Vanessa Hudgens Sings Like Paula Abdul In "Sneakernight"

Every once in awhile, it's good to stop and take stock of..talent. Vanessa Hudgens has it and it's expressed in this video. Now, I'd not known of her until I decided to click on her YouTube video and that was because it was on the front page of YouTube. Then I realized Hudgens was at the center of the Internet photo scandal a while back.

Ok. It seems there are so many of those.

She can sing and dance. Her voice is soulful and reminds me of Paula Abdul or any one of the Pointer Sisters. I'll be one of the half-million MySpace friends she has who puts their sneakers on!

But from a Zeitgeist perspective, Vanessa's one of the emerging young women who aren't African American, but have the soulful voice that Black female singers have been known for. She's part Irish American and Filipino American. But her style is emblematic of the diversity that Hip Hop has for all practical purposes forced on America. Because Hip Hop and Rap are the dominant music culture forms, American Culture, including what kids listen to, and who they try to sing like, have been litterally controlled and shaped by them.

Vanessa is the end result of this process.

Mark Morford - In SF Chroncle, Columnist Says We're Getting Dumber, but Fails To Define What Dumb Is

I just read San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mark Mulford's column where he claims American kids are "dumber than dirt". The main problem I have with such articles is, first, they fail to define what "dumb" is and second, they seem to yearn for a "happier time." Also, they seem to place the author in the position of "I'm better than you." Oh yeah? Says, who?

So I can't take the article seriously from the perspective around the question of correctness.

I do think that we have not shown kids the importance of critical thinking. It's just fine to watch TV -- one gains information that way. Information on our society, especially from the various news sources. But we're in trouble when we don't question what we're told.

I also think we've not shown kids the importance of being social and polite. Leave the text messages alone and talk. Say excuse me when you pass by someone. Manners are the glue that holds society together. I'm concerned that we're not making sure we have a good supply of that glue in store.