Wicked Grey Area

HOMEOPATHY WATCH: ‘Gaunt’-Looking King Charles, Stricken by Cancer, Shares His Sadness 

   

  Why Is Sean Combs the Subject of a Homeland Security Investigation? 

   

  FBI interrogates Americans over social media posts 'every day, all day long,' agent says 

   

  Iran is preparing to murder a hip-hop artist for committing . . . music 

   

 "Country has many eras, but whatever Beyonce's music is certainly isn't one of them."

 

The Problem With Music

"The song itself is not anything special" 

 - Oliver Anthony, the first artist to debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 despite having no prior chart history

 

Hybrid: Playing Programmed Music On Real Instruments - Knight Rider

Forget What Whites Say: Jim Crow Now In Full-Effect

"I taught my black kids that their elite upbringing would protect them from discrimination. I was wrong."

"‘Negro’ is an acceptable term for black soldiers, U.S. Army says"

"The problem with The Walking Dead’s mindless zombie hordes"

"Minor hockey coach fired for posting pro-Nazi content on Facebook"

"Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley joke about Ebola at Country Music Awards"

"Ferguson's Toxic Police Department"

"20 Ways To Tell You’re A Republican"

Country And Western Is Learning Rap's Cultural Lesson

"Something about being black is cool, and has a danger attached to it."

A Funny Thing Was Happening While You Criticized Rap

The new look of "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?" type art.

Country is music's Affirmative Action for white supremacist culture, evidenced by the fact there's no black act on the planet allowed - by blacks or whites - to be this devoid of cultural ideas and live. Which makes TMR wonder:

Is our black, but organic, "bad culture" really worse than totally-contrived, cookie cutter, white culture - really, no culture at all? 

White artists and fans, not knowing the diff, speaks volumes,...

I'm Dying Over Here: Life - As A Racist Ol' Country Song

"Our findings suggest that racism literally makes people old.'"

“France is dying a slow death,...It’s like a rich old family being unable to give up the servants."

“Of course, you can't go to a major city in continental Europe without seeing some colonial, racist crap. It's why I decided against Amsterdam for a Christmas trip."

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."

Freedom Summer (Trailer) from Firelight Media on Vimeo.

“He starts out a happy, enthusiastic kindergartener. But by middle school Idris has some disturbing questions about the value of his racial identity…"

  ...At this age, Idris is absolutely aware that his racial identity is paramount to his experience,...He is aware that other people see him differently, and, disturbingly,...And no official from the school, including teachers and administrators, as far as we know, have brought these issues up in the classroom, on the playground, or in parent/teacher conferences."

"It was pretty obvious at this point that TED had a very specific idea of what they would not allow."

In the early 1930s, Joseph Staton, an employee of The Northwest Enterprise, a prominent African-American newspaper in Seattle, was arrested and booked in jail for vandalizing an automobile….

The image that Staton removed from the spare tire cover featured the logo of the Coon Chicken Inn, a fried chicken restaurant chain in the Northwest whose logo featured a ‘Coon’, or a racist caricature of an African-American male popular in 19th century minstrel theatre and early 20th century advertising,....

The restaurant was founded in Utah in 1925 by Maxon Lester Graham,....

“More than a few black Mormons here in America have gone on record reflecting these same racist ideas about themselves as inspired by God."

“This is probably too obvious to need saying, but I’ll say it anyway. African-Americans in the pre-civil rights South didn’t complain to their white overlords, especially the poor whites who sometimes worked next to them. Uttering complaints about the way you were being treated or about the heartbreaking unfairness of Jim Crow segregation was an excellent way to get fired or, if the good old boys within earshot were so inclined, lynched."

“On this date in 1967 Charley Pride became the first African-American solo singer to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. He opened a door that to this day not many have passed through."

"That's A Good Deal, Paisley: L.L. Will Forget 250 Years Of Enslavement If You Accept His Taste In Accessories"

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Video Archive

A White & A Black Talk About TMR (Like Friends Will)

Two days ago, one of my oldest white conservative friends comes over, toting a 12-pack of Milwaukee's Best Premium and asks, "What's up with the blog? It's getting awful black/white."

"Yeah, it's nothing - I'm just fucking with some 'white' people."

"Let me guess - Althouse."

"Kinda sorta. That whole Trayvon Martin thing threw a few of 'em over the edge, post-Romney, so I'm giving 'em a taste of their own medicine."

"Oh, alright, I see. I was wondering - but you're alright, though? You've been in bed a long time. Anything I can do?"

"Yeah, you can take me to go see Gravity at the biggest IMAX theatre you can find. It's only 90 minutes long, so I should be able to take it. I gotta see it."

"Done - anything else?"

"Naw, you're here, that's enough."

"You got any Willy Nelson?"

"Yeah, over there, go ahead and put it on. Hey - why is it, every time you come over here lately, you control the music?"

"Because, every time I come over here lately, I buy the beer."

"Good point."

And then we clinked our beers together, to the opening strains of You're Always On My Mind,....

 

Inevitable: Dolly Parton's Been Turned Into A Gay Man

Check out the vocal control - at any speed,...

I've Heard These Guys Are Fans Of Mine (& I'm Theirs)

Painful Lessons

So my shit's gone from *sweet* to TARFU so fast it's making my head spin, but just as I thought to feel bad, I took a look at my peers:

Country music star Randy Travis suffered a stroke while at a Texas hospital and was in surgery late Wednesday, the singer's publicist said. 

Publicist Kirt Webster said Wednesday night that the 54-year-old Travis suffered the stroke while he was being treated for congestive heart failure because of a viral illness. 

The North Carolina-born Travis is a traditional country purist who is a pivotal figure in the genre best known for his hits "Forever and Ever, Amen" and "Three Wooden Crosses." His Warner Bros. debut album "Storms of Life" sold 3 million copies and helped return country music to its roots. 

The illness came as Travis was trying to put his life back together after a series of embarrassing public incidents involving alcohol. Travis pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in January following an arrest last year and received two years of probation and a $2,000 fine. He was required to spend at least 30 days at an alcohol treatment facility and complete 100 hours of community service. 

He recently made several public appearances, including a spot on the Country Music Association Festival's nightly concert lineup and a poignant performance at George Jones' funeral. 

His peers and fans have been watching Travis' progress closely.

And Storm Large - a female-type, inside baseball, friend-friend who once wanted to join my band - just came through town but, because I'm off Facebook, I had no idea:

She sang in Spanish, German, Japanese and Turkish. And then she sang about ketchup. 

Storm Large, the lead singer of Pink Martini, mesmerized the capacity crowd at Red Butte Garden on Tuesday evening with not just her lyrics, but also her stage presence. For a band that refers to itself as "a little orchestra," Large is anything but little. Her voice and constant dancing onstage commanded the Portland-based band as she seamlessly moved between samba mixes, swing jazz tunes and a little bit of humor.

It's a fact of existence - and why the NSA "scandal" doesn't scare me:

Trying to watch anybody's progress "closely" is never as simple as it sounds,...

 

There Will Be No Recycling Here

Angela Davis' lawyer died this week. 

He'd already helped Nat "King" Cole live in a white neighborhood.

Richie Havens also died. Finally. I'd break his guitar, too.

It's the only way to be sure.

And - speaking of "finally" - this week claimed "The Crown Prince Of Country Music," George Jones. 

He was so special, I can still remember exactly where I was, and what I was doing, the first time I heard him. Just standing there, stunned, at the depth of all he drew.

He was real.

 Yes, Sir - culturally speaking - I'd say Death had a pretty good week,...

 

Two More Songs From The Crack Emcee's Little White Radio: "Baldhead Friend" & "Democracy Sucks!" (Also Including The Bill & Monica Mix!)

I've got three tracks for you today - actually two, but the second one, "Democracy Sucks!", had to be re-worked to fit on the CD you see above, The Big Lowensky: Crackhouse Hits From the Clinton Era. I'm putting them together because of what makes them special to me:

I wrote them both on a napkin over breakfast, rehearsed them that day, and had them on stage that same night.

"Baldhead Friend" was written for a friend of mine - Darren - who had a rough time choosing between the two girls he was sleeping with, ultimately losing them both, of course. Being happily married at the time, I found his problem funny.

Baldhead Friend by The Crack Emcee

This version of "Democracy Sucks!" should be downloaded and put in your music player, to immediately follow "Baldhead Friend", so, together, they achieve the proper "flow". They're from several sets of tracks - labeled "Little White Radio: Broadcasting LIVE" - recorded at the end of a tour (listen to my voice - it's wrecked.) Little White Radio is the name I release my Rock music under.

Democracy Sucks by The Crack Emcee

Next is "The Bill & Monica Mix". Like most Americans, I was fascinated by that whole mess at the time - and thought Bill got what he deserved - though I must admit I've been confused since then by the respect he's maintained - Hillary, too, for her role in the cover-up. If back then anyone had ever told me she'd one day be our Secretary of State, I'd have said they were crazy.

It's my opinion that Bill's a NewAge sleaze, Hillary's a NewAge liar, and Monica's a fool.

There, I said it - I've been invited to a friend's house for coffee, so I'll post my usual stuff when I get back - hope you like the re-mix, and - again - donations (to help get me back to doing this) are always accepted:

Democracy Sucks [The Bill + Monica Mix] by The Crack Emcee