Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

This fight is for everything.

Let there be snark.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

It’s a doggy dog world.

The GOP couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

We still have time to mess this up!

An unpunished coup is a training exercise.

Joe Lieberman disappointingly reemerged to remind us that he’s still alive.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

The revolution will be supervised.

Let’s finish the job.

I really should read my own blog.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

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Reader Interactions

61Comments

  3. 3.

    Something Fabulous

    @Sloegin: Yes! I had a brief and generally not-satisfactory stint at UW-Madison, but it was fun when this became the midnight movie, in place of Rocky Horror. If I remember correctly, this was the song where we all got up and ran around the theater…

  4. 4.

    Tom G

    Talking Heads will always be one of my favorite groups – each album was quirky, had great songs, and never felt stale. So many songs were danceable. Both “True Stories” albums were good. Even their last album, Naked, was excellent.

  5. 5.

    LittleBit

    Oh frabjous day! Hubby got a job at the company that laid him off 8 months ago! It’s a 20,000 pay cut, but it’s a job.

    His severance was about to run out and we were terrified about the health insurance thing because I spent the better part of the last month in the hospital (including two trips to the ICU) and I need at least two more procedures. COBRA payments would have bankrupted us.

    At any rate, it’s very good news for us.

  6. 6.

    de stijl

    I’ve been on a youtube Talking Heads bender lately – especially True Stories. The movie versions of Dream Operator and Papa Legba are lodged in my brain.

    Plus, there’s John Goodman’s version of People Like Us.

    So, so much goodness in that movie.

    PS – You can see the whole movie on youtube – search for “True Stories (1986) 1/9” and you can figure out the rest.

  9. 9.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @LittleBit

    I’m very happy for you and your husband. Congratulations! And all the best to you as you finish your medical procedures — I hope you soon return to good health.

  11. 11.

    JGabriel

    The bass-playin’ cousin of that chick that runs the Washington Post is pretty hot.

    (That always strikes me as very strange.)

    (I really do love this movie. Demme and Talking Heads in the same place!)

    .

  14. 14.

    drag0n

    Now the teabaggers are crying because Obama doesn’t personally take out the White House trash?

    FlowerMound TeaParty via Kim Freland King: This is Truly Despicable…I am going to Call the White House Monday and Voice My Utter Disgust for How they Treated this Faithful, Peaceful Man! I encourage everyone else to do the same…just use the main number or Write a Letter…but make your voices Heard.
    Barack Obama You have Little Respect for Others and it s…hows with this very Act…I hope the rest of the World does not think that the Rest of us Would do this!!

    No… We just wonder why some of you seem to think it’s the black guys job to take the trash to the curb.

    photo

    Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama (L) walks out the doors of the Palm Room of the White House by trash bags waiting to be picked up due to delays from the snow storms of last week in Washington, DC, February 18, 2010 after meeting with US President Barack Obama.
    The Dalai Lama appeared in public at the White House Thursday and said US President Barack Obama was ‘supportive’ in a meeting that drew angry protests from China.

  15. 15.

    Nicole

    What a coinikydink- a TH post the day I wear my “Once In a Lifetime” (interpreted as a pie chart) t-shirt. My God, what have I done?

    And Littlebit, great news. So glad for you.

  16. 16.

    JGabriel

    This is Truly Despicable…I am going to Call the White House Monday and Voice My Utter Disgust for How they Treated this Faithful, Peaceful Man!

    Not only did Obama let the Dali Lama walk by the trash bags (gasp!) but he also let the Dali Lama go outside in the snow without any socks on (faints dead away)!

    .

  20. 20.

    John O

    Awesome version, and yes, excellent choreography.

    Thought I’d link another Dweezil picture before we all go to bed at my house.

    The middle one captures the overall scene pretty good.

    Have a good night and a good Sunday, y’all.

    J

  22. 22.

    demkat620

    Good Morning Everybody!

    This old lady just got in. From a night out. At a bar. Had three beers and a shot.

    Had a really great time. You know, if there wasn’t so much snow, I might do this more often.

    Congrats littlebit!

    What did I miss? Did Tunch eat John yet?

  27. 27.

    Mike E

    Stop smoking sens!

    I saw this in The Theater Of The Living Arts on South St. in Philly. The house was rockin’ the moment after David Byrne pressed ‘play’. This counts as one of my best concert-going experiences, albeit on film!

  29. 29.

    DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    @demkat620:

    No. Tunch is still dining on David Obey as per the BJ store pic. I hope he survives. At the very least he is going to be horfing up shit for some time to come.

    Congrats to the old man LittleBit. A cut sucks but any $$ is better than no $$ right now, that’s for damned sure.

  30. 30.

    Yutsano

    I just saw one of the better cultural segments on Canada, and I think I have seen SamKitten’s future. I’m thinking he’s gonna be a Mountie.

  31. 31.

    trollhattan

    That’s not trash, that’s spare TARP money. They don’t have room for it all inside.

    Anyhoo, thanks for the TH blast from the past. From the opener with solo Byrne accompanied by the boombox to the closer, it’s dead solid perfect.

  32. 32.

    Yutsano

    Okay I did it: I went ahead and applied with a new job at a new company. I think this is gonna work out well, I like the company from what I’ve read but I’m going to do some more research and get a feel for things. Got the qualifications down pat though.

  33. 33.

    Jason Bylinowski

    @Yutsano: Good luck to you. I’d also been thinking of doing this (or perhaps even just going completely out of character and starting a solo consultancy business), but I think in the end I’ve finally decided to finish my degree first, because it’s just something that has been on my LIST OF THINGS THAT IF I DON’T DO THEM, I’M A FOOL. Anyway, yeah, hope it goes well.

  36. 36.

    Boney Baloney

    If you listen very closely, you’ll notice that it’s a story of irregular warfare in the United States, but there’s no clue whether the protagonist is an occupier or a defender (or an insurrectionist), or if he’s winning or losing. David Byrne has repeatedly affirmed that this was intentional.

    Oh, um, back on topic: I’ve owned two dogs “rescued” from the local animal control authority, never mind puppies from neighbors, never mind cats from everywhere but Venus. My verdict: mongrels make good pets. My opinion: purebreds are too stupid to eliminate bodily waste without the assistance of gravity. Pardon my gross generalization.

  37. 37.

    gogiggs

    The live version of this just doesn’t work as well for me. The whole vibe is too loose and upbeat.
    The song is “Life During Wartime”.
    It’s a tense, frightening song (and really, really great). The spare production of the album version really makes a huge difference. Seriously, a lot of punk bands played around with the “no future” meme, but this song is pure terror, or at least it should be.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COlw977yrmE&feature=PlayList&p=CA07AAD4C2164FF1&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=26

  38. 38.

    Thoughtcrime

    I had the good fortune of seeing two live concerts of the 1983 “Stop Making Sense” tour – the first on a balmy September night at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, the second at the SF Civic Auditorium. Both shows were great, however at the SF concert I couldn’t dance, though, because I had just blown out my knee playing basketball.

  39. 39.

    OriGuy

    Heard an interview with Jorma Kaukonen on the radio this evening. I forgot how much I love Embryonic Journey.

    Just got home from four hours of Scottish Country Dance. My feet feel like someone’s been hitting them with a bat, but it was sure fun.

  40. 40.

    TenguPhule

    Oh frabjous day! Hubby got a job at the company that laid him off 8 months ago! It’s a 20,000 pay cut, but it’s a job.

    Welcome to the new business model.

    Fire those who had the senority benefits and then rehire them cheaper and back at square one.

    Le sigh.

  41. 41.

    DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    @TenguPhule:

    New? I would say that his company was slow to jump on the train. This stuff has been SOP for some time now.

    Sad but true. The capitalist ideal is to pay everyone the bare minimum so people won’t have any money to buy anything more than the bare necessities in life. Of course this plan only works for you if you sell the ‘bare necessities of life’, every other business will suffer but hey, that’s capitalism!

  42. 42.

    Xenos

    @DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal): This also works if you sell luxury goods and services to the elite. Big margins there, if you can secure the business. Those goods become so totemic that many members of the lower orders who can scrape some savings or get some credit will invest in the products that signal non-loserdom (not the correct Marxist term, I know). Remember the stories of shopgirls buying 500$ purses and shoes?

  43. 43.

    A Mom Anon

    Oh Littlebritty,that’s great,even if the cut in pay isn’t. We’re facing no insurance and a 75% decrease in income,and I have to admit,I’m scared shitless.

    After my fourth round of putting out applications I’m pretty much convinced I am considered unemployable. 50,female,been a stay home mom for 16 yrs,no college(and no way to afford even community college). I can’t even get in to talk to an actual human being. Everything is online now,and the gap in my employment pretty much seals my fate. Soooo,I’m considering starting my own bidness. Doing what? My only useful skill set is organic gardening and I have no idea how to market that in PunchAHippie,Redneckia USA so it doesn’t sound so,well,sensible. I can’t do the backbreaking labor part by myself,but I can consult and line up all the materials for people and do all the planning. Would people pay for that do you think?

  44. 44.

    Montysano

    @Sloegin:

    I remember the audience stood and rocked out when i went to see it in the movie theater

    Same here….. but we did live in New Orleans at the time.

    Demme’s concept: no color in the set or the clothing or the lights, was brilliant. In that setting, the musicians/humans glowed like jewels. And really: who’s cooler than Tina Weymouth?

  45. 45.

    Montysano

    @A Mom Anon:

    My only useful skill set is organic gardening and I have no idea how to market that in PunchAHippie,Redneckia USA so it doesn’t sound so,well,sensible.

    If we’re going where I think/fear we’re going, then you may become a hot property, Mom, and those whose skill set ends beyond a computer keyboard will be in trouble.

  46. 46.

    BGK

    In the vein of commerce, some things still can’t be bought. Stupid like this, for instance:

    “Our enemy is the liberal media. And the Democrats,” Thrasher said. “And that is where we will begin to refocus our efforts.”

  47. 47.

    Cat Lady

    @A Mom Anon:

    I’m really sorry about your predicament – do you live in an area where there are a lot of families where both parents work? When my kids were younger and had after school activities, I always wished there was a service I could use that would get them from school to wherever they needed to be so that I didn’t always have to try and leave work early or have to rely on another mother. Also, tending people’s property when they’re away – watering outdoor plants or gardens. Everytime I went away for a week in the summer and came back, all my favorite plants were mostly dead. There is always also pet sitting. Organic gardening is a great skill to have – ask your local gardening center if they could use your knowledge.

  48. 48.

    debit

    @John O: Puppy!!

    @thread: Love the choreography; man, I’m exhausted just watching it.

    One of the trailers we saw yesterday was a remake of Clash of the Titans. Really, Hollywood? There’s nothing new worth filming, so you have no choice but to remake Clash of the Titans? What’s next? Are you going to re-explore all the unanswered questions of Howard the Duck?

  49. 49.

    cincyanon

    Just heard a Texas newspaper editor discuss how they don’t give the president any credit for saving or creating new jobs. They do it on their own. Then when asked what signs of economic health are seen around town he cites a new wind turbine manufacturing plant and military supplier Bell helicopter starting a plant there. Can’t imagine the government doesn’t have a single thing to do with those efforts! Ha!

  50. 50.

    Gregory

    @Sloegin:

    I remember the audience stood and rocked out when i went to see it in the movie theater

    Yes, me too. It’s still my favorite concert film. With all due respect to The Last Waltz, which is also terrific, I love that there are no interviews, no fantasy sequences, just nothing but music.

  52. 52.

    BottyGuy

    I went to one of the shows on that tour, it still remains one of the best show’s I’ve seen in my life. It was the widest stage I’ve seen, it was in the Dean Dome in Chapel-Hill, and the ran the stage the long way down the court.

    One of the things that I remember is that everyone on stage seemed to be having fun. I think that is a common thread for good shows, from the Clash to Lyle Lovett.

  53. 53.

    Nethead Jay

    @Gregory: For me, it’s a toss-up between the two, they’re simply brilliant examples of different approaches. Great movies both and now I’n gonna put Talkings Heads on for the umpteenth time ;)

  54. 54.

    Nethead Jay

    @cincyanon: I work in IT at a large wind power company. Without saying too much, that editor shouldn’t dismiss the Obama admin’s role in that facility going up. And there’s another plant elsewhere that they definitely have a role in. So suck on that, mr. idiot Texas newspaper editor.

  55. 55.

    Van

    I saw them in 82 when they were touring for the “Remain in Light” album. Awesome show. They were the New Wave band back then and were huge. If they were still around we’d probably have Headheads following them around from concert to concert.

  56. 56.

    Steeplejack

    @OriGuy:

    “Embryonic Journey” is one of my all-time favorites. It’s on my list of songs to learn how to really play this year.

  57. 57.

    raptusregaliter

    To give you some idea of how little I have to do this afternoon, I’m going to post this.

    When I was scrolling through the site today, I noticed that, to get to the older entries, you click on a link that is on the left side of the screen. And to get to the more recent entries, you click on the right side of the screen.

    Old, tired ideas: the Left
    Fresh, new ideas: the Right

    Do all of the sites do it this way, or is it just B-J? I always get this weird feeling in the back of my head whenever I come here and click on the “older entries” link that this really should be on the other side of the page. But that’s just me. And like I said, the only reason I’m posting about it is because I honestly have nothing better to do. Pretty sad huh?

  58. 58.

    raptusregaliter

    I just checked, and Great Orange Satan does it:

    Older Stuff: the Right
    Fresh New Stuff: the Left

    For what it’s worth…

  59. 59.

    Dr.BDH

    Your band (unless it’s the Talking Heads or the Rolling Stones) sucks. Choreography is part of it. For the rest, listen. Listen. And dance.

  61. 61.

    Indereadavemo

    I do not recall who asked me recently, however here are the godaddy coupons. We spoke about teaching our kids how the internet works.

    There are good programs out there like Scratch from MIT or Alice from Carnegie Melon to teach your kids how to program. You could also give them an easy to use website and their own personal email addy, instead of a generic free one.

    Here is a couple godaddy promo codes I found after searching. You type the coupon below at checkout.

    To get a discount on a domain name try one of these godaddy coupons.
    [b]RAD7[/b] : 30% off .com domains and renewals, you get a domain for $7.49
    [b]RUSH3[/b] : 30% off also, if the above does not work

    You can get your children a website with one of these coupons, an entire year of hosting is less than $60 and the domain is only $1.99 if you use these godaddy hosting coupons:
    [b]RUSH20[/b] : 20% Off Hosting (1,2,3 yr accounts)
    [b]RUSH1[/b] : 10% Off Monthly hosting accounts

    I see this one works on everything, if you happen to get a bunch of stuff:
    [b]RAD5[/b] : 10% Off order

    Anyone can use these coupons, so pass them around.

    Also, anyone heard of programming websites other than Scratch and Alice?

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