Monthly Archives: August 2010
Friday Night Music Byte
Lynnrockets recently watched the film Julie & Julia about a thirty year old New Yorker who decided to cook every dish in one of Julia Childs’ cookbooks and to blog about it. It was a novel idea so we decided to copy it. No, we will not be cooking in the usual sense (that could start a fire). Rather, we will adapt the recipe a day concept to our nightly music bytes. From now to infinity (didn’t somebody else coin that phrase?) we will post a music video and brief description of the artist or song in a sort of alphabetical order as culled from Tom Moon’s wonderful reference book, 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die (A Listener’s Life List). The book describes both whole albums (remember those) and individual songs from all music genres that are essential listening. Do yourselves a favor and purchase this book. Where the book deals with an individual song, we will post that song, but when an entire album is the subject, we will exercise judicial discretion and post a single song therefrom. So what do you say, let’s get cooking…
We have come full circle by going through the alphabet once already, so here we are back at the letter A. Coincidentally, today’s band is Aerosmith.
A
Aerosmith Toys In The Attic – “Toys In The Attic” and “Sweet Emotion” (1975)
Aerosmith didn’t invent blues-rock, wasn’t the first to dish bawdy lyrics, and really brought nothing innovative to the game – unless you count the scarves vocalist Steven Tyler tied around his microphone stand. Yet with their third album, Toys In The Attic, the Boston quintet took the basic three-chord guitar scheme, added some old fashioned show-biz razzle-dazzle, and gave “rawk” a new attitude.
Toys is thirty-seven minutes of teenage-boy air guitar bliss – all double-time peel outs and leering talk of fast girls, with a bit of rebellion on the side. Its pulverizing backbeats and tightly wound riff boogie ooze horniness (“Walk This Way” still the prototype rock strut). Its songs about drugs (“Uncle Salty” and “Sweet Emotion” the cleverest deployment of bass marimba in rock history) are disciplined verse-chorus odes disguised as spacey meandering.
An instant hit that sold millions and established the band as arena headliners, Toys solidified the trick that the “Toxic Twins” songwriting team of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry would turn for decades: slightly sleazy bad-boy stuff made irresistible by fireworks on cue hook-craft.
“Toys In The Attic”
“Sweet Emotion”
Palin’s Pesky Pugnaciousness Proves Pointless
Much like herpes, Sarah Palin is the gift that keeps on giving. Remember when the gracious ex-Governor of Alaska came to the defense of Miss California, Carrie Prejean, who stirred up a world of controversy after publicly stating that she opposed gay marriage. Sarah Palin telephoned the beauty queen so as to personally deliver her support, and then said,
“The liberal onslaught of malicious attacks against Carrie Prejean for expressing her opinion is despicable. Our Constitution protects us all – not just those that agree with the far left.”
That was just one of many examples of Palin needing a refresher course in Constitutional Law. Had she attended any one single institution of higher education for more than a month or two, she may have learned that the Constitution of “this great nation of ours” protects a person’s right to free speech from restriction by the government, but not from the invisible hand of the private sector free-market that she so often praises. The Constitution does not protect someone’s free speech from criticism by others. Indeed, the Constitution provides the same free speech protections to those critics.
This brings us to the former half-term ex-quitting governor of Alaska’s most recent foray into the realm of Constitutional law and rights of free speech. Last week, you will recall, that uber-conservative right-wing radio host Laura Schlessinger said what is known as the “n-word” 11 times in 5 minutes to a black caller who was inquiring how to handle racial slights from relatives and friends of her husband, who is white. The public backlash to Schlessinger’s insensitivity was so severe and widespread that she was forced to announce this week that she is ending her radio show.
In essence, the private sector (i.e. listening audience and advertising sponsors) decided that Schlessinger’s radio program was no longer worth listening to and advertising on. No audience plus no advertisers in the free market radio world equals no profit and consequently, no more show for Dr. Laura. This is simple free market Economics 101: There is no longer any demand for Schlessinger’s product and thus her enterprise has now failed. No government involvement of any kind stymied Schlessinger’s right to free speech. She was free to go on spewing the “n-word” as often as she chose, but the rejection of her product by the listening public and her advertisers forced her to voluntarily cease production. Sarah Palin is simply too stupid to understand this.
A day after Schlessinger told CNN’s Larry King she was ending her show amid controversy over her repeated use of the N-word during an on-air conversation, Palin tweeted,
“Dr.Laura:don’t retreat…reload! (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend.rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence”isn’t American,not fair”)”
Later that day she once again resorted to the sophomoric means of communication and tweeted,
“Dr.Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles, so watch out Constitutional obstructionists. And b thankful 4 her voice,America!,”
Apparently unable to keep her mouth shut for even one day, Palin next chose Facebook to make a fool of herself. She posted,
“Does anyone seriously believe that Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a racist? Anyone, I mean, who isn’t already accusing all conservatives, Republicans, Tea Party Americans, etc., etc., etc. of being racists? I can understand how she could feel ‘shackled’ by those who would parse a single word out of decades of on-air commentary. I understand what she meant when she declared that she was ‘taking back my First Amendment rights’ by turning to a new venue that will not allow others the ability to silence her by going after her stations, sponsors, and supporters.”
Well Sarah, yes, at least one person believes that Schlessinger’s racist tirade was wrong? Who might that be, you ask? Why it’s Dr. Laura herself. Of the incident, she said,
“I was attempting to make a philosophical point, and I articulated the N-word all the way out – more than one time. And that was wrong. I’ll say it again – that was wrong.”
Honestly Sarah, apart from your now stale quip about “retreat and reload” (code words to incite violence?), please be advised that in no way have Schlessinger’s “1st Amend.rights ceased 2exist”. She is free to self-fund her own show to her heart’s content and to say whatever she desires if she is willing to suffer the economic consequences of such an endeavor. The fact is that her show was silenced by operation of the free market and not by any governmental restriction on her right to free speech. Your alleged “Constitutional obstructionists” had nothing to do with Laura Schlessinger’s failure. And what the heck do you mean by, “Dr.Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles”? Do you honestly believe that her racist message is more powerful and effective without a radio show to broadcast it? Will Dr. Laura now get her message across more effectively by means of standing atop some soap box in a public park or maybe by transmitting a flurry of tweets and Facebook postings like you? Give us a break.
For her own good, Sarah Palin should stop commenting about the Constitution of the United States of America until she learns a little bit about it.
In honor of the troops, please remember to click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with today’s Sarah Palin song parody.
It’s All Over Now song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbpU5vBYnfU&feature=related
IT’S ALL OVER NOW
(sung to the Rolling Stones version of the song “It’s All Over Now”)
Well, Palin was around way too long
She winked those eyes, went to Hong Kong
But her heart’s now broken, that’s no lie
Tables turn and now it’s her turn to cry
Some crackpots used to love her, but it’s all over now
Some crackpots used to love her, but it’s all over now
Well, she thought that she’d be crowned a queen in D.C. Town
She’d spend book deal money to buy herself some fame
She has no clout, that must be a blow to her pride
Tables turn and now it’s Sarah who cries
Some crackpots used to love her, but it’s all over now
Some crackpots used to love her, but it’s all over now
(musical interlude)
Well, on Meet The Press Sunday morning, did you hear what they said?
“Palin’s political future is all but dead”
Brooks, Dionne and Murphy really smacked Palin down
Now the whole world knows that she is just a clown
Some crackpots used to love her, but it’s all over now
Some crackpots used to love her, but it’s all over now
Some crackpots used to love her, but it’s all over now
Some crackpots used to love her, but it’s all over now
Barracuda Blindsided By Ballot Box Backlash
" We lost by just this much"
The Month of August has not been kind to Sarah Palin. The former half-term ex-quitting governor of Alaska has gone 0 for 5 this month with regard to candidates that she has endorsed for election. This week both of the candidates Palin backed in Tuesday’s primaries lost their bids. In Washington State, Palin had backed Tea Party activist Clint Didier in his bid for the Senate over businessman Dino Rossi, the favorite of national Republicans. Didier lost. In Wyoming, Palin endorsed Rita Meyer, whom she christened as one of her “Mama grizzlies” for governor. Meyer also lost.
Of Didier, Palin said the Tea Party favorite “inspired” her and that he is a “patriot running for U.S. Senate to serve his state & our country for all the right reasons”. As for Meyer, she said, “voters know that Rita has a unique blend of steel magnolia and mama grizzly”. In each case however, the voters made it clear that they disagree with Sarah Barracuda.
In addition to Tuesday’s losses, there was the even bigger disappointment last Tuesday, when Palin’s hand-picked gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, Karen Handel, lost to fellow Republican Nathan Deal. Palin had exerted all of her efforts in that race even appearing with Handel at a campaign rally just hours before the vote. All to no avail however, as Handel was handily defeated. Also in August, Palin-backed candidates Rep. Todd Tiahrt, who was vying for Senate in Kansas – and Tennessee congressional candidate CeCe Heil lost their elections.
The bloom is now officially off of Sarah Palin’s rose. The majority of voters in all five of those conservative states rejected candidates that share a political ideology with Palin. Those rejections follow on the heels of the recently released TheIowaRepublican.com poll which was conducted from July 25th through July 28th. It revealed that Palin is ranked a lowly fourth by Iowa Republicans regarding who they would like as the Republican presidential candidate in 2012. She was favored by only 11% of those polled. Hence, Palin and her political philosophy have been rejected in six conservative states just this month.
Will the trend continue? Let’s hope so. Palin’s next tests come Tuesday when Alaska, Arizona and Florida hold their primary votes. In Alaska, Palin has backed Joe Miller in his long shot bid to defeat Republican Senate incumbent Lisa Murkowski. In Arizona, Palin went with Sen. John McCain in his Senate primary bid against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth. And in Florida, Palin has picked Republican candidate Marco Rubio in that state’s Senate race.
Please remember to click on both song links below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with today’s topical song parody. Enjoy!
Sunny song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubvYQxTXO3U
SARAH
(sung to the Bobby Hebb song “Sunny”)
Sarah, you sunk the knife into ol’ John McCain
Sarah, since then you’ve been riding the crazy train
Now your sane days are gone, and your Fox days are here
You’re number one at spreading fear
Sarah, why do you have no clue?
Sarah, selling that Tea Party Kool-Aid
Funny, how they bought your “death panel” charade
Signed for a fee, books at the mall
“Such a steal” you told them all
Money just for you, girl that’s true
Sarah, we’ve seen your untruths on the TV
Sarah, misconstruing facts from A to Z
Crib-note hand universally panned
You’re as misinformed as Michele Bachmann
Sarah, why do you have no clue?
Sarah, soon we’ll wipe that smile right off your face
Sarah, thank you, thank you for lacking all style and grace
You’re a dark bad natured liar
Preaching to a brain-dead choir
Funny but its true, yes, you are screwed
Sarah, you’re an unloved wife that’s filled with rage
Sarah, the G.O.P. should really, really keep you caged
Cuz you might shoot your gun as your brain slips a gear
And blast someone that you hold dear
Sarah, yes it’s true, you’re unglued
You’re unglued
You’re unglued
You’re unglued
Wednesday Night Music Byte
Lynnrockets recently watched the film Julie & Julia about a thirty year old New Yorker who decided to cook every dish in one of Julia Childs’ cookbooks and to blog about it. It was a novel idea so we decided to copy it. No, we will not be cooking in the usual sense (that could start a fire). Rather, we will adapt the recipe a day concept to our nightly music bytes. From now to infinity (didn’t somebody else coin that phrase?) we will post a music video and brief description of the artist or song in a sort of alphabetical order as culled from Tom Moon’s wonderful reference book, 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die (A Listener’s Life List). The book describes both whole albums (remember those) and individual songs from all music genres that are essential listening. Do yourselves a favor and purchase this book. Where the book deals with an individual song, we will post that song, but when an entire album is the subject, we will exercise judicial discretion and post a single song therefrom. So what do you say, let’s get cooking…
Z
Frank Zappa The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life – “Stairway To Heaven” (1988)
Frank Zappa (1940-1993) was an American original, a wry satirist disguised as a crude jokester, a bandleader who’s daredevil deviousness regularly pushed the musicians around him to the threshold of genius. He also shredded the electric guitar like nobody else.
Although you probably need ten Zappa albums to “get” his genius, this live set, culled from the 1988 tour that was Zappa’s last big rock sojourn, offers a thrilling representation of his mayhem-maker’s incredible range. As it opens Zappa tells the crowd that he’s met Johnny Cash that day, and in preparation for a guest appearance, Zappa and the band work up Cash’s “Ring of Fire” as a slow skanky reggae. Cash doesn’t show (his wife got sick) but Zappa and the band play it anyway, expanding its original meaning to include jokes about hemorrhoids. That sets the tone for a nothing sacred set that includes an irreverent romp through Ravel’s “Bolero”, a campy send-up of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” and a demonic “Sunshine Of Your Love” that inspires Zappa’s unhinged near-delirious guitar genius. There are also chipper versions of Zappa originals “Zoot Allures”, “The Torture Never Stops” and “Lonesome Cowboy Burt”, one of several songs with new lyrics commenting on the then-recent fall of televangelist Jimmy Swaggert.
Every track contains at least one moment of jaw-dropping instrumental dazzle — a stickler for precision, Zappa led one of the most accomplished, well-rehearsed bands in rock history.
Mama Grizzlies Attack Sarah Palin
It’s a jungle, er forest out there. The beasts have become restless and are now on the prowl. Their prey? Sarah Palin. Yes it’s true. The former half-term ex-quitting governor of Alaska and Jane Goodall of Mama Grizzlies everywhere is now under attack by angry wild female voters.
EMILY’s List is targeting Sarah Palin and the 49 candidates she has endorsed so far in the 2010 midterms with the launch of a new campaign. EMILY’s List is a veteran Democratic advocacy group that works to elect women who support abortion rights to federal and state office. EMILY’s List, founded in 1985, boasts their role in electing 80 female House members, 15 senators, and nine governors. The group says the battle over women voters has intensified this year as Palin trumpets and endorses conservative Republican women she has dubbed “mama grizzlies.” Palin also advocated for conservative women candidates in a recent “Mama Grizzlies” video released through her political action committee, SarahPAC. The group does not want Sarah Palin to go unchallenged.
EMILY’s List identified three races that are prime targets for warring Mama Grizzlies, in which EMILY’s List supports the Democrat and Sarah Palin has endorsed the Republican. They include the California Senate race between Sen. Barbara Boxer and former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina; a Minnesota House race that pits GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann against Democrat Tarryl Clark and the New Mexico governor’s race between Republican Susana Martinez and Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.
The group has just released a video of its own which serves as a get-out-the-vote effort and to help organize Emily’s List supporters to vote this November. Let’s watch these Democratic “Mama Grizzlies” devour the rancid tasting Sarah Palin.
Growwwlll!
In honor of the troops, please remember to click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with today’s song parody.
Georgie Girl song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf8O1whEH5s
HEY THERE, SARAH GIRL
(sung to the Seekers song “Georgie Girl”)
Hey there, Sarah Girl
Are you G.O.P. or Tea Party?
It’s so clear to see that you must be the loneliest bear
You lie too
Hey there, Palin Girl
Why do Fox News boys think you’re so fly?
Could it be that they are high, or is it the clothes you wear?
You’re always Red State hopping and talking “death panel” lies
You’ll get nowhere by winking your eyes
You little twit
Hey there, Sarah Girl
Is that Hannity right by your side?
You both have a lot to hide and how very strange is he?
And can you see Putin, Sarah Girl?
(instrumental break)
Hey there, Palin Girl
Scheming up a way to earn a fee
No sense of reality, from it you can’t run away
Your fenced in lair’s been changing and you’re a strange thing yourself
And all you care about is your wealth
You little twit
Hey there, Sarah Girl
Is it with Glenn Beck that you confide?
Do you talk about Levi and what a pest he will be?
The world will see the true Palin Girl
Wake up Sarah Girl
Come on, Sarah Girl
Wake up Sarah girl
Iowa Hawkeyes See Palin As Cockeyed
The only poll that is kind to Palin
OUCH !!! This is gong to leave a mark. The most recent state poll regarding Sarah Palin’s chances for the presidency have been released and once again, it ain’t pretty for Ms. Quittypants. The recently released TheIowaRepublican.com poll which was conducted from July 25th through July 28th shows Mike Huckabee has retained a significant number of supporters in the Hawkeye State, leading the field with 22 percent of support. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the runner-up in 2008, is second with 18 percent. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who visited the Iowa State Fair last week after the poll was conducted and has made clear he is strongly considering a run for president, is in third place at 14 percent, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who was long believed to be a natural fit for Iowa Republicans, is the choice of a mere 11 percent of voters.
Poor Sarah, this great nation of ours is quickly tiring of you.
Please remember to click on both song links below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with today’s topical song parody. Enjoy!
Rawhide song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldkxqiosXYY
POLL-SLIDE
(sung to the TV theme of, “Rawhide”)
Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’
Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’
Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’
Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’
Poll Slide
Keep movin’, movin’, movin’
People disapprovin’
Sarah’s not improvin’, Poll-Slide!
She cannot understand ‘em,
She hopes results are random,
Soon she’ll be in a double-wide.
There’s no way of definin’
Just why the polls declinin’, declinin’ like a massive
Landslide.
Headin’ down, movin’ fast,
Losin’ ground, ship her out,
Headin’ down, movin’ fast
Poll-Slide!
Kick her out, shoot her down,
Send her home, push her out,
Kick her butt, fallin’ fast
Poll-Slide!
Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’
Her eyeballs are ballin’
How come no-one’s callin’?
Poll-Slide!
It looks like stormy weather
And she’s light like a feather
She’ll be swept under by the tide.
She’ll be unemployed soon,
A wolf killin’ buffoon,
And all this resultin’ from her lies
Headin’ down, movin’ fast,
Losin’ ground, ship her out,
Headin’ down, movin’ fast
Poll-Slide!
Kick her out, shoot her down,
Send her home, push her out,
Kick her butt, fallin’ fast
Poll-Slide!
Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’
Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’
Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’
Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’
Poll Slide
Monday Mid-Day Music Byte (J. Geils Band/Aerosmith Fenway Review)
The Boston Herald review of Saturday night’s J. Geils Band/Aerosmith concert at Boston’s fenway park:
It happened. Lord, oh, lord, it actually happened.
After 40 years of rock, millions of dollars burnt on booze, pills, powders and hospital bills, and months of fresh infighting, Aerosmith made it to the stage at Fenway last night. And they (mostly) did the city proud.
Along with J. Geils Band and opener locals Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents (a cute little garage soul outfit), Aerosmith rocked the sold-out park.
Yes, there were moments that made the (not always) Bad Boys look like tools. Lame late singles “Falling in Love,” “Pink” and (seriously? ugh!) “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” wasted time needed for more “Toys in the Attic.” Joey Kramer’s drum solo surrounded by clouds of fog was a Spinal Tap moment. And Joe Perry’s guitar duel with a digitized version of himself, the exact same one from the ’09 Comcast Center show, was another sad, stupid ad for the band’s “Guitar Hero” game.
But there were many brilliant moments.
The set list was standard, as we basically got what every other crowd on the tour got – where was the expected, coulda-been-awesome Geils/Aerosmith collaboration? But most of the performance was a glitzy blitz of glammed-up, hammed-up stadium rock.
The show opened with a Denis Leary-narrated JumboTron video history of Aer-O-(expletive)-Smith and the band’s “Train Kept A-Rollin’ ” thunder clap. Then it lapsed into newer hits, with Tyler often struggling vocally. Some ruled – “What It Takes” began with Tyler a cappella before becoming a tasty, gooey sandwich of pop cheese and Rolling Stones leftovers. Some were awful – did I mention blob-of-vomit “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing?”
After the uneven pop came lots of top-notch rock. “Come Together” featuring a freaky Perry solo. An epic “Sweet Emotion.” “Baby, Please Don’t Go” with Tyler exclaiming, “Excuse me while I whip this out,” and grabbing his harmonica.
And the encore was even better. Tyler, whose voice was at its best by night’s end, in a Sox jersey at a white grand piano atop the Green Monster belting out “Dream On.” An extended “Walk This Way” (it takes a while to get from the Monster to center field) fired Brad Whitford and Perry’s tough, tight guitars.
Steven Tyler may have a “Big Ten Inch Record,” but he doesn’t have a guy named Magic Dick in his band.
The harmonica wizard, fab frontman Peter Wolf and the rest of the J. Geils Band rarely reunite, so when they do, they make damn sure it’s a blow-your-face-out house party. The band plus New York’s Uptown Horns delivered a set of rocks-off r & b steered by the wily Wolf – through the hour-plus set he was in and out of the crowd, tossing roses to the ladies or rhyming and rambling through Wolfa Goofa rants.
A good chunk of the crowd was specifically there for classic Geils – Dick honkin’ away on “First I Look at the Purse,” guitarist J. Geils ripping into “Detroit Breakdown,” and highlight “Must of Got Lost.” But the biggest cheers were for the ’80s hits – “Love Stinks,” “Freeze Frame” and “Centerfold.” Geils did the Top 40 tunes justice, but its heart is still in gritty, bar band stuff.
There was rampant speculation that the Fenway forum would induce the bands to perform together for a bit. Such was not the case however, because prior to the concert, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and J. Geils Band’s Peter Wolf got into a loud and public argument. It appears that the egomaniac Tyler did not want Wolf to use the crowd runway during his band’s performance. Wolf would have none of it and used it frequently. Aerosmith then would not let the Geils Band perform with them. Oh well, what’s Boston without a fight anyway!
There is not a lot of great footage of the J. Geils Band out there just yet, but in the meantime please enjoy these somewhat lacking clips of “Musta Got Lost” and “Give It To Me”. After that, the next clips of Aerosmith have better quality. The “Dream On” clip is notable because Steven Tyler performs from atop the famed left field wall known in Boston as the “Green Monstah”.
J. Geils Band – “Musta Got Lost”
J. Geils Band – “Give It To Me”
Denis Leary and “Train kept A Rollin”
Aerosmith – “Dream On”
Sunday Morning Coffee (or Tea) – 47
Just a few newsworthy events and comments thereon that have been making their way through the political universe this past week. Please ponder and maybe chuckle a bit before enjoying a wonderful day.
BREAKING NEWS: Mediaputz.com says, “It’s getting so competitive among the vast army of right wing media shills that it’s becoming increasingly hard to get attention as flavors of the month come and go. Right now Glenn Beck is the corporate media darling, so you don’t hear much from Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham, for in stance, or Michelle Malkin. Even Bill O’Reilly has become more of a right wing “senior statesman” as compared to the schizophrenic, psychotic, demagogic performance artist known as Beck.
So it must be hard for a B-team winger, such as Laura Schlessinger, to get attention and keep her radio show ratings up. Maybe that explains why she said what is known as the “n-word” 11 times in 5 minutes to a black caller who was inquiring how to handle racial slights from relatives and friends of her husband, who is white. Basically, Schlessinger told the caller to get a thicker skin and unleashed a barrage of the “N” word to firmly establish her point and garner a lot of publicity, which she did. It was the right wing media outrage of the day as far as corporate mainstream media news coverage and the blogosphere. Mission accomplished, Laura!” Let’s listen to the tape, shall we?
THIS JUST IN: This week’s episode of “The Numbers Do Not Lie” co-stars both Barack Obama and George W. Bush. The next time some crazy conservative tells you that Barack Obama vacations too frequently, repeat these facts. During his first year in office, Barack Obama took 26 vacation days. During their first years in office, George W. Bush took 69, Bill Clinton 21, George H.W. Bush 40, Ronald Reagan 42 and Jimmy Carter 21. Trips to Camp David, which were not included as vacation days, were: Obama 27 days, George W. Bush, 78 days.
BREAKING NEWS: Remember Republican Vice President Dan “Potatoe” Quayle? If you do not, here is a little refresher video.
Well, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Mr. Potatoe-Head’s son, Ben Quayle is a Republican congressional candidate in Arizona. In a televised campaign ad, the younger Quayle recently said that Barack Obama is “the worst President in history”. Those are awfully strong words coming from the little spud that claims he is an outsider and will be “a new generation in Washington” when the facts are that he has held three jobs in four years, posed for pictures in campaign literature with children who were not his and grew up in Washington with a famous father, former Vice President Dan Quayle, whose influential friends have given generously to the younger Quayle’s campaign. Oh, we almost forgot, he also lied about the fact that he had once been a contributing writer for Dirty Scottsdale, a raunchy, sex-themed website that covered the club scene in his adopted hometown before morphing into the national gossip site TheDirty.com.
The son of the worst vice president ever may think he has some wisdom on the job performance of political leaders, but if he thinks a president whose actions have saved the country from a second Great Depression, reformed a broken health care system and protected consumers from the risk and greed of Wall Street merits such mention, his analysis is only slightly less ridiculous than his candidacy for public office is.
Twist And Shout song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUrOMB-iBLk&feature=related
BITCH AND SHOUT
(sung to The Beatles version of the song “Twist And Shout”)
Well, make it up, ladies, now (make it up, ladies)
Bitch and shout (bitch and shout)
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, ladies, now (come on ladies)
Know what you’re talkin’ about (talking about)
Start spreadin’ some doubt, honey (spreadin’ some doubt)
Wear your pillowcase hood (pointy hood)
You got the bullshit flowin’ now (bullshit flowin’)
And you’re sportin’ some wood (didn’t know you could)
Just make it up, baby, now (make it up, baby)
Bitch and shout (bitch and shout)
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby, now (come on baby)
You got to start spreadin’ doubt (start spreading doubt)
Just show your twisted little world (shit little world)
Hold up your twisted sign (twisted sign)
Go on up, bitch a little closer, now (bitch a little closer)
And just hold that party line (hold that party line)
Ah
Ahh
Ahhh
Ahhhh
Ahhhhh
Yeah, you’re frothing like rabies, now (frothing like rabies)
Bitch and shout (bitch and shout)
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby, now (come on baby)
Jumping and screeching out loud (screaming out loud)
Just show your twisted little world (shit little world)
Hold up your twisted sign (twisted sign)
Go on up, bitch a little closer, now (bitch a little closer)
And just hold that party line (hold that party line)
Well, fake it, fake it, fake it, baby, now (make it up, baby)
Well, fake it, fake it, fake it, baby, now (make it up, baby)
Well, fake it, fake it, fake it, baby, now (make it up, baby)
Ah
Ahh
Ahhh
Ahhhh
Saturday Night Music Byte
Peter Wolf and Steven Tyler
In preparation for my attendance at this weekend’s long awaited J. Geils Band/Aerosmith concert at Boston’s storied Fenway Park, Lynnrockets will take a small break from music bytes devoted to the 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die and substitute a few songs from the aforementioned Boston based bands. Please enjoy.
J. Geils Band (Then 1972) – “Floyd’s Hotel” and “Hard Drivin’ Man”
J. Geils Band (Then 1974) – “Give It To Me”
J. Geils Band (Now 2009) – “Detroit Breakdown”
Aerosmith (Then 1974) – “Train Kept A Rollin’”
Aerosmith (Now 2004) – “Last Child”
Palin Marooned With Tea-Baggers And Mama-Grizzlies
Sarah Palin has truly marooned herself on a lonely political island. Problem is, she is not marooned with the Howells and all of their trunks full of money (just wondering, but why did the Howells bring all that cash on a 3 hour tour anyway?). Unfortunately, she is marooned with the crazy beyond the fringe Tea-Baggers and her own hand picked den of uber-conservative and unelectable Mama-Grizzly candidates.
Since quitting as the Governor of Alaska last year, Sarah Palin has foolishly painted herself into a corner from which she cannot escape without being stained. She has devolved since 2008 from the position of being one of only two individuals to represent the entire Republican Party, to the de-facto figurehead of the radical, racist, homophobic and violent minority faction of the far-right known as the Tea Party. She has further embedded herself with this fringe group by, for the most part, shunning more moderate (and electable) mainstream Republican candidates and endorsing female candidates that espouse the radical agenda of the Tea-Baggers. In so doing, Sarah Palin has not only decreased the election chances of Republican candidates, but she has also alienated herself from the real power-brokers of the G.O.P. and thus minimized her own chances of representing that party in future elections.
Sarah Palin is now the undisputed queen of a sparsely populated island nation.
For those of you that are interested, Lynnrockets will be attending a concert tonight at storied Fenway Park in Boston. The lineup is my all-time favorite band, the rarely reunited J. Geils Band and Aerosmith. Both bands are Boston based. It is requested that you send out your vibes to the deity of good weather. I’ll report on the show tomorrow.
Gilligan’s Island theme link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiyIiPmppTY
SARAH’S ISLAND
(Sung to the theme of “Gilligan’s Island”)
Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale
A tale of a strange kinship
That started with the First Dude, Todd
And ends with Baby Tripp
Wife Sarah was Alaska’s guv’nor
Her husband a drop-out
Five children with really strange names
Hillbillies there’s no doubt. Hillbillies there’s no doubt.
The election started getting rough
Mack needed a V.P.
He focused his attention on the Great White North
His savior Sarah P. His savior Sarah P.
She could not handle interviews her strategy was
Senile
Too “Mavericky”
“You Betcha’s” too
“Joes Sixpack and the Plumber”
“Hockey Moms”
“The Pitbull with Lipstick on”
and, a Beehive hairstyle.
So this is the tale of the Palin Clan
The campaign was reduced to dust
Bristol had a baby boy
Levi’s mom, a bust
Sarah and her husband, Todd
Returned to the family nest
She had some softball interviews
Tough issues weren’t addressed
No Charles, no Kate, no CNN
Sure no M-S-N-B-C
They all use “Gotcha Questions”
That’s not her cup of tea
So join them here each week good friends
Fox, you can stay awhile
Greta and Hasselback will be here too
Here on “Palins Isle”
