SUMMER VARIETIES FROM A FEW YEARS BACK

First, have a sweep of some solid rockers perfect for relaxing on a summer day:

Balancer – The Age is a Gift, Conor Oberst – Hundreds of Ways, Darlia – Candyman, Drenge – Backwaters, Eden Mulholland – Cry, Cry, Cry, Emiliana Torrini – Jungle Drum Kate Tempest – The Beigeness, Mac DeMarco – Treat Her Better, Marmozets – Captivate You, Matthew and the Atlas – Into Gold, Andrew Bird – Plasticities, Bear Hands – Giants, Royal Blood – Out of the Black

Now a couple songs to fall asleep to on a summer evening:

Evening Hymns – Cabin in the Burn, Nils Petter Molvaer – Song of Sand

Now let’s take a break and listen to a sound from radio’s distant past with an aircheck of WODA in Patterson, New Jersey from 1922.

All right, time to get up and moving again:

Evelyn Thomas - High Energy, Stephen Alexander Band – Trailer Park blues, Superfood – TV, Drunken Monkey – The Dream Logic

Now let’s slow it down with The Civil Wars – Poison and Wine, although you might want to slow dance to this one by yourself.

Now let’s take a comedy break with The Altar Call’s Greatest Hits and Weird Al’s “Word Crimes.”

All right, back to the summer rockers:

Alvvays – Archie, Marry Me, Chancius – A Piece of You Wherever I Go, Continental – 1000 Miles

David Lindley – Quarter of a Man: So many people are just like the guy in the song.

Arlene Paculan – I’m Worth It: Great lyrics.

Now some more songs to fall asleep, or just relax to in the summer:

Mum – Eternity is the Wait Between Breaths, Teen Daze – Ice on the Windowsill (be thankful there’s none on yours this time of year), The Innocence Mission – Bright as Yellow, K.S. Rhoads – River of Suffering, Slow Club – You, Earth or Ash

Now let’s increase the tempo a bit with Parlour Hawk – Home.

Now let’s take another comedy break with Paul and Storm – Me Make Fire.

Time for some hippy-era British folk music:

The Amazing Blondel – Pavan, Pearls Before Swine – Another Time, Pete Dello and Friends – There’s Nothing That I Can Do for You, Principal Edward’s Magic Theatre – Enigmatic Insomniac Machine, Pussy – Come Back June, Rainbow Ffolly – She’s All Right, Raw Material – Time and Illusion

Pepper Rabbit – Older Brother: This song reminds me of talking with my roommates-or even sneaking down the hall to other students’ rooms to talk late at night at the school for the blind. It’s also quite evocative in general.

Petra – Prayer: Such resonant lyrics.

Ralfe Band – Cold Chicago Morning: I can just picture somebody walking down the street with their earbuds in swinging their arms in time to this song.

Now I’m going to return to my teenage years via 2014 with a triple shot of Rancid:

Collision Course, Blood Clot, Time Bomb

Now for a sweep of pre-Trump-era songs with a political or social bent:

Three Minute Shower, Harper Song Canadian Lies, Harperman, Captain Stephen Harper and the Good Ship Hypocrite, Heave Steve, Hurricane Katrena Hurricane Song, Rafi – I Want My Canada Back, Stealin’ All My Dreams, The Bruce Jenner Song, Tim Minchin- The Pope Song (warning, very fowl language)

Chris Tomlin – Even So Come: We so need to do what this song says.

Now for a news break:

Exposed! Mark Flynn was Right Occult Labyrinth in the Baptist Church, Quantum Computing and Catastrophic Consequences are Closer Than Realized, Dopey Thief Arrested After Complaining To Police For Featuring On Wanted Poster,

First Place Blue Jays Pennant Race Song: Wish we could sing this song now.

Now, because like you need a reason, here’s the theme from Freakazoid.

Let’s keep that feeling going with a comedy break:

Weird Scared Little Guys – Come to Australia,

Steve and Vicki Cook – I Will Glory in My Redeemer: It is truly all about Him and the relationship we have restored to us.

Anastasia – I’ll Overcome Someday: We all will.

The Lutheran Quartet – Jesus Priceless Treasure: Can’t beat the old hymns.

Neville Peter - Nothing Between: Amen, that’s all I can say.

Ray Stevens – The Global Warming Song: Ray’s still got it, or at least still had it eight years ago

And now a double shot of Corb Lund:

Washed Up Rock Star Factory Blues, Run This Town

And now some more summer rockers:

Fort Lean – Cut to the Chase, Hollands – Great White Shark, Auditorium – My Grandfather Could Make the World Dance, Find The Others – We Stared at the World, Grounders – Bloor Street and Pressure, Red Morris – Lady Rose, Star Tropics – Summer Rain, Swaying Wires - Nowhere

Let’s take another comedy break:

GOP Prime Time Rap Battle, Jim Keyes – Warner Wonderland

We’re gonna slow it down now. Such a beautiful song. This is Angharad Drake – Swing.

We’re goin’ country for a couple songs:

Johnny Reid – Today I’m Gonna Try To Change the World, Guy Clark – LA Freeway

Now another set of summer rock tunes:

July Talk – The Garden, Little Green Cars – Easier Day, Chelan – Pretend We Live Forever

Al Di Meola – Mediterranean Sundance: A Mediterranean vacation in your own backyard.

And to get you up and moving again Nebraska – Vicarious Disco.

Now once again for something completely different:

McDonald’s Clean It Training Video Featuring A Fake Michael Jackson

Honeytree – Pioneer: True lyrics and a beautiful voice: what more do you need?

And staying with the Christian theme, have some Christian psychedelic music with The Belljar - Lost and Found.

NOBODY DIED AT SANDY HOOK

By Jim Fetzer and Mike Palesek. Createspace, 2015.

The point of a free society is to question things-even when those things involve the alleged deaths of little children, it is neither to personally attack people nor avoid debate for fear of hurting feelings.

This book, in the news of late, presents compelling evidence for the claim its title makes. However, it is also written in a way that leaves the reader quite free to make up his mind. Evidence is presented from a number of researchers from different perspectives, along with an appendix which more or less outlines the official story in the form of an extensive timeline.

Again, I am not advocating being a jerk and personally attacking Lenny Posner or anyone else connected with this event, people, but, in my view, it behooves anyone who calls themselves a thinking person to read "Nobody Died at Sandy Hook", which you can do here. https://botcast.net/pdf-nobody-died-at-sandy-hook-book-by-jim-fetzer/

17 EASY WAYS TO MAKE A BLIND PERSON'S DAY

1. When introducing yourself, use loud, exaggerated speech. Since we're blind, it's safe to assume we're a little deaf and dim, too. 2. Don't speak directly to us. It's always best to talk over our heads like we're not there at all, especially if you are offering a service. Example: "What would she like to order?" Be sure to ignore our attempts to answer for ourselves. 3. Grab or otherwise manipulate our bodies whenever and wherever you deem necessary. For example, if you intuitively perceive that we're going the wrong way (even if you haven't asked where that is) just snatch the nearest limb and lead on, Macduff! 4. If you aren't in a position to grab us, you can always shout instructions in the hope that we'll know what you're talking about. If we look baffled, just keep repeating the instructions in an increasingly frantic tone. We'll clue in eventually. 5. Remind us often how grateful we should be that people are willing to provide accommodations for us. While it's unlikely that we will ever, ever forget this for more than five minutes at a time, it's a good idea to slam the thought home when we're not expecting it. It builds character. 6. Stage loud conversations about us while we're in the room, because we won't hear. If we hear, it's okay, because we won't understand. If we understand, it's okay, because we won't care. 7. Keep all conversation firmly focused on blindness. If we try to interject by discussing our education or interests, just redirect us. We get carried away trying to be all normal, so it's helpful to keep us on track! 8. Be sure to describe all the other blind people you've ever met, in extravagant detail. We couldn't be more fascinated by that blind guy who skied, and that other blind guy who went to school with you, and that blind girl you met on the train once-the one with the cute puppy.  9. Make a habit of asking us why we're "here". If we're on the bus, ask us why we're out alone. If we're at work, ask us how we got the job. If we're in class, ask us why we're in university. If we seem offended, ignore us: deep down inside, we really enjoy presumptuous interrogation! 10. Dispense advice about how we should live our lives; the less you know us, the more valuable your feedback will be. If you need a good starting point, you can begin by analyzing our mobility tool of choice (cane or dog) and emphatically demanding that we switch. We love that. 11. Involve yourself in our love lives, specifying exactly the type of person we should date and why. If you think we should date a sighted person because they'll be able to take care of us, we'll want to hear all about it. If you think we should date a blind person because we should "stick to our own kind" we will be all ears! 12. Give us things-money, coupons, whatever-because you pity us and want to make our day better. Don't be phased by any apparent expressions of confusion. ("Oh, that's just my gratitude face!")  13. Stop us on the street and thank whomever we're with for helping/taking care of/being so kind to us. It's not as though we have real friends who genuinely enjoy our company. No: if we're out with a sighted person, they are fulfilling a purely charitable role. They will appreciate your praise, and we will feel extra extra grateful! 14. Place your hands on us in any public place and pray. If we gently explain that we don't want to be prayed for, rest assured that it's just the secular cynicism doing the talking. When our sight is miraculously restored, you'll be the first to know. 15. Make as many potentially dangerous practical jokes as you can think of. A few good ideas include warning us of imaginary obstacles ("Watch out for that tree-just kidding!"), concealing our possessions, and encouraging us to "find" you while you run gleefully around us in circles. These were a staple of primary school, and I treasure many pleasant memories from that era. Do me a favor, and bring back the nostalgia! 16. Refer to us as "that blind person" even after you know our names. Blindness is so integral to our identities that our names are really just decorative, so there's no need to remember or use them. If we fail to answer to "Hey, blind girl/guy!" just keep trying. We'll learn to love it. 17. Assume that our default status is "Help!" If we reassure you that we're okay, thanks, don't fall for it. Insisting upon rescuing us every time we cross paths places us into a position of dependence, which is exactly where we belong.

PRE-2008 MUSIC MIX

All the music featured in this post is from before the crash of 2008.

First, let’s rock it!:

2 Skinee Js – Grown Up, AFI – Miss Murder, American Hi-fi – The Geeks Get the Girls, Audioslave – Be Yourself, Blue October – Hate Me, Caesars – Jerk it Out, Rooney – I’m Shakin’, Tegan and Sara – Walking With a Ghost, Jars Of Clay – Flood, Pax 217 – What is Love

Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby: A nice song all around.

Plain White T’s – Hey There Delilah: Come on, dude, you know she’s dating a good percentage of the guys at school 1000 miles away in New York City.

Now for a few TV themes:

The Sopranos, Are You Being Served, Bill Nye the Science Guy

Now for some hip-hop:

Bubba Sparxxx – Ugly, Petey Pablo – Freek-a-leek, Murphy Lee – Wat da Hook Gon Be, Run DMC – It’s Like That, KJ-52 – Dear Slim

OK, let’s take a comedy break:

Todd Snider - Beer Run, Paul and Storm - Better Version of You, Gonnabees – Queen of Pop, Niggers in the Night, Jim Gaffigan - Power of Cake, Tim Wilson – Trailer Park Woman

Now let’s take a short trip back to the sixties:

Every Mother’s Son – Come On Down to My Boat, The Bay Bops - Follow the Rock, Gary U. S. Bonds - School is Out

Now for one of the first YouTube videos that made it to television, “Spiders on Drugs.”

All right, we’re goin’ country:

Johnny Bond – Ten Little Bottles, Billy Gilman – Oklahoma, Randy Travis – Blessed Asurance, Johnny Cash – He Turned the Water Into Wine, Alan Jackson – Are You Washed in the Blood

So, we took a trip back to the sixties before, but let’s go _way back this time:

Lauren Bacall - And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine, Harry Lauder – I’ve Something in the Bottle for the Morning, Danny Kaye and The Andrews Sisters – Civilization, Del Wood – Down Yonder

And for our final set, let’s have some more Christian tunes:

Dana Glover – Thinking Over, Mercy Me – Here With Me, Rich Mullins – Awesome God

FASCINATING SOUTHEASTERN ONTARIO VIDEO AND AUDIO

Came across a couple fascinating dvds and some intriguing cds recently. First the dvds:

A Christmas cantata from Madoc Wesleyan and Free Methodist Church, Pastor Adam Kline presiding, Curt Brinkman mentioning the Centre Hastings Support Network was still in need of donations for Christmas Sharing.

A Centre Hastings Secondary School play put on by the PLP class: "The Brementown Musicians."

A dvd of someone's wedding accompanied by an extensive soundtrack of hits from the sixties through the eighties with sort of an emphasis on power ballads.

Now the cds:

A fundraising concert put on by a woman who wanted to go to Ghana to teach. Mentioned she had been involved with Northumberland Players. Friends of hers sang a variety of show tunes.

A Holy Week service from St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church in Napanee. Part of 200th anniversary celebrations. They were joined by members of Christchurch Tyendinaga and St. Luke's, Camden East.

A Christmas concert put on by a choir or a group of some kind. The first half of the show was secular, the second mainly featuring religious songs. Both halves also contained recitations and stories to do with Christmas. Location unknown.