I've always admired people that are passionate about a cause.  Over the years I've donated time and money to various charities and causes but although I've cared about them I've never felt passionate and I've felt a little guilty about it. 

But as I've gotten older I've come to realize the cause that really fires me up, angers me and motivates me to action is Human Rights.  That's not to say I don't care about anything else, I do.  It's just that human rights hits a nerve and I feel it's something important that I care about and want to promote.

One of the issues that has been in the press a lot recently is whether 'waterboarding' is torture.  The US government says it isn't, that it 'simulates' drowning.

The following video is of Christopher Hitchens being waterboarded for a Vanity Fair article.



Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuhJUmR4B6Q&feature=rec-fresh

Let me know what you guys think.  Are any of you members of Amnesty International or any other group?

This is one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite movies.  It's called Cucurrucucu Paloma, sung by the amazing Brazilian singer, Caetano Veloso, from the film Hable Con Ella.

Hable Con Ella (Talk To Her) was written and directed by Pedro Almodovar.  It's about two guys in love with women in comas.  If you haven't seen it, it's well-worth a watch.



Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9kRUY4WLFI

Here's the Q&A with Richard Dawkins after the lecture at Berkeley:


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-iz4vMXYTw

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzp2M5zOnE8

Here is someone offering a bit of sanity in this crazy world.  This is a lecture that Richard Dawkins, the author of The God Delusion, gave at UC Berkeley recently.


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcYDkZcLAug

Here are the rest of the videos to this lecture if you're interested:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iwK1xSUlFI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueR_eR9Smmo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuWK3RLEzuA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq_WmGMHPYo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3n92__5_fg



The stand-up comic at the end of video 3 and at the beginning of video 4 is HILARIOUS!!!!!

This is a bizarre "indoctrination" cartoon from 1949.  I'm assuming it was made to thwart communist ideas spreading in American workers during the Cold War by convincing them of their good fortune.


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbw8DFwoqJ0

"It's okay, it's better here in the Matrix."