Twitter

Photo via Wikipedia Creative Commons

Robin Williams, who died today from an apparent suicide, was a strange, furry ball of energy with a scrunchy, Santa Claus face. If you were born between 1980 and 1990, he was, for some reason, critical to your budding understanding of the world. Millennials like me were too young to have even really known about the arch, bawdy Robin Williams from his coke-addled standup days, or from Mork and Mindy. Instead he was the movie stand-in for ourselves.

His presence on a poster was the signal from Hollywood that we were supposed to take an interest in a movie. After Hook in 1991, we obediently lined up a couple times every year to see what the movies had cooked up for us to laugh at, and then usually get kind of sad at, and then laugh at some more.

The hit streak that followed Hook included Aladdin in 1992, Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993, Jumanji in 1995, Flubber for the kids, and his Oscar-winning role in Good Will Hunting for the grown-ups in 1997, Patch Adams in 1998 and Bicentennial Man in 1999, all of which you and your family went to unless you're some kind of freak. During that time, you also might have opted in for some of the weird or unfortunate ones: Toys in 1992, Jack in 1996 and Father's Day in 1997.

But Williams had a long career, bouncing from character to character on standup specials, popping up in an ever grimmer streak of thrillers and dark comedies over the past few years, and being a consistently fascinating interview subject for TV hosts and podcasters.

We don't even know how to deal with this one, other than to just watch a bunch of clips to remember him, and maybe dig up a few bits of trivia.

1. "What year is it?!" from Jumanji.

This is internet shorthand for feeling groggy because you just took a nap. In Jumanji, it was the secret sauce: It was yet another movie where little kid Robin Williams was thrust into the world, and forced to suddenly cope with being an adult. The whole Robin Williams thing worked because he was only a grown-up on the outside. See also: Hook, Jack, Toys, and, in a way, Bicentennial Man.

2. The food fight from Hook. 

Similar to the above scene from Jumanji, here we had Robin Williams performing the photo negative of the same phenomenon: By accepting that imaginary food can be just as good as—if not better than—real food, he's reverting to a childhood state after being a shitty adult, who insists on food being made of actual food.

It seems fun, but in my entire life, I've honestly never been involved in an actual food fight, and I bet if you're actually in one, it's only fun for a few seconds before one of the kids starts crying.

3. One of the many monologues from Good Will Hunting. 

He won an Oscar for this movie, and for good reason: Instead of being in yet another state of arrested development, he was suddenly tasked with beating the realities of adulthood into Matt Damon's stubborn, permanently adolescent protagonist. Say what you will about this movie, Williams was solid in it.

4. "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin. 

If you're around my age, you can sing this song note-for-note. You can probably redraw this sequence frame by frame. I credit Robin Williams, and this big, bombastic swing number for the trend that led to the music from The Mask two years later, and the popularity of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies three years after that.

5. The "Carpe Diem" bit from Dead Poets Society.

I learned to be a contrarian by hating this movie from the first time I watched it in ninth grade. At the time, I thought it was a cynical machine, designed to deliver a phony-baloney sense of nostalgia for a "pure" childhood love of poetry no viewer actually ever experienced.

Now look at me tearing up watching this scene. Well, what am I supposed to feel, you fucking monsters?

"We are food for worms, lads," indeed. 

Follow Mike Pearl on Twitter.