I was stunned to find that this "ideological reeducation" narrowly missed being adopted at the University of Delaware, just a stone's throw from my parent's house.

http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/8555.html

The definition of a racist according to the new plan was "one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of race by a white supremacist (racist) system. The term applies to all white people (i.e., people of European descent) living in the United States, regardless of class, gender, religion, culture or sexuality.” I think there's a paradox in there somewhere..

Forget Deal or No Deal. If I were to be on a game show, I would like it to involve a Human Tetris challenge such as this.

After a few listens, I am really digging the new Alter Bridge record. The first single, Rise Today, gave me a bad first impression.. quite bland. The rest of the album is rockin' though. Lead vocalist Myles Kennedy displays an impressive range, and guitarist Mark Tremonti shreds effectively. This is a departure from their first album, One Day Remains, which felt like a Creed afterthought blended with a bit of harder rock. With Myles Kennedy much more involved in the writing process on the new album, it seems Alter Bridge has established their own creative vision.

This new vision is evident in the title track, Blackbird, the strongest cut on the record. I will venture to call it epic. Clocking in at almost eight minutes, it feels about half that time.

Alter Bridge - Blackbird

Highlights

• Blackbird
• Ties That Bind
• Brand New Start
• Watch Over You

Fox Assures Hitman Will Be Rated "R"

Films buffs and video-game enthusiasts have been outspoken on the web about the rumor that Hitman, the latest game-turned-movie was being edited, or "watered-down",  for a PG-13 rating. Heaven forbid they would get another Live Free or Die Hard. Fox released a statement assuring the concerned folks that Hitman will be rated "R".

This is probably a bad example, since Hitman is a gruesome game for which a film adaption should deserve an R-rating. Still, call me old-fashioned, but I think the real artistic challenge is creating a film that can engage the audience without resorting to the "R-rated material".

I don't want to sound hypocritical - my "favorites" list of films does include many R's. Sometimes to convey the story in the best possible way, disturbing or graphic material might be necessary. But more often than not, I find the material that warrants the R-rating is actually a film's greatest weakness.

Great "PG" movies:

• Chariots of Fire
• Hoosiers
• The Princess Bride
• Apollo 13
• Star Wars
• Jaws
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• E.T.
• The Sting

I just downloaded Radiohead's new album, In Rainbows, for 3.45 euros. That's about 5 bucks for 10 new songs from one of my favorite bands. And the kicker — it's all legit. Radiohead embarked on an experimental marketing strategy with their new record - let the fans download the album online, and choose their price. The tagline that is being associated with it is "How much is the music worth to you?" It's a pretty brilliant strategy for a band with as large a cult following as Radiohead.

I read one fellow's comment that he bought the album for 100 euros. I'm not quite as generous, but I think that 5 bucks isn't that bad, considering (I believe) that the band will see every penny of it. I wonder what the typical percentage is that artists get from Atlantic and the like via traditional $15 record sales.

Supposedly Oasis and Jamiroquai (also favorites of mine) will be following suit.

Click here to download In Rainbows from Radiohead's official site.