Joe's Music of the Week:: Casting Crowns "Thrive"

Casting Crowns "Thrive" (my video link isnt working for some reason so here is the youtube link. )

once again Casting crowns makes a beautiful moving tribute and expression of universal spirituality regardless of which God you follow.

Quick Hobbit 2 review

Thumbs up. Didnt follow the books storyline at all (for example gandalf never goes 1-1 with sauron in any of the books and there isnt a dwarf-elf romance in the books) but regardless I dont think my interest wavered at all during the 3 hours. Its clear to me the directors learned a lot from LotR(which I hated) and have refined their art even more with these Hobbit movies. Looks like the animators had a lot of fun making smaug..the last like 45 minutes is filled with him chasing the dwarves through the lonely mountain VERY reminiscent of the Scooby Doo cliche where they run through various doors all on the same floor. I'm in a funny spot with this movie- the Hobbit was HUGE for me as a kid, but I never read the book. I was addicted to the radio drama via books on tape. The first program I ever wrote was a choose your own adventure Hobbit game for the Apple. I guess the story is good where ever you get it, though again..these movies are leaving the actual story behind and making up a new one.

Joe's long list of interesting newz links

These have been gathering in my bookmarks for a bit now

Democrats trying to pass bill that legalizes NSA spying
Government spends money sending spies into video games
Obama trying to give big business power to ignore local laws
Local police all over the country are hacking into the cell phone network
Jacksonville's mental health system called a "ticking time bomb"
Associated Press complain about Israel's targeting of Journalists
Weird AL finally recording new album
Cancer cured but 12 year expected delay for FDA approval
Choice to have abortion could cost mom custody of other children
Israel has snipers on buildings like Syria shooting rock throwers
NSA gathering porn usage data to discredit critics and "radicals"
Israeli woman fined $140/day for refusing order by religious court
US Navy providing funding to public schools who court them
United States is the only country in the world that gives kids life sentences
Remember when WA state extradited 2 guys for playing online poker?
Walk up Dad arrested for trying to pick up his kids ahead of drivers
8yo threatened with expulsion for drawing Halloween costumes
Median wages fall to lowest amount since 1998
Wheelchair for dancers patented
Government of England blocking pornography on the internet
City of Denver can choose to ignore judges ruling against it
Business are spying on critic and activist just as bad as the NSA
911 report claims CIA ordered doctors to torture detainees
Congressional Spa still operated during Gov. shutdown
11yo boy form Washington convicted in murder plot
Gov sues Chiquita Banana corp for funding terror groups
Walmart makes tons of $$ off food stamp program
Psychologists in England changing age of adulthood from 18 to 25
RFK stole JFKs brain
US running out of groundwater
Judge who approves NSA spying owns lots of stock in telecom corps
Kids suspended for playing with toy guns in their own yard
It is American tradition for the president to lie to the people
Cops request anal prob during traffic stop
Private prison business is making money hand over fist
President of Bolivia to sue Obama for crimes against humanity
Why are we still talking about this Columbus guy?
Dad asks for help with arngy teenage son; cops shoot unarmed kid
Herpes infected monkeys loose in Florida
Stingray migration going on in Florida
England's Children Service also cant self-regulate
Cops still employed and being paid after caught on video terrorizing family
Mayor of Bell, Californa finally going to prison
Sea serpent washes up in California
Cost of firing a teacher
For the last 7 years Military has been faking soldier arrival ceremony
Social Security Number legally up for sale
Homeland security raid journalists office, steals contact list
Government paying the gas used for Billionaires airplanes
US silent on Israel's use of chemical weapons
New York state wants to charge you tax for guests sleeping on your couch
Swedish Government claims beaver butt secretions good for cooking
Ca school system hired 3rd party to spy on students after school activities
CEO pay and how the wage system is broken
German author who criticized NSA denied entry into US
8yo suspended from school for playing with finger as gun
Ancient archelogoly sites destroyed
Money won from Big Tobacco settlements rarely put to good use