Name That Tune

So I walk into the kitchen and there is young Ms. McMenamin, aged 12, doing some nonsense free-form rapping about squirrels or whatever. It was the tune that caught my attention: dum-dum-de-dum/dum-dum-de-dum/de-dum-de-dum-de-dum-de-dum.
I asked her if she knew what the tune was called, and she searched her memory and came up with a rather hesitant,"..  something about trees?".

"Well... sort of", I say:" ... but there are other words as well". A veil of blankness descends.  I called her 14 year old brother and asked him the same question only to get the same blank response. Now this depresses me, as he is by far and away the most politically aware kid of his age that I know. He wrote to Searchlight magazine asking to do his work experience next year FFS. But, no, he didn't know the words to that tune either.

Of course, my kids are not on their own: I see that whole conference halls full of people who might be expected to know the words need laminated cards to remind them. But when I was 12 or 14 everybody knew them. & I mean everybody, not just those who identified with the words in any way.

 I find it desperately sad to see something slipping away from popular cultural memory. It's not that I think either the words or the tune itself are that wonderful per se, but the idea that they're losing their status as widespread cultural reference points,  something almost like a nursery rhyme, obscurely upsets me. Even when one gets to the stage of doubting , even distrusting, any simplistic identification with 'flags and banners' of any kind, including musical ones, one has to be able to know which 'flags and banners' one is distrusting, or making ironic reference to, or whatever. 

So the kids are on a programme of 'repeat after me till you get it word perfect'. The rest of you can make do with this. 




 

Or is This Just Me?

From

SureStart: A Marxist Approach

From, via

My New Favourite Pop Song: Pass It On...

Stolen shamelessly from Stroppy.

P.S. I did consider whether I was too old for taking enjoyment from this sort of fantasy revenge. Then I listened to the song and it made me so happy, I decided not....

Musical Interlude: Brixton Recipe

Take two parts Brixton clublife to an equal measure of tongue in cheek; fold into some melted swamp production and season with some tumble-weed country guitars. Grind up a detailed knowledge of Primitive Baptist theology and sprinkle liberally on the mixture. Add two spoonfuls of freshly ground Marxism-Leninism with a Third-Worldist orientation and a generous pinch of knowing references to every major rootsy American musical tradition since Robert Johnson. Throw in some more steel guitars, and gently heat under a classic R’N’B flame.

Once the mixture is really cooking, serve instead of the bread and the wine in the First Presleyterian Church of St. Elvis the Divine ( UK). It is the best motherfuckinacidhousecountrymusic you can possibly imagine.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Alabama Three.

No So Much An African Grey, More A Govan Bluenose..

I really should be above this sort of thing, but this makes me laugh at all sorts of levels. The clue as to why is probably in the surname I use on this blog...

"Jim Watt, from Horizon Housing Association, confirmed a complaint had been received from another tenant but said Linda and Rio had been cleared of the bigotry claims.

He said: "We spoke to the tenant with the pet as well as other neighbouring tenants. We took the view that there had not been anti-social behaviour which would include sectarian behaviour.""

Via Slugger

Classics of Marketing Education

You can't sell either the sizzle or the steak if the meat is tainted. No, not even with one of the most powerful marketing arms on the face of the planet.

"Them Good Ol' Boys Were Drinking Whiskey & Rye..."

& also knocking back the burgers by the look of it. So this might well '...be the day that they die'.

The map is from my current obsession: Sociological Images.

Do check out some of the French and German anti-AIDS adverts on the site. & I defy anyone to make sense of this French Orangina advert:

"The sexual availability of the female…um…wildlife, all of whom are sexy and sexualized and dancing with the one male, the bottles of Orangina erupting from between the female zebras’ legs, and the female octopus squeezing Orangina out of her boobs…there’s a lot to work with."

We Shall Not See His Like Again

"Rocking Robin"; "Beat It";"Billy Jean";"Thriller" - all that creativity and he still found time to be Chief of Staff of the British Army and Deputy to the NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. Polymath or what?

I think Jim's Donkey blog best captures the popular mood.

Postal Sorting Workers with a Sense of Humour?

We received our UKIP and BNP Euro election leaflets in one 'elastic-banded' bundle this morning. Also included in the same bundle was our 'what-to-do-in-case-of-Swine-Fever' leaflet from the Public Health people.

C'mon, there must be someone out there who can think of a smartass one liner to summarise this.

A Strategy for Overthrowing Capitalism

Forget Lenin. Luxembourg's old hat. Gramsci's a bit fragmentary. Trotsky always had a glint in his eye I never quite trusted.

Naw, I'm going with Dilbert.

Just 'Cos It's Friday

Chinese Influence in East African Waters Grows

Oh yes it does.

From the inevitable B&T

Middle England Susses Out Key G20 Issue

I'm on a break in the Peak District. The local paper has this picture on its front page:

"PRESIDENT Barack Obama turned to Buxton Water for a bit of liquidity of his own after signing a deal aimed at saving the world's financial system.

The American leader was photographed slaking his thirst with the town's spa water at the G20 conference in London.

Paolo Sangiorgi, MD of Nestlé Waters said: "We're delighted that President Obama is keeping healthily hydrated with bottled water, especially a local natural water brand such as Buxton."

Buxton is Britain's best selling home grown mineral water and it also uses the lightest bottles of all brands, giving it one of the lowest carbon footprints of any such product.

"I always knew that the President was a man of good judgment and taste," said High Peak MP Tom Levitt."

G'Day Mate: the Future of Internet Argument

Observing a blogger I link to, and quite enjoy, getting into a very personalised row with a unpleasant Tory made me think. Is there an alternative to walking away or getting into the kind of deadly, endless feud of mutual insult and retort for which the net is famous?

Well, I think I've found the answer: just discreetly post a link to Aussie band TISM's finest hour and dedicate the lyrics to the one you're having the problem with. More fun than Rick-rolling.....

No (Mock) FT, No Comment

Ad from the mock Financial Times website, available here in downloadable pdf. Via

Steel City, Sure - But Still Sensitive

I learn from the FT that Britain - or at least Companies House - has a department of sensitive words. Crooked Timber has some fun suggesting potential work for a putative American equivalent. Certain words are seen as “sensitive” because they are thought to convey an impression of authority or trustworthiness and you need special permission to use them in a company name.

The indicative list of such words is more or less understandable - with one glaring exception:

"Sheffield - if you wish to use a name that includes the word 'Sheffield', we will need to establish details of the company's location and its business activities. We will also consult the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire."

Yorkshire folk - so sensitive they need protective legislation. Who would have guessed ?

1 min 56 seconds for all non-economists

In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

I nicked this from Alice, but it seems to be a Onion production.

A Bit Late In the Day

I know everyone else played with this slogan generator weeks ago, but it's taken me all this time to think of a joke...

42,698,030th

I'm the 42,698,030 richest person on earth! Discover how rich you are! >>

Via Stumbling

(But I don't quite believe it- I suspect it hasn't taken the recent fall in the value of the pound into account. I don't feel as if I'm any higher than the top 50,000,000th...)