Jonathan Coulton Got Back (Here)

Last night I saw Jonathan Coulton (with Paul and Storm) for the third time. Once again, the show was a blast. But before I continue, let me dispense with the negatives of the show. First, due to previous sell-outs, the Milkboy Coffeehouse had two shows: a 7:30 and a 10:30 show. The early show (since I rely on public transportation, my hand was forced; I wouldn't have had a good way to get home from the late show) wasn't as packed as the previous shows I'd attended (a good thing--for me). But they were recording a live album that night, and it seems that the air conditioning system would have been too loud and interfered with the recording. So this was the first concert I attended in a sauna. Yeah, the performers tried to make light of the situation by making "heat jokes" between songs, but I was sweating as much as they were.

Seriously, the heat didn't bother me that much. I look forward to buying the live album so that I can relive the experience.

Anyhoo, I got to hear a new song by Paul and Storm (I believe it was called Your Town). Unfortunately they didn't play Epithets. Ah, well.

JoCo was great as usual. He opened up with that song about that Swedish furniture store.



Unfortunately, since I'm still getting used to my new camera, I guess I don't know all the settings yet. It seems that I had my video set for the highest resolution (I'll have to figure out how to fix that) and so even with 1 Gig memory, it was full after two and a half songs :-(

Luckily, the other full song I was able to record is a song that I haven't praised enough in my previous Jo Co blog posts. The song is the trump card I pull out when someone says to me "Jonathan Coulton is a talented singer/songwriter, but to call him genius is an exaggeration." The beauty is that it's a cover song. Here's the original. Remember it?



And here's JoCo.



If you you don't agree that he's a genius after hearing that, then there's obviously something wrong with you.

I'm too easy--celeb mug-shot!

Tripoli six freed!

The Tripoli Six are finally home! 

 

Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor were pardoned by President Georgi Parvanov upon their arrival in Sofia on Tuesday after spending 8 1/2 years in prison in Libya.

 

...

The six came down the steps from the airplane and were welcomed on the tarmac by family members who hugged them, one lifting the Palestinian doctor off the ground.

They were given bouquets of flowers, and Bulgaria's president and prime minister were on hand, greeting the nurses and Sarkozy, who had been part of the delegation that negotiated the group's return.

It's a shame that six innocent medics were held hosatge for so long by a heartless dictator and that the condition of their release was that Bulgaria pay blackmail.  But at least their nightmare is over and I'm happy for that.

 

Michael Vick is done!

Michael Vick is done! You don't torture and kill domestic pets for the pleasure of it and expect forgiveness. It ain't gonna happen! Americans love their dogs and cats and just aren't going to forgive him for what he's done. If he ever plays in another game he will get a reception worthy of Andy Card. I don't care how good of a player he is, I have no use for him.

I think Cenk of The Young Turks got it exactly right. (And Ben is also right--I won't be drafting Alge Crumpler this year.

Zombies in orange jumpsuits!

Who knew that Filipino prisoners could dance like that?



They also do a version of Hail holy queen from Sister Act (but I like the zombies better)

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GOD Inc. sold to the SciFi channel!

I've previously posted videos by Mr. Deity. Another YouTube series of the same genre that I've been a big fan of is God Inc. The premise is that God runs his affairs just like a typical bureaucratic company, with all the petty bickering and office politics.

The good news is that it's been picked up by the SciFi channel. Hooray!

What's Opera Doc?

I just found out that the greatest cartoon ever is turning fifty years old this week.
(thanks raincoaster!)
UPDATE: The original release date was July 6, 1957. So I'm about a week late--damn!

Happy Bastille Day!

It is once again that time of year when our inner frenchmen come and sing the Chant de guerre de l'Armée du Rhin. It is also that time when I join n the chorus of voices calling upon the French to change their national anthem. I like the melody--I really do. But the lyrics are vile! They are some of the most gory, jingoistic, and savage words I have ever heard in a song, and this is what French children are being taught to sing!

And I find the Marseillaise apologists about as convincing as Christian apologists who ignore the cruelty and genocide in the Bible. You can interpret them however you wish, but you can't change the words. That's what the song says! Read it for yourself (from Wikipedia).

(Sorry about the big space below, but I just can't seem to get tables to work correctly on blogger, and it's beginning to piss me off!)

La Marseillaise
Allons enfants de la Patrie	Arise, children of the fatherland
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !	The day of glory has arrived!
Contre nous de la tyrannie	Against us, the tyranny's
L'étendard sanglant est levé. (bis)	Bloody banner is raised. (repeat)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes	Do you hear in the fields
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?	The howling of these savage soldiers?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras	They are coming into your midst
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes !	To cut the throats of your sons, your wives!
Aux armes, citoyens !	To arms, citizens!
Formez vos bataillons !	Form your battalions!
Marchons, marchons !	Let us march, let us march!
Qu'un sang impur	May tainted blood
Abreuve nos sillons !	Water our fields!
Que veut cette horde d'esclaves,	What does this horde of slaves,
De traîtres, de rois conjurés ?	Traitors, and plotting kings want?
Pour qui ces ignobles entraves	For whom these vile chains
Ces fers dès longtemps préparés ? (bis)	These long-prepared irons? (repeat)
Français, pour nous, ah! Quel outrage,	Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage,
Quels transports il doit exciter !	What fury it must arouse!
C'est nous qu'on ose méditer	It is us they dare plan
De rendre à l'antique esclavage !	To return to the old slavery!
Aux armes, citoyens...	To arms, citizens...
Quoi! Des cohortes étrangères	What! These foreign cohorts!
Feraient la loi dans nos foyers !	They would make laws in our homes!
Quoi! Ces phalanges mercenaires	What! These mercenary phalanxes
Terrasseraient nos fiers guerriers ! (bis)	Would cut down our proud warriors! (repeat)
Grand Dieu! Par des mains enchaînées	Good Lord! By chained hands
Nos fronts sous le joug se ploieraient	Our brow would yield under the yoke
De vils despotes deviendraient	The vile despots would become
Les maîtres de nos destinées !	The masters of our destinies!
Aux armes, citoyens...	To arms, citizens...
Tremblez, tyrans et vous perfides	Tremble, tyrants and traitors
L'opprobre de tous les partis	The shame of all good men
Tremblez! Vos projets parricides	Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Vont enfin recevoir leurs prix ! (bis)	Will receive their just reward! (repeat)
Tout est soldat pour vous combattre	Against you, we are all soldiers
S'ils tombent, nos jeunes héros,	If our young heroes fall,
La terre en produit de nouveaux,	The earth will bear new ones,
Contre vous tout prêts à se battre !	Ready to join the fight against you!
Aux armes, citoyens...	To arms, citizens...
Français, en guerriers magnanimes,	Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors,
Portez ou retenez vos coups !	Bear or hold back your blows!
Épargnez ces tristes victimes	Spare these sad victims
À regret s'armant contre nous (bis)	That they may regret taking up arms against us (repeat)
Mais ces despotes sanguinaires	But not these bloody despots
Mais ces complices de Bouillé	These accomplices of Bouillé
Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié,	All these tigers who mercilessly
Déchirent le sein de leur mère !	Ripped out their mothers' breast!
Aux armes, citoyens...	To arms, citizens...
Amour sacré de la Patrie,	Sacred patriotic love,
Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs	Lead and support our avenging arms
Liberté, Liberté chérie,	Liberty, cherished liberty,
Combats avec tes défenseurs ! (bis)	Fight back with your defenders! (repeat)
Sous nos drapeaux que la victoire	Under our flags, let victory
Accoure à tes mâles accents,	Hurry to your manly tone,
Que tes ennemis expirants	So that your enemies, in their last breath,
Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire !	See your triumph and our glory!
Aux armes, citoyens...	To arms, citizens...
(Couplet des enfants)	(Children's Verse)
Nous entrerons dans la carrière	We shall enter the career
Quand nos aînés n'y seront plus	When our elders will no longer be there
Nous y trouverons leur poussière	There we shall find their dust
Et la trace de leurs vertus (bis)	And the mark of their virtues (repeat)
Bien moins jaloux de leur survivre	Much less jealous of surviving them
Que de partager leur cercueil,	Than of sharing their coffins,
Nous aurons le sublime orgueil	We shall have the sublime pride
De les venger ou de les suivre !	Of avenging or following them!
Aux armes, citoyens...	To arms, citizens...

I'm shocked! Shocked to read those nasty lyrics!

These bloggers rock!

Featuring:
John Logsdon(Sex, Genes & Evolution)
Jonathan Badger(T. Taxus)
Yersinia
Moselio Schaechter(Small Things Considered)
Tara Smith(Aetiology)
Larry Moran(Sandwalk)

Gaga likes Ice Cream

I promise a substantive post soon. In the meantime, here's another video I really like.

Faraday cages rock!

High Powered Job - Watch more free videos

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