What Goes Around...

In our previous episode, we wondered if an offensive"prayer" by a lunatic would derail a vote on an amendment that would chisel discrimination into the state constitution.

Well, it didn't derail it, so in November 2012, the voters of Minnesota will get to decide about the rights of other Minnesotans, which is just plain wrong, regardless of whose rights they are.

It did, however, have some karmic consequences for the "pray-er." He'd already been booted off one right-wing station prior to the "prayer" and in the wake of it, was dumped from another, leading to This Week's Discussion Question:

Just how crazy do you have to be to be too much for stations who air Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Didn't start this fight? Are you kidding, you coward?"

Discuss.

Sunday Random 10 (x2 - Holiday edition)

Been another couple of busy weeks at TWDQ HQ. Ran through a random 10 yesterday while scraping wallpaper paste and when we plugged the little green Nano into the laptop, the Last Played column didn't show it'd played anything since Friday.

We fired it up again this morning, so here's what fell out first the last coupla weeks:

05/22/2011
Dan Zanes - The Shantyman's Life
Lucinda Williams - Ugly Truth (The Kitchen Tapes)
Over the Rhine - Sleep Baby Jane
Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere - One of Those Days
Fountains of Wayne - Sink to the Bottom
The Smiths - What Difference Does it Make?
This Train - Baby Baby
Alice Cooper - Elected
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
Ringo Starr - I'm the Greatest

05/29/2011
Uncle Tupelo - New Madrid
The Rutles - Joe Public
Bob Dylan - Ain't Gonna Grieve
The Band - When I Paint My Masterpiece
Ike Reilly - Good Work
The Beatles - Blue Jay Way
Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - I'll Still Be True
Tom Waits - House Where Nobody Lives
The Bad Plus - Smells Like Teen Spirit

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Save It for Later

First, we bring you the breaking news that today's Rapture has been postponed because after this opening "prayer" at Friday's Minnesota House of Representatives session, Jesus will likely still be throwing up at the appointed hour. At this time, a Rapture make-up date has not been scheduled.

Based on the video clip of the incident, Jesus may need a stint on the 15-day disabled list, followed by a brief minor league rehab assignment rapturing mice and small birds to make sure he's back in rapturing shape.

Which brings us to This Week's Discussion Question:

How sweet would it be if that lunatic's "prayer" torpedoed the anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment vote?

Please keep the discussion civil and do feel free to wander off into "When you speak for me, you don't speak for me."

Discuss.

Sunday Random 10 (x 2)

Been so busy we don't even remember what we've been doing that kept us from posting. Let's see what the Nano's tossed out over the last couple of Sundays.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!!!

05/08/2011
Radiohead - Thinking About You
Uncle Tupelo - Graveyard Shift
Talking Heads - Heaven
The Beatles - Only a Northern Song
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin' (demo)
Rosanne Cash - Seventh Avenue
Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (demo)
Fountains of Wayne - Number 45 Sunblock
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Up From Below
The Bar-Kays - Soul Finger

05/15/2011
Derek & The Dominos - Got to Get Better in a Little While (Live)
The Beatles - When I Get Home
Buddy Miller (feat. Ann McCrary) - No Good Lover
Girlyman - Tell Me There's a Reason
The Beach Boys - You Still Believe in Me (Live)
Odetta - The Times They Are A-Changin'
The B-52's - Party Out of Bounds
Wilco - Walken
XTC - Church of Women
Afrocubism - Dakan

And a bonus because you've been so patient: 11. Ritchie Valens - La Bamba

Starting to see some newer stuff here. Picked up a used copy of the Dominos' excellent Live at the Fillmore on Record Store Day, so this week we started with a 13-minute track. The young man can play a little bit. Too bad that band only lasted one album. We got a couple of versions of Dylan's anthem, including his own Witmark demo on piano. The Buddy Miller tune is from the fine new Majestic Silver Strings record with Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, & Greg Leisz.

We'll see if we can get this up in a more timely fashion next week.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question (Why not both, Newt?), already in progress.

Sunday Random 10 (x 2)

Whole lotta painting and baseball going on, not much blogging. Started up the Nano en route from TWDQ HQ to play at the Sunrise service and the two tunes it kicked out were entirely appropriate. Finished up the rest while applying some Ancient Marble after spending a glorious Sunday afternoon at the ballpark witnessing what, sadly, remains the most recent win for the local nine. This week, we fired up the Nano after the 5 p.m. service.

So let's see what else it had queued up. Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

04/24/2011
The Beach Boys - We Got Love (Live)
U2 - Peace on Earth
Joe Henry - Flesh and Blood
Old 97's - Big Brown Eyes
The Kinks - See My Friends
Old 97's - You Belong to My Heart
The Who - Happy Jack
Steve Dawson - Out of Your Mind
Joe Henry - Buckdancer's Choice
Boiling Point - Incomplete

05/01/2011
The Turtles - Happy Together
Tom Waits - The Part You Throw Away
Ringo Starr - No-No Song
Jonathan Rundman - Church Directory
Erik Brandt - Who Am I Making the Bed for When You Aren't Here?
Girlyman - Invite Me In
Janelle Monae - Cold War
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs - Alone Again Or
Gear Daddies - Dream Vacation
The Turtles - Elenore

Final tune on Easter Sunday is from the band led by the worship leader with whom we played that morning. This week we had some excellent bookends, especially since "Elenore" is pretty much "Happy Together" inside out in a blatant attempt at a hit. (It also features some of the most sublimely dumb lyrics in rock 'n roll.) Thanks again to Dave Biljan for insisting the Gear Daddies put out their odds and ends on Cant Have Nothin' Nice all those years ago.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question ("Why does anyone care what Donald Trump thinks about anything?"), already in progress.

Sunday Random 10

Did today's shuffling with paint brush in hand, so the little green Nano accompanied the second coat of Ivoire on the dining room wall.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

The Hold Steady - Banging Camp
Muddy Waters - Train Fare Home Blues
The Decemberists - Sons & Daughters
Paul Simon - Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War
Kaivama - Edina Speedtrap
Dolly Varden - Overwhelming
The Beatles - I'm Looking Through You
The Rascals - Easy Rollin'
Tom Waits - Falling Down (Live)
Split Enz - What's the Matter with You

Sadly, I don't have any Red House Painters on the Nano. The Kaivama is a new acquisition and while we didn't get anything off the fine new Paul Simon record that hit the racks this week, we did get a wonderfully-named song from the underrated Hearts and Bones.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

So Listen, Mister D.J., Keep Those Records Playin'...

Happy Record Store Day from all of us at TWDQ HQ! We hope you're celebrating the occasion in the traditional manner.

Here's This Week's Discussion Question:

Isn't every day Record Store Day?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "No, it isn't."

Discuss.

Meanwhile, we're gonna go find some good stuff that'll eventually show up on a future Sunday Random 10.

Sunday Random 10

It's Sunday again! The last little bit of snow is melting off the grounds at TWDQ HQ, so let's see if spring's in the air on the little green Nano. Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Jack Logan - Town Crier
Old 97's - Doreen
Wilco - My Darling
Girlyman - I Know Where You Are
Los Lobos - I Got to Let You Know (Live)
Professor Longhair - Boogie Woogie
Professor Longhair & His Blues Scholars - Hey Now Baby (Live)
Los Lobos - 27 Spanishes
Allen Toussaint - Bright Mississippi
The Pogues - Bottle of Smoke

The Nano still must think it's Mardi Gras since it pulled up a couple of 'Fess tunes and one from the terrific Allen Toussaint. It brought back a Los Lobos tune from last week and bookended the Longhair tracks with a new Lobos tune from last year's fine Tin Can Trust. "Doreen" is the early 97's at their frantic best and The Pogues' profane ode to a race horse is from the essential If I Should Fall from Grace with God.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question ("Could we send Mississippi down to Triple A and bring Puerto Rico or Guam up to the 50-state roster? Even if Mississippi's out of options, it ain't like Canada or Mexico is going to claim them off of waivers." And please do wander off into "And why the hell is anyone asking an idiotic question like that in twenty-freaking-eleven?"), already in progress.

Sunday Random 10

...and it's actually still Sunday! Let's find out what the little green Nano shuffled up this week.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Todd Rundgren - The Range War
Todd Rundgren - All the Children Sing
Boiling Point - Stars Are Falling
The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Joe Henry - Nico Lost One Small Buddha
The Beatles - Chains
Los Lobos - I Got to Let You Know (Live)
Katrina & The Waves - Walking on Sunshine
The Neville Brothers - Every Day
Jonathan Rundman - Ah, Holy Jesus

Well, no Baseball Project songs off their fine new album (or even "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" or "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request"), but we did get two of our favorite Todd tunes right off the bat (pun fully intended) and we hope to be humming Katrina's big hit next Saturday evening as we get our first live glimpse of the local nine.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question ("Where have you gone, Dude-You-Have-No-Koran Guy? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you."), already in progress.

Sunday Random 10

Let's see what the little green Nano shook out this week. It's the only thing green around TWDQ HQ since Tuesday night's storm blew in and left another layer of white.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Bob Dylan - I'll Keep It with Mine
The Suburbs - Girlfriend
Jimi Hendrix - Pali Gap
Johnny Cash - Guess Things Happen That Way
Jonathan Rundman - Oswiecim
The Rolling Stones - Play with Fire
Jules Shear - Sad Sound of the Wind
Wilco - The Lonely 1
Ike Reilly - Morning Glory
The Waterboys - This Land is Your Land

Nice mix there. "Sad Sound of the Wind" is another of those great lost singles of the early 90s and why The Suburbs were never big outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul, we'll never know.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

I'll Be Back

Horrific natural disasters like the Japanese earthquake and tsunami tend to bring the stupid-ass theologians out of the woodwork, so here's This Week's Discussion Question:

Would it really count as The Second Coming if Jesus just popped by briefly to say "Stop. Talking. Now." to a few folks?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "That wouldn't be a brief stop, chief."

Discuss.

Sunday Random 10 (x 2)

Crazy, crazy busy around TWDQ HQ. Didn't get to the iPod last week until Monday and until late Sunday this week, so let's see what the little green Nano shook out on Mardi Gras and St. Paddy's weeks. Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

03/13/2011
The Beatles - With a Little Help from My Friends
Split Enz - Straight Old Line
Steve Dawson - Out of Your Mind
Los Lobos - La Bamba
Muddy Waters - Trouble No More
Guided by Voices - Queen of Cans and Jars (live)
The Beatles - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
The Faces - Maybe I'm Amazed
The Beatles - Rock and Roll Music
The Avett Brothers - Ill With Want

03/20/2011
Bruce Springsteen - The Brokenhearted
Todd Rundgren - Torch Song
The Beatles - Don't Let Me Down
Los Lobos - On Main Street
Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey - Here and Now
Professor Longhair - Go to the Mardi Gras
The Ike Reilly Assassination - When Irish Eyes Are Burning
The Baseball Project - The Death of Big Ed Delahanty
Elvis Presley - I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone (Slow version)
Beki Hemingway & Jonathan Rundman - Easy Chair

And a bonus because you've waited--all three of you--so patiently, the 11th song that popped up this week was the lead track on this year's Faves compilation:

Steve Dawson - Obsidian

Well, we got about as Mardi Gras as you can get with 'Fess, but Ike Reilly's about as close as we got to St. Paddy's, so maybe next week we'll get some Pogues or Waterboys or Van the Man.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question--and hang on, kids, there's an actual one coming in a few minutes, already in progress.

Rookies and Steroids

Couple of quick items while we're at it.

Numero uno, the Minnesota Twins have a great ad agency. Nice bit of acting by young Mr. Valencia. And who knew first base coach Jerry White could croon?

Numero two-oh (copyright Molly), Fred Clark must be juicing, because he's been hitting them out of the park one after the other over at the great Slacktivist blog for several weeks now.

Sunday Random 10

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we should just call it Bi-Weekly Sunday Random 10. Let's find out what the little green Nano shuffled up the last coupla Sundays. Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

02/27/2011
Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone
Lookbook - Real Love
Preservation Hall Jazz Band (feat. Tom Waits) - Corrinne Died on the Battlefield
Eddie Floyd - Knock on Wood
The Beatles - Good Night
Bettye LaVette - It Don't Come Easy
Otis & Carla - Tramp
Bruce Springsteen - Candy's Boy
Dolly Varden - Forgiven Now
Phoenix - Lasso

03/06/2011
XTC - Wounded Horse
The Beatles - Rock And Roll Music
Aaron Neville - Stand By Me
Fountains of Wayne - Amity Gardens
The Beatles - The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
Bob Dylan & The Band - You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Talking Heads - City Of Dreams
Tom Waits - House Where Nobody Lives
Michael Franti & Spearhead - Say Hey (I Love You)
Muddy Waters - She's Nineteen Years Old

We did update a couple of things in the blogroll and added a couple of new ones (we are digging the new Baseball Project album these days).

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question ("You really want to go there, Gov? Oh yeah, there's a Mr. Koch on line 2...), already in progress.

Sunday Random 10

Been a couple of busy weeks, so here's another two-fer from the little green Nano.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

02/13/2011
The Temptations - All I Need
The Crazy Teens - Crazy Date
Bruce Springsteen - The Brokenhearted
Todd Rundgren - You Cried Wolf
The Avett Brothers - Talk on Indolence (live)
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Money
Fountains of Wayne - Hey Julie
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Rosanne Cash (feat. Elvis Costello) - Heartaches by the Number
Old 97's - Color of a Lonely Heart Is Blue

02/20/2011
The Beatles - Flying
Robert Plant - House of Cards
Jonathan Rundman - I'm a Liar
XTC - I'm the Man Who Murdered Love
Johnny Cash - Train of Love
Wilco - Sunken Treasure
Old 97's - Big Brown Eyes
Split Enz - The Devil You Know
The Ventures - Wipe Out
The Avett Brothers - Go to Sleep

And even with a couple of Old 97's tunes, we failed to catch the boys Sunday night at First Avenue. Hope they made it through the Blizzard du Jour to their next gig.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Super Sunday Random 10

While the Green Bay Packers are celebrating their victory in Debut of New Commercials Bowl XVL, let's see what the little green Nano unpacked today!

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?
Crowded House - Locked In
Wilco - How to Fight Loneliness
The Twilight Hours - Forgot Me Now
Professor Longhair - Stag-O-Lee
Brendan Benson - You Make a Fool Out of Me
Marshall Crenshaw - Someday, Someway
The Twilight Hours - Yes
XTC - Love on a Farmboy's Wages
Erik Brandt - Locks

Hmmmm, no Black Eyed Peas. Again.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Sunday Random 10

We actually did the shuffle last Sunday morning, but the rest of the day (and week, as it turned out) got busy and we never posted, so you get a two-fer today.

Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

01/23/2011
Al Green - Let's Get Married
Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey - Geometry
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Talking Heads - Love --> Building on Fire
Joe Henry - Shut Me Up
Girlyman - Could Have Guessed
Bob Dylan - Man on the Street
Michael Smith - The Dutchman
Dan Zanes - Lo Que Digo
Professor Longhair - Tipitina (Live)

01/30/2011
Wilco - Airline to Heaven (live)
Joe Henry - Our Song
The Hold Steady - Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night
Lookbook - Real Love
Crowded House - Better Be Home Soon
Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy
The Beatles - All My Loving
The Who - See Me, Feel Me
Janelle Monae - Sir Greendown
Kirsty MacColl - Caroline

Lotsa really good stuff there. "Geometry" and "Better Be Home Soon" are gorgeous pieces of pop, Muddy's vocal is ferocious and spine-tingling, and Joe Henry's "Our Song" is nothing short of amazing.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Sunday Random 10 (Monday Morning Edition)

Crazy busy day yesterday so we shuffled up the iPod this morning at work.

And promptly forgot to log the first ten.

Fortunately, there's the "Last Played" column, so Let's...Hit...Shuffle!

Aaron Neville - Let's Live

Tom Waits - Live Circus

Aaron Neville - You've Got to Move

Professor Longhair - How Long Has That Train Been Gone

Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs - Gimme Some Truth

The Animals - Gonna Send You Back to Walker

XTC - The Last Balloon

Johnny Cash - Big River

Bob Dylan - Farewell

Jonathan Rundman - I'm a Liar

The Nano must be sick of the snow and ready for Mardi Gras with the two Aaron Neville tunes and the 'Fess tune stacked up front. Can you blame it?

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Danged Good Stuff

Let's praise some terrific stuff from the teevee and the intertoobz this past week.

First, if you haven't already seen it, go watch the first five minutes of Jon Stewart hammering Fox News' criticism of the Tucson memorial service. After Laura Ingraham, Charles Krauthammer (we're guessing), and David Gergen wring their hands over the behavior of the crowd, the perpetually smug Michael Gerson concludes with "You can either have a pep rally or a memorial service. You can't have both." Stewart sends that hanging curveball into orbit:

You ever been to an Irish wake? I've never been sadder and laughed harder in my life. And I got news for you guys: "Amen" ain't that far from "woo hoo!"

Then at Slacktivist, TWDQ's favorite blog, Fred Clark takes apart Brit Hume's petty complaints about the Native American blessing that opened the service:

If Brit Hume would like, he could arrange to host a seminar on comparative religion, a forum for discussing the merits and demerits of burning sage or blessing the four-legged creatures or turning to the four corners of the world. In such a forum he'd be free to tell us what sort of rituals, prayers or blessings he prefers, what sort of rituals, prayers and blessing he doesn't care for, and why.

But if Hume ever shows up at a funeral or a memorial service or any other gathering of mourners, his job there is to shut up and mourn with those who mourn.

Amen (and woo hoo!), Fred.

Lastly, if this video of a tune by one of TWDQ's favorite musicians doesn't want to make you move to Fayetteville, NY just for the cool public library and librarians, we have to talk:



We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question, already in progress.

Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word

An aide to former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin says the crosshairs on this map--since scrubbed from her PAC website--were "surveyors' marks", not rifle sights.

TWDQ respectfully calls bullshit and offers This Week's Discussion Question:

What the hell ever happened to "We're sorry, we were wrong."?

Please keep the discussion civil and feel free to wander off into "If they were surveyors' marks, why remove the map from your site?" or "Why did Sarah herself call them 'bulls-eyes' in a tweet?" or "Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

Discuss.

Calmly.