Moby + Congressional Politics = This

If you listen to it with a candle burning you will see your entire future.

Poem of the Week

The Young British Soldier

When the 'arf-made recruity goes out to the East
'E acts like a babe an' 'e drinks like a beast,
An' 'e wonders because 'e is frequent deceased
Ere 'e's fit for to serve as a soldier.
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!

Now all you recruities what's drafted to-day,
You shut up your rag-box an' 'ark to my lay,
An' I'll sing you a soldier as far as I may:
A soldier what's fit for a soldier.
Fit, fit, fit for a soldier . . .

First mind you steer clear o' the grog-sellers' huts,
For they sell you Fixed Bay'nets that rots out your guts --
Ay, drink that 'ud eat the live steel from your butts --
An' it's bad for the young British soldier.
Bad, bad, bad for the soldier . . .

When the cholera comes -- as it will past a doubt --
Keep out of the wet and don't go on the shout,
For the sickness gets in as the liquor dies out,
An' it crumples the young British soldier.
Crum-, crum-, crumples the soldier . . .

But the worst o' your foes is the sun over'ead:
You must wear your 'elmet for all that is said:
If 'e finds you uncovered 'e'll knock you down dead,
An' you'll die like a fool of a soldier.
Fool, fool, fool of a soldier . . .

If you're cast for fatigue by a sergeant unkind,
Don't grouse like a woman nor crack on nor blind;
Be handy and civil, and then you will find
That it's beer for the young British soldier.
Beer, beer, beer for the soldier . . .

Now, if you must marry, take care she is old --
A troop-sergeant's widow's the nicest I'm told,
For beauty won't help if your rations is cold,
Nor love ain't enough for a soldier.
'Nough, 'nough, 'nough for a soldier . . .

If the wife should go wrong with a comrade, be loath
To shoot when you catch 'em -- you'll swing, on my oath! --
Make 'im take 'er and keep 'er: that's Hell for them both,
An' you're shut o' the curse of a soldier.
Curse, curse, curse of a soldier . . .

When first under fire an' you're wishful to duck,
Don't look nor take 'eed at the man that is struck,
Be thankful you're livin', and trust to your luck
And march to your front like a soldier.
Front, front, front like a soldier . . .

When 'arf of your bullets fly wide in the ditch,
Don't call your Martini a cross-eyed old bitch;
She's human as you are -- you treat her as sich,
An' she'll fight for the young British soldier.
Fight, fight, fight for the soldier . . .

When shakin' their bustles like ladies so fine,
The guns o' the enemy wheel into line,
Shoot low at the limbers an' don't mind the shine,
For noise never startles the soldier.
Start-, start-, startles the soldier . . .

If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white,
Remember it's ruin to run from a fight:
So take open order, lie down, and sit tight,
And wait for supports like a soldier.
Wait, wait, wait like a soldier . . .

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!

-Rudyard Kipling

Amazing Song

I heard there was a secret cord
That David played and it pleased the Lord,
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this: the fourth, the fifth,
The minor fall and the major lift,
The baffled king composing, Hallelujah.

"I'll answer the question . . ."

I forgot how good this movie is. I'm buying it this weekend.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

Pioneers care little about sending records to the home office; they are busy staying alive, making babies, and killing off anything in their way.

-Robert A. Heinlein, "Time Enough For Love"

More on the WHCD

Here's more on the White House Correspondent's Dinner, including this gem:

By the end of the night, Christopher Hitchens was of course the last man (barely) standing, and he had some choice words for the evening's headlining comedian, Wanda Sykes. "The president should be squirming in his seat. Not smiling," he said. "The black dyke got it wrong. No one told her the rules."

Christopher Hitches, ladies and gentlemen.

New CG in Afghanistan

There's a new commanding general of the Afghan theater. Sounds good to me.

Electric Light Orchestra

TRAILER:

And they claim conservatives lack nuance?

The Pope and the Barbarians

Pope Benedict walked out on an anti-Israeli schtick (notice the irony) from a Palestinian cleric who wasn't even scheduled to speak at the inter-faith dialogue he was attending. The global community unanimously agreed it was highly uncharacteristic of a Muslim spiritual leader to accuse the Jews of "killing Gaza's children".

BIGHOLLYWOOD on Wanda Sykes:

This is a good post on a great blog about Ms. Sykes' (who I had forgotten existed until this morning) comments at the White House Correspondent's Dinner.

I wasn't offended by her very off-color jokes (disingenuously claiming that Rush Limbaugh wants the country to fail and therefore she wants his kidneys would fail, etc) as many conservatives were, but I also didn't get offended by David Feherty's hilarious anecdote about Nancy Pelosi (the excellent WSJ has a characteristically well-done piece on the two jokes) as nearly everyone has. I did, however, take issue with her comments. My problem is the too-clear-to-be-hidden agenda of the entertainment industry: unlike Steve "unoriginal hack" Colbert's skewering of President Bush, Ms. Sykes barely bothered to knock on President Obama - only noting the fact that the press never takes pictures of him smoking, but constantly prints pics of him sans shirt. Again, I'm not so much offended as I am disgusted at the clear bias of a media and entertainment industry that has crawled so far up the president's ass that he's going to start crapping People's Choice Awards.

It's taken almost a century, but the Progressives' destruction of the classical liberal education American children used to receive as late as the early twentieth century has finally yielded an awful crop: a cultural elite devoid of creativity and dedicated to the proposition that all men should end up equal.

TRAILERS:

The following have my seal of approval:



Year One. Looks funny.



This movie looks so badass I wish machines really would become self-aware and embark on a regimented campaign of extermination against the human race. My only concern is whether or not Christian Bale would step up and lead. Hmm . . .



This one could have been better. I hate when movies rely too heavily on CGI (*cough* Peter Jackson *cough*), but I anticipate the Snake-Eyes/Storm Shadow ninja fight will redeem most of the suck.



Two of my favorite actors plus lots of shooting, car chases, killing, sexing, escaping, and all manner of coolness. Can't wait.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.

Then, if he becomes good at fishing, you can take up to 40% of the fish he catches and give them to people who are unwilling or unable to do their own fishing; they can't be expected to compete with a man whose parents bought him a fishing pole and tackle box.

"Five years old . . . Couldn't even talk yet."

The best show on television.

Red Eye = Comedic Genius

Red Eye is one of the funniest shows on TV right now. It's a comedy show that does the news. It's on at 3am Eastern - I think this is so that they can push the envelope in regards to their content. The host and guests are hilarious and you can tell they love their job. Check it out.