Music

I decided I couldn't hold out any longer, so I bought some CDs I've been wanting for a while:

• Jean Ritchie And Doc Watson Live At Folk City, Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson (It has this great song, "What'll I Do With The Baby-O?" that I heard on NPR once)
• Sketches of My Culture, Cornel West (Aaaargh. I tried to resist, and for a long time I did. But I'm just too curious.)
• Ballads from Her Appalachian Family Tradition, Jean Ritchie
• Mountain Hearth & Home, Jean Ritchie
• Nouvelle Vague, Nouvelle Vague (on Collin's recommendation)
• Rock Swings, Paul Anka (that Washington Post review totally made me want it)
• Has Been, William Shatner (on Harrison's recommendation)

I really, really want to own Kiss' Smashes, Thrashes, and Hits on CD. I've wanted it for some time. Why don't I just go to Cheapo discs and pick it up? I'm sure they have a used copy.

What's your favorite Kiss song, and why? Ironic or genuine appreciation is fine.

May 1. Looking outside my window, and it's snowing -- like, almost blizzardly. According to my forecast-hookup-thingie in Firefox, 44 degrees and snow showers. Sigh.

As I did a little cat-sitting last night (and let me tell you, somebody was wallowing in affection), I pilfered through Amy's CDs and borrowed Sonic Youth's 1992 album Dirty. I've been listening to it ever since, remembering how many times I listened to the whole thing, over and over, when it came out. Listen to "100%" and "Youth Against Fascism" and appreciate how much they ROCK.

But if you don't have the album, go to Jeff's blog and listen to the song he links to. Hilarious!

Read Jodi Egerton's birth story. So beautiful and touching. [UPDATE: Or just go to her main page and scroll down to "Birthing Arden." I don't know why the permalinks aren't working.]

Soon it might be legal to hunt cats in Wisconsin, as it's apparently been in Minnesota for "decades." (Via Mike.)

The morning-after pill will soon be available over the counter in Canada.

I'm thinking about getting this program Jeff recommends. [UPDATE: I realized I can download it free of charge, so I did, and I played around with it. I love it!]

Eugene Volokh discusses quotation marks used with other punctuation. No response yet from Ben Wolfson.

Don't miss Media Girl's Earth Day post.

You might notice that I've added my OCB buddy Rachel Raimist's blog to my blogroll. Definitely check it out. I think it would be a great addition to the blogroll at Blackfeminism.org; I point that out because Tiffany was asking for suggestions of good blogs to add not too long ago.

Songs I've had in my head recurringly throughout the day: "Red Skies" by The Fixx -- better than "One Thing Leads to Another," I guess -- and "Mediate" by INXS.

Weird dream last night. In the dream, I was working at a liberal (progressive? Lefty? What are we calling it these days?) think tank. I decided to get a big group of all kinds of people in a room for a public policy brainstorm, and invited homeless people, children, teenagers, mothers, transmen, etc. etc. And Ludacris. I prepared a list of discussion questions, such as, "What obligation, if any, do the rich have to the poor?" But some internet-meme type questions crept in there somewhere, including "If you were a crayon, what color would you be?" and "What kind of kite do you prefer: box or diamond?" Well, the discussion group was ultimately unproductive, with angry debates over the difference between burnt umber and burnt sienna. My alarm went off in the middle of an impassioned impromptu address to the group by Ludacris, who insisted that sure, people can give their money away if they want, but the rich don't owe the poor ANYTHING.

I would like to be rockin' out to L7's "Pretend We're Dead" right now, only I don't have it. If one of you has it, would you mind sending it? It worked for Meg Hourihan (yeah, I remember the most random things); maybe it will work for me as well.

UPDATE: Got it now. Thanks be to the benefactor.

Jenny needs some feminist tunes for a class tomorrow. This was the best I could do in a pinch...interpret these loosely.

Ani DiFranco, Not a Pretty Girl

Barbra Streisand, On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever) (this live version especially. It's great.)

Joni Mitchell, You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio

Dolly Parton, 9 to 5

Joni Mitchell, Woman of Heart and Mind

Aretha Franklin, A Deeper Love

Luscious Jackson, Energy Sucker

Aretha Franklin, Respect

And just for fun: Sandra Bernhard, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover

Songs I wish I had that I'd put on this list: Video by India Arie and Unpretty by TLC.

I hope this helps, Jenny!

UPDATE: How could I forget Are My Hands Clean? by Sweet Honey in the Rock?

1. Lucinda Williams, "Sharp Cutting Wings (Song for a Poet)"
2. Bjork, "Human Behavior"
3. ZZ Top, "TV Dinners"
4. DJ Quik, "Tonite"
5. Randy Travis, "On the Other Hand"
6. LL Cool J, "Mama Said Knock You Out"
7. Esquivel, "I Love Paris"
8. UMass Front Percussion Ensemble, "Paranoid Android"
9. Lil' Kim feat. Lil' Ceaz, "Crush on You"
10. Bonnie Tyler, "Making Love (Out of Nothing at All)"