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MUSIC REVIEW Yelle in Concert

The last stop on their recent North American tour, Philadelphia was wowed and wondered by French pop trio Yelle this past Saturday night. Sounding similar to dance-pop groups like CSS and Cut Copy, Yelle stands alone in how its music influenced an entire population of Francophone youth.
The “Tecktonik” lifestyle emerged in France around 2008. The arm-flailing, leg-shuffling, and head-rolling dance movement of Tecktonik is still prevalent in the French-speaking world, including Canada, Northern Africa, and much of Europe. The song that arguably pioneered this movement is Yelle’s most famous single, ” Cause Des Garons” (which translates into “Because Of The Boys”) (continue reading…)

Learning for Learnings Sake

In the halls of my school, I constantly hear, “This stuff is completely useless,” or “When am I ever going to use this?” These dreadful phrases remind me that as technology grows, so does the amount of information that we need to learn. Not that long ago, only select groups of people could receive education; but as we learn more about the world, the need for others to be on the same intellectual level in order to move forward has driven the existence of universal schooling. Although this is a revolution in itself, the progress of standardized education has paralleled the pace of the growth of technology.
In this day and age, the amount of necessary prior knowledge is tremendous (continue reading…)

The Times Launches Vertical Apps for Politics Fashion

The New York Times has been expanding “vertical” Apps around specific editorial with the recent launch of an iPhone App for the 2012 election and an iPad App for fashion called the Collection.
While the paper sees growth in consumption in Apps, it is also “excited about HTML5″ as a publishing platform, says Fiona Spruill, Editor of Emerging Platforms, in this interview with Beet.TV.
Spruill sees the implementation of The New York Times as a Google Chrome App as demonstration of the opportunity around HTML5.
She says that the digital opportunities around various publishing platforms are both “exciting and difficult.”
She sat down with Beet.TV earlier this week in a conference room on the paper’s newsroom floor.
In a big shift from native Apps to HTML5 mobile web, the Financial Times has found considerable traction, TechCrunch reported recently.
Andy Plesser
You can also find this post up at Beet.TV.

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read full news from www.huffingtonpost.com

Book Review The Voice by Elizabeth Gould and Paul Fitzgerald

Elizabeth Gould and Paul Fitzgerald’s novel The Voice takes its audience on a quest for the real Holy Grail, entwining scientific mythology with geopolitical intrigue in an esoteric thrill-ride Dan Brown couldn’t dream up, as a frustrated journalist unravels a 5,000-year-old mystery involving Templar knights, Celtic priests and Sufi mystics. Throughout the story the authors challenge Western linear views of reality by offering multidimensional paradigms that are perhaps more conducive to helping us better understand the unseen spiritual and quantum nature of our universe.
Commissioned by Oliver Stone as a screenplay in 1992 and originally published in 2000, The Voice is being reissued now because it is more relevant today than ever. Written before 9/11, The Voice eerily presages the “war on terror” on a number of occasions.
This mythological journey was inspired by the authors’ real world adventures as the first Western journalists allowed into Afghanistan after the 1979 Soviet invasion. Gould and Fitzgerald tried to report a picture of the Soviet “jihad” that stood in sharp contrast to the propaganda Dan Rather and the mainstream media had been peddling to the world.
The Voice’s protagonist is none other than Paul Fitzgerald, a middle-aged American writer living with his daughter Alissa in London and a former network news reporter whose wife had been killed while covering the war in Afghanistan (continue reading…)

Christopher Hitchens A Memory

Christopher Hitchens is dead. Huge loss. I went to school about a mile from where he went to school, we met when I was in my twenties, and then again about six years ago and became friends after sharing 3 or 4 bottles of wine and several whiskeys one lunchtime in New York.
As a once heavy drinker, I could handle all this and was still lucid, but by around 5 o’clock I was beginning to have wild and dangerous thoughts about stumbling off into worse adventures, but cut with the equally appealing idea of going home and crashing out totally.
I went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. It wasn’t that alcohol had affected my sight — I could see my surroundings clearly enough (continue reading…)

Boxees Avner Ronen Apps are Not Part of the Future of TV

Apps are beginning to proliferate the connected TV landscape, but they are not the future, says Avner Ronen, CEO and co-founder of Boxee in this interview with Ross Rubin, Ross Rubin, Executive Director and Principal Analyst, Connected Intelligence, NPD Group.
Ronen noted that Boxee has 300 Apps on its platform, but Apps are not a natural part of the television viewing experience.
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Buying Local Yields More Jobs Stronger Communities

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend an average of about $700 per person on holiday season shopping this year and, despite the hype surrounding Black Friday, the busiest shopping week immediately precedes Christmas. But rather than enduring long lines and sparse service at chain stores, we urge you take a different approach: seek out your local independent merchants and service providers, meet your neighbors and fully integrate your values in your purchasing decisions.
This is not a call to “get out and shop” — far from it. In fact, we encourage you consider many great gifts that don’t increase consumption: a meal at an independent restaurant, tickets to a local concert, durable locally-made goods. Most of all, consider the many benefits of patronizing local independent businesses for whatever you choose (continue reading…)

A Tom Morello Video Exclusive Chatting With Dave Koz and Laurie Berkner Plus Ani DiFrancos Download

Tom Morello: The Watchman initiates a new season of The Guitar Center’s award-winning DIRECTV series. This “musical call to arms” premieres Saturday, December 17 at 9pm ET/PT in 2D hi-definition on DIRECTV’S Audience Network (channel 239) and in 3D on DIRECTV’S in 3D powered by Panasonic.
The show features an intimate conversation with Morello about the “high-wire act” of embarking on a solo career, the impetus behind his storied musical career and how his definition of “heavy music” has changed over the years with host and esteemed musical tastemaker Nic Harcourt.
Here is The Huffington Post’s exclusive…
Ani DiFranco ‘s Latest…
Which Side Are You On?, in stores January 17th, will be Ani DiFranco’s first studio album in more than three years. The title track is her unique reworking of the famed protest anthem, written in 1931, but made famous by Pete Seeger, who DiFranco calls, “my elder, my forefather in folk music and political song.” The album version features Seeger himself on banjo and vocals.
The songs on the album offer glimpses into DiFranco’s own life as well as her take on what’s going on in the country at a particular point in time. She addresses the environment, the government, and our culture of always seeking comfort and consumption, regardless of the consequences.
“I’m testing deeper waters with the political songs on this album,” she says (continue reading…)

Your Family Tree Can Reveal Your Risk for Eating Disorders

It’s not uncommon for individuals to consult their family trees to evaluate their predisposition to various illnesses, including heart disease, cancer and obesity. But a disease that tends to be absent from the checklist of dangerous and highly-inheritable illnesses to look for in family medical histories is eating disorders.
The link between genetics and eating disorders
Most people don’t understand the connection between genetics and eating disorders when, in fact, there is a very strong genetic component to these illnesses.* Research has found that 40 to 50 percent of the risk of developing an eating disorder is based on genetics. Anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder characterized by extreme low body weight and a refusal to consume sufficient calories to support bodily functioning, has been found to be as inheritable as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia (continue reading…)

Get Fit 10 Ways to Get Your Fitness Game Plan Going for the New Year Or Anytime

Are you thinking about it yet? You probably will be soon… once all the eggnog wears off and your holiday hangover starts to give you pangs of guilt.
But fear not. Here are 20 ways to get you started up or back on track to a healthier, fitter lifestyle (continue reading…)

Dog Ears Music The Gift List

Doris Day
Song: Put ‘Em in a Box, Tie ‘Em With a Ribbon (And Throw ‘Em in the Deep Blue Sea)
Album: Golden Girl (The Columbia Recordings 1944-1966)
Genre: Vocal
Buy: iTunes.com
Talking Heads
Song: Psycho Killer
Album: The Best of Talking Heads (Remastered)
Genre: Rock
Buy: iTunes.com
Bla Bartk
Song: Mikrokosmos: No. 143 Divided Arpeggios, No.
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How to Tame a Picky Eater 8 Tips for Happier Meals

by guest blogger Maya Rodale,writer of historicaltales of true love and adventure.
I am a picky eater, and it has long been the bane of my mother’s existence. Of course, I married someone even pickier than I am! While occasionally vexing (like when I find myself cooking potatoes again), I can’t express how wonderful it is to have someone share my persnickety eating habits and understand why I need to eat before parties and ask the waiter a dozen questions.
We, the picky eaters, conferred and would like y’all to know these 8 things:
DO NOT make it a battle. We are not afraid to starve for our convictions. If you nag me to try something, I will not–cannot–on principle like it, and if I do I will die a thousand deaths before admitting you were right (continue reading…)

2011 The Year Corporations Attacked Democracy

For eighty years, Americans have feared robots, worrying they might one day rule the world. In 2011 we realized our real enemies are not robots, but multinational corporations, who have declared war on democracy.
In 1936 evil robots made their first film appearance in Flash Gordon. Since then they’ve haunted popular culture, because robots can be designed to perform human functions yet have no conscience — they are programmed to achieve their objectives no matter the consequences (continue reading…)

A Haven For Adventure Travelers In Chile PHOTOS

After a long day in Pucn, Chile — exploring the region’s rainforest, fly-fishing its rivers or hiking its smoking volcano before skiing down it — nothing is more relaxing than cozying up in front of a fire at the Hotel Antumalal.
The Antumalal, an architectural gem designed in a Bauhaus style, feels like a five-star version of a log cabin in the woods, perched on a cliff overlooking Lake Villarica. The walls are paneled with wood from the local Araucarias trees, today a protected species. The design was envisioned by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright as a hotel that would sink into its surroundings and provide a haven for travelers.
Opportunities for outdoor activities and sports in Pucn abound, like kayaking around the peninsula or rafting down Class 4 rapids (continue reading…)

Confessions of An Airline Baggage Thrower Why You Should Buy A FourWheeler Suitcase

Ever wonder why airlines lose, delay and damage bags? We asked an airline baggage handler who, of course, spoke to us anonymously, what it’s like in the belly of the beast and on the tarmac. What he told us might help you arrive with your bag and its contents intact.
What goes on behind the curtain?
You might be amazed at how much manpower it takes to put a passenger aircraft in the air. Obviously, the majority of time, you’ll only see the pilots, flight attendants and gate agents. That already is a lot of people, but there are more people working outside to get you to your destination (continue reading…)

How I Survived A Copter Crash And The North Woods

“Don’t go away, I’m alive!” I shouted, knowing they could not hear me. As I watched the airplane fly away, I knew the rescue team was done searching for the day.
I had been flying home to Texas after a gold prospecting trip in Alaska when my helicopter lost its tail rotor. It was as if I was sitting still while the heavy spruce forest that blanketed northwest British Columbia spun in circles seven-hundred feet below me.
I dove the aircraft into a sweep of spindly spruce trees to break my fall and possibly avert instant death (continue reading…)

The Top 10 Hotel Aquariums PHOTOS

We’ve seen our fair share of unique hotel design elements, but the sheer number and grandiosity of on-property hotel aquariums took us by surprise. While some are in locations where you might expect to find elaborate shrines to the local ocean flora and fauna — Hawaii, the Bahamas, the Philippines — mega-aquariums have turned up in some unexpected places, like central Berlin and midtown Manhattan. A pair of Vegas () showstoppers, a duo of Florida hideaways, and a monstrous aquatic playground only possible in everything-to-the-extreme Dubai round out our list of the largest and most extravagant.
10 (continue reading…)

Yes An Orthodox Rabbi Can Do a Commitment Ceremony

Co-written with Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Our colleague and teacher, Rabbi Steve Greenberg, is an Orthodox rabbi who will go down in history as being the first Orthodox rabbi to officiate a Jewish commitment ceremony and civil marriage for two men. In a recent article in The Jewish Week, Rabbi Greenberg explained that this ceremony, which took place in Washington, D.C., was not a “gay Orthodox wedding,” as was sensationally reported. He wrote, “I officiated at a ceremony that celebrated the decision of two men to commit to each other in love and to do so in binding fashion before family and friends. Though it was a legal marriage according to the laws of the District of Columbia, as far as Orthodox Jewish law (halacha) is concerned, there was no kiddushin (Jewish wedding ceremony) performed.”
Rabbi Reuven Spolter responded to Rabbi Greenberg’s actions in a blog post, “Why Has My Yeshiva Not Revoked Steven Greenberg’s Semichah?” We write this as a response to Rabbi Spolter.
As two Conservative rabbis who were both ordained at the same rabbinical seminary, we also regard our semicha (rabbinical ordination) as a special honor whose legitimacy must be preserved (continue reading…)

Out of the Boxx Pandoras Holiday Survival Guide 2011

‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa, la, la, la, la, la, blah, blah, blah. Now don’t misunderstand, I’m no Scrooge by any means. I like Christmas and all that jazz, but sometimes the holiday season gets to be a little much. It’s like, take the holidays last year, rinse, and repeat (continue reading…)

Does the Black LGBTQ Community Fail to Support Its Own

Just last month, Gay Black Men News (GBMNews.com) folded. It was a unique, online e-zine because it brought a perspective of the news as it related specifically to gay men of African descent.
And its circulation was global.
“We are blessed with a large following of avant-garde, artistic people. While most of our site visitors are in the U.S.A., we have a good following around the globe (continue reading…)

Being a Gay Dad

I’m a dad. I am also gay man. Or, as society has labeled me, a “gay dad.”
I find it incredibly amusing how the simple placement of one word in front of another word has the power to enhance it or degrade it — especially, in this case, with such duality of perception. It either evokes a sense of pride when used among a certain group, or used to convey a sense shame when used in disgust among others (continue reading…)

Zach Wahls Love Makes a Family

“Love makes a family.”
There is incredible truth to that simple statement, and at no other time of the year is it more apparent to me. More than anything, it is what brings families together, keeps them strong through difficult times, and is the common denominator that unites families all over the country.
It’s also not a controversial statement. The love that exists between parents and children is universal. It knows no cultural boundaries and exists across all family arrangements and compositions.
You know it when you see it (continue reading…)

Notes from the White House

I was honored to attend policy briefings and a reception at the White House this week along with hundreds of activists and community leaders from around the country. It was a fascinating opportunity to take the temperature of the progressive base, in that participants represented a wide range of organizations working on everything from health care to immigration to the environment.
The media has reported widely about the left’s dissatisfaction with the Obama administration. But if the enthusiasm I saw at the White House is at all reflective of broader trends, then the base is much more optimistic about the administration and the campaign than has been reported.
From what I could tell from the tone and content of question-and-answer sessions as well as one-on-one conversations that I had after the briefings, there was a near-consensus that the President has solved some of the nation’s most critical problems:
(1) Preventing the economy from falling off a cliff. The economy was shrinking at an astounding annual rate of 7% when Obama took office (continue reading…)

The Six Pack A Reality Reality World

The Six Pack is a new-school, cutting-edge radio show hosted by DJ Ben Harvey and comedian Dave Rubin. Distributed online and on SiriusXM, the show gives you a weekly dose of hot topics, celebrity guests, and brand new music, all packaged in six convenient parts. Ben and Dave take you on a journey through what’s trending now, from news to views to dudes. Previous guests include Joy Behar, Andy Cohen, Fran Drescher, Steve-O, Congressman Barney Frank and many more.
Currently in its third year, The Six Pack is one of the top comedy podcasts on iTunes, with listenership in over 70 countries (continue reading…)