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What's left to sing about...
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Subject: What's left to sing about... From: Froodo Date: 12 Oct 00 - 11:29 AM Nixon's gone. Civil Rights isn't as prevalent. Nuclear War is outdated. Is there only love songs to sing. What's a protest singer to sing about today... Your thoughts... |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Jim the Bart Date: 12 Oct 00 - 11:44 AM Sing about the fact that there's nothing to sing about (if that's what you really believe). |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 12 Oct 00 - 11:46 AM Hunger, disease, poverty, genocide, political corruption, huge corporations buying elections and politicians, environmental disasters, racial profiling, drugs, hate, fear.... |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Kim C Date: 12 Oct 00 - 11:48 AM Yep, I think Naemanson pretty much covered it there. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 12 Oct 00 - 11:52 AM Froodo, you must live somewhere really nice, and never watch the TV. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Catrin Date: 12 Oct 00 - 12:29 PM Froodo, read this Don't know what else to say really. Catrin |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: SINSULL Date: 12 Oct 00 - 01:15 PM "Sing of good things, not bad Sing of happy not sad..." by the way, what planet do you live on? |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 12 Oct 00 - 01:17 PM On the gooood ship Lollypop It's a short trip to the candy shop... |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: mousethief Date: 12 Oct 00 - 01:24 PM It's so wonderful that everyone has meaningful employment, hate crimes are a thing of the past, equal work is finally receiving equal pay, racist hiring and promotion have gone the way of the pet rock, crime is almost nonexistant, the rich are no longer exploiting the poor and middle-class, foolish laws about things consenting adults do in private have all been stricken from the books, international conglomerates are no longer forcing poor third-world farmers to plant cash crops on every spare acre instead of allowing them to grow food crops in small plots, land mines have been banned by all nations and all the in-place ones have been removed and destroyed, basic health care and access to information are no longer denied on the basis of ability to pay, large and powerful nations no longer dictate policy for smaller and less powerful ones, corporate rape of the natural environment has been totally eliminated, chemicals known to cause permanent environmental damage are universally banned, and the American League has finally dropped the designated hitter rule. Yes, now that there is nothing to protest about, things are pretty boring.
Alex |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: hesperis Date: 12 Oct 00 - 01:44 PM Good one, MT! Yeah, sing about poverty. And sing about governments that set up structures that keep people downtrodden, and so busy trying to survive that they don't have the energy to make the government accountable. And protest against people blaming the victims, because there still are far too many who do blame them. And protest against the economic machine, which sets up humanity to be inhuman to ourselves in the name of profit. Or in the name of survival. And point out that there are alternatives to all of these self-defeating behavious. If enough people knew about them, they could make the governments behave in healthy, sane ways. There are people trying to set up economic indicators that also measure quality of life. There are people trying to revitalize communities, and people building strands of love and caring, for others to hold on to. Yeah, there's a lot of stuff to write about. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 12 Oct 00 - 01:44 PM Of course, we could always have a protest rally about the flippant way we Mudcatters sometimes answer a serious post! In other words, Froodo, we are being a lttle difficult here but we apparently have a disagreement with what you see as problems in the world. We are open for your input intothis discussion if our fun at your expense hasn't put you off. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Mbo Date: 12 Oct 00 - 03:26 PM Protest songs---ZZZ! |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: catspaw49 Date: 12 Oct 00 - 03:36 PM If all of the above isn't enough, I have a feeling the market may soar as we seem more and more likely to elect Georgie Dumbyass Bush. Plenty of material I fear....... Spaw |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Wesley S Date: 12 Oct 00 - 03:36 PM You could always protest the fact that the winner of the Presidental election will probably be George Bush Jr or Al Gore. And that because of apathy only a very small percentage of voters will be the ones who pick him. And that it costs an OBSCENE amount of money to win the race. And that the tactics used are the same ones that sell toothpate ,cars, beer and cornchips. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 12 Oct 00 - 03:37 PM Wha' sa mattah? You don' like protest songs? But seriously Matt, all rock and roll was protest at one time. Either they were protesting the establishment or the war or the bad weed they bought off the junkie down the street. The earliest rock and roll was just fun music which mutated into protest, then into disco, and now, into whatever it is. Hard rock/heavy metal/punk/grunge (Are some of these terms still used? I'm out of touch.) is still in-your-face and pop/alternative rock is not. As far as I can see pop/alternative rock seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis. This is good because it means an evolution is continuing. But then again I might just be blowing music out of a possum's rear. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Wesley S Date: 12 Oct 00 - 03:41 PM What key do you play a possum's rear in ?? F ?? A ?? |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 12 Oct 00 - 03:46 PM Everyone knows that playing a possum's rear is an example of high sophistication and erudition. It's played in the first key you suggested so it's an F art. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: SINSULL Date: 12 Oct 00 - 04:31 PM Oh MY GOD. Mbo has hit another milestone - music he doesn't like. This has been a week of miracles. Maybe they will pull peace in the Middle East out of a hat yet. Just teasing Matt.
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: catspaw49 Date: 12 Oct 00 - 04:35 PM Well Sins, Dumbyass and cornchips both give me heartburn and make me wanna' fart................ Spaw |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 12 Oct 00 - 04:54 PM This thread seems to have crept its way away from the original point. Oh well. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: mousethief Date: 12 Oct 00 - 04:56 PM What's there to say, Naemanson? We've all said there is plenty to protest about, and the originator of the thread is AFK (or too disgusted with us to post). Might as well creep. Go, Mariners!
Alex |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 12 Oct 00 - 04:59 PM AFK? wha dat? And you want sailors to leave now? Why should the mariners go? Where do you want us to go? *bg* |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: mousethief Date: 12 Oct 00 - 05:05 PM Away From Keyboard. No, I want my favorite baseball team to beat the New York Yankees, another baseball team against whom they are currently in the middle of a best-4-out-of-7-game series, which is currently tied at one game each. Sailors, on the other hand, can take a flying leap off a tall pier if they wish. :-)
Alex |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Cobble Date: 12 Oct 00 - 05:10 PM Think I'll go to the pub, my ships left port. Brian |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Cobble Date: 12 Oct 00 - 05:13 PM Think I'll go to the pub, my ships left port. Brian |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 12 Oct 00 - 05:26 PM Sailors often do take a leap off a pier, on the the deck of their ship. Baseball players and teams on the other hand are an unknown quantity in this house. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: mousethief Date: 12 Oct 00 - 05:29 PM I've never had a baseball player or team in my house either. But I've sailed a bit. It's a delightful thing to do.
It's a good life out at sea
Alex |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Catrin Date: 12 Oct 00 - 05:35 PM Baseball? Explain please. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 12 Oct 00 - 05:53 PM Catrin, baseball is a game whereby two teams of guys hyped up on testosterone and steroids try their best to beat hell out of a little ball with a big stick. When the poor little ball tries to get away they chase it down and force it to stay where they can hit it. The ball does its best to duck and dodge but inevitably they manage to hit it again and again. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: mousethief Date: 12 Oct 00 - 05:54 PM Baseball is a team sport developed in the USA around the middle of the 19th century. It is probably related to and derived from cricket. There are many websites devoted to explaining the game; try this clicky.
Alex |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: mousethief Date: 12 Oct 00 - 06:03 PM Actually, Naemanson, in professional (major-league) baseball in the USA and Canada, the average life of a ball is about 4 pitches. It usually gets hit into the stands and they have to drag out a new one. Occasionally the umpire will determine that one is too beat up to continue playing with (who said they're not humane?!) and insist a fresh one be brought into play, and the bruised ball is retired from the game.
Alex |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Áine Date: 12 Oct 00 - 06:04 PM It requires a little syncopation here and there, but I think I've got a protest song for ya. Everybody join hands and sing:
Dumb-y-ass, my Lord, there's Dumb-y-ass, -- Áine (the next one's all yours, 'Spaw) |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 12 Oct 00 - 06:37 PM Aine! Are you voting for your governor? |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Áine Date: 12 Oct 00 - 06:44 PM If I do, Naemanson, you have permission to lock, load and put me out of my poor, wretched and (definitely) crazed misery!! Don't even get me started counting the ways Dear Ole Twig For A Dick has screwed up this state and buggered the poor people living in it up to their eyeballs. . . Whew! I nearly put my fist through the monitor -- Gotta go and play a happy tune and calm down now...maybe something from Song Challenge! Part 42 (shameless plug!) ;-) -- Áine |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Mbo Date: 12 Oct 00 - 06:53 PM Don't know what baseball is?!?!? Now I've heard it all.... |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Catrin Date: 12 Oct 00 - 07:15 PM It was supposed to be a joke - I forgot to put *BG* or whatever after it so perhaps the humour didn't travel well across the atlantic. Hey ho. Catrin *BG* |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 12 Oct 00 - 07:16 PM Baseball - like rounders, but played by grown up blokes wearing sort of knee britches.There's supposed to be an Irish version, but I've never met anyone who's seen it played.
I don't like the term protest song. If it's used at all it should be restricted to the songs you use at an actual protest rally or a picket line or a barricade. And there are better terms for those in any case.
Songs which express attitudes and feelings about things happening in the world often get called protest songs. But really all songs do that. Some just happen to be about things that are upsetting, or express anger or regret. You judge them as songs. And you agree with them or you don't agree with them, but that's another matter. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Little Hawk Date: 13 Oct 00 - 01:17 AM It's only the commercial music industry that pretends there is nothing to sing about...except for silly love songs. There is enough oppression in this world to keep generations of songwriters busy. There's also plenty of inspiring and beautiful stuff to write songs about. And then there's history, culture, philosophy, humour, satire, and about a million other things you could write about as well. Just because all you hear is radio ga-ga, doesn't mean there's nothing to write about. Turn off the damn radio and pick up your guitar and write. Wesley - Yeah! Protest your ridiculously long and expensive political campaigns...set up in such a way that only the rich can run them, and only the rich can win them. (Canadian federal elections are pretty bogus too, but at least they are limited to a duration of only 6 weeks). Protest the ludicrous choice between 2 political parties that represent no one and nothing except their own desire to be in power and reap the benefits thereof. Protest the death of a once great American democracy...killed by the almighty dollar and the mass marketing of total BS to an increasingly numb and powerless public who are slowly being turned into the equivalents of Homer Simpson and family. Their motto: "Give me convenience or give me death." |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: GUEST,Fibula Mattock Date: 13 Oct 00 - 05:08 AM Yes, McGrath of Harlow, the Irish version of baseball is played sans pitch, unfortunately. And sans ball too, usually. What's left to sing about?". Dinosaurs. No one ever sings about dinosaurs. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Froodo Date: 13 Oct 00 - 09:40 AM ouch. Just looking for your suggestions. geez. see you later |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 13 Oct 00 - 09:42 AM Actually, Fib. Mat., have you heard "Their Brains Were Small And They Died"? A song about dinosaurs! |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: GUEST,Fibula Mattock Date: 13 Oct 00 - 09:48 AM Noooooooo!!!!! That's sounds brilliant. I will change my mind about Dinosaurs after this week though - the Disney "Dinosaur" film is being released today. Blerugh. Cutesy, talking Dinosaurs. Jurassic Park it ain't. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: sophocleese Date: 13 Oct 00 - 12:33 PM Umm Fib, my kids have a CD called We Are the Dinosaurs by Kirk and Magoo.
We are the dinosaurs, Dum dum, de-dum The kids love it. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: GUEST,Fibula Mattock Date: 13 Oct 00 - 12:36 PM I take it all back! Dinosaurs are well represented in song - a remarkable achievement. Bang goes my suggestion! |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Bert Date: 13 Oct 00 - 12:44 PM I went to this songwriting workshop once and they said "Don't use clichés". So I just had to find a cliché and write a song about it. It turned out pretty good so if I'm ever stuck for a subject again I'll just choose another cliché. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: GUEST,Lena Date: 13 Oct 00 - 02:45 PM 120 years old(looking even older)japanese politicians having cups of orange juice on the tv at six in the night.Is that a good topic?! |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Margo Date: 13 Oct 00 - 06:09 PM My goodness! There is so much to write about! I'm 2/3rds done with my song about the dinosaur named Sue (no joke, there really is one) I performed one I wrote at a festival this summer about what wonderful worlds you can find in Library books. I'm writing a song about a man and his spinnaker (quick! get out the OED!), and another one about being creatures of habit. I write both children's songs and songs for the older kids (us'ns). Instead of thinking in such big categories (like social justice or other world problems as suggested above) look around and see what is right in front of you. Write about sights and sounds and connect them with people. Paint a verbal picture. Make a whimsical rhyme! Write about what tickles your funnybone. Write about what irks you. The possibilities are endless....Margo |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 13 Oct 00 - 06:13 PM If you can talk about it, you can sing about it. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Greyeyes Date: 13 Oct 00 - 06:40 PM The great David Bellamy had a minor hit in the UK in the 80's with a song called "Brontosaurus", and surely "Puff the Magic Dragon" is about a dinosaur. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: GUEST,mousethief (at the library) Date: 13 Oct 00 - 07:42 PM Puff the magic dragon is about a DRAGON (hence the name). Quite a different beast from a dinosaur.
Alex |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: kendall Date: 14 Oct 00 - 08:57 AM Puff is about smoking a joint...Neamanson, that was a great description of baseball. You nailed it with the HOW of the game, now, lets hear WHY? Watching cans rust is more exiting! |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Metchosin Date: 14 Oct 00 - 03:03 PM Froodo, try this one, Mr. Dave does a pretty bang up version but there should be others, especially the younger ones, singing out too.
DO YOU WANT MY JOB . . (R.Cooder/J.Hiatt/J.Keltner/N.Lowe) |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: catspaw49 Date: 14 Oct 00 - 03:41 PM HEY FROODO...GOT ANY IDEAS YET??? Kendall, we've had this discusion several times around here and I still don't believe that Puff is about pot. I know I ain't ever changin' anybody's mind and you aren't changing mine, but I'll take the word of the dragon's Daddy who has always said its a song about the loss of childhood innocence. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 14 Oct 00 - 04:34 PM Beyond question Spaw is right here.
I suppose you could have a sequel in which the lad grows up a bit and comes back running to wake up his old mate Puff and they all have a great reunion. And that might be a song about dope. But not the Puff we've got. |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Zebedee Date: 14 Oct 00 - 04:49 PM McGrath, A mudcatter did recently provide an alternative ending (see this thread:
Many long years later, Puff was sleeping on the shore You and Catspaw are of course right. I still occasionally meet people who think that it was a drugs song, and despite anything I say, refuse to believe otherwise. I just shrug my shoulders and feel slightly sorry for them. Zeb
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Amos Date: 14 Oct 00 - 04:58 PM Ya know....the reason that people write protest songs is that they feel protest about something. If ya can't find anything in current life on this hyar Mud Ball to feel any protest about, ya should type "obituaries" into a Google dialogue box, cuz ya might have died and not noticed. A |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: rangeroger Date: 14 Oct 00 - 07:16 PM I still have a 45 from the early '60s called "The Brontosaurus Stomp" by the Piltdown Men. Flipside is "MacDonalds Cave" rr |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 15 Oct 00 - 09:26 AM Puff is about a dragon and the loss of innocence. I know it because of my father's day gift last June. Puff had a bit to do with this. It is framed and has two stars on it and it says:
My Father's Gift |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: catspaw49 Date: 15 Oct 00 - 09:49 AM Aw geez Brett.........Once again the 'Cat proves a place to both laugh and cry........Very sweet, completely wonderful.........Thanks. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Greyeyes Date: 15 Oct 00 - 11:01 AM Naemanson, I've posted a PM to you about "My Father's Gift" |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: GospelPicker (inactive) Date: 16 Oct 00 - 11:09 AM "I call 'em 'finger-pointin songs' cause that's where my head is at right now... I don't do 'protest' songs anymore... Bob Dylan, 1965 Seriously, you want something to protest? I went to a Billy Graham (US preacher/evangelist/speaker) crusade (really big church sermon type thingy for you non-religious types) and he and all the other speakers in Central Park NYC told us haffamillion folks that there was a need for "food and clothing for those poor people overseas"... I took a walk to get an authentic Sewer-Snake (hot dog from a push cart) and I saw people not 2 blocks from 'ol Graham and his "overseas" who were cuddling their infant child and sleeping in an old industrial size laundry cart... Protest? How about laying off the foreigners and caring about your actual neighbors, like the Bible says? I mean, I care, but really... all this tree-hugging humanitarian garbaggio lamenting over the poor pygmies when I bet ol BushyBaby and Snore probably ignore the guy with the foam cup outside the White House... GospelPicker @:^o[+] *mouth open in protest right now!*
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Little Hawk Date: 16 Oct 00 - 01:05 PM As far as I'm concerned, "Dinosaur" was better than "Jurassic Park"...particularly in terms of acting and plausible storyline. Jurassic Park had some of the worst acting ever seen in the history of motion pictures, although not quite as bad as Godzilla '98 or Independence Day, arguably. Dinosaur was excellent. Puff the Magic Dragon is NOT about pot, but about coming of age, as Spaw indicated. Mr. Tambourine Man is NOT about a drug dealer, but about freedom of the human spirit. Rainy Day Women is NOT about drugs either, but about society in a more generalized sense, as to the trips people tend to lay on each other, the rat race, etc. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is NOT about LSD, but was inspired by a picture a little girl drew. and... Leonard Skynrd songs are not about intelligent perception or anything like that. :-) Gospel Picker - right on! There are homeless dying on the streets of Toronto too. What does North American society have to be self-righteous about when they can't even show mercy upon their own lost and forsaken? |
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: GospelPicker (inactive) Date: 16 Oct 00 - 01:56 PM Teaho, Little Hawk! Hoka hey! Glad to see this 'ol half-breed has got someone on his side! Self-righteous attitudes are thing that killed Jesus... the Presidency... health care in the US... rock and roll... the American Dream. GospelPicker @:^([+] *sad cause of the bad attitudes*
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Subject: RE: What's left to sing about... From: Naemanson Date: 16 Oct 00 - 02:27 PM Gospelpicker, I agree with what you say and have one more bone to pick with BG and his ilk. How much of HIS extra income goes to those people? Is he still driving an expensive car? Wearing expensive suits? Living in a mansion? Acting like the aristocratic clergy of the middle ages? If there is anything that gets under my skin it's those who stand with one hand out for charity and the other on the door knob of a fancy house and expensive car. Rant off. |
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