Whomp Power

For your listening pleasure this morning, I present links to two MP3s. The first is an amazing cover of Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" performed by the UMass Front Percussion Ensemble. Even if you aren't a band geek, you should hear this: Paranoid Android MP3.

Second, an MP3 that is more disturbing than entertaining. It is a mash of Snap!'s 1990 hit "The Power" with quotes from the damning Enron tapes and George W. Bush. Here's a link to the description and here's a link to the MP3.

Happy listening.

I've been watching a lot of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood lately (go figure), and I've often wondered about the people that are his neighbors. I found this article, and it says what some of them have been doing recently. I can't beleive that Lady Aberlin was in one of my favorite movies - Dogma! Now I have to re-watch it to find the nuns.... (I also learned on IMDB that she is "one of the world's top players of the card game Bridge.")

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04057/277548.stm

I'd never heard of this guy before yesterday. Then Derek got his book from the library: "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy". I read the first sentence of the intro (which is titled "Who Gives a Shit?"). It says "You read the papers and you watch television, so you know the kind of spider-brained, commercially poisoned piece-of-crap reporting you get in America". I thought, hmmm, I like his style. He is an investigative reporter, and he tells it like it is. I can't find it right now, but I beleive somewhere in the first 2 or 3 pages he calls Bush a prick.

Here are his thoughts on Reagan. Al Franken had Palast on his show today, and was chiding him for the tone of his column. I thought it was rather honest and refreshing.

On a related topic, I was hoping the lyrics for "Hey Judas" by Carmaig de Forest were on the web somewhere. The song basically starts out talking about Judas, Adolph Hitler and Jim Jones, and the terrible things they did that sent them to hell (""hey Judas, whatcha doing down here..."). Then he sings "hey John, are you going there too?" - talking about John Hinkley. Carmaig goes on to sing "Hey John... you did a bad thing when you missed, Hey John, it's too bad you missed, I'm not sure you're damned, but it's a damn shame you missed." Heh. Bet there is a file on him at the FBI.... Especially since he goes on to list all Reagan's faults, and claims he will teach his kids and grandkids about the bad things Reagan did, and they'll all sing "Ronald Reagan burns in hell with Judas, Adolph and Jim...".

Mini Arcade
Pentagon Wasted Millions on Airline Tickets
You're Not Getting Fatter
Iraqi Prime Minister Former Hitman for CIA Terrorism

Fahrenheit 9/11 Trailer
"I am Harry F****** Potter!"
US 'not bound by torture laws' [added 06/07/04 @ 12:28pm]
Where's the tabouli? [added 06/07/04 @ 2:41pm]

I frequently come across articles or particular websites that I want to share, but don't have time to write witty (or not so witty) commentary. From now on, I am going to have a Link-O-Rama post on any day that pleases me. It will just be a list of links that you should check out and I may add to the post throughout the day. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the inaugural Link-O-Rama!

Ray Bradbury goes/is nuts
Turn CDs into records
Paris bans protests while Bush is there
Alton Brown.com � Rants & Raves!
For your geeky dog

I own two ukuleles...yes...ukuleles; a lower-end Hilo and a Fluke Uke. I first purchased the Hilo after seeing the great documentary Rock That Uke (which I posted about a long time ago) The problem is, my 2.5 year-old son likes to play with it, too. Since I also own full-size guitars he thinks, since it looks like a small guitar, that it is his. He refuses to call it a uke -- he calls it "Owen's guitar." Well, a while back after playing it, he left it on the couch and, not noticing it, my mother sat on it. On second thought, maybe she did notice it and was sick of the high-pitched plucking. Despite her efforts, all was not lost, as the neck had just broken off. Of course, I used it as an excuse to get a new uke anyway and upgraded to the Fluke Uke pictured on the left. This is a great uke. Buy one here. I glued the neck back on the Hilo and now it truly is Owen's. He hasn't complained about the sound once.

Anyway, last night Owen decided to give playing and singing at the same time a try. He started out with Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, continued with The Wheels on the Bus, and finished off the set with Beck's Cold Brains (yes, I video taped it...but the tape ran out right before Beck!). It was a "proud father" moment. Hell, he's better than I am.

Unfortunately, some kids and their parents are not as lucky as we are. I noticed today on Ukulelia ("The World's Greatest Ukulele Weblog!") that it's editors are raising money to donate some Flea Ukuleles (a smaller version of the Fluke that I own) to a music program for chronically ill children at Massachusetts General Hospital. This sounds like a great program. Dr. Raffie Tachdjian, the guy who runs the program, describes some of the benefits of the program in an article written in the Boston Globe:
"When I give a patient an instrument, they're not just getting a guitar," he said. "They're getting an object of permanence, a friend that can make noise and that speaks a language of its own. They take it home with them, hear it there, and then when they come back to the hospital they have the sounds of home and something to comfort them if their parents aren't around."

Ukulelia is hoping to raise $1100 so that they bring some happiness to 12 chronically ill children. They are on their way with $573.95 raised so far. If it moves you, I strongly encourage you help them meet their goal. Go here and see the link on the right hand side to donate.