Beth’s Music Moment: “Very Busy People” by The Limousines

Check it out! Two Music Moment entries in one week, and another one about a specific song! I usually try to mix it up more than this, but I only recently discovered this band and listened to this song today while I was working out.

To try to explain my convoluted path to this, let me give you a little background. Ken and I recently got smartphones, so I’ve been playing around with mine lately. Cousin Shane and Matt often use an app called SoundHound to find out the title and artist of a particular song they hear while out and about, so I made sure to get that. When I work out, I take out my little MP3 player and hook it into the CD player, and I take my phone out to check news feeds while I’m on the bike. I sometimes use SoundHound to find the current song (if I like it a lot) and post it to Facebook. I can’t recall what song I was listening to and posted the video, but I was exploring SoundHound a little bit, and found the “find similar artists” features.

Are you still with me?

So I found several similar artists to whatever group I liked enough to post their video, and got some music online. One of those was The Limousines. I’m having fun finding new music lately, and I’ve been listening to it during my workout. Today, I listened to The Libertines (a little on the mellow side for me), and then The Limousines. One of the songs was “Very Busy People,” and from what I was catching on the lyrics, I was laughing out loud. I used SoundHound again to read the full lyrics, and I knew I had to post about it.

This is one of the cleverest songs I’ve heard in a while, and it is so true when it comes to being plugged in. I have had to make a conscious effort to be online less and read more. I don’t spend hours chatting (actually, I spend NO time chatting anymore), I don’t aimlessly surf, and I don’t spend an inordinate amount of time on videos; however, I get much of my political news online, so I spend quite a bit of time reading those stories. I watch short videos from The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Bill Maher’s show; I read the stories posted by like-minded friends; I have multiple news feeds that I go through every day. I’m on the verge of having too many, and I have been skipping a lot of them lately, merely because I have resolved to devote more time to reading.

So the irony of finding this hilarious song via an app that allowed me to find it while I was reading my news feeds on my smartphone as I worked out is not lost on me. The sheer deluge of information available at our fingertips at all times is mind-boggling. I had no desire for a smartphone for quite a while, but now that I have one, I’m not sure I could ever give it up. The ability to look things up while out and about, or to get directions, or figure out just what that song is—it’s on the tip of my tongue!—or to check game scores is nothing less than amazing.

I’ve been involved in the information age from fairly early on. I had a web page before there were such things as blogs, and although I’m not an expert, by any means, I have embraced the ability to find information with a simple search. However, I’m still trying to find a good balance of the real and the unreal, the corporeal and the virtual. I still spend more time than I want to spend as I do my daily online reading, but the proper mix is within reach (I think). Anyway, enjoy the lyrics—I hope you find them as amusing and pertinent as I did—followed by the video. I like this band, and look forward to listening to more of their stuff.

Very Busy People

We'll end up numb from playing video games
and we'll get sick of having sex
And we'll get fat from eating candy
as we drink ourselves to death
We'll stay up late making mix tapes
photoshopping pictures of ourselves
While we masturbate to these pixelated videos
of strangers fucking themselves

We are very busy people
We are very busy people

There's crusty socks
and stacks of pizza boxes
making trails straight to the bed
And when we're done sleeping
we'll stay busy dreaming of the things
we don't have yet
Well there's a long, long list of chores
and shit to do before we play
oh let's just piss away the day (piss away the day)
Crank call the cops down at the station
just for friendly conversation
requesting songs they never play
Let's hear the one that goes like:

We are very busy people,
We are very busy people
But we've always got time for new friends

So come on over and knock on our door,
it's open, what you waitin' for?
We might be sprawled out on the floor,
but we still make lovely company
Pull up a chair, I'll pour some tea,
We'll shoot the shit, 'bout everything
till you get sick of politics
and flip on the TV screen
We stare at the TV screen

That Donnie Darko DVD has been repeating for a week
and we know every single word (every single word)
I've got an iPod like a pirate ship
I'll sail the seas
with fifty thousand songs I've never heard
And all the best of them go
Fa la la la la la...
Fa la la la la la...

We are very busy people
We are very busy people
But we've always got time for new friends
Yeah
Fa la la la la la...
Fa la la la la la... 

A spellyng matter

I came across something a couple of times recently that struck me as wrong, and I made sure to look it up and reassure myself that I wasn’t off-base in thinking that it was wrong. I saw this error in someone’s post, but the worst thing was that I saw it on a nationally published blog.

I’m really not one to correct people on their grammar online. That’s really kind of a dick move. (Although if someone is being a real dick, I’m not above pointing out that they’re a grammatically incorrect dick.) But that doesn’t mean I can’t write about it here!

The word in question is simpatico, and in both cases I mentioned above, it was spelled ‘sympatico.’ That’s an easy mistake to make, because people naturally associate it with the word ‘sympathy.’ Both words come from the Latin sympathia, which means...well, sympathy. But our current use of the word comes from the Italian simpatico and the Spanish simpático, both obviously based on the Latin root.

It’s a great word, and I love the feeling of being on the same wavelength as a person. When that happens, I really do use the word. I consider it a great compliment when I tell someone that we are simpatico. I hope they realize that I don’t toss that word around lightly, and I reserve it for those moments when I feel like someone really gets me, or what I am trying to say.

As for spelling it correctly, I’m not sure if there is an easy solution to remembering that there is no Y in simpatico. Two ‘eyes,’ no Y’s? Sympathy: two Y’s, no ‘eyes’? I’m not sure. Maybe we all just need to keep a six-pack of that beer pictured in the fridge for reference purposes. Or maybe it’s just a matter of forcing yourself to remember that it’s not spelled the way you’d think it would be spelled, and if you type ‘sympatico,’ it will set off an alarm bell in your head.

If anyone has a good suggestion about how to remember the correct spelling, please leave it in comments. Then we can be simpatico.

Beth’s Music Moment: “These Days” by Foo Fighters

I think this might be a first for my Music Moment: writing about one particular song. But I mentioned this song in my previous entry, and it’s been on heavy rotation both in the CD player and in my head.

This song gets to me on multiple levels. Technically, I love the way it’s structured (you can scroll down to read the lyrics and watch the video if you’d like, before you continue to read my commentary). It starts off with some quiet guitar, and Dave Grohl sings the opening lines rather sweetly. It seems like it’s going to be a ballad about love and loss, life and death, and Dave tells us everything’s gonna be all right. Then *BAM*—it kicks in, as does Dave’s powerful voice. The anguish and rage as he almost screams the lyrics makes me think of a person so frustrated and hurt by something that they get angry at someone who is trying to comfort them. And who hasn’t been there? A friend is hurting, they pour out their heart to you, and you tell them, “It’s gonna be all right, I know it.” You mean well, and you’re just trying to encourage them, but they’re just so focused on their own pain that they lash out at you: “Yeah, that’s easy for YOU to say! You’ve never been through this, you don’t know how much pain I’m in, you don’t know how I feel!” Or maybe you’ve been the one in pain, and you haven’t wanted to hear such platitudes...you just want your friend to take some of your pain away, and it makes you even angrier to know that they can’t do that, and this is something you’ll have to work through in your own heart and mind. This song just expresses that perfectly for me.

Maybe it’s because I’m approaching 50, or because I’ve had to deal with deaths of loved ones recently, but this song makes me ponder mortality. Both my own and in general. It’s an inevitability. One of these days, my heart will stop and play its final beat. The thought of that doesn’t scare me. Logically and rationally, I know it will happen, and I don’t worry about what awaits me when it does. But I find myself thinking a lot lately about just how much there still is to do and experience, and especially how many good books I want to read! I do worry about whether I’ll get everything in that I want to get in. We only get one shot at this, and we’d better make the most of it, you know?

I’m to the point where I can’t hear this song without getting choked up. Even just thinking of it in my head, like I’m doing right now, makes me a little weepy. I’ve made no secret of my love for Dave Grohl, and he’s written a lot of great, rockin’ songs in his lifetime (and I hope he has a ways to go before his heart plays its final beat). He really knocked it out of the park for me with this one, though. I’m sure I’ll never have the chance to tell him how much this song means to me, but it’s got to be a great and humbling feeling to know that something you created can touch someone so profoundly. For that, I thank you, Mr. Grohl. Long may you rock.

"These Days"

One of these days the ground will drop out from beneath your feet
One of these days your heart will stop and play its final beat
One of these days the clocks will stop and time won't mean a thing
One of these days their bombs will drop and silence everything

But it's all right
Yeah it's all right
I said it's all right

Easy for you to say
Your heart has never been broken
Your pride has never been stolen
Not yet not yet

One of these days
I bet your heart'll be broken
I bet your pride'll be stolen
I bet I bet I bet I bet
One of these days
One of these days

One of these days your eyes will close and pain will disappear
One of these days you will forget to hope and learn to fear

But it's all right
Yeah it's all right
I said it's all right

Easy for you to say
Your heart has never been broken
Your pride has never been stolen
Not yet not yet

One of these days
I bet your heart'll be broken
I bet your pride'll be stolen
I bet I bet I bet I bet
One of these days
One of these days

But it's all right
Yeah it's all right
I said it's all right
Yes it's all right

Don't say it's all right
Don't say it's all right
Don't say it's all right

One of these days your heart will stop and play its final beat
But it's all right

Easy for you to say
Your heart has never been broken
Your pride has never been stolen
Not yet not yet

One of these days
I bet your heart will be broken
I bet your pride will be stolen
I bet I bet I bet I bet

One of these days
One of these days
One of these days

Playing catch-up

Whoops, that week sure went by fast! It was kind of a blur, too, because part of it included a health scare for a couple of family members, and that can really get your stress levels soaring. I’m happy to report that everything worked out okay!

We also had tickets to our last Notre Dame basketball game of the season, and got to see them beat West Virginia by 27 points. We’re watching them play St. John’s at the moment (the game just ended, and ND lost, darn it), and this evening we have tickets to our last hockey game of the season, against Michigan State. We’ve really enjoyed our games this year...now let’s hope we can get tickets for all the home football games this year! I love all three sports, but the football experience is my favorite. Tailgating, baby!

I’ve been dealing with an issue or two, and as is often the case in such situations, I retreat into books and/or music. I’ve been concentrating mostly on books this time around (but I could also write a separate entry about the song “These Days” by Foo Fighters, and I just might). The next book on my book club list (the Modern Library Top 100 novels, if you recall) is The Alexandria Quartet by an English writer, Lawrence Durell. (The picture I’ve posted here is Pompey’s Pillar, a remnant of the Roman presence in Alexandria.) It actually consists of four books, and the first is Justine. I don’t mean for this to sound pretentious, but I am really captivated by this book. It’s some of the most beautiful writing I’ve ever encountered. The way he describes Alexandria (the one in Egypt, not the one in central Indiana!) makes me almost capable of seeing it, hearing it, and smelling it, both the good and the bad.

When he writes of the characters and situations, I can see them in my mind, see the way they look and the expression in their eyes. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that was able to so completely create the images in my mind. I’m actually in awe here! Check out a few of the lines I loved so much that I highlighted them in my Kindle and wrote them in my notebook:

“He is a rare figure among the diplomats in that he appears to possess a vertebral column.”

“His heart has withered in him and he has been left with the five senses, like pieces of a broken wineglass.”

“...for those of us who feel deeply and who are at all conscious of the inextricable tangle of human thought there is only one response to be made—ironic tenderness and silence.”

That last one especially spoke to me. It reminded me of a quote from Jodi Picoult that Cousin Shane posted the other day: “Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.” I am very much a loner and a quiet person (I have my moments when I can talk a mile a minute, but they’re few and far between, and fairly exhausting.). Shane and I agreed that we both enjoy our solitude as well, but there is a reason I’m rather withdrawn, and there is a reason I often don’t say much. Sometimes there’s no point in saying it, sometimes my thoughts are too complicated to explain easily, and sometimes I realize that it’s probably best to not reveal my hand.

I’m very fortunate that Ken is pretty similar in that regard.

Anyway, I’m not very far into this book—all four volumes of the Quartet are probably about 1,000 pages, so I’ll be working on this one for a bit—but this is some truly lovely writing. I think I’m really going to enjoy this one, and this is why I’m so happy to be getting back into the list. When an author’s writing style is literally awe-inspiring, it makes me happy. When I most needed a book to “take me away,” I found one to take me all the way to WWII-era Egypt. Not too shabby!

In a white womb with black curtains

Suddenly, it’s the ‘80s all over again. And not in a big hair, New Wave, Duran Duran, fun kind of way.

When the teabaggers started making noise, I remember telling friends that it was like revisiting the ‘80s culture wars. Reagan was in power, and that’s when groups like the Moral Majority (Linda Richman: Why the Moral Majority is neither moral nor the majority. Discuss.) and Ralph Reed’s Christian Coalition started pushing their social agenda. I think most of us thought that we’d put much of that behind us, and were able to reach a point of live-and-let-live (although with much work yet to be done, including equal rights for all citizens).

We were wrong. When I started seeing so many of the teabaggers exhibiting racist and homophobic behavior (not all...I said ‘many’), I was immediately reminded of the bad things we had to deal with in the ‘80s. Not only are they back, they’ve expanded their war to include the reproductive rights of women, even beyond the issue of abortion.

I won’t provide excessive details here. I think most of you have read about it. Long story short: President Obama’s Affordable Care Act included a provision that employers would provide contraception at no charge and with no copay; a bunch of Catholics and Catholic organizations objected; a bunch of politicians jumped on board and said it was a ‘war on religion’; President Obama offered a compromise in which Catholic or other religious organizations would not have to provide contraceptives as part of their health care plan, but the insurance companies that are their providers would provide it directly to employees and be responsible for the cost. Most people seemed to think that was a fair compromise, including some Catholic health care advocacy groups, but the Catholic bishops were not mollified, and the politicians were off and running.

War on religion? No. War on women? YES. The Virginia legislature recently passed a ‘personhood’ law as well as a law requiring women who are seeking an abortion to submit to a transvaginal ultrasound, an invasive procedure that is medically unnecessary in most cases, and certainly not part of a routine exam. One of Rick Santorum’s biggest financial backers made a tired old joke about aspirin being good and inexpensive birth control, because the woman holds it between her knees. Get it? So the slut doesn’t open her legs to tempt all those fine young men. Hardee har har. Rush Limbaugh characterized women who want contraceptives as those “who do nothing but have sex mindlessly day in and day out and to whom birth control is only a means of eliminating consequences.”

A congressional hearing designed to discuss whether the contraceptives provision was legal and constitutional was chaired by Darrel Issa. The witnesses at the table included men affiliated with Catholic groups that opposed the compromise. The key word there would be MEN. Not one woman was there. In fact, the woman scheduled to speak about how she has to take birth control pills because she has an ovarian cyst was denied by Issa, because he said she did not qualify as an “expert.” Of course, all those priests are experts on female reproductive health!

I’ve heard some male politicians say that if women want birth control, they can pay for it themselves. When you’re struggling to put food on the table, birth control is not exactly inexpensive. You need to have a doctor’s visit to get a prescription, you need follow-up care, and it’s not all that easy to get whether you have insurance or not. Many Republicans want to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, which provides preventive health care to millions of women who don’t have insurance. To couch it in simple economic terms, for every government dollar spent on contraception, almost four dollars is saved in Medicaid costs because of unplanned pregnancies.

Looking at it from a health perspective, family planning makes for healthier women and babies, in ways both medically and financially. There are times in a woman’s or a couple’s life when an unplanned pregnancy just isn’t feasible. A planned pregnancy means a healthier economic atmosphere, one in which the child is provided for adequately. An unplanned pregnancy for a young woman in college could keep her, as well as the father, from obtaining a degree. Why the hell am I trying to convince anyone? Women have the right to contraceptives for numerous reasons. If you dispute that, you’re just dumb, and you should go away. Seriously. (Here is a good article about why contraceptive coverage is important. Go read that.)

I’ve also heard some people—who am I kidding? It was men—say that if people don’t want to have a baby, they should just not engage in sex. Here’s a quarter, folks. Buy a ticket to the 21st century, okay? It’s got to be kind of boring back where you’re living. Get real.

If the Republicans want to continue down this idiotic road, I have a proposal. If you allow employers to not provide contraceptives to women based on moral or religious objections, I think you should also bar insurance companies from paying for vasectomies (a cheaper and less invasive procedure than a tubal ligation) AND from paying for erectile dysfunction medications. Last time I checked, it wasn’t all that easy to get pregnant without a boner being present, and I’m guessing that the majority of men asking for Viagra or Cialis aren’t doing so because they’ve got procreation on their minds. They might not be entirely happy about having their boner pills taken away.

Here’s something else to keep in mind. In the 2008 election, women made up 54% of the voters. We are paying attention. And if you continue to wage this war on our hard-fought reproductive rights, we will make our voices heard this November. You can bet the sperm bank on it.

Chow down!

I was tidying up my computer today and came across something I’d saved that was written by a right-winger, apparently planning on writing about it at some point--and now I am, after three years! This was after President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, and the right winger was none too pleased. After the usual teabagger-style objections, they wrote this:

We shall all be pleased to see the distinguished peace award recipient kneel down in the final presence of Osama bin Laden when that glorious day finally arrives.

Wow. You know, I think I actually chortled when I read that. Or maybe it was more of a slightly evil ‘heh heh heh.’

I’m not going to get into a huge discussion about whether or not he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. I do understand the disparity of a leader whose country was, at the time, in the midst of two wars (although he didn’t start them, of course) being awarded the prize. I do, however, question the author’s assumption that they have any right to ridicule the organization’s choice. It’s not an American organization, and they are certainly above our partisan politics. I also understand that President Obama’s election was met with much rejoicing around the world, in the hopes that America would once again take a leadership role instead of bullying other countries into submission.

We spent eight years under a trigger-happy cowboy who thought that sledgehammer diplomacy was a dandy way to deal with other nations. It’s no wonder we became so resented and reviled around the world. I think the Nobel committee recognized the optimism generated by Obama’s election and based their decision on that. I haven’t always been happy with some of our President’s decisions, but I think he has done his best to extricate us as soon as possible from these ill-conceived and ridiculous wars.

I’m going to guess that the person who wrote that was quick to say that Obama killed bin Laden by building on the intelligence gathered by agencies under Bush. Really? Let’s go to the videotape!

“I’m really not that concerned about him.” Bush gave up on finding him. Obama didn’t. Obama acted on intelligence reports and gave the order that took him out. By all accounts, it was a bold decision, one that some of his advisers didn’t want him to make. Much credit goes to the Navy SEALS who executed the operation, but only a fool would refuse to accept that they acted on President Obama’s direction, or acknowledge that bin Laden’s death happened on Obama’s watch.

Not much kneeling happening on the part of President Obama, was there?

Now, to your meal, disrespectful right winger. With crow, I highly recommend a nice Cabernet Sauvignon, one with a hint of black cherry and shoe leather. I think you’ll find it most pleasing. I know I’ll enjoy imagining you eating it!

Dinner and a movie

I mentioned the other day that Ken and I were going to the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner given by the St. Joseph County Democrats. It was worth going to, and I’m glad we did.

A couple of nice women sat next to us, and we enjoyed chatting with them while we waited for the speakers to begin. Unfortunately, the “real” speakers weren’t up just yet. As much as I’m interested in politics, I have little interest for all the minutiae that is involved. There were a few party operatives who spoke, and it was a litany of thanking this and that person, welcoming various groups, that sort of thing. I know they have to do that stuff, but man, it was Snoozeville for a while there.

I have to say that I dislike extreme partisanship on either side of the aisle. I’m obviously quite liberal, but I was bothered by some of the cheap shots taken. The worst one for me was someone speaking derisively about Governor Daniels, calling him that “short guy in the Governor’s mansion.” I guess it’s not THAT horrible of an insult, but as a vertically challenged American, I found it petty and childish.

Ken and I both exchanged glances when one person talked about tradition and following your ancestors in their Democratic ways. I completely disagree with that...think for yourself! If I’d done that, I’d be a staunch conservative, and Ken would still be a Republican rather than an Independent. Whatever you decide you want to be, whatever your feelings on policies, read and learn and come to your own decisions rather than just saying you are what you are because your mommy and daddy were. To me, that’s just lazy.

Finally, we got to the main speakers. Congressman Donnelly wasn’t actually there, but spoke to us in a video. That was a bit disappointing, but he IS a working Congress Critter, so I can forgive him for that. We heard from John Gregg, who is running for Governor against Mike Pence. I like him, and I can’t stand Mike Pence, so that’s an easy choice for me. B. Patrick Bauer, the minority leader in Congress, spoke. He’s from South Bend, and I’ve never been a huge fan, but I give him credit for being a scrappy fighter. I went up to him before everyone started speaking to ask him about SB 89, the stupid creationist bill. Wow, I’m not the only one who is vertically challenged! The guy really isn’t much taller than me. Anyway, I said I’d heard that the bill might be dead. He said, “Oh, it’s so stupid. It’s a stupid bill.” I asked if he thought it was dead in the water, and although he didn’t explicitly confirm that, he didn’t seem to think it had much chance of going any further.

We also heard from Brandon Mullen, who is running for Congress against Jackie Walorski. We were both impressed by him and agreed that he is worth supporting, both with our votes and with what donations we can give. He is an Iraqi war veteran, and seems like a very sharp guy. Finally, our new Mayor, Pete Buttigieg spoke. For someone so young, he does very well in a speech. He sounded seasoned and was very well-spoken. He continues to impress me.

After everyone was done and people were making their way out, we stopped and shook hands with a few of the speakers, said we were happy to support them. I’m glad we went, although it was more of a rallying the troops kind of thing than anything else. I can tell you that if you think Democrats aren’t fired up for the 2012 election, you are quite mistaken. I think it’s going to be quite a year.

Last night we headed over to my sister Diana’s house for a small get-together to watch “Midnight In Paris.” Di is a huge Woody Allen fan (her and Tom even got to see Woody play clarinet with his band in New York), and was excited about seeing this movie. Based on what I had read and heard about it, I was excited, too. I’m happy to report that it lived up to expectations, and then some. I just loved this movie, and told Ken I’d like for us to get it, because I’d enjoy watching it again. The shots of Paris were just beautiful, and the literary and artistic legends that Owen Wilson’s character encounters were just so cool. I think all of us that were there are avid readers, and it’s something that Diana and I talk about often. I think Di was in seventh heaven! I recently finished A Farewell to Arms, so I especially liked seeing Hemingway. Dali was also a fun encounter.

It was a very funny and charming movie. I would recommend it to anyone! After the movie, we played some records and danced (Yes, you read that right! Actual records, and actual dancing. We’re all baby boomers, after all.), enjoyed more munchie food, and just generally had a fun time. Thanks to Di and Tom for a really fun evening!

Ken is off on a trip to Syracuse for a week, and I’ll be holding down the fort. It figures that we got a few inches of lake effect snow today, right before he left, but I hope it’s done and I’ll be able to get out later in the week. If not, I’m stocked up on everything, and even thought ahead and got my green peppers late last week to make stuffed peppers tomorrow. (That’s one of my Ken-is-on-a-business-trip dinners, along with eggplant parmigiana, eggplant lasagna, cabbage rolls, and...well, pretty much anything with eggplant, cabbage, or sweet peppers.) On Tuesday, my mother-in-law is coming over, and we’ll go have lunch and then I’ll put some music on her MP3 player. On Wednesday, I’m having dinner with Shane and Matt, and on Thursday, I may be going to a lecture at Notre Dame with Diana (that’s kind of weather dependent, though). I think I’ll manage to keep myself busy and out of trouble!