Dictatorship of relativism (Liberalism in overdrive)

Regardless of where you stand on the debate over marriage, I think you will find this National Review article by George Weigel to be a thought-provoking one. Here is a passage from the article:

New York State notwithstanding, the argument over marriage will and must continue, because it touches first principles of democratic governance -- and because resistance to the agenda of the gay-marriage lobby is a necessary act of resistance against the dictatorship of relativism, in which coercive state power is used to impose on all of society a relativistic ethic of personal willfulness. In conducting that argument in the months and years ahead, it would be helpful if the proponents of marriage rightly understood would challenge the usurpation by the proponents of gay marriage of the civil-rights trump card.

This Music is Really Good for You - VII

I am sure you have listened to music from Mali (they are world famous, you know), but I bet you have not heard of Habib Koite and Bamada before. Malian music is similar to Ethiopian music in that they both are rich in melody. But I have to say that Malian music sounds a lot better than Ethiopian music, to me at least. I suspect the reason may be because Malian musicians make a far better use of stringed instruments and their drum beats are much more sophisticated. When will Ethiopian musicians abandon the dreaded keyboard for a real instrument as their main musical instrument? Wasn't this used to be the case just a short two decades ago? Pardon me for the rant, but please enjoy these three great works of music from Habib and his super band mates.