“Get Up” and vote. Absentee ballot. Early voting. Election Day. Just “Get Up” and vote. Immigration “policies,” Supreme Court appointees, exiting from multi-lateral agreements and treaties, Muslim bans, tariffs, mass shootings on schools and media outlets, partisan politics before principles, etc. – these are all part of isolationist nightmares, bad dreams that have become reality … Continue reading “Get Up” – And Vote! Playing R.E.M. At The Ballot Box
R.E.M.
Our “World Leader Pretend”
If one was to choose a song that played through unseen speakers when a self-important individual like Donald Trump walked into the room, “World Leader Pretend” would be hard to overlook. And it isn’t just because of the obvious parallels to the lyrics, but the fact that the first person point of view so brilliantly … Continue reading Our “World Leader Pretend”
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The Pilgrimage Of Douglas High School
The students at Douglas High School are on a pilgrimage. It has gained a lot of momentum. And as our country begins to see the younger generations start to assert their voices, many in Washington D.C. are having a hard time letting those new leaders “take a turn” at deciding what their country should be … Continue reading The Pilgrimage Of Douglas High School
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Only One Person is “Attractive Inside of This Moral Kiosk”
“It‘s so much more attractive inside the moral kiosk.” It is true that if your ego is both big and fragile enough that everything can be “so much more attractive inside the moral kiosk” especially if it is a kiosk of your own construction. Possibly one of the most underrated songs of R.E.M. is “Moral … Continue reading Only One Person is “Attractive Inside of This Moral Kiosk”
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“This Land is the Land of Ours” – R.E.M.’s “Cuyahoga” and Donald’s Xenophobia
“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” - Donald Trump, January 11, 2018. The current president’s words about immigrants from other countries comes two days after stripping protections for over 200,000 Salvadorians here in the states. His statement specifically alluded to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations, most of whom … Continue reading “This Land is the Land of Ours” – R.E.M.’s “Cuyahoga” and Donald’s Xenophobia
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“Calling Out In Transit” – Radio Free CDC
When R.E.M. first recorded “Radio Free Europe” it was hard to even comprehend what Michael Stipe was actually singing. Just listen to the “Hib-Tone” recording that opens the Eponymous album. According to Cary O’Dell’s essay that accompanies the song’s entrance into the Library of Congress, “Lead singer Michael Stipe later admitted that, for the Hib-Tone … Continue reading “Calling Out In Transit” – Radio Free CDC
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Philomath is Where Donald Needs To Go
“We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people. Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come.” – Donald Trump, Jan. 2017. Those words began the inaugural address of one Donald … Continue reading Philomath is Where Donald Needs To Go
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“Have You No Sense of Decency, Sir?” – Sen. Flake Invokes “Exhuming McCarthy”
There is no doubt that President Trump’s campaign rhetoric and initial actions in office had a most direct influence on the 2016 Dictionary.com “Word of the Year”: xenophobia. Xenophobia – noun: Fear or hatred of foreigners. In a nation that was built on immigration it seems interesting that 2016’s word of the year would be … Continue reading “Have You No Sense of Decency, Sir?” – Sen. Flake Invokes “Exhuming McCarthy”
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“Sweetness Follows” – Hopefully
Hopefully, sweetness will follow. All of the “little things” and the bigger events happening in the world today have cast a gloomy haze on our world. And the response by those who could affect change has added a bitterness to it all. Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Hurricane Irma in Florida. Hurricane Maria ripping Puerto Rico. … Continue reading “Sweetness Follows” – Hopefully
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“Everybody Hurts” – Prioritizing Mental Health In High Schools With Some R.E.M.
Everybody hurts. Sometimes. Teach for twenty years in public high schools and you become entrenched in the lives of young people. Thousands of them. Literally thousands. If you take the avocation of being a teacher seriously, then that investment in young people is not confined to the four walls of a classroom and not restricted … Continue reading “Everybody Hurts” – Prioritizing Mental Health In High Schools With Some R.E.M.
caffeinated rage 