Movie Night - ROLLER DERBY NIGHT DOUBLE FEATURE! Blood on the Flat Track & Hell on Wheels

Roller Derby fight from the 1950's
Photo from "The Selvedge Yard" blog

Tonight, the Soy City Rollers take on the Illinois Valley Vixens at the Decatur Civic Center.

In honor of that, I present two (count 'em two!) documentaries from 2007 dealing with the resurgence of this sport, made famous from the '50's to the '70's.

First up, Blood on the Flat Track: The Rise of the Rat City Rollergirls tells the story of a team from Seattle, Washington through their first two seasons and their fight to win the championship.

Next, Hell on Wheels details the rise of the team from Austin, Texas who almost single-handedly brought roller derby out of the dustbin and gave it a 21st century twist, despite the trials and tribulations of bringing back a sport from the brink of death.

I'll be at the Decatur Civic Center tonight, along with the Lady of the Manor and our friends Quietly Disgruntled and Rayne of Terror, so come on out and have some fun at the roller derby!  The doors open at 5PM with bouts at 6PM and 7:30PM.

Check 'em out!

Blood on the Flat Track (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)
Hell on Wheels (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)

Playlist for April 29th, 2011

If April showers bring May flowers, we (along with a huge chunk of the lower 48) will have flowers coming out our ears during the upcoming month.

In all seriousness, the massive rains we have been getting here on the prairie and elsewhere are causing all kinds of trouble along the rivers and streams and the towns that dot their shores. (Don't Forget Cairo!!!)

With spring "springing" all around, it seemed like a good time to pull out some tunes with flowers in the title.

Tulips, Hyacinths, Poppies, Begonias, Orchids, Hibiscus, Lillies, Daisies and a little less than a dozen Roses.



Enjoy!

April 28th is Worker's Memorial Day

Worker's Memorial Day poster
produced by the US Dept. of Labor
in 2010.

Today is Worker's Memorial Day.

Take the time to remember the battles men and women have fought for things such as....

...the eight hour workday...

...weekends...

...child labor laws...

...safety and health regulations...

It is because we didn't have these (and many other) laws in the past, that workers died in the course of their labor.

And remember to fight to keep worker safety and health (and other worker's rights) laws on the books against an onslaught by reactionary right wingers who would dismantle the safety net in order to benefit those in power.

That is the end of my soapboxing for the day.

Movie Night - Two Lane Blacktop

Made the same year as one of our previous films, Vanishing Point, this movie is a nice companion piece to that film in many ways.

Like Vanishing Point, the cinematography is stark and the script is minimal, with an undertone of existential angst.

Two Lane Blacktop deals with four people, the Driver (James Taylor), the Mechanic (Dennis Wilson), the Girl (Laurie Bird) and G. T. O. (Warren Oates) as they race cross-country, from Needles, California to Washington, D. C.

The Driver & the Mechanic are owners of a 1955 Chevy 150, souped up and primered.  

They make their living going from town to town in the U. S. desert Southwest, challenging locals to races they know they will win.

Along the way, the Girl joins them after getting bored with her surroundings.

As they race down old Route 66, they meet up with G. T. O., a mysterious character who tells multiple stories of how he got where he is today.

After seeing each other many times on the road, they meet up at a rural gas station and challenge each other to a race to Washington, D. C. "for pinks", or ownership of the others vehicle.

During the race, the group come together in many ways and unravel in many others.

A classic amongst lovers of old Route 66 and gearheads in general, this is a movie you should check out!  (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)

(another link regarding the cars and the making of the film can be found at the great blog "The Selvedge Yard")

Playlist for April 22nd, 2011

Today is Earth Day, a day set aside to remind us that, despite our efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle, there is always more we can do to help preserve and save our planet.

I don't wanna be preachy, but, seriously, this story and this story should make us take note of what is happening to all of our surroundings, many times without our knowledge or permission.

And these are just two recent stories...there are thousands more.

Take the initiative and do something to help your world and your environment.

Our playlist this week takes us through forests, over hills, alongside rivers and seaside.

There are even a couple of tunes that deal with the weather.

Do something meaningful this Earth Day!



Enjoy!

BONUS Playlist for April 20th, 2011

No commentary from me necessary on this one....

Playlist below this rundown of some facts from drugwarfacts.org-


• In 2009, approximately 17 million people or 7% of the population were considered current users by consuming marijuana least once per month.
⁃ (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2010)

• An estimated 758,593 people were arrested for marijuana possession (not trafficking or sales) in 2009. Arrests for marijuana possession have risen from about a third to about a half of all drug abuse violation arrests over the fifteen year 1995-2009 period.
⁃ (FBI Uniform Crime Reports 1970-2009)

• Findings do not support claims that criminalization reduces cannabis use and that decriminalization increases cannabis use.
⁃ (American Journal of Public Health, 2004)

• Despite a federal ban and criminal penalties that vary among the 50 states, 104 million Americans are estimated to have tried marijuana at least once according to 2009 data.
⁃ (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2010)

• Approximately $8.7 billion of savings would result from legalization of marijuana. Also, approximately $8.7 billion in revenue would result from legalization of marijuana.
⁃ (Cato Institute, 2010)

• Direct alcohol-related health care costs ($3,306.2 million in Canada) are over 45 times higher than the direct health care costs of cannabis ($73 million).
⁃ (Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, 2007)

• More than half (58 percent) of primary marijuana admissions were referred to treatment through the criminal justice system.
⁃ (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2005)

• There are no confirmed cases of human deaths from cannabis poisoning in the world medical literature.
⁃ (World Health Organization, 1998)

• In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. … it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.
⁃ (Administrative Law Judge Francis J. Young, In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition, 1988)

• [O]ur meta-analysis of [marijuana] studies that have attempted to address the question of longer term neurocognitive disturbance in moderate and heavy cannabis users has failed to demonstrate a substantial, systematic, and detrimental effect of cannabis use on neuropsychological performance.
⁃ (Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2003)

• We conclude that marijuana does not have a long-term negative impact on global intelligence.
⁃ (Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2002)

• This study does not therefore support the specific causal link between cannabis use and the incidence of psychotic disorders.  This concurs with other reports indicating that increases in population cannabis use have not been followed by increases in psychotic incidence.
⁃ (Schizophrenia Research, 2009)

• We found only limited evidence to support the claim that cannabis use increases accident risk. Participants who had driven under the influence of cannabis in the previous year appeared to be no more likely than drug-free drivers to report that they had had an accident in the previous 12 months.
⁃ (Crime and Justice Bulletin, 2005)

• Both Australian studies suggest cannabis may actually reduce the responsibility rate and lower crash risk. Put another way, cannabis consumption either increases driving ability or, more likely, drivers who use cannabis make adjustments in driving style to compensate for any loss of skill.
⁃ (Journal of Drug Issues, 2004)

• We found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung or UAT cancers.  Despite several lines of evidence suggesting the biological plausibility of marijuana use being carcinogenic, it is possible that marijuana use does not increase cancer risk
⁃ (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 2006)

• We found that moderate marijuana use was significantly associated with reduced risk of HNSCC [head and neck squamous cell carcinoma].  Further, we observed that marijuana use modified the interaction between alcohol and cigarette smoking, resulting in a decreased HNSCC risk among moderate smokers and light drinkers, and attenuated risk among the heaviest smokers and drinkers.
⁃ (Cancer Research Prevention, 2009)

• Evidence supporting causal linkages between stages, as specified by the gateway hypothesis, was not obtained. Nor were specific risk factors identified that were related to consumption of each drug.
⁃ (American Journal of Psychiatry, 2006)

• Data suggest(s) that rather than acting as a gateway to other drugs, …cannabis has been exerting a beneficial influence on most.
⁃ (Harm Reduction Journal, 2007)

Great Find - Record Store Day

So, since it's Record Store Day, the Lady of the Manor and I sauntered on down to the ol' Recycled Records to peruse the various music on vinyl, tape and CD.

Three hours and $50 later, I'm happy to report success.

First up, two discs of Professor Longhair.  "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" and "Blues Originals, Vol. 2 - Professor Longhair: New Orleans Piano" compile many of the piano greats recordings from the 40's and 50's, with little overlap on the discs.


"Blues Originals, Vol. 3 - Texas Guitar from Dallas to L.A." contains sides by T-Bone Walker, Guitar Slim and Al King.

Next, a 2-disc set of interviews conducted by the late, great Studs Terkel for the book "Hard Times"






Lastly, another 2-disc set, this time of Alan Lomax's Louisiana Recordings from 1934.






Remember, you can make every day a Record Store Day.  Patronize your local record store (if you still have one in your town, city or municipality) where you'll get to hang around other music weirdos and maybe discover new tunes.

Playlist for April 15th, 2011

I'm the kinda guy who doesn't mind paying my taxes.

I might have issues with getting them in on time (due to general laziness and procrastination), but the whole exercise doesn't bother me, as it does with many other people.

The way I look at it, if you like roads, schools, first responders (police, fire, ambulance), hospitals and general peace in society, you shouldn't mind paying taxes.

Now, this is not to say that I like everything my tax money helps pay for.

For example, I don't like that my taxes help pay for tax breaks for corporations and the disgustingly wealthy.  (I do have problems with greed)

Anyway....

Since it's Tax Day, here's a playlist about taxes & money.



Enjoy!

Movie Night - The Commitments

Self-proclaimed music businessman, Jimmy Rabbitte decides that what Dublin, Ireland needs is a good soul band.

After putting an ad in the paper and holding tryouts in his parents living room, Jimmy cobbles together a group of talented, yet rough around the edges musicians who begin to come together.

After a few gigs (which prove their talent), the band begins to have tensions amongst the members, thanks to egos and success.

With soul classics such as "Try A Little Tenderness", "Mustang Sally", "Chain of Fools" and "Midnight Hour", the band is tight, the music is good and vibe is soulful.

This movie will make you wanna start a band.

Go out and do it!

And, in between practices, you should...

...check it out!!! (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)

Playlist for April 8th, 2011

Music makes people happy!

No theme this week.

It's been a long work week and I just wanna rock.

This week's list contains some greasy and sleazy garage, r 'n' b and rockabilly.

Old stuff and some new(er) stuff here, so, click play and crank it up.




Enjoy!