My lofty high school goal of becoming a professional, renowned, paid poet/novelist was clearly a pipedream. I can't even keep up with a blog on the regular. But I'm here! For now, at least.
In case you haven't spoken to me or Billy at all in the last seven months...well, we now own a home. Our first home, here in Charleston, West-by-God-Virginia. Our lofty post-college goal of moving to San Francisco and living in the coolest city of all time was clearly a pipedream. That, and San Francisco is friggin' expensive. And we didn't really have jobs lined up there. And we both have jobs here. So, buying a house in the city that will be our home for the foreseeable future seemed like a proper idea. And so it was. Since we moved in back in mid-April, we have painted our kitchen nook; our kitchen; our dining room; our living room; our bedroom; and our master bathroom. We have also refinished two bedside tables; one piano bench; one big, pain in the ass, dresser; and one coffee table. This weekend we will be finishing the front steps with stone and (maybe) staining the porch. We still need to tear up the carpet (all of it) and put down new floors; and paint the stairwell/upstairs hallway, office and guest bathroom. Eventually I'd like to paint the guest room, too, but I really can't stomach all of the work we have to do now, much less adding that to the plate. We also have to refinish two more end tables and one more dresser.
I'm fucking exhausted, needless to say. I mean, I haven't even done most of the work, but just keeping the house clean in the midst of all of these projects exhausts me, and the thought of the projects that we want to do long-term exhausts me (the backyard, a patio area, the retaining wall). But it is very exciting. We love our house and, slowly but surely, it is becoming our home.
I just wish it was done.
So, that's more or less what I've been up to since my last entry MONTHS AGO. Not the whole time, just since early April. Before that it was just lethargy.
I will do my best to actually write in this thing from here on out. I don't plan on turning this into some design blog or renovation blog or anything (because I can guaran-damn-tee you I would rarely update it then), but this whole renovating a living space shit gives you a lot to talk about. And I'm sure most of you are sick of hearing us talk about when we (rarely) see you these days, but that's tough. Because now we're one of those couples!!!
6.28.2011
7.12.2010
My Favorite Music of 2010 (So Far)
I've taken a bit of a hiatus from writing on this puppy since the end of March. Whatever. I've been assessing my life and what I want to do with it, so some things fall to the side, you know? It's not like I get paid to do this. It's at my leisure.
I think that, last time around, I mentioned something about not writing about politics for a bit, taking a break if you will. I'm sticking with it. There's been some really good, and really varied, music coming out this year, so I wanted to talk about (and give examples of) some of the stuff I've been into lately.
First off, there's Robyn. Yes, that Robyn. She's come a long way, baby. Robyn first popped up (in the United States) 1997, just as the whole pop music craze hit the States. She had already had hits in Europe and did okay here, with "Show Me Love" and "Do You Know (What It Takes)" reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. But she faded from the spotlight in the States right after that, retreated to Europe and became, for all intents and purposes, a pretty big pop star. She had some good ol' fashioned pop hits between 1999 and 2004 but, in 2005, she broke away from the mainstream record labels and made her own label, Konichiwa Records. She had some rad collaborators lined up (including The Knife) and released the single "Be Mine!" and the album Robyn - and Europe went nuts, basically. She moved into the realm of electro-pop (well before anyone even knew who the fuck Lady Gaga was) and found it suited her, and she began taking some pretty decent risks that paid off. But, she hasn't put an album out since The Rakamonie EP in 2006 - until this year, when she released Body Talk Pt. 1, the first album of a series. It starts of pretty strong, and in a way most wouldn't expect a bonafide pop singer to start a record, with a repetitive, thumping club song called "Don't Fucking Tell Me What to Do." It could easily dip into the realm of obnoxious, but as she ticks off all of the things "killing" her, the tension builds; the music gets more intense and she starts repeating the things "killing" her until she busts out with "Don't fucking tell me what to do!" That goes into "Fembots," which, lyrically, is pretty funny, but also really catchy. But the real centerpiece here is the first single, "Dancing On My Own."
Now, I'm not a particularly huge fan of music like this. While I initially found Lady Gaga interesting, at least visually if not musically, her schtick has already gotten old. Robyn could do this shit with her eyes closed, and has been doing it longer than most of these dips looking to cash in on this sound (see: Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Rowland). It's fine, there are obviously trends in music that run like a wave through various artists. Everyone sees that someone like Lady Gaga has made a killing with this "new" style of music and then wants a piece of the action. But Lady Gaga ripped that sound from Europe, where pop music is a fucking way of life. Which is why most American singers use European producers to manufacture their hits. Here's why Robyn is exceptional: her voice is her selling point. She's not conventionally attractive - she's very tomboyish, almost androgynous; her teeth are nowhere near perfect; she's not afraid to have silly lyrics or silly dance moves because she's confident and she can sell them. Like I said, this music isn't normally my cup of tea, but Robyn sells it, and this is coming from someone who despised her in the 90s. If you like "Dancing On My Own," check out "Konichiwa Bitches," "With Every Heartbeat" and her cover of Prince's "Jack U Off." Awesome.
The Tallest Man On Earth has become one of my favorite singers, ever, period, end of story in just a few months. This year he put out a new album called The Wild Hunt. He performs (usually) with little more than his big voice, tiny body and a guitar, and that's all he needs. His first album is one of the best albums I've ever heard. Ever. And this new album is not far behind.
His real name is Kristian Matsson. He's Swedish (like Robyn - but they're incredibly different) and he also plays in a band called Montezumas. I haven't heard Montezumas yet, personally, but if he's a member, I can already guarantee they're good.
He has a voice that not everyone may love, but it's so unique and it so suits the style of music he makes, which is folky, bluesy to a point and poignant. Each song feels important, whether it's quirky ("King of Spain") or a little melancholy ("Kids On the Run"). We had the good fortune of seeing him live back in April on Mountain Stage and he was the only performer who received a standing ovation. The only one. The other performers were The Watson Twins, April Smith and the Great Picture Show, Clare and the Reasons and Jakob Dylan featuring Neko Case and Kelly Hogan. Seriously. The crowd went wild over this short little Swedish man with a huge voice and a huge personality.
My favorite song:
I chose the album version because I want you to really hear those lyrics and the way he sings the end of each line. Insane. So insane. But check out his live performances, too. He sounds the same live, which is also insane.
Next, The Black Keys. I'm admittedly a little late on this bandwagon. I've always liked them, but I've never been "in" to them. But Brothers is an amazing record. From beginning to end, there's not a bad song here. I've heard some people say it's iffy, and that you don't know what you're getting with each song. I think it's incredibly consistent. You know with the opener, "Everlasting Light," that you're getting yourself into a dirty little funktastic adventure. The lyrics are witty, but soulful, and the music is filthy. I had no idea two white boys could be this funky. "Next Girl" continues the fantastic beats with a pulsing drum beat and a woozy guitar riff. And then there's the first single, "Tighten Up."
Fun video, too. "He smells like ranch dressing!" "Just, hold your breath or somethin'." The song is catchy, fast-paced, full of soul and makes you want to dance. The shift towards the end is surprising and I imagine seeing and hearing that live would make it even better.
I really could just go through and list every single song and why it's so awesome ("Howlin' for You" is so much fun, "The Only One" is one of the best beats I've heard in a while and their cover of "Never Gonna Give You Up" is so well done you almost forget they didn't write it), but just let it be said that you have to have this album. It's one of my "Summer" records, for sure.
The Gaslight Anthem, like The Black Keys, is a group that I've always liked, but I was never a steady listener. Never got the albums, but liked their songs. I decided to change that when I saw some reviews for American Slang. This album gets better every time I listen to it. I've had this and Brothers in a constant rotation in my car since I got them, and I'm not tired of them at all. Again, the songs here are catchy, and the Bruce Springsteen comparisons are certainly relevant, though their sound is a bit grittier than even old school Springsteen (less synthesizer, thank god), but they're so smartly written on top of that catchiness. "The Diamond Church Street Choir" and "The Queen of Lower Chelsea" are two of the best songs I've heard all year and "Boxer," is a sing-a-long song that you may not think you can sing-a-long to at first.
I feel like this is what punk music needs. Music like this is why I liked punk music to begin with, and why I liked bands like Against Me! when I was younger. The Gaslight Anthem is doing now what Against Me! should have kept doing. They're growing artistically and maintaining their integrity as a group without becoming obnoxious. I still love old Against Me!, but you can only hold that same routine for so long. The Gaslight Anthem keeps the same flavor each time, but they don't get boring.
Then there's April Smith and the Great Picture Show, who I mentioned earlier when I was talking about The Tallest Man On Earth. This sassy little broad from Brooklyn and her awesome band may not have gotten a standing ovation, but they were amazing nonetheless. I'd never heard of her before Mountain Stage, but she was an unexpected delight. Her voice is insane.
AND she's really funny, cute, quirky and just generally agreeable. All of the songs are catchy (if you watch Weeds you might recognize her song "Terrible Things" from some promos) and are clever, but not so clever they drift into stupidity. Get into April. She and her whole group are great performers and fun to watch live.
Lastly, MGMT's Congratulations. While I haven't had this on repeat as much as the first five albums I talked about, I still really love this. It took a bit for it to grow on me, and it's nowhere near as slick and catchy as Oracular Spectacular, but it has a certain mood about it. "It's Working" sounds like The Smiths married The Beach Boys, but the vocals set it squarely in MGMTland.
I really think this is about as close to Oracular Spectacular as this album gets. Which is suiting, since it's the opener. By the time you get halfway through the album, you start to realize that this isn't quite the same band we know from "Time to Pretend" and "Electric Feel." They're moody, atmospheric and more psychedelic. When you get to "I Found a Whistle" and then "Siberian Breaks," you're in uncharted MGMT territory. "Brian Eno" isn't quite as ethereal as some of the other tracks, but "Lady Dada's Nightmare" is surprising. It sounds like I'm middling on this album, but I'm really not. You just have to be in the right mode to listen to it. I recommend early or mid-evening, dark room, candles burning, some incense and whatever else you might need. It certainly helps it all make sense.
While these are the four records I've been into the most, I've also checked out the new Kelis album, Flesh Tone, which, while not my favorite album, is certainly different. It's total Europop, which is a new direction for Kelis, who's probably best known for her alternative R&B style (and being the ex-wife of Nas). But it suits her, which is surprising, and it flows really well and the beats aren't as droning as you'd expect...but I just can't fully endorse it yet. But it's growing on me. I also checked out Kele's debut album, The Boxer. Kele is the (former?) lead singer of Bloc Party and has one of the most unique voices I've ever heard and I really do love him and I really love Bloc Party, but this album leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe I just don't "get it," but it's all over the place. It starts out promising, and a couple of the songs are really good, but the rest leave a lot to be desired. I'm going to listen to it a couple more times to see if my feelings change, but as of right now, I wouldn't recommend to anyone unless you really like stuttered, beat-lacking songs with somewhat boring, sing-talk vocals. Lastly, the new Josh Ritter album came out a few weeks ago. It's called So Runs the World Away. I love Josh Ritter, and I like this album, but it honestly feels a little boring to me. "Folk Bloodbath" is a great song, a take-off on "Staggolee" and "Change of Time" is pretty fantastic, too, but the rest is sort of in the middle to me. Maybe it's because I listened to it while driving, and it's certainly not an album you want to drive to; it's atmospheric, moody and very thoughtful. So, maybe I should listen to it at home some more, because it's not bad, not by a long shot. Maybe just not what I expected.
I think that's it. I'm done rambling. I have to go do "real" writing now. Enjoy. Comment. Download these people. Here are some samples from Kelis, Kele and Josh Ritter, too, just in case you're curious but don't feel like searching for yourself.
Kelis, "4th of July (Fireworks)"
Kele - "Tenderoni"
Josh Ritter - "Change of Time"
I think that, last time around, I mentioned something about not writing about politics for a bit, taking a break if you will. I'm sticking with it. There's been some really good, and really varied, music coming out this year, so I wanted to talk about (and give examples of) some of the stuff I've been into lately.
First off, there's Robyn. Yes, that Robyn. She's come a long way, baby. Robyn first popped up (in the United States) 1997, just as the whole pop music craze hit the States. She had already had hits in Europe and did okay here, with "Show Me Love" and "Do You Know (What It Takes)" reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. But she faded from the spotlight in the States right after that, retreated to Europe and became, for all intents and purposes, a pretty big pop star. She had some good ol' fashioned pop hits between 1999 and 2004 but, in 2005, she broke away from the mainstream record labels and made her own label, Konichiwa Records. She had some rad collaborators lined up (including The Knife) and released the single "Be Mine!" and the album Robyn - and Europe went nuts, basically. She moved into the realm of electro-pop (well before anyone even knew who the fuck Lady Gaga was) and found it suited her, and she began taking some pretty decent risks that paid off. But, she hasn't put an album out since The Rakamonie EP in 2006 - until this year, when she released Body Talk Pt. 1, the first album of a series. It starts of pretty strong, and in a way most wouldn't expect a bonafide pop singer to start a record, with a repetitive, thumping club song called "Don't Fucking Tell Me What to Do." It could easily dip into the realm of obnoxious, but as she ticks off all of the things "killing" her, the tension builds; the music gets more intense and she starts repeating the things "killing" her until she busts out with "Don't fucking tell me what to do!" That goes into "Fembots," which, lyrically, is pretty funny, but also really catchy. But the real centerpiece here is the first single, "Dancing On My Own."
Now, I'm not a particularly huge fan of music like this. While I initially found Lady Gaga interesting, at least visually if not musically, her schtick has already gotten old. Robyn could do this shit with her eyes closed, and has been doing it longer than most of these dips looking to cash in on this sound (see: Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Rowland). It's fine, there are obviously trends in music that run like a wave through various artists. Everyone sees that someone like Lady Gaga has made a killing with this "new" style of music and then wants a piece of the action. But Lady Gaga ripped that sound from Europe, where pop music is a fucking way of life. Which is why most American singers use European producers to manufacture their hits. Here's why Robyn is exceptional: her voice is her selling point. She's not conventionally attractive - she's very tomboyish, almost androgynous; her teeth are nowhere near perfect; she's not afraid to have silly lyrics or silly dance moves because she's confident and she can sell them. Like I said, this music isn't normally my cup of tea, but Robyn sells it, and this is coming from someone who despised her in the 90s. If you like "Dancing On My Own," check out "Konichiwa Bitches," "With Every Heartbeat" and her cover of Prince's "Jack U Off." Awesome.
The Tallest Man On Earth has become one of my favorite singers, ever, period, end of story in just a few months. This year he put out a new album called The Wild Hunt. He performs (usually) with little more than his big voice, tiny body and a guitar, and that's all he needs. His first album is one of the best albums I've ever heard. Ever. And this new album is not far behind.
His real name is Kristian Matsson. He's Swedish (like Robyn - but they're incredibly different) and he also plays in a band called Montezumas. I haven't heard Montezumas yet, personally, but if he's a member, I can already guarantee they're good.
He has a voice that not everyone may love, but it's so unique and it so suits the style of music he makes, which is folky, bluesy to a point and poignant. Each song feels important, whether it's quirky ("King of Spain") or a little melancholy ("Kids On the Run"). We had the good fortune of seeing him live back in April on Mountain Stage and he was the only performer who received a standing ovation. The only one. The other performers were The Watson Twins, April Smith and the Great Picture Show, Clare and the Reasons and Jakob Dylan featuring Neko Case and Kelly Hogan. Seriously. The crowd went wild over this short little Swedish man with a huge voice and a huge personality.
My favorite song:
I chose the album version because I want you to really hear those lyrics and the way he sings the end of each line. Insane. So insane. But check out his live performances, too. He sounds the same live, which is also insane.
Next, The Black Keys. I'm admittedly a little late on this bandwagon. I've always liked them, but I've never been "in" to them. But Brothers is an amazing record. From beginning to end, there's not a bad song here. I've heard some people say it's iffy, and that you don't know what you're getting with each song. I think it's incredibly consistent. You know with the opener, "Everlasting Light," that you're getting yourself into a dirty little funktastic adventure. The lyrics are witty, but soulful, and the music is filthy. I had no idea two white boys could be this funky. "Next Girl" continues the fantastic beats with a pulsing drum beat and a woozy guitar riff. And then there's the first single, "Tighten Up."
Fun video, too. "He smells like ranch dressing!" "Just, hold your breath or somethin'." The song is catchy, fast-paced, full of soul and makes you want to dance. The shift towards the end is surprising and I imagine seeing and hearing that live would make it even better.
I really could just go through and list every single song and why it's so awesome ("Howlin' for You" is so much fun, "The Only One" is one of the best beats I've heard in a while and their cover of "Never Gonna Give You Up" is so well done you almost forget they didn't write it), but just let it be said that you have to have this album. It's one of my "Summer" records, for sure.
The Gaslight Anthem, like The Black Keys, is a group that I've always liked, but I was never a steady listener. Never got the albums, but liked their songs. I decided to change that when I saw some reviews for American Slang. This album gets better every time I listen to it. I've had this and Brothers in a constant rotation in my car since I got them, and I'm not tired of them at all. Again, the songs here are catchy, and the Bruce Springsteen comparisons are certainly relevant, though their sound is a bit grittier than even old school Springsteen (less synthesizer, thank god), but they're so smartly written on top of that catchiness. "The Diamond Church Street Choir" and "The Queen of Lower Chelsea" are two of the best songs I've heard all year and "Boxer," is a sing-a-long song that you may not think you can sing-a-long to at first.
I feel like this is what punk music needs. Music like this is why I liked punk music to begin with, and why I liked bands like Against Me! when I was younger. The Gaslight Anthem is doing now what Against Me! should have kept doing. They're growing artistically and maintaining their integrity as a group without becoming obnoxious. I still love old Against Me!, but you can only hold that same routine for so long. The Gaslight Anthem keeps the same flavor each time, but they don't get boring.
Then there's April Smith and the Great Picture Show, who I mentioned earlier when I was talking about The Tallest Man On Earth. This sassy little broad from Brooklyn and her awesome band may not have gotten a standing ovation, but they were amazing nonetheless. I'd never heard of her before Mountain Stage, but she was an unexpected delight. Her voice is insane.
AND she's really funny, cute, quirky and just generally agreeable. All of the songs are catchy (if you watch Weeds you might recognize her song "Terrible Things" from some promos) and are clever, but not so clever they drift into stupidity. Get into April. She and her whole group are great performers and fun to watch live.
Lastly, MGMT's Congratulations. While I haven't had this on repeat as much as the first five albums I talked about, I still really love this. It took a bit for it to grow on me, and it's nowhere near as slick and catchy as Oracular Spectacular, but it has a certain mood about it. "It's Working" sounds like The Smiths married The Beach Boys, but the vocals set it squarely in MGMTland.
I really think this is about as close to Oracular Spectacular as this album gets. Which is suiting, since it's the opener. By the time you get halfway through the album, you start to realize that this isn't quite the same band we know from "Time to Pretend" and "Electric Feel." They're moody, atmospheric and more psychedelic. When you get to "I Found a Whistle" and then "Siberian Breaks," you're in uncharted MGMT territory. "Brian Eno" isn't quite as ethereal as some of the other tracks, but "Lady Dada's Nightmare" is surprising. It sounds like I'm middling on this album, but I'm really not. You just have to be in the right mode to listen to it. I recommend early or mid-evening, dark room, candles burning, some incense and whatever else you might need. It certainly helps it all make sense.
While these are the four records I've been into the most, I've also checked out the new Kelis album, Flesh Tone, which, while not my favorite album, is certainly different. It's total Europop, which is a new direction for Kelis, who's probably best known for her alternative R&B style (and being the ex-wife of Nas). But it suits her, which is surprising, and it flows really well and the beats aren't as droning as you'd expect...but I just can't fully endorse it yet. But it's growing on me. I also checked out Kele's debut album, The Boxer. Kele is the (former?) lead singer of Bloc Party and has one of the most unique voices I've ever heard and I really do love him and I really love Bloc Party, but this album leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe I just don't "get it," but it's all over the place. It starts out promising, and a couple of the songs are really good, but the rest leave a lot to be desired. I'm going to listen to it a couple more times to see if my feelings change, but as of right now, I wouldn't recommend to anyone unless you really like stuttered, beat-lacking songs with somewhat boring, sing-talk vocals. Lastly, the new Josh Ritter album came out a few weeks ago. It's called So Runs the World Away. I love Josh Ritter, and I like this album, but it honestly feels a little boring to me. "Folk Bloodbath" is a great song, a take-off on "Staggolee" and "Change of Time" is pretty fantastic, too, but the rest is sort of in the middle to me. Maybe it's because I listened to it while driving, and it's certainly not an album you want to drive to; it's atmospheric, moody and very thoughtful. So, maybe I should listen to it at home some more, because it's not bad, not by a long shot. Maybe just not what I expected.
I think that's it. I'm done rambling. I have to go do "real" writing now. Enjoy. Comment. Download these people. Here are some samples from Kelis, Kele and Josh Ritter, too, just in case you're curious but don't feel like searching for yourself.
Kelis, "4th of July (Fireworks)"
Kele - "Tenderoni"
Josh Ritter - "Change of Time"
3.29.2010
Covering My Fifteen Favorite Covers
A lot of people don't like it when people cover songs. Usually they're fans of the original and don't think anyone can do it better/do it justice. Often they're right. There are incredibly unnecessary covers (see anything that Britney Spears has covered) and some that are simply better than the originals, whether it be because they're done by someone with a superior voice or even just the tone of their particular interpretation of the song; emotion counts for a lot, especially when the song isn't yours. I love covers, especially well-done covers, the ones that make me forget someone else sang it or that make me appreciate a certain song all over again because someone found a new way to do it. And there are covers that have introduced me to singers that I'd never even heard of, which creates that weird space where you hear the cover before you've ever heard the original. Well, these are my fifteen favorite covers. Because I couldn't pick just ten. The order isn't important, really, but the number one is my favorite out of all of them.
15. "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," Seal (originally by James Brown)
You can't really ever beat James Brown, let's be honest. Sure, he was crazy in his personal life, but we'd be missing so much great music if he hadn't been around. People not only cover his songs but the beats from his songs have been sampled over and over and over again to make new music. He's always going to be there.
I always feel like this is an underrated James Brown song, even though most people know it. It's nothing like the "normal" James Brown, the "Papa Don't Take No Mess" James Brown. This is sweeping, soulful, epic ballad James Brown. The song has been called chauvinistic and derided, sure (it's lyrics were actually written by a woman, Betty Ann Newsome, to reflect her feelings on the relationship between the sexes), and it can be seen as an overtly chauvinistic statement. But hearing Seal belt this out, with the soaring strings and brass, that seems to fade away. When I hear Seal sing this song, I feel like he's ashamed of the fact that it's a man's world, and while he is listing all of man's achievements (electricity, cars, etc.), when he says it would mean nothing without a woman or a girl, it's like he's saying "but none of this would have been possible without YOU." He reveres the woman, where James Brown simply wanted a woman by his side because all of the money, fame, whatever, was pointless unless he could have a woman to share it with. At least, that's how I interpret it. Whatever your interpretation, Seal is amazing. End of story.
14. "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want," She & Him (originally by The Smiths)
I'm a huge fan of She & Him, so I'm biased. But I'm also a sucker for women covering songs originally performed by men. It's refreshing and offers a new point-of-view. A song that was once whiny and overbearing can become wistful and raw with emotion. That's not to imply that the original version of song is whiny and overbearing, because I love The Smiths and I love that version of this song, but Zooey Deschanel's voice just drips with so much aching sadness and longing, you can't help but fall in love with her. It humanizes the song in a way that Morrissey's voice just can't, and that's why it's here.
13. "New Age," Tori Amos (originally by Velvet Underground)
Tori Amos covers a variety of songs, from every genre. She's covered everything from Public Enemy and Eminem to Radiohead and Joe Jackson. She possesses the ability to inhabit a character and sing a song from the perspective of that character. She's not fucking around, in other words.
This particular cover is from her Strange Little Girls album, which a lot of people mocked at the time for including a cover of Eminem's "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" (which I thought was brilliant) and Slayer's "Raining Blood" (also brilliant). Some of the covers were questionable or just poorly executed, like her version of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun;" she should've just stuck to the piano instead of layering news clips and gunshots all over her vocals. But this song, "New Age," is perfect. It opens the record and really sets the tone for what we're about to hear. This particular version of the song is from a live performance in 1969; the "original" original didn't include most of the lyrics heard in this cover. And that actually makes her version of the song more her own and more unique, because it's not the "New Age" most people know. Tell me you don't want to start yelling with her towards the end when she sings, "All you little sick little fucks!" Just tell me you don't.
12. "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)," Placebo (originally by Kate Bush)
This probably isn't everyone's cup of tea. But then, neither Kate Bush or Placebo are everyone's cup of tea, so that's kinda perfect, huh? I love Kate Bush, but her songs tend to outlive her influence and become better when others sing them. She has a unique voice, but it's a thin voice. The driving beat on this version of the song, coupled with Brian Molko's voice, which is ethereal and creepy but also oddly sad, makes it a winner. It builds to a climax that serves the song better than Kate Bush's original arrangement, which I think tends to be weighed down in that "'80s Sound." You know what I mean. It's dated, and I think this version holds up in a way that her version just doesn't. The lyrics match the overall sonic tone Placebo establishes with the driving drum beat and the tweaky little synth sounds that stay consistent throughout the whole song. It's a song with a beginning, a middle and an end, and it offers the rare(r) chance to see a male vocalist covering a female vocalist's song, adding a level of masculinity and confusion to the lyric that you don't get when you hear Kate sing it.
11. "Train in Vain," Annie Lennox (originally by The Clash)
Annie Lennox could sing the dictionary to me and I would be in awe, let's just say that and get it out of the way, right? To turn a song by The Clash, a punk rock establishment, into a soul song that evokes early Aretha Franklin, is a brilliant step. This song is from Annie's cover record, Medusa, which, like Tori's Strange Little Girls, was an album of songs originally performed by men, offering the female perspective. Annie also covered "A Thin Line Between Love & Hate" and "Downtown Lights" and "Waiting in Vain" and "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and...well, they're all great, but this has always been my favorite from that album. This is a brilliant cover. Brilliant, because it completely changes the tone and intent of the original song until it sounds like something altogether new, and does it well.
10. "Willin'," Linda Ronstadt (originally by Little Feat)
I remember the first time I heard this song back in the early-90s, around the time the movie The Abyss came out, and this song was featured in it. The characters sing this version of the song while they're working in the subs underwater. It was many years before I knew what the hell the song was about, though. But when I did understand the lyrics (and what the hell "weed, whites and wine" meant), I appreciated it even more.
The original is perfect already, mainly due to Lowell George being a genius, but Linda, like the other women I've already mentioned, makes the song her own and gives it a new heft. A woman singing about smuggling cigarettes and people over on a tractor-trailer? Count me in. She gives it a sense of longing and sympathy that the original version doesn't have. When you hear her sing the lines, "And I've been from Tuscon to Tucumcari/Tehachapi to Tonopah/Driven every kind of rig that's ever been made/Driven the back roads so I wouldn't get weighed," you believe it.
9. "Houses," Vetiver (originally by Elyse Weinberg)
Vetiver is one of my favorite bands. Andy Cabic has a clean, relaxed tone to his voice and is one of those people who escapes into the song they're singing. That's all well and good, but when you do it with someone else's song, I think that's an admirable skill. "Houses" fits the style of Vetiver so well, it's hard to believe it's not their song. Everything about it screams "Vetiver." The lazy rhythm, Andy's casual voice, the electric guitar licks...exactly what I expect from them. I originally wanted to put their cover of Garland Jeffreys' "Lon Chaney" in this spot (they're both songs from their 2008 album Things of the Past) but, since I wanted to include a clip of the cover songs for reference, and I couldn't find the Vetiver version of "Lon Chaney," I opted for this instead. But really, just get that album. Every cover they did on that album could be on this list.
8. "The World's Greatest," Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (originally by R. Kelly)
Tell me this isn't brilliant. No one owns a cover like Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (aka Will Oldham...or is it aka Bonnie 'Prince' Billy? Whatever...) and he makes this song HIS. The amazing thing with this cover is that the original was an overproduced, self-fellating "anthem" performed by R. Kelly. It took itself too seriously. When Will sings this song, he is able to make himself endearing and almost adorable. You're rooting for him because, by god, he IS the world's greatest! One of the rare examples of a cover far exceeding the original.
7. "Hallelujah," Jeff Buckley (originally by Leonard Cohen)
Now I love Leonard Cohen, but he's not a "singer." I love HIS versions of HIS songs that HE wrote, but I find that when people cover his songs, they always make them into something Leonard can't. Leonard is a helluva songwriter and he's an amazing man, but he could never sing this song like Jeff Buckley did.
"Hallelujah"'s been covered by everyone. Two of the more memorable covers are by John Cale (which is the version Jeff's cover is based on) and Rufus Wainwright (who based his own cover on Jeff's cover). Jeff Buckley made this song a Jeff Buckley song. I consider it sacrilege to have never heard this version of the song, because Jeff sang this song like he had written it, and puts more emotion into the few minutes he spends on this song than most singers today put into an entire album.
6. "I Must Be in a Good Place Now," Vetiver (originally by Bobby Charles)
This is a summertime song. You know, those days when the sun is so bright and it's so hot that you want to do nothing but lie on the bank of a river and let yourself bake all afternoon. Again, it has that lazy little sway that makes Vetiver who they are, but it maintains the "vibe" that the original singer, Bobby Charles (who just passed away in January) intended it to have. And, on top of all of that, it's just a beautiful song with terrific, simple lyrics that are easy to remember. Sing along.
5. "One Man Guy," Rufus Wainwright (originally by Loudon Wainwright III)
This is an interesting cover because it's Rufus Wainwright covering a song by his dad. It's a completely different song in Loudon's hands than it becomes in the hands of Rufus, though both of them lend it a solitary, sad slant. Rufus's version, though, seems more vain than Loudon's. He gives it a heavier tone, a more self-centered tone. You still feel some empathy for this lonely, lonely man, but not quite as much as you'd feel for the normally jovial Loudon. Rufus's "character" has made his bed, and he sounds resigned to live his life out solo, perfectly alone. (Note: sorry for the video on this one...I couldn't find a version with just Rufus or a copy of the album version, so this is a video of Rufus, his sister Martha and Teddy Thompson singing the song).
4. "Come as You Are," Caetano Veloso (originally by Nirvana)
If you don't know who Caetano Veloso is, you're doing yourself a serious disservice. He's been called the Bob Dylan of Brazil, but I think he's better than Dylan to be honest. Even if I can't understand a lot of his songs (because of the language barrier), he is so emotive and passionate that you can't deny him. I am in love with this man. He is a patriarch of Latin folk music, a god among men. And then he did an album of covers, all in English, and holy shit: it wasn't a sell-out project; it was amazing! And this cover is one of the best from A Foreign Sound. Who would expect a Brazilian folk singer in his 60s to cover Nirvana? Not me. But I'm so glad he did.
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," She & Him (originally by The Miracles)
Zooey and Matt, at again. Really, most of what I said before about "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" holds true here: Zooey Deschanel makes this song more feminine and airy than it has ever been. This song has been through many transformations since it was first released in 1963. The Beatles covered it, the Supremes covered it, the Temptations covered it, Mickey Gilley covered it and a myriad of others have covered it, as well. So that's a lot of influences flying at you when you record a song like this. And this version doesn't sound like any other version of this song that I've heard. It's simple, and in its simplicity lies its beauty.
2. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," Johnny Cash with Nick Cave (originally by Hank Williams)
No one has ever done a better version of this song, at least not since Hank Williams first sang it. Johnny covered this song years ago in the 60s, and there's even a version with Johnny and Bob Dylan, but it has never been better than this duet with Nick Cave.
Johnny Cash did a lot of covers, especially once he started working with Rick Rubin in the 90s. The most famous one is probably his cover of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails, but I think this is better, to be frank. It's so painfully simple and bare, and honestly has brought me to tears on occasion for no other reason than it is one of the saddest songs ever written. Add to that Johnny's shivery voice and Nick's almost consoling tone, and you've got a piece of work.
1. "This Woman's Work," Maxwell (originally by Kate Bush)
This is an example of a song that, while a reinterpretation, sonically mirrors the original in a lot of ways. Maxwell's falsetto (and the fact that he maintains it for almost the entire song) is almost indistinguishable from Kate's original vocals at some points. The difference here is really the way the song's meaning changes. Whereas in Kate's hands it is a song about confronting adulthood head-on, and the impending birth of a child (it was written for the John Hughes movie She's Having a Baby in the mid-80s), in Maxwell's hands it becomes a song about a man lavishing praise on the mother of his child, professing love and admiration despite hard times. It's a beautiful transition and he's probably one of the few male singers who can make this work the way he does, falsetto and all. Which is why Maxwell is not only one of the sexiest men EVER, he's also an incredible artist who rarely gets his due.
Well, that's it for now. I might make this a series this week: lists of my favorite kinds of songs. We'll see what I can conjure up for tomorrow. Go. Enjoy these songs. Now.
15. "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," Seal (originally by James Brown)
You can't really ever beat James Brown, let's be honest. Sure, he was crazy in his personal life, but we'd be missing so much great music if he hadn't been around. People not only cover his songs but the beats from his songs have been sampled over and over and over again to make new music. He's always going to be there.
I always feel like this is an underrated James Brown song, even though most people know it. It's nothing like the "normal" James Brown, the "Papa Don't Take No Mess" James Brown. This is sweeping, soulful, epic ballad James Brown. The song has been called chauvinistic and derided, sure (it's lyrics were actually written by a woman, Betty Ann Newsome, to reflect her feelings on the relationship between the sexes), and it can be seen as an overtly chauvinistic statement. But hearing Seal belt this out, with the soaring strings and brass, that seems to fade away. When I hear Seal sing this song, I feel like he's ashamed of the fact that it's a man's world, and while he is listing all of man's achievements (electricity, cars, etc.), when he says it would mean nothing without a woman or a girl, it's like he's saying "but none of this would have been possible without YOU." He reveres the woman, where James Brown simply wanted a woman by his side because all of the money, fame, whatever, was pointless unless he could have a woman to share it with. At least, that's how I interpret it. Whatever your interpretation, Seal is amazing. End of story.
14. "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want," She & Him (originally by The Smiths)
I'm a huge fan of She & Him, so I'm biased. But I'm also a sucker for women covering songs originally performed by men. It's refreshing and offers a new point-of-view. A song that was once whiny and overbearing can become wistful and raw with emotion. That's not to imply that the original version of song is whiny and overbearing, because I love The Smiths and I love that version of this song, but Zooey Deschanel's voice just drips with so much aching sadness and longing, you can't help but fall in love with her. It humanizes the song in a way that Morrissey's voice just can't, and that's why it's here.
13. "New Age," Tori Amos (originally by Velvet Underground)
Tori Amos covers a variety of songs, from every genre. She's covered everything from Public Enemy and Eminem to Radiohead and Joe Jackson. She possesses the ability to inhabit a character and sing a song from the perspective of that character. She's not fucking around, in other words.
This particular cover is from her Strange Little Girls album, which a lot of people mocked at the time for including a cover of Eminem's "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" (which I thought was brilliant) and Slayer's "Raining Blood" (also brilliant). Some of the covers were questionable or just poorly executed, like her version of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun;" she should've just stuck to the piano instead of layering news clips and gunshots all over her vocals. But this song, "New Age," is perfect. It opens the record and really sets the tone for what we're about to hear. This particular version of the song is from a live performance in 1969; the "original" original didn't include most of the lyrics heard in this cover. And that actually makes her version of the song more her own and more unique, because it's not the "New Age" most people know. Tell me you don't want to start yelling with her towards the end when she sings, "All you little sick little fucks!" Just tell me you don't.
12. "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)," Placebo (originally by Kate Bush)
This probably isn't everyone's cup of tea. But then, neither Kate Bush or Placebo are everyone's cup of tea, so that's kinda perfect, huh? I love Kate Bush, but her songs tend to outlive her influence and become better when others sing them. She has a unique voice, but it's a thin voice. The driving beat on this version of the song, coupled with Brian Molko's voice, which is ethereal and creepy but also oddly sad, makes it a winner. It builds to a climax that serves the song better than Kate Bush's original arrangement, which I think tends to be weighed down in that "'80s Sound." You know what I mean. It's dated, and I think this version holds up in a way that her version just doesn't. The lyrics match the overall sonic tone Placebo establishes with the driving drum beat and the tweaky little synth sounds that stay consistent throughout the whole song. It's a song with a beginning, a middle and an end, and it offers the rare(r) chance to see a male vocalist covering a female vocalist's song, adding a level of masculinity and confusion to the lyric that you don't get when you hear Kate sing it.
11. "Train in Vain," Annie Lennox (originally by The Clash)
Annie Lennox could sing the dictionary to me and I would be in awe, let's just say that and get it out of the way, right? To turn a song by The Clash, a punk rock establishment, into a soul song that evokes early Aretha Franklin, is a brilliant step. This song is from Annie's cover record, Medusa, which, like Tori's Strange Little Girls, was an album of songs originally performed by men, offering the female perspective. Annie also covered "A Thin Line Between Love & Hate" and "Downtown Lights" and "Waiting in Vain" and "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and...well, they're all great, but this has always been my favorite from that album. This is a brilliant cover. Brilliant, because it completely changes the tone and intent of the original song until it sounds like something altogether new, and does it well.
10. "Willin'," Linda Ronstadt (originally by Little Feat)
I remember the first time I heard this song back in the early-90s, around the time the movie The Abyss came out, and this song was featured in it. The characters sing this version of the song while they're working in the subs underwater. It was many years before I knew what the hell the song was about, though. But when I did understand the lyrics (and what the hell "weed, whites and wine" meant), I appreciated it even more.
The original is perfect already, mainly due to Lowell George being a genius, but Linda, like the other women I've already mentioned, makes the song her own and gives it a new heft. A woman singing about smuggling cigarettes and people over on a tractor-trailer? Count me in. She gives it a sense of longing and sympathy that the original version doesn't have. When you hear her sing the lines, "And I've been from Tuscon to Tucumcari/Tehachapi to Tonopah/Driven every kind of rig that's ever been made/Driven the back roads so I wouldn't get weighed," you believe it.
9. "Houses," Vetiver (originally by Elyse Weinberg)
Vetiver is one of my favorite bands. Andy Cabic has a clean, relaxed tone to his voice and is one of those people who escapes into the song they're singing. That's all well and good, but when you do it with someone else's song, I think that's an admirable skill. "Houses" fits the style of Vetiver so well, it's hard to believe it's not their song. Everything about it screams "Vetiver." The lazy rhythm, Andy's casual voice, the electric guitar licks...exactly what I expect from them. I originally wanted to put their cover of Garland Jeffreys' "Lon Chaney" in this spot (they're both songs from their 2008 album Things of the Past) but, since I wanted to include a clip of the cover songs for reference, and I couldn't find the Vetiver version of "Lon Chaney," I opted for this instead. But really, just get that album. Every cover they did on that album could be on this list.
8. "The World's Greatest," Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (originally by R. Kelly)
Tell me this isn't brilliant. No one owns a cover like Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (aka Will Oldham...or is it aka Bonnie 'Prince' Billy? Whatever...) and he makes this song HIS. The amazing thing with this cover is that the original was an overproduced, self-fellating "anthem" performed by R. Kelly. It took itself too seriously. When Will sings this song, he is able to make himself endearing and almost adorable. You're rooting for him because, by god, he IS the world's greatest! One of the rare examples of a cover far exceeding the original.
7. "Hallelujah," Jeff Buckley (originally by Leonard Cohen)
Now I love Leonard Cohen, but he's not a "singer." I love HIS versions of HIS songs that HE wrote, but I find that when people cover his songs, they always make them into something Leonard can't. Leonard is a helluva songwriter and he's an amazing man, but he could never sing this song like Jeff Buckley did.
"Hallelujah"'s been covered by everyone. Two of the more memorable covers are by John Cale (which is the version Jeff's cover is based on) and Rufus Wainwright (who based his own cover on Jeff's cover). Jeff Buckley made this song a Jeff Buckley song. I consider it sacrilege to have never heard this version of the song, because Jeff sang this song like he had written it, and puts more emotion into the few minutes he spends on this song than most singers today put into an entire album.
6. "I Must Be in a Good Place Now," Vetiver (originally by Bobby Charles)
This is a summertime song. You know, those days when the sun is so bright and it's so hot that you want to do nothing but lie on the bank of a river and let yourself bake all afternoon. Again, it has that lazy little sway that makes Vetiver who they are, but it maintains the "vibe" that the original singer, Bobby Charles (who just passed away in January) intended it to have. And, on top of all of that, it's just a beautiful song with terrific, simple lyrics that are easy to remember. Sing along.
5. "One Man Guy," Rufus Wainwright (originally by Loudon Wainwright III)
This is an interesting cover because it's Rufus Wainwright covering a song by his dad. It's a completely different song in Loudon's hands than it becomes in the hands of Rufus, though both of them lend it a solitary, sad slant. Rufus's version, though, seems more vain than Loudon's. He gives it a heavier tone, a more self-centered tone. You still feel some empathy for this lonely, lonely man, but not quite as much as you'd feel for the normally jovial Loudon. Rufus's "character" has made his bed, and he sounds resigned to live his life out solo, perfectly alone. (Note: sorry for the video on this one...I couldn't find a version with just Rufus or a copy of the album version, so this is a video of Rufus, his sister Martha and Teddy Thompson singing the song).
4. "Come as You Are," Caetano Veloso (originally by Nirvana)
If you don't know who Caetano Veloso is, you're doing yourself a serious disservice. He's been called the Bob Dylan of Brazil, but I think he's better than Dylan to be honest. Even if I can't understand a lot of his songs (because of the language barrier), he is so emotive and passionate that you can't deny him. I am in love with this man. He is a patriarch of Latin folk music, a god among men. And then he did an album of covers, all in English, and holy shit: it wasn't a sell-out project; it was amazing! And this cover is one of the best from A Foreign Sound. Who would expect a Brazilian folk singer in his 60s to cover Nirvana? Not me. But I'm so glad he did.
3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," She & Him (originally by The Miracles)
Zooey and Matt, at again. Really, most of what I said before about "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" holds true here: Zooey Deschanel makes this song more feminine and airy than it has ever been. This song has been through many transformations since it was first released in 1963. The Beatles covered it, the Supremes covered it, the Temptations covered it, Mickey Gilley covered it and a myriad of others have covered it, as well. So that's a lot of influences flying at you when you record a song like this. And this version doesn't sound like any other version of this song that I've heard. It's simple, and in its simplicity lies its beauty.
2. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," Johnny Cash with Nick Cave (originally by Hank Williams)
No one has ever done a better version of this song, at least not since Hank Williams first sang it. Johnny covered this song years ago in the 60s, and there's even a version with Johnny and Bob Dylan, but it has never been better than this duet with Nick Cave.
Johnny Cash did a lot of covers, especially once he started working with Rick Rubin in the 90s. The most famous one is probably his cover of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails, but I think this is better, to be frank. It's so painfully simple and bare, and honestly has brought me to tears on occasion for no other reason than it is one of the saddest songs ever written. Add to that Johnny's shivery voice and Nick's almost consoling tone, and you've got a piece of work.
1. "This Woman's Work," Maxwell (originally by Kate Bush)
This is an example of a song that, while a reinterpretation, sonically mirrors the original in a lot of ways. Maxwell's falsetto (and the fact that he maintains it for almost the entire song) is almost indistinguishable from Kate's original vocals at some points. The difference here is really the way the song's meaning changes. Whereas in Kate's hands it is a song about confronting adulthood head-on, and the impending birth of a child (it was written for the John Hughes movie She's Having a Baby in the mid-80s), in Maxwell's hands it becomes a song about a man lavishing praise on the mother of his child, professing love and admiration despite hard times. It's a beautiful transition and he's probably one of the few male singers who can make this work the way he does, falsetto and all. Which is why Maxwell is not only one of the sexiest men EVER, he's also an incredible artist who rarely gets his due.
Well, that's it for now. I might make this a series this week: lists of my favorite kinds of songs. We'll see what I can conjure up for tomorrow. Go. Enjoy these songs. Now.
3.10.2010
Go, Dennis! Go!
So I've taken a bit of a break from writing my blog over the last couple of weeks. I just haven't felt like I have any real opinions to contribute to anything recently (you know, because I have so many readers and so much clout to exert). I've been passionate and angry and excited about things, but I just haven't had anything of substance to add to a discussion.
However, I've gotten a lot of great ideas from people on Facebook (thanks, guys! I'll be using those!) so I feel like diving back in. But I won't be using any of those ideas just yet because I feel like tearing into that smug little asshole named Markos Moulitsas.
Markos Moulitsas is the creator of The Daily Kos, a liberal political blog that he founded in 2002. He is typically viewed as a huge supporter of left-wing, progressive causes and politicians. I'd say that, normally, that's pretty accurate. He's an asshole, but I tend to agree with him on most things. Admittedly, I am a bit biased against him because I find his methods too often mirror those of people like Matt Drudge, only "representing" the left instead of the right. Which means he thinks he's the be-all, end-all. Overrated is what I'd prefer to call him (and his blog).
Old Markos tore into one of the few politicians I truly admire on Countdown with Keith Olbermann last night (and has done it before): Dennis Kucinich. Dennis is a very progressive Democratic congressman from Ohio. He has run for president twice. Remember that, because it comes into play later.
Dennis has been making the rounds on the cable shows recently talking about the reasons why he won't vote for the health care bill in Congress. Basically, he's taking a principled stand against the bill; he's a single-payer supporter (much like myself), though he also supports a healthy public option, and believes the bill is nothing more than a "bailout" for the insurance companies (which I am also inclined to agree with). That's the basic gist of his opinion, at least from what I've gathered. Dennis Kucinich is one of the only politicians I have ever found myself agreeing with on literally every point. So, unsurprisingly, he is viewed by a lot of people as an "extremist," simply because he stands for logic. For instance, he wanted Dick Cheney impeached for war crimes. Well, duh. Did it happen? Of course not, because apparently no one has a sense of ethics anymore. But we are talking about Washington, D.C., so I suppose that is to be expected.
Okay, so Markos went on MSNBC last night (Lawrence O'Donnell, who I normally find myself agreeing with, was filling in for Keith last night and agreed with Moulitsas, I should add) and said that Kucinich was taking the Ralph Nader approach to politics. He then said that this bill is a good first step and mocked Kucinich because he's run for president twice, saying that he wasn't elected to run for president but that he was elected to represent the wants and needs of his constituents in Ohio. Well, no shit Captain Obvious. Now, I haven't gone and polled Dennis Kucinich's constituents in Ohio, but I'm inclined to believe that, if they've been re-electing him since 1996, they probably know where he stands on issues and support his point-of-view. It's not like he hides his intentions; Kucinich is honest, and brutally so, and is known for often taking view that is in direct opposition to that of his own party. People like Moulitsas are using that point to lump him in with the Republicans, who oppose the bill for reasons that don't even come close to overlapping with the reasoning of Kucinich.
Markos Moulitsas is obviously entitled to his opinion. He can say whatever he wants; I don't expect someone like him to agree with someone like me. Markos Moulitsas has made his name on the back of real progressives. While, yes, he has risen out of the depths to be a recognizable critic of the far right (which we need more of, so more power to him for that), it has always seemed to me that, while he clearly agrees with the progressive platform and the wants and needs of the progressive wing of the Democratic party, he has used that positioning to make a name for himself. He has come to epitomize what I call the Excessive Progressive: he hops on the far left bandwagon just to stir the pot and piss off the right and get his name (and the name of his blog and his books) on television. He's marketing himself, plain and simple. I don't know him personally (obviously, and thankfully), and he could very well be the polar opposite of my description, but I highly doubt it. He has used his position in the media to fashion not only a career as a blogger and an author, but also as a political commentator on the cable shows. Why any cable show thinks he has earned the right to offer commentary on anything is beyond me, but that's really beside the point. I don't book the shows, but I do watch them, so I am a part of the problem I suppose. Whatever, beside the point.
The real kicker in what Moulitsas said last night, though, is that Kucinich should expect a rough primary, that now he will be opposed by a Democrat of some substance. My words, not his. Here's what I say to that: if you call yourself a progressive (of any order) then, whether you agree with Kucinich or not (and I happen to agree with him), lashing out at someone who is opposed to giving a "yes" vote just to pass something is foolish, ignorant and runs against the whole point of being a progressive, at least to me. If we can't take a stand against our own party and it's inability to pass REAL reform and legislation that is worthy of our support, then how can we possibly take a stand against the Republicans and their incessant negativity and opposition to anything that benefits the American people? I'm not saying that just because you're a progressive you should support Kucinich, but when you are okay with just settling for whatever you can get when it comes to health care, then you have no place mocking someone who is willing to put themselves on the line for something they believe is not in the best interest of the American people. As I said before, I believe Dennis Kucinich is one of the few really good, principled people serving in Congress. He takes a lot of guff and gets a lot of criticism because he's seen as an eccentric and an extreme idealist. Moulitsas says that Kucinich is pushing an "ideal utopian society." Well, while I don't think that's quite what Kucinich is doing, I also don't see a problem with that. I admire any politician who has the huevos to oppose their own party. I wish we could see more of that, not only from Democrats but especially from Republicans. It says a lot about a person's character when they stand up for what is right, not what is popular.
I'm with you, Dennis. In fact, I'd say far more people are with you than anyone realizes, no matter what whiney, smug, pompous asses like Markos Moulitsas say.
However, I've gotten a lot of great ideas from people on Facebook (thanks, guys! I'll be using those!) so I feel like diving back in. But I won't be using any of those ideas just yet because I feel like tearing into that smug little asshole named Markos Moulitsas.
Markos Moulitsas is the creator of The Daily Kos, a liberal political blog that he founded in 2002. He is typically viewed as a huge supporter of left-wing, progressive causes and politicians. I'd say that, normally, that's pretty accurate. He's an asshole, but I tend to agree with him on most things. Admittedly, I am a bit biased against him because I find his methods too often mirror those of people like Matt Drudge, only "representing" the left instead of the right. Which means he thinks he's the be-all, end-all. Overrated is what I'd prefer to call him (and his blog).
Old Markos tore into one of the few politicians I truly admire on Countdown with Keith Olbermann last night (and has done it before): Dennis Kucinich. Dennis is a very progressive Democratic congressman from Ohio. He has run for president twice. Remember that, because it comes into play later.
Dennis has been making the rounds on the cable shows recently talking about the reasons why he won't vote for the health care bill in Congress. Basically, he's taking a principled stand against the bill; he's a single-payer supporter (much like myself), though he also supports a healthy public option, and believes the bill is nothing more than a "bailout" for the insurance companies (which I am also inclined to agree with). That's the basic gist of his opinion, at least from what I've gathered. Dennis Kucinich is one of the only politicians I have ever found myself agreeing with on literally every point. So, unsurprisingly, he is viewed by a lot of people as an "extremist," simply because he stands for logic. For instance, he wanted Dick Cheney impeached for war crimes. Well, duh. Did it happen? Of course not, because apparently no one has a sense of ethics anymore. But we are talking about Washington, D.C., so I suppose that is to be expected.
Okay, so Markos went on MSNBC last night (Lawrence O'Donnell, who I normally find myself agreeing with, was filling in for Keith last night and agreed with Moulitsas, I should add) and said that Kucinich was taking the Ralph Nader approach to politics. He then said that this bill is a good first step and mocked Kucinich because he's run for president twice, saying that he wasn't elected to run for president but that he was elected to represent the wants and needs of his constituents in Ohio. Well, no shit Captain Obvious. Now, I haven't gone and polled Dennis Kucinich's constituents in Ohio, but I'm inclined to believe that, if they've been re-electing him since 1996, they probably know where he stands on issues and support his point-of-view. It's not like he hides his intentions; Kucinich is honest, and brutally so, and is known for often taking view that is in direct opposition to that of his own party. People like Moulitsas are using that point to lump him in with the Republicans, who oppose the bill for reasons that don't even come close to overlapping with the reasoning of Kucinich.
Markos Moulitsas is obviously entitled to his opinion. He can say whatever he wants; I don't expect someone like him to agree with someone like me. Markos Moulitsas has made his name on the back of real progressives. While, yes, he has risen out of the depths to be a recognizable critic of the far right (which we need more of, so more power to him for that), it has always seemed to me that, while he clearly agrees with the progressive platform and the wants and needs of the progressive wing of the Democratic party, he has used that positioning to make a name for himself. He has come to epitomize what I call the Excessive Progressive: he hops on the far left bandwagon just to stir the pot and piss off the right and get his name (and the name of his blog and his books) on television. He's marketing himself, plain and simple. I don't know him personally (obviously, and thankfully), and he could very well be the polar opposite of my description, but I highly doubt it. He has used his position in the media to fashion not only a career as a blogger and an author, but also as a political commentator on the cable shows. Why any cable show thinks he has earned the right to offer commentary on anything is beyond me, but that's really beside the point. I don't book the shows, but I do watch them, so I am a part of the problem I suppose. Whatever, beside the point.
The real kicker in what Moulitsas said last night, though, is that Kucinich should expect a rough primary, that now he will be opposed by a Democrat of some substance. My words, not his. Here's what I say to that: if you call yourself a progressive (of any order) then, whether you agree with Kucinich or not (and I happen to agree with him), lashing out at someone who is opposed to giving a "yes" vote just to pass something is foolish, ignorant and runs against the whole point of being a progressive, at least to me. If we can't take a stand against our own party and it's inability to pass REAL reform and legislation that is worthy of our support, then how can we possibly take a stand against the Republicans and their incessant negativity and opposition to anything that benefits the American people? I'm not saying that just because you're a progressive you should support Kucinich, but when you are okay with just settling for whatever you can get when it comes to health care, then you have no place mocking someone who is willing to put themselves on the line for something they believe is not in the best interest of the American people. As I said before, I believe Dennis Kucinich is one of the few really good, principled people serving in Congress. He takes a lot of guff and gets a lot of criticism because he's seen as an eccentric and an extreme idealist. Moulitsas says that Kucinich is pushing an "ideal utopian society." Well, while I don't think that's quite what Kucinich is doing, I also don't see a problem with that. I admire any politician who has the huevos to oppose their own party. I wish we could see more of that, not only from Democrats but especially from Republicans. It says a lot about a person's character when they stand up for what is right, not what is popular.
I'm with you, Dennis. In fact, I'd say far more people are with you than anyone realizes, no matter what whiney, smug, pompous asses like Markos Moulitsas say.
2.22.2010
Also, Solitude Is Boring
Disclaimer: Read this with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
I just need to get this off of my chest: I AM SO TIRED OF SPENDING WEEK AFTER WEEK IN MY HOUSE.
Phew. Okay, good to go. And good thing, because I really have nothing else to say about being unemployed and I have no intention of blogging about being unemployed.
Or do I? Can I make that funny? Or will it just come across as sad and pitiful?
I should be enjoying this, right? I thought I would, too, and then I remembered I'd be unemployed during the Winter, which is so god awful that I can't even put it into words. To spend the most depressing months and shortest days of the year in solitude (not constant solitude, obviously; it's not like I'm alone 24/7) can take quite a toll on your mind, especially if it's as feeble and wobbly as mine. If I could have rigged this up so I would have been unemployed during the Spring and Summer, I would have been set. Who doesn't want to have those seasons off? Of course, nothing ever works out the way you hope, especially if you're me.
Also, I find myself talking to our cats, and even our fish, on a daily basis. Like, we have conversations. Except when I say "we" I obviously mean "me" because the cats can't speak outside of their typical cat noises. Which means I spend a great deal of my time just talking to myself. Annoying.
Bill and I were talking last night about the crazy shit that just runs through your mind throughout any given day. Would you share most of your bizarre, freakish, creepy thoughts with people? I wouldn't. I'd probably be locked up, either in jail or in an institution of some sort. Travis, Interrupted. As long as someone can sneak me cartons of cigarettes. Anyway, we were talking about this and I said, "You know, I should try writing down all of my random thoughts one day." You know, since I don't have a job. And clearly I have better things to do than actually look for one. Like writing down the random synapse firings I experience in one day. Or writing this blog. See? My life is important. I do important, relevant things.
That makes it sound like I'm having some kind of existential crisis, I know. "My life is important." Wah wah, blah blah blah. I'm not. Having an existential crisis, that is. I don't really even care what purpose I serve in the grand scheme of things, and outside of some "experiments" in college (and watching i ♥ huckabees) I could never really be bothered to even ponder it. So I know that's not the problem, at least not right now. I'm sure by the time I hit 30 I'll be in the midst of one. It's just how I roll. All crises come in due time to those who believe that crises find them.
So I've managed to pseudo-blog about being unemployed and I have also displayed some of the utterly inane and pitiful thoughts that can just ravage my brain at any given moment. It's good to see my B.A. in Creative Writing is really serving its purpose.
My grandparents would be so proud.
I just need to get this off of my chest: I AM SO TIRED OF SPENDING WEEK AFTER WEEK IN MY HOUSE.
Phew. Okay, good to go. And good thing, because I really have nothing else to say about being unemployed and I have no intention of blogging about being unemployed.
Or do I? Can I make that funny? Or will it just come across as sad and pitiful?
I should be enjoying this, right? I thought I would, too, and then I remembered I'd be unemployed during the Winter, which is so god awful that I can't even put it into words. To spend the most depressing months and shortest days of the year in solitude (not constant solitude, obviously; it's not like I'm alone 24/7) can take quite a toll on your mind, especially if it's as feeble and wobbly as mine. If I could have rigged this up so I would have been unemployed during the Spring and Summer, I would have been set. Who doesn't want to have those seasons off? Of course, nothing ever works out the way you hope, especially if you're me.
Also, I find myself talking to our cats, and even our fish, on a daily basis. Like, we have conversations. Except when I say "we" I obviously mean "me" because the cats can't speak outside of their typical cat noises. Which means I spend a great deal of my time just talking to myself. Annoying.
Bill and I were talking last night about the crazy shit that just runs through your mind throughout any given day. Would you share most of your bizarre, freakish, creepy thoughts with people? I wouldn't. I'd probably be locked up, either in jail or in an institution of some sort. Travis, Interrupted. As long as someone can sneak me cartons of cigarettes. Anyway, we were talking about this and I said, "You know, I should try writing down all of my random thoughts one day." You know, since I don't have a job. And clearly I have better things to do than actually look for one. Like writing down the random synapse firings I experience in one day. Or writing this blog. See? My life is important. I do important, relevant things.
That makes it sound like I'm having some kind of existential crisis, I know. "My life is important." Wah wah, blah blah blah. I'm not. Having an existential crisis, that is. I don't really even care what purpose I serve in the grand scheme of things, and outside of some "experiments" in college (and watching i ♥ huckabees) I could never really be bothered to even ponder it. So I know that's not the problem, at least not right now. I'm sure by the time I hit 30 I'll be in the midst of one. It's just how I roll. All crises come in due time to those who believe that crises find them.
So I've managed to pseudo-blog about being unemployed and I have also displayed some of the utterly inane and pitiful thoughts that can just ravage my brain at any given moment. It's good to see my B.A. in Creative Writing is really serving its purpose.
My grandparents would be so proud.
2.12.2010
Lies, Lies, Lies
This is what really gave my day a kick in the ass. I thought it was absolutely fantastic. Until Lawrence O'Donnell was cut off. Because he was telling the truth. And because he was angry. Well, I say, obviously he was angry. Everyone should be angry when they talk about the massive failures that led to us being attacked on 9/11. And everyone who was serving in the Bush administration at the time (and any who still attempt to paint George W. Bush in a positive light) should be ashamed of themselves, at the least. Most of them should be locked up for war crimes, but that's another rant.
I mean, to me it's obvious why Lawrence O'Donnell was so angry. Marc Thiessen (a former Bush speechwriter; he's got pretty big eggs, I'll give him that) claims that the Bush administration had no idea who hit us on 9/11. No idea, he says. No idea?
Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US. That's from the President's Daily Brief, August 6, 2001. A brief that he may have never even read and, if he did read it, he failed to act on the information it contained. We knew Al Qaeda was a problem before George W. Bush ever took office. He has even been quoted as saying that he knew it was a huge problem when he took office. But for the first 8 months of his presidency, he did nothing to act on any gathered intelligence, any information we may have had about possible attacks in or aimed at the United States. So Marc Thiessen is lying when he says we didn't know who attacked us. Someone knew. Someone wrote up a memo for the POTUS containing information which warned that a well-known (and CIA-trained) terrorist leader was making plans to attack the United States. We knew; we just didn't bother to take any proactive actions to prevent anything from happening. On top of that memo that the POTUS apparently either forgot or never read to begin with, if we hadn't been able to infer that it was a terrorist attack based on the knowledge we had before 9/11, we still knew within hours (thanks to the FBI) who the hijackers were because the luggage belonging to Mohamed Atta (their ringleader) never made it on to his plane. Also, the NSA, as well as various German intelligence agencies, were able to intercept communications that indicated the involvement of Osama Bin Laden the day of the attacks. So, whether before September 11, 2001 or on September 11, 2001, we knew who attacked us. It was never a mystery.
I don't agree with conspiracy theorists when they say the government planned 9/11. However, I do believe the administration of George W. Bush is by and large responsible for what happened that day. Their blatant refusal to acknowledge any warnings about potential strikes in the United States led to the deaths of almost 3,000 people. Then, they decided to spend the next seven years milking that day for all they could. They turned us into a country of fear, just because they had the power to make us scared, and for someone like Marc Thiessen to pretend that they kept our country "safe" and to then insinuate that our current president, Barack Obama, is "inviting" a new attack is beyond shameful. It's a bald-faced lie. That's all these people know how to do and it is all they have ever known how to do: lie. They lied to us so we would support them no matter what they decided to do. They lied to us because they didn't want us to dig deeper. They lied to us for eight years about everything, big or small, important or not. And they're still lying to us. I would like to ask Marc Thiessen and his disgusting ilk to please not piss on my leg and tell me it's raining. The American people, while often stupid and susceptible to manipulation, do not deserve the treatment we have received from these immoral wastes of life. These are the same people who told us for eight years that if you said something bad about the POTUS, it was unpatriotic! TREASON, they'd say! BULLSHIT, I say. If that was unpatriotic and "treasonous" (which it wasn't), then saying that the sitting POTUS is inviting another terrorist attack is no different. Right? Right.
I feel as though there's really nothing new I can bring to this topic. I'm not a scholar, but I remember that day like it was yesterday. Being 18 and living away from home for the first time in a new state (not that far from the Shanksville crash site), I was dumbfounded. But I wasn't dumbfounded enough to buy the bullshit the Bush administration fed me then and I'm certainly not dumb enough to buy it now. So, Marc Thiessen and Karl Rove and Dana Perino and Dick Cheney and Ari Fleischer and Donald Rumsfeld and Tom Ridge and all of the assholes who infest Fox News and everyone else who thinks that George W. Bush was a competent and just president, can just save it. Those of us who know anything, know you're liars. It's what you do best.
I mean, to me it's obvious why Lawrence O'Donnell was so angry. Marc Thiessen (a former Bush speechwriter; he's got pretty big eggs, I'll give him that) claims that the Bush administration had no idea who hit us on 9/11. No idea, he says. No idea?
Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US. That's from the President's Daily Brief, August 6, 2001. A brief that he may have never even read and, if he did read it, he failed to act on the information it contained. We knew Al Qaeda was a problem before George W. Bush ever took office. He has even been quoted as saying that he knew it was a huge problem when he took office. But for the first 8 months of his presidency, he did nothing to act on any gathered intelligence, any information we may have had about possible attacks in or aimed at the United States. So Marc Thiessen is lying when he says we didn't know who attacked us. Someone knew. Someone wrote up a memo for the POTUS containing information which warned that a well-known (and CIA-trained) terrorist leader was making plans to attack the United States. We knew; we just didn't bother to take any proactive actions to prevent anything from happening. On top of that memo that the POTUS apparently either forgot or never read to begin with, if we hadn't been able to infer that it was a terrorist attack based on the knowledge we had before 9/11, we still knew within hours (thanks to the FBI) who the hijackers were because the luggage belonging to Mohamed Atta (their ringleader) never made it on to his plane. Also, the NSA, as well as various German intelligence agencies, were able to intercept communications that indicated the involvement of Osama Bin Laden the day of the attacks. So, whether before September 11, 2001 or on September 11, 2001, we knew who attacked us. It was never a mystery.
I don't agree with conspiracy theorists when they say the government planned 9/11. However, I do believe the administration of George W. Bush is by and large responsible for what happened that day. Their blatant refusal to acknowledge any warnings about potential strikes in the United States led to the deaths of almost 3,000 people. Then, they decided to spend the next seven years milking that day for all they could. They turned us into a country of fear, just because they had the power to make us scared, and for someone like Marc Thiessen to pretend that they kept our country "safe" and to then insinuate that our current president, Barack Obama, is "inviting" a new attack is beyond shameful. It's a bald-faced lie. That's all these people know how to do and it is all they have ever known how to do: lie. They lied to us so we would support them no matter what they decided to do. They lied to us because they didn't want us to dig deeper. They lied to us for eight years about everything, big or small, important or not. And they're still lying to us. I would like to ask Marc Thiessen and his disgusting ilk to please not piss on my leg and tell me it's raining. The American people, while often stupid and susceptible to manipulation, do not deserve the treatment we have received from these immoral wastes of life. These are the same people who told us for eight years that if you said something bad about the POTUS, it was unpatriotic! TREASON, they'd say! BULLSHIT, I say. If that was unpatriotic and "treasonous" (which it wasn't), then saying that the sitting POTUS is inviting another terrorist attack is no different. Right? Right.
I feel as though there's really nothing new I can bring to this topic. I'm not a scholar, but I remember that day like it was yesterday. Being 18 and living away from home for the first time in a new state (not that far from the Shanksville crash site), I was dumbfounded. But I wasn't dumbfounded enough to buy the bullshit the Bush administration fed me then and I'm certainly not dumb enough to buy it now. So, Marc Thiessen and Karl Rove and Dana Perino and Dick Cheney and Ari Fleischer and Donald Rumsfeld and Tom Ridge and all of the assholes who infest Fox News and everyone else who thinks that George W. Bush was a competent and just president, can just save it. Those of us who know anything, know you're liars. It's what you do best.
2.08.2010
Sarah Palin Is (And Always Will Be) A Big, Fat, Stinking Idiot
Oh Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. I've said it before and I'll say it again (and probably again and again and again and again and...ad nauseam) but every time I think you can't say anything that is more stupid than the last thing you said, you prove me wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Unbelievable. You are unbelievable. There just are no words. They should have sent a poet? No. Even a poet couldn't find the words to describe how stupid and unbelievable and absolutely horrible you are.
This past weekend Sarah Palin was the keynote speaker at the Tea Party Convention down there in Nashville. Incidentally, how the hell does a group who isn't even an actual party have a convention? They're not a real party. Will they become one? Well, we Democrats can only hope, because the more division and idiocy that we see come out of a fractured Republican Party, the better for us, right? Well, maybe. Democrats suck at getting behind an idea, too, so really, who knows? But that's a tale for another time. Sarah's speech on Saturday was a blundering mash-up of good ol' right wing lunacy, warmongering, crib notes and a basic lack of understanding of how the world works. In short, she made an idiot out of herself AGAIN and AGAIN proved why people who only have three wrinkles on their brain shouldn't be allowed to speak for anyone. She is a moron. It can't be said enough. A MORON.
She made fun of Barack Obama for using a teleprompter. Well, she had notes written on the palm of her hand. By the way, Sarah, Ronald Reagan was notorious for his expert, flawless use of teleprompters as well, so maybe remember that the next time you stick your stiletto heel in your oversized, blabbering mouth. Or at least try to hide your little peeks at your palm. Idiot.
She also asked, "How's that hope-y, change-y stuff workin' out for ya?" Excuse me? Excuse me? How is using Facebook as a political platform - you know, the kind where no one can argue with you or ask you questions - working out for you, Sarah? How is not understanding that the majority of the American people don't agree with idiots like you? I mean, I didn't think it could get worse than George W. Bush on the stupidity front, but he might as well be the head of Mensa when compared to Sarah Palin. "Hope-y, change-y?" Seriously? I'm supposed to take you seriously when you talk like a 5-year old? Cute the cutesy bullshit, Sarah; I know that's your schtick with that miserable little accent you've cultivated and that you like people to believe you're as wholesome as baked Alaskan salmon, but people are hip to your game. We know you're a vindictive, backstabbing, vile creature who uses her children in order to keep her name in the news. You should be ashamed of yourself, not just because you're mocking the average folks you claim to be speaking for (most of whom voted for that guy who now lives in the White House - the one who actually is a genius) but because you have used your children to make you look sympathetic and "real." The whole blow-up over Rahm Emanuel using the word "retard" last week is just the latest in a long line of examples. Do I agree with Emanuel using the word in a derogatory manner? Of course not. But it was in a private conversation that didn't involve Sarah Palin in any way, shape or form. Should he be fired for using the word "retard?" Of course he shouldn't be fired. That's ridiculous and that just proves how little Sarah Palin understands about the way the world works. Rahm Emanuel's a dick, to be sure, and has many, many shortcomings, but he is brilliant at what he does and the fact that he's so vicious and slithers around so slickly behind the scenes is what justifies having a man like him serve as the POTUS chief-of-staff. Which begs the question, if Rahm Emanuel should be fired for using the word "retard" in a private conversation, shouldn't Rush Limbaugh be fired for saying it LIVE on the RADIO? Apparently not. Sarah loves Rush and his big, fat, slimy mouth and said it was "satire" when he said the word. Satire, huh? Rush Limbaugh doesn't understand the meaning of the word "satire." Everything Rush Limbaugh says is laced with vitriol for the human race. He has no concern for anyone but himself, and that should be obvious. The same goes for Sarah Palin, in fact. She throws everyone under the bus - including her mentally disabled INFANT son - in order to get ahead.
She continued to mock our president, saying that he was "misguided." I mean, I can't believe I just typed that. SARAH PALIN thinks BARACK OBAMA is misguided. Do I even need to elaborate on how I feel about that? I don't agree with a lot of what Barack Obama has done, but to say he's misguided is a serious accusation. The man has spent a year cleaning up the mess of the man who was president before him, and it's going to take longer to finish the job. Should everything be blamed on George W. Bush? No, but I think it's fair to say that a whole pile of shit can be blamed on George W. Bush. Sarah Palin calling anyone "misguided" is ludicrous. Which plays really well into my next point: THE WOMAN THINKS WE SHOULD DECLARE WAR ON IRAN!!! IRAN!!! Are you kidding me with this shit? A comedian couldn't make this shit up! What the fuck are you thinking, Sarah Palin? Declare war on Iran? Because we're not already embroiled in war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan (don't be fooled - we are at war in Pakistan), let's add another Mid-East superpower to the list. Does she not understand what she just said? Declaring war - WAR, not just dropping bombs, but full-blown WAR - on Iran would be a death wish, not because they could nuke us (which is also incredibly unlikely) but because they're nothing like Afghanistan or Iraq. There's political turmoil, sure, but it's nothing like the countries we're already occupying. This is obscene and it's an incredibly careless thing to say. She is clearly just talking right out of her ass with no thought to the consequences of her words, and that is beyond dangerous. This is why people like her cannot be allowed to have any power in this country: they would send us to ruin. You think things suck for our economy now? Well. Just wait until Sarah Palin declares war on Iran and see how quickly you try to snag a passport and move your ass to another country. Ya damn Socialist.
Oh, and then she said that "[w]e need a commander in chief" not a professor of law. What a bitch, man. Sarah Palin, what we need is a professor of law, a man who actually understands our Constitution and what a heavy weight it is to lead a country like ours with some semblance of dignity and respect for what the Constitution means. What we don't need is a beauty queen-cum-sportscaster with a degree in communications telling us that we should go to war with Iran. Who would you rather have as your president? A man who attended Harvard Law School and Columbia University and taught Constitutional Law or a woman who attended Hawaii Pacific University (until she left because there were too many Asians - NOT KIDDIING!), North Idaho College, Matanuska-Susitna College and the University of Idaho, became a sportscaster and spent half a term as governor of Alaska, before she QUIT (VOLUNTARILY!) to make money off of her poorly ghostwritten book? I know who I'd choose every time. And it ain't the Wicked Witch of the North.
I hope Sarah Palin runs for president in 2012. Really, I do. Because, if she even gets the nomination (doubtful - the Republicans aren't exactly her biggest fans anymore either) she will be torn to shreds in the debates with President Obama. He will tear her assholes in places you didn't even know you could have assholes. That alone is enough reason to hope she gets the nomination.
Of course, I could be wrong. But I doubt it.
P.S.: Watch the convention speech for yourself here. Thank me later.
1.27.2010
Haitin
Shame on you America: the only country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment - yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations. 99% of people won't have the guts to copy and paste this. How about we try to take care of our own people for a change!?!?
See that there? Someone (clearly an idiot) that I'm friends with on Facebook posted that as their status a few days ago. It's laughable to compare the crisis in Haiti to any of the things listed there. Homeless? In Haiti, there are hundreds of thousands without homes due to one earthquake. Just like that, homeless. And who knows how many were homeless before that? Children going to bed without eating? I'd say there are quite a few children going not only without food but also without their parents, without a bed, without water, without anyone or anything period. Some children have no family left whatsoever. Elderly going without meds? There was a story about an elderly home in Haiti; when aid workers entered the home, they found elderly people just sitting around, waiting to die, and rats were already encroaching on them because they could smell the death in the air. Mentally ill going without treatment? The mentally ill have been all but forgotten since the earthquake. There was a story about a mentally ill man just sprawled out on a stretcher in the street, with no ID, and he wasn't able to identify himself or his family or anyone else. A man without a name.
Let's go through some statistics, shall we? Because, as I said, that statement that I started with is horrible, yes, but it's also wildly inaccurate. I don't know who came up with that bullshit first, but they clearly have no where the United States ranks amongst other countries. Or, where Haiti ranks, for that matter.
As to homelessness: in the United States, up to 3.5 million people a year experience homelessness. Not all of those people are chronically homeless. The chronically homeless dropped from 175,914 in 2005 to 123,833 in 2007. In Haiti, there are no estimates on the number of homeless, at least not from the country itself. That's because, since it's the POOREST COUNTRY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, the government has seen very little need for a census, so straight statistics are hard to find. However, independent organizations have estimated that up to 5 million of the 8.5 million people in Haiti were homeless before the earthquake. Even if that specific number is incorrect, the number of people left homeless due to the earthquake just reached 2 million. That's a number we do know. So, whether you take the 5 million or the 2 million, the homeless situation is far more dire than anything we know in the United States. That's not even taking into consideration the fact that the homeless in the U.S. are given better care than homeless people in most countries. The homeless in the U.S. have the opportunity to have 3 full meals a day and, typically, a shelter where they can stay. Does that mean it's okay for us to have as many homeless people as we do? Well, no, obviously. But we are absolutely not the ONLY country with homeless people who have no shelter.
Children going hungry is a serious problem in any country. The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein reported back in November that, due to the economic crisis in the U.S., the number of youngsters living in homes without enough food jumped from 13 million to 17 million in 2008. That's based on statistics from the Agriculture Department. However, keep in mind that these statistics are wide-ranging and don't mean that children are just outright starving to death. No, that number is 1.1 million. In many cases, the children have access to food, but undereat. The word "hunger" is used in a very literal sense. If a household member ever "experiences" hunger, they're considered, well, hungry. In the most basic way. While I don't necessarily agree with the way they break down their statistics, it's still unacceptable, obviously, that any child is going without food when they should have easy access to it. And 1.1 million children literally wanting for food in the United States is an embarrassment, and we should be ashamed of ourselves that it's even allowed to happen.
Now, Haiti. Obviously, many, many, many people are going without food in Haiti now. There are plenty of stories out there detailing the painful, deadly experience this has been for the Haitians. Due to the current lack of food (which is shameful, but we'll get to that later), many have resorted to eating "cookies" made of mud, butter and salt. Seriously. But it keeps them alive, so they eat. Did you know that half of the people in Haiti are children and that they are already going hungry (as in STARVING) before the earthquake? Over half of the Haitian population is 15 years old - or younger. Most of the people in Haiti already woke up not knowing where their next meal would be coming from. Imagine what it's like now. Oh, and don't forget that there's pretty much no running water. None. So, really, while there are no hard numbers, let's just consider the fact that most people in Haiti already were pretty hungry before the earthquake and now, the situation is a few steps beyond "dire."
To the issue of the "elderly going without needed meds;" well, Jesus, where do you start with this load? The elderly are overmedicated in the United States. They account 1/3 prescription drug use and they account for only 13% of the overall population. The average nursing home patient is on at least 7 different medicines. We give them laxatives when they aren't even constipated - they're forced to take them. If anything, the problem is that we are giving the elderly too many meds instead of too few. The amount of medication forced down the throats of the elderly decreases their quality of life. There's the problem. Do I agree that we don't give the elderly in our country the care they deserve? Absolutely. Do I think it's because they don't have access to medication? No. That's a blind statement, a statement used to make a point, but the point is skewed in the favor of the idiot who came up with it.
Talk about mistreatment of the elderly. The elderly in Haiti are the forgotten people, the ones forced to wait in line for food and care. Go to that link and read that story and tell me the descriptions don't make you nauseous. As Julia Moulden said in another article on The Huffington Post, we never think about what it's like to be old in a crisis like this or, for that matter, what it's like to be old in a Third World Country. Capitalized, because it should be. Around 800,000 Haitians are over the age of 60. They live in abject poverty in a country where the culture dictates that the elderly are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes time to dole out help. While the United States doesn't treat its elderly population with the respect it deserves, like many countries in the eastern hemisphere do, we also don't force them to wait around for food or medical help. So you tell me who is worse off.
The mentally ill. Clearly, we don't take the best care of our mentally ill in the United States. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) gave the United States a 'D' for adult mental health care in 2009. According to this same report, one in four Americans experience mental illness at some point in their lives, and it is the greatest cause of disability in the United States. The greatest cause. That's some pretty heavy shit. But, to keep this in perspective, "mental illness" is a very broad term. It includes anxiety disorders, depression, smoking, schizophrenia - one extreme to the next, in other words. So while I believe the assessment is accurate - to a point - one has to take into consideration what we define as a "mental illness."
Now think about Haiti, a country that is already so mired in poverty and hunger and political turmoil, and think about the mental stress its people are already under. Then throw in the most devastating natural disaster ever seen in this hemisphere. After the quake, mental health experts warned that, once the situation has "settled" (if that's possible), the people of Haiti will be open to even more mental stress once their basic needs (food, shelter, et cetera) are taken care of. As I said before, we don't have a lot of hard statistics when it comes to Haiti because they don't take a census. It's virtually impossible to take a census when you have such a vast majority of your population living in poverty and without homes, not even taking into consideration the fact that a huge segment of the population is illiterate to begin with. And these people aren't being treated AT ALL for their mental health.
Now, I don't know who the yahoo is that came up with the quote I've been referencing. It wasn't the person who posted it on their Facebook, I know that much. But it's blind, heartless, baseless statements like that that reinforces my belief that Americans hate thinking about anyone but Americans; people prefer to put themselves first, and everyone else stays on the backburner. We have it pretty good here. Yeah, things aren't perfect, but when was the last time YOU went without water or food or the medication you needed - even if it's just an antibiotic? I'm guessing that, if you're able to sit here and read my blog and peruse the internet, you're probably not wanting for much. And I'm guessing that the person who came up with that ridiculous quote probably doesn't give money to charities and organizations that benefit Americans who are poor, homeless, hungry, et al. So why should they give to Haiti? Why be humane? Why care about human suffering? 1 billion people in the world are going hungry according to the United Nations. More than 100 million people worldwide are homeless. Those are huge numbers.
If you ask me, the United States hasn't done enough to help in Haiti. 100 million dollars in aid from the richest country in the world is a drop in the water, especially when it has just been estimated that it's going to take ten years to rebuild in Haiti, especially if we're going to do it right.
We need to do more for Haiti because it is our responsibility to do so. If we don't do it, no one else will. When it comes to wars in other countries, I don't typically follow that sentiment. "We have to do it because no one else will." Bullshit. The United States has a history of going to war when and only when it benefits us. But the situation is directly tied to the history of our country. These people can't help themselves and their government is in such a shambles now that they couldn't help anyone even if they had the money to do it. So it falls to us as a country and it falls to the American people to stand up and be just and do something for someone else for a change. Something that doesn't involve being a pompous, racist, nationalistic moron who can't tell their ass from their elbow.
Don't believe the people in Haiti need our money more than we do? Go read these stories:
"In Haiti, mental aftershocks could be far-reaching" - Elizabeth Landau, CNN
"Too Little Too Late for Haiti? Six Sobering Points" - Bill Quigley, The Huffington Post
"Haiti's Elderly: What About Them?" - Julia Moulden, The Huffington Post
"Adopt-a-Gran: Haiti" - Help the Aged Canada
1.20.2010
Do You Know What Really Chaps My Ass?: Part 1 in an Ongoing Series
Andrea, this one's for you.
I'm going to start a feature called "Do You Know What Really Chaps My Ass?" I know, everything chaps my ass. But these will be the things that I just generally, in an offhanded, annoyed and slightly distant way, find to be...ugh.
I know the phrase "chaps my ass" is so heavily crass that it's almost unforgivable. But hey, so am I, so let's get down to it.
Jersey Shore. Seriously, guys. Quit watching this smut. What has happened to MTV? No, nix that: what has happened to television? Now, I watch a lot of TV, because, as I keep saying, I am unemployed and I spend most of my day at home (when not job hunting) either cleaning house, going upstairs to stop Sooky from playing with the food in the bowls, going outside/downstairs to smoke (cigarettes), plotting out what to make for dinner and watching TV. Mainly the news. Do you know why I mainly watch the news? Because The Golden Girls and Roseanne don't have marathons every day of the week. That, and television sucks so much dick it should work in Vegas, so that way it would at least get health care for the effort. Who the hell chooses programming? We can't come up with something better than a bunch of gutter trash from Jersey? Really? Or people who live in complete squalor or who are so heavily addicted to drugs that their families have to have multiple interventions for them? Really? Huh. Well, I guess I'm just not up on my pop culture.
There was a time when I appreciated the trashier side of television. I used to love VH1. Rarely was my television on and not tuned to VH1. I like lists and I like countdowns, which they have (had?) in abundance. That's a win-win for me. And I still appreciate the comical aspect of shitty shows like these. I mean, I get it. I can see sitting around with your friends and just unabashedly making fun of these complete losers who think their lives are so important (or interesting, for that matter) that they merit their own reality show. People like laughing at trash. I do. I make fun of trash all the time. And I love using the word "trash" to refer to subpar human beings. It doesn't make me feel better and I don't use the word because I think I'm better than them. I am better than them. Simple fact. Use it as you will.
It's hard for me to embrace trash, though. I mean, sure, trash like Sarah Palin, I can get behind that, because it touches on what I'm interested in, which is politics and figures who insist on inserting themselves into the political dialogue. But trash like Tila Tequila? Really? You want to talk about an attention whore? Look at this bitch:
SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY?!?!?! This woman (who clearly has been/still is a whore, attention based and/or otherwise) is a fucking joke. She's a useless caricature of what a human being should be. This...thing...god, she just makes me nauseous. I can hear her voice in my head as I type this and it's making me cringe in disgust. This thing had a TV show, all her own. Had anyone ever even heard of her before? Anyone? Did anyone care enough about her to support her having a TV show? No? No one? Then you must not work for Viacom, because they just eat her shit like it's fudge. Something I'm sure many men and women have also done in private over the years. That's how big a skank I think this broad is. And she's still around. The Johnson & Johnson heiress that just died, Casey? That was Tila Tequila's girlfriend. Now, no disrespect for the dead, but what the fuck, Johnson? Tila Tequila goes on and on and on about her "wifey" (gagging!) and then Johnson's equally trashy super whore heiress friends (Super Whore Heiress Friends? They should have a comic book, or a cartoon) start going back and forth with Tila in the "news" and just...Jesus H. Christ, shut up you skeezbags! No one cares about any of you, and anyone who claims they really do should be sodomized with a glaive. Yeah, that's right. Sodomized. With that thing.
And it seems this phenomenon has leaked into the music world. Ke$ha, you say?
Ke$ha. Just typing that makes my sphincter retract in a way that makes me even angrier that she exists. This beast should be caged and never released. This is not music. It is garbage. She describes her "style" as "garbage-chic." She has the "garbage" part right. She claims Beck and Queen influenced her. Beck and Queen. Go listen to her hot new single (and the fact that that is a true statement is horrifying). Go ahead. Here it is. I'll wait, if you can even make it through the whole thing.
Yeah. If that's the influence Beck and Queen have on people, I'm sure they'd rather just burn all of their records and kill themselves, because clearly they must have done something wrong.
Sooooo...where do you go when this is what passes for legitimate entertainment? Do you burn your television in effigy of Snooki and "The Situation?" I mean, who the hell thinks that's a good nickname? "The Situation."
You think your abs are something to be proud of? Sure, my stomach doesn't look like that, but my face also doesn't look like someone tried to perform a rhinoplasty with a piñata bat. So, I really think I win in that situation. Who the fuck are you anyway? I'd look it up on Wikipedia, but I really don't care enough to go through the effort.
Where do you go then? I have no fucking idea. They're everywhere. They're inescapable. These assholes will live on in infamy while I live on without a job. There is no justice in the world. Shit like this is proof that God doesn't exist, and if He does, He is an unjust God. He must really hate the human race. Hell, this makes me hate the human race.
My opinion? Send 'em all to Gitmo. That'll show 'em. Meanwhile, I'll take this lady right here.
Any day of the week.
Why, Democrats? WHY?!
Let me just preface this by saying, again, that I am a lifelong Democrat. I'm crazy liberal, for real. But I'm also more liberal than my party tends to like. Democrats evidently like staying towards the center on, oh, I don't know, EVERYTHING. Therein lies the problem.
Last night, Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley lost the special election for the late Teddy Kennedy's senate seat to a funny little fellow named Scott Brown. Yeah, read that a couple of times to let it sink in. Democrats let Teddy Kennedy's seat go to a Republican. A Republican who, even though there was an Independent also running in this race, evidently doesn't think he's a Republican, because he almost never mentioned it and told people at his acceptance speech that the "independent-minded" of Massachusetts had spoken, or something to that affect. I mean, come on guys, we're going to lose that seat, of all seats? Shameful, pitiful and embarrassing.
It's not all Martha Coakley's fault, but most of it is. She was a horridly weak candidate who spent a great deal of the time she should have been campaigning taking a vacation. Sorry, you're not George W. Bush, Martha, you don't get to spend most of your time on vacation. Apparently the Democratic Party just thought it was a given that no Republican would ever take the seat that once belonged to the Lion of the Senate, Teddy Kennedy. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
My theory on all of this is that the Democratic Party has lost its way, big time. They believe that being centrists and never really having a staunch, heavy footed stance on anything is what is going to win for them every time. Well, yeah, maybe they'll win a lot with that approach, but don't we expect more of them? I do, especially as a very far left progressive member of the party. I want my voice heard, and no one seems to be hearing it. Barack Obama certainly isn't hearing it. Obama is no progressive, don't be fooled and don't talk yourself into believing that he is. He is as centrist at worst and a lackadaisical liberal at best. I'm pretty sure progressives knew this three years ago when Obama announced his candidacy, but no one else ever caught on. The same could be said for Hillary Clinton and Rahm Emanuel and the majority of Obama's cabinet, though I think Joe Biden is quite progressive, but it seems his pull on this president is not quite as heavy as the pull Dick Cheney had on our last president. Which, to be honest, is probably a good thing, though I'd like to believe Joe Biden would use his powers for good instead of evil.
I just can't get my head around what Democrats think that they're doing. We have a majority, which means we get to make the rules. That's why we voted for Democrats, across the board, in 2008. So what do they do? They become a bunch of pussies and refuse to even consider using reconciliation because they have the magic "60." Well, call bullshit on that, because if you even have the slightest inkling that Joe Lieberman is a Democrat, you're wrong. Technically he's registered as a Democrat, but what Democrat in their right mind would endorse a man who is clearly losing his mind (John McCain) and that half-wit running mate, who is clearly out of her mind (Sarah Palin)? I mean, come on. Joe Lieberman may be a Democrat, but he acts like a Republican and he runs as an Independent. Which is silly, because he's clearly not an Independent. And he is also clearly not our 60th vote, which is a stupid fucking concept to begin with. We have the majority, we get to make the big decisions. You know why? BECAUSE WE'RE THE FUCKING MAJORITY! Am I missing something? We should only need 51 votes to pass anything because, again, MAJORITY RULES. Further proof that the government in our country is completely blind to what the people want and refuse to explain to us, in layman's terms, what all of this crap means. I consider myself pretty "up" on what's going on in politics, especially now that I'm unemployed and I watch or listen to the news most of the day, even in my car, but there are just some things that the average person (Average Joe? Gross) will never comprehend, namely anything having to do with economics or anything having to do with health care. This is something the else the Democratic Party should be adept at, but they aren't. Party of the people, my ass.
The Democrats (sorry, I'm not sure when that should or should not be capitalized so I'm just doing it every time) have failed, miserably, with the task we gave them. They were voted in as a referendum on George W. Bush and his massive failure of a presidency (and it still boggles my mind that he was a elected to a second term). They have dropped the ball. Does that mean I want Republicans taking over again? Fuck no. They're worse now than they ever have been. But, you have to say this for them, they are far better organized than we are. That is their strong suit, their ace in the hole: they can organize. Democrats can't organize for shit. I mean, come on, we suck at this. You think the senate floor is like hoarding cats? Try organizing a bunch of Democrats to do something. We can't get behind a single message, which is fine, we don't have to agree on everything, but we need to have an overall goal for ourselves. We want national health care, for everyone, paid for by the government? Then we better get off of our asses and demand it. Because Republicans (Teabaggers especially) are out there making it look like they are the disgruntled masses. They're stealing our thunder. We bitched and whined for eight years about George W. Bush and his complete and utter insanity (not to mention the truly crazy rantings and behind-the-scenes manipulations one Dick Cheney) and then, as soon as we get our new guy in office (who was a bad choice as a candidate but, evidently, was the only one who was ever going to win) we peace out and let them go back to doing what they were doing.
We can't only be involved in this shit every four years, when we elect a new president. We have to give a shit all year, every year. Otherwise, they just do what they want and they see these Teabaggers out there, screaming and ranting like the crazed, Mountain Dew motivated, yee-haw racists they are, and they think that that's what is happening to everyone in this country. It's not. We're not all Teabaggers (yes, I capitalize that, because I can), though the fact that I agree with them about this awful health care bill is terrifying. I mean, I don't really agree with them, but we're oddly on the same side, which just makes my skin crawl.
Do I even have a point? I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm sick of the Democratic Party's inability to get anything done. We've wasted a year and they've barely accomplished anything. Maybe Scott Brown winning in Massachusetts is a blessing in disguise. Maybe this is what Democrats needed to light a fire under their ass and make them realize that things are possible without that mythological 60th vote. Either way, they just need to do something. That's all I'm saying.
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