macphysto

Beatles Here, There, and Everywhere: A Sprinkling of Copycat-Beatles Bands Live by The Merry-Go-Round Baby Blue by Badfinger Go All the Way by The Raspberries Between Us by The Rutles

. . . and look what happened to Martin Luther King, Jr. . . . and Mahatma Gandhi . . . and Jesus Christ, to list but a few promoters of nonviolence and peaceful protest. Of course, King's contemporary activist Malcolm X (who advocated self-defense "by whatever means necessary" and who called MLK a "chump") was also murdered. Assassination has the same outcome for radicals pacifist and militant. Far be it from me to diss pacifism and peace activism. But extreme threats call for extreme measures. If anyone reading this does not believe that America is currently in the throes of political, autocratic, nationalist, and totalitarian extremism . . . Well, whatever you're smoking, drinking, snorting, or popping, I hope that you have enough for everybody. I'm no fan of General George S. Patton. But in these extremist times, I think that attention must be paid, by doves, to his famous reminder to American troops: "I want you to remember that no b-a-s-t-a-r-d ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor, dumb b-a-s-t-a-r-d die for his country." By all means, give peace a chance. But there'll be a skyful of pork when marching alone . . . when sign-carrying alone . . . when editorializing alone . . . when petitioning alone . . . when preaching alone . . . when screaming "SHAME!" at a murderer alone . . . or all those nonviolent protests combined overcome and defeat tyranny. Suggested ReadingNonviolence and Black Self-Defense The Problem with Pacifism: How Pacifism Can Lead to Genocide and Why One Should Fight to Combat Evil

Ray Stevens is perhaps best known and remembered for silly novelty songs such as Ahab the Arab, Gitarzan, and The Streak, as well as the schmaltzy Everything is Beautiful. But, I shall forever revere him for his venomous attack on the corporate, capitalistic, button-down Establishment: Mr. Businessman. 'Tis a great pity (to me) that Stevens did not continue in this caustic vein.

I like my classical music Thunderous! Majestic! Grandiloquent! Epic! -- which perfectly describes Dance of the Knights by Sergei Prokofiev.

One of the great mysteries of the universe is why the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental was given to Jethro Tull. Whatever. By then JT had changed its tunes, which did not appeal to me. But twenty years prior, Tull frontman Ian Anderson composed and sang the tender, symphonic lullaby Reasons for Waiting, which immensely pleases my ear and also calms my soul.

For some inexplicable reason, Hugo Friedhofer's majestic main theme for The Best Years of Our Lives stirs my soul. My eyes always mist and my throat always develops a lump whenever I listen to it.

I have very few fond memories of my parents. One blessed memory is listening to their collection of Sérgio Mendes records, which instilled in me a lifelong love of Bossa Nova.

It's summer 1963. A Camelot Year. I am with my family watching a parade. Standing in front of the (long-gone) Plaza Theatre, I longingly gaze at the movie poster for The 30-Foot Bride of Candy Rock starring my favorite person in the whole wide world: Lou Costello. Somebody among the crowd of people has a transistor radio playing this song. And all is right with the world.

Two years ago I was introduced to tragic, ethereal singer Nick Drake by a fellow cinephile and movie lover in a cyberspace forum devoted to movies. The jaunty melody accompanying Drake's wistful rendition, for me, make One of These Things First sublime.

To date the only Top 40 hit about cannibalism, Timothy was composed by Rupert Holmes* and performed by "one hit wonders" The Buoys. Lead vocalist Bill Kelly laudably and dramatically enhanced Holmes' macabre lyrics with the appropriate tones of hysteria and melodrama. * Who later penned the (to me, odious) Escape (The Piña Colada Song) and (to me, more appealing) Him.

A triple shot of Missing Persons, erotically fronted by petite, pint-sized punk-pixie Dale Bozzio. Her voice was baby doll-squeaky, her skimpy couture was hot, and her Playboy allure was hotter. In the linked clips, she musically questions the purpose of existence, communication, and peregrinating on foot through The City of Angels. During the 1980s, provocative New Wave rock groups such as MP took the edge off of the depressing era of President Ronald Reagan. Destination Unknown Walking in L.A. Words

Nothing But a Heartache by The Flirtations. For all you youngsters out there who missed The Swinging Sixties, this is how girls dressed and walked back then -- in bell bottoms, in unison, finger-snappin', swayin' 'n a-sashayin', slippin' 'n a-slidin', movin' 'n a-groovin'.

From the Mystery to Me album by Fleetwood Mac (pre-Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks), the mystical and mesmeric, oneiric and oracular Hypnotized, composed by Bob Welch.

Overshadowed by the tragedy in Minneapolis and continued reporting on America's raid on Venezuela: the "death" of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. On January 5, the CPB board of directors voted to dissolve the 58-year-old nonprofit corporation. sic transit gloria Big BirdBoard vote dissolves defunded Corporation for Public Broadcasting The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 Do federal funding cuts spell the end for Big Bird and Cookie Monster? List of Public Broadcasting Systems Programs

Oh, I do indeed agree with Malcolm X. Power only understands, respects, and heeds power. The violent only understand, respect, and heed violence. My father would growl at my siblings and me when he got tired of hearing us crying, "Stop that crying or I'll give you something to cry about" (a horrible thing to say to a child . . . or anyone, for that matter). The current administration is always crying about the "radical left" and the threat that leftists are to America. To which I growl, "Stop that crying or we'll give you something to cry about!" Hit it, Panthers! Revolution has come Off the pigs! Time to pick up the gun Off the pigs!

I am more pessimistic than you are, BD. I don't think that, in this American era, shaming works. At all. After Renee Nicole Good was murdered by an ICE agent, one of her neighbors repeatedly screamed "SHAME!" at the agent. Today Vice-President JD Vance sternly lectured the press, ". . . Everybody who's been repeating the lie that this is some innocent woman who was out for a drive in Minneapolis when a law enforcement officer shot at her, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Every single one of you." Everybody's playing The Shame Game. De Republicans get shamed. De Democrats get shamed. De Right get shamed. De Left get shamed. De Media get shamed. All God's chillun get shamed. But, nobody is ever ashamed. . . . or when the revolution comes, citizens will arm themselves. Remember this couple?

When you're right, you're right. And you're right, BobDylan. To me, Professor Táíwò is naive to believe that saying "Shame!" to The Impenitent will cause them to see the error of their ways and stop their shameless behavior. During the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings, lawyer Joseph Welch disgraced Senator Joseph McCarthy when he famously asked the ruthless Communist-witch hunter, "Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?" Back then Welch's public shaming exposed McCarthy as the villain he was, destroyed his crusader image, made him a pariah among his colleagues in the Senate, and arguably ended McCarthyism*. Seventy-two years later, the spirit of Joseph Welch endures via "left-wing" media outlets such as MS NOW, The Nation, Pacifica Radio, and newBluePlanet. But 21st century GOP reincarnations of "Tail-Gunner Joe," to date, have proven themselves to be made of sterner stuff -- monsters with hearts of stone who are impermeable to criticism and censure . . . and shame. Alas, shame won't cut it in modern America. By my lights, stronger measures for defeating The Shameless are needed. Measures considerably stronger than "our side" (as you put it) dare advocate and support (Paging Luigi and Tyler!). I'm inclined to agree with you that boycotts -- financial boycotts -- would be the best stratagem to fight and cripple, if not defeat, autocrats and their acolytes and toadies. But, good luck with that. * With notable "assistance" from broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow.

This forum seems (to me) to be the most appropriate for the topic of shaming. In the December 28, 2025 broadcast of Philoso?hy Talk, the hosts and guest Philosophy Professor Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò debate shaming as an appropriate and effective tactic against the utterly shameless. Professor Táíwò is the author of How Can We Live Together? On the Philoso?hy Talk website, select the topic The Examined Year: 2025, then click the 16:04 mark on the progress bar. The duration of the debate is about 17 minutes, 33 seconds.

In a bullfight, I'm rooting for the bull. In a shark attack, I'm cheering on the shark. In a fox hunt, I'm pulling for the fox. And in an au naturel, truly fair "fight" between Man and a lion/tiger/elephant/buffalo/bear/alligator -- in which bare hands and teeth are pitted against fangs, tusks, horns, claws, jaws, maws, and paws -- my money will always be on the critter (and winner).

I speak only for myself and not for all vegetarians and vegans. So don't rethink how you will move forward with vegans whom you know because of my attitude, scarylibrarian. Well, I'm a reductive and overly simplistic kinda guy, BD. A carnivore's political affiliation and ideology are irrelevant and inconsequential to me. Humaneness is the paramount quality that I prize. Were He to "return," I'd shun Jesus Christ because of His singular loaves and fishes miracle. You and scarylibrarian are antiseptically discussing eating meat. I'm discussing eating animals -- to me, a significant and nonignorable distinction. Again, I'll cite the, for me, profound and epiphanous statement that was responsible for my conversion to vegetarianism: "I don't want to eat anything that has to die to satisfy my appetite." I'll refrain from posting a video clip of the 1949 French documentary Le Sang des bêtes (Blood of the Beasts) because I don't think that shocking people's sensibilities is a good and effective form of persuasion. If you are interested in watching it, you can find it on YouTube. Director Georges Franju thankfully shot his film in black and white and without sound. I will, however, puckishly invite you to imagine plunging one of your hands into a pot of boiling water the next time that you feel peckish for crab or lobster. Bon appétit, Madame et Monsieur Carnivore.

Greetings, ToledoMike, and thank you for joining the discussion! Greetings from The Extreme Zone. I am a vegetarian solely because I care about animals (saving the planet is "beyond my pay grade" and if I cared about my health, I wouldn't be wearing stretch pants). Now that I am retired and have more freedom to choose the people I dine with, I avoid dining with carnivores. Here comes the extreme part.For me, dining with a meat eater would be akin to me sharing a meal with a child molester, KKK member, Nazi, serial killer, MAGA zealot, or pickleball fanatic. At this stage in my life, there are some things that I absolutely will not compromise on and "let slide." Not watching someone chewing on animal flesh is one of them.

I don't know about B.D. and scarylibrarian. But in my case, Brother, you don't know the half of it. I'm glad that you acknowledged that sin, Cap'n. Let he who is without sin, and all that jazz. Now go stand in the corner and write (you write, not AI!) "I will not use AI." 100 times on the derrière of that obese busybody who got awl up in scarylibrarian's bidness.

Concerning how to influence more people to become vegetarians or vegans (and also save Planet Earth), here is some suggested reading: Conservative consumer disinterest in plant-based meat: A problem of message incongruence.

So, you're saying that there are no vegans and vegetarians among the working-class and the poor? Hmmm, you might be right, BD. In the modern vernacular, WORD! Man, when it comes to know-it-alls; influencers; self-appointed, so-called experts; and other nudnik buttinskies . . . I've had it up to here!