Hilary Clinton chooses human rights activist as assistant secretary of state.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to name human rights activist Michael Posner to the position of assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, Bloomberg News reports. Posner is currently the director of Human Rights First. Reports Bloomberg:

Posner’s organization works with activists in countries including Guatemala, Russia, Zimbabwe and Indonesia. He drafted and campaigned for a 1992 U.S. law called the Torture Victim Protection Act, designed to give victims of the most serious abuses a remedy in U.S. courts, according to the Human Rights First Web site.

In 1998, Posner led the group’s delegation to a Rome conference where the statute for the International Criminal Court was adopted, according to a short biography on the Web site. The Obama administration has signaled support for the ICC, a tribunal the Bush administration said didn’t offer adequate protections against politica

For Zaneta

"Missing:" A message video by UNICEF about Maternal Mortality from Big Yellow Taxi on Vimeo.

Compelling.

Song Of The Day: 1/24/09

With my ex in town tonight (we won't be seeing each other, probably) it got me thinking about our breakup. The cheesy song listed below ended up being my break up song. Not because it best explained my emotions at all, or anything. I guess I just heard it at the right time.

So, oddly enough, the day after I post one of the most romantic songs ever, I post a break up song. A cheesy one. But sometimes we need a little fluff, don't ya think?

Allure - "All Cried Out"

Song Of The Day: 1/23/09

I already posted this song once before, but now that the video is out I had to bless you with it as a "song of the day" pick. I have been a Christina Milian fan since day one, even having talked to her a couple of times on her site when I was a freshmen in college. The video is classic in an Un-Break My Heart kinda way. This kind of song and video don't come around anymore.

Please make it successful everyone. And Christina, ya killed it lovely.

Christina Milian- "Us Against The World"

Song Of The Day: 1/22/09

In honor of Lil Kim's horrible portrayal in Notorious.

Lil Kim' - "Shut Up Bitch"

Song Of The Day: 1/16/09

Today would have been Aaliyah's 30th birthday. She was born and raised in Harlem, where I currently live.

R.I.P.

Aaliyah - "Are You That Somebody?"

Song Of The Day

For my first blog entry of 2009, I decided to start doing a song of the day. Music is such a universal thing and can easier explain how one is feeling/doing than a blog entry can.

and yes, I totally stole the idea from Samantha Ronson

Anyway, for my first song of the "day" (I know I will forget to do this everyday) I chose a New York singer/songwriter who is the protege of Mark Ronson, the producer to the likes of Lily Allen, Solange and Amy Winehouse.

His name is Daniel Merriweather and this song is especially relevant considering its nearly inauguration day.

Daniel Merriweather featuring Wale - "Change"