Star Wars "Call Me Maybe"

You have probably heard the big hit Call Me Maybe.  I happened to catch on the news tonight that there was a Star Wars version of it.  And they said it was well done.  I looked it up, and I find this very clever.  I invite you to watch it.  I know I rarely share videos like this, but if you need a break, check it out.  My daughter will love it!

"Righteous Ruth Rap" by Liz Curtis Higgs

If you follow my blog regularly, you know that I don't often share a video just for fun, but this is an exception.  I know of Liz Curtis Higgs, but I have to admit I don't know a lot about her.  When I happened upon this video, I knew I had to share it.  After all, I was named after Ruth in the Bible, and I love the fact that this rap talks about one of my favorite Bible characters (Esther is the other one I love).  Be sure to check out the video--you will find it quite entertaining!

Music Video "Rise" for Disneynature's Chimpanzee

The newly released music video “Rise” from the McClain Sisters for Disneynature’s CHIMPANZEE is now available on YouTube.  Be sure to check it out!

Music Monday--Some Random Music Videos

Well, I should be doing a CD review.  I do have a couple waiting in the wings, but I decided I didn't feel like it.  I happened to check out Taylor Swift's new music video featuring a song from the upcoming film The Hunger Games. Martin did not like it all that well, he told me. And I didn't when I first heard it.  But now that I have watched the video, I can appreciate the significance of it.  And she looks really good.  Her voice is different, and I am going to post it here.  Enjoy!

Safe & Sound - New Broadcast Version/Closed-Captioned/The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond

Taylor Swift | Myspace Music Videos

Moving on, there has been a country song that I heard a couple months ago, I think, that I loved the first time I heard it. I had been meaning to look up the video, but I just didn't think about it.  Dierks Bentley is not someone I really tend to like.  He has a big head, and most of his songs do not resonate with me.  But once in a while, he releases a song that just captures something within me.  And his current single Home does just that for me.  If you don't like country, still give this one a try.  I think that if you are an American, this will remind you of why you are proud to be one.



And finally, this weekend, I overheard that Lauren Alaina (whom I knew was touring with Jason Aldean) sings Don't You Wanna Stay with him in the concert.  This is in lieu of Kelly Clarkson.  Now, while I cannot say that she is the absolute best fit for this song, I think that she is in the process of making it her own.  I would like to see her even do more with it.  And the redneck girl they have to escort off the stage in this video is pretty interesting.  Enjoy!

Yet Again ... Viral YouTube Video causes Stir Worldwide (Guest Post)

It often seems that, whenever newspapers editors have little to write about, they churn out some nondescript piece about some zany new internet trend, full of phrases like ‘YouTube Sensation’ and ‘Facebook controversy’ with very little interesting content. However, sometimes the internet actually does throw up something interesting and genuinely controversial, in that it raises an interesting point, or sheds light on an under appreciated issue.

An interesting set of points indeed was raised recently on YouTube and Facebook simultaneously when a North Carolinan father pumped his daughter’s prized laptop full of bullets for a note she posted on Facebook railing against her parent’s supposed laziness and lack of fairness in a YouTube video which he then posted on the 15 year old girl’s profile. The story instantly got picked up by the hoover of social media attention and within minutes was trending on Twitter. As of now the 8 minute long clip has garnered 22 million views on YouTube and the original post (which remains on Facebook) has run to some 77,000 comments. Finding a genuine viral video is becoming more difficult as large companies have realised the benefits of viral seeding for their profits but the latest YouTube hit is a triumph of a genuine guy and his interesting parenting methods. 

Facebook Parenting: For the Troubled Teen

The video itself begins with the father - Tommy Jordan - sitting in a camping chair in a field,  donned in a cowboy hat and smoking a cigarette, explaining that his daughter’s message suggests to him that she doesn’t possess any sense of respect for the work he puts into raising her as a child, holding a copy of the message typed out on a piece of paper. "This is for my daughter, Hannah, and more importantly for all her friends on Facebook who thought her little rebellious post was cute," he states, visibly angry. He then proceeds to read the message out loud, which essentially boils down to a sort of raging polemic against the fact that the girl’s parents are messy - traipsing mud through the house and not cleaning up after themselves - while expecting of her chores which they allegedly do not abide by themselves. The message contains a demand to be paid for the chores she does, and that next time the girl’s parents demand jobs of her, she will not react kindly, and will also ‘not be there’ when they need her later in life. The girl’s father reacts with shock to the demand for chores to be paid for, exclaiming, "Pay you for chores? Are you out of your mind?" - after finishing the message he counters a few of his daughter’s points, claiming that she has ‘an easy life’ compared to what his was at her age - though ominously pointing out that "You don't have that hard a life but you're about too." The camera then swivels to the girl’s laptop, which has been placed on the grass. The man pulls a gun from his pocket and explains that, a few months before when the daughter had been grounded for a similar offense, he had very nearly shot the laptop. He then proceeds to carry this out, shooting the machine with 10 exploding cartridges, pointing out between shots that the girl will have to pay for the bullets themselves as ‘they cost a dollar apiece’. 

After emptying the gun of bullets and completing the total destruction of the laptop, her father again addresses her, telling her she can pay for the laptop when she has a job and can buy one herself - adding that she will also have to pay for the software and upgrades he carried out on the laptop the day before. The video ends with the cynical message, ‘"Hope you've enjoyed your little fiasco on Facebook", and then ends. 

Viral Popularity

The video’s rise to internet fame has all the usual amazing feats of speed shown traditionally by today’s ‘internet sensations’. In its first day it was watched over a million times, and the father’s video had been ‘liked’ by 62,000 people after two days. 

Reactions to the video are generally in support of the father, who seems generally to be applauded for showing discipline and not accepting his daughters insubordination. However, some have critiqued his behavior, suggesting that he just wanted to ‘show off’ his weapon, and that embarrassing his daughter in such a public and humiliating way is only going to serve to worsen the problem or cause other, worse problems as a result. Wherever the criticism of this video goes, it’s sure opened an interesting debate on child raising - further cementing the internet’s rising position as the most vast platform for opinion, criticism and - more recently - humiliation in history. 

Personally, there is no way the father could be considered in the right in this instance. His showy nature and posting the video for all to see is bound to cause more upset and difficulty between him and his daughter. Holding up this action as an example of good parenting or the right way to raise children is simply just wrong. Violence and using weaponary is never the answer and this father's actions shouldn't be praised. 


Guest Post provided by Melanie Bridges