"I was starting to think I was exaggerating your awesome-ness in my head...but I wasn't."
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
I'm really trying.
I'm really trying to stay hopeful, but it's really hard. I'm not going to pretend to know anything about the health care debate as far as specifics go, but the way these right-wing fuck-wads are reacting is really causing me to lose all hope in anything. They seem to just be standing up and shouting the hateful shit they've been told to (the very thing they blamed all the Obama supporters of doing). To stand in front of a Jewish Senator, or any human being, and shout, "Heil Hitler" is fucked up and not an argument. Oh, and comparing anyone to Hitler is just silly, weak and lazy. Again, also not an argument.
They had one of these town halls here yesterday and this picture made the front page of the Tallahassee Democrap web-site and I think it represents what passes for debate in this country these days:
Or maybe he's just trying to inform the guy about sunglass safety: "You have to tether them to your head, lest they go flying off all willy-nilly. You know who else didn't use a sunglass tether: Hitler"
Until I turn 65 and get medicare...
Has anyone here had, or known anyone who has had, a major medical procedure they didn't have to have approved by their insurance company, no matter what their doctor said? Or even just go to the Gyno without a referral?
Shame on you. On A school day even.
What did you learn in school today, Timmy? That my parents are total douche bags.
A woman who identified herself only as "Jane Doe", because she worried that her comments might spark reprisal.
WWJD? Hide behind a fake name of course.
Evan Olsen, who is a missionary -
and therefore just visiting and NOT represented by the congressmen holding the town-hall and should be surrendering his seat to someone who is. And nice shirt with the symbol closely resembling the symbol of the Third Reich
Jackass.
Like I said, I'm trying to remain positive, but it's really, really hard. It all just leaves me with no hope and deeply saddened. Like this guy:
Not good when the teacher is cussing while grading papers....on the second day.
Our pick this week is new today. This band was the critics darling earlier in the decade. Doesn't mean a whole lot, but it did lead them to give one of their EP's a great name; "Who the fuck are..". That's just good, wholesome fun.
I have been meaning to check them out, but I'm old, grumpy and set in my ways. Takes more for new things to impress me. Not a knock on any of them, I'm just a misanthrope.
Anyways, we'll learn together.
From Sheffield, England:
Arctic Monkey's - "Crying Lightning":
Bonus Tracks:
Mormon Girl: This is the song in the commercial. I will send you a copy, cause it's a shame to not have.
I Miss the 90's:
I love lyrics and writing that is simple and is powerful. No need to over do it. This is one of those. His ballads usually are; "Skyway", "Sadly Beautiful", "Wonderful Lie". I liked the word-play on this as well.
No, it won't be an all Depeche Mode post. (one, maybe two of you will get that).
Before we start let's all tell LRHG Happy Birthday. It's not until tomorrow, but since I'm lazy and posting this late, by the time you read this it will be today. Come to think of it; no matter when you're reading this, it's always today. She'll be getting hers later.
Our pick this week is a representation that if you give me a 40% coupon, I am going to use it. (Borders is trying to kill us). Got the coupon through the Borders reward thing and went and bought her book with it. It's been fun so far. NO stunning revelations, but I enjoy a good music book and it's fun to remember when certain things she's talking about came out.
The book is about a year she spent on tour and while one night, sitting in a dank basement of a shitty rock club, she took stock and realized she might not have her heart in it anymore. Like, I'm 30 and sitting on a stained with god-knows-what couch in a smokey shit hole. She felt like she was faced with the "What am I going to be when I grow up" question (which is the name of the book and a shitty question either way) and it spooked her since she was already doing what she had hoped to do. So, she took a year off from music. I'm assuming this is where the book leads us (only on page 78) while flashing back to her formative years etc. Looking forward to it.
When she came back to music she made this record which I just bought (thank you Discover Card cash back), which was aptly titled "How to walk away" and it's really good. Plus, reference previous mentions of her and indie girl crush.
So, from Boston, MA:
Juliana Hatfield - "The Lonely Love":
Bonus Tracks:
So it's LRHG's birthday and her man is taking her to see this. Because he loves her and wants to make her happy. Not as much as we do, but to be fair, we were here first. Happy Birthday.
I did watch this show with TOP 40 and it's one of the better ones of this genre since these people need actual talent and get forced out of their comfort zone and they just win a prize and none of this contract crapola. This was one of the better performances they did and not just because it was Jeanine, who was by FAR the hottest girl on the show this year (shut up Mormon Girl-you don't even know!). Plus it's a good version of this song (which is the music tie-in).
Our pick this week comes as we do our 100th NMT (I know. I figured I'd give up around 5 or 6) and I figured it's time we put some hair on its balls.
Much isn't known bout these guys and that may be a good thing. Sometimes, the less you know, the better. It may be cheesy and basic rock music, I don't know, but they're nice Mormon boys and their name is really cool.
So, from Los Angeles, CA:
Angus Khan - "Big Balls":
Bonus Tracks:
Keeping with the theme.
So, this album finally came out and it's good. Well, mostly good. Well, would have been a whole lot better had it come out 10 years ago like it should have. Again, not bad. This is one of the two stand out songs.
Guns N' Roses - "Better":
These guys remind me a lot of what Guns was on that very first record. Just some good, clean funtime drug fueled party rock. This guys has a good voice too.
It doesn't give you zits. In fact, it may be good for your complexion
Our pick this week is an example of how sometimes, when you hear a song fifty million times, it's for a reason. Doesn't excuse it, but still, it's not without merit.
The first time I heard this song, I liked it instantly. There was something about it that sucked you in and wrapped itself around you. I remember the singer in my band (Amanda's Bike foreva bitches!) saying that he was going to buy this record when it came out just based on this song. My full on obsession with this band hadn't fully blossomed yet, but it wasn't too much longer.
As I said, you've heard this song far more than perhaps you wanted, but you cannot deny it's a beautiful song full of passion and power. At the time it was released, nothing on the radio sounded like it. IN fact, nothing from this band had sounded like this. It wasn't a huge, Auchtung Baby-like departure, but a slight one none the less.
The lyrics are very powerful and can be a little obscure, as his lyrics almost always are, but when you learn that it's sung from the prospective of a person trying to tell someone how they feel about them and that they want to be with them, but there's a possibility that the entire conversation never leaves the inside of their head. (it's all about communication boys and girls).
So, not matter how many times you've heard it, listen again and remember how it felt the first time you heard it and how you wished you would write something that would stay with someone forever.
From Athens, GA:
R.E.M. - "Losing my Religion":
Bonus Tracks:
Do British guys ever eat or is it just the smack? Oh and the Oasis song "Cast no shadow" is about this guy. Not sure why, but there it is.
I Miss the 90's:
If you watched 120 Minutes (and I know you all did), you probably saw this once or twice. The afore mentioned singer in afore mentioned band (AB4EB!)played it for me. It's a very nice, lush song and has what we referred to as the "Manchester beat" in it. At the time every band from Manchester, England (and I think they were all from Manchester) had at least one song with this beat in it (Morrissey's "Interesting Drug" is another). Maybe they didn't and we just heard one or two and thought we heard more. At any rate, the Amanda's Bike song, "Daffodil Down" (Mormon Girl has the rare 45 rpm picture disc with the gate fold cover and non-album B-side) was supposed to have this beat in it, but I modified it a little. (Sorry, I'm not from Manchester). (and neither are these guys, but they are British).
Outside Magazine’s ranking of “America’s Best Cities.” The magazine graded the 100 most populous cities using a variety of measures, including cost of living, unemployment, nightlife, commute time and access to green spaces.
Those indicators, the magazine said, helped determine which cities had the best “cultural vibrancy, economic well-being and overall quality of life.”
Here is the magazine’s Top 10: 1. Colorado Springs 2. Seattle 3. Atlanta 4. Austin 5. Boston 6. Albuquerque 7. Portland 8. Minneapolis 9. Cincinnati 10. Charlotte
Until I turn 65 and get medicare...
A woman who identified herself only as "Jane Doe", because she worried that her comments might spark reprisal.
Evan Olsen, who is a missionary -
