Friday, December 28, 2012

Grammar Fascist

I like the AllMusic web site, I think it's a nice resource, but I have always felt - I have friends who think this, too - that it would benefit from having the sort of user comments that the Internet Movie Database has.  I don't necessarily need to read what everyone thinks about my favorite records, but when you have only a small group of people review stuff, you're bound to have some reviews that slip by with little or no editing.

Case in point: this review of the George Harrison song "Think For Yourself":

I have screen-captured it, & circled the two things that annoy me, &, in my opinion, invalidate the review.  One, the dude doesn't know the difference between "its" & "it's."  Can you imagine someone with a real writing gig making that mistake?  It's Grammar 101!

The second thing is that he misquotes the lyrics.  Never once does George Harrison sing "you gotta think for yourself" in the song.

I guess you can think that the song is "dated" but I'm not going to pay attention to your opinions when you can't even properly quote the song.  It's not like there aren't hundreds of lyrics sites out there.

If you were allowed to comment on this, you could call this dumbass out & perhaps encourage him to correct his errors.

Interestingly, the AllMusic Guide doesn't let you search for writers, so I can't see what other nonsense the reviewer - "Thomas Ward" - has written.

Some might think that I am making a big deal about nothing, but this little review is a microcosm of the biggest problem with the site.  It has an insularity that makes it far from the important resource it could be.  That's too bad.

Also, that's a pretty great George Harrison song.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Green Wing

Have you seen this?  Dude, it's on Netflix!  You know, the streaming part.  Where you can watch it on your computer.

Not that I'm a paid employee of anyone, because I am'nt.  I'm just watching every episode of Green Wing in order until my brain starts to swoon.

Should I be doing something else?

Monday, December 24, 2012

A Very Self Help Radio Christmas 2012!


Santa made me put this up before he started work tonight!

Two hours of Christmas music!  I talk about Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Pancha Ganapati, & Boxing Day!  & Captain Kangaroo seems to enjoy talking about burning Christmas trees & melting snowmen!

Listen to it now at the Self Help Radio web site.  Listen to the two parts at one click: part one | part two.  Unwrap the list below to see what's in each present!

Happy holidays everyone!  Thanks for listening!

(part one)

"Season's Freaklings" Bunnygrunt _Blue Christmas_
"I Want An Alien For Christmas" Hillary & The Democrats _Christmastime, Approximately_
"Twimmin' De Cwis'mas Twee" Duncan Sisters _Twimmin' De Cwis'mas Twee_
"Here Comes Christmas" Remington Super 60 _Go System Go!_

"Santa Claus Is Skaing To Town" The Granville Williams Orchestra _Trojan Christmas Box Set_
"The Christmas Song" The Raveonettes _Heartbreak Stroll EP_
"Kung Fu Xmas" Pearly Gatecrashers _Spectacular_
"Santa Claus Is Sometimes Brown" El Vez _Merry MeX-mas_
"Santa Claus Is A Black Man" Akim & The Teddy Vann Production Company _A John Waters Christmas_

"I'm Not Really In The Christmas Mood This Year" Foxtails Brigade _Time Is Passed_
"A Feast" Lisa Germano _A Feast_
"I've Had A Very Merry Christmas" Jerry Lewis _Jerry Lewis: Capitol Collector's Series_
"Christmas" Red Sleeping Beauty _Pop Sounds_
"Gettin' Ready For Christmas Day" Rev. J.M. Gates With His Congregation _Goodbye, Babylon_

"Santa Je T'Aime" The Superions _Destination... Christmas!_

(part two)

"Last Christmas" Palast Orchester feat. Max Raabe _Party Time!_
"Disco Christmas" The Universal Robot Band _Disco Christmas_
"Do They Know It's Christmas" Richard Cheese _Silent Nightclub_
"Do You Hear What I Hear?" The Children Of The University Of Michigan Children's Psychiatric Hospital _Christmas At C.P.H._

"The Littlest Snowman" Captain Kangaroo _First Christmas Record For Children_
"Here Comes The Rhythm Band" The Peppermint Kandy Kids _Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer_
"Little Twinka-Den" Twinka-Den _Little Twinka-Den_
"The Twelve Days Of Christmas" Sharon, Lois & Bram _Candles, Snow & Mistletoe_
"I Won't Let You Lick My Candy Bar" Susan Kay _Christmas On The Moon With Tim Dinkins_

"Stone Soul Christmas" Binky Griptite _Santa's Funk & Soul Christmas Party_
"Christmas Love (feat. Rotary Connection)" Minnie Riperton _Her Chess Years_
"Goin' To Bethlehem" Countryside Unitarian Fellowship _Hey Jesus Christ Welcome To This World_
"Merry, Merry Christmas" Bill Elliott _Merry, Merry Christmas_

"Christmas Tyme" Yard Trauma _Fuzz, Acid & Mistletoe: Christmas In The Garage_
"Snowflakes!" The Happiest Guys In The World _The Tarquin Records All Star Holiday Extravaganza_
"Teenage Christmas" Jacobites _God Save Us Poor Sinners_

PS Last year's show is available for listening too if you're a glutton for punishment.  Ho ho ho!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Whither A Very Self Help Radio Christmas 2012?

Tomorrow morning, 7 to 9am.  88.1 fm in Lexington.  wrfl dot fm online.  self help radio dot net later.  Oh yeah.  SANTA'S GOING DOWN.

(That was dumb, sorry.)

Also: this is post number 1500.  I didn't want to make a big deal about it.  But.  Wow.

Happy holidays!