Art

Democracy by Langston Hughes

Democracy will not come
Today, this year
Nor ever
Through compromise and fear.
I have as much right
As the other fellow has
To stand
On my two feet
And own the land.
I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I’m dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.
Freedom
Is a strong seed
Planted
In a great need.
I live here, too.
I want freedom
Just as you.

Continue ReadingDemocracy by Langston Hughes

Songs of Peace and Freedom 3 (Vol. 4 of Hippie Series)

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  • Post category:My Playlists

A mix I made to add to the protest songs CDs that I made a few years ago; pulling in a few standards that I had missed. Appropriate since there are a whole wave of new protest songs being made to protest the current administration.

1 Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You into Heaven Anymore – John Prine – John Prine – 2:50
2 Black and White – Three Dog Night – Joy to the World: Their Greatest Hits – 3:50
3 New World Coming – Mama Cass – Dream a Little Dream: The Cass Elliott Collection – 2:12
4 The Times They Are a-Changin’ – Bob Dylan – Greatest Hits Volume 1 – 3:16
5 Subterranean Homesick Blues – Bob Dylan – Greatest Hits Volume 1 – 2:22
6 Hurricane – Bob Dylan – Greatest Hits Volume 3 – 8:34
7 Colours – Donovan – What’s Bin Did and What’s Bin Hid – 2:45
8 The Band Played Waltzing Matilda – Priscilla Herdman – The Water Lily – 7:01
9 (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding – Uncle Otto – Men Who Smoke – 6:27
10 City Of New Orleans – Arlo Guthrie – Sing America – 4:31
11 All of You Fascists Bound to Lose – Woody Guthrie – The Ballad Operas – The Martins and the Coys – 1:34
12 Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream – Pete Seeger – Waist Deep in The Big Muddy and Other Love Songs – 2:53
13 Peace Train – Cat Stevens – The Very Best Of Cat Stevens – 4:11
14 Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down – Joan Baez – – 3:23
15 Get Up, Stand Up – Bob Marley – Legend – The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers – 3:17
16 Teach Your Children – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà Vu – 2:59
17 Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – So Far – 3:05
18 Share the Land – The Guess Who – Running Back thru Canada – 5:02
19 The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil Scott-Heron – Pieces of a Man – 3:07
20 Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Chronicle, Volume I – 2:20

Continue ReadingSongs of Peace and Freedom 3 (Vol. 4 of Hippie Series)

I’m Sorry My President Is an Idiot. I Didn’t Vote For Him

Deja Vu (All Over Again) – John Fogerty – Deja Vu All Over Again
Reclaim – Copper Wimmin – American Tyranny
Interlude / Give Blood (DJ Spooky Remix) – Saul Williams / DJ Spooky Mix – Adbusters – Live Without Dead Time
American Idiot – Green Day – American Idiot
Make Love Fuck War (Dirty Version) – Moby & Public Enemy – Make Love Fuck War
War – Jonatha Brooke – Protest Records
In A World Gone Mad… – Beastie Boys – Protest Records
Jacob’s Ladder (Not In My Name) – Chumbawamba – Protest Records
Where Is the Love? [Radio Edit] – Black Eyed Peas & Justin Timberlake – Now, Vol. 14
Price of Oil – Billy Bragg – Protest Records
Not In My Name (Pledge of Resistance) – Saul Williams / DJ Spooky Mix – Not In Our Name
Rich Man’s War – Steve Earle – The Revolution Starts Now
Satisfied? – J-Live – Adbusters – Live Without Dead Time
Ugly Man – Rickie Lee Jones – The Evening Of My Best Day
Warrior – Steve Earle – The Revolution Starts Now
Memorial Day – The Perceptionists – Who’s America?
F the CC – Steve Earle – The Revolution Starts Now
No Man’s Land – Saul Williams – No Man’s Land
Jose’s Christmas Trees – Oren Bloedow – Protest Records
Hey! John Ashcroft – American Ambulance – All Over the Map
FCC Song – Eric Idle – Protest Songs
The Bell – Stephan Smith, Pete Seeger, Mary Harris, Dean Ween – Protest Records

Continue ReadingI’m Sorry My President Is an Idiot. I Didn’t Vote For Him

HoYay

One of my favorite things about the really stellar website Television Without Pity is that most shows have a HoYay forum.

It’s fun reading what the recappers thought of my favorite shows, but it’s even more fun reading what other gay people think of my favorite shows.

Especially when people in the forums link to pictures like this.
I’m not even a gay boy and that picture made me say “damn!”

Continue ReadingHoYay

You’ve got a style and how dare anybody tell you that your style isn’t right.

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  • Post category:Brain Food

An excellent interview with Jamie Whyte, author of Crimes Against Logic: Exposing the Bogus Arguments of Politicians, Priests, Journalists, and Other Serial Offenders, on logic and fuzzy thinking.
“You are no longer interested in reality because to do that you have to be pretty rigorous, you have to have evidence or do some experimentation. Rather, beliefs are part of your wardrobe. You’ve got a style and how dare anybody tell you that your style isn’t right. Ideology is seen as simply a matter of taste and as it’s not right to tell people that they’ve got bad taste, so it’s not right to tell them that their opinions are false. I’m afraid that the cast of mind of most people is the opposite of scientific.”

Continue ReadingYou’ve got a style and how dare anybody tell you that your style isn’t right.

Please god, don’t let anyone at work see this, or we’ll end up with one.

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According to the site, “Eric Staller’s ConferenceBike is a revolutionary tricycle built for 7 riders sitting in a circle. One person steers while everyone pedals and chats, and has a truly unforgettable ride.”

Dear god, no. It’s worse than our new IRC channel at work.

Continue ReadingPlease god, don’t let anyone at work see this, or we’ll end up with one.

Fall TV View Reviewed

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  • Post category:Television

So far this year, “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” have been standout hits on my list of new shows. Both have interesting/different concepts, excellent character development, and unpredictable story lines that are keeping me interested.
“Veronica Mars” is a bit odd and not perfectly developed, but it’s interesting enough that I’ll probably keep watching. The story lines are somewhat unbelievable, and there’s too much exposition. I feel like I’m supposed to be invested in some characters where I don’t have enough to go on to be on their side. But the concept is different, and the main character is cute.
“Jack and Bobby” is a huge disappointment. I thought it was an interesting concept; what childhood experiences shape a person who goes on to become a great leader? But it’s execution is seriously flawed. The character of the single mother/college professor who’s son will go on to be president is completely over the top and not believable at all, and I really dislike the tone of the politics, too. Sadly, I don’t think this will stay on my schedule.
“Survivor: Vanuatu” isn’t really grabbing me, either. I was definitely put off by the sexist opening premise where men were given special treatment in some sort of native ceremony, and I think the “guys vs. girls” was bothersome the first time they did it. It seems very predictable, at this point, and aside from Scout, there’s no one there that I’m really rooting for.
As far as returning shows, “Gilmore Girls” has been snappy and well-done, and I LOVE the Lorelei/Luke relationship that I’ve been rooting for since season one. This has always been one of my favorites, and it looks like it will stay that way.
“Joan of Arcadia” is wonderful, as always. Viva la Joan.
“CSI: Wherever” The return of the original Vegas version is great. NY – not so much. Dunno why, exactly, but it seems very copy-cat and formulaic. I HATED that one of the story lines of the show was about the rats in New York and how many of them there are and blah blah blah blah blah. Geez, I don’t need that much local color, folks. I know a lot about New York already.
“Joey” Hmmm. It’s not totally stupid. I like Drea Matteo. I’ll watch.

Continue ReadingFall TV View Reviewed

80’s Party Playlist

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  • Post category:My Playlists

Songs from an epic 80’s party I threw. (See the pictures from my party here) The original playlist has 1457 songs in it, and was 4.1 days long. I edited that list down to what you see below. I tried to pick a broad cross-section of music genres and I tried to cover as many iconic tunes as I could, but obviously, I didn’t get everything.

  1. Physical – Olivia Newton-John – 3:45
  2. Venus – Bananarama – 3:52
  3. Secret Rendezvous – Karyn White – 4:12
  4. Love Shack – The B-52’s – 5:21
  5. No More Words – Berlin – 3:55
  6. Obsession – Animotion – 3:58
  7. Jukebox Hero – Foreigner – 4:22
  8. Mr. Roboto – Styx – 5:27
  9. Lovin’ Every Minute of It – Loverboy – 3:33
  10. Rock of Ages – Def Leppard – 4:08
  11. Another One Bites The Dust – Queen – 3:34
  12. Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol – 4:50
  13. Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses – 4:33
  14. You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC – 3:30
  15. We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister – 3:39
  16. I Hate Myself For Loving You – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – 4:08
  17. Parents Just Don’t Understand – DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince – 5:15
  18. Pass The Dutchie – Musical Youth – 3:27
  19. Pop Muzik – M – 3:21
  20. Rock Me Amadeus – Falco – 3:20
  21. You Make My Dreams – Daryl Hall & John Oates – 3:05
  22. Head Over Heels – The Go-Go’s – 3:37
  23. Walk Like An Egyptian – The Bangles – 3:24
  24. Like A Prayer – Madonna – 5:51
  25. Girl You Know It’s True – Milli Vanilli – 4:12
  26. Beat It – Michael Jackson – 4:19
  27. Escapade – Janet Jackson – 4:45
  28. Run Runaway – Slade – 5:00
  29. King Of Wishful Thinking – Go West – 4:03
  30. Knock On Wood – Amii Stewart – 3:43
  31. Push It – Salt-N-Pepa – 4:31
  32. Let’s Groove – Earth Wind & Fire – 5:37
  33. Little Red Corvette – Prince – 4:56
  34. Erotic City – Prince – 3:55
  35. Jack and Diane – John Mellencamp – 4:19
  36. Freeze Frame – J. Geils Band – 3:59
  37. 867-5309 / Jenny – Tommy Tutone – 3:45
  38. Wrapped Around Your Finger – The Police – 5:13
  39. Born In The U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen – 4:41
  40. Russians – Sting – 3:58
  41. Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2 – 4:41
  42. What Do All The People Know – The Monroes – 3:28
  43. What I Like About You – The Romantics – 2:58
  44. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers – 3:40
  45. 19 – Paul Hardcastle – 3:40
  46. Bullet The Blue Sky – U2 – 4:32
  47. Orange Crush – R.E.M. – 3:54
  48. Sledgehammer – Peter Gabriel – 4:54
  49. All I Need – Jack Wagner – 3:30
  50. Somebody’s Baby – Jackson Browne – 4:22
  51. In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel – 5:29
  52. If You Leave – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – 4:27
  53. Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds – 4:20
  54. St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) – John Parr – 4:12
  55. Footloose – Kenny Loggins – 3:49
  56. Wake Me Up Before You Go Go – Wham! – 3:48
  57. Karma Chameleon – Culture Club – 3:58
  58. A Little Respect – Erasure – 3:27
  59. Mediate – INXS – 2:32
  60. Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode – 3:36
  61. It’s A Sin – Pet Shop Boys – 4:59
  62. I Want Your Sex – George Michael – 9:17
  63. You Spin Me Right Round – Dead or Alive – 4:27
  64. Voices Carry – ‘Til Tuesday – 4:24
  65. Video Killed The Radio Star – The Buggles – 3:14
  66. Mexican Radio – Wall Of Voodoo – 4:08
  67. Safety Dance – Men Without Hats – 4:33
  68. One Night in Bangkok – Murray Head – 4:08
  69. Goody Two Shoes – Adam Ant – 3:28
  70. Veronica – Elvis Costello – 3:10
  71. Union of the Snake – Duran Duran – 4:22
  72. Down Under – Men at Work – 3:45
  73. Love Is a Stranger – Eurythmics – 3:39
  74. Life In A Northern Town – The Dream Academy – 4:18
  75. I Ran (So Far Away) – A Flock of Seagulls – 3:46
  76. 88 Lines About 44 Women – The Nails – 4:54
  77. Brass In Pocket – The Pretenders – 3:07
  78. Cars – Gary Numan – 3:49
  79. Magic – The Cars – 3:59
  80. I Melt With You – Modern English – 3:51
  81. I Want Candy – Bow Wow Wow – 2:47
  82. In A Big Country – Big Country – 3:56
  83. Kids In America – Kim Wilde – 3:29
  84. My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone) – Chilliwack – 3:59
  85. Oh Yeah – Yello – 3:05
  86. One Thing Leads To Another – The Fixx – 3:16
  87. Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly) – The Icicle Works – 3:46
  88. You Might Think – The Cars – 3:06
  89. And She Was – Talking Heads – 3:39
  90. Rise – Public Image Ltd. – 4:29
  91. Tainted Love – Soft Cell – 2:36
  92. Punk Rock Girl – Dead Milkmen – 2:37
  93. London Calling – The Clash – 3:19
  94. Just Like Heaven – The Cure – 3:32
  95. Panic – The Smiths – 2:13
  96. Don’t Leave Me This Way – Communards – 4:34
  97. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable – The Smiths – 3:33
  98. The Killing Moon – Echo & The Bunnymen – 5:46
  99. Under the Milky Way – The Church – 4:59
  100. Blue Monday – New Order – 7:29
  101. Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division – 3:24
  102. Institutionalized – Suicidal Tendencies – 3:28
  103. Cotton Crown – Sonic Youth – 5:08
  104. Relax – Frankie Goes to Hollywood – 3:53
  105. Money For Nothing – Dire Straits – 4:06
  106. She Blinded Me With Science – Thomas Dolby – 3:42
  107. I Wanna Be A Cowboy – Boys Don’t Cry – 3:41
  108. Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol’ Boys) – Waylon Jennings – 2:10
  109. We Are The World – USA For Africa – 7:01
Continue Reading80’s Party Playlist

Weekend Update 2004-09-27

Stephanie and I did a ton of work at my house this weekend to get the place ready for the party I’m throwing this coming Saturday. Mainly we did a lot of cleaning and organizing.
The party will be a retro 80’s party… and in gathering up stuff to wear, we’ve seen tons of appropriate stuff in the stores. Target has leg warmers and fishnet stockings. Pac-Sun and Hot Topic have checkered vans, t-shirts and the big oversized belts from the 80’s. Hot Topic has buttons of 80’s bands. Izods and Polo shirts are back at Lazarus.
This is a great site for ideas about the 80’s… InThe80s.com. I pulled a lot of ideas about decor from here, and there’s lots of helpful stuff about clothes, too.
We finally got to see the finale of The Amazing Race this weekend — that made me very happy, because I had been cheering for Chip and Kim for quite awhile, mainly because they treated each other very well and worked together throughout the whole race, and they did, for the most part, play fair with everyone all the way along.

Continue ReadingWeekend Update 2004-09-27