Why Hillary will probably beat Rudy, for sure

I'm pretty much sitting out next year's elections, but I still like to be a spectator and post whatever I find interesting. I'm not interested in any of the frontrunners for the presidential election, and Rudy in particular is a dolt. But a recent poll has shown that if Rudy gets the GOP nomination, nearly a third of Republican voters will vote for a conservative third-party candidate. Of course, this is due to Rudy's fairly liberal positions on abortion and gay rights. This is toxic to Rudy's chances for president.

Radiohead's bold new step

At best, I'm a casual fan of Radiohead. I don't have any of their albums, and I only know a few of their songs. But their newest album, "In Rainbows", is a ballsy move, and one that could sound yet another death knell for the music industry. The album is only available via download at their website, and anyone who downloads it can pay any price they wish for the album, or even get it for free. It's not on a record label, and not on ITunes. This is one of the biggest bands in the world, basically saying "fuck you" to the recording industry. The record industry has been screwing artists since its inception, and now with the advancement of technology being what it is, established artists like Radiohead are telling them "we don't need you." If this is successful, other artists can follow suit, or use it as a strong and persuasive negotiating point with the record companies.

A Really Gay Wrestling Match

If you thought the Billy and Chuck tag team in WWE a few years back was groundbreaking, you haven't seen nothin'. This is a pro wrestling match from a Japanese wrestling organization recorded early this year. If you're homophobic, this probably isn't for you. But if you aren't, and you're a wrestling fan, you might get a kick out of this.

A scene from Burma

Some Burmese soldiers have a heart after all

Yesterday, I blogged about the brutal repression of civilians in Burma protesting against the long-standing military junta, and of how soldiers are exerting a brutal amount of power by massacring these people. I went on to express my cynicism of anyone in the military or law enforcement, regardless of country, due to their willingness to "follow orders", even if those orders are illegal and/or morally untenable. But after reading this article, I realized that there are usually exceptions. A Burmese officer defected after refusing an order to put captured monks into a truck, where they'd be taken someplace to be executed. Either way, this is an appalling indictment of the UN, Russia and China.

Trust in Government at lowest point since Watergate

From the Gallup site:

A new Gallup poll reveals that, as the organization puts it, Americans now “express less trust in the federal government than at any point in the past decade, and trust in many federal government institutions is now lower than it was during the Watergate era, generally recognized as the low point in American history for trust in government.”

Among the findings: Barely half trust the government to handle international problems, the lowest number ever. And less than half express faith in the government handling domestic issues, the lowest findings since 1976.

The trust in the president and Congress are also at their lowest points since the immediate post-Watergate era. Perhaps most tellingly, only 70 percent of Americans have faith in themselves and their ability to play a role in the workings of government. Look at the domestic contrast between Vietnam and Iraq. You had constant, escalating political activism during the Vietnam era. While there certainly has been activism as far as Iraq is concerned, it's not as nearly as... well, in your face as Vietnam's appeared to be.

"Magic" on Tuesday

The new Springsteen album, "Magic" hits stores on Tuesday. I can't wait for this. I've heard a few songs already, and they're spectacular. And it's with the E Street Band, so you know it's going to be out of this world. Not to diminish his solo stuff, I love that too, but him and E Street just bring it to a whole other level, most of the songs are foot-tappers.

Bruce and the band were on the Today Show this past Friday, and here is a link to "Promised Land" being performed live. The other songs are on the left side of the screen.