Self-Congratulations are in Order - Regular readers know that I'm a Sarah McLachlan fan from way back. Her newest video, World On Fire just premiered as an iTunes exclusive, and it's a welcome contrast to the big budget, high concept videos of some female pop tarts. (Mrs. Federline, can you hear me?)

McLachlan's video takes an entirely different route and while entertaining, it tries to instruct: by giving up frivolous things, we can help the greater world at large. The video is a mite bite self-congratulatory, but I also thought it was extremely effective, as enumerates how the money that normally would have been spent for craft services, makeup and post-production went to charities around the world.

I'm not much of a lyric-listener (and quite often get them dead-wrong), but the video images really do match the song and I'd highly recommend giving it a viewing. I wasn't so much moved by the generosity of the record label donating a bit less than the paltry sum of $150,000. Instead, I was astounded to be reminded just how far the money used to pay a Production Assistant can go in other parts of the world and just how good we really have it.