Wyclef Jean ft. Akon, Lil Wayne, Niia – Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)

Love the beat. Wyclef is the truth.

Tinchy Stryder ft. N Dubz – No. 1

Electro-hop perfection. This song was built for my ears’ (circa 2009) pleasure. Orchestral strings: CHECK. Sing-songy rap: CHECK. Tech/Electro progression: CHECK. Hook/Chorus: CHECK.

Jon Schmidt – Love Story vs. Viva La Vida (Piano/Cello Cover)

I think this mashup sucks up until the more-recognizable Coldplay track starts to get mixed into the composition (at approx 3:30 in). Then, it’s super-fantastische.

What’s next in classical mashups, is Girl Talk going to remix Beethoven strings and 80′s Madonna synth-pop with Big Tymers’ rap-vocals? You heard it here first.

Via the anti-shazzzam.

Feeling Quite Accomplished

I felt I’d really achieved something last night when I was introduced to a guy who had already seen my T-Pain’s Top Inspirational Quotes post (We think a mutual friend must have sent him the link).

Day-in and day-out, I strive to bring more inspirational T-Pain content to the neediest of people who would otherwise miss out on his gospel. I’m kind of like Dr. Phil, in that sense. Perhaps I should be up for a Pulitzer; I mean, really, when you think about ‘biggest-contribution-to-society’, what else is more fitting than an amalgamation of T-Pain quotes?

Thank you, God!

OctoMom has been punished for her outlandish behavior: she’ll be undergoing surgery that will leave her unable to conceive again (tumors on her uterus).

Allahu akbar!

Octomom’s baby train derailed

“Mac or PC” Rap

Kanye West – Two Words ft. Mos Def

Song is ILL. (You may see 15 sec. ad before vid starts)

Wonder who did the beat…nice chord progressions and electric guitar; the Harlem Boy’s Choir even chimes in in the background!

Choice lyrics:

I am limelight, Blueprint, 5 Mics
Go get his rhyme like, shoulda been signed twice
Most imitated, Grammy nominated
Hotel accommodated, cheerleader, prom-dated

Apparently, Kanye brought the cheer squad to prom. Little known fact! You heard it here first!

Notorious B.I.G. – Party & Bullshit (Ratatat Remix)

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This remix blows my f***ing mind. Holy shit.

Rick Ross – All I Really Want (ft. The Dream)

SICK vid. Almost makes me feel like B.I.G. is back, or at least partially replaced. Love the Colombia theme.

Obvious

From An unchristian response to torture, by William Pitts, Jr.

You’d think people who claim connection to a higher morality would be the ones most likely to take the lonely, principled stand against torture, writes Leonard Pitts Jr. But you need only look at history to see how frequently Christians acquiesce to expediency and fail to look beyond the immediate.

Between 1933 and 1945, as a series of restrictive laws, brutal pogroms and mass deportations culminated in the slaughter of 6 million Jews, the Christian church, with isolated exceptions, watched in silence.

Between 1955 and 1968, as the forces of oppression used terrorist bombings, police violence and kangaroo courts to deny African Americans their freedom, the Christian church, with isolated exceptions, watched in silence.

Beginning in 1980, as a mysterious and deadly new disease called AIDS began to rage through the homosexual community like an unchecked fire, the Christian church, with isolated exceptions, watched in silence.

So who can be surprised by the new Pew report?

Specifically, it’s from the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, and it surveys Americans’ attitudes on the torture of suspected terrorists. Pew found that 49 percent of the nation believes torture is at least sometimes justifiable. Slice that number by religious affiliation, though, and things get interesting. It turns out the religiously unaffiliated are the “least” likely (40 percent) to support torture, but that the more you attend church, the more likely you are to condone it. Among racial/religious groups, white evangelical Protestants were far and away the most likely (62 percent) to support inflicting pain as a tool of interrogation.

I think it’s obvious why Christians support torture. Fundamentalist Christians are more likely to vote Republican, and during the George W. Bush years, W. argued for having unchecked power to fight terror (and torture falls under that). Also, Christians are by definition followers–they’re less likely to be critical thinkers on any and all issues. They vote with the pack*. If the pack of sheep they happen to reside in seems to prefer torture, they’ll blindly support it without question.

*This behavior, obviously, is not unique to Christians. Humans in crowds will riot when others riot, for instance.

“We have never seen so many”: 1 billion hungry people

“The number of hungry people in the world could soon hit a record 1 billion, despite a recent drop in food prices, the U.N. food aid organization said Wednesday.”

How about this: STOP FUCKING HAVING KIDS! Then there won’t be any starving people!

/RANT

“We have never seen so many”: 1B hungry people – Seattle Times

What I’m Reading: Wednesday

Linkfest:

Second WebOS handset dubbed Palm Eos, headed to AT&T – BGR

Ill kicks:

UBIQ eL Canvas Collection, via Kanye West.

Jonathan Rauch: “a libertarian shift in values” – Reason

“…a new ABC News/Washington Post survey was the first-ever national poll to show more people supporting gay marriage than opposing it. At the same time, other fascinating new polling data is showing (among many other things) increased political non-affiliation, support for decriminalizing pot, and a desire to open up relations with Cuba.”

Number of children in Japan slides to new low – Seattle Times

The news media found again to have a bias against falling population, saying that it “could eventually wreak havoc on the world’s second-largest economy.” When will they learn that the only measure that matters is per-capita GDP at PPP and the qualitative level of development, and not nominal GDP? It’s not havoc. If anything, shrinking is the opposite. It means less energy consumed, less pollutants emitted, less products consumed, and a healthier planet. Sounds like heaven to me!

Afghanistan’s only pig [in a zoo] quarantined in flu fear [lol]

Bristol Palin is now speaking out as an advocate for teens not fucking having any more fucking kids – Seattle Times

Bank of America Takes Lemons (They Don’t Have Enough Capital To Survive), Make Lemonade (We’ll Ask The Government For It!)

EtsyRAIN Spring Craft Show allows you to see locally produced Etsy goods in-person!

Apparently…

Via Shazzzam.

LMFAO – La La La (Original Mix)

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I’m getting addicted to LMFAO just like I got addicted to Chromeo. Hip hop evolves, one 80′s electro synth at a time…

Pitbull – I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)

Dance-club banger, poor video. Not my favorite kind of Reggaeton, but I’ll take what I can get. What I really like is the “One Two Three Four (Uno Dos Tre’ Quatr’)” refrain. It pumps me up.

The Economic Recovery (End of Recession) has begun!

I’ve called it (wrong*) twice before, but this time, I’m significantly more optimistic for the economy, credit, equities, consumer confidence, et cetera. FINALLY!

*Statistically, you shouldn’t listen to me. I’m 0/2 on this one, so far. The sample size is so limited that it shouldn’t be extrapolated, however.