Diversity Saves the Day

YouTube - Diversity - Britains Got Talent 2009 The Final

The dance group Diversity put up a stunning performance tonight and well deserved the Britain's Got Talent crown! Fantastic!

Now Susan Boyle... the moment she started singing the very same song that got her famous during the audition I knew that she blew it. It didn't evoke in me anything else but disappointment. Everybody was waiting for a new performance, on a new song, and certainly not on the same very song she so brilliantly performed initially. Even though the final rendition was "better" in a way, it was almost perfect with a lot of nice add ins to it, it will never come up to the quality of the audition version, because it completely lacks the package... Anyway, I also find the audition version better, because though she final version stressed the high notes, the low notes in the audition version were incomparably better.

So, sorry, Susan, but whoever gave you the advise to make a "polished" version of "I Got a Dream" again, should be shot. Or hanged. That was a terrible mistake, and I am almost sure it cost you the title. With the voice you have, you could have given a go at Celine Dion's "Surrender". That would have blown the audience apart - with no chance whatsoever of any competitor to come everywhere near...

Ah, well... In a way, it's better like that. Susan is already famous and on the way, for sure, of a multi-million record to come out soon. I'll certainly be looking forward to that, as that voice really has no equals, especially in the low notes, IMHO. It will also help to lessen a bit the pressure on her shoulder. And then, last but not least, it gives something to a runner up, as Susan had it all already...

Well done Britain's Got Talent - one of the best show, including the final, I have ever witnessed - with a great winner, and a fantastic runner up!

Banning Scientology Doesn't Make Wikipedia More Credible | Education IT | ZDNet.com

Banning Scientology doesn't make Wikipedia more credible | Education IT | ZDNet.com: "Even I quoted the Register, above; the Reg is quite newsy but puts a biting, sarcastic spin on just about everything within its pages. This doesn’t make it invalid, but how skilled are our students at sorting out even satire or sarcasm from a source?"

That's Why I Like Him - That's Why I Don't Like Him

That's why I like him:
YouTube - Raw Video: Obama Stops for Cheeseburgers


That's why I don't like him:
Schwarzenegger proposes closing 80 percent of California state parks - San Jose Mercury News

Wikipedia Bans Church of Scientology • The Register

Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology • The Register: "In an unprecedented effort to crack down on self-serving edits, the Wikipedia supreme court has banned contributions from all IP addresses owned or operated by the Church of Scientology and its associates.

Closing out the longest-running court case in Wikiland history, the site’s Arbitration Committee voted 10 to 0 (with one abstention) in favor of the move, which takes effect immediately.

[...] This is the fourth Scientology-related Wikicourtcase in as many years, and in addition to an outright ban on Scientology IPs, the court has barred a host of anti-Scientology editors from editing topics related to the Church.

Many Wikifiddlers have vehemently criticized this sweeping crackdown. Historically, the site's cult-like inner circle has aspired to some sort of Web 2.0 utopia in which everyone has an unfettered voice. An organization editing Wikipedia articles where it has a conflict of interest is hardly unusual, and in the past such behavior typically went unpunished."

Germany's Battle Against Scientology - TIME

Germany's Battle Against Scientology - TIME: "bringing the full weight of the Federal government to bear on an organization that officials say has only 6,000 members in Germany would be seen as a disproportionate response given the political cost — Germany has been criticized by the U.S. State Department for restrictions it already places on Scientology. As one official put it, 'We have other things to worry about.'"

The Biggest Wake-Up Call Ever!

YouTube - Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics)

This sandwich-eating lady has made one of the biggest impression on the net ever. A typical anti-hero, old-fashioned provincial British (Scottish actually) lady, with a supremely bad-taste (hair) style and frumpy manners, who made a total fool of herself, twisting her hips during the preliminary interview for "Britains Got Talent" - all of a sudden wiped the whole audience down their knee in just three seconds after she opened her mouth to sing - so fabulous (absolutely stunning) her voice was!

As one of the judges said: "the biggest wake-up call ever" - don't judge the package on its cover!

Because of her incredible talent, that makes one wonder how she could remained hidden for the past years of her 47 years life, in spite of her best effort to pierce through, even her mannerism have become, of sort, a fashion!

Her second appearance was more polished already, but her singing still remained breathtaking, especially on the second part where she literally "took off" switching on a higher pitch! Susan Boyle was back, and stronger than ever! I'll try to squat some TV-owning friends' place to watch the final, like, I am sure, millions of people around the world!

WOW... now that is truly inspirational... and somewhere there really is a strong message in all this, both in her incredible voice and the package it comes up with!

GlossLip's "fun" about Jenna Elfman

Rag type article dashing Jenna Elfman mostly because she's a Scientologist, full of other rag type "fun" at an unpopular religion:

GlossLip » Scientology Ditz, Jenna Elfman’s New Fall Show… A CBS Accident For Sure: "Just when things are looking up and NBC drops Scientologist Jason Lee’s show, “My Name is Earl,” (the dumbest show ever…right up there next to My Mother The Car) CBS says they are coming out with a new comedy this Fall called “Accidentally on Purpose”, and will star Jenna Elfman. Thanks CBS, thanks A LOT!"

Roberta Armani on the Cruises

Life as Giorgio Armani's niece - Telegraph: "‘They’re some of the best people I’ve ever met in my life,’ says Roberta of the couple. ‘When I’m with Tom, afterwards I always get inspired – I want to be more like him. He’s very at ease with himself.’ And has he ever tried to sell her on Scientology? No, she says, ‘But if that’s the effect, then everyone should be Scientologist.’ It’s not so much his religion that’s alienated so much of the public, she says, but something else. ‘It’s too much,’ she theorises. ‘People are jealous. Pure envy. I really get upset.’"

Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words.

YouTube - President Obama Notre Dame Speech (Part 2)

"How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without, as Father John said, demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?

[...] And I said a prayer that night that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me. Because when we do that -- when we open up our hearts and our minds to those who may not think precisely like we do or believe precisely what we believe -- that's when we discover at least the possibility of common ground. That's when we begin to say, "Maybe we won't agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually, it has both moral and spiritual dimensions.

[...] Now, understand -- understand, Class of 2009, I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it -- indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory -- the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature. Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words. It's a way of life that has always been the Notre Dame tradition."

Miss Call it for Niah Niah Niah

Another Look at Scientology: Trump Took the Right Decision: "However, I would be outraged at the thought that she would lose [her crown] because she dared express her opinion, even if I completely disagree with it."

That's what I wrote - which does not change the fact that she really is a stupid fascist bitch. I started to watch her press conference today and could not stomach past 2 minutes in it.

Anyway...

Hilarious Craig Ferguson Tom Cruise Parody

On December 1, 2008, I wrote:

Another Look at Scientology: Crusing the Good Wave: "This being said, I did find quite bad the famous interview leaked on to the Internet and which has been the target of numerous parodies (the funniest to date, IMO, being the SuperHero one). I realize that Cruise made the video for an internal audience and not the general public, something critics don't take into account in their mockery, but really he was not good at it. His arguments were weak and his laugh, well... stupid. By far the worst 'role' I saw him in."

The Irony in this is that the parody video I was referring to has been taken off YT because 'This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by The Weinstein Company.".

And when you think that the whole Anonyous thing started for a supposedly abuse of "free speech" as the CoS claimed copyright on that video. Now that video, the original one, is still available on the internet but the parody is not, for copyright reason... That's quite funny by itself and highlights the ludicrousness and hypocrisy of it all.

Doesn't matter - I found an even more funny parody, that makes me laugh way more, even though it's shorter. It's the one of Craig Ferguson of The Late Late Show. Watch it - it's truly hilarious...

Survey Pulls Out Fishy Results

What Do Americans Want? Legal Pot, White House Online Survey Reports | 44 | washingtonpost.com

Strange news this one, first time it I hear of it.

Apparently there was some survey, that seems to bear the Obama or White House official stamp, to determine what are the political priorities for the administration to address.

You ought to ponder about the result of such survey, that basically comes up with the top priority being Online Poker!

That the survey led to "results that clearly do not align with recent scientific polling", as the above-referred to Washington Post article puts it, is clear.

Another source draws attention to "the names on the comments. It seems like many of them are the same. One blogger at War is My Concern got 10 mentions in the Citizens Briefing Book. It seems that some citizens are more equal than others …" - pointing to a possible manipulation of the result by groups like Anonymous who in the past managed to manipulate Google results through loads of votes coming from seemingly different persons whereas they only came from a small minority of technical savvy people with a petty and biased agenda. For example, see here, here, and here.

No doubt this piece of news is going to make headlines among critics who are going to pound on it relentlessly, using its semblance of Obama-esque legitimacy to further their cause.

Clearly, though, online poker and Scientology tax ones are in no way comparable to legitimate issues such as the Bush administration tactics in the "war on terror" and other deadly serious issues. So, I'll say something does not sound quite right with that survey.

Link to the "Citizen Briefing" from the White House web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Citizens_Briefing_Book_Final.pdf

More info:

National Journal Online -- Under The Influence -- Poker Players Alliance Shows A Winning Hand: "Change.gov received more than 44,000 ideas and people cast more than 1.4 million votes on them. Policy ideas received 10 points for each positive vote and were ranked accordingly. "

[...]

Here are the Top Ten issues overall:

• Ending Marijuana Prohibition - 92,970 points
• Commit to Becoming the "Greenest" Country in the World - 70,470
• Stop Using Federal Resources to Undermine States' Medicinal Marijuana Laws - 66,170
• End the Government Sponsored Abstinence Education to be Replaced by an Introduction of Age Appropriate Sex Education - 65,350
• Bullet Trains & Light Rail - 65,100
• Permanent Closure of all Torture Facilities - 61,250
• Revoke the George W. Bush Tax Cuts for the Top 1 percent - 57,080
• Get Insurance Companies Out of Health Care - 55,080
• Revoke the Tax Exempt Status of the Church of Scientology - 52,470
• Bring Back the Constitution - 50,160

Note: boosting America's economy with legal online poker rung in with nearly 47,000 points, so is not part of the top ten. However, this is the issue that has been picked up for headlines by virtually all the newspapers reporting on the briefing, which is why it gets to be named the top priority.

Note2: If each each vote counted as 10 points, does this mean that 5,247 only voted for the CoS Tax idea? Divided by 1.4 million votes, that would represent 0.4%. These results continue to be puzzling and not making much sense.

Note3: Why are the newspapers picking up the Poker issue when it does not even make it to the top ten? In fact, it appears that the Marijuana issue is the clear winner. Not only does it come to number one, but it reasonably could be cumulated with the nbr 3 spot, and in total would make for 159,140, leaving the nbr 2 spot far far behind...

Trump Took the Right Decision

The Associated Press: Trump says Miss California USA can retain crown

First I always found the beauty pageant silly and boring. Not only can't you rate beauty, it also is a way to enforce conformity. In other words, I don't like this display of plastic flesh and smiles.

So whether Miss California can keep her crown or not, I don't give a shit.

However, I would be outraged at the thought that she would lose it because she dared express her opinion, even if I completely disagree with it.

So, Donald took the right decision, in my opinion.

I also like the fact that he disregarded her posing semi nude as a teenager - like it would be such an outrageous offense.

Strange that people who want her down because they themselves are supposedly liberal would use such a conservative argument!

You really aren't liberal at all if you deny others their right of free speech, no matter how liberal you claim to be or how fashionable the cause you claim to defend. Such a so-called liberalism is only conformism in disguise.

Thanks, Trump - and you the naysayer - you are fired!

Give Me Back the Original Alyssa

I have no idea what's going on in the mind of this girl, Alyssa Bernal.

Last February, I featured a superb video of her. She now made that video private and instead replaced it with an acoustic version that is not even half as good as the original one. Luckily some people have copies of the initial video and repost it on YT. Why she makes her best video privates when it had millions of view I can't imagine!

She's kind of becoming a celebrity already and has been featured in the Grammys for her (good but not that good) "I Kissed a Girl" and it seems she has now a parody video of it.

Yawn!

Give me back the original Alyssa! For some people success is not good as it make them lose that divine spark of spontaneity that is unique by itself.

May 12 update : I just learned that the reason she pulled the video off was because of copyright, as the original of that song was playing in the background. That's silly because you could hardly hear the original and the focus was wholly on her singing. That would be a perfect example of fair use.

Alleged Nude Rihanna Pics Leaked

Alleged nude Rihanna pics leaked on the Web! | The Dish Rag | Los Angeles Times: "What do you think? Is this really Rihanna? If it is, who do you think took the pics and then sequentially leaked them to the Web?"

Well, yes, I think it's her. Anyway, I like to think it's her.




If she was not a singer she could be a model (isn't she?). I think she is absolutely stunning and beats hand on many professional top models if not all of them.

No More Daily

I removed the word "daily" from my description of this blog since, obviously, I can't keep up that pace anymore.

US Denies Polar Bears Protection

I am currently reading Obama's book and I appreciate his sense of compromise. However, in this case, I think that it would be better to pass even an imperfect law, on the basis of urgency, but on a temporary basis, than wait for a "comprehensive strategy".

US denies polar bears protection from climate change | Environment | guardian.co.uk: "He said it would be far more effective to work towards a comprehensive strategy on climate change – which he said the Obama administration and Congress were pursuing as their 'signature' issue. 'We need a comprehensive energy and climate change strategy that curbs climate change and its impact, including the loss of sea ice,' he said.

However, the rationale that it was better to drop the protections under the endangered species act rather than use an imperfect body of law will carry very little weight among environmentalists who have led a dogged campaign to press Obama to overturn the Bush rule."