Yesterday we lost a legend. Everybody has a favorite Pete Seeger song, this is mine.

Courtesy of the YouTube page:

 On July 26, 1956, the House of Representatives voted 373 to 9 to cite Pete Seeger and seven others (including playwright Arthur Miller) for contempt, as they failed to cooperate with House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in their attempts to investigate alleged subversives and communists. Pete Seeger testified before the HUAC in 1955. 

In one of Pete's darkest moments, when his personal freedom, his career, and his safety were in jeopardy, a flash of inspiration ignited this song. The song was stirred by a passage from Mikhail Sholokhov's novel "And Quie Flows the Don". Around the world the song traveled and in 1962 at a UNICEF concert in Germany, Marlene Dietrich, Academy Award-nominated German-born American actress, first performed the song in French, as "Qui peut dire ou vont les fleurs?" Shortly after she sang it in German. The song's impact in Germany just after WWII was shattering. It's universal message, "let there be peace in the world" did not get lost in its translation. To the contrary, the combination of the language, the setting, and the great lyrics has had a profound effect on people all around the world. May it have the same effect today and bring renewed awareness to all that hear it.

When I was a teenager, the teachers in my high school went on strike.

The students were told that if we left class to stand with them we would be suspended. 

Of course being me, I did go out, and they did suspend me. However the strike was over in a matter of days, and my suspension was over at about the same time.

While I was standing outside in the cold, I suddenly burst into song. This song.

Soon all along the picket line voices were raised in harmony.

One of my best days ever, and well worth the few days of suspension I received. 

Blind girl from the Philippines sings "Wrecking Ball." And kills it!

You know it's actually a pretty good song. Too bad it will always be associated with this rather controversial Miley Cyrus video.

Oh, and by the way, this little girl is freaking AMAZING!

Do you understand String Theory? No? Want to have it explained to you in a rewritten Freddy Mercury song? Of course you do.

Okay THIS is how I think all complicated scientific theorems should be explained.

And that is guy is pretty talented don't you think?. If I try to hit some of those high notes these days I get light headed and have to sit down.

"Jesus is my Nigga." Best Christian youth outreach ever! Update!

I am not even going to bother preparing you for this, because to be honest there is NOTHING that I could say that would prepare you for this. Please do yourself a favor and watch to the end.

God I love it when his wife joins in just when you thought it could not get anymore surreal.

Here are the lyrics so you can sing along:

“Well I wrote this song for the Christian youth" 
“I wanna teach kids the Christian truth.” 
“If you wanna reach those kids on the street” 
“Then you gotta do a rap, do a hip hop beat.” 
“So heed my sermon, an urban kid” 
"My rhymes are fly, my beats are sick.” 
"My crew is big and it keeps getting bigger.” 
“That’s cause Jesus Christ is my N*gga. 

I know what you are thinking, "Gryphen no WAY is this for real." However there is some strong evidence to suggest that it is indeed.

Here is more from the Daily Mail:

 With its clever rhymes, controversial lyrics and uncompromising message, Pastor Jim Colerick and his wife's 'Rappin' for Jesus' takes its inspiration from the stars of hip-hop - and there most similarities end. 

With beats straight out of 1970s Bronx, Pastor Jim declares he 'wrote this song for the Christian youth - I want to teach kids the Christian truth', all the while punctuating his rap with the refrain of 'Jesus Christ is my n***a'. 

However, while the song and accompanying video seem unintentionally hilarious, the video was uploaded on YouTube user Brian Spinney on February 5th - even though it appears to be produced at least five years ago. 

Importantly, that website claims that the church closed in June 2004 and Spinney claims to have produced this video with the pastor and his wife when he was in high school. 

Parody or not, the comedy of Pastor Jim and his wife rapping, 'Jesus Christ is our n***a - he's our homey mc, JC, uc?' is undeniable. 

Personally I kind of hope it is NOT a parody, but if it is it is a damn funny one.

Now good luck getting that song out of your head today.

Update: They won't allow us to embed the video any longer but you can still hear it for yourself by clicking here.

Beloved children's tune gets a scientific tweak.

I think you know the tune:

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 
I know exactly what you are 

 Opaque ball of hot dense gas 
Million times our planet's mass 
Looking small because you're far 
I know exactly what you are 

Fusing atoms in your core 
Hydrogen, helium, carbon and more 
With such power you shine far 
Twinkle twinkle little star 

Bright when close and faint when far 
I know exactly what you are 
Smallest ones burn cool and slow 
Still too hot to visit, though 

Red stars dominate by far 
Twinkle twinkle little star 
Largest ones are hot and blue 
Supernova when they're through 

Then black hole or neutron star 
I know exactly what you are 
Forming from collapsing clouds 
Cold and dusty gas enshrouds 

Spinning, heating protostar 
I know exactly what you are

I found this over at Reddit, where it was  attributed to the Girl Scouts.  I cannot find the source, but I liked this more educational version so much that I thought it was worth sharing.