Rupurt Murdoch has clinched his deal to buy the Wall Street Journal. Time to cancel your subscription…

The Seminal will be sponsoring a house party to kick of the Yearly Kos Democratic blogger convention on Thursday, August 2nd. We will be offering a good old fashioned house party, complete with snacks, various festive beverages, and a relaxed environment to hang out in located in the heart of Wrigleyville, right off the Sheridan red line stop.

Even if you are not attending Yearly Kos, if you're in the area you are welcome to attend! Here's the info:

What? Political house party (food, beverages, fun!)

When? Thursday, August 2nd, 9pm

Where? Wrigleyville, Chicago (about 30 minutes away from the convention via public transportation)

Why? Because democrats like to party too!

Think you can come? Please RSVP at seminal@theseminal.com for directions!

Come and party with us, Seminal readers!

I firmly believe that Chicago will be the next city to spawn a nationwide music scene. Compared with the older, more established scenes in New York or L.A., Chicago is very musician friendly mostly because it's so approachable. There are a ton of great musicians in the area, and a lot of venues and outlets in which to perform. The scene is scattered, disorganized, and not set in its ways, which means that for the aspiring musician or scenester, you can easily make yourself known around town in a way that just isn't possible in other places.

For that very reason, there are a ton of top notch acts coming out of Chicago that aren't getting the attention they deserve, especially in the hip hop genre. Sure, there have been a few high-profile artists to come out of the Windy City. But artists like Common, Kanye West, and Twista have all quickly abandoned Chicago as their fame grew, preferring to make their home in other, more established scenes. However, there are many worthy artists that have been left behind, and it is only a matter of time before the Chicago hip hop scene coalesces into a nationwide movement with strong roots in the city, just like the grunge scene that came out of Seattle in the early 90's. Mark my words: Chicago is going to be the next big thing in hip hop. If you want to get into the scene, there has never been a better time. The albums are cheap, the artists play live all of the time, and this city is practically drowning in quality hip hop music. All you have to do is get out there and listen.

After immersing myself in the music for five years, here are the artists that I believe are worth hearing, supporting, and keeping track of:

A well-known - and obnoxious - quote (sometimes attributed to Winston Churchill) runs something like this:

"If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. And if you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain."

Is there any truth in this statement? Some people far beyond the age of 35, people who have held liberal beliefs throughout their lives, would say no. But many would say that being out in the "real world" teaches you what people are really like - and shows you why conservatives should be in charge of society.

For my part, not even being 25 yet, I can only speculate as to what has kept me liberal thus far - and what I anticipate will keep me liberal for many years to come.

I think a lot of it boils down to this: if you base your political outlook primarily on your personal experiences, life's difficulties will make you bitter - and conservative. And if you step back from your experiences and place them in perspective, you'll be more likely to stay (or become) liberal. In other words, what keeps me liberal is the fact that I know my limited personal experience is not the only source of information I can use when making political decisions.

"You push this bill through that produces a windfall for the drug companies. And then a short time later, you go to work for the drug lobby at a salary of $2 million. That doesn't look good." Take a look at this facinating story from Sunday's 60 Minutes, about the disturbing relationship between Congress and the drug lobby.

Oxfam has released a report saying nearly half of Iraqis live in absolute poverty, and 8 million are in need of immediate humanitarian aid.

President Bush is trying to sell Persian Gulf countries $20 billion worth of new, sophisticated arms, in exchange for their cooperation in containing Iran. (Hmmm, this sounds like one of those annoying tidbits Bill O'Reilly's successors will be denying on television in a few years…)

High-profile New York Senator Chuck Schumer is breaking with Democratic party lines, pledging to protect his hedge-funded constituents from overly burdensome taxes.

With an exceptionally strong rating from the League of Conservation Voters, find out what Democratic presidential candidate Barak Obama has to say about his environmental policies.

And new research is strengthening the connection between climate change, warmer waters, and what appears to be increasing numbers (and intensities) of hurricanes.

Environmental Tip of the Day: Use Environmentally-Friendly Technology!

Check out www.cool-companies.org, especially if you're a CEO, manager, or small-business owner, to learn about the many ways companies can be made more efficient — everything from energy-saving Internet servers to clean and efficient industrial cooling & heating systems.

Dow Jones decides tomorrow whether to sell the company to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. If you don't want to see the pinnacle of journalistic integrity that is the Wall Street Journal turn into something akin to Fox News, do something about it.

Mohammed Haneef, an Indian citizen who was accused in Australia of being involved in the failed terror bombings in the UK has been released and cleared of all charges. Held in custody for nearly four weeks, Haneef's case has raised concerns about Australia's terror laws and the larger "war on terror".

Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador won this year's Tour de France, which ended today after a series of doping scandals that forced many contenders to leave the race.

Will the Tour de France be able to recover from its recent scandals? The BBC met with President Bush at Camp David this weekend. According to Brown, the world owes the US a debt for leading the global fight against terror. Others are more skeptical. And, it seems Brown won't be moving away from the U.S. as we previously thought…

Talks with the Taliban about the release of the South Korean aid workers and missionaries who were taken hostage on July 19th have been unsuccessful. Today, Afghan President Hamid Karzai commented on the situation calling it "shameful" and assuring the South Korean envoy that no effort would be spared in securing the hostages' release.

Environmental Tip of the Day:

Drink shade grown organic coffee. It not only tastes better, it's good for the environment, too because deforestation of the rain forests contributes to global warming. Shade grown coffee is produced amongst the trees, preserving the rain forest while making a delicious cup of joe, so start requesting more shade grown coffees at your local java stop.

The Dow Jones company will be deciding Monday whether or not it will accept the unsolicited $5 billion buyout offer from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. This sale would transfer control of the Wall Street Journal, among other media assets, to a media empire most well-known for tabloid style journalism and sloppy reporting. It seems like a no-brainer for the company, but the high premium offered by Murdoch is making them take a second look. The bulk of this difficult decision rests with the Bancroft family, who collectively control 64% of the voting power within Dow Jones. It is time to let the Bancroft family know that we oppose the proposed sale.

Opposition is coming in from nearly all directions. Let's pile on and tell Dow Jones and the Bancroft family where we stand. Please edit and send the letter below to Howard Hoffman in Corporate Communications. He can be reached via email at howard.hoffman@dowjones.com.

The GOP is bailing on the YouTube debate, with Romney disparaging it and Giuliani with a "scheduling conflict." You'll hear more from me on that later, just you wait.

This ethanol plant gets 46 units of energy out for every 1 that is put in. It's a lot better than your car, that's for sure.

President Bush has subpoenaed Michael Moore over his trip to Cuba in SiCKO. I wonder if Bush really expects Michael to show up, given Bush's recent lack of respect for subpoena power.

The U.K. has said it will only help the U.S. capture Osama Bin Laden if we promise not to torture him. How far have we sunk when our closest ally has to even ask this question?

And rebuilding in Iraq continues to falter. Even though the U.S. has completed nearly 3,000 development projects, the Iraqi government is refusing to take over control of all but a handful, leaving brand new buildings and infrastructure in the hands of unprepared local leaders and leading to widespread decay and damage. Makes sense, if you think about it. The overstretched Iraqi government can't be bothered to handle thousands of reconstruction projects outside the fortified "Green Zone," which means that Americans will have to plan for sustainment, not just construction.

From The Blogs

The story of Ray Chapman, the only person ever to die playing Major League baseball.

The Pat Tillman conspiracy theories are coming out. You know what, they might be right…

According to polls, Republicans have already lost the youth vote.

As per some discussion here last week, Slate tackles the question of why cyclists are still doping. The answer seems to make cycling much more interesting than I ever thought it was.

Environmental Tip Of The Day

We might be all about carbon now, but water is likely to be the next resource that we need to worry about. Here's a couple tips to save water:

• Running your dishwasher and laundry machines only when they are full can save over 1000 gallons a month.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks, so that every drop goes down you not the drain.
• Check your water meter and bill to track your water usage.
• Minimize evaporation by watering during the early morning hours, when temperatures are cooler and winds are lighter.
• Don't use running water to thaw food.

Video Of The Day

We don't know yet whether the Republican YouTube debate will actually happen, but the questions are coming in already. I have yet to make mine (any ideas?) but here's one that's pretty good. I doubt it will get chosen though…

Open thread time, anything on your mind? Feel free to discuss today's selections or your own news/blog items in the comments.

I don’t know if anyone has seen the Obama Girl videos but they’re hilarious. I highly recommend checking it out. Speaking of Barack Obama, I normally don’t do this but I think I might line up behind him for 1 reason and 1 reason only: Tom Skerritt donated money to his campaign.

Like most sane people in America, I endorse political candidates solely on the basis of which celebrity donates money to them. I mean, it’s so important that we know who Ben Stiller gives his money to (he plays the field folks). I was almost lured to Governor Bill Richardson because my boy Michael Douglas gave him some loot, but I’m sticking with Skerritt. By the way I’m joking, not about Douglas being my boy or my affinity for all things Skerritt, but not only am I not endorsing Obama (yet), but this isn’t how I pick candidates (plus I’m waiting to find out where Michael Keaton lands). But the media finds it so damn important I figured I’d try and jump on the bandwagon.

Also, for those keeping tabs on Giuliani’s mob ties, let it be known that the guy who played Paulie Walnuts on “The Sopranos” donated money to Rudy. That’s more funny than anything.

In other campaign news, has anyone else seen the Hinderburg-esque flames shooting from the McCain campaign? Dear god, friends of mine were christening him the 44th President just months ago, and another friend of mine actually went to work for that perennial loser (he just resigned this past weekend, come…join me…together we can rule the galaxy).

Ran across this today, thought some of our readers might like it. (H/T ZNet Toons)

Just about accurate, right? Why does the war on drugs continue?