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Please Stop and Get Milk

March 30, 2015 by rurugby Leave a Comment

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I am planning to eventually start a band with some friends called Milk Supply. Mostly with silly songs that kids and hipsters will like that parody very popular songs with milk. Another snippet would be “I’m gonna get some milk, because it tastes good on my throat now. Drinking up the milk, now I need more milk, milk is really awesome…”

This is to the incredibly overrated and overplayed Journey song “Don’t Stop Believin'”:

Please Stop and Get Milk

Please stop and get milk
we are getting so low
I want a peanut butter sandwich
oh oh oh.

Please stop and get milk
The Cheerios are lonely
I don’t want to eat them drrrriiiyyyy

Please stop and get milk
We are having spaghetti
I want some whole milk
oh oh oh

Please stop and get milk
I like it from allldiii
Because I am home now
and I don’t want to leave my
hoo oooo mmmmeee

Please stop and get milk
we are running so low.

Please stop.

Filed Under: Music Monday, poetry

Stop Subsidizing the Rich

March 23, 2015 by rurugby Leave a Comment

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In 1977 and before, it used to be a summer job could pay for college.

That meant that you know that working your ass off as a dishwasher, waiter… often in the service industry was what paid for your tuition. If you put that many hours and commitment to go to school, you don’t take the costs of college lightly.

From the GI Bill after World War II through the Carter administration, most government money went to help people and unfortunately quagmires like the Vietnam War.

After the Reagan/Thatcher “Revolution”, Trickle Up Economics started in the Orwellian doublespeak of “Trickle Down Economics.” Since then more and more taxpayer money has gone to corporations. Whether it’s the farm subsidies under Richard Nixon that took incentives to end the balance of a family farm to give subsidies for monoculture like Roundup Ready Corn which isn’t delicious and hardly edible. THe amazing soils made my buffalo poop over eons washing into the great Missouri and Mississippi River Delta. Why? Because big ag wants huge feed lots for pigs and cattle where animals wallow in shit and the stink goes for miles. And basically concentration camps for chickens and eggs. Why? Big profits.

Feeding chickens and especially cows corn is insane. Chickens are designed to eat grubs and keep insect populations in balance. Cows, buffalo and other big grass eaters have stomach that can turn the light energy content of cellulose into nutrition and give the grass the poop it needs to grow again. It’s the circle of poop and it comes and goes. And it makes the soil ever richer. Making topsoil grow and things improve.

Now, we are wasting the earth just so people who are millionaires can become richer. A satisfied mind and a satisfied life is knowing that you are enough and have enough. People in Central Maine and many working place know that although the kids are idiots, the dogs and birds are annoying, the bills are piling up and the snow never starts falling that they have a house, they have a car, they are making do.

The culture of many of the very privileged that go to elite colleges often have strong connection and end up in places like Wall Street are to see who has the most toys. Having 20 Rolexes, 10 Supercars, 4 houses and, and, and just means you are buying shiny to hide misery. An absurd number of millionaire athletes are dead broke a few years after their career ends. If the type of players that go to the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats want to learn to be a pro basketball player, they should play in Europe, China or Russia and learn humility. When you are playing with 10 year veterans and you are the talented 18 year old American, guess what, you will learn humility. Humility is what lets a five star recruit like Brandon Jennings realize after a year or two in Europe that a condo near the practice facility and a Ford Edge are enough. He has learned that although talented, he has a lot to learn about being a pro.

Right now we take upper middle class and rich kids to places like Harvard, Bowdoin College, Stanford, etc. where they expect to be coddled. When I heard Bucknell had student laundry service they immediately left my college list. When Penn State admitted their students were just numbers that did too. I feel in love with the Gray Gothic of the University of Chicago and it’s rich history. But, I wasn’t ready for graduate school level rigor. I also think I was emotionally quite young. Although, I have never been a place where anyone wanted to attack a professor’s question like it was chum. Kids at Rutgers are smart too, but they are students that sit back and listen and have to be prompted for questions.

I hope we gain more sanity. I think we need to go back to the times before Reagan/Thatcher in both the UK and US. There is nothing wrong with living in council flats or section 8 housing. Not everyone is going to be rich. My mom was on food stamps when we were babies and dad was a graduate student. People involved in welfare were there to help, not constantly suspicious of fraud. Nixon made us “tough on crime and brought in farm subsidies which destroyed the family farm, which was a tough life but was balanced with the earth. Now we look at “welfare fraud” and blame the poor. Meanwhile big coal is blowing up billion year old mountains literally with dynamite for coal so that the owners can make huge profits, college campuses and Wal-Mart live their lights on all night for “security” and light pollution makes it hard to see the stars.

We need sanity. I think we need to have a flat tax, maybe a VAT and enough of a gas tax to pay the cost of infrastructure. It has not changed in a long, long time. It probably needs to be above the break even point because we are so behind. Less money in gas taxes, means worse roads, means more wear on cars and suspensions and higher auto repair bills. It’s cheaper to have good infrastructure and keep things maintained then have to fix something broken. Think of a house that is well maintained with a hoarder or any house left vacant by foreclosure.

The purpose of the federal government is not to debt collectors can make 18.5% when students get behind on student loans so colleges look fancier and get more applications. It’s time to go back to the GI Bill days for big colleges like Ohio State. They used to accept everyone, but guess what look to your left and right, on average one of you won’t make it.

And guess what, if you aren’t meant for a liberal arts degree there is a glut in the market. It’s why a BA in Sarah Lawrence can work in hotel reception, a Starbucks or a call center.

If you are someone good with your hands, plumbers, contractors with a great reputation and auto repair shop owners make more than someone with a BA in History, Philosophy and English. Only in America to bars say “if you so smart, why ain’t you rich?” Guess what, poets and philosophers have always been broke and needed benefactors. It’s still true in the arts today.

May we have a more sane world in the future where people look out for each other and get by in old mill towns with deep roots and working class values like the Ansonia which was once the capital of brass and copper in America where I live. Despite what the WTO thinks, tariffs are a good thing, it paid the cost of government for years. It wasn’t until Woodrow Wilson that we had income taxes. And higher tariffs might mean places with strong working class values and family loyalty like Westbrook, Maine (SD Warren paper), Ansonia, CT (The Ansonia Brass Company) and Waterbury, CT had people who were unionized had a good salary and deep roots in the community. The purpose of government is not to make multinationals billions in money. The purpose of a corporation is not solely for shareholder gain.

The puppet security courts do not help the 2nd Amendment. I realy wish Supreme Court Justices were subject to review by Consitutional lawyers and scholars which sadly includes Barack Obama. Everyone who voted for People’s United clearly missed the preamble of the US Constitution: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Nothing there says that the government is for profit. That means that conservative justices who are entertained by corporate interests that voted for People’s United: Anthony Kennedy, Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas the silent (he almost never says anything during cases) and John Roberts should be off the court. With lifetime appointment Antonin Scalia has been a justice for a very, very long time since 1986 and John Roberts who is likely to be Supreme Court Chief Justice for a long time he is only 60 years old.

Maybe we should have ten year appointment instead. The Constitution is broken at this point, the Bill of Rights demolished (1st and 4th Amendments for Security, the 4th Amendment for the War on Drugs, and no one seems to understand that a well regulated militia to me implies that their should be some restrictions on firearms and militias which are similar to State National Guards today.

I will say more but I have said my piece. I am almost at 1500 words.

Take care of yourself and each other, and remember to always work to be excellent to each other. We are all in this together.

edmund

I am a very worried man.

Blessed be as the green ones return soon, I hope we have a rebirth on sanity, we need it.

Filed Under: grieving, In Defense of Food, sickness, Thoughtful Thursday

Blog Themes Again

March 22, 2015 by rurugby Leave a Comment

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When I was blogging every day I had themes to build around so I am doing that again and writing quite a few posts in the future.

Sunday will be Spirit of Sunday like it was before.

Monday will be Music Monday, could be a song I write could be talking about music, it could be an appreciation or so many other things. Music makes the heart sing.

Tuesday is still Port Veritas poetry Tuesday. Although I plan to highlight more poets I like and why I like them preparing for my launch of the Poetry Conversation Podcast and website coming soon.

Wednesday is Wildcard Wednesday where anything goes

Thursday is Thoughtful Thursday which could mean many things. But a deeper piece of some kind.

Friday will still be Friday Reads when I talk about not just the books I am reading but other things as well. Recently that has been more pieces online. I think I will repost much of what I say on Facebook walls here as well if I think I would like to have it be more than effemeral which is what most of social media is.

Saturday will once again be the Saturday Night Review but will include more mini reviews such as the Aldi French Bread pizza that I had this afternoon, skip it and stick with the Stouffers. #skip

Or I saw Pinky and the Brain Season 1: Episodes 3 and 4 on Amazon Prime today. I forgot how brilliant the show is. It’s a complete masterpiece and to me it’s obvious which one is a genius and who is insane. ****

I look forward to blogging more again.

edmund

Here is what I posted to Facebook. I plan to archive much more of my social media posts now. There is some great stuff there.

I have decided to do weekly blog themes again and blog much, much more.
They are Spirit of Sunday about spirit in it’s many realsm
Music Monday that is about musical journeys and will include song lyrics, mainly parody songs
Port Veritas Poetry Tuesday which will talk more about poets I like and poems I like and include some poems too. I feel like I am more concentrated on music then poetry right now but their are so many great poems that deserve more eyes.\
Wildcard Wednesday which could be about anything
Thoughtful Thursday which I want to be a longer, deeper piece
Friday Reads about what I am reading which will include more internet links since I am reading more in bits and pieces right now.
And the Saturday Night Review which will include mini-reviews and some longer ones.
I want the blog to be able to archive what I do on Social Media. Facebook and Twitter aren’t designed to store information well. WordPress is.

Blessed be and believe that your words matter.

Filed Under: Blog Themes, books, Edmund Charles Davis-Quinn, Friday Reads, FridayReads, Music Monday, poetry, Port Veritas Poetry Tuesday, spirit, Spirit of Sunday, Spirit of Sunday, The Ecq Review, The Poetry Conversation, The Saturday Night Review, Thoughtful Thursday, Weekly Blog Themes, Wildcard Wednesday Tagged With: Music Monday

Citizenfour ***1/2

February 27, 2015 by rurugby Leave a Comment

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The Patriot Act was without one of the most unpatriotic and unconstitutional laws in American history. The Bill of Rights, especially the the First and Fourth Amendments do not allow the insane and worldwide surveillance society we have that looks at 1,200,000 people at any time. That’s staggering. “Citzenfour” is an incredibly important and brave documentary, by the patriot who believes in the Constitution, liberty and privacy Edward Snowden. He’s just a soft spoken tech geek that thought things went too far and he had to expose some of it. The sad thing is all of the surveillance society keeps getting bigger and costs billions. At this point the American government is the biggest terrorist state in the world. Monitoring communications around the world with only a puppet court looking on, a Congress who is afraid to act, and an incredibly disappointing President on National security issues, Barack Obama. Mr. Obama promised that he would bring accountability to the security state. It hasn’t happened, it’s only getting bigger. And we have an insanely large military with bases around the world.

We need sanity. Instead of trying to be the only superpower and the “world’s policeman,” lets help those who have had life struggles get back on their feet.

It’s a must see documentary if you care about democracy, freedom, investigative journalism and liberty.

*** 1/2

I feel like I have a lot more to say about this topic, and I think I will be adding to this post.

Filed Under: politics, The Saturday Night Review

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band **** – The Beatles Track Review with YouTube links of covers

February 26, 2015 by rurugby Leave a Comment

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1. Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band — Good but not great song. *** It does have some good silliness. Lenny wants to help me with this (my cat). [The stars are what I would give on iTunes from 1-5]

Here is a more fun version and cover from Big Daddy, the German host introduction even makes it more surreal. It’s like a doo wop version. They covered the whole album and it’s pretty awesome and silly. This version. ***

2. With a Little Help From My Friends — A good song that was made great by Joe Cocker. This is definitely a song where the cover version could be considered the classic one. *** The Beatles version still is nice, but doesn’t compare to Joe Cocker’s version. Joe Cocker’s version is ****. Almost seems strange to hear this as a Beatles song now. The Beatles version seems way too calm now.

Lenny thinks this is a good time for a break to play with the kitty so here in the Joe Cocker version.

3. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds — To me the first really classic song on this album. A song I just love. **** Although the William Shatner version is hilarious.

I just decided I need to have YouTube videos of covers for every song on this album. Shatner version *** but hilarious.

I found another amazing cover by the Flaming Lips, featuring Miley Cyrus and Moby. This is fabulous and even weirder than Shatner’s version. (Warning includes nudity). ****

4. Getting Better — A solid song, but just a pretty average Beatles song. ***

Oddly hard to find to a good cover for Getting Better. Listened to a few that were entirely different songs from Brooks and Dunn and Tesla. This one is good but not great by Kaiser Chiefs for a BBC 40th Anniversary Special. *** And I am starting to really hate eInsurance from all the Youtube ads, been way too many tonight.

5. Fixing a Hole — Nice song, not amazing but good. ***

The cover I found is by the Fray for the same 40th Anniversary special as the Getting Better cover. ***

Intermission: while waiting for an Oasis version of “Within You and Without You”, this awesome and silly song “Diamond Sword” Minecraft animation came as an advertisement. It’s pretty awesome. Decided to pass on the Oasis cover found the great Sonic Youth cover later.

6. She’s Leaving Home — Actually a very cool song, not one I know all that well. *** 1/2 (but going to round up to 4 on iTunes) I like the choral play on this song. The Beatles harmonies are very underrated.

Found a nice version by the Andy Timmons Band, I like the guitar work, has a bluesy feel. Seems to just be an instrumental, basically guitar centered. It does miss the wonderful harmonies of the original. ***

7. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite — One of my favorite Beatles songs, I like the version on the Beatles Anthology even better. Gets trippier and richer in my opinion. ****

I thought there would a lot of good covers with this very fun song. I found one from AndyBoy63 on YouTube that is quite faithful.

8. Within You Without You – A nice with the sitar, but there are better Beatles songs like this. *** Honestly too long too.

Found a wicked awesome Sonic Youth cover that was released in 1988 on a multi-artist compilation album called ‘Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father’. I like the Sonic Youth cover quite a bit more. ****

9. When I’m Sixty-Four — More ironic when the Beatles are getting older. Of course sadly John Lennon didn’t get there, tragically being shot at 40. George Harrison died at 58. Paul McCartney is now 72. Ringo Starr is 74. It’s strange how aging changes perception. Many people today at 64 don’t feel that old, and will often live 20 more years. **** The song is good fun though. It of course makes fun of societal expectations. Does feel bittersweet now though.

This cover by Big Daddy is my favorite track on their album. It has a fun beat. **** Both versions are great, I think I have to go Beatles though.

10. Lovely Rita — Fun song. Feels like one the Beatles earlier, sillier songs. ***

Nice cover from the 40th Anniversary BBC Show from Travis. ***

11. Good Morning Good Morning — A good and pretty silly song. There are a lot of those on this record. ***

Fun, peppy cover from the Zutons.

12. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) — Better than the original version, but still just okay. It is catchy and short. ***

I found this fun Cheap Trick cover, I guess they did a show in Vegas with Sgt. Pepper’s, time does weird things. ***

13. A Day in the Life — To me easily the best song on the album, I like the version on the Beatles Anthology even more. The Beatles Anthology Volume 2, Disc 2 is my favorite Beatles record which I know is an odd choice. I like having multiple versions of several of the songs. ****

The great Jeff Beck live, seems to just be guitar, but lovely. I would love to play guitar like this. It’s such an amazing instrument. He plays a lot with the whammy bar on his guitar too. I wonder if I should try one like that and if I would like it. ***

It’s a great record with some all time classic songs in “A Day in the Life”, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, and “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite.” It’s a solid **** record I haven’t heard all the way through in a long time. And without a doubt incredibly influential.

The best cover of these by far is the Joe Cocker cover that took me down this rabbit hole. And then the insane and pretty awesome Flaming Lips/Miley Cyrus version (with a bit of Moby). And the Big Daddy cover of When I’m 64 is good fun. And Jeff Beck is an amazing guitarist.

This was a lot of fun and definitely a blogpost that took a while to write and have a lot of fun with.

Filed Under: music, The Saturday Night Review

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