Morsels of varying sizes and shapes. Bon Appetit!
>> I'm amazed at the division that the Edward Snowden affair is causing on the left side of the political spectrum. I've seen and heard what seems to be an equal number of supporters, as there are detractors. Democratic Underground has made for especially interesting reading over the last couple of weeks - and the detractors are in full force, at times reading like only slightly-better-educated versions of the typical right-wing hack. Many progressive radio show hosts have not taken kindly to him, either: listen to Stephanie Miller on a given morning over the last couple of weeks. I'm sure that all this division is causing the Republicans to just jump for glee at whatever hideout serves as their headquarters these days - because that's ultimately who this whole brouhaha is benefiting.
By the way, those on the left that are raising Cain over Snowden and demanding his head on a plate: who are you really trying to protect? I suspect that they know that all of this is a reflection on President Obama, and their real concern is the potential impact on the 2014 and 2016 elections. We cannot afford to have disillusionment drive down turnout and thus benefits the Repubs, but can you blame people for not being especially enthusiastic about casting a vote for a party that betrayed them? Chris Hedges lays it all out in Death Of The Liberal Class - read it.
>> Edward Snowden is being accused by this Administration of espionage. Here's the question: spying on whose behalf????? If this was truly a case of espionage, and he's acting as an agent for somebody, would any of his revelations have seen the light of day? He could have sold this information to an interested nation, with it likely being kept secret, and be paid quite handsomely for it, so I don't think that personal enrichment was his motivation for going public.
>> Not to overstate the obvious, but Mr. Snowden will not get a fair trial in this country. Hong Kong knows that. So does China and Russia, not to mention any other country not completely in America's waning sphere of influence. Honestly - would Hong Kong have made their statement that our extradition request didn't completely meet their legal requirements 15-20 years ago? How about Ecuador's public reminder that Snowden's extradition request will be evaluated based on Ecuador's constitution and laws? The international community is standing up to us, and I say, GOOD! It's high time.
BTW, perhaps the Emperor isn't completely naked - yet. But the skivvies are certainly in full view - and the Moon Over American Exceptionalism is on the rise. See below.
>>I actually think that we're having a discussion that should have been had for a long time - how much are we willing to let any third party, whether that be government or corporate (these days, is there any difference?), intrude and pry into our personal lives and data? From what I'm seeing, especially on the left, we're willing to put up with A LOT of it. Too much, in my opinion. Remember what Ben Franklin was quoted saying, that those who sacrifice freedom for security shall get neither?
How easily intimidated we Americans are.
>>Lastly, a bit of a departure, but perhaps related somewhat: the subject of American Exceptionalism. In my view, American Exceptionalism can be likened to a big, round, plump pair of butt cheeks, between which the collective heads of much of the American population have their heads shoved up and firmly between. In America, we're born with our heads shoved up this space, kept there by the media and the jingoism and belligerent nationalism (which we mistake for patriotism) we were raised with. It's education, experience with other cultures and countries, and a cultural commitment to open mindedness, that begins the prying-out process.
Time to start pulling, ladies and gentleman. And be sure to take a shower afterward - lest the stench wafts around.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Piecing Together The Ransom Note
Over the last few weeks, whenever I read or watched the news I always felt like I'm reading one of those archetypal ransom notes, where the words and letters were cut out of various magazines, newspapers, and other sources, and taped/glued together in a hodgepodge.
I've been following the events going on in Turkey over the last couple of weeks, and found myself being reminded quite vividly about how the #Occupy movement was treated with a similar level of brutality. I've read various items on the internet and in the friendly neighborhood Barnes and Noble that seem to carry a common theme: learn to live with and be happy with less, finding fulfillment with less, etc. etc. etc. This message is also implied in proclamations like that recently issued by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who seems to think that the reason for the college debt crisis is that there are too many people going to colleges and not enough getting into the trades like plumbing and carpentry. It's especially galling when that message, as well-meaning as it might be, is being issued by the "money press" like CNBC, with admonitions about "resourcefulness", and the old canard about how necessity is the mother of all invention and innovation. And to hear politicians (even Republicans, from whom a message like this is par-for-course) say that the automatic increase in student loan rates is a good thing because personal responsibility is "cool" - don't get me started.
Anything, so that Corporate America and the rich don't have to pay one more dime to the Government, which they now own anyway. They've already "gone Galt", in a financial sense.
And if they own the Government, and if "We The People" are supposed to BE the Government in a "democracy", then who does Corporate America, by extension, own?
That's right, WE THE PEOPLE. They own US.
The ransom note is becoming increasingly easy to decipher. It's varying fonts and cut-out words and phrases are now seen for all:
Dear People:
SIT DOWN, & SHUT the F**K UP.
I've been following the events going on in Turkey over the last couple of weeks, and found myself being reminded quite vividly about how the #Occupy movement was treated with a similar level of brutality. I've read various items on the internet and in the friendly neighborhood Barnes and Noble that seem to carry a common theme: learn to live with and be happy with less, finding fulfillment with less, etc. etc. etc. This message is also implied in proclamations like that recently issued by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who seems to think that the reason for the college debt crisis is that there are too many people going to colleges and not enough getting into the trades like plumbing and carpentry. It's especially galling when that message, as well-meaning as it might be, is being issued by the "money press" like CNBC, with admonitions about "resourcefulness", and the old canard about how necessity is the mother of all invention and innovation. And to hear politicians (even Republicans, from whom a message like this is par-for-course) say that the automatic increase in student loan rates is a good thing because personal responsibility is "cool" - don't get me started.
Anything, so that Corporate America and the rich don't have to pay one more dime to the Government, which they now own anyway. They've already "gone Galt", in a financial sense.
And if they own the Government, and if "We The People" are supposed to BE the Government in a "democracy", then who does Corporate America, by extension, own?
That's right, WE THE PEOPLE. They own US.
The ransom note is becoming increasingly easy to decipher. It's varying fonts and cut-out words and phrases are now seen for all:
Dear People:
SIT DOWN, & SHUT the F**K UP.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Behind the Mask...
Yes, I know, it's been a few months. I added the title "college student" to my collection of personal stick-ons, and as a result, have been taking courses that have my butt unable to be planted anywhere.
So I'm back. And I'm pissed.
A few posts back, I posted what Las Vegas and other communities are doing about their respective homeless issues - specifically, shipping them out of town by bus, and criminalizing helping those that remain in any way, shape, or form.
Now, check this out. Apparently, ahead of the approaching G8 Summit in Northern Ireland, the Fermanagh County forefathers found it appropriate to create the illusion of economic prosperity in the host townships by supplying large "stickers" of seemingly full store inventory to place in the shuttered storefronts and doors. Now, we would not want to give the dignitaries any possible thought that their Friedmanist bullshit doesn't work, do we?
But that's part-and-parcel of our society today. Truth means squat - literally. Perception, on the other hand, is everything.
So I'm back. And I'm pissed.
A few posts back, I posted what Las Vegas and other communities are doing about their respective homeless issues - specifically, shipping them out of town by bus, and criminalizing helping those that remain in any way, shape, or form.
Now, check this out. Apparently, ahead of the approaching G8 Summit in Northern Ireland, the Fermanagh County forefathers found it appropriate to create the illusion of economic prosperity in the host townships by supplying large "stickers" of seemingly full store inventory to place in the shuttered storefronts and doors. Now, we would not want to give the dignitaries any possible thought that their Friedmanist bullshit doesn't work, do we?
But that's part-and-parcel of our society today. Truth means squat - literally. Perception, on the other hand, is everything.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Between The Scan Lines...
The Network For Church Monitoring website posted this link regarding 14 propaganda techniques found on Foxymoron News. It's a fascinating read, and calls to memory much of the work done by media observers like Robert Greenwald. On a darker note, it's also reminiscent of the work of Joseph Goebbels - the techniques noted (bullying, projection, etc.) are time-tested, and have been used by propagandists through the ages to attempt to bend and sculpt popular opinion toward a desired direction.
Articles like this - those that alert us as media consumers - are becoming increasingly relevant in this era of media consolidation. It pays to keep in mind who owns what in this American society, in that our government (at all levels), is owned by those that contribute the most "lubricant" (money) to the machine. Those that own the media machine in this country, also own the government through their lobbyists and campaign contributions. There is almost no separation between the two camps now - and when corporate and governmental interests and functions merge, what do you have?
Fascism.
Articles like this - those that alert us as media consumers - are becoming increasingly relevant in this era of media consolidation. It pays to keep in mind who owns what in this American society, in that our government (at all levels), is owned by those that contribute the most "lubricant" (money) to the machine. Those that own the media machine in this country, also own the government through their lobbyists and campaign contributions. There is almost no separation between the two camps now - and when corporate and governmental interests and functions merge, what do you have?
Fascism.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Quibbles and Bits, Bowled Over Edition
A few leftovers from Sunday's festivities...
>> I had a sense of foreboding the day before the game, that the 49ers (whom I've rooted for since 1979 and the Steve DeBerg era) were coming home from this endeavor empty-handed. Michael Silver, in his column on Yahoo Sports, seemed to have a "feeling" about the Ravens, that there was "something" about that team, that told him it was their time. It was one of those articles that gave me the dual emotions of "yeah, he might be right", and "shove it up your kiester, Mr. Silver!". He was right;
>>Ray Lewis will now take his two Super Bowl rings to ESPN, so lets hope he keeps the preaching and proselytizing to a minimum. Heck, Mr. Lewis - start a ministry, like the late, great Minister of Defense, Reggie White - then you can put on your dance and let the waterworks flow for a receptive, captive audience;
>>The Niners lost this game in the second quarter. They dug themselves into a 22-point hole that they ultimately could not dig themselves out of, though they came to within 7 yards of doing just that at the end of the game. You can't spot your opponent that kind of a lead, plus rely on field goals rather than touchdowns, and expect to win.
>>The Ravens and their fans earned this victory - congratulations. They should enjoy it while it lasts, because they're not a dynasty. Ray Lewis is gone, and Ed Reed is resembling a mastodon. Their team has been built on defensive dominance, and with those two players gone, expect this house of cards to collapse by mid-2013.
>>The Super Bowl is not intended to be a place to learn one's craft - it's a place to apply what you've already learned. But there are a lot of lessons to be drawn in this game, especially for second-year pivot Colin Kaepernick. He's proved to be a quick study and a hard worker, so combined with these hard lessons, his youth, and a host of returning veterans eager to avenge this loss, I fully expect the Niners to be back next year. The Niners, in fact, may be the NFL's next dominant team with their current collection of key players.
>>When it comes right down to it - does a football team's success or failure reflect on my ability to pay my mortgage or rent, or to feed myself or support my lifestyle? It doesn't. It's only ENTERTAINMENT. The players get paid regardless of victory or defeat, and the payoff for me is bragging rights or water cooler conversation, nothing else.
>>Finally, better to be in San Francisco (5-1) than in Buffalo (0-4), Cincinnati (0-2), or Detroit (0-0, they've yet to go).
I now close the book on my Niners' commentary for the 2012 season. A season unfinished, incomplete, but still successful and memorable.
More later.
>> I had a sense of foreboding the day before the game, that the 49ers (whom I've rooted for since 1979 and the Steve DeBerg era) were coming home from this endeavor empty-handed. Michael Silver, in his column on Yahoo Sports, seemed to have a "feeling" about the Ravens, that there was "something" about that team, that told him it was their time. It was one of those articles that gave me the dual emotions of "yeah, he might be right", and "shove it up your kiester, Mr. Silver!". He was right;
>>Ray Lewis will now take his two Super Bowl rings to ESPN, so lets hope he keeps the preaching and proselytizing to a minimum. Heck, Mr. Lewis - start a ministry, like the late, great Minister of Defense, Reggie White - then you can put on your dance and let the waterworks flow for a receptive, captive audience;
>>The Niners lost this game in the second quarter. They dug themselves into a 22-point hole that they ultimately could not dig themselves out of, though they came to within 7 yards of doing just that at the end of the game. You can't spot your opponent that kind of a lead, plus rely on field goals rather than touchdowns, and expect to win.
>>The Ravens and their fans earned this victory - congratulations. They should enjoy it while it lasts, because they're not a dynasty. Ray Lewis is gone, and Ed Reed is resembling a mastodon. Their team has been built on defensive dominance, and with those two players gone, expect this house of cards to collapse by mid-2013.
>>The Super Bowl is not intended to be a place to learn one's craft - it's a place to apply what you've already learned. But there are a lot of lessons to be drawn in this game, especially for second-year pivot Colin Kaepernick. He's proved to be a quick study and a hard worker, so combined with these hard lessons, his youth, and a host of returning veterans eager to avenge this loss, I fully expect the Niners to be back next year. The Niners, in fact, may be the NFL's next dominant team with their current collection of key players.
>>When it comes right down to it - does a football team's success or failure reflect on my ability to pay my mortgage or rent, or to feed myself or support my lifestyle? It doesn't. It's only ENTERTAINMENT. The players get paid regardless of victory or defeat, and the payoff for me is bragging rights or water cooler conversation, nothing else.
>>Finally, better to be in San Francisco (5-1) than in Buffalo (0-4), Cincinnati (0-2), or Detroit (0-0, they've yet to go).
I now close the book on my Niners' commentary for the 2012 season. A season unfinished, incomplete, but still successful and memorable.
More later.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Quibbles and Bits: Auld Lang Sighing Edition
Yeah, yeah, I'm late on the draw for the New Years, not so new anymore now that were almost half-way into January. So here are a few morsels to chew on:
>> I'm not surprised in the slightest about the sale of Current TV to Al Jazeera. The channel has struggled since its inception, and despite the chameleon-like reinventions over the years, it never was able to capture a substantial viewership. It was a good idea, but I suspect that like Air America, it was mismanaged and under-capitalized. I hope that Al Jazeera keeps the best of what Current produced - Vanguard documentaries are the first thing that come to mind. Even an occasional, back-to-the-future viewer-produced video production wouldn't be a bad thing - those home-videos were the freshest feature of the network when it started up, and I'm sure that more than a few careers were started by those video submissions. The programs on the air now - Stephanie Miller and Bill Press, Jennifer Granholm, etc., will likely remain on the air for another few months, but I suspect that by the end of April, Current will be no more. RIP.
>> I've been watching RT's news offerings lately. So far, I'm impressed - even though the leftward slant is noticeable among the feature hosts (Thom Hartmann, Abby Martin, et. al) and the anchors. The channel's shows do lob a fair number of journalistic bombs at those that represent themselves as left-leaning, though - such as what is seen in Abby Martin's Breaking The Set. Check it out here.
>> I will be expanding the subject matter of this blog a bit, as music will be making an appearance as a topic. Expect some posts in the coming months.
More later.
>> I'm not surprised in the slightest about the sale of Current TV to Al Jazeera. The channel has struggled since its inception, and despite the chameleon-like reinventions over the years, it never was able to capture a substantial viewership. It was a good idea, but I suspect that like Air America, it was mismanaged and under-capitalized. I hope that Al Jazeera keeps the best of what Current produced - Vanguard documentaries are the first thing that come to mind. Even an occasional, back-to-the-future viewer-produced video production wouldn't be a bad thing - those home-videos were the freshest feature of the network when it started up, and I'm sure that more than a few careers were started by those video submissions. The programs on the air now - Stephanie Miller and Bill Press, Jennifer Granholm, etc., will likely remain on the air for another few months, but I suspect that by the end of April, Current will be no more. RIP.
>> I've been watching RT's news offerings lately. So far, I'm impressed - even though the leftward slant is noticeable among the feature hosts (Thom Hartmann, Abby Martin, et. al) and the anchors. The channel's shows do lob a fair number of journalistic bombs at those that represent themselves as left-leaning, though - such as what is seen in Abby Martin's Breaking The Set. Check it out here.
>> I will be expanding the subject matter of this blog a bit, as music will be making an appearance as a topic. Expect some posts in the coming months.
More later.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Spreading the Christmas Cheer....Selectively
Well, I'm here in my apartment, comfy-cozy and well-fed, having enjoyed the blessings of middle-class life in America. I'm one of the fortunate in this country who have, so far, made it - at least as far as our culture is concerned.
What of those that aren't so fortunate, where the economy has thrown them under the proverbial busses, trains, and any other moving techological "thing"? How do we treat them?
This article answers part of that question. Many cities are now banning feeding the homeless, with threats of fines and imprisonment for those that dare to follow Jesus' example. What if He were around today? If He tried his five-loaves-and-two-fish feat in Las Vegas, He would be jailed.
There are no excuses, morally or otherwise, for our nation's collective selfishness. I suspect, however, that you'll get the following reasons from those that defend these laws:
>>In the case of Las Vegas, their entire economy is based on tourism, which is heavily influenced on civic image and reputation. Pictures of homeless people standing next to the MGM Grand Hotel's entrance on the news, and stories of said homelessness being brought back home by the tourists, are probably what the city's forefathers are trying to avoid. Image is everything to them and the casinos - so sweep out the "trash" with the iron hand.
>>I used to live in Santa Cruz, and stories were abundant of nearby cities and towns that would ship their transients by bus to the compassionate confines of Surf City. Reasons given for this "transient transfer" included those city's lack of resources (or willingness to find said resources) for contending with the problem.
>>In the case of New York City, one of the reasons given for the ban was that the food given to the homeless didn't meet nutritional standards. (I'll pause for a minute to wait for the laughs to subside.)
Nutritional standards - such as the ability to sustain life? The real reason is the same as what I attribute to the fine city of Las Vegas - Bloomberg is trying to improve the city's image by using the Iron Hand to sweep out the "trash".
Here in America. In this fine Christian country - where we do such a good job at tuning out His message.
What of those that aren't so fortunate, where the economy has thrown them under the proverbial busses, trains, and any other moving techological "thing"? How do we treat them?
This article answers part of that question. Many cities are now banning feeding the homeless, with threats of fines and imprisonment for those that dare to follow Jesus' example. What if He were around today? If He tried his five-loaves-and-two-fish feat in Las Vegas, He would be jailed.
There are no excuses, morally or otherwise, for our nation's collective selfishness. I suspect, however, that you'll get the following reasons from those that defend these laws:
>>In the case of Las Vegas, their entire economy is based on tourism, which is heavily influenced on civic image and reputation. Pictures of homeless people standing next to the MGM Grand Hotel's entrance on the news, and stories of said homelessness being brought back home by the tourists, are probably what the city's forefathers are trying to avoid. Image is everything to them and the casinos - so sweep out the "trash" with the iron hand.
>>I used to live in Santa Cruz, and stories were abundant of nearby cities and towns that would ship their transients by bus to the compassionate confines of Surf City. Reasons given for this "transient transfer" included those city's lack of resources (or willingness to find said resources) for contending with the problem.
>>In the case of New York City, one of the reasons given for the ban was that the food given to the homeless didn't meet nutritional standards. (I'll pause for a minute to wait for the laughs to subside.)
Nutritional standards - such as the ability to sustain life? The real reason is the same as what I attribute to the fine city of Las Vegas - Bloomberg is trying to improve the city's image by using the Iron Hand to sweep out the "trash".
Here in America. In this fine Christian country - where we do such a good job at tuning out His message.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Now do they get it?
You'd think they would have learned by now.
Bain Capital. Offshoring of jobs overseas. Cash hidden in island hideaways.
But I guess, as they say, love can be blind.
This article in Forbes describes how the MittWitt stiffed his campaign workers by canceling the campaign credit cards in the middle of the night, leaving them with the hotel bills and the tickets back home.
Some might say that this was a case of the taste of bitter defeat on the part of the MittWitt and his inner circle. Even keeping the cards active just long enough to pay for their rooms for the night, and a ticket back home, would have been a minimally gracious move. But that's not his M.O. I say that this is classic, textbook MittWitt - ruthless efficiency at the expense of those who busted their asses for you. No change in stripes here.
As for the campaign workers, I guess that the only thing they can do now is chalk it up to Tuition at the School of Hard Knocks.
Bain Capital. Offshoring of jobs overseas. Cash hidden in island hideaways.
But I guess, as they say, love can be blind.
This article in Forbes describes how the MittWitt stiffed his campaign workers by canceling the campaign credit cards in the middle of the night, leaving them with the hotel bills and the tickets back home.
Some might say that this was a case of the taste of bitter defeat on the part of the MittWitt and his inner circle. Even keeping the cards active just long enough to pay for their rooms for the night, and a ticket back home, would have been a minimally gracious move. But that's not his M.O. I say that this is classic, textbook MittWitt - ruthless efficiency at the expense of those who busted their asses for you. No change in stripes here.
As for the campaign workers, I guess that the only thing they can do now is chalk it up to Tuition at the School of Hard Knocks.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
As The Dust Settles...
Some impressions regarding the 2012 campaign, if for no other reason than to finally celebrate the fact that it's freaking over...
>> It's actually quite simple why the MittWitt lost. Remember that rogue's gallery of suits and sayings that passed for the Republican primary field? Let's face it, the money people were always behind the Mitthead, but when it took as long as it did for him to finally secure the nomination against the likes of Bachmann, Cain (9-9-9), the Gingrich, and Rick Perry, it should be a clue that you have a problem. As for his grand Gaffapalooza tour of the UK during the London Olympiad, not to mention his liking of trees to be just the right height, well, that proves one thing that should have stood out like a sore thumb signalling for a ride on the side of the road:
The MittWitt Is A Twit.
>>President Obama may have some additional capital to spend when he is re-inaugurated, but again, that all depends if the House sandbox will be populated by grownups. I wouldn't bet the house...
>>As much as I dislike Governor Chris Christie, I must give him props for working with President Obama instead of against him, in light of Superstorm Sandy. This episode, with the accompanying pictures of what the MSM called their "bromance", probably helped Obama secure tonight's win. They may have also helped Christie in 2016 - let's not kid ourselves, he's going to run.
>>They say that broken clocks are right twice per day. That can be described about Ann Coulter's prediction that if the aforementioned Chris Christie isn't the Repub's nominee, that Mitt will be, and that Mitt will lose. Quite the sage, aren't we Ann?
>>There will likely be cuts coming with the expected Grand Bargain. But, I'm not expecting anything like what Paul Ryan was proposing in his Path To Austerity. ("Prosperity", my ass.)
>>So much for Mitch McConnell's determination to make Obama a one-term President. So much for thinking of the American people as idiots. Well, lesson learned, perhaps? When you talk down to the American people and treat them like idiots...this is what you get.
More later.
>> It's actually quite simple why the MittWitt lost. Remember that rogue's gallery of suits and sayings that passed for the Republican primary field? Let's face it, the money people were always behind the Mitthead, but when it took as long as it did for him to finally secure the nomination against the likes of Bachmann, Cain (9-9-9), the Gingrich, and Rick Perry, it should be a clue that you have a problem. As for his grand Gaffapalooza tour of the UK during the London Olympiad, not to mention his liking of trees to be just the right height, well, that proves one thing that should have stood out like a sore thumb signalling for a ride on the side of the road:
The MittWitt Is A Twit.
>>President Obama may have some additional capital to spend when he is re-inaugurated, but again, that all depends if the House sandbox will be populated by grownups. I wouldn't bet the house...
>>As much as I dislike Governor Chris Christie, I must give him props for working with President Obama instead of against him, in light of Superstorm Sandy. This episode, with the accompanying pictures of what the MSM called their "bromance", probably helped Obama secure tonight's win. They may have also helped Christie in 2016 - let's not kid ourselves, he's going to run.
>>They say that broken clocks are right twice per day. That can be described about Ann Coulter's prediction that if the aforementioned Chris Christie isn't the Repub's nominee, that Mitt will be, and that Mitt will lose. Quite the sage, aren't we Ann?
>>There will likely be cuts coming with the expected Grand Bargain. But, I'm not expecting anything like what Paul Ryan was proposing in his Path To Austerity. ("Prosperity", my ass.)
>>So much for Mitch McConnell's determination to make Obama a one-term President. So much for thinking of the American people as idiots. Well, lesson learned, perhaps? When you talk down to the American people and treat them like idiots...this is what you get.
More later.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Quibbles and Bits, Big Yuks and Mashups Edition
Two morsels - easy on the gravy:
>> I've been getting my internet kicks lately on musical mashups - videos of which are aplenty on Youtube. In my view, probably the best on the scene today is the Australian gentleman behind Wax Audio. He has three albums worth of musical combinations which at first, seem destined to collide into the crash-boom-bang of parody. But Mr. Wax Audio gets his creations to work to a T: imagine James Hetfield singing Enter Sandman to the background of Bryan Adams' Run To You? Or Billy Idol's band playing Rebel Yell while George Michael laments about the Careless Whispers of a good friend? Or The Bee Gees advocating to those who Pink Floyd deems not to "need no education" to keep Staying Alive? They're all there, and for free, no less. They have to be free of charge, otherwise he would obviously running afoul of every copyright law on the globe, and Lars Ulrich would be mightily pissed off (if he isn't already, considering what Mr. Wax Audio did in mashing "Master of Puppets" to the Herbie Hancock classic, "Doin' It"). BTW, "Master of Doin' It" transcends the mashup into the area of honest-to-goodness funk JAM. Get Funky With Herbie, James, Lars, Robert, and Kirk? Works for me - and the one-hundred-thousand people who have viewed the Youtube video. Check it out - you'll be glad you did.
>>Yours Truly checked out the Stephanie Miller Sexy Liberal Show at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood last weekend. In short, it's worth the price of admission, and I highly recommend it. But a few observations:
> While all three comedians were funny in their own ways, John Fugelsang, the first up, absolutely owned both the theatre and its patrons that night. He was lights out;
>Hal Sparks seemed to start off rather sedate, but came on toward the end of his routine with his imitations of his former neighbors in Kentucky. He also scored with a bit about what might happen if a scientist succeeds in bringing back dinosaurs with chicken DNA - if a DVD is made, these two bits alone are worth the purchase price;
>Stephanie Miller was, surprisingly, perhaps the most low-key of the group. She was funny, but to be perfectly honest, not the belly-laugh-shirt-button-popping type of comedy displayed by the other two. She did get out into the crowd on a couple of occasions, however;
>The Mooks were in tow! Chris Lavoie and Jim Ward, with Current TV's Jackie Schechner, supplied the opening act entertainment, and did not disappoint. Jim Ward was, as usual, spot-on with his voice imitations of Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Eric Cantor, making me wish he would go back to doing just a little bit more of this on the morning radio show.
>Kudos to the vocal group do-woping outside the Pantages before the show. Note-perfect harmonies and pitch - all without the aid of Auto-tune. What a concept.
>The panel guests this evening were Rob Reiner and Lily Tomlin. Rob Reiner had some good commentary, and Lily provided a couple of belly-laugh-inducing moments. My only wish was that Lily be allowed to speak more often, she was often stepped over by the others.
Two more shows are upcoming - August in Columbus, OH, and late September in Seattle, WA. I'm debating about whether to go to the Seattle show, I'll play that decision by ear.
>> I've been getting my internet kicks lately on musical mashups - videos of which are aplenty on Youtube. In my view, probably the best on the scene today is the Australian gentleman behind Wax Audio. He has three albums worth of musical combinations which at first, seem destined to collide into the crash-boom-bang of parody. But Mr. Wax Audio gets his creations to work to a T: imagine James Hetfield singing Enter Sandman to the background of Bryan Adams' Run To You? Or Billy Idol's band playing Rebel Yell while George Michael laments about the Careless Whispers of a good friend? Or The Bee Gees advocating to those who Pink Floyd deems not to "need no education" to keep Staying Alive? They're all there, and for free, no less. They have to be free of charge, otherwise he would obviously running afoul of every copyright law on the globe, and Lars Ulrich would be mightily pissed off (if he isn't already, considering what Mr. Wax Audio did in mashing "Master of Puppets" to the Herbie Hancock classic, "Doin' It"). BTW, "Master of Doin' It" transcends the mashup into the area of honest-to-goodness funk JAM. Get Funky With Herbie, James, Lars, Robert, and Kirk? Works for me - and the one-hundred-thousand people who have viewed the Youtube video. Check it out - you'll be glad you did.
>>Yours Truly checked out the Stephanie Miller Sexy Liberal Show at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood last weekend. In short, it's worth the price of admission, and I highly recommend it. But a few observations:
> While all three comedians were funny in their own ways, John Fugelsang, the first up, absolutely owned both the theatre and its patrons that night. He was lights out;
>Hal Sparks seemed to start off rather sedate, but came on toward the end of his routine with his imitations of his former neighbors in Kentucky. He also scored with a bit about what might happen if a scientist succeeds in bringing back dinosaurs with chicken DNA - if a DVD is made, these two bits alone are worth the purchase price;
>Stephanie Miller was, surprisingly, perhaps the most low-key of the group. She was funny, but to be perfectly honest, not the belly-laugh-shirt-button-popping type of comedy displayed by the other two. She did get out into the crowd on a couple of occasions, however;
>The Mooks were in tow! Chris Lavoie and Jim Ward, with Current TV's Jackie Schechner, supplied the opening act entertainment, and did not disappoint. Jim Ward was, as usual, spot-on with his voice imitations of Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Eric Cantor, making me wish he would go back to doing just a little bit more of this on the morning radio show.
>Kudos to the vocal group do-woping outside the Pantages before the show. Note-perfect harmonies and pitch - all without the aid of Auto-tune. What a concept.
>The panel guests this evening were Rob Reiner and Lily Tomlin. Rob Reiner had some good commentary, and Lily provided a couple of belly-laugh-inducing moments. My only wish was that Lily be allowed to speak more often, she was often stepped over by the others.
Two more shows are upcoming - August in Columbus, OH, and late September in Seattle, WA. I'm debating about whether to go to the Seattle show, I'll play that decision by ear.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Southern Discomfort
That the Civil War ended in 1865 is a "factoid" taught in virtually every grade/high school history class since not long after that dark period. The end of the Confederacy, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Mason-Dixon line, and on and on, are accessories to that central piece of information.
But how "factual" is it really?
But how "factual" is it really?
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