Sir, will you please leave quietly?

I will allow the series of tubes to play a dirge for Senator Ted.

Friday Musical Tribute; or, Texas State Board of Education Races to the Bottom, Seeks to Institutionalize Creationism

Sigh

Texas has earned a reputation as an innovation powerhouse in fields ranging from agriculture and life sciences to high technology and space exploration.

But in a report issued this summer, a panel of Texas business, education and government leaders warned that without "critical changes" in state schools — especially in science-related instruction — the state will lose its global competitive edge.

It appears, however, that some members of the State Board of Education are working on a different agenda. Last week, they appointed three anti-evolution activists, including a leader of the "intelligent design" religious campaign, to a six-member panel that will review proposed new science curriculum standards.

The new standards will shape how science education is taught in Texas for the next decade, and it would be a terrible mistake to water down the teaching of evolution in any way.

Given the concerns about the state's future work force, the appointments are a troubling signal. At a time when most educators are working to prepare students for 21st century jobs, the board members' action threatens to confuse students, divide communities and tarnish Texas' reputation as an international science and technology center.

This linked article does a good job laying out the pedagogical and Enlightenment-based arguments for why Texas' parents need to put a stop to what these people are trying to do.

Now, Harrogate humbly offers a Humanistic Argument against the Evolution Deniers:

They prosecuted some poor sucker in these United States
For teaching that man descended from the apes
They coulda settled that case without a fuss or fight
If they'd seen me chasin' you, sugar, through the jungle last night
They'da called in that jury and a one two three said
Part man, part monkey, definitely

"Dress You Up" Now Counts as Political Music!!!

This was always one of Harrogate's favorite songs by Madge, anyway. Go ahead and make fun of him for it & see if he cares. It's a damned good song, and certainly merits consideration as the new GOP theme song.

You've got style, that's what all the girls say
Satin sheets and luxuries so fine
All your suits are custom made in London
But I've got something that you'll really like

"Keep Talking": In Honor of Pink Floyd, Barack Obama, and a Media That Never Fell for McCain's Effort to Shut Up

Well, as ye all know by now, McCain will debate tonight in Mississippi. The link provided shows you how to spin these developments as evidence of McCain's heroism and leadership virtuosity. It seems McCain, whose level of expertise and gravitas on matters pertinent to this bailout, and to the economy generally, is clear to all Americans, was willing to "put politics aside" and "solve problems in a bipartisan manner," but Obama selfishly put his Presidential ambitions above eveything. That is the Spin you're going to see from the Right all day.

Still, it is a wonderful thing that the debate is on, regardless of how they spin it, and regardless of the outcomes. Harrogate therefore posts this song in honor both of Debate in Principle. And in Honor of Barack Obama. Because as Obama demonstrated in his strong response to McCain's FASCISTIC SUGGESTION that discourse be put off in the name of crisis management.

Yes, as he demonstrated in that response, one of Obama's best features is that he understands the life and death stakes of Talk.




Here are the lyrics to Pink Floyd's "Keep Talking"

For millions of years mankind lived just like the animals
Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination
We learned to talk

There's a silence surrounding me
I can't seem to think straight
I'll sit in the corner
No one can bother me
I think I should speak now
I can't seem to speak now
My words won't come out right
I feel like I'm drowning
I'm feeling weak now
But I can't show my weakness
I sometimes wonder
Where do we go from here

It doesn't have to be like this
All we need to do is make sure we keep talking

Why won't you talk to me
You never talk to me
What are you thinking
What are you feeling
Why won't you talk to me
You never talk to me
What are you thinking
Where do we go from here

It doesn't have to be like this
All we need to do is make sure we keep talking

Why won't you talk to me
You never talk to me
What are you thinking
What are you feeling
Why won't you talk to me
You never talk to me
What are you thinking
What are you feeling

I feel like I'm drowning
You know I can't breathe now
We're going nowhere
We're going nowhere

Why Some People Like Ron Paul. Number 700 Billion. Oh. Also, Nader Predicted This Would Happen

Harrogate posted this You Tube Video long ago, roundabout March or so. At the time he stated that Paul was the only candidate in either party who was getting You Tube videos made with captions such as "Ron Paul Courageously Speaks the Truth."

Some Die-Hard Reaganomicons, like Andrew Sullivan, are voting for Obama but really, really love Ron Paul. On Friday's Real Time, Sully stated that the current Wall Street crisis vindicates not Noam Chomsky, but Ron Paul. Hmmmm. As though there are only those two choices.

Harrogate, be it remembered, thinks Ron Paul is only slightly undeserving of nutball status, and wouldn't vote for Ron Paul for the proverbial office of dog-catcher. Because Harrogate is not a Concrete Jungle Greenblood Economic Conservative. But still, Harrogate is human, and he was once young and a little Green Blooded Himself. Yea, he once thought Ayn Rand an important thinker. And now looking back on those innocent days of yore, Harrogate cannot help but appreciate it that of all the Political Figures that made a play for the Presidency this time around, it is Ron Paul who rests his platform almost completely on the Altar of Liberty. That, friends, is why this video exists, because somebody was inspired by the idea of freedom, and Ron Paul was their spokesman. And it is why Harrogate now embeds it, for the second time.

Also, what an appropriate song for the United States' Rhetorical Situation, at this moment in time!!!!



Oh BTW. Nader warned us that this K Street shit was gonna happen

Real Cracks in Real Ceilings: Identity Politics Versus the Economy

Fruits of Eco-Conservatism. McCain and GOP=Dead End Street

There's a crack up in the ceiling,
And the kitchen sink is leaking.
Out of work and got no money,
A sunday joint of bread and honey.

What are we living for?
Two-roomed apartment on the second floor.
No money coming in,
The rent collectors knocking, trying to get in.

We are strictly second class,
We don't understand,
(dead end!)
Why we should be on dead end street.
(dead end!)
People are living on dead end street.
(dead end!)
Gonna die on dead end street.

Happy Saturday Musical Tribute; or, as Seal once put it: "It's Loneliness That's The Killer"

Lazlo Bane.




Some Readers may not be aware of Harrogate's recently emergent obsession with Scrubs. But, as the show plunges into its final season Harrogate has been Nexflixing seasons in order, taking in each episode as though he never knew about the show until this summer.

But, the song is really great, regardless of what ye think of Braff and company. Who has never experienced the mood at stake in this song. The loneliness of it verging on despair, and yet somehow, the song manages to retain a fundamental faith that things will work out.

Yea, one might even say that thematically, the song hits the same chord as the Beatles' Masterpiece, "With a Little Help From My Friends," appropriately situated in their appropriately titled stroke of effervescent genius, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Enjoy.

Thursday Musical Tribute: God Bless This Mess

Once again, Sheryl Crow says it better than I ever could. Here's to not creating any more messes that we need God to bless. . .

Political Communication through Music

This semester I will be instructing a Political Communicaiton class. While trying to find new ways to reach my students, I decided to spend a week discussing music as a form of political communication. The songs must address political issues, with political being thought of as control and use of the basic resources and interests of a community or the arrangement of relationships between individuals in a community.

I have been putting together a list. Here are some example listed by artist, song, and theme. I am sure that there are multiple songs tha I am missing, especially when it comes to Rap (this is one genre of music I know little about).

(1) What am I missing? (Especially in regards to minority voices such through women artists and in rap)

(2) Why is there a dearth of political music in the 1990s? (There may be a few answers to this quesiton such as an "era of Good Feeling" after the end of the Cold War, an economic boom, the rise of Clear Channel and the centralization of playlists, the lack of social unrest to protest, and the rise of individual angst and the commodification of that angst.)

Here a brief list (there are many songs i am missing):

1960s
Barry McGuire “Eve of Destruction,” (imminent apocalypse, 1965)
Bob Dylan, “Blowing in the Wind,” (civil rights, anti-war; 1962)
Bob Dylan, “"The Times They Are a-Changin’” (Social Protest; 1963)
Creedence Clearwater Rivival “Fortunate Son,” (Those that did not fight, 1969)
Merle Haggard, "Oakie from Miskogee," (Anti-Protestors; 1960s)

1970s
Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On,” (Vietnam; 1972)
John Lennon, “Imagine,” (anti-war, anti-establishment, anti-religion, anti-corporation, 1971)
John Lennon, “Give Peace A Chance,” (1972)

1980s
Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A,” (Soldiers Retuning from War, 1984)
Nina- “99 Red Balloons” (Nuclear Proliferation, 1984)
R.E.M. “Orange Crush” (Vietnam)
U2, “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” (The Troubles in Northern Ireland, 1983)
Fugazi, “Suggestion” (Objectification of Women” 1989)
Public Enemy, “Fight the Power,” (1989)

1990s
Arrested Development, “Tennessee,” (lynching; 1992)
Guns N’ Roses, “Civil War; (a tribute to anti-war songs; 1992)
The Cranberries, “Zombie,” (The Toubles, Easter Rising; 1994)
Rage Against the Machine (multiple songs though there may be something rotten in Denmark about this band)

2000s
Alan Jackson, “Where were you,” (September 11th; 2002)
Toby Keith, “Country of the Red, White, Blue, Blue” (September 11th; 2002)
Dixie Chicks, “Travelin Soldier,” (Anti-War; 2002)
Dixie Chicks, “Not Ready to Make Nice,” (Anti-Bush Remarks,, 2006)
Bruce Springsteen, “Into the Fire” (September 11th; 2002)
Green Day, “American Idiot,” (Ridicules American under GWB; 2004)