Representative Gingrey Back Peddles

If you don't listen to the Rush Limbaugh show from time-to-time - you should. Sure on one hand it's pure unchecked lies, hate, and liberal-bashing for liberal-bashing sake, but on the other hand it's pretty entertaining. I mean think of the genius - a confident voice talking about the culture that uneducated poor white people care about, turn it into politics - and there you go. You're made rich and loved by the white underclass, and more powerful than most people who lead the political party you support. Case in point.

Recently Rush has been ripping on Republicans in congress for not standing up for conservative values to President Obama, specifically citing GOP party leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell which sparked Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) to fire back at the shock joke jock -

“I think that our leadership, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, are taking the right approach,” Gingrey said.

“I mean, it’s easy if you’re Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks. You don’t have to try to do what’s best for your people and your party.You know you’re just on these talk shows and you’re living well and plus you stir up a bit of controversy and gin the base and that sort of thing. But when it comes to true leadership, not that these people couldn’t be or wouldn’t be good leaders, they’re not in that position of John Boehner or Mitch McConnell,”

And then after receiving a spew of calls and E-mail from angry conservatives, Phil back peddles! And oh does he. I guess Rush is right, Repubs in congress are pussies!


UPDATE: From watching a couple of youtube videos, I can tell youRep Alan Grayson (D-Fl.) is not a pussy. How is this dude repping Orlando? Anyway, from DownWithTyranny Blog. His recent comments on Rush -

"Rush Limbaugh is a has-been hypocrite loser, who craves attention. His right-wing lunacy sounds like Mikhail Gorbachev, extolling the virtues of communism. Limbaugh actually was more lucid when he was a drug addict. If America ever did 1% of what he wanted us to do, then we'd all need pain killers."

PWNED.

\/\/ 3 3 |)

www.amazingsuperpowers.com

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And Again.

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AND AGAIN!

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I'm not a comic guy at all, but I came across this site today and it provided me with some insta-lolz and the artwork is pretty fantastic too. In just three minutes of hitting the "random comic button" I came across these gems. I'm bookmarking Amazing Superpowers now, you should too.

Who's Stoked For jesus?

Meowtallica, Metallicalico, Enter Sandcat

I'm not providing a description for this one.
Just click here and love the internetz.

Death Back To Life

Speaking of Iggy and Detroit RNR, you always wonder just how many of those should've's but never made it's are out there. Here's one of them. 2009 is bringing the great. From Death's MySpace-

ON FEBRUARY 9TH, 1964 IN DETROIT EARL HACKNEY SAT DOWN HIS THREE SONS: DAVID AGE 12, DANNIS (PRONOUNCED DENNIS) AGE 10, AND BOBBY AGE 8 IN FRONT OF THE TV SET AND TOLD THEM THEY WERE WITNESSING SOMETHING SPECIAL. THE BEATLES WERE PLAYING ON THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, AND DAVID, ENTRANCED, SAT 6” FROM THE SCREEN WIDE-EYED, WHILE THE OTHER TWO SAT EQUALLY MESMERIZED. THE VERY NEXT DAY, DAVID FOUND A GUITAR IN THE ALLEY, TOOK IT HOME, AND TAUGHT HIMSELF HOW TO PLAY. BY 1970, THE BROTHERS HAD STARTED THEIR FIRST BAND AND BEGUN PLAYING GARAGE SHOWS. THEY PLAYED FUNK/R&B, INFLUENCED BY THE MOTOWN SOUNDS COMING OUT OF THEIR EAST DETROIT NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY PRACTICED RELENTLESSLY AND HOME RECORDED OFTEN. IN EARLY 1973, THE BROTHERS WENT TO THE MICHIGAN PALACE AND SAW A PERFORMANCE OF IGGY AND THE STOOGES. FROM THAT DAY FORWARD DAVID MOVED THE BAND INTO THE DIRECTION OF ROCK N’ ROLL, FEELING IT WAS A BETTER FIT FOR THEM. DAVID WROTE THE MUSIC AND BOBBY THE LYRICS. THEIR SONGS BECAME MORE POLITICAL AND THE POWER TRIO SEEMED COMPLETE. THE BAND NAMED THEMSELVES DEATH. WITH MORE GARAGE SHOWS AND A DEMO UNDER THEIR BELT, DAVID OPENED UP THE YELLOW PAGES TO RECORDING STUDIOS AND THREW A DART. THE DART LANDED ON GROOVESVILLE PRODUCTIONS, A LABEL OWNED AND OPERATED BY DON DAVIS. DAVIS, IMPRESSED WITH THE BAND, BROUGHT THE DEMO TO THE ATTENTION OF CLIVE DAVIS OF COLUMBIA RECORDS. CLIVE GAVE DEATH AN ADVANCE AND CONTRACTS WERE DRAWN TO BEGIN RECORDING A 12 SONG ALBUM. AFTER RECORDING THE FIRST 7 SONGS, CLIVE INSISTED THAT THE BAND CHANGE THEIR NAME BEFORE THE ALBUM WAS COMPLETED. DAVID AND HIS BROTHERS REFUSED, CAUSING COLUMBIA AND GROOVESVILLE TO BACK OUT OF THE DEAL. HOWEVER, WITH THEIR RECEIVED ADVANCE, DEATH LEAKED OUT 500 COPIES OF A 45 ON THEIR OWN TRYANGLE RECORDS IN 1976 WHICH WAS DISTRIBUTED AT GARAGE SHOWS FOR FREE.. NOTHING MORE WAS HEARD OF DEATH OVER THE COMING YEARS OTHER THAN A FEW COLLECTORS WHO HAD RAVED ABOUT THEIR LEGENDARY 45. IN 2002, AN OBSCURE PUNK COMPILATION TITLED “NO ONE LEFT TO BLAME” FEATURED THE B SIDE KEEP ON KNOCKIN’. SIX YEARS AFTERWARDS, BOBBY HACKNEY’S SONS CAUGHT WIND OF THE 45 SONGS BEING PLAYED AT PARTIES IN CALIFORNIA. BOBBY HACKNEY THEN BROUGHT THE 34 YEAR OLD MASTER TAPES DOWN FROM THE ATTIC FOR HIS SONS TO HEAR. FINALLY, A DEAL WITH DRAG CITY RECORDS WAS WORKED OUT TO RELEASE THE ALBUM ON FEBRUARY 17TH 2009 – …FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE!!!

Can't wait for this record. Props to Jay Elliott for the lead. Check their MySpace for a preview of some mind-blistering Detroit rock-n-roll!

the Brighton Port Authority feat Iggy Pop Video for "He's Frank"

The Brighton Port Authority is basically Fatboy Slim under a name that's probably more acceptable in 2009. The BPA record "I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat" is a great Jaws reference and is out as of January 6th 2009 from Southern Fried exclusively through Amazon. These are the video's for "He's Frank" featuring Iggy Pop. Yes video"s". Video numero uno features the more rock-n-roll Stones-sounding "He's Frank" with the Iggy puppet basically TCOBin on stage and being as bad-ass as can be. And the second is Iggy in what appears to be the rave cave? I have to give the slight edge to the electro video because in real life Mr Pop's body gets cooler and cooler looking with age. But I wouldn't fuck with an Iggy Pop puppet either. Haven't listened to the album, but peep the comments for track list & upload.

To Take You Into The Weekend - Birds of Paradise

Animal Collective "Merriweather Post Pavillian" (2009)

I read a review once that said Animal Collective sound like what would've happened if the Beach Boys had hopped on the Magical Mystery Tour and they all just kept going and never came back. Which should totally be my shit. Oh, let me preface this review by admitting something that could get my blog privileges taken away - I've never really paid attention to AC. I've heard songs, liked some, disliked others, but never jumped on the hype. Never listened to one of their records. So yes - Magical Mystery Beach sounds great to me, which is exactly why I've been wrestling so much with gathering a feeling and writing a review for this record.

My experience has gone like this, first listen - not feeling it. Second listen - I can hear some songs I like. Next listen - not feeling it & can't find the songs I thought I liked. Next listen - this is really awesome. Yet another listen - I can appreciate this, but can't enjoy it. And again I'm listening to it while I type this and think I'm enjoying a lot of the things I planned on writing that I dislike about Merriweather Post Pavilion.

What I wanted to write about is how weird for weird sake this record is. How inhuman it sounds. How it's a full LP without any songs on it. Maybe I'm being unclear with that - there aren't any songs on here that I want to listen to over and over again. In fact when I listen to this, I listen to it from start to finish each time. Sure, I break from it to get in and out of my car or whatever, but when I put it on I'm not going to "Summertime Clothes" or "My Girls". Just start it at track 1, and push through. And in this listeners opinion, it's a better LP than it's songs are as just songs.

At time I feel this record is like a living, breathing, growing, shapeshifting organism. I'm telling you it will change on you. There's no way to describe it's focus because it just isn't there, except that it's a pop record. The music rarely builds, but rather bursts. It's not chocolate melting in your mouth, its pop rocks mixed with Cherry Coke going bonkers. Synth sounds come from here, percussion falls from the ceiling, bells in the background, all of it layered thick under harmonized vocals that pave the way. Nothing sounds out of place, in fact there's not a second of this record that sounds like it was wasted with space that couldn't fit a sound. But at the same time it sounds out-of-place. I don't know how anyone could listen to this and say there aren't parts where there is just too much going on. Details get lost in the big picture, and I think there are even portions when the big picture gets lost in the details. Perhaps that's the magic of it.

I'm still not completely sold on Animal Collective or Merriweather Post Pavilion, but there was a time a few weeks ago where I thought one listen was enough. I'm not sure what led to a second listen, but that led to a third and a fourth. I guess this is a grower for me, which is frustrating because I want it to burst in my ears like it has for the billion other bloggers who have written about this record. And I can completely understand why people fall for this band. They're music is interesting, mysterious, ambitious, 'smart-sounding', organic but inhuman, new but classic - guess I'm just falling in slow-motion. Present in the comments. Video for "My Girls" below. Purchase from Domino Records.

My Bloody Valentine "Loveless" remastered (2009)

This needs no review. If you've heard Loveless before you'll want to check it out. The remaster sounds great. If you somehow haven't, then make your life immediately better by doing so. Big present in the comments.

Marijuana Inc - Tuesday January 22nd on CNBC

Iron Age "The Sleeping Eye" promo-sampler

oh wow.


Iron Age The Sleeping Eye promo from S. Khan on Vimeo.

WHAT'S GOOD THIS WEEK

You may have or have not heard of The Corner Bar. It's a relatively new spot on N Main in Wilkes-Barre across the street from The Saloon. They have Horror Movie & punk rock posters on the wall, serve cheap beer, and areonly open on Friday's w/ entertainment provided. This week's entertainment is a dj-ed event of sad drinking songs from NFM, Pawloski, & Geoffery Wayne-Wayne. And what better time of the year to be sad and drunk? The holidays are clearly behind us, and it's cold as fuck out. Drink, be warm, and cry.

Daft Punk vs. Adam Freeland: "Aer Obama"

Daft Punk vs. Adam Freeland - "Aer OBAMA" from Gold Greendot on Vimeo.

Not half as cool as the Young Jeezy/Jay-Z video below, but it just furthers the point that art & youth culture all over the world are coming together to celebrate politics and change in America. I know I've had my Obama goggles on for the past few days, but who wants to swim above the excitement right now? Let's drown in it!

Young Jeezy w Jay-Z "My President Is Black" remix

"My president's black, in fact, he's half white/ So even in a racist's mind he's half right/ Even in these racist times it's all right/ My president is black but his house is all white."


Jay-Z My President is black Remix LIVE 1-18-09 from pleasedontstare on Vimeo.

LOSE YOUR SHIT.
i hate being white.

Change Is Gonna Come

I had a chance to watch a portion of Obama's "We Are One" inaugural concert that was on HBO this past Sunday. What I saw was a pretty wonderful event that rotated back-and-forth between speeches (Denzel, Jamie Fox, Tom Hank, ect) honoring our nation's past president's and leaders with some pretty uplifting musical performances kicking off with Springsteen's "The Rising" complete with what looked like was a thousand person choir to back the boss up. It was awesome. Other musical guests included Mary J, Garth Brooks, Herbie Hancock, ect. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the whole concert, but the most compelling part of what I caught was a duet between the 'lady of soul"Bettye LaVette and New Jersey's Soul of da shore Bon Jovi.

The duet, which can be seen below, did a great rendition of the Sam Cooke's 1964 classic "A Change Is Gonna Come". A song that I feel like has skipped our generation, not only as beautiful and moving civil rights song, but even as a classic piece of American music. It was written by Cooke just before his death as a sort of response to Dylan's "Blowin In the Wind". Cooke was apparently so taken back that that a white person could have an understanding of racism in America, that he saw this as a hope for the civil rights movement which compelled him to pen the lyrics. Of course the meaning is not things are where we want to be, but eventually change is inevitable. A better and more equal union is inevitable. And it's that feeling of hope, for a better future, that keeps us going - innit?

It seems this song has made a comeback with the Obama campaign, as our president even borrowed from Mr Cooke's lyrics during his now-famous election night speech when he thanked his supporters stating, ""It's been a long time coming, but tonight, change has come to America." Yes kids, this is the song. Your soundtrack for today.

While being covered many times by many over the years, I'm including my favorite rendition, a nine and a half minute psychedelic soul journey by Baby Huey. I can honestly say after discovering this version of this song this past spring that it is easily in my top five recordings of all-time. Every time I play this track around a group of people, I always have at least one person coming up to me in awe asking what the fuck that was I was just playing. It really grabs you. And of course out the Sam Cooke original.

Change has come, or at least begun.
Congratulations, President Obama.
Congratulations, America.



Sam Cooke"A Change Is Gonna Come"
Baby Huey"A Change Is Gonna Come"

p.s.

Watching the swearing in at the LCCC student center and it's standing room only.

Pitchfork TV: One Week Only : Joy Division

Pitchfork is streaming Grant Gee's Joy Division doc about the beginnings and growth of the Manchester band. It's a great documentary on one of the greatest, but it's only up for a week. Take some time it check it out below.

Times Leader on the Knox Disaster

We're coming up on the 50th anniversary of the Knox Mine Disaster. An accident and crime of corporate greed against the working class people of Northeastern Pennsylvania that killed twelve men. An event that rocked the community and spun the spotlight on the safety and rights of the miners who are the working-class history of our area. The Times Leader has a really wonderful piece on the disaster and lists some events coming up to mark the anniversary of this tragedy.

COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS

Tuesday: 7 p.m., video documentary followed by discussion. Earth Conservancy, 101 S. Main St., Ashley.

Through Thursday: Display and video presentation for groups of 8 or more. Call 654-6209 or 357-9564 to reserve.

Thursday: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., display and video presentation; 11:20, candle-lighting and blessing ceremony. Overlook Professional Center, 200 Overlook Drive, Pittston.

Reverend King.

I'm sitting here watching President-elect Obama's inauguration ceremonies on MSNBC with my son. Tomorrow we'll have a new president. What a way to celebrate this man and his dream. We're still getting there, but fuck. Hope is a great feeling.

PITTSBURGH'S GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!

Despite being the 'old Browns' and named after a poem, the Ravens proved with their play yesterday that they deserved to be in the AFC championship. I know I'm not being very original in comparing Flacco to Big Ben, but this game reminded me too much of the 2004 AFC Championship. A game that still bums me out. A wide-eyed rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger lost to the battle-tested and destiny-bound New England Patriots and Tom Brady. They were the establishment, in the middle of a dynasty. Big Ben was the new guard, but he just wasn't there yet. Heck, even the Eagles were in the NFC championship. Soooooo 2004.
But yesterday wasn't 2004. The Steelers were obviously the best team on the field. After winning against the second best defense in the NFL three times, and after testing themselves week-in and week-out against the toughest NFL schedule - they proved that not do they have the best defense in the NFL, but that they deserve to have a chance to prove that they are the best team in the NFL. The Tomlin era may have started last season, but it arrived this year - through this season. Coolest coach in the NFL. Dude demands respect, and plays Steelers football. All questions answered. HERE WE GO!!