Fourth of July Playlist

My wife and I are having family over to celebrate the 4th of July. I decided to put together a playlist for our iPod Nano, which will be docked outside for our listening pleasure. Before looking at the list below, you should know that I am a patriotic person... to a degree. I'm a believer in the ideals established by the founders of this country. This list was my attempt to have a larger and more comprehensive list than any of those I found online.

Any song in my collection that had the words "July 4th, Freedom, Star, United, America, Country..." all made it on to the list. Some are more patriotic than others, but they all have implications that relate to our country and various opinions of it... Here goes:

 

All Star -  Smash Mouth
America - Neil Diamond
America - Paul Simon
American Baby - Dave Matthews
American Cliche - Filter
American Eulogy - Green Day
American Gigolo - Weezer
American Girl - Tom Petty
American Girls - Counting Crows
American Girls - Weezer
American Idiot - Green Day
American Idiot - Richard Cheese
American Life - Primus
American Man - Velvet Revolver
American Music - The Hold Steady
American Pie - Don McLean
American Psycho - Eminem & Cypress Hill
American Witch - Rob Zombie
American Woman - The Guess Who
American Woman - Lenny Kravitz
Americana - Offspring
Awakening Americans - Alanis Morissette
Cry Freedom - Dave Matthews
Cumbersome - Seven Mary Three

(off their American Standard album!)
Falling Stars - Serj Tankian
February Stars - Foo Fighters

First Night - The Hold Steady
Flagpole Sitter - Harvey Danger
For God and Country - Smashing Pumpkins
Freedom - Jimi Hendrix
Freedom - Paul McCartney
Freedom - Rage Against the Machine
Geek U.S.A. - Smashing Pumpkins
Hurt - Johnny Cash 

(off his American IV album!)
I'm Afraid of Americans - David Bowie
Last of the American Girls - Green Day
Let Freedom Ring - The Nightwatchman
Living in America - James Brown
Lump - The Presidents of the United States
Omaha - Counting Crows
Peaches - The Presidents of the United States
Road Trippin' - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rockin' in the Free World - Neil Young
Saturday in the Park - Chicago
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
Shooting Star - Puddle of Mudd
Solidarity Forever - The Nightwatchman
Song from an American Movie - Everclear
Star Spangled Banner - Jimi Hendrix
Starz - Smashing Pumpkins
Surf Wax America - Weezer
Swing, Swing - The All-American Rejects
This is Not America - David Bowie
This Land is Your Land -  Counting Crows
This Land is Your Land - The Nightwatchman
United States - Smashing Pumpkins
We're an American Band - Rob Zombie
White America - Eminem
Young American - David Bowie
40oz to Freedom - Sublime
4th of July - Soundgarden


... you're welcome.

Mayor de Blasio Bans NYPD Guns

The Mayor warmly greets the large Jewish population of NYC

In a shocking move late yesterday evening New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio issued an order that New York Police Department officers are to be stripped of their firearms.
The new policy will go into effect the first day of next month and will be a city-wide mandate. It says that officers are no longer authorized to carry guns in public. They are also no longer authorized to receive firearm training. The only place officers may still carry a gun is safely within the walls of the Police Station. Henceforth, the NYPD must use tasers and pepper spray in all situations. In his brief statement, the Mayor expressed that, "... without guns, cops are less likely to shoot anyone." There will be some exceptions to the new anti-gun policy which will include high-profile city events and security detail. The Mayor's own bodyguards will still carry firearms with live rounds.

de Blasio being levitated by the power of anti-police sentiment

A long-time opponent of stop and frisk, de Blasio has spoken out against the NYPD on several occasions. The most recent was following the grand jury decision not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Panteleo in the death of Eric Garner. De Blasio said that he and his wife Chirlane McCray had many conversations with their mixed-race son about taking "special care in any encounters he has with the police officers who are there to protect him." The statement was criticized as being antagonistic and aligning with anti-police sentiment expressed by the likes of instigator Rev. Al Sharpton. In that crucial moment in history, the Mayor did not stand up for the people who protect his city. He instead took the side of a man selling counterfeit cigarettes. On December 20, two officers were assassinated in their patrol car. The shooter made it clear this was revenge. The NYPD feels that the Mayor is at least partially responsible for rousing anti-police sentiment. Officers responded by turning their backs on the Mayor during his eulogies of the two police officers. 

Mayor de Blasio showing support for Gay Pride Day

Boston-born Police Commissioner Bill Bratton has been guarded in his responses to these events, obviously because de Blasio appointed him, and is technically his boss. Bratton was quoted (in his thick Boston accent) as saying, "It matters not what your boss decrees, it is your duty to smile and nod until it's time to punch out and go home." The NYPD have not been so guarded, however, with many officers claiming a direct correlation between the actions of the Mayor and the resulting officer deaths. They have also turned their backs on petty crimes that are designed to bring a tax profit to the city. These crimes (summonses, parking violations) are not hurting any humans, and are mostly in place to keep officers busy meeting quotas. The police are still responding as usual to serious, life-threatening situations.

We cannot help but wonder how quick they will be to respond without a firearm.



* Disclaimer: This article is a joke. It is meant for amusement and should in no way be considered an actual report. None of the statements quoted in this article are real (except in paragraph two). De Blasio has not taken officers guns away... yet. The point of this article is to take what is currently happening to the next level as a warning of things to come if serious changes are not made in the very near future. The author has family and friends in the NYPD and has nothing but respect for our men and women in blue. The author has very little respect for politicians.

Here's a music video about NYC... Empire State of Meh

Paul McCartney is Number Two

Here's a list of number one songs written by Paul McCartney...

1963     She Loves You
1964     I Want to Hold Your Hand
1964     Can't Buy Me Love
1964     Love Me Do
1964     A Hard Day's Night
1964     I Feel Fine
1965     Help!
1965     Yesterday
1965     Ticket to Ride
1965     Eight Days a Week
1966     We Can Work it Out
1966     Paperback Writer
1967     Penny Lane
1967     All You Need is Love
1967     Hello Goodbye
1968     Hey Jude
1969     Come Together/Something *
1969     Get Back
1970     Let it Be
1970     The Long and Winding Road/For You Blue *
1971     Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey *
1973     My Love
1974     Band on the Run
1975     Listen to What the Man Said
1976     Silly Love Songs
1978     With a Little Luck
1980     Coming Up
1982     Ebony and Ivory
1983     Say Say Say
* Released as a double A-side single

There you have it.
Paul McCartney's Number 1 hits according to the Billboard Top 100.

The argument can be made that Paul McCartney has not had a number one hit (by himself) since the death of his long-time writing partner. That's not to say that Lennon was instrumental in McCartney's post-Beatles hits. Seven of the songs above (1971-1980) were written by Paul and had nothing to do with John whatsoever... but once John was no longer living, Paul stopped topping the charts.

John Lennon was shot and killed on December 8, 1980. Ebony and Ivory was a number one hit in 1982, but it was written by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. Say Say Say was a number one hit in 1983, but it was written with a very popular artist at the time named Michael Jackson.

 
In 2012 McCartney teamed up with one of the biggest names in music, Dave Grohl, to record Cut Me Some Slack. Many Nirvana fans would never have guessed that Paul McCartney would be the next man to front a Dave Grohl/Krist Novoselic band. The song was featured on the Sound City soundtrack and performed live for the 12/12/12 Hurricane Sandy benefit concert. It won a Grammy for Best Rock Song in 2014, but failed to top the charts.

The year is now 2015 and Paul McCartney just released a song with Kanye West, called Only One. It would be an incredible feat if Sir Paul could grab one more number one hit with an icon of modern culture. The song has been described by Kim Kardashian her favorite Kanye song yet, and it is already number one on the UK charts. If Only One hits number one, it would be 32 years between number one hits for Paul McCartney. That would be a historical feat.

Obamacare Does Not Cover Ebola

 
In a shocking turn of events, several Americans have recently contracted the Ebola virus. The virus has been ravaging the West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea since December of 2013. It is estimated that 5,000 people have died in those countries. Several cases have now been identified in the United States. The most documented case is Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian immigrant who brought the virus to Dallas. Nurses Nina Pham and Amber Vinson both contracted Ebola while caring for Duncan. Journalist Ashoka Mukpo contracted Ebola while covering the outbreak in Africa for NBC News, and Craig Spencer of "Doctors Without Borders" just checked in to Bellvue Hospital in New York City with Ebola.

Unfortunately for these people... the Affordable Care Act does not cover treatment of the Ebola virus. Here is an excerpt from the law that lists the pre-existing "chronic conditions" that are not covered under the new plans.

Nobody is sure what to make of Ebola in the United States. Several cases seem to have been eradicated, but many people remain skeptical and concerned. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) seems to have underestimated the precautions necessary to stop the spread of the virus. In an effort to avoid a public panic, they instead created a great mistrust of their agency. Most Americans are convinced the disease can spread when someone coughs or sneezes, and it is clear that healthcare professionals are more at risk than the general public. Regardless of how contagious the virus can be, getting care will prove to be an issue.

John Powers
Contributing Reporter
http://www.johnjpowers.com

Nirvana: 20 Years Later

Who better to write about the legacy of Nirvana than a 30-something who lived through it all? Everyone over 30 remembers feeling sad and disappointed when they heard that Kurt was dead, but only the real fans remember the whole story. The quiet guy with the sarcastic smile on the cover of every magazine. The one who didn't want to be famous who was lifted to the very peak of stardom in a very short period of time. Kurt Cobain was Nirvana. He was the spokesman of the 90's. Every high school across the nation tried to create a mosh pit at their school dance. Every kid who felt disenfranchised and ignored by the mainstream had someone they could identify with who felt exactly like they did. The legacy that Nirvana left behind is undeniable, but there are several things that most articles have left out.

1. Kurt Cobain Didn't Want to be a Star

Cobain didn't take interviews seriously. He realized it wasn't about him. He made the music and tried to let it speak for itself. He gave sarcastic Lennon-esque answers that turned an interview into a mockery. He wore old, comfortable sweaters and t-shirts with punk rock logos on them. He was just a dude. He left the serious rock and roll superstar stuff to Axel Rose. In an interview with Kurt Loder on MTV, Cobain described an run-in with Rose where he and Courtney Love asked if Axel would be their child's godfather and Axel Rose tried to pick a fight.

Rose was the iconic stereotypical rock front-man. The leather pants, the bandana, shit, even the band was named after him. Guns N' Roses might as well have been called Axel Rose and The Other Guys (who happened to be pretty damn good musicians). Nirvana was the complete opposite. They were not decked out in flashy outfits or gimmicky face makeup. They were themselves and they were fine with it.

I have read Cobain's journal. I didn't want to, but I had to. The guy didn't want fame. He intentionally misspelled his own name on their first album Bleach, in letters, and in the monkey photo courtesy on the Nevermind album art (Kurdt Kobain). The guy didn't want to be a star. He wanted people to listen to his music. He didn't want fame and fortune. He wanted to share his music with as many people as possible and he detested mainstream conformity. Everything about pop culture sickened him. 

2. His Talent Was Not Manufactured
The guy had talent. Real talent. There was no such thing as American Idol. In the 90's, you had to start in the garage and practice and write songs and then play shows and build an audience. Cobain had something inside him that made people react. He had soul. His haunting voice conveyed his personal struggle with each strained note. I still get the chills when I listen to Where Did You Sleep Last Night. He was not the best guitarist in the world, but he was an innovator. He spent years knee-deep in Melvins cassettes and had a deep respect for the musicians that came before him. His enthusiam was undeniable. The guy suffered from an unidentifiable stomach virus and was in nearly constant pain... and anyone listening to him sing could feel that pain.

3. There Was a Message

Everyone knows the anti-conformity tagline of Smells Like Teen Spirit (namely, 'f*** what they expect, do what you want!'), but there was more than that. Cobain was a deep thinker and his lyrics were a passive (and at times sarcastic) fight against inequity and established norms. He was a self-identified feminist, having witnessed the oppression of female friends and identifying a culture of women being put down. Been a Son addressed the burden of being born female. Nirvana covered the classic folk song Ain't it a Shame which mocks hypocrisy in the redneck culture. The lyric "...what else could I say, everyone is gay," in All Apologies was way ahead of its time, bringing the LGBT civil rights movement into the spotlight before there was a movement or a spotlight. Nobody pulled off sarcasm in song quite like Cobain. He was actually not forever in dept to your priceless advice. He was not apologetic at all. He was exactly who he meant to be and didn't give a damn who didn't agree. He preached a message of acceptance and being yourself above all else.

The Foo Fighters will never be Nirvana is because there is no passion. Dave Grohl is arguably one of the greatest musicians alive and his skill and versitility are always impressive... but he has nothing to say. Nirvana inspired a generation. The Foo Fighters have released more than twice as many albums but they are still not in the same league as Nirvana. Times Like These and Everlong are their most well-known songs and yet both could be described as generic love songs. They have no depth or meaning. They are literal songs to be taken at face value. The reason the Foo Fighters got radio play is because of how special Nirvana was, but Grohl has yet to acknowledge his previous band in any noticable way. I saw the Foo Fighters play at MSG on the 20th anniversary of the Nevermind album release, and although Krist Novoselic joined them on stage, he played an accordian instead of a bass and they did a Foo Fighters song and not a single track off of Nevermind.

Grohl embraced the celebrity that Nirvana rejected. He learned how to sell out. You'll see Dave Grohl at every benefit and award show and presidential banquet because he has learned the art of kissing ass and staying bland and mainstream enough to fit in with pop culture. There is nothing personal or real in any of the Foo Fighters lyrics and although they inspire a wistful reminiscence they fail to inspire the same energy that Nirvana did.

4. They're All Greatest Hits

Kurt Cobain grew up in an era without iTunes. There was a single release, typically with an interesting b-side, but every track on the album had to be just as good as the last or you would run the risk of people using the fast forward button and having their tape spin out of the casing and all over the ground. He did not believe in releasing a greatest hits album. He thought it was unfair for fans to have to pay for another album and get a bunch of song they already had. In 2002 a new Nirvana album titled Nirvana was released. It was exactly what Cobain did not want... a collection of previously released songs, with one new track to lure loyal fans into a purchase. Another greatest hits compilation was released in 2010, this one called Icon, because Courtney Love still has bills to pay.

5. Why So Serious?

Nirvana didn't expect to change the world. They were not trying to go viral on YouTube or get as many Twitter followers as possible. They did not take themselves too seriously and it came across in their music (and their music videos). Kurt Cobain's first demo was titled, "Fecal Matter," and although it wasn't shit, it showed that he was aware that it was raw and unrefined music. This playful attitude made the band seem real. Just a couple of good friend laughing and joking and making some kick-ass rock and roll.

It's incredible that it's been 20 years since he died. Most people my age probably felt old when 20 years had passed since Nevermind was released. It's a not-so-subtle reminder of our own mortality and yet this is a band that shaped our youth. Their songs inspired us and let us jump and scream and rebel and lash out and more importantly than anything else... they made us feel understood. It does not go without saying that Nirvana has enriched the lives of millions of young people that grew up in the 90's and the music continues to reach new generations of music lovers even 20 years later. I look forward to one day sharing Nirvana with my kids when they start to question authority and feel isolated in the strange world that is teenagedom.

- John Powers
http://www.johnjpowers.com