Some Friday Night Favorites
If you have sound on your computer, here're some things you might want to see and hear.
YouTube.com is a fun web site, my wife and I were looking around on it last night. It's got a gazillion videos, most of them less than a minute long, most of them movies that kids make of each other goofing around in the their rooms, dancing, doing stupid pet tricks. Some are good. Most aren't any good at all, but it's addicting.
Here's a serious one. The singer Pink, well, hey, I didn't know she was a real singer! Go watch this video of her song, "Dear Mister President." There's some stuff going on in this song. Turns out it's not at all like "Happy Birthday Mister President," by Marilyn Monroe ... no, not at all. Watch it with your kids.
Less serious: I'm the Decider (Koo-Koo-Kachoo). Sample lyric:
Finally, the best of all. Did I mention that I love Neil Young? A few weeks ago we ran into some other TTF folks down in Silver Spring at the showing of the Neil Young movie, "Heart of Gold." We bought the CD from the movie, which is called "Prairie Wind," and we listen to it every day, in the car, at home -- we even put it in the CD player in the car in England. The movie is beautiful and poignant, the CD is sweet and personal and rich, this is a guy who has found his place in the world.
Now, you have probably heard, Neil Young's newest album, coming out soon, is called "Living With War," and it includes a song called something like "Let's Impeach the President." There were a hundred backup singers on it, and they gave him a standing ovation in the studio when it was over, I have seen blogs saying that people were in tears, there was just a big rush of emotion in the session.
There's a fascinating CNN interview with the ordinarily reclusive Neil Young, again on YouTube.com. I'll tell you, this is my kind of guy. He's not getting backed into any lefty-righty corner, in fact, he came out in favor of the Patriot Act when it was first passed, and has supported G.W. Bush ... but no more. Watch this actress-pretending-to-be-an-interviewer try to find something ugly in what he's doing, and watch him prove that there's nothing like that to find. It''s just really refreshing to hear good old common sense for once.
[Note: This link seems to be having trouble due to heavy traffic. You can try THIS LINK, but even that is slow, maybe you'll just need to check it out later.]
This is the way people need to talk about what's going on, if you ask me.
A final comment here. I am the least political guy in the world, I'm registered Democrat, but I don't care about that. Here in Montgomery County, there was an attempt, after the last Presidential election, to recall and replace our county school board because they approved a kind and informative sex-ed curriculum. We have seen minutes from early meetings of the group that tried to overthrow the board, and besides rightwing nut-groups like Concerned Women for America, the Republican Party was sending representatives to those meetings. This wasn't a group of upset local parents, as they want you to believe, it was an attempted coup orchestrated by national political organizations.
Right now, finally, it's open season on these criminals. This administration's corrupt, amoral, greedy, incompetent leadership has run this country into a ditch, and people -- those good-hearted American folk who trust people and give you the benefit of the doubt -- are fed up with it. We have three more years of this degradation to endure, but at least the fog has lifted, and the citizens see what we've got. Bush popularity, reported by Fox, is down to thirty three percent, and still dropping.
Montgomery County residents knew this was coming, we voted against this crookedness by a two-to-one margin in 2004. We didn't want it in the White House, and we don't want it in our county's schools. It's not partisan politics, it's just people wanting a good life for their families.
Enjoy the videos.
YouTube.com is a fun web site, my wife and I were looking around on it last night. It's got a gazillion videos, most of them less than a minute long, most of them movies that kids make of each other goofing around in the their rooms, dancing, doing stupid pet tricks. Some are good. Most aren't any good at all, but it's addicting.
Here's a serious one. The singer Pink, well, hey, I didn't know she was a real singer! Go watch this video of her song, "Dear Mister President." There's some stuff going on in this song. Turns out it's not at all like "Happy Birthday Mister President," by Marilyn Monroe ... no, not at all. Watch it with your kids.
Less serious: I'm the Decider (Koo-Koo-Kachoo). Sample lyric:
I am me and Rummy's he, Iraq is free and we are all together
See the world run when Dick shoots his gun, see how I lie
I'm Lying...
Finally, the best of all. Did I mention that I love Neil Young? A few weeks ago we ran into some other TTF folks down in Silver Spring at the showing of the Neil Young movie, "Heart of Gold." We bought the CD from the movie, which is called "Prairie Wind," and we listen to it every day, in the car, at home -- we even put it in the CD player in the car in England. The movie is beautiful and poignant, the CD is sweet and personal and rich, this is a guy who has found his place in the world.
Now, you have probably heard, Neil Young's newest album, coming out soon, is called "Living With War," and it includes a song called something like "Let's Impeach the President." There were a hundred backup singers on it, and they gave him a standing ovation in the studio when it was over, I have seen blogs saying that people were in tears, there was just a big rush of emotion in the session.
There's a fascinating CNN interview with the ordinarily reclusive Neil Young, again on YouTube.com. I'll tell you, this is my kind of guy. He's not getting backed into any lefty-righty corner, in fact, he came out in favor of the Patriot Act when it was first passed, and has supported G.W. Bush ... but no more. Watch this actress-pretending-to-be-an-interviewer try to find something ugly in what he's doing, and watch him prove that there's nothing like that to find. It''s just really refreshing to hear good old common sense for once.
Click on the image below to watch the interview:
[Note: This link seems to be having trouble due to heavy traffic. You can try THIS LINK, but even that is slow, maybe you'll just need to check it out later.]
This is the way people need to talk about what's going on, if you ask me.
A final comment here. I am the least political guy in the world, I'm registered Democrat, but I don't care about that. Here in Montgomery County, there was an attempt, after the last Presidential election, to recall and replace our county school board because they approved a kind and informative sex-ed curriculum. We have seen minutes from early meetings of the group that tried to overthrow the board, and besides rightwing nut-groups like Concerned Women for America, the Republican Party was sending representatives to those meetings. This wasn't a group of upset local parents, as they want you to believe, it was an attempted coup orchestrated by national political organizations.
Right now, finally, it's open season on these criminals. This administration's corrupt, amoral, greedy, incompetent leadership has run this country into a ditch, and people -- those good-hearted American folk who trust people and give you the benefit of the doubt -- are fed up with it. We have three more years of this degradation to endure, but at least the fog has lifted, and the citizens see what we've got. Bush popularity, reported by Fox, is down to thirty three percent, and still dropping.
Montgomery County residents knew this was coming, we voted against this crookedness by a two-to-one margin in 2004. We didn't want it in the White House, and we don't want it in our county's schools. It's not partisan politics, it's just people wanting a good life for their families.
Enjoy the videos.
posted by JimK at 11:07 PM
4 Comments:
Jim writes,
A final comment here. I am the least political guy in the world, I'm registered Democrat, but I don't care about that.
and then writes,
Right now, finally, it's open season on these criminals. This administration's corrupt, amoral, greedy, incompetent leadership has run this country into a ditch
Hummmm, not a "political guy"? Really now Jim, you are so shy! LOL!
And that Pink song...my, my, how tendentious. Having seen the "Stupid Girls" video, I am inclined to cut her a break, as it is empowering of girls having a vision of themselves that is greater than the culture would seem to have them aspire to at present. "Dear Mr President" is such a silly, not to mention naive, screed that the lyrics really don't merit much serious attention.
Still, like a bad traffic accident, it draws our attention until our eyes get their fill. Take for example this line,
What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
I know what I feel...pity, genuine pity that a majority of the homeless have made choices with regards to substance abuse that has put them on the street. While there are other issues to be sure, moral choice and accountability do play a role in who is, and who is not homeless. Really, it is alot like girls that find themselves young, single and pregnant...and then compound one set of foolish choices with yet another, that is keeping their baby (and why not, they have internalized Madonna's advice from "Pappa Don't Preach").
And just as one of Clinton's domestic policy advisor put it (can't recall his name for the life of me right now) this young gal will likely cause herself and her child to suffer poverty.
But hey, it's Bush's fault!
"Stupid Girls"?...yes, indeed Pink, yes indeed.
Hey Orin, it's easy to find lines in that song to criticize, esp the first line (makes us think you only listened that far). How about the ending part, about "hard work?" Bush keeps telling us how much "hard work" his job is, you know, being the decider and all. He don't know jack about hard work -- he's the classic silver spoon.
There was a reason I mentioned not being a political guy. My motives really aren't political. It's not that I care what party a guy represents, I figure there's some intelligence to the conservative point of view as well as the liberal, and we need debate but the system cannot bear one-sidedness. What I oppose is the lying, the greed, the torture and kililing, the corruption, the undermining of the Constitution and disrespecting of our friends and neighbors around the world, the hatefulness of it. This is un-American, and that's what I don't like.
The other day, President Bush told the President of China that China needs to allow freedom of speech. Then a woman spoke up in America, seconds later, and she faces four years in jail for it. Who's he fooling?
It's not political for me, it's personal. These guys are running down my country, hoss, they're walking on the fightin' side of me.
(I trust Orin, at least, to catch that allusion.)
JimK
Jim writes,
Hey Orin, it's easy to find lines in that song to criticize, esp the first line (makes us think you only listened that far).
Well, I will admit that I tried watching the video of her singing this song and I could not stop laughing, so do to the song justice (that is, what it deserved) I read the lyrics here,
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/pink/dearmrpresident.html
He don't know jack about hard work -- he's the classic silver spoon.
Ok, I'll give you that he has likely not "worked" like many of us do in the course of our lives, but what about the candidates he defeated (and yes, please no "sour grapes" here...there is a process for settling disputed elections and it was followed)??? Lemme see...in the 2000 election he went up against Al Gore, Jr. (to be distinguished from his father, Al Gore, Sr., a former US Senator from Tenn.), a St Albans and Yale graduate (not to mention abortive attempts at degrees in theology and law, both attempted at pricey private institutions) - no silver spoon there...no siree! And then there was the 2004 election, an election that had one individual (George Soros) contributing about $18 million (albeit indirectly) to Kerry beating Bush...Kerry, an individual that own 4 homes, valued at over $30 million, attended and graduated from elite schools and married (the 2nd time around) an heiress to the the Heinz fortune...nope, no silver spoon there either! LOL!
Bottomline? I assume that the individual that occupies the Oval Office, whatever their party affiliation or political leanings works very hard in attempting to fulfill the demands of the Office of the Presidency of the United States. Here is a question though: in light of the fact that Clinton had 8 years, two terms, in office, could he have done a better job at preventing 9/11? (esp. in light of the fact that bin Laden principally derived inspiration from the US pull-out from Somalia after the "Black Hawk Down" episode in order to plan the long-range strategy for al Qaeda).
Again Jim,
What I oppose is the lying, the greed, the torture and kililing, the corruption, the undermining of the Constitution and disrespecting of our friends and neighbors around the world, the hatefulness of it. This is un-American, and that's what I don't like.
Wow, that is quite a laundry list...goodness, there is so much there to be mined. My favorite though is the loss of world opinion for the US. Call me an Ugly American, but I think very little of anyone outside of the US having a negative opinion. In this regard I tend to be an inner-directed type person, that is I do not look to others for every nod of approval. I don't think the US ought to either...sorry, I just don't think it is a good long-term national strategy (though Carter, Bush Sr. and Clinton did...).
Again, Jim,
The other day, President Bush told the President of China that China needs to allow freedom of speech. Then a woman spoke up in America, seconds later, and she faces four years in jail for it. Who's he fooling?
Actually, the woman went on for the better part of 2 to 3 minutes (which suggests perhaps some agreement by the Secret Service with the woman's protests...then again, it was probably just typical Bush incompetence), completely embarassing the President of China. I loved it!
Yes, we do have freedom of speech here, but this was clearly an incident that fell under the usual time and place restrictions that the Supreme Court has long recognized and upheld on appeal.
That is not to say that the Bush Administration is an innocent in this regard, though if you have any doubts just Google "the Denver Three protestors and Bush". That was appalling, especially in light of the fact that it was suppose to be a public event.
Still, to be fair, where the President is concerned, whether he be Democrat or Republican, it seems more and more is shielded by any dissenting voices...and for the record, I think that is wrong.
Oh, and I doubt very highly that that gal will get any jail time.
Oh, and I think I get the allusion...Bonanza? (wink, wink)
Orin
Orin, is that really you? This was not your best day...
Al Gore never made a big point about how hard his job was. It doesn't matter if he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, you know what you're dealing with. Look, Bush doesn't even read the newspapers. This is the first time I can remember that America has knowingly elected a stupid person to be President.
Normally rich guys run for President, it's always been that way as far as I know (there's probably some example to the contrary, maybe Abe Lincoln, but it is usually the case) -- please don't misconstrue what I said. Bush tries to tell everybody how hard he works,, and he doesn't know the meaning of the word. My 15-year-old doesn't get away with it, and neither does the pres.
And ... are you saying that Bill Clinton was responsible for 9/11? Wha? Do you remember a little distraction that was going on while Clinton wanted to wipe OBL off the map, called impeachment for a consensual affair with an intern? You want to blame him, you're gonna have to dig pretty deep, in my book. You're going to have to connect a lot of dots.
And I'm sorry if you don't think that torture, corruption, and loss of stature in the world are trivialities. I was just in Europe, and it was the first time I heard people actually say things out loud about "your George Bush." Like, one English guy told me, "I just hope he doesn't decide to attack us next." We have dropped below the level of being a joke. We're now considered a nuisance and a menace. Maybe that doesn't mean anything to you, but it does to me.
JimK
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