I am waving the white flag because Self Help Radio is forced to surrender this week. After minutes of pointless fighting & untold losses on each side, Self Help Radio is going to take the more humiliating road & surrender outright rather than admit it wasn't entirely sure what it was fighting about & whom it had been fighting with. Also, the show is a lot wimpy.
The surrender ceremony (if that's what they call it) will air today from 4 to 6 pm (EST) on 88.1 fm WRFL in Lexington but events can be heard live as it happens online on the helpful website WRFL dot FM. Documents will be signed, gun salutes may be fired, & if I'm lucky, one of the generals from the other side won't knock me down & kick me over & over & over.
Do listen!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Preface To Surrender: Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys!
"Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys." That's a mean way of referring to the French. Look it up.
The article notes it comes from a Simpsons episode, but was used by neocons to express unhappiness with France declining to join in the invasion of Iraq, but says, "With declining support for the Iraq War, the term fell out of use."
I had this weird moment a while back when I discovered that my wife had never seen the television show All In The Family, which is widely considered one of the best television shows ever, & certainly I loved watching it as a kid. But the main character, Archie Bunker, is so obviously racist that someone born after the show, as my wife is, can't really get past that to the show's motives. She did not want to watch it.
He used a particular hateful term - one I haven't heard in years - & I don't want to print it here, so don't worry which one it is - but the thing is, the word - which just isn't used any more - seems kinda cute to me. Like, if no one knew its racist connections, they might think it was adorable.
One time, I was with a friend who (like me) doesn't eat animals & who in particular (also like me) loves pigs, & finds them very lovely & intelligent. One time, in a car, we were listening to the song "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan. (If you're not familiar with it, you can read about it if you want.) It's about an injustice &, to describe how the protagonist of the song is getting railroaded by the authorities, Dylan sings, "The trial was a pig circus, he didn't have a chance."
My friend, when she heard the phrase "pig circus," said, "Yay!" She wasn't listening to the song, she was just thinking of how cute a circus composed entirely of pigs would be. & she was right! It would be amazing.
Which is my long way of saying, I think "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" sound like animals I'd love to hang around with. Who wants to hang out with flesh-eating aggressive monkeys? The cheese-eating surrender monkeys have the right idea: drop out of the war & enjoy some snacks.
I have noticed that the word "surrender" in the songs I'll play on tomorrow's show don't have negative connotations. Perhaps I'll talk about that.
The article notes it comes from a Simpsons episode, but was used by neocons to express unhappiness with France declining to join in the invasion of Iraq, but says, "With declining support for the Iraq War, the term fell out of use."
I had this weird moment a while back when I discovered that my wife had never seen the television show All In The Family, which is widely considered one of the best television shows ever, & certainly I loved watching it as a kid. But the main character, Archie Bunker, is so obviously racist that someone born after the show, as my wife is, can't really get past that to the show's motives. She did not want to watch it.
He used a particular hateful term - one I haven't heard in years - & I don't want to print it here, so don't worry which one it is - but the thing is, the word - which just isn't used any more - seems kinda cute to me. Like, if no one knew its racist connections, they might think it was adorable.
One time, I was with a friend who (like me) doesn't eat animals & who in particular (also like me) loves pigs, & finds them very lovely & intelligent. One time, in a car, we were listening to the song "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan. (If you're not familiar with it, you can read about it if you want.) It's about an injustice &, to describe how the protagonist of the song is getting railroaded by the authorities, Dylan sings, "The trial was a pig circus, he didn't have a chance."
My friend, when she heard the phrase "pig circus," said, "Yay!" She wasn't listening to the song, she was just thinking of how cute a circus composed entirely of pigs would be. & she was right! It would be amazing.
Which is my long way of saying, I think "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" sound like animals I'd love to hang around with. Who wants to hang out with flesh-eating aggressive monkeys? The cheese-eating surrender monkeys have the right idea: drop out of the war & enjoy some snacks.
I have noticed that the word "surrender" in the songs I'll play on tomorrow's show don't have negative connotations. Perhaps I'll talk about that.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Chance
But hey, I finally got it digitized & here it is, available now at the Self Help Radio website or directly by these links: part one | part two. The songs in each part are below.
I am sorry I missed a week, but I knew the chances of you missing me would be slim.
(part one)
"Chance" The Teardrop Explodes _Kilimanjaro_
"Chance" Repetition _A Will To Win 12"_
"Chance" Big Country _The Crossing_
"Chance" Red Lorry Yellow Lorry _Smashed Hits_
"Chances" The Ten Commandments _Home Fires Burning_
"Chances Are" Julie London _The End Of The World_
"The Certainty Of Chance" The Divine Comedy _Fin De Siècle_
"By Some Chance" The Lewis Sisters _The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 5: 1965_
"Just A Chance" Badfinger _Poptopia! Power Pop Classics Of The '70s_
"Chance I Can't Deny" James King & The Lone Wolves _Texas Lullaby 7"_
"By Chance" The Go-Betweens _Before Hollywood_
"Chances Are High" Monster Movie _Transistor_
"Is There Any Chance Of You Coming Into My Life?" Thee Headcoatees _Here Comes Cessation_
(part two)
"Second Chance" The Reivers _Pop Beloved_
"If I Ever Get The Chance Again" The Parcels _One_
"I Don't Suppose I'll Get A Second Chance" Another Sunny Day _London Weekend_
"Give Me A Second Chance" The Wave Pictures _Long Black Cars_
"Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance" Bob Dylan _The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan_
"Give Me One More Chance" Wilmer Alexander Jr & The Dukes _Hey! Look What I Found! Vol. 10_
"One More Chance" The Jackson 5 _Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 _
"One More Chance" The V.I.P.'s _Beat Crazy!_
"Best Chance" Big Star _In Space_
"Last Chance" Yuya Uchida & The Flowers _Japanese Rockin' Psyche & Punk '66-'71_
"Last Chance To Be Free" Great Plains _Length Of Growth 1981-1989_
"Last Chance To Turn Around" The Fall _Light User Syndrome_
"Your Last Chance" Gore Gore Girls _Up All Night_
"Ghost Of A Chance" Edwyn Collins _Hope & Despair_
"Ghost Of A Chance" The Saturday People _The Saturday People_
"A Sliver Of Chance" Jeremy Jay _Splash_