UC Campus police beat up student protestors objecting to a THIRTY-TWO PER CENT fee increase

Shame on you is absolutely right. I wonder if the Campus Police are among those with mandated furloughs amounting to an 8% pay cut?

Video for Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying"

Interesting video. I like the clock concept, but could have done much more with it.

Great Anti-Dobbs video from Latinos

Hate speech on the public airwaves is one of the things I most disapprove of. Thinking people DO NOT respond to this type of garbage-spewing. The volume, tone and pitch of the voices of many of the ones on TV is a dead give away that what they are saying is not rational. Listeners/viewers forget that their purpose is entertainment, not information. Opposing a viewpoint rationally and factually is a totally different thing than fomenting hatred by way of distortion and lies. Our Constitution protects the former; the latter in my opinion does not qualify as free speech.

Anyway, here is a great video/ad about one of the all-time worst, Lou Dobbs:

Phillies Going ALL THE WAY

G-20 Armed Police on University of Pittsburgh Campus

While on some college campuses kids are watching football games and getting drunk, they are having a different experience at the University of Pittsburgh. A la Martin Niemoller's "They came for me, but there was nobody left to speak up," YubeTube videos are showing what you won't see on the news - City of Pittsburgh armored police attacking students on the University of Pittsburgh campus - "no matter what your purpose is you must disperse." Most of us have just sat back and watched while our rights have eroded. There is no more horror to what happened at Tien An Men when the same thing is happening right on our Main Streets. Thank you, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, and John Boehner.

Kris Allen's single LIVE LIKE WE'RE DYING

86,400 seconds in a day - WOW - this is a great song. Not at all what I was expecting from Kris. He gets the message out without being sappy - fresh and contemporary. I like it!

BONES Season Premiere TONIGHT!!!

Check this out, gotta love it!

Religion can be used to justify good or evil

From the ON FAITH blog in the Washington Post, Susan Jacoby writes about "Faith, Race, and Reason":

During the civil rights movement, most white Protestant churches in the South--those that now make up the Southern Baptist Convention--stood solidly against desegregation. Some of the children of those good churchgoers are as unwilling to accept the legitimacy of a black president as their parents were to accept riding on a bus next to blacks.

It is impossible to have a rational discussion about policy differences with people who run around screaming about killing Granny and calling the president a communist, a socialist, and a Nazi. The new practitioners of the paranoid style are impervious to reason and facts. I thought Obama was extremely eloquent in the conclusion to his speech, when he spoke about two sides of the American character--the side that almost instinctively distrusts government and the side that cares about other, less fortunate citizens. I'm sure that the Obama-haters weren't listening to a word he said. What we are seeing now is a third and worse facet of the American character--the bullying, ignorant facet in which certain people view anyone else's gain as their loss.

Auto-tuning the news

Twitter has its uses! @AndySkib tweeted: "you know about auto-tuning the news? " Very cool - here is the first one in a series of at least eight, subjects are March Madness, economic woes, & Pentagon budget cuts:

Take the PROFIT factor out of insurance - great video

Here is a great video that explains why we need government run public health care:

David Cook with Kris Allen and Adam Lambert in Central Park

Good Morning America Summer Concert Series. David Cook is about to do his 100th show on Friday. I think it's time he takes a break to work on a new album - I am ready for something new.

It is a hoot to read the comment sections of articles about this performance. Someone was complaining that Cook & Allen should not be wearing plaid shirts in NYC. Someone else responded that plaid is a mid-western comfort thing. I have to say I am in the minority - I really enjoyed Cook and Kris, but I find Adam's looks a little creepy and his performances are always just slightly over the top. I guess I prefer the kind of rock, like this cover of Little Lies, that David and Kris do.

NYT op-ed on the work of anthropologist Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro

Michael Dove, a Yale anthropologist, has a terrific op-ed in today's NYT called "Dreams from his Mother." According to Dove, Dr. Soetoro was one of the earliest proponents of microcredit, and also one of the few who was not afraid to point out its shortcomings to the Suharto regime.

Kris Allen "God of this City" video

I really enjoyed hearing Kris sing on American Idol, but that was NOTHING compared to hearing him sing praise music!



From Right Music

The God of this City lyrics and music are written and originally performed by Bluetree, a worship band from Belfast, Ireland whose music ranges from rock to electronica. It is the title track of their critically acclaimed album. The song has also been covered by Dove Award winning Christian worship leader and songwriter Chris Tomlin.

Bluetree members wrote the God of this City lyrics and music while touring and performing on a mission trip in Pattaya, Thailand where the band performed at a club and brothel called the Climax Bar in the city’s Red light district. Originally a song for the city of Pattaya, it has become popular in churches all over the world.

The Kris Allen God of this City video and performance has brought even more prominence and attention to the inspirational song as the video has gone viral in the aftermath of his American Idol victory. Prior to becoming the season 8 winner, the 23-year-old Kris Allen, Conway, Arkansas was known as a worship leader at New Life Church and on the campus at University of Central Arkansas with Chi Alpha Campus Ministries.

Specter as a Dem is just as bad as Specter as a Republican

Move-On is promulgating this video:

did you know? rapid-fire change video

terrific video - re: the audacity of caring

Check out this video that was posted on Dr. Cara Barker's blog at Huffington Post:

Great article - 12 ways to pray during Lent

Therese Borchard has an interesting article on Lent. Her 12 ways of praying are modern, somewhat contradictory, but very refreshing:
1. Fold Your Hands, 2. Say Thank You, 3. Light a Candle, 4. Sing the Verses, 5. Use Prayer Beads, 6. Yell Like Hell, 7. Stare at Something Holy, 8. Repeat One Word, 9. Laugh, 10. Eat and Drink, 11. Talk to the Saints, 12. Give Something Up.

I always appreciate new ways of looking at ancient traditions. Happily, I found this article on Huffington Post. What a switch from AlterNet, where writers and commenters consistently denigrate faith and religion.

That scumbag Joe Arpaio

The NY Times today has a great story about Saul Linares, a day-laborer from Hempstead, Long Island, who wrote a corrido about the repugnant antics of anti-immigrant Maricopa County Arizona Sherriff Joe Arpaio.

I can't figure out how to upload the song, but you can listen to it by following the link above.

American Idol Season 8 so far

Allison Iraheta is my favorite, though her last week's performance wasn't as much fun as I expected, maybe the pressure is getting to her. I also like Kris Allen and Megan Corkery. Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert are ok, too. Adam's performace last week WAS truly amazing, as the judges said, totally on a different level than the rest. Like David Cook, he has that ease and comfort with performance that give him an edge over the others, might be an experience thing - hopefully Allison will pick it up.

Although people have said he is actually a nice person off the show and gives to a lot of charitable causes, I am finding Simon Cowell to be totally repugnant this season. I guess in some ways that he treats everyone the same regardless of ethnicity or disability is true equal opportunity at work. However, some of his comments have been even more offensive than usual this year, to the point where I am considering muting the volume during his comments. Plus, I really don't care for the way he attempts to manipulate the public voting with his comments. Americans are capable of voting for their favorites without direction from Cowell, thank you.

Ryan looks much better in casual dress, never mind the nipple issue - jeeze, we all have them, what's the big deal?

Paula has been on the money even though she looked smashed (not smashing) last Tuesday. As David Cook said his performances last year were like a set list, I watched them back in order and was impressed with Paula "getting" David very early. I was disappointed to see David basically blow off Paula, and eagerly await Simon's verdict. Simon may be the money man, but Paula has the experience and the vocal knowledge, and it shows.

Kara - doesn't add much to the show. An interesting idea that could have paid off, but she just doesn't have that Q factor, probably what has limited her success as a recording artist as well.

Anoop Desai - has been a disappointment. I was prepared to like him in the same way as David Cook. HOWEVER, he does NOT have David's humility, instead is shoving his college boy status down our throats ("from a Duke girl like you to a Carolina boy like me") in the same way Danny's widower status was being shoved down our throats. Sure, it is a very real part of their lives, but not relevant to the singing contest, which should be how they connect with the audience.

The band - Somehow the band and back-up singers are not sounding as good as they did last year. Maybe it's because we haven't had time yet for the interaction between the band and the singers - who can forget Syesha's hot performances with the guys in the band?

Tuesday will always be TuesDave for me!

You gotta love the NY Times

Where else in all the world - "Enter your interactive N.C.A.A. Tournament bracket and compete with New York Times readers to win an Amazon Kindle. " Who else but the NYT would reward the winner of a SPORTS competition with a READING device?? Love it. I have not ordered a Kindle 2, I am standing pat with my Kindle 1. I have no desire to hear books read to me, plus I don't like the idea of no SC card slot in the Kindle 2. My Kindle is the first thing I would save in a fire, after Space Ghost(dog) of course.

Gordon Brown, son of a minister, speech to joint houses of Congress

"Our values tell us that we cannot be fully comfortable when millions go without comfort... that our society cannot be truly strong when millions are weak. And this much we know: when the strong help the weak, it makes us all stronger." This isn't necessarily the kind of thing you hear from this podium all that often, and it's to Brown's credit that he's addressing it head-on. "Whenever there is suffering, we cannot, we will not, pass by on the other side." Read more here.

Jon Stewart and Samantha Bee on Twitter

Stewart nails it again -

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Twitter Frenzy

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

my votes for best dressed at the Oscars - and the Obama's dinner party

Oscars:
1. Jennifer Anniston

2. Natalie Portman











At the White House Dinner:

1. Jeannie Ritter - Colorado




















2. Washington Governor Chris Gregoire

Slumdog Millionaire cleans up!!! (at the Oscars)

Check out this video - up close with Dev Patel. What a cutie!

David Cook on tour - Kiss on the neck

incredible ...

Worst Pun EVER

This is so funny.

George Bush's 10 best YouTube moments

Chosen by Time magazine. Seems like there is much funnier material available out there, but these aren't bad.

Top 10 George W. Bush YouTube Moments