By now pretty much the only blog I still maintain except for this one is Better as a Single, and at that largely because it requires 1/30th of the entries that this monstrosity does. But I sweat over each one (I swear!) and feel they're worth more than the meagre pageviews they get. I keep hoping that somehow someone will 'discover' it and it'll go 'viral' and I'll become a millionaire... somehow.
So anyway, th is month I've decided to stretch myself a little bit and go into the big muddy of Country music. With the first triple album in the history of my Better as a Single blog (God, it was long) - Will the Circle Be Unbroken, by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and a cast of thousands. Check it out now, y'all.
Yee-haw.
Showing posts with label Blogwhoring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogwhoring. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
A few things you might enjoy
So here's some stuff floating around on this blog I feel like calling attention to again:
- "Dare": a Short Story - A story whose main plotline just might have been plagiarised.
- The Fifteen Best Flags in the World - One of my 'greatest hits', a very popular post indicating the flags I think are most beautiful.
- The Magazine Rack: March 1975 - A look at what a variety of magazines had on their covers the day I was born, in March 1975. I have a follow-up for March 1985 that I've sat on for, like, a year now. I ought to dig it up.
- The Google Journey to Inuvik - I'm quite fond of this one, actually. It's a look at Google Street View images from Canada's far north. I find it quite romantic.
- Breaking the Rhyme: Four Songs that Would Have Rhymed with a Different Singer - An esoteric one, I admit. It's about songs whose writers spoke different accents than their singers and thus rhymed words differently. An odd little observation, I suppose. But I like language.
- Buffy Doppelgängers - I love Buffy the Vampure Slayer. So much, in fact, that I can geek out like this.
- A Hundred Pictures of Theo - Yes, it's Theo Huxtable, distorted and stuck into historical situations and God knows what else.
- Subway Systems Around the World: A Quiz - I do like Google Maps Street View. Here I'm using it to peer at subways.
- 'Wikipedia' in Various Languages - How to translate Wikipedia into languages you didn't even know existed.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Decapitation Classic #3
So I think I'm just going to dump Decapitation Classic in toto onto this blog here. It's happier here, I daresay.
What am I talking about? Here's an entry that explains it. And here are two more of the, ahem, 'poems'.
What am I talking about? Here's an entry that explains it. And here are two more of the, ahem, 'poems'.
“A City is Destroyed”Details about 'A City is Destroyed' can be found here.
A city is destroyed in every part:
Pregnant women artists come here to appear angular
Serving naked in Paris, then adhere fully to the devil,
but only white is right, and streets bright as gold
Metal, charming and full of energy almost under the eyes
Of the summer sun, one or two of rest in the chair
Or consider a new eye color to judge the world
According to its feet with female characters in the knee
To avoid elimination from the Slider to work free.
Better yet, in lottery revenues and the fear of God
Some people say, "The secret devil here and abroad
Dusts the Bible before going past the door."
But for those brave people who sacrifice their pride,
It seems a shame, gold, silver and precious stones.
I have shoes that are Marie Antoinette,
And walk on hot stones and burning sun.
We would set about to shoot him, and I got very light
And magic, and jumping rope to reduce the occupation.
But often your mind, as well as the deck, is empty,
with the ceiling removed pink light can not skim through.
We care little for the church records: we had visited Paris
Where they discuss the cutting of the Saints
And women without the veil here in the clouds:
scores of women, most are young and happy, and patient.
All disappear from the window and fly to the site
Representative for the fire, His name seems to have escaped
With their deeds, the four pillars falling on horns,
And a pillar of stone in Egypt, and the twisted snake.
When we entered the door to pay for a night,
An angel seemed to play the guitar, and I'm sure
The dolls vary greatly; their device is more interesting items
In any system of celestial beings, the environment and land
Are well guarded, as are children under the trees before them.
what a wonderful victory here, and I can not understand.
If it was under the shirt, he was transferred by air to the right,
And her thin face wore the old meetings in the gates.
Three main colors hang in disputes over the environment,
Even the shadow of snow in Russia now only leads to the meat.
With arms spread and mouth open wide, all is great boredom.
the right mix to pull, mouth open when the clock started.
Fly girl, rich colors and dust, and the link with cabbage white.
including a really good horse, and a really good woman
who can give the child a fear of horses.
He turned around, without making any progress,
While fifty of the dolls were a window period.
As it will end up trying to understand Infinity,
I must admit that I got up quickly.
His example seemed to melt into the walls,
Setting the black river in his hands.
It was big and dark, and solved our problems seriously
In my eyes, I felt cold in my bones.
How many people smile for a day, eyes full of tears' colors?
Point your face from us, risk his hat in public,
Show a very sensitive issue behind her bald head.
He was very nice and love the country illegally
His name was written in blood without epitaph.
The candles are still hot in his grave.
"I want my ashes to rest on the bank of the Seine
At the heart of the French people that love you."
“The Death of Jesus”Details about 'The Death of Jesus' can be found here.
Now, the death of Jesus: I and others should fight for God.
It's a miracle, but close our eyes and breathe: body parts down to the eye.
It was night, when teachers come to know from birth on our roads.
However, hate can not eat; he can not force them to try.
New forms allow any sun to know. I fear teachers. But do not fear me.
Stop God and use a voice. Ready to talk about wolves, because we have guns.
A series of falling glass we see around us. Other pipelines and dreams of profit.
Perhaps a depreciation, for the murder of snow is full of fear.
Weapons? No knife to kill a wolf howling in front of Rome.
Blood will dance with your fingers, follow your fingers deep down.
He and I are a large Bowie knife through security, through the mirror I think.
I do not understand men in the basket, creating a problem.
I cry because I see things have changed: I threw away the sun.
Flash has won the way they should; the left fingers were burned in the blood.
Smile and say, we witnessed the suffering of my heart.
Discomfort and pain with a smile. And a quiet, elegant gentleman died.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Lost in Google Translation, Volume Two
This is an old game I used to play back in the days of BabelFish: testing its automated language translation services by putting a bit of text through a variety of languages and looking at the end result, which had invariably been chewed up beyond recognition. The results often had a mysterious poetry to them, in fact, but were clearly nonsense.
Google's translation service is, I must admit, light years ahead. So much so, in fact, that a single test of translating text from English into Language X and then back again would result in text 95% identical to the original. So no good, then. Instead, I subject texts to a translation through five languages before reconverting it to English. The results are, well, much more abstract.
Each selection here is a verse from a popular song (with slight modifications to grammar and punctuation to make complete sentences) translated through five different languages before being reconverted to English. Your job is merely to look at the results and see if you can't guess which song you're currently viewing, lost in Google Translation.
The answers to each are contained immediately below them, hidden behind a spoiler tag. Click to reveal.
Google's translation service is, I must admit, light years ahead. So much so, in fact, that a single test of translating text from English into Language X and then back again would result in text 95% identical to the original. So no good, then. Instead, I subject texts to a translation through five languages before reconverting it to English. The results are, well, much more abstract.
Each selection here is a verse from a popular song (with slight modifications to grammar and punctuation to make complete sentences) translated through five different languages before being reconverted to English. Your job is merely to look at the results and see if you can't guess which song you're currently viewing, lost in Google Translation.
The answers to each are contained immediately below them, hidden behind a spoiler tag. Click to reveal.
#2 I like the wind through the trees. Sampingku night was so. months, but the sun stayed uniongoze. He accepted my idea, but I did not know what to do. Right next to the body wajahku I felt rambling. I am not in his eyes: in my group. Only a fool believes he can do what they need to hear. I like the wind.
» #1 - Click for the answer. «
"She's Like the Wind" by Patrick Swayze.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&page=1&keyid=1325904&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
She's like the wind through my tree. She rides the night next to me. She leads me through moonlight only to burn me with the sun. She's taken my heart, but she doesn't know what she's done. I feel her breath on my face, her body close to me. I can't look in her eyes: she's out of my league. Just a fool to believe I have anything she needs. She's like the wind.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&page=1&keyid=1325904&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
She's like the wind through my tree. She rides the night next to me. She leads me through moonlight only to burn me with the sun. She's taken my heart, but she doesn't know what she's done. I feel her breath on my face, her body close to me. I can't look in her eyes: she's out of my league. Just a fool to believe I have anything she needs. She's like the wind.
#2 Today is your day going. Now, in some ways, you must understand you can do. I do not believe that he does feel for the moment. Word Street is the heart of the high fever is back. I have never heard before, but never doubt I am going to die. I do not believe that he does feel for the moment. The closure, all the lights are published menyilaukan. I want to say much, but I do not know how.
» #2 - Click for the answer. «
"Wonderwall" by Oasis.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=2086865&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Today is gonna be the day that they're going to throw it back to you. By now you should have somehow realized what you've got to do. I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now. Backbeat, the word was on the street that the fire in your heart is out. I'm sure you've heard it all before, but you never really had a doubt. I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now. And all the roads we walk along are winding, and all the lights that lead us there are blinding. There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don't know how.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=2086865&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Today is gonna be the day that they're going to throw it back to you. By now you should have somehow realized what you've got to do. I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now. Backbeat, the word was on the street that the fire in your heart is out. I'm sure you've heard it all before, but you never really had a doubt. I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now. And all the roads we walk along are winding, and all the lights that lead us there are blinding. There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don't know how.
#2 Me and false. My mother, father, you should come. I attack the world. I am rolling shakes bad for you. Liam. Pink monkey bird And I tell you an indication of the brain breakdown. See for yourself. Ray put gun to my head. Press your space face close to me, I love you. dream mud Wed, oh yeah, and escape.
» #3 - Click for the answer. «
"Moonage Daydream" by David Bowie.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1007962&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
I'm an alligator. I'm a mama-papa coming for you. I'm a space invader. I'll be a rocking rolling bitch for you. Keep your mouth shut. You're squawking like a pink monkey bird, and I'm busting up my brains for the words. Keep your electric eye on me babe. Put your ray gun to my head. Press your space face close to mine, love. Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1007962&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
I'm an alligator. I'm a mama-papa coming for you. I'm a space invader. I'll be a rocking rolling bitch for you. Keep your mouth shut. You're squawking like a pink monkey bird, and I'm busting up my brains for the words. Keep your electric eye on me babe. Put your ray gun to my head. Press your space face close to mine, love. Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah.
#3 Last good. When your hands up. Click on get their own way in life. The day will come. their lives, why people like How to choose? Last good. Last good. ends. Last good. That our time is one hour. Now is the time here. Waiting for my life, my life forever. Yellow is the color of the sun. I have to hide. Always, often in my life, my life here. Yellow is the color of the sun.
» #4 - Click for the answer. «
"Keep On Movin'" by Soul II Soul.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=410098934&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
Keep on moving. Don't stop like the hands of time. Click clock, find your own way to stay. The time will come one day. Why do people choose to live their lives this way? Keep on moving. Keep on moving. Don't stop, no. Keep on moving. It's our time, time today. The right time is here to stay. Stay in my life, my life always. Yellow is the colour of sunrays. I hide myself from no one. I know the time will surely come when you'll be in my life, my life always. Yellow is the colour of sunrays.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=410098934&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
Keep on moving. Don't stop like the hands of time. Click clock, find your own way to stay. The time will come one day. Why do people choose to live their lives this way? Keep on moving. Keep on moving. Don't stop, no. Keep on moving. It's our time, time today. The right time is here to stay. Stay in my life, my life always. Yellow is the colour of sunrays. I hide myself from no one. I know the time will surely come when you'll be in my life, my life always. Yellow is the colour of sunrays.
#5 I think the future of our children. The best way to learn. beauty all to themselves. Providing tools for pride. Many laughed when my children need reminding. Both are looking for heroes. We need people to see. need to do: I had the opportunity to meet and quiet, so I learned to my faith.
» #5 - Click for the answer. «
"The Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=370127505&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be. Everybody's searching for a hero. People need someone to look up to. I never found anyone who fulfill my needs: a lonely place to be, so I learned to depend on me.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=370127505&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be. Everybody's searching for a hero. People need someone to look up to. I never found anyone who fulfill my needs: a lonely place to be, so I learned to depend on me.
#6 We say about that. Me, Not me, another day of driving themselves, I'm getting ready to do so. I love the same? Al, get me I will continue a day or two. So, my little things go without saying, but it seems like life is slowly leaving teaching. Say: nothing is more important than to be. Al, get me I will continue a day or two.
» #6 - Click for the answer. «
"Take on Me" by a-ha.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1451670&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
We're talking away. I don't know what I'm to say; I'll say it anyway: today's another day to find you shying away. I'll be coming for your love, OK? Take on me, take me on. I'll be gone in a day or two. So, needless to say I'm odds and ends, but that's me stumbling away, slowly learning that life is OK. Say after me: It's no better to be safe than sorry. Take on me, take me on. I'll be gone in a day or two.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1451670&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
We're talking away. I don't know what I'm to say; I'll say it anyway: today's another day to find you shying away. I'll be coming for your love, OK? Take on me, take me on. I'll be gone in a day or two. So, needless to say I'm odds and ends, but that's me stumbling away, slowly learning that life is OK. Say after me: It's no better to be safe than sorry. Take on me, take me on. I'll be gone in a day or two.
#7 Oh, my friends are regular remove dirt and Liege, but my dad his "can not bother me to give them. World will not end. He for me a man who Talcs as foot foot, people like my son. Amount of care. Or hand of a man my son. ".
» #7 - Click for the answer. «
"Walk Like a Man" by the Four Seasons.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1599245&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Oh, how you tried to cut me down to size, telling dirty lies to my friends, but my own father said "Give her up, don't bother. The world isn't coming to an end". He told me, walk like a man, talk like a man, walk like a man my son. No woman's worth crawling on the earth, so walk like a man, my son."
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1599245&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Oh, how you tried to cut me down to size, telling dirty lies to my friends, but my own father said "Give her up, don't bother. The world isn't coming to an end". He told me, walk like a man, talk like a man, walk like a man my son. No woman's worth crawling on the earth, so walk like a man, my son."
#8 All the old graves of a file from the sand dance do not you? If they fast, they fell like dominoes for you. 'M Nile marketing and all those invested. Golden crocodiles C their simple mud. Variety of hookah pipe "that really inanikumbusha, Oh yeah. This, indeed, reminds us." Egypt, such as foot.
» #8 - Click for the answer. «
"Walk Like an Egyptian" by the Bangles.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1599261&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
All the old paintings on the tombs, they do the sand dance, don't you know? If they move too quick, they're falling down like a domino. All the bazaar men by the Nile, they got the money on a bet. Gold crocodiles, they snap their teeth on your cigarette. Foreign types with the hookah pipes say, 'Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh.' Walk like an Egyptian.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1599261&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
All the old paintings on the tombs, they do the sand dance, don't you know? If they move too quick, they're falling down like a domino. All the bazaar men by the Nile, they got the money on a bet. Gold crocodiles, they snap their teeth on your cigarette. Foreign types with the hookah pipes say, 'Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh.' Walk like an Egyptian.
#9 If you still hear my joy, but I think you all are my conscience, I guess. If I'm Walking shoes and when my friends for your entertainment and Flowers suggest that wind is concerned, I feel I can not. What is a fright. I do not bother me at all. 51, captain of irregular solitaria Tobacco Research Community and play until dawn. Now, I can do nothing for you.
» #9 - Click for the answer. «
"Flowers on the Wall" by the Statler Brothers.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=426550&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
I keep hearing you're concerned about my happiness, but all that thought you're giving me is conscience, I guess. If I were walking in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none while you and your friends are worrying about me, I'm having lots of fun counting flowers on the wall. That doesn't bother me at all. Playing solitare till dawn with a deck of fifty one, smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo. Now don't tell me I've nothing to do.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=426550&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
I keep hearing you're concerned about my happiness, but all that thought you're giving me is conscience, I guess. If I were walking in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none while you and your friends are worrying about me, I'm having lots of fun counting flowers on the wall. That doesn't bother me at all. Playing solitare till dawn with a deck of fifty one, smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo. Now don't tell me I've nothing to do.
#10 Sometimes it is established all love a man with a good and sad and it is not difficult to know a good time to do, but if you love him and forgive him even harbor to understand. If you love it. Geugahaneun he was 12 years more recently proud. It is a cold lonely night to wait for a hot and is only two officers. Husband Tribune and the world would you know that you love it. You can all love. Arising from your man.
» #10 - Click for the answer. «
"Stand By Your Man" by Tammy Wynette.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1401033&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Sometimes its hard to be a woman giving all your love to just one man: you'll have bad times, and he'll have good times doing things that you don't understand, but if you love him you'll forgive him, even though he's hard to understand. And if you love him, be proud of him, because after all he's just a man. Stand by your man, give him two arms to cling to and something warm to come to when nights are cold and lonely. Stand by your man and tell the world you love him. Keep giving all the love you can. Stand by your man.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1401033&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Sometimes its hard to be a woman giving all your love to just one man: you'll have bad times, and he'll have good times doing things that you don't understand, but if you love him you'll forgive him, even though he's hard to understand. And if you love him, be proud of him, because after all he's just a man. Stand by your man, give him two arms to cling to and something warm to come to when nights are cold and lonely. Stand by your man and tell the world you love him. Keep giving all the love you can. Stand by your man.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Lost in Google Translation, Volume One
This is an old game I used to play back in the days of BabelFish: testing its automated language translation services by putting a bit of text through a variety of languages and looking at the end result, which had invariably been chewed up beyond recognition. The results often had a mysterious poetry to them, in fact, but were clearly nonsense.
Google's translation service is, I must admit, light years ahead. So much so, in fact, that a single test of translating text from English into Language X and then back again would result in text 95% identical to the original. So no good, then. Instead, I subject texts to a translation through five languages before reconverting it to English. The results are, well, much more abstract.
Each selection here is a verse from a popular song (with slight modifications to grammar and punctuation to make complete sentences) translated through five different languages before being reconverted to English. Your job is merely to look at the results and see if you can't guess which song you're currently viewing, lost in Google Translation.
The answers to each are contained immediately below them, hidden behind a spoiler tag. Click to reveal.
Google's translation service is, I must admit, light years ahead. So much so, in fact, that a single test of translating text from English into Language X and then back again would result in text 95% identical to the original. So no good, then. Instead, I subject texts to a translation through five languages before reconverting it to English. The results are, well, much more abstract.
Each selection here is a verse from a popular song (with slight modifications to grammar and punctuation to make complete sentences) translated through five different languages before being reconverted to English. Your job is merely to look at the results and see if you can't guess which song you're currently viewing, lost in Google Translation.
The answers to each are contained immediately below them, hidden behind a spoiler tag. Click to reveal.
#1 I usually can not find. Frightened lying around and I do not understand. Now ladies sitting at her desk nearby. Closed Curtain Hall Kass from people like me think this Oh, I do not die in the hands gedoeeotseupnida you say that I died in my hands Oh Death at hand. I had some clear kiss I had.
» #1 - Click for the answer. «
"(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight" by Cutting Crew.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=629853&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
I keep looking for something I can't get. Broken hearts lie all around me, and I don't see an easy way to get out of this. Her diary, it sits on the bedside table. The curtains are closed. The cat's in the cradle. Who would've thought that a boy like me could come to this? Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight. It must've been something you said. I just died in your arms tonight. Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight. It must've been some kind of kiss. I should have walked away. I should've walked away.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=629853&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
I keep looking for something I can't get. Broken hearts lie all around me, and I don't see an easy way to get out of this. Her diary, it sits on the bedside table. The curtains are closed. The cat's in the cradle. Who would've thought that a boy like me could come to this? Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight. It must've been something you said. I just died in your arms tonight. Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight. It must've been some kind of kiss. I should have walked away. I should've walked away.
#2 I do not like you I wonder if it bad, you can if you have good people do not know. His life and soul together, not just be Cold war, tired, but I know every nerve fibers difficult heart Broken, frozen my life. I do not want this anymore. It is better shoes, even one day be broken or not. If we want to do better? It would be better for me more often, green is very cool, if we are not helpless or not.
» #2 - Click for the answer. «
"Wouldn't It be Good?" by Nik Kershaw.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1696551&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
I got it bad. You don't know how bad I got it. You got it easy. You don't know when you got it good. It's getting harder just keeping life and soul together. I'm sick of fighting, even though I know I should. The cold is biting through each and every nerve and fibre. My broken spirit is frozen to the core. I don't wanna be here anymore. Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes, even if it was for just one day? Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away? Wouldn't it be good to be on your side? The grass is always greener over there. Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care?
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1696551&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
I got it bad. You don't know how bad I got it. You got it easy. You don't know when you got it good. It's getting harder just keeping life and soul together. I'm sick of fighting, even though I know I should. The cold is biting through each and every nerve and fibre. My broken spirit is frozen to the core. I don't wanna be here anymore. Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes, even if it was for just one day? Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away? Wouldn't it be good to be on your side? The grass is always greener over there. Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care?
#3 It was morning. The sun is up to the last. Last night was shaking quite large. After teaching my cat scratch my skin, otherwise the error? Hungry children will tell him about his service and good food. Add to a new place. I went here when I can: If you want to make me the storm here: If you want to make the storm.
» #3 - Click for the answer. «
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" by the Scorpions.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=480180463&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
It's early morning. The sun comes out. Last night was shaking and pretty loud. My cat is purring and scratches my skin, so what is wrong with another sin? The bitch is hungry. She needs to tell, so give her inches and feed her well. More days to come, new places to go. I've got to leave: it's time for a show. Here I am: rock you like a hurricane. Here I am: rock you like a hurricane.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=480180463&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
It's early morning. The sun comes out. Last night was shaking and pretty loud. My cat is purring and scratches my skin, so what is wrong with another sin? The bitch is hungry. She needs to tell, so give her inches and feed her well. More days to come, new places to go. I've got to leave: it's time for a show. Here I am: rock you like a hurricane. Here I am: rock you like a hurricane.
#4 So, how kabarmu I walked, I saw men and women. This is not the time to talk. Music and hot women, where they were born and began to start properly. However, just look the other way. New York Times' to trying to understand the impact on our people. If the mother and family, you live. We live in a city miles we all feel broken, I want to live life.
» #4 - Click for the answer. «
"Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1406855&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I'm a woman's man. No time to talk. Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around since I was born, and now it's all right. It's okay, and you may look the other way. We can try to understand the New York Times' effect on man. Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, you're staying alive, staying alive. Feel the city breaking and everybody shaking, and we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1406855&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I'm a woman's man. No time to talk. Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around since I was born, and now it's all right. It's okay, and you may look the other way. We can try to understand the New York Times' effect on man. Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, you're staying alive, staying alive. Feel the city breaking and everybody shaking, and we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
#5 New Orleans east, they want the sun, and many poor children in the home, this is the balance. And God, I know. It is normal that new sewing blue jeans. My dad, gambling man Down in New Orleans said. Now only the players and the bag and luggage only won when he saw the required 20,000.
» #5 - Click for the answer. «
"House of the Rising Sun" as performed by the Animals.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&page=1&keyid=589048&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
There is a house in New Orleans they call the Rising Sun, and it's been the ruin of many a poor boy. And, God, I know I'm one. My mother was a tailor; she sewed my new blue jeans. My father was a gambling man down in New Orleans. Now the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase and trunk, and the only time he's satisfied is when he's all drunk.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&page=1&keyid=589048&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
There is a house in New Orleans they call the Rising Sun, and it's been the ruin of many a poor boy. And, God, I know I'm one. My mother was a tailor; she sewed my new blue jeans. My father was a gambling man down in New Orleans. Now the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase and trunk, and the only time he's satisfied is when he's all drunk.
#6 Now I had seen what I saw off Queen Knight drum drum and sing and bow tree farm is excluded. Announce the day and swim Mother Nature Watch 19-70 air travel to travel to visit 70 Mother Nature I was burning in the basement of the full moon in my eyes I burst through the sky Sunday, I hope to replace. Band playing in my head feel better. I think my friends that I hope will My friends think he wants his own address.
» #6 - Click for the answer. «
"After the Goldrush" by Neil Young.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=10423&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Well, I dreamed I saw the knights in armour coming, saying something about a queen. There were peasants singing and drummers drumming, and the archer split the tree. There was a fanfare blowing to the sun that was floating on the breeze. Look at Mother Nature on the run in the nineteen-seventies. Look at Mother Nature on the run in the nineteen seventies. I was lying in a burned-out basement with the full moon in my eyes. I was hoping for replacement when the sun burst through the sky. There was a band playing in my head, and I felt like getting high. I was thinking about what a friend had said: I was hoping it was a lie. Thinking about what a friend had said, I was hoping it was a lie.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=10423&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
Well, I dreamed I saw the knights in armour coming, saying something about a queen. There were peasants singing and drummers drumming, and the archer split the tree. There was a fanfare blowing to the sun that was floating on the breeze. Look at Mother Nature on the run in the nineteen-seventies. Look at Mother Nature on the run in the nineteen seventies. I was lying in a burned-out basement with the full moon in my eyes. I was hoping for replacement when the sun burst through the sky. There was a band playing in my head, and I felt like getting high. I was thinking about what a friend had said: I was hoping it was a lie. Thinking about what a friend had said, I was hoping it was a lie.
#7 Please call to revive: I fear the weakness of the Year and lively shaking colleagues here monsŵn to tears listening to the bass boom: US, unbearably big break Store: a and called the police to your But did not dare stare, you can go for you. I compared the remaining pieces dice. Competitive pay, you win / I'm right and you knock your mother.
» #7 - Click for the answer. «
"Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=430434103&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
Don't call it a comeback: I've been here for years rocking my peers and putting suckers in fear, making the tears rain down like a monsoon. Listen to the bass go boom: explosion, overpowering. Over the competition I'm towering. Wrecking shop: when I drop these lyrics that'll make you call the cops, don't you dare stare; you'd better move. Don't ever compare me to the rest: that'll all get sliced and diced. Competition's paying the price. I'm going to knock you out. Mama said knock you out.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=430434103&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
Don't call it a comeback: I've been here for years rocking my peers and putting suckers in fear, making the tears rain down like a monsoon. Listen to the bass go boom: explosion, overpowering. Over the competition I'm towering. Wrecking shop: when I drop these lyrics that'll make you call the cops, don't you dare stare; you'd better move. Don't ever compare me to the rest: that'll all get sliced and diced. Competition's paying the price. I'm going to knock you out. Mama said knock you out.
#8 I think I'm ready for you. I think I'm ready for you. I think I'm ready for you. I am, but more money, no comment on the money. This is more than money, they want to build. At the time, it will be worth many times more. oh, so ayolah, patience and time to do it correctly, you need to do, and they are.
» #8 - Click for the answer. «
"Got My Mind Set on You" by George Harrison.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=684540&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
I got my mind set on you. I got my mind set on you. I got my mind set on you. I got my mind set on you, but it's going to take money, a whole lot of spending money. It's going to take plenty of money to do it right, child. It's going to take time, a whole lot of precious time. Its gonna take patience and time to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it right, child.
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=684540&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
I got my mind set on you. I got my mind set on you. I got my mind set on you. I got my mind set on you, but it's going to take money, a whole lot of spending money. It's going to take plenty of money to do it right, child. It's going to take time, a whole lot of precious time. Its gonna take patience and time to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it right, child.
#9 He worked in a restaurant. My daughter just overlooked. I never saw him only end mezzanine Small-town father is not always the root of his movement continued. One of the desert road riding Harley Davidson - flying wind her long hair to yellow. He fled chrome steel air atmosfääriõhku driver hit 2.1.
» #9 - Click for the answer. «
"Unknown Legend" by Neil Young.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=510091902&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
She used to work in a diner. I never saw a woman look finer. I used to order just to watch her float across the floor. She grew up in a small town, never put her roots down: daddy always kept moving, so she did too. Somewhere on a desert highway, she rides a Harley-Davidson; her long blonde hair flying in the wind. She's been running half her life, the chrome and steel she rides colliding with the very air she breathes, the air she breathes.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=510091902&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
She used to work in a diner. I never saw a woman look finer. I used to order just to watch her float across the floor. She grew up in a small town, never put her roots down: daddy always kept moving, so she did too. Somewhere on a desert highway, she rides a Harley-Davidson; her long blonde hair flying in the wind. She's been running half her life, the chrome and steel she rides colliding with the very air she breathes, the air she breathes.
#10 Just woke up on Thanksgiving morning. I do not know this seems odd: no smoke from cooking breakfast mother dog Pars no wheelbarrow I'm not digging mines and pigs. Finally I would like to dig, buy a low to let me hold the door when he pressured another 24 I think you need to change "I will be changing my me to ass my glass of me and see all Jacker is on fire the red Kim that his voice, he asked all my homies back care, I hope everyone can "I played basketball in my garden" Me. In court my problem: to finish second and third last week. MJ niggas do not deviate so all the good that day.
» #10 - Click for the answer. «
"It Was a Good Day" by Ice Cube.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=390512515&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
Just waking up in the morning, I've got to thank God. I don't know, but today seems kind of odd: no barking from the dogs, no smog, and mama cooked a breakfast with no hog. I've got my grub on, but didn't pig out. I finally got a call from a girl I want to dig out. Hooked it up on later as I hit the door, thinking, "Will I live another twenty-four?" I've got to go because I got me a drop top, and if I hit the switch, I can make the ass drop. Had to stop at a red light, looking in my mirror, not a jacker in sight, and everything is all right. I got a beep from Kim, and she can fuck all night. I called up the homies and I'm asking you all, "which park are you all playin basketball?" Get me on the court and I'm trouble: last week, I fucked around and got a triple double. Freaking niggas everyway like M.J. I can't believe, today was a good day.
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=390512515&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1
Just waking up in the morning, I've got to thank God. I don't know, but today seems kind of odd: no barking from the dogs, no smog, and mama cooked a breakfast with no hog. I've got my grub on, but didn't pig out. I finally got a call from a girl I want to dig out. Hooked it up on later as I hit the door, thinking, "Will I live another twenty-four?" I've got to go because I got me a drop top, and if I hit the switch, I can make the ass drop. Had to stop at a red light, looking in my mirror, not a jacker in sight, and everything is all right. I got a beep from Kim, and she can fuck all night. I called up the homies and I'm asking you all, "which park are you all playin basketball?" Get me on the court and I'm trouble: last week, I fucked around and got a triple double. Freaking niggas everyway like M.J. I can't believe, today was a good day.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
More Decapitation Classic
Sometimes I like to excerpt a thing or two from my other blogs here. Especially since most of them are collecting dust anyway. In this entry here I explain what the 'Decapitation Classic' blog is/was all about. So read that for background - and then here's a few other 'poems' from the meagre Decapitation Classic archives.
Details about 'Cowards Called Conscience' can be found here.
Details about 'Raven as Written' can be found here.
“Cowards Called Conscience”
Monday's death of dreams and sleep -
Life is a disaster. It is too long.
In contrast, the goal is: You die, okay?
Victims are proud to ignore the criticism.
We are living in the coil.
I think we know another person?
However, after the death, fear of something:
Natural pain and shock.
Naked punch?
I love the pain and contempt.
Sweat away from your life exhausted,
Contempt for the whip and time.
The last word: more sleep.
This is the meat from the back end.
We are all cowards called conscience;
Please remember all my sins.
Details about 'Cowards Called Conscience' can be found here.
“Raven as Written”
He is before the house, and the wood
has been on the table.
One is lying, sitting between them,
and all are easy to use.
Three were crammed into many of the rooms:
"Some wine," she said, "strong voice."
I felt all the traffic, but I have nothing.
"I do not drink," I said.
While I was looking for a great curiosity,
this was his first appearance.
I opened my eyes to hear his hat:
This is the same, you know.
When breathing sleeps, it seems to speak:
Blues are green and watch.
If you were baptized and see him again,
to make bread, this is a knife.
The parties must be silent in time.
The writing, the money, no more.
The answer is that you think you cannot
shake frequently, and live in the ears.
"No, leave it. This is the answer?"
"I am, especially in this relationship."
"I do not."
Details about 'Raven as Written' can be found here.
Friday, May 13, 2011
A Cross-Post from Poll Vaulting
I just posted this at my Poll Vaulting blog, but I like it and I thought I'd stick it here too:
So I'm looking at Elections Canada's results. One thing that intrigues me, and has always intrigued me, about Canada's electoral system is how far from consensus we ever are: a party can come as close as possible to acclamation in one riding and be a complete non-entity in another riding. I realise this is just a reality of the federation we happen to call home, where disparate interests are brought together in a union that, for better or worse, is frequently more pragmatic than ideological. We might even come, one day, to see these schisms as positions of strength.The Bloc Québécois were, of course, beaten pretty heavily this time out, squeaking ahead of the competition in only four ridings in the province. Yet in most of Québec, they still managed to come in second, and their overall vote tally remained second as well - where the Liberals and the Conservatives both managed more seats int he province than the BQ, that's because they rely on certain pockets of support. The BQ is now a victim of their broad across-the-board appeal.Well, mostly across the board. It should come as no surprise that Mount Royal (excluding of course the 233 ridings where they did not field a candidate) is the riding where they performed worst, with a laughable 2.9% of the vote. It's one of ten ridings, however, where they failed to obtain even ten percent of the vote - and not all of those ridings are in Montréal. While their best performance was, not surprisingly, one of the four ridings that they took, Bas-Richilieu--Nicolet--Bécancour with 38.3% (still nowhere near 50%, I hasten to add), their second-best turnout of 36.4% was in a riding they lost to the NDP, Verchères--Les Patriotes. Their four victories came in their first, third, seventh and twelfth-best contests.With the Liberals, the real extent of their current predicament is visible in these riding-by-riding results. As of this most recent election, there are currently a rather horrifying 91 ridings where Liberal support is in the single-digits. Not for the first time, Jonquière--Alma takes the cake for 'worst Liberal performance', with a horrid 1.98% of the vote representing barely a thousand votes (in second-worst-performing Saskatoon--Rosetown--Biggar, their 2.3% was less than 700 votes). This is fringe-party-level support, and indicates that the Liberals will have to do a lot of work to be seen as a truly 'national' party again.The only real glimmer of light in the Liberals' disastrous May 2nd was the one that came first - Newfoundland, the only province they 'won' in terms of popular support. It should come as no surprise that the Liberals' three best performances in the country are all on the rock, including Bonavista--Gander--Grand Falls--Windsor and Humber--St. Barbe--Baie Verte, at 57.7% and 57.0% respecively the only ridings in the country, two of 308 contested, where the Liberals took a majority of votes. That's two more than the BQ managed, but that must be small consolation for them.The NDP, by comparison, have to be looking at these riding-by-riding results with a certain degree of satisfaction. There's a tendency at the moment to see the NDP's breakthrough as strictly a Québec thing, but consider this: of 308 ridings, there are only two, Crowfoot and Portage--Lisgar, where the NDP managed less than ten percent of the vote - 9.1% and 9.8% respectively - two is a smaller number and 9.1% is a higher number than any other party in the country, meaning that when they turn to 2015, they'll find a higher basement than the other parties regarding room-for-growth on a riding-by-riding level. The fact that their two worst performances are in the Prairies ought to give them an idea of how to progress as well.The toplines are satisfying too for the NDP, I imagine, with king-of-the-hill being Jack Harris in St. John's East, where his remarkable 71.2% actually represents a drop from 2008. Jack Layton's own performance of 60.8% was merely fifth-best, though satisfyingly the top five are all from different provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Québec and Ontario, respectively). All-in-all thirty-six of their 102 seats were won with bare majorities of 50% or more - a decent number but by no means sensational. As regards local hegemony, for sensation we must look elsewhere.The Conservatives arguably have less across-the-board consistency than the NDP at the moment, with much more embarrassing bottom-of-the-barrel numbers. Yet their peak performances are that much higher - the Conservatives won this election not by being 'Canada's party' so much as by having extraordinary levels of success in certain parts of the country. And, of course, by squeaking by in many others.The Conservatives' worst performance is a rather horrid 3.5%, in Gilles Duceppe's own former riding of Laurier--Sainte-Marie, where fewer than 1800 people cast their vote for the party who now has a majority government in the country. That the basement is in Québec should come as no surprise: amazingly their forty-two worst ridings are all in La Belle Province, with my own riding of Davenport the worst in the so-called 'RoC'. Only 23 of those are less than 10%, though, a much smaller number than the Liberals currently have to contend with.Their best performance nationwide should come as no surprise: it's Kevin Sorenson's fiefdom of Crowfoot, where the only two times since the creation of the riding in 1968 that the conservative candidate has won less than 70% of the vote were two elections in which the conservative vote was split in two. United, they anaged this time out to award Harper's party with a shocking 84.0% of the vote. In fact, 13 of the top 16 Conservative victories were all located within Alberta, and they were all more than 70%.There were a stunning 107 ridings in 2011 in which the Conservatives got more than 50% of the vote - almost two-thirds of the ridings that they won. Anyone wanting to blame 'vote-splitting' or a disunified opposition for the Conservatives' victory needs to consider this very important fact: where the Conservatives are strong, they are very strong indeed, and it's tough to imagine any other party forming a proper national government in Canada without making very serious inroads into those 107 ridings. At the moment, there are more ridings where a completely united opposition would still not shake the Tories' victory than there are ridings won in total by any other party in the country. The NDP managed an impressive 102 seats, squeaking by with less than 50% in two-thirds of those ridings. And yet the Tories' fortress ridings actually amount to a larger number than that. And they actually managed to obtain at least one of these bare-majorities in every province in the country except Newfoundland and Labrador: one in PEI, two in Nova Scotia, four in New Brunswick, one in Québec, 40 in Ontario, nine in Manitoba, ten in Saskatchewan, 25 in 28-seat Alberta, and 15 in British Columbia.That's a remarkable coast-to-coast victory, and it indicates the breadth of Harper's current mandate, which is much deeper than a popular vote of less than 40% might indicate.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Some of My Reddit Election Chatter
During the election campaign, I spent a lot of time on Reddit, at the r/canada subreddit, talking about politics. If nothing else, it was nice watching the 'orange tide' happen among a certain demographic. Being a lifelong NDPer, I found the Reddit crew being strongly anti-Harper but otherwise divided at the beginning of the campaign, with loyalties seemingly evenly split between the four 'opposition' parties and lots of talk about 'strategic voting'. By the end, that was all dead, and it was all moustache, all the time.
Here's a sampling of moments of pithiness (and on occasion sincerity) on my part in the world of Reddit.
Responding to a question asking who thinks the New Democratic Party should rename itself the "Democratic Party": "Jack Layton does. Or at least did. ¶ They talked about it last year. One reason they decided not to is that the'd become the 'Parti DĂ©mocratique' and they would be called 'pĂ©distes', which is slang for a paedophile. At the time (just a year ago, Jesus Christ) there was talk about, 'well how much does the French name really matter?' I think that might have changed by now..."
Talking about newspaper endorsements: "Notice that the vast majority of newspapers, who have over the past month been gated behind steel bars, fed false information, drowned out, ignored and humiliated by Stephen Harper and his Conservatives, still are throwing their weight behind Harper and his party - something which hardly bodes well for journalistic access in the future. The Hamilton Spectator, a TorStar paper in an overwhelmingly NDP city, is stumping for the Tories. The Montreal Gazette, in a city where the Tories are perhaps polling at 10%, wants a Tory majority. The Economist, which is not even Canadian, endorses the Tories."
Talking about the 'happy ending massage parlour' would-be scandal: "It's no more obscene than Sun Media masturbating Stephen Harper."
Responding to someone saying vote splitting will elect a Conservative majority: "Here's an alternate scenario that I haven't been able to shake from my mind: pollsters have formulae for tweaking their results. They don't actually post the raw data from their phone calls but numbers that they've altered, based on previous results, to get what they believe are more accurate results. Everyone always says the NDP poll higher before e-day than they do on e-day. For the reasons you've listed above. So pollsters would have been fools not to account for that. I wonder if the raw data from their phone polls isn't closer to an even split for the Tories and the NDP. ¶ And there are two reasons to think that the NDP will be better able to GTVO this time: One is that people get cold feet on e-day because they realise the NDP don't have a chance - which is clearly not true this time out. Two is because the new NDP supporters are coming from the Liberals and the Bloc - who usually have high turnout. So it's more politically committed people currently inflating Layton's numbers. And I don't think the pollsters have taken that into consideration. ¶ You might be right. But you might also be completely wrong.
Responding to someone laughing at a sign about the 'NPD' and presuming it's a typo: "Dude, I totally saw some election signs that totally misspelt 'Conservative' by putting 'eur' at the end, and I saw some where there was this line above the 'e' in 'Liberals'... Hilarious."
In reference to Harper's quote that the NDP is proof that the Devil lives and interferes in the affairs of men: "Hail Satan."
A sarcastic rejoinder to someone expressing surprise that his union asked him to vote NDP: "OMFG a union supporting the NDP? Whatever is the world coming to...? ¶ Oh, wait, isn't the Canadian Labour Congress a founding member of the NDP?"
In response to a claim that the name of the Conservative Party is proof that they're good with a dollar: "Don't you know that you should vote for parties based only on their name? After all, it's only a dislike of the monarchy that makes Americans vote Republican, and it's an appreciation of hard work that makes Brits vote Labour."
Replying to a claim that a Harper majority would have people on he streets protesting for Proportional Representation: "That's true. When Chrétien won a majority with only 38.5% of the popular vote in 1997, the streets were filled with people demaning Proportional Representation. Man, FPTP was all people could talk about back then."
Chiming in on an analysis of where the Liberals went wrong: "Another way of analysing that split: Ontario Liberals and Québec Liberals. The Ontario Liberals kept the Bay Street dollars flowing and the Québec Liberals brought the passion. The rest of the country didn't matter very much. It was a pretty efficient system."
Again: "I agree on the first point. The red-door-blue-door thing is a bust, and he hasn't really inspired with policy. Apparently his town halls are roof-raisers, but those are partisan events. ¶ Personally I think Ignatieff is good at what he does. He'll be a good pundit. But politician does not seem to be his vocation, despite being a politician from the top of his head to his tippy-toes, or whatever that god-awful quote was."
Also on Liberal failure, in response to someone asking about differences between Tory attack ads during Dion and during Ignatieff, and asking that I call the latter 'by his full name' and not 'Iggy': "That's an interesting question. I think StĂ©phane Maurice Dion is by nature more left-wing than Michael Grant Ignatieff, and I think in fact Michael Grant Ignatieff holds several views that are right-wing enough to appeal to small-c conservatives. I think against his will he's been pushed to embrace a more left-wing agenda. Do you recall that when Michael Grant Ignatieff became leader, the wife of StĂ©phane Maurice Dion started musing aloud on Twitter about a defection to the NDP? ¶ Regarding the Conservatives - in both case they've fought largely on the 'not a leader' angle. But Ignatieff is more savvy in front of a camera if nothing else, and that might have made a bit more of a difference in 2008. With the environment off the agenda in 2011, Dion might have been a less polarising figure, but he'd also have lost much of his raison d'ĂŞtre. ¶ A pleasant parlour game, but what matters is who comes next. I doubt it's Bob Rae, and I'm really curious who it would be. Marc Garneau would be interesting."
My initial comment on Liberal failure, which netted me a lot of upvotes: "There are a few reasons why. Among other things, I think the Liberals haven't really shown a willingness to learn from mistakes. People still remember sponsorship, they still feel that Liberals have a false sense of entitlement, and Ignatieff's umbrage at Harper's democratic failings ring hollow. ¶ Igntieff is a good man and the Liberals are a good party. But they need a serious start-from-zero rethink. They need to be 'the little guys', I think, and claw their way back up. Because what used to work for them isn't working anymore."
When someone suggested incredulously that the NDP might be taking votes from the Tories: "That's not as surprising as it might seem in Ontario and in big cities. The NDP and the Conservatives both originated as Western populist protest parties, after all. They have a decent amount of common ground regarding stance, if not policy. People who supported Harper 100 years ago as 'one of us' might now find he's too Ottawa now, and Layton might be looking more like the new 'one of us'."
Talking about the leaked Tory-compiled list of Harper quotations: "Do you know what's creepy as hell? Each quote is properly annotated, and in the 'context' section, Harper is always referred to not by name but as 'The Leader'. Capital T, capital L. ¶ Jesus Christ, this man is Kim Jong-Il."
Commenting on Joe Volpe's assistant throwing out Green pamphlets: "What's sick is that while Volpe's riding is one of the most hotly contested in the 416, the Green are barely even a spoiler (let alone a contender). It's like a heavyweight boxer deciding that in order to take on the other heavyweaight, he'd better beat up a few toddlers first."
When someone asked why there was no 'unite the left' movement: "No Unite the Left movement? It seems like I never hear anything else. ¶ I'm amazed at how Ignatieff's Liberals are considered 'left'."
When someone got insulted that I suggested that airing Ignatieff's infomercial during Easter Sunday was a mistake since those likely to be watching were likely to already be Liberal supporters: "Why is it insulting? Single adults and the non-religious vote Liberal in higher numbers than the rest of the population. I didn't say all Liberals are family-hatin' god-hatin' types. I said the demographics likely to be tuning in on Easter Sunday are more likely to be Liberal than the other parties. I could have said the same thing about a hockey game. It's just sheer demographics. ¶ And there is one way I'm insulting - or at least criticising - the Liberal party, which I'll stand by: they've made too little of an effort to wrest votes from the Conservatives. Too much of what they've been doing feels like preaching to the converted."
When someone asked, regarding an EKOS typo, what 'British Colombia' was supposed to be: "Shakira with bad teeth."
Attempting to explain differences between polling houses: "There are a lot of tiny factors that can tweak results: (1) do you list leader's names when asking who you'll vote for (favours NDP)? (2) do you even list parties at all or just ask the person responding to name them (lowers Green numbers)? (3) do you use only landlines (favours Cons)? (4) do you only speak French when polling in Québec (favours BQ)? (5) do you poll during hockey games (favours Libs)? The list goes on and on."
Criticising strategic voting: "Hear hear. Strategic voting is holding us back from making real, positive changes to our country. Being told 'your only hope of preventing Harper is voting Liberal' is just as insulting as being told 'the only way to prevent instability is a Conservative majority'."
A huge upvote for a comment in response to the first polls that showed the NDP and the Liberals neck-and-neck: "What this means is that 'strategic voting' sites no longer know what they're talking about - their logic is that you should vote Libs if they're ahead of the NDP or vice versa if vice versa. But noody knows who's ahead anymore in a seriously large number of ridings. ¶ After all, if your heart's with the NDP but you want to cast your lot with the Libs to keep the Cons out - might that not now be counterproductive?"
In response to someone asking why people vote NDP if it might split the vote and lead to a Tory win: "I am not merely voting against the vision of Canada that I disagree with, I am voting for the vision of Canada that comes closest to my own. ¶ I am approaching forty years old but I still believe that government is a power that can and should be used to make the world a better place. I believe people are stronger when they look out for each other and when they stand together; I believe that governmnet is a tool that the people have at their service to best attain these goals. I believe that the sick should be looked after, that workers should be treated with dignity and that the future of our planet should be the starting point for all of the decisions we make that can effect it. ¶ I believe that the people who represent us should hold the same values; they shouldn't merely be beholden to the whims of popular opinion. I have to know that my MPs are progressive, not merely that they can drape themselves in a progressive flag when it suits their interests. ¶ I have only one vote; only one way to add my voice to the way we are governed. I choose to use it to try to build the Canada I want to see, not merely to prevent a Canada I fear seeing. ¶ I refuse to lose hope or to lower my aim; so I vote NDP."
Here's a sampling of moments of pithiness (and on occasion sincerity) on my part in the world of Reddit.
Responding to a question asking who thinks the New Democratic Party should rename itself the "Democratic Party": "Jack Layton does. Or at least did. ¶ They talked about it last year. One reason they decided not to is that the'd become the 'Parti DĂ©mocratique' and they would be called 'pĂ©distes', which is slang for a paedophile. At the time (just a year ago, Jesus Christ) there was talk about, 'well how much does the French name really matter?' I think that might have changed by now..."
Talking about newspaper endorsements: "Notice that the vast majority of newspapers, who have over the past month been gated behind steel bars, fed false information, drowned out, ignored and humiliated by Stephen Harper and his Conservatives, still are throwing their weight behind Harper and his party - something which hardly bodes well for journalistic access in the future. The Hamilton Spectator, a TorStar paper in an overwhelmingly NDP city, is stumping for the Tories. The Montreal Gazette, in a city where the Tories are perhaps polling at 10%, wants a Tory majority. The Economist, which is not even Canadian, endorses the Tories."
Talking about the 'happy ending massage parlour' would-be scandal: "It's no more obscene than Sun Media masturbating Stephen Harper."
Responding to someone saying vote splitting will elect a Conservative majority: "Here's an alternate scenario that I haven't been able to shake from my mind: pollsters have formulae for tweaking their results. They don't actually post the raw data from their phone calls but numbers that they've altered, based on previous results, to get what they believe are more accurate results. Everyone always says the NDP poll higher before e-day than they do on e-day. For the reasons you've listed above. So pollsters would have been fools not to account for that. I wonder if the raw data from their phone polls isn't closer to an even split for the Tories and the NDP. ¶ And there are two reasons to think that the NDP will be better able to GTVO this time: One is that people get cold feet on e-day because they realise the NDP don't have a chance - which is clearly not true this time out. Two is because the new NDP supporters are coming from the Liberals and the Bloc - who usually have high turnout. So it's more politically committed people currently inflating Layton's numbers. And I don't think the pollsters have taken that into consideration. ¶ You might be right. But you might also be completely wrong.
Responding to someone laughing at a sign about the 'NPD' and presuming it's a typo: "Dude, I totally saw some election signs that totally misspelt 'Conservative' by putting 'eur' at the end, and I saw some where there was this line above the 'e' in 'Liberals'... Hilarious."
In reference to Harper's quote that the NDP is proof that the Devil lives and interferes in the affairs of men: "Hail Satan."
A sarcastic rejoinder to someone expressing surprise that his union asked him to vote NDP: "OMFG a union supporting the NDP? Whatever is the world coming to...? ¶ Oh, wait, isn't the Canadian Labour Congress a founding member of the NDP?"
In response to a claim that the name of the Conservative Party is proof that they're good with a dollar: "Don't you know that you should vote for parties based only on their name? After all, it's only a dislike of the monarchy that makes Americans vote Republican, and it's an appreciation of hard work that makes Brits vote Labour."
Replying to a claim that a Harper majority would have people on he streets protesting for Proportional Representation: "That's true. When Chrétien won a majority with only 38.5% of the popular vote in 1997, the streets were filled with people demaning Proportional Representation. Man, FPTP was all people could talk about back then."
Chiming in on an analysis of where the Liberals went wrong: "Another way of analysing that split: Ontario Liberals and Québec Liberals. The Ontario Liberals kept the Bay Street dollars flowing and the Québec Liberals brought the passion. The rest of the country didn't matter very much. It was a pretty efficient system."
Again: "I agree on the first point. The red-door-blue-door thing is a bust, and he hasn't really inspired with policy. Apparently his town halls are roof-raisers, but those are partisan events. ¶ Personally I think Ignatieff is good at what he does. He'll be a good pundit. But politician does not seem to be his vocation, despite being a politician from the top of his head to his tippy-toes, or whatever that god-awful quote was."
Also on Liberal failure, in response to someone asking about differences between Tory attack ads during Dion and during Ignatieff, and asking that I call the latter 'by his full name' and not 'Iggy': "That's an interesting question. I think StĂ©phane Maurice Dion is by nature more left-wing than Michael Grant Ignatieff, and I think in fact Michael Grant Ignatieff holds several views that are right-wing enough to appeal to small-c conservatives. I think against his will he's been pushed to embrace a more left-wing agenda. Do you recall that when Michael Grant Ignatieff became leader, the wife of StĂ©phane Maurice Dion started musing aloud on Twitter about a defection to the NDP? ¶ Regarding the Conservatives - in both case they've fought largely on the 'not a leader' angle. But Ignatieff is more savvy in front of a camera if nothing else, and that might have made a bit more of a difference in 2008. With the environment off the agenda in 2011, Dion might have been a less polarising figure, but he'd also have lost much of his raison d'ĂŞtre. ¶ A pleasant parlour game, but what matters is who comes next. I doubt it's Bob Rae, and I'm really curious who it would be. Marc Garneau would be interesting."
My initial comment on Liberal failure, which netted me a lot of upvotes: "There are a few reasons why. Among other things, I think the Liberals haven't really shown a willingness to learn from mistakes. People still remember sponsorship, they still feel that Liberals have a false sense of entitlement, and Ignatieff's umbrage at Harper's democratic failings ring hollow. ¶ Igntieff is a good man and the Liberals are a good party. But they need a serious start-from-zero rethink. They need to be 'the little guys', I think, and claw their way back up. Because what used to work for them isn't working anymore."
When someone suggested incredulously that the NDP might be taking votes from the Tories: "That's not as surprising as it might seem in Ontario and in big cities. The NDP and the Conservatives both originated as Western populist protest parties, after all. They have a decent amount of common ground regarding stance, if not policy. People who supported Harper 100 years ago as 'one of us' might now find he's too Ottawa now, and Layton might be looking more like the new 'one of us'."
Talking about the leaked Tory-compiled list of Harper quotations: "Do you know what's creepy as hell? Each quote is properly annotated, and in the 'context' section, Harper is always referred to not by name but as 'The Leader'. Capital T, capital L. ¶ Jesus Christ, this man is Kim Jong-Il."
Commenting on Joe Volpe's assistant throwing out Green pamphlets: "What's sick is that while Volpe's riding is one of the most hotly contested in the 416, the Green are barely even a spoiler (let alone a contender). It's like a heavyweight boxer deciding that in order to take on the other heavyweaight, he'd better beat up a few toddlers first."
When someone asked why there was no 'unite the left' movement: "No Unite the Left movement? It seems like I never hear anything else. ¶ I'm amazed at how Ignatieff's Liberals are considered 'left'."
When someone got insulted that I suggested that airing Ignatieff's infomercial during Easter Sunday was a mistake since those likely to be watching were likely to already be Liberal supporters: "Why is it insulting? Single adults and the non-religious vote Liberal in higher numbers than the rest of the population. I didn't say all Liberals are family-hatin' god-hatin' types. I said the demographics likely to be tuning in on Easter Sunday are more likely to be Liberal than the other parties. I could have said the same thing about a hockey game. It's just sheer demographics. ¶ And there is one way I'm insulting - or at least criticising - the Liberal party, which I'll stand by: they've made too little of an effort to wrest votes from the Conservatives. Too much of what they've been doing feels like preaching to the converted."
When someone asked, regarding an EKOS typo, what 'British Colombia' was supposed to be: "Shakira with bad teeth."
Attempting to explain differences between polling houses: "There are a lot of tiny factors that can tweak results: (1) do you list leader's names when asking who you'll vote for (favours NDP)? (2) do you even list parties at all or just ask the person responding to name them (lowers Green numbers)? (3) do you use only landlines (favours Cons)? (4) do you only speak French when polling in Québec (favours BQ)? (5) do you poll during hockey games (favours Libs)? The list goes on and on."
Criticising strategic voting: "Hear hear. Strategic voting is holding us back from making real, positive changes to our country. Being told 'your only hope of preventing Harper is voting Liberal' is just as insulting as being told 'the only way to prevent instability is a Conservative majority'."
A huge upvote for a comment in response to the first polls that showed the NDP and the Liberals neck-and-neck: "What this means is that 'strategic voting' sites no longer know what they're talking about - their logic is that you should vote Libs if they're ahead of the NDP or vice versa if vice versa. But noody knows who's ahead anymore in a seriously large number of ridings. ¶ After all, if your heart's with the NDP but you want to cast your lot with the Libs to keep the Cons out - might that not now be counterproductive?"
In response to someone asking why people vote NDP if it might split the vote and lead to a Tory win: "I am not merely voting against the vision of Canada that I disagree with, I am voting for the vision of Canada that comes closest to my own. ¶ I am approaching forty years old but I still believe that government is a power that can and should be used to make the world a better place. I believe people are stronger when they look out for each other and when they stand together; I believe that governmnet is a tool that the people have at their service to best attain these goals. I believe that the sick should be looked after, that workers should be treated with dignity and that the future of our planet should be the starting point for all of the decisions we make that can effect it. ¶ I believe that the people who represent us should hold the same values; they shouldn't merely be beholden to the whims of popular opinion. I have to know that my MPs are progressive, not merely that they can drape themselves in a progressive flag when it suits their interests. ¶ I have only one vote; only one way to add my voice to the way we are governed. I choose to use it to try to build the Canada I want to see, not merely to prevent a Canada I fear seeing. ¶ I refuse to lose hope or to lower my aim; so I vote NDP."
Friday, May 6, 2011
Some Highlights
Here are a few things I've written here and there that I thought deserved note:
- A really detailed look at the Beatles' White Album.
- An overly fearful look at what 'vote splitting' could mean, looking at the 2008 numbers.
- Something about how every album Elvis Presley released in the 1970s had the very same cover.
- A quiz I really enjoyed doing featuring morphed faces.
- An introduction to a large-scale look at the Wailers' recorded legacy; this is a w-i-p.
- Songs where the singer's accent spoils the rhyme scheme.
- One of my most popular posts: a list of the best flags in the world.
- A poem, God forbid, about drugs.
- The first of a three-part look at the cover-art legacy of Hipgnosis.
- A list of ten evil, evil clowns.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Vote Moustache
Just a quick plug for a blog entry I did on another blog of mine (I've been so neglectful of the poor darlings), "A Lust for Lists". It's about political moustaches like the Big Man himself, possibly cruising to the PMO with a face full of fur. Strange times!
Here it is: Ten Political Moustaches
Here it is: Ten Political Moustaches
Labels:
A Lust for Lists,
Blogwhoring,
moustache,
Politics
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Worst Songs in the World: the Quiz Answers
So here are the answers from yesterday. These delightfully 'incisive' little barbs (not to brag, but I think some of them really hit their mark) describe which songs? Well, now it can be told.
- He feels at times like a song-composing computer: the result seems convincing on first glance, but if you look a little deeper it fails the Turing test conclusively. "Hip to be Square" by Huey Lewis and the News (1986)
- He's a puppet in the video, driving home the point that it's all a big cartoon, but that's no mitigation: I don't listen to the Teletubbies either. "Ass Like That" by Eminem (2005)
- Wikipedia reveals that the song was written with only one chord: which makes sense, as everything about is screams monotonous and dull. "Coconut" by Harry Nilsson (1971)
- This was a band that had abandoned incisive social criticism for purposeless button-pushing, a band that had, like lexicographers before and after, confused anarchy with mere chaos. "No One is Innocent" by Ronnie Biggs and the Sex Pistols (1978)
- Which brings to mind the word 'flaccid' – a perfect word to describe this song, which despite all of its huff-and-puff is as empty as a deflated balloon. "How am I Supposed to Live Without You" by Michael Bolton (1989)
- This is macho belligerence of the ugliest sort, and it mocks the sympathy the world had for the United States by glorifying its insular world-view and proudly displaying its ignorant disregard for the rest of the world. "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American)" by Toby Keith (2002)
- The most frustrating thing about his apparent assertion that, after crudely describing Kennedy's assassination, there is nothing else to say is that nonetheless he keeps on gibbering anyway. "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel (1989)
- It’s the organ, you see. That’s what makes it ‘baseball music’. The rinky-dinky rink organ that just calls out ‘me and the boys having a good time with beer and barbecue’. "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits (1985)
- What I see is a bunch of wealthy white English men taking the real and tragic plight of immigrants and turning it into a clown-show worse than Pat Boone’s “Speedy Gonzales”. "Illegal Alien" by Genesis (1984)
- This ridiculous piece of nonsense ultimately got the nod for inclusion here because it takes itself seriously: it's a 'sad' song about a girl who has fallen out of love with the protagonist, who like a mealworm writhes up to her mother to complain about it. "Mrs Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits (1965)
- It’s not an excessive outbreak of political correctness but mere common sense to say that songs like this cheapen and exploit the trauma battered women undergo and not only make domestic abuse socially acceptable but even imply that it’s what women want. "Johnny Get Angry" by Joanie Sommers (1962)
- A man afflicted with the same disease as Mick Jagger and forced to sing all of his lyrics through pouted lips, Hart gamely grunts out the line “it's time to send our message everywhere” (since until this time Canadian musicians were operating in silence on the topic of African famine) before adding a faux-Michael Jackson “cha-know” that ups the ridiculousness one point, before heading into... "Tears are Not Enough" by Northern Lights (1985)
- It's merely the navel-gazing of a celebrity who appears to have problems being satisfied despite all of her material wealth. "American Life" by Madonna (2003)
- Spooky, I guess, if you go for that sort of thing, but perhaps if she'd survived, she'd have pointed out that this a capella nightmare is little more than a silly joke sung in an annoying voice. "Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin (1971)
- Songs don't have to rhyme, but in the absense of anything else that would indicate it took her longer than two minutes and nine seconds to compose the song, a rhyme or two would be nice. "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega (1987)
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Worst Songs in the World: the Quiz
I keep a blog, or rather I once kept and hope again to resume a blog, called "The Worst Songs in the World... Ever!" It's dedicated to bad vibes: it's all about me dissing songs throughout history. I also, for karmic balance, keep a blog called "The Best Songs in th World... Ever!", though it says something about human nature that it gets fewer hits.
Anyway, I've decided to make a quiz out of it. I've selected certain choice sound-bites, single sentences, from my screeds. Match the sentence to the song it's excoriating: I'll list all 42 songs that I presently have articles about, though I've only excerpted from 15 of them. Here we go:
Answers tomorrow!
Anyway, I've decided to make a quiz out of it. I've selected certain choice sound-bites, single sentences, from my screeds. Match the sentence to the song it's excoriating: I'll list all 42 songs that I presently have articles about, though I've only excerpted from 15 of them. Here we go:
- He feels at times like a song-composing computer: the result seems convincing on first glance, but if you look a little deeper it fails the Turing test conclusively.
- He's a puppet in the video, driving home the point that it's all a big cartoon, but that's no mitigation: I don't listen to the Teletubbies either.
- Wikipedia reveals that the song was written with only one chord: which makes sense, as everything about is screams monotonous and dull.
- This was a band that had abandoned incisive social criticism for purposeless button-pushing, a band that had, like lexicographers before and after, confused anarchy with mere chaos.
- Which brings to mind the word 'flaccid' – a perfect word to describe this song, which despite all of its huff-and-puff is as empty as a deflated balloon.
- This is macho belligerence of the ugliest sort, and it mocks the sympathy the world had for the United States by glorifying its insular world-view and proudly displaying its ignorant disregard for the rest of the world.
- The most frustrating thing about his apparent assertion that, after crudely describing Kennedy's assassination, there is nothing else to say is that nonetheless he keeps on gibbering anyway.
- It’s the organ, you see. That’s what makes it ‘baseball music’. The rinky-dinky rink organ that just calls out ‘me and the boys having a good time with beer and barbecue’.
- What I see is a bunch of wealthy white English men taking the real and tragic plight of immigrants and turning it into a clown-show worse than Pat Boone’s “Speedy Gonzales”.
- This ridiculous piece of nonsense ultimately got the nod for inclusion here because it takes itself seriously: it's a 'sad' song about a girl who has fallen out of love with the protagonist, who like a mealworm writhes up to her mother to complain about it.
- It’s not an excessive outbreak of political correctness but mere common sense to say that songs like this cheapen and exploit the trauma battered women undergo and not only make domestic abuse socially acceptable but even imply that it’s what women want.
- A man afflicted with the same disease as Mick Jagger and forced to sing all of his lyrics through pouted lips, Hart gamely grunts out the line “it's time to send our message everywhere” (since until this time Canadian musicians were operating in silence on the topic of African famine) before adding a faux-Michael Jackson “cha-know” that ups the ridiculousness one point, before heading into...
- It's merely the navel-gazing of a celebrity who appears to have problems being satisfied despite all of her material wealth.
- Spooky, I guess, if you go for that sort of thing, but perhaps if she'd survived, she'd have pointed out that this a capella nightmare is little more than a silly joke sung in an annoying voice.
- Songs don't have to rhyme, but in the absense of anything else that would indicate it took her longer than two minutes and nine seconds to compose the song, a rhyme or two would be nice.
- "Johnny Get Angry" by Joanie Sommers (1962)
- "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys (1965)
- "Iko Iko" by the Dixie Cups (1965)
- "Mrs Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits (1965)
- "Petunia, the Gardener's Daughter" by Elvis Presley (1966)
- "The Black Angel's Death Song" by the Velvet Underground (1967)
- "The End" by the Doors (1967)
- "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles (1968)
- "Young Girl" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (1968)
- "Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow" by Funkadelic (1970)
- "Coconut" by Harry Nilsson (1971)
- "Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin (1971)
- "My Ding-a-Ling" by Chuck Berry (1972)
- "Squeeze Box" by the Who (1975)
- "Lay Down Sally" by Eric Clapton (1977)
- "Dreadlock Holiday" by 10cc (1978)
- "No One is Innocent" by Ronnie Biggs and the Sex Pistols (1978)
- "Breakfast in America" by Supertramp (1979)
- "What's Your Name?" by Depeche Mode (1981)
- "China Girl" by David Bowie (1983)
- "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen (1984)
- "Illegal Alien" by Genesis (1984)
- "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer (1985)
- "Tears are Not Enough" by Northern Lights (1985)
- "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits (1985)
- "Girls" by the Beastie Boys (1986)
- "Hip to be Square" by Huey Lewis and the News (1986)
- "Bullet the Blue Sky" by U2 (1987)
- "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega (1987)
- "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin (1988)
- "Got My Mind Set on You" by George Harrison (1988)
- "One in a Million" by Guns 'n' Roses (1988)
- "How am I Supposed to Live Without You" by Michael Bolton (1989)
- "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel (1989)
- "I Love You" by Vanilla Ice (1990)
- "Barbie Girl" by Aqua (1997)
- "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (the Angry American)" by Toby Keith (2002)
- "American Life" by Madonna (2003)
- "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani (2005)
- "My Humps" by the Black Eyed Peas (2005)
- "Ass Like That" by Eminem (2005)
- "We are the World 25 for Haiti" by Artists for Haiti (2010)
Answers tomorrow!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
My Blogs, Anagrammed
Just a few anagrams. I love me some anagrams...
Yay! These are, of course, the names of other blogs of mine.
- "A Proper Blog" becomes "Garble or Pop"
- "Album Cover Gallery" becomes "Cleverly Amoral Bug"
- "Poll Vaulting" becomes "Up Tall Loving"
- "Better as a Single" becomes "Greatest Lesbian"
- "Things With Awesome Names" becomes "Wisest Nags: Women Hate Him"
- "A Lust for Lists" becomes "Artists: So Full"
Yay! These are, of course, the names of other blogs of mine.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
"Better as a Single": The Complete Set
I have a poor, lonely, sad blog. It's called "Better as a Single" and it languishes unloved at http://betterasasingle.blogspot.com. The main logic behind it is that every 'double album' (which means an album which is actually two seperate records or CDs bundled together) inevitably is overstuffed and would inevitably be a stronger release at only half the length. So what I do, then, is look at 'double albums' throughout history and boil them down to 'concentrated' normal length albums.
I do it in a lot of detail. Each one takes hours of listening and hours of writing. So I only do one each month - which is probably why it never brings viewers in from Google - they consider a blog that only has one entry a month to be moribund, though I see it as very much a living, breathing thing. I actually enjoy doing it a lot and take a lot of pride in it. Even if nobody even knows it exists.
Anyway, here in one place are the tracklistings of all of the sixteen albums I've done so far, in chronological order of their release (not in order of my doing them; I hop all around chronology). In each case, clicking on the 'modified' cover will send you to the page in question.
Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde (June 1966) Side one
Side two
| |
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland (October 1968) Side one
Side two
| |
The Mothers of Invention Uncle Meat (April 1969) Side one
Side two
| |
Bob Dylan Self Portrait (June 1970) Side one
Side two
| |
Yoko Ono Fly (March 1971) Side one
Side two
| |
Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (October 1973) Side one
Side two
| |
Marvin Gaye Here, My Dear (December 1978) Side one
Side two
| |
Public Image Ltd. Metal Box (November 1979) Side one
Side two
| |
The Clash London Calling (December 1979) Side one
Side two
| |
Frankie Goes to Hollywood Welcome to the Pleasuredome (October 1984) Side one
Side two
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Prince Sign 'o' the Times (March 1987) Side one
Side two
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Prince Rattle and Hum (October 1988) Side one
Side two
| |
Sonic Youth Daydream Nation (October 1988) Side one
Side two
| |
The Orb The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (August 1991) Side one
Side two
| |
2Pac All Eyez on Me (February 1996) Side one
Side two
| |
Miley Cyrus Hannah Montana 2 / Meet Miley Cyrus (June 2007)
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