I knew you were here, Kick. :)

We can sense each other, am I right? :)

I was listening contentedly while remaining silent... recovering from second COVID vaccine.

Presented to ER with every side effect they warn you about plus a few I hadn't heard. Diagnosis: Hell of an immune response.

I am Teflon now. ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL8G5pBZ5CI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGAV8wvYdVI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V3IezcuJ-

And, I'm officially done for the night. Until next Sunday, stay safe, everyone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqnw5IfbZOU&list=RD2DVt8K8d4ac&index=26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2Y4isl9dyg&list=RD2DVt8K8d4ac&index=24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DVt8K8d4ac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yahBtp_1jWE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm51ihfi1p4

Enjoy the Beastie Boys ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk

That would be great! Better than a time-limited edit function, even ... you know, for those of us who don't use the preview function enough. :)

I'm sure Chris will love adding it to his 'to do' list. Heh. G'night ...

He was PRiSM's original drummer, before Rocket Norton, and the other half of the phenomenal songwriting duo with Bryan Adams. Jim has also written or co-written many other songs that everyone would recognize like Aerosmith's Rag Doll, Bryan Adams' Kids Wanna Rock among many, many others. Which I will highlight along the way, on future Sunday nights.

He wrote Spaceship Superstar, It's Over, Take Me To The Kaptin and this one, a favourite PRiSM tune, Vladivostok ... you must turn this one up very, very loud!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87g5Rckyruk

Thanks for a delightful evening, Elizabeth. "I hope it was good for you, too," said the guy.

Speaking of guysville, here's a G'Nite song from Liz Phair's album Exile in Guysville, a sensitive ballad of unrequited love called, um, Fuck and Run (3:08)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSyYqD9v_wo

I live and breathe politics and it's not easy to let it go come Sunday nights. As you know, ahem.

But this is not only fun. It's not only a trip down memory lane. It's therapeutic for me. I'm sure that somewhere along the line I've said how I feel that Weigantia is kind of a family to me, especially because Covid. So I'm having a good time with Miss Canadia -- woot!

BTW I'm going to find out from my computer genius BFF just how hard it would be to construct our automatic Sunday Night Mixtape, including the links.

You keep that up, Girlfriend, and I might have to excuse myself to go, er, handle something.

I have ELP's debut ... on a cd, though ... just bought it recently, during the first lockdown of the Pandemic.

Um, what are you wearing? (wink)

The roots of PRiSM go back to Stanley Screamer, the great Vancouver band, Seeds of Time and, most importantly, a Vancouver band called Sunshyne. More about all of that another time.

But, here's another track off that wonderful debut album from 1977 - it's the first climate apocalypse tune, Take Me To The Kaptin ... a band well ahead of their time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv24gN27kRM

Both my folks were really into Classical music, and my Dad who was a semi-pro Tenor (aka "God's gift to humanity.")

I remember Saturday nights when I was a kid, my Daddy banging out the accompanying piano as he rehearsed for a couple of church gigs the next morning.

Oddly enough, although my Ma was one of those Classical music snobs my Dad tured me and my brothers on to Simon & Garfunkel, Chicago, Frank Zappa, Yes and ELP.

Oh, here it is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSAa5K3uL2M

Meanwhile, how about a little Radar Love? Golden Earring (5:04)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g1231eTbpM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGLy-6B9h7Y&fbclid=IwAR3ZTAXl3hHYuWS0G8lhge3qcJdTUvndaMKLudbFlkzCsz00ywRXP-SNPM0&app=desktop

Here's some 'Murican rock from Ram Jam, namely Black Betty (2:24)

It's Hot Girls In Love by Loverboy ...

Dance around the living room!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW22JDVEejk

Hey, that reminds me ... we need a CW Sunday Night Music Festival and Dance Party PLAYLIST!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSXXCF-lTio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsgBpsNPQ50

[63]

I really liked the music video that went with "Roxy Roller." More, please.

But, to get back to Vancouver, where it all started to happen for Loverboy. And, of course, there are a couple or three PRiSM connections ... here's my fave, Turn Me Loose!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnHm4ro_l8s

Here's the first Hip-hop song I ever heard, and it's "white rap" to boot!

One Night in Bangkok Murray Head (3:56)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLhpXUtxS1c&list=RDHPE9a_epmWw&index=2

Love, love, love Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride - a great Canadian band!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPE9a_epmWw&list=RDHPE9a_epmWw&start_radio=1&t=118

I Just Want to Celebrate, Rare Earth (3:37)

From the Summer of Love I give you Ball of Confusion, Temptations (4:01)

And here's Lil' Troy's
Wanna be a Baller (5:55)

It would seem I'm in a Hip-hop mood....

I didn't know we're all 'sposed to get off our fannies and dance! Do we gotta do it the whole time? I'm 62, Girl!

(thinking)

I dunno, Elizabeth. I just happened across a roach and it's been some days...

Hey -- good job on labeling your songs! I wanna be able to go back and relisten to some of our Sunday Night tunes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwsqoTugSK8

"I just can't take another lonely night. So come on over and save me! Save me from another lonely night."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwXsh7bYN_c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtipPCt317Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VZhSkREYBc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERqwe_D7anI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di3rPBH4Ep0

When I get back I expect, Elizabeth, that you will have gone to the end of the "Commenting Tips" and taught yourself to post your tunes the way I do. It's not at all hard! I promise, if you just do EVERY song in this way JUST tonight you'll know it well enough that it'll pass to your children in your DNA. THIS HELPS US KNOW WHAT THE HELL WE'RE CLICKING ON -- user-friendly and stuff.

You have your Homework Assignment, Elizabeth...see you in an hour or so!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG_brDZoLAs

Welcome everybody to the CW Sunday Night Music Festival and Dance Party where we put aside the political commentary and focus strictly on the tunes. Which, of course, may be as political as we wish.

I'm in a 'Summer of Love' kind of mood of late and, so, that will be my focus this evening. Specifically, I'd like to highlight the, ah, splendiferous music scene that was Vancouver in the sixties through eighties - the Summer of Love lasted a bit longer up here in the Great White North. And, I could be stuck in this era for a while. Ahem.

To start my controversy ... er, contribution of the evening, please enjoy a favourite song of mine, Crazy on You by Heart - for all of our intents and purposes this evening, Heart is a 'Canadian' band. Well, they had their first success in Vancouver after having moved up from Seattle to ostensibly avoid the draft. So, ... :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZjEC4WhCvg

Democrats will win re-election for getting things done, not for reacting to the Civil War within the Republican Party.

Democrats will win reelection by doing both, Skip!

How many times must I inform Democrats that politics isn't a zero-sum game? Republicans already know this; thank heaven for The Lincoln Project, but what must we do to convince the Democrats?

Ever the optimist, I return each week to the FTP, hoping that Chris will rediscover the magic.

He's fine, and thank you for not denying your disdain for his recent efforts.

Tanden lacks any experience for the office she's been named to.

Patently false. Do you even know the experience required for the office? It doesn't seem like it... so here you go:

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/recruitment/careers_with.pdf

When both the righties and the far lefties are misrepresenting your resume, you must be governing from the center that they're not too fond of.

You're right that a lack of any tangible experience didn't keep Betsy DeVos from being confirmed to a job she was ill-suited to. Just because Donald Trump nominated a rogue's gallery of incompetent boobs doesn't suggest that the Democrats should follow suit.

I think you meant "rogues' gallery," but the suggestion that any of Biden's choices are criminals or "incompetent boobs" and the comparison to the Trump lot is over-the-top ridiculous. Perhaps your disdain for the one choice is simply all-consuming.

Tanden helmed the Center for American Progress, a corporate and foreign government-funded think tank that routinely attacked progressive agenda items.

More far-leftie talking points designed to scare people. In 2019, CAP received more than 97 percent of its charitable contributions from individuals and foundations. Corporate funding was less than 3 percent and foreign government funding less than 1 percent.

Also, you're volunteering to provide proof that undercuts that ridiculous argument of yours that Tanden "lacks any experience for the office." If's she's served as the President and the Chief Executive Officer of CAP for years and worked therein in multiple different capacities since their founding in 2003, it wouldn't exactly land her in that DeVos "incompetent boobs" category of yours. Add to that her years of work as advisor in multiple capacities in the Clinton administration and her work in the Obama administration as a senior adviser to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at HHS and her work negotiating with Congress regarding multiple provisions of the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare. Who do y'all think finally managed to birth that baby over 100 years in the making? It was Joe Biden and several others like Neera Tanden, and it was definitely and still remains a BFD despite the fact the far lefties never tire of bitching about how it wasn't enough to suit them... when nothing ever is.

Tanden even promoted cutting Social Security. And she has been accused of union-busting activities against journalists.

"She has been accused"? Biden has been accused of rape. Politics is a dirty business, but you can generally spot the bullshiters coming at you from a mile away. "Promoted cutting Social Security"? Incorrect. In her capacity as a member of the Obama-Biden administration, she stated their position at that time that entitlement reform was on the table... a far cry from promoting the cutting of entitlements. Indeed, Bernie Sanders has accused Joe Biden of the exact same thing saying that Biden "can't hide 40 years of working with Republicans to cut Social Security." Utter nonsense from the far lefties. Obama, Biden, nor Tanden have "promoted" cutting Social Security. That is a far-leftie talking point that borders on lying every single time it is driveled and spewed.

I have no problem with her attacking Republicans online. But as a Progressive, I'm disgusted by her legacy of hurling some of the most vicious vitriol against Bernie Sanders and those of us who supported him.

So it's a personal thing, is it? I would be lying if I said I didn't recognize it right at the jump. They don't call them Berners for nothing, you know. It's like a burning seething-type thing... not all of them, of course. Pay no attention to the "vicious vitriol" coming from them and the Bern himself, but any response in kind simply will not be tolerated by those who claim to value freedom of speech.

Besides a number of Neo-liberal hawks to run our foreign policy, President Biden's pick of Tanden to be the head of the OMB is one of the most disappointing he's made.

"Our" foreign policy? "Neo-liberal hawks"? Well, isn't that cute in a totally transparent yet tired kind of way. Cry more.

The administration official who would be the main liaison between the Administration and Bernie Sanders' Senate Budget Committee shouldn't be someone who has exhibited such toxic and vindictive behavior toward Bernie for quite a few years now!

Poor Bern. Say, hasn't Bernie taken corporate donations? But I digress. Is Bernie simply too frail to take it? He never seemed to mind dishing it out over the decades. Is the Bern a sore loser incapable of putting those multiple losing campaigns behind him? Does the Bern or his supporters feel that defeating the Tanden would constitute at least some kind of "win"? It won't.

And witnessing the Administration's full-court press to get her confirmed, leaves me bemused, because they should be putting all that passion and energy into getting the $15 minimum wage into the budget reconciliation bill instead of surrendering on that fight!

"Full-court press"? *laughs* Like an administration not pulling a nomination constitutes a "full-court press" and the administration must be physically spent from that and wholly incapable of handling any other issues. Comedy gold; I can't stop laughing.

Well, the righties and far lefties can take heart... your joint crusades to deny Tanden the position could succeed, but as Chris rightly points out, the hypocrisy and double standards are most definitely on full-blown display. It's awfully hard to credit the progressive left's whining about Neera Tanden for her exercise of freedom of speech while they've perfected the art of routine personal destruction in mining the past of what people have said all the way back to their childhood. "Hypocrisy" doesn't begin to cover that, but if that's how y'all want to roll, the self-described Marxist young Saint Bernard is a fun subject to dissect. Whole lot of "crazy" going on there, without doubt.

Your Berner butthurt leaves me bemused. :)

It's another great example of "Democrats getting things done" and the Republicans handing a 'talking point' to them on a silver platter.

'The House passed the measure in a 48-43 vote, and the Senate approved it in a 20-19 vote. Not a single Republican voted for the bill in either chamber.

"This, to me, is a justice bill," Del. Charniele Herring, a sponsor of the legalization bill and the Democratic majority leader, said on the floor. '
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/27/virginia-legalizes-marijuana-471840

For example:
'An internal document seen by the Guardian shows that at least 14% of Uline’s corporate workforce has tested positive for Covid-19 since last April, compared to 8.7% of the population in Kenosha county, where the company’s corporate office is located.

Nearly 19% of the company’s Illinois workplace has tested positive, 23% of its California-based workforce, and nearly 27% of its workforce in Texas.

One complaint filed to federal worker safety regulators, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which was received in July 2020, described workplace hazards including: social distancing guidance not being enforced; lax mask-wearing inside the office; symptomatic employees being allowed to continue to work without face coverings; and employees being forced to return to work in close contact with others even when they could feasibly work from home.'
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/28/uline-dick-liz-uihlein-workers-covid-safety

I agree that "old habits die hard" is part of the reason. But one thing that Trump was right about: every outrageous tweet or off-the-cuff remark or Faux News call-in 'interview' boosted Nielsen ratings and Internet clicks.

How many 'Will Trump run again in 2024?' articles have we already seen? Even the BBC can't resist, today's website profiling a "coffee shop" in Florida that worships Trump.

'The media' hasn't learned a single thing about the rise of Trump. Every article featuring the latest from Rep Marjorie Green, Sen Cruz' Cancun fiasco, etc. is one less article about what Biden and the Democratically-controlled Congress are accomplishing.

Democrats will win re-election for getting things done, not for reacting to the Civil War within the Republican Party.

I discovered Chris' FTP columns a few years ago and was impressed with his proud advocacy of liberal issues and how the Democrats could develop a convincing message - to convince open-minded voters, of course, not Republicans, and certainly not Trumpsters.

Ever the optimist, I return each week to the FTP, hoping that Chris will rediscover the magic.

Besides a number of Neo-liberal hawks to run our foreign policy, President Biden's pick of Tanden to be the head of the OMB is one of the most disappointing he's made.

Well, Biden is the head of his own foreign policy team and your term, "Neo-liberal hawks" is an old one that doesn't have a lot of real meaning anymore.

I quite like the team Biden has put together - from Secretary of State to CIA director (a state department man, through and through!) and Sec Def.

It's going to be a very interesting time watching this team deal with the challenges and opportunities and Biden, well, Biden is in seventh heaven!

I have to agree with you Re. the Tanden pick - haven't figured that one out yet.

Oh, and as your username might suggest, tomorrow night we music lovers leave our political comments aside for a few hours as we enjoy our favourite tunes and discover new ones at the CW Sunday Night Music Festival and Dance Party. Of course, the tunes may be as political as we wish. Heh.

Hope to see you here tomorrow night and bring your favourite tunes and fun music videos!

Tanden lacks any experience for the office she's been named to. You're right that a lack of any tangible experience didn't keep Betsy DeVos from being confirmed to a job she was ill-suited to. Just because Donald Trump nominated a rogue's gallery of incompetent boobs doesn't suggest that the Democrats should follow suit.

Tanden helmed the Center for American Progress, a corporate and foreign government-funded think tank that routinely attacked progressive agenda items. The CAP has received $33 million from private sector donations. Tanden even promoted cutting Social Security. And she has been accused of union-busting activities against journalists.

I have no problem with her attacking Republicans online. But as a Progressive, I'm disgusted by her legacy of hurling some of the most vicious vitriol against Bernie Sanders and those of us who supported him.

Besides a number of Neo-liberal hawks to run our foreign policy, President Biden's pick of Tanden to be the head of the OMB is one of the most disappointing he's made. The administration official who would be the main liaison between the Administration and Bernie Sanders' Senate Budget Committee shouldn't be someone who has exhibited such toxic and vindictive behavior toward Bernie for quite a few years now!

And witnessing the Administration's full-court press to get her confirmed, leaves me bemused, because they should be putting all that passion and energy into getting the $15 minimum wage into the budget reconciliation bill instead of surrendering on that fight!

Kick, I think you overreacted to his Another week of obsession with Republicans.

Oh, I don't think so. The clue imbedded in the comment that was posted is "another," and overreacting is not something I generally engage in.

It is not a prerequisite for "Skip" nor anyone else to repetitively criticize the author on a recurring basis regarding their personal problems with the content of another man's blog and serving up links for the author's readers as if they somehow needed the help and were incapable without Skip. Repeat: That was neither Skippy's first complaint nor Skip's first attempt at "helping" the author's readers to locate content nobody requested be provided. I am (was) almost certain that commenters aren't visiting CW's blog for Skip's recurring thoughts and links and regular attempts at schooling his readers regarding acceptable content preferable to little old Skip:

http://www.chrisweigant.com/2021/02/05/friday-talking-points-republicans-in-disarray-2/#comment-174835

I don't think the above was any kind of criticism of this FTP, but rather was a segue into his own impressive work product here in Weigantia (aka the Comments section.)

Then you should maybe pay better attention since this ain't Skip's first whine and cheese pity party. Skip is unhappy and put a date on it. Pfffffffffffft. *laughs*

I know this because I am cursed with memory issues in that I don't suffer in any way with having them. :)

I do, however, find myself in 100% agreement with your spanking of Elizabeth Miller in re Neera Tanden. Ya gotta remember that EM is a Canuck Moderate with, apparently, a longtime Joecrush. She at times gets overly defensive of both Joe and Moderates. FOR THE RECORD I'm in the "Moderates = DINOs" camp, myself.

Well, you "gotta" remember that EM is one of my favorite commenters on this blog. I don't spank her; I simply try to get her to question why she sometimes (actually not all too often) repeats the right-wing talking points and thereby falls victim to their ridiculous drivel and spew, and I believe she is too smart for that.

I know exactly who Neera Tanden is and why Joe Biden picked her, and so do the righties. And it has nothing whatsoever to do with her tweets or her language and everything to do with what she knows and who she knows.

Neera knows the righties. :)

Mudita is altruistic joy, appreciative joy: the desire to see others rejoicing in their happiness, the ability to share the happiness and success of others. This attitude is the complement of karuna: while karuna shares the sorrow of others, mudita shares their joy. Mudita is the direct antidote to envy. Envy arises over the good fortune of others: it resents those who achieve position, prestige, power, and success. But one who practices mudita will not only be happy when others do well, but will try to promote their progress and welfare. Hence this attitude is of vital importance for achieving social concord and peace.

Source: Buddhist Information: A Simple Guide to Life, as listed on wisdomlib.org

Kick, I think you overreacted to his Another week of obsession with Republicans.

Any of these would make great 'talking points' if only there was a credible forum somewhere...

I don't think the above was any kind of criticism of this FTP, but rather was a segue into his own impressive work product here in Weigantia (aka the Comments section.)

I do, however, find myself in 100% agreement with your spanking of Elizabeth Miller in re Neera Tanden. Ya gotta remember that EM is a Canuck Moderate with, apparently, a longtime Joecrush. She at times gets overly defensive of both Joe and Moderates. FOR THE RECORD I'm in the "Moderates = DINOs" camp, myself.

But...I'm in 100% disagreement with your [31] So "contrarily," you actually do come here to read italyrusty? How does one perform a detailed analysis and assessment of a blog they've repetitively claimed not to read? You know... "critique"? I come here to read everybody's comments (except for the former troll known as Michale, perhaps.)

Mudit? the pleasure that comes from delighting in other people's well-being, is an excellent word!