The Dallas-Fort Worther

This is awesome.

2008-10-02T17:23:00.002-05:00

Preaching Prosperity: Who benefits? Kenneth Copeland?

By Eric Gorski The Associated Press

Article Launched: 07/25/2008 08:37:48 AM PDT

NEWARK, Texas - Here in the gentle hills of north Texas, televangelist Kenneth Copeland has built a religious empire teaching that God wants his followers to prosper.

Over the years, a circle of Copeland’s relatives and friends have done just that, The Associated Press has found. They include the brother-in-law with a lucrative deal to broker Copeland’s television time, the son who acquired church-owned land for his ranching business and saw it more than quadruple in value, and board members who together have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for speaking at church events.

Church officials say no one improperly benefits through ties to Copeland’s vast evangelical ministry, which claims more than 600,000 subscribers in 134 countries to its flagship “Believer’s Voice of Victory” magazine. The board of directors signs off on important matters, they say. Yet church bylaws give Copeland veto power over board decisions.

While Copeland insists that his ministry complies with the law, independent tax experts who reviewed information obtained by the AP through interviews, church documents and public records have their doubts. The web of companies and non-profits tied to the televangelist calls the ministry’s integrity into question, they say.

“There are far too many relatives here,” said Frances Hill, a University of Miami law professor who specializes in nonprofit tax law. “There’s too much money sloshing around and too much of it sloshing around with people with overlapping affiliations and allegiances by either blood or friendship or just ties over the years. There are red flags all over these relationships.”

Copeland, 71, is a pioneer of the prosperity gospel, which holds that believers are destined to flourish spiritually, physically and financially - and share the wealth with others.

His ministry’s 1,500-acre campus, behind an iron gate a half-hour drive from Forth Worth, is testament to his success. It includes a church, a private airstrip, a hangar for the ministry’s $17.5 million jet and other aircraft, and a $6 million church-owned lakefront mansion.

Already a well-known figure, Copeland has come under greater scrutiny in recent months. He is one target of a Senate Finance Committee investigation into allegations of questionable spending and lax financial accountability at six large televangelist organizations that preach health-and-wealth theology.

All have denied wrongdoing. But Copeland has fought back the hardest, refusing to answer most questions from the inquiry’s architect, Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa.

Copeland’s church also has invited an Internal Revenue Service audit, which would keep information private, and has launched a sophisticated Web site, Believers Stand United, to “help set the record straight.”

The Senate committee didn’t set out to determine whether Copeland or the others broke the law, although it could provide information to the Internal Revenue Service if something seems flagrantly wrong, a committee aide said. The main goal, Grassley has said, is to figure out whether existing tax laws governing churches are adequate, which could carry sweeping implications for all religious organizations.

The committee could subpoena Copeland if he remains uncooperative. Neither he nor John Copeland, his son and the ministry’s chief executive officer, responded to interview requests.

But Lawrence Swicegood, spokesman for Kenneth Copeland Ministries, said in written responses to questions that no Copeland family members receive improper benefits through their ties to the church.

All revenue from the church’s business interests - including an oil and natural gas company it owns - go into the church, Swicegood said.

He said that Kenneth Copeland has never exercised his veto power over board decisions, a provision meant for emergency use. Even so, Swicegood said, the board is scheduled to meet in August to vote on taking away that ability.

—-

Kenneth Copeland has always dreamed big.

Growing up in West Texas next to an Army air base, Copeland wanted to fly. He also wanted to sing pop songs. He realized both ambitions and didn’t stop there.

In 1957, when he was 20, Copeland scored a Top 40 hit called “Pledge of Love” and sang on “American Bandstand.”

The journey that led to the pulpit began several years later. Copeland had a born-again experience and enrolled at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla. He worked as a pilot and chauffeur for Roberts himself.

Copeland was greatly influenced by Tulsa prosperity preacher Kenneth Hagin, locking himself in the garage with Hagin’s tapes for seven days before moving back to Texas to start his ministry in the late 1960s.

Now a 500-employee operation with a budget in the tens of millions of dollars, Kenneth Copeland Ministries has won supporters worldwide through its crusades and conferences, prayer request network, disaster relief work, magazine and television program.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries is organized under the tax code as a church, so it gets a layer of privacy not afforded large secular and religious nonprofit groups that must disclose budgets and salaries. Pastors’ pay must be “reasonable” under the federal tax code, a term that gives churches wide latitude.

Copeland’s current salary is not made public by his ministry. However, the church disclosed in a property-tax exemption application that his wages were $364,577 in 1995; Copeland’s wife, Gloria, earned $292,593. It’s not clear whether those figures include other earnings, such as special offerings for guest preaching or book royalties. Another 13 Copeland relatives were on the church’s payroll that year.

In the 1980s, Copeland’s church purchased land on the shores of Eagle Mountain Lake from the estate of a Texas oilman. Afterward, it discovered added value underground: an oil and gas field.

Grassley, the senator leading the televangelist inquiry, has quizzed Copeland about Security Petrol Inc., a wholly owned - and for-profit - subsidiary of the church created in 1997 to manage that resource.

Swicegood said Security Petrol was established to protect the church from the liability risk of oil and gas production and to minimize interference with the church’s religious activities.

No company officials - including John Copeland, its president - has received compensation or profits from the company, and all revenue goes to the church for general operations, Swicegood said. Reserves from gas wells in the church’s name were valued at $23 million last year, county records show.

Speaking at a ministers’ conference in January, Kenneth Copeland accused Grassley of twisting reality to make it look like the natural gas “was making us rich off of the ministry’s property. Bull. That’s stupid.”

It’s not the only business venture tied to the church.

While natural gas platforms sprouted on church land, John Copeland, a self-described “cowboy at heart,” pursued a side business in cattle and horses. Beginning in 1993, John Copeland leased church land to run his business, El Rancho Fe, Spanish for “Ranch of Faith.”

Five years later, the church separately sold John Copeland land for his ranch and residence, Swicegood said.

Swicegood said appraisals were done to determine fair market value for leasing and selling the land, adding that the lease benefits the church. John Copeland must improve the land, and county officials confirmed the church gets a roughly $100,000 annual tax break for putting it to agricultural use. The church board approved the transactions.

While the purchase price is not public record, the 33-acre property would have been worth about $93,000 that year, said John Marshall, executive director of the Tarrant Appraisal District.

The land is now valued at $554,160 by the district.

Until recently, El Rancho Fe sold registered American Quarter Horses and three other horse breeds. On its Web site, convenient location and the integrity of the Copeland name were used as selling points.

“We are a family you know and a family you trust,” it said.

John Copeland and his wife, Marty, no longer sell horses but continue to operate the cattle business, Swicegood said.

Ellen Aprill, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a former U.S. Treasury Department official, said leasing and selling land to the church’s top executive raises concerns. Under IRS rules, nonprofits can be penalized or lose their tax-exempt status if an executive, board member or other insider receives an economic benefit above and beyond what the organization gets in return.

“The church and its board must take great care to make sure the payments are fair to the church,” Aprill said. “The church says it does. But is not clear how we can know.”

—

Located in an office complex in a north Dallas suburb, Integrity Media is the kind of company that plays a little-known but important role in the world of televangelism: negotiating the purchase of television time for Christian ministries.

Douglas Neece, the company’s president, said Kenneth Copeland Ministries is Integrity Media’s biggest client, accounting for just over 50 percent of its business.

Neece is Kenneth Copeland’s brother-in-law. Neece’s son, Joel, also works for the company.

The church’s board was informed of Neece’s relationship to the Copelands, Swicegood said. Their television time is bought at market rates and the ministry gets a discount from Integrity Media, he said.

Douglas Neece said his company charges a “deeply discounted” commission below the industry standard of 15 percent. “We earn our money,” Neece said. “That’s just the way it is.

“We have nothing to hide.”

The money involved is substantial. In a 1997 filing in Tarrant County, Copeland’s church said it paid a “related party” $22 million for “telecast and mass media expense” that year and received a discount of $1.7 million on the transaction. Similar figures were cited for 1996.

Integrity Media, meanwhile, is the parent company to a horse-breeding operation and real estate company that owns a Learjet, records show. Although they are wholly owned subsidiaries of Integrity Media, Neece played down the connections.

“The subsidiaries don’t have anything to do with the media-buying corporation,” he said. “We’ve had several through the years, and these things are not connected with the Copeland ministry.”

Whatever the venture - whether it’s buying TV time, land deals with a church executive or natural gas wells - Kenneth Copeland Ministries cites its 11-member board of directors as an important check on the organization’s integrity.

Kenneth Copeland serves as board chairman, and his wife, Gloria, is a board member. Records show other members include or have included fellow televangelists Jesse Duplantis, Mac and Lynne Hammond, and Jerry and Carolyn Savelle; Oklahoma architect Loyal Furry; retired Texas pastor Harold Nichols; and Arkansas businessman John Best.

As chairman, Copeland has veto power over any resolution he deems “not in the best financial or operational interests of the Church or not in furtherance of the nonprofit religious purposes of the Church,” church bylaws say.

Such veto power is highly unusual, say academics who study nonprofits. Swicegood said the provision was meant to give Copeland emergency power to prevent the church from doing anything “repugnant to its Christian purposes and mission” - although the bylaws don’t lay that out. Swicegood said the church plans to remove that provision and adopt others that “reflect contemporary best practices in nonprofit governance.”

Board member Best, in a written response to questions, said he’s received “100 percent accessibility to anything I wanted to see and have always seen the highest level of integrity and honesty.”

Other board members either declined comment, did not respond to interview requests or could not be located. The church has emphasized that board members act in the church’s best interest.

Some board members, however, receive a perk that experts like Hill, of the University of Miami, said undermines their independence. While board members don’t get salaries, some who are ministers get paid for speaking at church events through offerings and honorariums, Swicegood confirmed.

The sums involved are usually kept secret. But in seeking tax exemption for its aircraft fleet in the late 1990s, the church revealed that it paid board members a total of $87,000 in “cash contributions” and almost $1 million in honorariums and “benefit purposes” in 1996 and `97.

Swicegood said the church’s independent compensation committee approves all payments to board members.

Marilyn Phelan, a Texas Tech University law professor and author on nonprofit law, said the practice could pose problems in an IRS audit. Both the IRS and Texas state law prohibit benefits beyond reasonable compensation for insiders, including board members, she said. If violations are found, nonprofits can lose their tax-exempt status and board members can face penalty taxes.

As the Senate Finance Committee considers its next step, Copeland is not backing down. His ministry is portraying the inquiry as an attack on religious liberty.

At the same time, it is moving forward with a big fund-raising project: soliciting donations for new television equipment so Copeland can be broadcast in high-definition.

[From Phil: Just to make sure you all know, I didn't write this, but I do agree with it.]

Re: Bela Karolyi's statement.

2008-08-17T21:22:00.003-05:00

Just a few minutes ago, I saw a statement Bela Karolyi made concerning the Chinese gymnast placing above the American when the Chinese girl actually fell and made a few serious errors on the vault. He condemned the judges, saying they had made a serious mistake, additionally, he called it a "rip off." I would go further and call it a travesty. I entirely agree with Karolyi here.

In Internet terms: I think Bela Karolyi is a pretty cool guy. Eh condemns judges, speaks his mind and doesn't afraid of anything.

Step Brothers and other movie news

2008-07-28T11:47:00.003-05:00

I went to see Step Brothers starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. It was crude, obscene, and insulting to anyone with an IQ greater than 2. The plot isn't even worth mentioning, and the humor centers around idiocy and obscenities.
Even Ferrell and Reilly, who worked together so well in Talladega Nights, and who clearly understand comedy, could not save this movie.
Simply put, it's idiotic, insulting, and not nearly as funny as one would expect, considering the actors involved. Don't waste your $10.
Step Brothers gets a 2/10.

I feel compelled to talk about a certain movie that is coming out because I feel that it has the stupidest premise since Sex and the City, the movie. It's called "The House Bunny." The basic plot is that a former playboy whore, I mean bunny, works as a sorority house mother. Eh, I don't really care about that. The part that bothers me is this: She "teaches" them about the opposite sex. Now, the trailer has a little part where one of the "taught" sorority girls says something like "We're better than we ever were." What is that implying?
It's implying that to have worth, you must be "OMG hawt" and not awkward at all around the opposite sex. It's also saying that everyone should fit a certain mold and not deviate from that mold at all.
Attn: Sorority girls- You were fine the way you were. You were good people, smart, intelligent, not vapid, vacuous, or self-absorbed, like a lot of the women I know.
I think the writers knew exactly what they were doing. At any rate, it would be wise not to support a message like that.
Before watching, I give it a 1/10.

Knotcast- Never let it be said that I didn't do my part.

2008-07-27T16:24:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I went to the Knotcast website (I don't know why), and I saw this:

"Breaking news! KnotCast's studio has been burglarized. Most of our audio hardware was stolen. Mics, mixer, cables ... oh, and our computers, too.

We're asking for donations to help us rebuild. If you can help out, we've set up a Paypal account; knotcast@foxstuffers.com. Any amount would be greatly appreciated.

We have also set up a donate button on our main page."

Since my financial situation is tight at best, and I want to do something to help, I am offering either
A)A poem of my choosing or
B) A poem about yourself (you'll have to describe yourself to me)
to anyone who donates. Just digitally show or send me your paypal donation receipt (my email is wolfswords@gmail.com), and I will get to work on your special poem.

There are other options, and you can request something from me if you want, be it a short story, a session of hot tech sex, or... whatever. Just donate so they can keep making the funny.

I Just Realized...

2008-07-23T16:27:00.002-05:00

I think I need to start reviewing some bad items, just to balance the ratings out.

Vinci & Arty

2008-07-23T16:07:00.008-05:00

In my travels across the internet, I have rarely stumbled upon a gem such as this one.
The clean webcomic "Vinci and Arty" by Candy Dewalt is surprisingly interesting (I might even go so far as to say addictive).
The action revolves around Vinci, a Greek raccoon, and Arty, a yumar (a fictional aquatic cheetah). While they are gay, the strip typically stays away from the issue of their orientation. Vinci has said that he doesn't see genders in the way most do, but I digress.
Candy's art is always good in terms of quality, but I can't guarantee the quality of the guest artists.
The storyline is humorous at times, and at other times, it is depressingly serious. Nevertheless, it has touched my soul in a way that I'm still trying to figure out.
Just go read it.
10/10

2008-07-18T10:58:00.003-05:00

Ok, I hardly ever do this, but I would like to take back anything bad I said about Sigur Ros' new album. While it's not as obviously non-mainstream, the songs are still moving and true to Sigur Ros and their style. I almost cried listening to a few of them (granted, I was finishing All The Pretty Horses by McCarthy-9/10, by the way), and I don't even know the language! The melodies are that beautiful.
I have let go of any misgivings I had about Sigur Ros' new direction, and so should you.
An emotional 10/10.

Wierd moments in music, pt. 1

2008-06-27T11:41:00.002-05:00

(Artist-album-song- wierd part)

The Mars Volta-The Bedlam in Goliath-Cavalettas- Listen about 2 or 3 minutes into it. When you hear the flute/other woodwind thing, pay attention. It will be interrupted with a youtube "screamer" scream.

Disturbed-Indestructible-Inside the Fire- During the "Devon lies beyond this..." part, listen closely and you can detect a raspy spoken part under the singing, reminiscent of the spoken part in "Foot to the Throat" by Lamb of God.

NWA-Greatest Hits-Just Don't Bite It- The part at the beginning and the end, with the... well, the title should make it clear enough.

Party People in a Can- everything.

Sigur Ros-Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust- When I realized that they were changing, I cried blood. Then I listened to more of it, and I realized that it wasn't too bad. 2nd strange moment with that: the album cover.

Viva La Vida

2008-06-26T16:53:00.002-05:00

Coldplay's new album "Viva La Vida" is a small step in a new direction; undeniably Coldplay, but still going new places. Many of the songs feel less piano rock-ish; the instruments are more involved this time around. Like the article in Time Magazine says, Jonny Buckland (the guitarist) has discovered that the guitar has more than one pedal.

This album was produced by Brian Eno. Overall, it feels like an attempt by Coldplay to validate themselves musically and avoid being one of those whiny piano based musicians adored by teenage girls everywhere (read: Jack's Mannequin, though I respect McMahon's music).

Musically, the album is solid, but still not as deep as Coldplay would like. They talk about death, but they don't really do anything with it. Going back to that Time article, they would rather make some pointless lyrics that just mention death and loss than actually make a track that lets/makes the listener struggle with its meaning and sort it out for his/her own self.

Overall: 8/10.

Knotcast

2008-06-10T11:17:00.004-05:00

Ok, here I am again to promote another product of Texas. It's Knotcast, the best furry sex and relationship podcast out there. They are consistently hilarious and, frankly, they remind me of myself way too often. Their website can be found here. They are also available on iTunes. Simply search for "Knotcast."

The format is simple: 4 hosts (Damien Malamute-formerly husky, Savrin, Fuzzwolf, and Zapnut, the token ethnic) get together, read emails, answer questions, and generally screw around. Don't get me wrong, though, it's always funny. Anything else you need to know can be found at their website (see previous link).

One warning, however: Knotcast definitely earns the explicit tag they are given on iTunes. But if that doesn't bother you, give it a shot.

Since I suppose I have to rate it... 10/10

I'm right. Again. And this guy agrees with me and has proof.

2008-06-08T19:08:00.002-05:00

Source: http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm (and the constitution)

Was America founded as a Christian nation? No. Don't be stupid.

Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli which was approved unanimously by Congress contains the exact phrase "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion..."

The Constitution says clearly that it favors no religion over another and that Congress can't make any laws restricting or favoring any religion.

There's some more; go to the website mentioned above for all the details.

Also see this page for some satirical humor.

(Thanks to Jim Walker, the maker of the pages mentioned above)

Religious right/revisionists:0

The rest of us: over 9000

Sun Zoo's Latest Offering

2008-05-27T17:23:00.003-05:00

The newest album from the rapper Sun Zoo is available on iTunes right now, as I write this. It's title is Roads on the Earth. He is like Common in his social awareness. In fact, I would say that Sun is less self-indulgent than Common. His first two albums, by the way, are free online at his website.

Now, for the actual review section:

Roads on the Earth is an offering similar to Sun Zoo's other albums. The one thing in this new album that is different is that it sounds as if he used multiple tracks of his voice in many of the choruses. In my opinion, it gives it a strange sound that gets a little on my nerves after a while. However, all of the pros outweigh the cons. His backgrounds are the best I've ever heard in a rap/hip-hop album, and his lyrics are poignant and intelligent. Sarah Clark does some guest vocals on a couple of songs. All I can say is that her voice is beautiful.

He is signed to Veggie Co. Records under a two-album contract.

8/10

Unrelated: according to the Brown Daily Herald, Sun Zoo will be going to Harbin in the summer to teach English.

2008-05-03T16:28:00.004-05:00

NEVER MIND.

A Must-Read!

2008-04-17T18:32:00.003-05:00

http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2007-03-04-1.html

Really interesting.

Halcyon EP

2008-03-20T14:56:00.003-06:00

Canon Blue, the creation of a man named Daniel James, recently released an EP on its Myspace page, making it free for download. http://www.myspace.com/canonblue

Its title is Halcyon EP, and it is four tracks of pure joy. Canon Blue appears to have a strong sense of identity, for their sound is consistent throughout the EP and, from what I’ve heard, throughout their full-length CD (Colonies).

The EP opens with a beautiful song ("Halcyon") reminiscent of Iron and Wine. The second track (Ennui) is my personal favorite track of the EP. The vocals are light and airy at times, with a sound (it has been described as "cascading," "whimsical," and "magical") and lyrics that should put Canon Blue among musical greats such as Andrew Bird and, as I have said before, Iron and Wine. Halcyon EP closes with "Kingfisher Sweet," an instrumental track that is a wonderful finish to this EP. Though "Kingfisher" is instrumental, it is as captivating as the other three tracks.

10/10

(Thanks to musicisart.ws, even though the authors probably don’t know that I used their picture and adjectives.)

Support the artist and purchase Colonies. It is available through the iTunes Store.

The AIDS Test Rap

2008-03-16T17:15:00.003-06:00

There is a contest (at http://www.aminutecontest.com) that encourages people to submit material that may be used to encourage people to get tested for HIV/AIDS.
This is what I wrote:
It only takes a minute.
Had I known this, I never would have missed
Getting that test
Now I'm having night sweats,
Fevers, and chills, and
There are no pills I can take
To cure this virus,
It's inside us now
Because I was never tested
Now our lives have been wrested
From our hands.

New infections every day,
People need to know that there's a way
To prevent infection-
It's called detection.
No one wants to see someone die
From something they could've prevented,
Especially a kid.
Now you know what you've got to do,
So go get tested-
Do the right thing-
And save a life or two.

Bone Palace Ballet

2008-03-10T17:10:00.005-06:00

I am in quite a rush these days, so I will make this quick.

Soaring highs, diversity, great music,but rather silly titles; all these describe Bone Palace Ballet by Chiodos.
8/10

Martin Puryear Arrives at the Modern

2008-02-27T16:24:00.007-06:00

Martin Puryear's exhibit at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth opened on Feb. 24th, with a special members-only preview on the 23rd. Puryear is a minimalist African-American sculptor and woodworker. The vast majority of his works use wood in some way. In this particular exhibit, about half of the works, while abstract, vaguely resemble animal forms. A prime example is the sculpture to the left (thanks to washingtondcjcc.org). The largest work in the exhibit, "Desire," is reminiscent of on of the pieces of "machinery" in Marcel Duchamp's "The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass)." While all of his pieces are thought-provoking, none of the works are needlessly shocking or sensationalistic. His pieces are contemplative and soothing, conducive to the smooth flow of thoughts and ideas. From a technical perspective, his works are very good, almost flawless. From an artistic perspective, his works convey everything that art should convey: emotion, thought, self-expression, and the like.

I said before that Puryear is a minimalist artist, and while that is true, his work truly defies any other sort of classification. This exhibit was organized by John Elderfield, the Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture, The Museum of Modern Art, with support provided by the City of Fort Worth.

I give the works 10/10 and I recommend that everyone visit the Modern to see this exhibit.

(thanks to themodern.org)

For Anyone Who Loves Classical Music

2008-02-17T11:35:00.003-06:00

Tonight, Feb. 17, at 7:00 p.m., the Youth Orchestra of Greater Fort Worth will be performing at Broadway Baptist Church (305 W. Broadway Ave., Ft. Worth). The performance will be honoring Van Cliburn. The pieces that will be played are as follows: Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, Enesco's Rumanian Rhapsody, and Suppe's Overture ("Poet and Peasant").
Admission is only $10 for adults (students are free), and donations are greatly appreciated.
I may review the performance later.

Cas Haley

2008-02-13T18:02:00.000-06:00

Cas Haley first entered the eyes of America when he entered the televised talent show, “America’s Got Talent”. After impressing all the judges with his guitar playing and singing skills, he rose through the ranks of the competitors, making it all the way to the Final Four. He was even predicted to win the competition by the judges in the early stages of the show; though he was ultimately outvoted by ventriloquist Terry Fator, he took second place and earned recognition for his incredible talent.
Cas Haley’s new album, simply titled “Cas Haley”, accomplishes its purpose as a debut album. Keeping a light and simple feel, the music showcases Cas Haley’s unique voice. Though the drums and guitar parts are not very complicated with few, if any, solos, they act as more of an accompanist for Cas’ singing then parts of their own.
Cas’ singing, of course, is the heart of the album. His voice is light but powerful, precise but moving. He rarely misses a pitch, and easily reaches notes that would be too high for most singers to reach without falsetto.
The song “Walking on the Moon” stands out among the others, just as it did when he performed it on “America’s Got Talent”. He plays it twice in the album- one normally, and one acoustic. Both versions of the song are masterfully performed, fitting Cas Haley’s voice perfectly. While I prefer the non-acoustic version (because of the added drum part), the acoustic version is absolutely beautiful. Another general complaint is the length of the album- no song is over four minutes, and there are only twelve songs total. But every second of this album is easily worth the money.
My main complaint is that other than Walking on the Moon, no other song really stood out to me. The rest of the songs are similar in style, and, while not quite repetitive, can leave a listener wanting more variety.
Reggae may not be the most popular genre, but Cas Haley certainly performs it excellently. Even for one who normally prefers other genres, Cas Haley will make a great addition to their library.
Overall: 8.5/10
--- Thomas Y., staff member

Youth And Government

2008-02-01T01:58:00.000-06:00

Note: A young friend of mine wanted me to post something about Y&G, supported by the YMCA.

From 31 January to 2 February, high school students from all across Texas will be participating in the Youth and Government program, which models the workings of the government with significantly less corruption and deal-breaking. From what I have gathered, the majority of the students there are from Dallas/Fort Worth, thus making the event (held in Austin) worthy of note in The Dallas-Fort Worther.
There are three main branches the students choose from: Legislative, Judicial, and Media. The names really explain what the members do. In the Legislative branch, the students model the workings of the House and the Senate. In the Judicial program, the members can choose to either model the Appeals system (which is the upper echelon of the Judicial program) or the Trial Courts system. In the Media sector of the Y&G program, participants either contribute to a newspaper (in the Print Media section), or they can choose to produce something resembling a news program (in the Broadcast Media section).

This program gives students a sense of respect for the government processes and a feeling that they can do something to change our government. This is, without a doubt, one of the most empowering programs the state of Texas has to offer.

Serj Tankian- Empty Walls (Music Video)

2008-02-01T01:40:00.000-06:00

The (relatively) new music video for Serj Tankian's new single "Empty Walls" is laden with symbolism. In fact, I would say that the video is more of an allegory, with recent events in American (and Middle Eastern) history being played out on an indoor playground. The music is decent (Tankian's voice seems to go out of tune in about two or three places, but the rest of it is fine), and the lyrics are more or less inventive.

Quality (of video): 9/10
Lyrics: 7/10
Musical quality: 8/10

Overall: 8/10
I would recommend buying it (from the iTunes Store).

The Anderson Report

2008-02-01T00:11:00.000-06:00

The Anderson Report, a report released pre-80s, deals with the Church of Scientology and its violations of human rights. It reveals what the Board found in its research and from witness testimonies. It paints a picture of Scientology, detailing its hypnotic auditing processes, among other things. At times, the Report does not give complete evidence, settling for "witness testimony said...," but at other times, conclusive evidence is given to the public.
Unfortunately, the workers at Scientology have tried many times to get this report, and others like it, off the internet.
At a certain level of risk, I would recommend the following website: http://www.xenu.net.

Alpha Rev & The Fieros

2008-01-21T15:03:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, January 19, the band Alpha Rev was featured in a concert that also included The Fieros (formerly The Valentines). Both acts went without major problems. The Fieros went on first, delivering several well-played and well-sung songs, their musical style resembling that of the Beatles. I have been informed that they are going to release a full-length CD soon, but I could not get any details. After The Fieros finished, Alpha Rev began their set. The crowd was slightly inconvenienced by a mixture of Alpha Rev's tardiness and The Fieros' need to pack up all of their equipment. However, the delay was minor and probably unavoidable.

Alpha Rev began performing around 9:15 p.m. The guitarist/lead singer's voice was reminiscent of Coldplayer Chris Martin's, bu the music as a whole was more similar to a soft rock band like Matchbox Twenty or Train (but even softer than that). A few songs, such as "Star of Wonder," stood out among the rest either because of their melodic or lyrical beauty or because of their creativity. The bass guitar was slightly too loud throughout the entire set, but other than that singular problem, nothing was wrong.

Musically, I would rate both of these bands highly (8/10-10/10) and equally. In this concert, Alpha Rev performed better than The Fieros (i.e., they shared anecdotes while on stage, talked, had a good time), but both bands were available to talk after the show, which is a very important thing. Reaching out to the fans is one of the most important things you can do as a musician. The Fieros were a little bit more hospitable (that might be because fewer people were waiting at the merchandise table).
Overall, it was an incredible show. 10/10

Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace

2008-01-17T12:49:00.000-06:00

On the Foo Fighters' new album "Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace," not much is surprising. No notable changes have been made; they retain their sound from previous albums.
The production, of course, is great, but they don't really take many risks on this album.
Overall,
4/5

Thoughts on Huckabee

2008-01-13T15:27:00.000-06:00

I'll be brief with this, for I do not want this to become a politically-centered blog.

Huckabee is the best candidate for the majority of Christians.
Unfortunately, I fear that his belief systems may hinder his judgement and close his mind to ideas and suggestions from both the people and his cabinet.

iPod Touch- Looks like an iPhone, feels like an iPhone, so it must be as useful and hype-worthy as the iPhone, right?

2008-01-11T23:12:00.000-06:00

The iPod Touch, the newest model of iPod from Apple, features 8 or 16 GB capacity and Wi-Fi capabilities. However, not all is joyous in iLand. The comparatively small capacity of the Touch is frustrating to most users, especially when they consider that the recently released iPod Classic has a 80 and 160 GB capacity. In addition, the Touch has a shorter battery life and costs about 100 dollars more than the Classic (80 GB).
Pros of Touch:
Wi-Fi capabilities
3-inch screen
Touch screen feature
Use of iTunes anywhere (computer not necessary)
Motion sensor (of sorts)
Customizable wallpaper
Sleek design
Easy to learn how to use
Features a planner

Cons of Touch:
Comes in 1 color- black (but does it really matter?)
Low battery life
Low memory
Very vulnerable to malfunctions, breaking, and scratches
Very limited warranty
Hard to type
No games (on recent patch 1.1.2)
Hefty price tag
Thanks to Michael W. and Thomas Y. for their help

Kindle

2008-01-11T17:34:00.000-06:00

Amazon has unveiled its new wireless handheld reading device known as Kindle. It has been hailed as "the future of book reading." It works with a system similar to iTunes; you simply buy a book from the device and you can read it immediately, but unlike iTunes, which needs a connection to an iPod, no synchronizing is required. All books (unless otherwise marked) are $9.99. Blogs, magazines, and newspapers can also be viewed. This has led me to wonder about the future of book reading. What will happen to the sometimes obscure classics? Will they be pushed aside, deleted for more disk space in the digital library? I'm afraid this is a very subtle, small step toward the death of reading. I may be wrong, of course; this may revive the public's interest in reading and knowledge.

Hello and welcome.

2008-01-10T21:25:00.000-06:00

This is the first post here, so let me summarize what I'm going to do with this blog.
First, notice the title. What magazine does it resemble? Yes... The New Yorker. This blog will be like that, but dealing with things around the DFW region. Of course, I will cover things like movies and music and fiction going on everywhere, but my reviews of live shows will be on shows in the Metroplex.
I am determined to keep this blog classy. Tell me if I'm moving away from this goal.
Thank you. Comments are encouraged.
I will post about every other day, and usually not on weekends.
Oh, and by the way, I'm going to leave the layout pretty Spartan. I won't have confusing colors, annoying polls, ads, or anything of that nature.