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In honor of the shutdown…

Money…

The government has partially ground to a halt. Here are some songs in honor of the shutdown…

I don’t pretend to pay a lot of attention to what goes on in Congress. I am not fond of politics, especially when it comes to arguing about them. However, because my husband, Bill, is a member of the Army, this government shutdown business does affect us somewhat. Yes, we were told that members of the military would continue to be paid while 800,000 or so other government workers will be furloughed until this mess gets sorted out. However, my husband has told me that there is a possibility that despite the fact that the “Pay Our Military Act” passed, his pay may still be delayed. This is what it says on the front page of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service’s (DFAS) Web site…

We are aware the President has signed the “Pay Our Military Act.”

We are awaiting further guidance from the Department of Defense to ensure we accurately implement all elements of the Act.

We believe all pay and allowances included in mid-month pay are covered by the Act and pay will be received on time.

Hear that? They believe all pay and allowances included in mid-month are covered by the Act… How reassuring. Actually, I realize that we are very fortunate because Bill gets paid pretty well and we have managed to squirrel away some cash in advance of this mess. There are many military folks out there, along with government and contract workers, who don’t have anything to cushion the financial blow of a prolonged furlough.

Anyway, I thought today might be a good day for a post about songs in honor of the shutdown. The first song that immediately comes to mind is Bob Dylan’s classic hit, “The Times, They Are A Changin’”. I have to admit, this song popped into my head the other day when I sang it on SingSnap. I happen to own a great double CD set called No Nukes, which was originally released in 1979 when a bunch of stars got together to do a concert to protest nukes.

A clip from the No Nukes documentary.

And here’s Bob Dylan’s version.

Gwen Guthrie’s “Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent” is a reminder that the bill collectors may be knocking if something isn’t done soon…

This song is really more about a gold digger, but the sentiments are still sort of the same. When you don’t have a paycheck, you suddenly start worrying about meeting your responsibilities.

ABBA’s “Money, Money, Money” might inspire a few folks to try their hand at gambling as a way to raise some quick cash…

What really blows about this is that some people are still working, even though they might not be paid on time. Bill told me that a bunch of civilians were recalled to work yesterday because it was decided that they would eventually be paid. Therefore, they didn’t need to be sitting at home doing nothing. My reaction to that? That’s bullshit! It’s probably a good thing I don’t work for the government.

The Beatles sang a song about taxes…

Don’t our taxes pay for all the folks in Congress hashing it out right now? Fat lot of good it’s done us. I fully understand that taxes make the government function… except when they don’t. It would be nice if the folks responsible for this shutdown gave up their paychecks too.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t include an entry by Pink Floyd…

Pink Floyd’s “Money” is no doubt on a lot of peoples’ minds right now as mid month looms and bills come due.

Donna Summer’s classic 80s hit “She Works Hard For The Money” resonates with women, especially…

And there are no doubt some mothers and fathers who are single parents trying to cope with these furloughs. Of course, this song is really about women who work in low wage jobs, but even if they aren’t being directly by the shutdown, those who wait tables or work in retail will be affected as business slows because people aren’t getting paid.

I have to add James Taylor’s “Money Machine” because I happen to love his music… and this song, in all its cheesy 70s glory, does sort of illustrate the power money has on society.

I know the money has to come from somewhere, of course. And Congress has to straighten some stuff out, which will no doubt require compromise from all parties. I sure hope they come to a conclusion sooner rather than later.

October 8, 2013
Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and Sinead O’ Connor…

This has been an interesting week in the music world, especially for Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and Sinead O’Connor…

First thing’s first. I am not really a fan of Miley Cyrus’, Justin Bieber’s, or Sinead O’Connor’s. I listened to Sinead back in the late 1980s because she had a hit song that was always on the radio and I listened to the radio a lot in those days. But I can’t honestly say that I purposely follow their careers much nowadays. Of course, because I am on the Internet all the time, I constantly see gossip pieces about them.

The first one I saw this week concerned Justin Bieber, who apparently felt his bodyguards should carry him up the Great Wall of China. This incident follows a number of other weird incidents in which Bieber is caught acting out in public. In April, he was criticized for writing an egotistical remark at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. In June, he was seated next to a pretty young lady at a Miami Heat game and apparently treated her very rudely. A few months ago, he was in the news again for peeing in a mop bucket in a restaurant’s kitchen and for abandoning a monkey in Germany.

Personally, I don’t really get the massive appeal of Justin Bieber. I mean, he was kind of cute when he was younger, but now he looks a little like Vanilla Ice back in the day. And he certainly doesn’t indicate that he’s a very charming person. In August, he rubbed a fan’s cell phone on his balls while performing at a concert. Granted, he was sick of people throwing stuff at him while he was performing, but still… Yuck! It looks to me like Justin Bieber holds most people in contempt. Money doesn’t seem to have made him very happy. But yeah, the trip up the Great Wall of China on the backs of his bodyguards really takes the cake.

What happened to this kid?

Moving on, a friend of mine in Ireland alerted me to an open letter Sinead O’Connor addressed to Miley Cyrus, advising her not to let the music industry exploit her. I read Sinead’s letter and I really didn’t think it was offensive. Maybe if I were Miley Cyrus, I would think it was out of line, but as a regular person, it appears that Sinead O’Connor was trying to do Miley a solid.

Miley apparently didn’t think so, though. She took to Twitter, bringing up Sinead’s painful past. Sinead responded, asking Miley who was advising her and chastising Miley for mocking Sinead for her issues with mental illness. There’s nothing like a cat fight between pop stars.

I think Miley Cyrus was rude in how she responded to Sinead O’Connor, but I also think her response is typical for someone her age. She no doubt thinks she has things handled, just like a lot of young people do. It takes awhile before age and experience starts to humble you and you learn that you don’t know nearly as much as you think you do. In any case, I guess Sinead O’Connor has learned that no good deed goes unpunished.

Have a great weekend everybody!

October 4, 2013
Just saw The Book of Mormon Musical…

My husband and I just saw the Book of Mormon Musical at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas…

The Book of Mormon Playbill…

My husband, Bill, is an ex Mormon and a lover of all things South Park, so it was especially fitting that we’d go see the controversial musical brought to us by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez. Back in late August, I noticed The Book of Mormon Musical would be playing locally for about two weeks. I got us tickets and we went to the last performance on Sunday, September 29th at 7:30pm.

I gotta say, The Book of Mormon Musical is not a show for the faint of heart. If you are offended by swear words or extreme sexual humor, you might do well to pick a different show. Frankly, it takes a lot to offend me, so I really enjoyed the show. The cast was led by Welshman Mark Evans, who played Elder Kevin Price, a gung ho missionary who wanted to serve a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Orlando, Florida. Instead, he and an annoying compulsive liar named Elder Arnold Cunningham (played by Christopher John O’Neill) were sent to Uganda. As soon as they arrive in the east African country, the two young men are confronted by the harsh realities of life in Uganda, where the locals are much more concerned about survival than joining a new church.

The two young men meet the rest of the missionaries assigned to Uganda and find out that they haven’t managed to convert a single soul. Then they meet a lovely villager named Nabulungi (played by Samantha Marie Ware) who may be receptive to learning what they want to teach her. Will Elder Price and Elder Cunningham be able to teach these Ugandans about Mormonism? You’ll have to see the show to find out. I don’t want to ruin the plot by giving too much of the story away. I laughed pretty much non stop from start to finish, though.

Let me just say that Bill and I had a wonderful time at this show. We found it very entertaining, though there were a few niggling details that weren’t totally accurate. We did overhear one guy say that he understood most of the references; he had never studied Mormonism. We heard another guy explaining to him some of the nuances that he didn’t get. Bill thought the guy was probably an ex Mormon, like he is. It does help to know a few things about the church before you see the show, but I think most people who can handle the language and humor will be entertained even if they don’t.

This is a shot of the stage at The Majestic Theatre…

The Majestic Theatre in San Antonio…

The Majestic Theatre in San Antonio is really beautiful and historic. It was a treat to see this show there, even though I ended up having to peek between the people sitting in front of us because they were tall and the woman had big hair. The Majestic Theatre has a full bar, though Bill and I didn’t partake. We had dinner at Biga On The Banks, where we enjoyed cocktails and wine.

The opening number “Hello”, which was featured on the Tony Awards in 2012.

This is from the 2012 Tony Awards. Here, Elder Price is played by Andrew Rannells, who sings “I Believe”.

Bottom line? We loved The Book of Mormon Musical and would see it again. In fact, we enjoyed our night out at the Majestic Theatre so much that I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for more shows and concerts. We’re really lucky to live so close to such a lovely venue.

October 1, 2013