Respect The Comma: MySpace And Darfur

Virginia Music

Photo Albums

I know MySpace can be associated with some lurid stuff, but like most things, it can be used for harm as well as good. In this case, the good of MySpace reigns, as a page has been set up to raise money and awareness for the situation in the Sudan. Over 400,000 people are dead so far, and at least another 2 million people have been displaced.

On Oct. 21, concerts across the U.S. and Canada will take place, in which a portion of the proceeds will go to Oxfam's Sudan Crisis Relief and Rehabilitation Fund. The D.C. show is at the 9:30 Club and will feature Amos Lee. I have his first CD, and it's well worth trying to catch him perform, especially knowing that some of the proceeds will go to help people in Darfur.

It says it's just $1 of the proceeds, but it's a start, and there's nothing that says we can't contribute more if our means allow us to do so.

Page Turners 2006 (7)

Lindsay Moran: Blowing My Cover: My Life As A CIA Spy
A really enjoyable read, filled with insight on a deceitful, and mostly unilluminated job. (****)
Rich Smith: You Can Get Arrested For That
Amusing in parts, but thin in substance overall. (*)
Fish, A Remarkable Way To Boost Morale And Improve Results
Nice small compact inspirational way to live a productive and happier work life. (****)
Christopher J. Walsh: No Timeouts: What It's Really Like To Be A Sportswriter Today
I thought I was getting more practical insight into the world of a sportswriter than I actually got. Though examples of stories and the author's progression was nice, I thought it padded the book to make it longer than it needed to be. (**)
Dan Brown: The Da Vinci Code
Much better than the movie; the plot moves well. (****)
Dan Wetzel: Glory Road: My Story of the 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship and How One Team Triumphed Against the Odds
Much better than the movie, as it provides more insight behind the story of Don Haskins and Texas Western; would have liked more about the players and their perspective on playing for him. Probably falls somewhere between 3 & 4 on the star rating. I guess I'd just like a more comprehensive telling of the story. Actually, though people may come out of the book/movie with the idea that this was the first time 5 black players took the basketball court at the same time and won a championship, that actually happened in 1957 (9 years earlier) when Tennessee State won the NAIA championship. (***)
Leif Enger: Peace Like a River
Enjoyed this book, my first of 2006. The characters stay with you, left me wanting more. Had some trouble with the old west references, but nonetheless the prose painted plush pictures. (****)