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I’m not a fan of television.  Really never have been.

I do, however, love music.  So the one big value of youtube for me is to watch videos of bands or artists who otherwise would never get a song on the radio or MTV- those wonderful reality television people.

Everything else is like watching television on the computer.  I don’t get it.  Nor do I get the random people telling us their life stories on youtube.  I don’t understand and I cannot watch it.

I’ve decided to make a page.  I call it Music, Music.  Link is at the top, or you can click here.

You may not like what I like to listen to, but it takes me where I want to be.

Oh, and music really is the one value of myspace too.

Popularity: 31% [?]

I really don’t care for pop culture and try to avoid all the hoopla as often as possible.  People whore themselves our for publicity constantly and it’s not anything that interests me.

This becomes tougher for me as my daughters get older.  At 12 and 10, I have to be ready to discuss and approach most topics that catch their eye or that their friends are discussing.

Such is the case with Miley’s back.  Yes, the 15 year-old daughter of a country music singer and Disney’s most cherished possession recently took off her shirt and they took a picture of her back.  I’m indifferent.  She didn’t show anything that would truly upset people.  It’s more what she didn’t show.  The public has become worked up over what is not seen in a picture and that seems poor.

My oldest daughter said that she thinks it’s wrong.  The picture.  I asked her why and what ensued was a rather lengthy discussion about when others determine what is wrong and right for us- the public.

We covered language and who determines what is proper for us to say and what isn’t.  How the trouble she can get in at school is based on some crazy meeting held years ago.  I asked her to tell me the difference in meaning for the following four statements.

• God Damn It
• Holy Fuck
• Holy Crap
• Wow

Based on when they are used- nothing.  Two of those, though, will get her in trouble.

We discussed television and how it’s perfectly fine to show murder, dead bodies, and violent acts against people.  Yet, it’s not fine to show any ounce of nudity… or Miley’s back.

We discussed the fine line that is created by society regarding art vs. pornography.  This discussion began with Renaissance era artwork.  Michelangelo was a great artist, yet much of his work involved unclothed people.

We even discussed prohibition briefly.

It was a great springboard into a discussion of socialized norms.  Of course with cautionary words regarding the consequences of breaking those accepted norms- no matter how conservative the rules we break seem.

I would like to thank our conservative Christian nation for have such terrible norms.  For making a ridiculously unappealing picture such as that one become such a great controversy that I was able to have a discussion of such great magnitude with my daughters.  That I was able to discuss with her how we are seemingly unable to make up our own minds and that we are often expected to accept that society’s judgement regarding most issues.

It was also a perfect opportunity to remind her to think for herself and ask questions.

Popularity: 42% [?]

I was watching Lewis Black’s Red White and Screwed the other day.  I know, I’m way behind on this, but here’s the thing, I don’t really like television.  I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend any extra money every month so that I can have HBO.

Anyway, he was discussing how George W. Bush doesn’t believe in evolution.  His line was something to the effect that he didn’t think that during his lifetime a president would be elected that did not believe in evolution.  He then went on to compare the Old Testament to the New Testament and how Bush believes in the Old Testament story of how the world was created in seven days.

Here’s thing, I’m not sure a person can run for president and be taken seriously if that person does believe in evolution.  Especially if the person does not believe in creationism.

Reagan declared that evolution is a theory.  Bush is the son of his dad and people get their opinions from somewhere.  Look at the hopefuls right now.  I can’t believe that Huckabee and Romney would believe in evolution.  Ron Paul?

We are always in a situation where we elect people to take our important offices who deny truth.  In fact, we encourage it.  We force each candidate to prove their loyalty to their faith.  Seems disastrous.

Some more Lewis Black.

I think evolution is important because it’s a small corner of a large tapestry that I like to call—REALITY. And the thing is—I’m right. I don’t have to argue this point any more. Fossils. Fossils. Fossils. I win.

Here’s one from where he was discussing how people believe the world was created in the last several thousand years and that humans lived with dinosaurs.

They are crazy, they are stone cold fucking nuts, I can’t be kind about this because these people are watching the Flintstones as if it were a documentary.

One last one, and it may be true.

In my lifetime, we’ve gone from Eisenhower to George W. Bush. We’ve gone from John F. Kennedy to Al Gore. If this is evolution, I believe that in 12 years, we’ll be voting for plants.

Popularity: 46% [?]

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is one of the few shows that I feel like I ‘have’ to watch.  Everyday I get home, settle in, and watch The Daily Show from the night before.

So last night was the episode with Lynne Cheney.  Jon Stewart was respectful.  Lynne Cheney actually came on his show, and he felt that was worth being respectful for.  I can appreciate that, but Cheney was peddling her new book, so the door swings both ways.  A person can only sell a book to Fox News audiences for so long is my guess.

Cheney started out by bringing a Darth Vader action figure out.  That’s fine.  She’s trying to show that she has a sense of humor about the jokes that have been made about her husband.

Jon Stewart returned the favor by not pushing too hard, although he really couldn’t help himself.

Stewart uncomfortably challenged Cheney on gay marriage and Iraq.  He admitted that he was uncomfortable.  He admitted that it was unfair to challenge Dick Cheney’s wife for Dick Cheney’s actions.

He got Lynne Cheney to admit that she doesn’t have a problem with gay marriage and neither did her husband.  Stewart’s response was good.  He asked her why her husband didn’t go out on the lawn and take a stand for gay marriage.  Why he didn’t break away from the typical conservative opinion.

The only reason they would support gay marriage a little bit is because their daughter is gay.  Typical conservative bullshit.  Completely against something unless somebody they know is affected.

Lynne Cheney also tried to argue that when the history books are written, people will realize that this administration has done a great job of keeping more attacks from happening.  Always with the “you may not like us now, but the history books will” lines.  Are Bush and Cheney going to take over the text book business?

Interesting interview that was only friendly because they each had a vested interest in making it so.

Lynne Cheney, by the way, was selling a book about how great life is in Wyoming.  That Wyoming people are friendlier than New York people and on and on.  I’ve been to Wyoming a few times.  They aren’t that friendly to people who are not like them, which is how I believe the Cheneys to be.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Arianna Huffington was on The Henry Rollins Show this week.  She discussed her website and many of her views.  This is good.  Henry rolled it all up into a big show about speaking one’s mind and not holding back.

The huffingtonpost.com is a very good website which brings in views from many people.  Huffington uses her pull as a big name to bring other big names in to blog.  She ended the interview by telling Henry, “Don’t forget to blog on the huffingtonpost.”  Henry said that he needed his password.

I understand that’s the strength of her website.  She has pull.  I will also state that I think it’s pretty messy.  Maybe that’s me, but there’s too much going on.

Henry started the show by telling people to not hold back.  To exercise their right to freedom of speech.  In particular he made a jab at the pseudo-patriots in America who tell everybody to shut their mouths and support the president at all costs.  I couldn’t agree more.  We have an obligation to do so if we think something isn’t right.

I am real tired of the “This is the way it is and will always be” attitude of most people in this country.  Especially if they have the upper hand.  I don’t appreciate the tone that people take with me that if a person is not part of the majority, then they don’t really get a say.

Also, Huffington mentioned how much she would love to see a third party move into political world.  I had a great conversation with somebody on that and will post it as a separate article.

Interesting interview and I almost always enjoy Rollins on Teeing Off.  Sometimes a bit over the top, but that’s why he has his own show.

Popularity: 18% [?]