A Joke About Pennance...

Somehow both the sinner AND the priest ended up being Irish. Not sure that was meant to be that way. LOL.

Hoo boy...

I posted something on Media Matters today that got an overwhelmingly positive response and generated some interesting challenges to it as well.  So I'm going to expand on the thought over here... just not now. (It's late.) LOL.

And between that and some ritualistic abuse of one "BoulderHippy" (truly one of the most brain-dead conservatives you're likely to meet, but one of those 'never gives up' types that makes MMFA so much fun) it seems I've attracted at least one Conservative Troll over here.  Which is cool.  And I can tell, becuase they went a voted "what a load" on every single item that came up in the blog! LOL.  And yet... they left all of the older stuff unscathed.  How lazy is that? If you're going to troll me, at least go back a page or two, right? LOL.  But, I mean, WTF, they even "thumbs-downed" the WWII Veterans tribute song!  I mean... why do they hate Veterans, right? ;)

And, go figure: Not ONE SINGLE COMMENT left in their wake.  But then... I guess that's how I know it's not one of YOU GUYS, becuase if YOU think I'm full of shit, you've never been shy on calling me out on it!  (And I truly wouldn't have it any other way!)

Anyway, like I said, it's late, so I'll get on my soapbox tomorrow.  In the meantime, here's some music that worth a listen.  I'm a huge fan of Pandora and I've been turned on to some GREAT bands through my Flogging Molly Channel: Great Big Sea, Carbon Leaf (who wrote THIS), the Tossers and a band called "DaVinci's Notebook" who are freaking hilarious.

Here's one of thiers.  TELL ME we all haven't been THERE at some point! (I'm there at least once a week!)



(Yeah: Me too!)

If you liked that, and you generally like Irish Drinking Songs, here's Another Irish Drinking Song, also by DaVinci's Notebook:



What's the difference between an Irish Wedding and an Irish Funeral?

One less drunk.

Finally, there was something else that I want to share. This one's not funny at all. But I think it's has some contemporary social relevance in light of the draconian, anti-labor RW Agenda the Republicans are pushing through in places like Wisconsin (as fast as they possibly can, now that they're asses are all facing recalls!) and if you ever want a great pro-labor, anti-corporate bastards song, this one's for you. There's just one prob... I can't find an acceptable (complete) version of it!

This is a REALLY GOOD cover, by a gent name Kenn Gordon:


I like it, but he left off the final verse:

The thirties are a memory for Dad again
He tells me it can never be that bad again
But from Jarrow and from Clyde they come
With silent hearts and muffled drum
We want the cake and not the crumb
We're mad again

Me too, friend. Me too.

A fuckin' hero...

How's that for a title? LOL.

I just got back for the gym.  Weights tonight.  I usually work out to my "Flogging molly" channel on Pandora.  Celtic Folk and Irish Rock is great music to work out to, whether doing cardio or strength training.  For cardio, it has some of the most hard-driving, up-lifting, foot-slamming, hand-clapping beats you could ask for.  Basically? It's impossible to feel fatigue when listening to Irish music.  For weight/strength training?  The bests are fine, but the THEMES are really what get you.  Good Irish music has some of the darkest, angriest, most bitter lyrics, chronicling their centuries of exploitation, suffering, violence and strife.  They laugh at death, while cursing their life, all the while singing about the cruelest injustices, mixed with powerful patriotic poetry and a love for country and fellow man, juxtaposed with the irony that some much of the recent violence against the Irish has been perpetrated... by the Irish.  Anyway... if the beat doesn't get your adrenaline flowing, the fighting words surely will. 

So for now, I'm hooked.

Anyway, tonight I heard a song that I'd never heard before, and it was like: STOP EVERYTHING.  I had to find out what it was, and who it was by.  It's called Luang Prabang (which is a place in Laos) and it's by Dave Van Ronk.  Anything I could say about it was pretty much summed up by some of the top YouTube comments on the version that I've embedded below:

Powerful..

~scrip7ki77y
 
Awesome! Reminds me of some of the darker Irish rebellion chants. Excellent.

~skelotan

my new task is to make sure this song is more well known.

~shaunathan05

Mine too, shaunathan, mine too.  So here goes.  (BTW, I've got a little bit more to say about it, so after you listen, please keep reading.)



Van Ronk himself described this as "An imperialist love song, and a protest against wimpy anti-war songs." And to that? I say, "Fuck, yeah!"

And I am reminded of something in its combination of powerful anti-war sentiment, while at the same calling for one to honor the fallen and broken soldiers - both in the ironic way that we do now, which the song parodies, but simultaneously with all due sincerity as well. Which, let's face it, we don't. Not when we send our boys on pointless boondoggles around the world, whether it's fighting to secure oil reserves, or merely interfering in another country's internal politics. Our near-schizophrenic hypocrisy regarding the principle of self-determination which we once stood for (and still claim to, whenever it's convenient for us) has cost us more blood and treasure than any post World War Two enemy could ever dream to. All we have to fear is fear itself, was right. We really should have listened.

What it reminds me off was a powerful statement made during the height of the Iraq and Afghan War but the former Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm. She ordered that all flags be lowered to half staff every time a soldier from Michigan was killed. Needless to say that for a good year or two, those flags were down at least once a week. And it sent a powerful statement. It reminded up, every time, of the cost of the insane foreign policy pursued by the Cheney/Bush administration, while at the same time, unequivocally honoring our fallen soldiers. It drove the pro-war crowd abso-fucking-lutely NUTS! And yet they couldn't say a damn thing about it, could they! Because they're always the ones accusing LIBERALS of "hating the troops" or whatever. So who among them was going to be stupid enough to suggest that we STOP honor these fallen men?

I loved it. Probably the best thing she did the whole time she was in office.

Anyway, this song kind of reminds me of that. It reminds us that anti-war is hardly anti-military and that the desire for peace is felt the strongest only by the strongest among us.

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BTW... here's a more haunting, melodic version by Patrick Sky.  Full lyrics posted there as well, if you're interested.

Happy St. Patricks Day evryone!

What did I have, said the fine old woman,
What did I have, this proud old woman did say.
I had four green fields, each one was a jewel!
But strangers came and tried to take them from me.
I had fine strong sons, who fought to save my jewels,
They fought and they died, and that was my grief said she.

Long time ago, said the fine old woman,
Long time ago, this proud old woman did say,
There was war and death, plundering and pillage.
My children starved, by mountain, valley and sea.
And their wailing cries, they shook the very heavens!
My four green fields ran red with their blood, said she.

What have I now, said the fine old woman,
What have I now, this proud old woman did say.
I have four green fields, one of them's in bondage,
In stranger's hands, that tried to take it from me.
But my sons had sons, as brave as were their fathers,
My four green fields will bloom once again said she.


Now, if you'll excuse, I'm going to go celebrate in the traditional Irish manner and get ploughed.