My name is Jess.

There are no words for this one.

MTV has launched a lyric contest. A lyric contest in which the subject matter of the lyrics has to be on the importance of HIV testing. Hip-hop/R&B singer Common will sing the winner's lyrics.

Don't believe me? Check out this link. http://think.mtv.com/Campaigns/iysl/

I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but this competition just seems silly. Maybe I'm taking the rules with a strict interpretation, but I think this contest may be a flop.

Then again, I could be wrong. This thing could really take off-- if the rules are loosely interpreted. I just don't see a worthwhile song coming out of this.

Somehow, this reminds me of the sort of sensationalism that happened in the 80's when HIV/AIDS exploded on the media and we saw things like LiveAid. I'm not saying that these things were bad. They were actually helpful. I think they really raised awareness about the disease.

But somehow, this contest still seems a little hokey to me.

Any thoughts?

Yes, it's true. Regina Spektor is my newest obsession. Typically, I go for current rock bands like Breaking Benjamin, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Used, stuff like that. But there's something about Regina Spektor's quirky style that I like. I like the obscure sometimes.

So anyway if you like her, I suggest searching for her performance on NPR. I just found it the other day, and I loved it. I don't have the url, but all you need to do is search "regina spektor in concert" on www.npr.org and click on the first link, and then click the link for the audio.

If you've never heard of her before, I suggest you google "regina spektor fidelity". I think that's her newest single, and what initially interested me as far as her music goes.

But anyway, I just thought I'd throw that out there.

-Jess