Sunday Night Music Byte

Madness are a British pop/ska band from Camden Town, London, that formed in 1976. In 2009, the band have continued to perform with their most recognised lineup of seven members, although their lineup has varied slightly over the years. They were one of the most prominent bands of the late-1970s 2 Tone ska revival.

Madness achieved most of their success in the early to mid 1980s. Both Madness and UB40 spent 214 weeks on the UK singles charts over the course of the decade, holding the record for most weeks spent by a group in the 1980s UK singles charts. However, Madness achieved this in a shorter time period (1980–1986).

Early in their career, Madness were linked to skinheads; members of a British working class subculture that the media often stereotyped as racist (although many skinheads, including the original generation, are non-racist or anti-racist). Not only were Madness, along with other 2 Tone bands, popular with skinheads, but it was said that the band members themselves were associated with the subculture. The band’s relationship with the skinheads varied at times. Mike Barson was particularly displeased with the band’s skinhead association, often finding it disappointing that so many were present at performances. Prior to becoming a full member of the band, Chas Smash had been involved in fights with skinheads at performances. In one particular incident on 18 November 1979, Madness were supported by “Red Beans and Rice”, who featured a black lead singer, and the band were prevented from completing the performance due to the racist chants from certain members of the skinhead filled audience. Suggs later came on stage to show his displeasure at their behaviour, but this did not stop much of the audience from Nazi saluting at the end of the show.

In a 1979 NME interview, Madness member Chas Smash was quoted as saying “We don’t care if people are in the NF as long as they’re having a good time.” This added to speculation that Madness was a racist band supporting the National Front, although the band members denied those allegations, and Chas Smash responded to the NME article in the song “Don’t Quote Me On That”. Eventually, band members denied their skinhead roots, which disappointed much of their skinhead fan base.

You might remember this video clip of Madness performing their hit, “Our House“.

Sunday Morning Coffee (or Tea) – 26

Just a few noteworthy political meteorites and comments thereon that have been careening around the galaxy this past week.

BREAKING NEWS: This past week during an on-air radio broadcast that he shared with crazy  Michele Bachmann (Tea Party) MN, Arlen Specter (D) PA was repeatedly interrupted by the nutcase until he found it necessary to put her in her place. Politico.com reports that Bachmann first laid out her agenda — cutting taxes and killing President Obama’s health reform bill — at considerable length. When Arlen Specter tried to counter, Bachmann, darling of the Tea Party movement, kept on talking, which didn’t sit well with the one-time Philadelphia DA, who is a stickler for politeness and protocol. “I’m going to treat you like a lady,” Mr. Specter shot back. “Now act like one.” When Bachmann continued to interrupt him on at least two more occasions, Specter again told her to “act like a lady” each time. Bachmann seems to be suffering from a case of “Once, Twice, Three times not a lady”!

THIS JUST IN: John Edwards is actually the father of his mistress’ baby? Wow, we never saw that one coming!

BREAKING NEWS: Last Thursday, the five conservative, activist U.S.  Supreme Court Justices effectively transferred the power of electing politicians from the people of the United States to corporations (including foreign controlled domestic corporations). In the case of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission the Supreme Court effectively wiped out corporate campaign spending limits and now corporations can open their almost limitless coffers to influence elections throughout the United States. The net result is that business friendly Republican candidates will benefit while Democratic party candidates will be penalized. It will be interesting to see how the Tea-Baggers react to the decision. After all, the Tea Party prides itself on returning power to the people and its members are steadfast in their opposition to recent corporate bailouts. Consequently, common sense would dictate that the Tea-Baggers would be furious at the decision. The problem is that the Tea-Baggers in general are uneducated, gun-toting dolts and probably cannot read well enough to understand the implications of the decision. Your next President may be brought to you by the generosity of Sony Corporation.

THIS JUST IN: This week’s edition of “This Guy Gets Creepier Every Day” features newly elected Massachusetts Republican Senator Scott Brown. First he posed nude for a Cosmopolitan magazine centerfold. Then, at his election victory party he pimped out his daughters by announcing that they are both available. Now a strange photo of Brown and his daughters has surfaced in which Scott leeringly smiles while hugging his teeny-weeny-bikini clad daughters. Maybe it is just me, but every time I am exposed to Scott Brown, I feel the need to take a shower thereafter.

BREAKING NEWS: “RIP” Air America Radio. We are sad to announce that the progressive radio network filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last Thursday and ceased all live broadcasting. Let’s hope that another stronger voice for progressive politics will be born in the near future.

THIS JUST IN: The Tea Party movement suffered another embarrassment last week. Marine Sgt. Charles Dyer a/k/a “July4Patriot” and outspoken member of the “Oath Keepers” bloc of the Tea Party movement has been arrested on charges of rape of a child and forced sodomy. Additionally during the search of his home, authorities uncovered several firearms and a grenade launcher. This is just another example of a Tea-Bagger being a dangerous lunatic.

BREAKING NEWS: This week’s edition of “Don’t Make Me Get My Irish Up” features me. My anger is directed at the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas and its God Hates Ireland Website. The Irish nation has recently passed laws which prohibit discrimination based upon sexual preference. Here is what the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas had to say about that,

Ireland has absolutely failed its duty to God. It has been wholly given over to the idea that it is okay to be a filthy fag. They have allowed their fags to establish themselves at every level of society, especially in the government. A law called “An Act to Prohibit Incitement to Hatred on Account of Sexual Orientation” has been enacted by the wicked lawmakers in Ireland to eliminate any true gospel preaching there.

How’s that for a big heaping dose of loving Christianity? Pat Robertson would feel right at home with this group of haters.

THIS JUST IN: For those of you that are interested in removing moon-bat crazy Michele Bachmann from office, here are a couple of blogs that you might want to take a look at;

Dump Bachmann, and Michelle Bachmann for President…of Crazy

BREAKING NEWS: The website CultureMap.com has an interesting article about a potential feud between Fox News’ two most outlandishly foolish pundits. They anticipate a turf war between Glenn “My Crying Eyes” Beck and Sarah “My Winking Eyes” Palin.

Reports are surfacing that Glenn Beck is concerned he might be pushed out of his coveted time slot with Fox News and replaced by former Alaska Governor and GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

There doesn’t seem to be any love lost between these two political media heavy weights. Beck has already predicted that Palin won’t get the Republican nomination in 2012. “I’ve decided that Sarah Palin cannot be president of the United States until she can eviscerate somebody like you,” Beck told Bill O’Reilly in a recent Fox News broadcast. “She’s playing defense right now, and I’m not convinced she wants to be president.” Beck has not been too kind towards Palin since she joined Fox News. “I’ve never met anybody with shields up more than Sarah Palin,” he said.

Meanwhile, Palin is linked with every new Republican star that wins an election. Blogs are now teaming her with Scott Brown as a potential vice presidential pick if she wins the nomination, even though that’s a long way off. Brown won Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat in Massachusetts in an upset of epic proportions. There are even suggestions Beck and Palin could battle it out over who becomes the de facto leader of the surging “Tea Party”  expected to play a crucial role in this fall’s elections.

As usual, please click on the song link below to familiarize yourelves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with today’s double helping of song parodies. One for Glenn Beck and one for Sarah Palin. Please enjoy.

Crazy song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmLS_jkxPRs

HE’S CRAZY

(sung to the Patsy Cline song “Crazy”)

Crazy
Glenn Beck is a demented phony
He’s crazy
Marbles? He’s missing a few

We knew
He was one of Bellevue’s “Most Wanted”
And that someday
He’d make an asylum debut

Sorry
Beck’s on a mental safari
Wondrin’
How did he go so koo-koo

Oh, crazy
Glenn’s crazy and back on the home brew
There’s no use denyin’
Beck can’t stop cryin’
Glenn Beck’s crazy
And stupid too

Crazy
We’re not sure that Beck’s not sniffing glue
It seems like he’s flyin’
We’re not just implyin’
Glenn Beck’s crazy
We know it’s true

Crazy song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmLS_jkxPRs

CRAZY

(sung to the Patsy Cline song “Crazy”)

Crazy
Palin is chock-full of baloney
She’s crazy
Crazy and without a clue

We knew
She’s psychologically haunted
And that someday
She’d make her asylum debut

Sorry
She could be a guest on Maury
Wondrin’
How did she go so koo-koo

Oh, crazy
As crazy as her husband, First Dude
There’s no use denyin’
Cheatin’ and lyin’
Sarah’s crazy
We know it’s true

Crazy
We’re not sure if Palin’s sniffing glue
It seems like she’s flyin’
We’re not just implyin’
Sarah’s crazy
We know it’s true