From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V12 #73 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Wednesday, February 26 2003 Volume 12 : Number 073 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Protest songs (as the country drifts slowly to war) ["Rex.Broome" ] Masters of War etc. ["Rex.Broome" ] Re: Replies to Edward, Jeffrey [Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey ] RE: Sublime/Ridiculous ["Timothy Reed" ] Re: Sublime/Ridiculous [Tom Clark ] Re: Sublime/Ridiculous [The Great Quail ] Girls go crazy for a sharp dressed Ubermensch [The Great Quail ] Re: protest songs RH content ["ross taylor" ] Re: Sublime/Ridiculous ["Maximilian Lang" ] Re: 03-03-03 ["Maximilian Lang" ] RE: Girls go crazy for a sharp dressed Ubermensch ["Timothy Reed" ] Re: Impending REAP [Steve Talkowski ] Re: Impending REAP ["Maximilian Lang" ] RE: Impending REAP ["Jason Brown \(Echo Services Inc\)" ] Re: Dennis Miller [Tom Clark ] Re: Dennis Miller ["Maximilian Lang" ] Re: Masters of War/Neighborhood Bully [Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Protest songs (as the country drifts slowly to war) I've gotta go for "Draft Morning" by the Byrds. Just really beautiful. "President Kill Again" is one of my least favorite songs on that record (sorry Jason), possibly because it suffers from that sort of "it's a song about the military so we have to have martial drums on there" syndrome. That said, the Byrds tune I just mentioned does have actual battlefield sound effects and ends with no less than a musical quote of "Taps" (!!!), so there's me being inconsistent again. (I would argue that the sound effects are unusually well integrated in "Draft Morning", especially the bugle which sounds like it could either have been recorded as part of the track *or* lifted from the effects reel, sampled as it were, but I love even the goofy parts of "Notorious Byrd Brothers, so just ignore me on that count.) "Combat Rock" from the recent Sleater-Kinney is one of the few songs yet to address the current situation, or at least the current administration and the War on Terra. Dig into your Phil Ochs and Billy Bragg, too, for some literate stuff. There's a tune on "Don't Try This at Home", I think it's called "Rumours of War", which is truly chilling and runs very true to my recently expressed resignation. Not a protest song necessarily, but a sort of exhausted cri de coeur, if you will. I'm sure I'll think of more good ones, but the real challenge would be to find the very worst protest song of all time. GO! - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 12:41:49 -0800 From: Barbara Soutar Subject: Re: Sublime/Ridiculous Dear Quail, I am truly upset by your examples of torture inflicted on Iraqui women. I'd heard some of those stories, but it goes way beyond what I imagined, if it's all true. I still believe that it can't be fixed by more violence. And though I oppose you, I think you show a kind and good heart. I still believe that women are much more attached to the idea of nurturing life than destroying it. We really hate to think of our precious children as cannon-fodder. And (to all) speaking of biology, what is the rationale behind sending the best and brightest out to get killed in war? Doesn't this deliberately destroy nature's "survival of the fittest" strategy? I sometimes wonder if today's world would be improved if millions of young and healthy men hadn't been wiped out in the first two World Wars. sadly, Barbara Soutar Victoria, British Columbia ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 15:52:58 -0500 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: Masters of War etc. Kenneth... if you're looking for a version of "Masters of War" other than Dylan's, an interesting obscurity is the version released on a 45 by the leader of Mudhoney as "The Freewheelin' Mark Arm"... worth the price of admission for the sleeve parody of the Dylan album cover *and* the essential b-side "My Life with Rickets". I gots a digitized version if you wanna. Oh, and another relevant, alternative-viewpoint song to consider would be Steve Earle's "John Walker Blues". It was talked up in the media ad nauseum, and isn't necessarily "great", but for all the talk I never heard anyone actually *play* the damn thing on the radio. Must be that national balls shortage. Another chiller: "Reuters" by Wire. Dire indeed. Oh yeah, and... "Hey War Pig" by one Mr. K. Rew. Rex "Up Against the Wall Motherfucker" Broome PS This exercise is making me feel MUCH better. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 14:52:31 -0600 (CST) From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: Replies to Edward, Jeffrey On Wed, 26 Feb 2003, The Great Quail wrote: > Jeffrey writes, > > > Oh really? Which Imperial trappings are you comfortable with? Uh...actually I didn't write that, nor any of the things in this post that follow. I agree with some of it, but not all of it, and I would have put it differently. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 16:00:58 -0500 From: "Timothy Reed" Subject: RE: Sublime/Ridiculous > I sometimes wonder if today's world > would be improved if millions of young and healthy men hadn't > been wiped out in the first two World Wars. We'd certainly be sharper dressers. Those Nazis sure had cool uniforms. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 13:07:52 -0800 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Sublime/Ridiculous on 2/26/03 12:41 PM, Barbara Soutar at bsoutar@horizon.bc.ca wrote: > And (to all) speaking of biology, what is the rationale behind sending > the best and brightest out to get killed in war? I'd hardly call the majority of the US's foot soldiers "the best and brightest." Mostly they are folks from the lower end of the socio-economic ladder who would be hard pressed to "succeed" on the streets. In times of peace the military is a great opportunity for them to get the higher education and job skills that they would've had a hard time getting in the "real world." In times of war, though, they are the cannon fodder for Generals and Majors (ob. XTC reference), who really are the best and brightest at what they do - but stand little chance of getting killed. "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 16:10:55 -0500 From: The Great Quail Subject: Re: Sublime/Ridiculous Barbara writes, > I am truly upset by your examples of torture inflicted on Iraqui women. It's actually *worse* for the men in terms of sheer numbers, imprisonment, and torture. > I'd heard some of those stories, but it goes way beyond what I imagined, > if it's all true. The examples I took come from both the testimony of Iraqi exiles and Amnesty International. > I still believe that it can't be fixed by more > violence. I understand that you think this, and I think that stopping the brutal men of this regime *requires* violence. >And though I oppose you, I think you show a kind and good > heart. I still believe that women are much more attached to the idea of > nurturing life than destroying it. We really hate to think of our > precious children as cannon-fodder. I agree with you, in general. Nevertheless, I invite you to read this testimonial, by an Iraqi woman: http://www.tnr.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20030210&s=alsuwaij021003 > And (to all) speaking of biology, what is the rationale behind sending > the best and brightest out to get killed in war? What? Generally speaking, the average soldier is usually less educated than the non-combatant. Not to mention usually not from a wealthy family, with all the nuances of class and privilege this entails. > Doesn't this > deliberately destroy nature's "survival of the fittest" strategy? Depends on who wins, doesn't it? > sometimes wonder if today's world would be improved if millions of young > and healthy men hadn't been wiped out in the first two World Wars. A very good point. Especially when you factor in the millions and millions of people murdered by the Nazi regime, the Stalinist purges, and the Maoist cultural revolution. - --Q ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 16:13:23 -0500 From: The Great Quail Subject: Girls go crazy for a sharp dressed Ubermensch Tim writes, > We'd certainly be sharper dressers. Those Nazis sure had cool uniforms. Man, you fucking know it! They had the coolest sense of style. The bad guys always do -- even in Star Wars. - --Quail ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 11:53:52 +1300 From: grutness@surf4nix.com (James Dignan) Subject: just a minuscule problem >> paul simon looked like death. does he hate art that much? > >Mind you, when I read this, my first thought was of Paul Simon launching >into a strange diatribe about how painting lead to sterility, blindness, and >lunacy. Or about Picasso, Titian, and Van Gogh contributing to moral decay >and directly causing World War II. me too. That's what you get for not using capital letters. James James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand. =-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= .-=-.-=-.-=-.- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-. -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= You talk to me as if from a distance =-.-=-. And I reply with impressions chosen from another time -=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- (Brian Eno - "By this River") ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 11:54:42 +1300 From: grutness@surf4nix.com (James Dignan) Subject: Re: anti-war songs >does anyone have a favorite(s) anti-war song? I am compiling a list for a >possible cd project. How about these (off the top of my head): Robyn Hitchcock "A filthy bird is a happy bird" John Lennon "Give peace a chance" and "Happy Christmas (War is over)" XTC "Here Comes President Kill Again" and "War dance" - also possibly "Beating of hearts" Billy Bragg "Rumours of war" and "Island of no return" - also possibly "Northern industrial town" Donovan "Universal soldier" Bob Dylan "Blowing in the wind" most importantly, though: Eric Bogle "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" and "Green fields of France". The Pogues do a great rendition of the former. These last two are perhaps two of the best anti-war songs ever written THE GREEN FIELDS OF FRANCE (Eric Bogle) Well, how do you do, Private William McBride? Do you mind if I sit down here by your graveside? And rest for awhile in the warm summer sun, I've been walking all day, and I'm nearly done. And I see by your gravestone you were only 19 When you joined the dead heroes in 1915. Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean Or Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene? Did they beat the drum slowly, did they sound the pipes lowly? Did the rifles fire o'er you as they lowered you down? Did the bugles sing Last Post in chorus? Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest? And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind? In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined? And, though you died back in 1915, In that faithful heart are you forever 19? Or are you a stranger without even a name, Forever enshrined behind some glass pane, In an old photograph, torn and tattered and stained, And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame? Did they beat the drum slowly, did they sound the pipes lowly? Did the rifles fire o'er you as they lowered you down? Did the bugles sing Last Post in chorus? Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest? The sun's shining down on these green fields of France; The warm wind blows gently, and the red poppies dance. The trenches have long vanished under the plough; There's no gas and no barbed wire, no guns firing now. But here in this graveyard it is still No Man's Land. The countless white crosses in mute witness stand To man's blind indifference to his fellow man, And a whole generation who were butchered and damned. Did they beat the drum slowly, did they sound the pipes lowly? Did the rifles fire o'er you as they lowered you down? Did the bugles sing Last Post in chorus? Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest? And I can't help but wonder, now, Willie McBride, Do all those who lie here know why they died? Did you really believe them when they told you the cause? Did you really believe that this war would end wars? For the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame, The killing, the dying, it was all done in vain, For Willie McBride, it all happened again, And again, and again, and again, and again. Did they beat the drum slowly, did they sound the pipes lowly? Did the rifles fire o'er you as they lowered you down? Did the bugles sing Last Post in chorus? Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest? James James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand. =-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= .-=-.-=-.-=-.- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-. -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= You talk to me as if from a distance =-.-=-. And I reply with impressions chosen from another time -=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- (Brian Eno - "By this River") ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 23:55:31 +0100 From: Sebastian Hagedorn Subject: Re: Girls go crazy for a sharp dressed Ubermensch - -- The Great Quail is rumored to have mumbled on Mittwoch, 26. Februar 2003 16:13 Uhr -0500 regarding Girls go crazy for a sharp dressed Ubermensch: >> We'd certainly be sharper dressers. Those Nazis sure had cool uniforms. > > Man, you fucking know it! They had the coolest sense of style. The bad > guys always do -- even in Star Wars. Hmm, seems like I'm missing something. I can sort of see what you mean with respect to the greyish SS uniforms, but aren't those shit-brown things the other nazis such as A.H. himself wore ugly like hell??? - -- Sebastian Hagedorn Ehrenfeldg|rtel 156, 50823 Kvln, Germany http://www.spinfo.uni-koeln.de/~hgd/ "Being just contaminates the void" - Robyn Hitchcock ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 17:55:47 -0500 From: "Maximilian Lang" Subject: Dennis Miller What happened to Dennis Miller? When did he become this rah rah republican war monger? Okay, I admit I am dead set against this war BUT I can see other people's points of view as being nearly reasonable but this guy is off the charts. Okay Dennis, war is where your neighbors son comes home in a bag, if your lucky they find all the parts(and they all belong to him). He acts like it's just the greatest thing in the world, a big fucking joke. Didn't he establish his career on being cynical and questioning the government or was I not listening close enough? He is just way too eager, I think even if one supports a military action they have to face it as a devastating and sobering event not some varsity sporting event. I used to be a fan of his, now I am glad his show was canceled, he repulses me. Max _________________________________________________________________ Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:14:20 -0500 From: "ross taylor" Subject: Re: protest songs RH content I'm on the digest, so some of these are probably repeats, but-- Johnny Lennon-- "Give Peace a Chance" Really a pretty good song, verses "intellectual sounding" nonsense & the chorus cuts thru the bullshit. Only problem is, since people like to sing it together, that the deliberately, ironically obscure verses are, naturally, hard to remember. So you end up w/ one person who either knows or can make up verse lyrics, then everyone joins the chorus. Which creates hierarchy. :( Byrds-- "I Come and Stand at Every Door" About nukes but peace too. Lyrics by Nazim Hikmet, a Turk, appropriately enough. Also, "Well Come Back Home," really a better song, antiwar but sympathising w/ vets. Grateful Dead-- "Throwing Stones" (Glad you're back, you-know-who). Nukes, but also good about spreading the blame around for keeping violence going. Robyn Hitchcock-- "If You Know Time" Most of the verses are arguably about Death, but I think it builds up to the anti-war statement of the last verse or so. Death is inside all of us, and his absoluteness is linked to our most unbending harsh impulses. (Time=death for humans) The last few verses give two ways of dealing with time: love ("I can see your face again") and war ("you'll never make them love you") with the suggestion that the latter is a historical addiction. And next, I type out the lyrics. So this makes a bit more sense. But I have to go home to do that. So I'm appending an old poem by Wilfred Owen. (Don't get me started on all these "Poets Against the War" readings. I've participated in one & it's perfectly nice, but pointless. "Mayflies Against the War!" Stamping their tiny little feet in anger ...) Ross Taylor Dulce Et Decorum Est Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned out backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of gas-shells dropping softly behind. Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!--An ecstasy of fumbling Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time, But someone still was yelling out and stumbling And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime.-- Dim through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams before my helpless sight He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin, If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs Bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-- My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. -- Wilfred Owen Need a new email address that people can remember Check out the new EudoraMail at http://www.eudoramail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:17:33 -0500 From: "Maximilian Lang" Subject: Re: Sublime/Ridiculous > > sometimes wonder if today's world would be improved if millions of young > > and healthy men hadn't been wiped out in the first two World Wars. >A very good point. Especially when you factor in the millions and millions >of people murdered by the Nazi regime, the Stalinist purges, and the Maoist >cultural revolution. Well, it would be a little more Jewish, that's for certain. Other than that I really don't know. Max _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:30:12 -0500 From: "Maximilian Lang" Subject: Re: 03-03-03 The Nupp: >So, our man Robyn will be 50 in less than a week! I liked what Robyn said >when he turned 40. Something like: "I feel forunate to have made it so >far." > >Do we have anyone recording the birthday show? I'm sure someone must be! I hope so, this would make a great tree. This group really could use a tree and with "special guests" I would think it is going to be worthy of it. Max _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:45:42 -0500 From: "Timothy Reed" Subject: RE: Girls go crazy for a sharp dressed Ubermensch Whether lounging by the pool, communicating coded messages to round up more Poles, or just sitting around the bunker sipping tea, that big ass hat displayed a natty stylishness that made even earth-tones seem like the height of fashion. Here are some examples: http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8514/uniforms.html Even the waiters dressed well. Talk about your whiff of Imperialism - these guys reeked of it. Tim > -- The Great Quail is rumored to have > mumbled on > Mittwoch, 26. Februar 2003 16:13 Uhr -0500 regarding Girls go > crazy for a > sharp dressed Ubermensch: > > >> We'd certainly be sharper dressers. Those Nazis sure had cool > >> uniforms. > > > > Man, you fucking know it! They had the coolest sense of > style. The bad > > guys always do -- even in Star Wars. > > Hmm, seems like I'm missing something. I can sort of see what > you mean with > respect to the greyish SS uniforms, but aren't those > shit-brown things the > other nazis such as A.H. himself wore ugly like hell??? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:47:55 -0500 From: "Maximilian Lang" Subject: Impending REAP Buffy The Vampire Slayer. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-02-26-buffy-over_x.htm _________________________________________________________________ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:56:58 -0500 From: Steve Talkowski Subject: Re: Impending REAP On Wednesday, February 26, 2003, at 06:47 PM, Maximilian Lang wrote: > Buffy The Vampire Slayer. A series I've never seen. Is it worth the hype? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 19:05:36 -0500 From: "Maximilian Lang" Subject: Re: Impending REAP >From: Steve Talkowski >Reply-To: Steve Talkowski >To: fegmaniax@smoe.org >Subject: Re: Impending REAP >Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:56:58 -0500 > >On Wednesday, February 26, 2003, at 06:47 PM, Maximilian Lang wrote: > >>Buffy The Vampire Slayer. > >A series I've never seen. Is it worth the hype? Don't ask me, I'm just a REAP monger. Max _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 16:13:52 -0800 From: "Jason Brown \(Echo Services Inc\)" Subject: RE: Impending REAP Steve T: > > Buffy The Vampire Slayer. > > A series I've never seen. Is it worth the hype? Yeah definitely it's a great show! This season hasn't been that great though. I'd highly recommend checking out the reruns of FX of the the first 3 seasons on DVD if you think it would be your cup of tea. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 19:21:06 -0500 From: "FS Thomas" Subject: RE: Dennis Miller - -----Original Message----- > What happened to Dennis Miller? When did he > become this rah rah republican war monger? In the last season of his show (and perhaps a bit before) he began teetering to the right. Now he's apparently in a full-tilt. He's not in the lime light as much as he once was, which I find a shame. He's still just as cynical from what I can tell; he's just a cynical right-leaning/republican-leaning/isolationist-type now. - -f. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 16:43:53 -0800 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Dennis Miller on 2/26/03 2:55 PM, Maximilian Lang at maximlang@hotmail.com wrote: > What happened to Dennis Miller? When did he become this rah rah republican > war monger? Okay, I admit I am dead set against this war BUT I can see > other people's points of view as being nearly reasonable but this guy is off > the charts. Okay Dennis, war is where your neighbors son comes home in a > bag, if your lucky they find all the parts(and they all belong to him). He > acts like it's just the greatest thing in the world, a big fucking joke. > Didn't he establish his career on being cynical and questioning the > government or was I not listening close enough? He is just way too eager, > I think even if one supports a military action they have to face it as a > devastating and sobering event not some varsity sporting event. I used to > be a fan of his, now I am glad his show was canceled, he repulses me. > I never saw him as either Dem. or Rep., I think he's more of a Libertarian, actually. I know he was on some talk show last night which I didn't see, so I suppose you're referring to something he must have said there. On a related note, anybody see Bill Maher's HBO show? It's gonna take a few more samples before I'll know how I feel about it. Never really cared for him as a comic in the first place. - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 20:22:33 -0500 From: "Maximilian Lang" Subject: Re: Dennis Miller >From: Tom Clark >>I never saw him as either Dem. or Rep., I think he's more of a >>Libertarian, >actually. I know he was on some talk show last night which I didn't see, >so >I suppose you're referring to something he must have said there. Well, it was triggered by his Tonight Show appearance last night. It was the second one in about a month or so. He only talks about kickin' ass in Iraq and what a great job Bush is doing in office. Last night he spent half the time on a mean spirited lot of French slamming. I mean hey, nobody likes a French joke as much as me but it was just such propaganda, like it was written by the Bush speech writers. I mean he can like whoever and whatever he wants, he's lost me though. I have better things to laugh about than our rushing off to war and how rosy the world will be, go team! >On a related note, anybody see Bill Maher's HBO show? It's gonna take a >few >more samples before I'll know how I feel about it. Never really cared for >him as a comic in the first place. I like him as a show host and not as a standup. I like the fact that he's someone who will ask questions about just about anything people believe. Even when he believes in something or does not he provides a forum for an opposing view. I will, as a fan of his point out that I don't think he always believes what he says, sometimes only saying things to be outrageous and shocking. I do miss that 12:05 daily timeslot though. Max _________________________________________________________________ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 19:59:50 -0600 From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: Masters of War/Neighborhood Bully Quoting The Great Quail : > gutsy move. But Dylan being Dylan, he also then played "Neighborhood > Bully" > that same year at a benefit concert for some peaceful cause, I don't > recall. > While I cannot say I support all of the pro-Israel sentiments expressed > in > the song, it is notable that it came from the same pen of the author of > "Masters of War." Hell, I thought the song was about the Palestinians... ;) Really, though, "he's got no allies to speak of" - about Israel!? > NEIGHBORHOOD BULLY > > Well, the neighborhood bully, he's just one man, > His enemies say he's on their land. > They got him outnumbered about a million to one, > He got no place to escape to, no place to run. > He's the neighborhood bully. > > The neighborhood bully just lives to survive, > He's criticized and condemned for being alive. > He's not supposed to fight back, he's supposed to have thick skin, > He's supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in. > He's the neighborhood bully. > > The neighborhood bully been driven out of every land, > He's wandered the earth an exiled man. > Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn, > He's always on trial for just being born. > He's the neighborhood bully. > > Well, he knocked out a lynch mob, he was criticized, > Old women condemned him, said he should apologize. > Then he destroyed a bomb factory, nobody was glad. > The bombs were meant for him. > He was supposed to feel bad. > He's the neighborhood bully. > > Well, the chances are against it and the odds are slim > That he'll live by the rules that the world makes for him, > 'Cause there's a noose at his neck and a gun at his back > And a license to kill him is given out to every maniac. > He's the neighborhood bully. > > He got no allies to really speak of. > What he gets he must pay for, he don't get it out of love. > He buys obsolete weapons and he won't be denied > But no one sends flesh and blood to fight by his side. > He's the neighborhood bully. > > Well, he's surrounded by pacifists who all want peace, > They pray for it nightly that the bloodshed must cease. > Now, they wouldn't hurt a fly. > To hurt one they would weep. > They lay and they wait for this bully to fall asleep. > He's the neighborhood bully. > > Every empire that's enslaved him is gone, > Egypt and Rome, even the great Babylon. > He's made a garden of paradise in the desert sand, > In bed with nobody, under no one's command. > He's the neighborhood bully. > > Now his holiest books have been trampled upon, > No contract he signed was worth what it was written on. > He took the crumbs of the world and he turned it into wealth, > Took sickness and disease and he turned it into health. > He's the neighborhood bully. > > What's anybody indebted to him for? > Nothin', they say. > He just likes to cause war. > Pride and prejudice and superstition indeed, > They wait for this bully like a dog waits to feed. > He's the neighborhood bully. > > What has he done to wear so many scars? > Does he change the course of rivers? > Does he pollute the moon and stars? > Neighborhood bully, standing on the hill, > Running out the clock, time standing still, > Neighborhood bully. > ..Jeff J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society www.uwm.edu/~jenor/ADS.html :: This album is dedicated to anyone who started out as an animal and :: winds up as a processing unit. :: --Soft Boys, note, _Can of Bees_ ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V12 #73 *******************************