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Tori Amos, Abbey Road
Time To Assess The Outgoing President
Polythene Pam has called for greater civility in the political rhetoric of The Walrus Speaks. Taking her concern to heart, we have decided to assess the Presidency of George W. Bush quite civilly, keeping to the more professional tones used by historians. So we will refrain from calling the man a bastard, evil, stupid, a sack of shit, etc.
Instead, we will note that 61% of historians rate his Presidency the worst, and 98% rate it a failure. We consistently hear the phrase "shredding the Constitution."
One historian indicated that his reason for rating Bush as worst is that the current president combines traits of some of his failed predecessors: “the paranoia of Nixon, the ethics of Harding and the good sense of Herbert Hoover. . . . . God willing, this will go down as the nadir of American politics.” Another classified Bush as “an ideologue who got the nation into a totally unnecessary war, and has broken the Constitution more often than even Nixon. He is not a conservative, nor a Christian, just an immoral man . . . .” Still another remarked that Bush’s “denial of any personal responsibility can only be described as silly.”
What is more, Bush can be called the Beatles of failed Presidents. How is this possible? Well, the Beatles are the greatest band ever because of excelling in more categories of comparison than any other band. On the category thing, Bush nailed it.
Like a majority of other historians who participated in this poll, my conclusion is that the preponderance of the evidence now indicates that, while this nation has had at least its share of failed presidencies, no previous presidency was as large a failure in so many areas as the current one.
In so many areas. Is that OK, Polythene Pam?
The Blow - Parentheses
Speaking of bands overdue for a return, The Blow is it. Come back to us, Khaela.
I am not the only person dying to get their hands on a new album from The Elected.
From a forum dweller on RKNet named RyanDunch:
I was at a new years party this year at a friend's house. Me and my roommates hit the basement for a cigarette- and there was this bearded dude with an acoustic guitar who just starts jamming:
"Well she gets real mean when she's drunk..."
and he played a slew of Elected and old RK songs. A great new years for sure. Made me really anxious for some new Elected, though. What the hell? Just release some myspace bootlegs, Blake!
It was really nice to ring in the new year with a sing-a-long of With Arms Outstretched, though.
Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times
The Station Agent's post of Pink Floyd's "Not Now John" reminded me of Chaplin's film Modern Times. Why is modern industrialized society organized the way it is?
Mainly so that the rich can get richer. No?
American Artist Eva Cassidy, 1963--1996
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UK actress Nicole Faraday as Eva
The late Eva Cassidy had a voice like silk and honey.
Pink Floyd - Not Now John
This song seems relatively disliked by Floyd fans. I think it's one of the greatest songs ever written. Furthermore, the album it appears on, The Final Cut, lacks any radio-friendly songs, but it is one of the most stark political statements I have ever heard. It was Waters' last turn with Floyd, and he dominated the creation and recording so much that many see this as only nominally a Pink Floyd record. They say that like it's a bad thing.
This video is an unfortunate distortion of the song because the refrain "fuck all that" is dubbed over with the words "stuff all that".
Etta James, At Last
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Beatles LP Countdown, Every Little Thing
"Every Little Thing" is the fourth track on the second side of the Beatles fourth UK album, Beatles For Sale.
Creedence, Down On The Corner
John Lennon, Woman
The Cheney Gang's Weak Link
In many great heist movies there's clearly one character, one weak link, that everyone in the audience knows from the beginning is going crack under pressure and inadvertently give up the rest of the crew. In the perfect crime that was the bankrupting of America, the weak link that's going to blow the gang's cover is President Bush.
Creedence, Travelin' Band
Just good old rock and roll.
Jefferson Airplane, Lather
Gracie knocks it out of the park with this one.
George Harrison, Behind That Locked Door
Moody Blues, In Your Wildest Dreams
Radiohead, Meeting In The Aisle
