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Take a look at this, Bitches!

My main fascination with YouTube are the music videos and live performances. I am continuously thrilled and amazed by all of my favorite obscure artists popping up there! Talk about the Long Tail. Anyway, I’m sharing this video after discovering it over at the Sardonic Bomb. It’s mainly for Hilary and Susan B., who I think will appreciate it the most, but the rest of you should go check it out too. You may find it a little annoying at first, but it’s quite adorable and fun. Susan, I can picture you doing something like this in your youth, and Hilary… well, you’ll know why I sent it to you when you watch it. I mean, come on.

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Is the Ultimate Matriarchy Our Goal?

honeybeeThanks to to Howard I caught this fascinating article over on the CNN website about the genetic lives of honeybees. Those of you who know me well, also know that I have a fascination with honeybees, those adorable, industrious insects whose work ethics and social life have often been praised and suggested for emulation throughout history.

A report in the journal Nature by a consortium of scientists reveal that the genetic code of the honeybee has been unraveled, including clues to its complex social nature, it’s sense of smell and its African origins. Scientists plan to use these findings to continue their work on social behavior in humans. This is something that I find somewhat fascinating due to my recent work-related intensity on social networking applications on the internet. The honeybee, with its tens of thousands of (female) workers maintaining the day-to-day existence of the hive, the single, long-lived queen fulfilling its sole role of perpetuating the species, and the embarassingly single-minded male drones who serve basically as genetic material, has a complex, highly workable social structure. Bee Wilson’s The Hive: the Story of the Honeybee and Us is a pretty remarkable history of the honeybee. I read and reviewed this quick-read back in June, and provided me with much insight on my beloved honeybees and how they have related to human society through history.

Still, while the social structure of the bee is fascinating and certainly works for this tenacious, industrious species, I’m not so sure it’s something enviable for us. I know I wouldn’t relish my place in bee society as a drone, and for the ladies, those workers don’t seem to understand the meaning of the word fun.

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The Way Marriage Should Work

I was very interested to read an article in today’s Boston Globe about the Episopal Diocese pondering whether they should quit the marriage business. According to the article, a group of Episcopal priests think that the gay marriage debate has them feeling that perhaps they should not be acting as agents of the state by officiating at marriages. They propose that couples should be married by a justice of the peace, and then, if they want a religious ceremony, they could come to the Episcopal church to seek the blessing of a priest.

A couple of years ago when Massachusetts allowed gay marriages to be legal, spawning a huge controversy in religious circles, I oftern argued that there is nothing religious about marriage in the purest sense. It was merely a legal issue. I proposed that anyone should be allowed to marry, then if you wanted a “holy marriage” those who were eligible could seek one out at a church. This way, everyone is equal under the law, and if religious organizations wanted to discriminate against non-heterosexuals, that could be their decision.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

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Finding My Favorite Music

Here’s a music survey about some of my favorite music. Like Chris over at Kriofske-Mix, where I found this survey, it took me about two weeks to complete. I found it very difficult as I wanted to include as much of my favorite music as I could. Still the results are pretty rewarding.

Name 5-10 wistful/bittersweet songs that come to mind:
The Sundays, “Can?t Be Sure”
Tori Amos, ?Winter?
Jann Arden, ?Mend?
Kate Bush, ?Watching You Without Me?
Chantal Kreviazuk, ?What If It All Means Something??
Emm Gryner, ?Serenade?
Martha & the Muffins, ?One Day in Paris?
Do-Re-Mi, ?The Happiest Place in Town?
Everything but the Girl, ?I Don?t Understand Anything?

The 4 Best Songs Ever Written:
Jane Siberry, “One More Colour”
Jane Siberry, “The Walking (And Constantly)”
Kate Bush, ?Suspended in Gaffa?
The Reivers, ?Once in a While?

3 Current Favorite Songs:
Sufjan Stevens, “Chicago”
And really, isn?t that enough? I am so swept away by ?Chicago.?

Classic Early Evening Drinking Music:
The Reivers, ?Karate Party?

3 All Time Faves That Never Get Old To You:
Abba, “Dancing Queen”
R.E.M., ?Fall On Me?
Martha & the Muffins, ?Danseparc (Every Day It?s Tomorrow)

Song You Want To Play At Your Wedding:
Magnetic Fields, “The Book of Love”

Song You Want to Play At Your Funeral:
Happy Rhodes, ?Save Our Souls?

4 Records You Really Dug from 2005:
Kate Bush, Aerial
Sufjan Stevens, Come On Feel the Illinoize
Gentleman Reg, Darby & Joan
Jorane, The You and the Now

4 Favorite Records From This Year So Far:
Sufjan Stevens, Avalanche
Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Blood
Those are the only 2006 albums I have that I can think of!

5 Good Angry Songs:
Nine Inch Nails, “Head Like a Hole”
Tori Amos, ?Precious Things?
Dalbello, ?Baby Doll?
Martha & the Muffins, ?Women Around the World at Work?
Talking to Animals, ?Playground?

One of Your Favorite Lyrics:
“You?re forgettable like 1993” ? Emm Gryner, “Disco Lights”

5 Cover Songs Arguably Better Than the Original:
Emm Gryner, “Pour Some Sugar On Me” (Def Leppard)
Holly Cole, ?I?ve Just Seen a Face? (The Beatles)
Luba, ?When a Man Loves a Woman? (Percy Sledge)
Bette Midler, ?Do You Wanna Dance? (Bobby Freeman)
The Carpenters, ?Superstar? (Rita Coolidge)

Ironic Song to Brutally Murder Someone to in a movie;
Deborah Conway, “Only the Bones”

Great Dance Song You Maybe Never Realized Was a Great Dance song Back in the Day:
Michael Jackson, “Don?t Stop (?Til You Get Enough)”

A Good Album To Put You In the Mood (that is Not Sade, Marvin Gaye or Barry White):
Anything by Morcheeba

5 Good Rock Songs That You Can Dance To:
The March Violets, “Turn to the Sky”
Garbage, “Stupid Girl”
Joan Armatrading, ?Drop the Pilot?
Face to Face, ?Out of My Hands?
Toronto, ?You?re Daddy Don?t Know?

4 Good Dance Songs (any kind):
Martha & the Muffins, ?Danseparc (Every Day It?s Tomorrow)”
November Group, ?Shake It Off?
The Cure, ?In Between Days (Without You)?
Spider, ?Better Be Good to Me?

Songs That Are Too Damn Sad:
The Magnetic Fields, “Acoustic Guitar”
Tori Amos, ?China?
Jane Siberry, ?The Taxi Ride?
Jane Siberry, ?Goodbye?
Jill Sobule, ?Life Goes On Without You?

4 Happy, Life Affirming Songs:
Sufjan Stevens, “Chicago”
Jane Siberry, “One More Colour”
Chantal Kreviazuk, “What If It All Means Something?”
Happy Rhodes, ?Collective Heart

5 Great Love Songs:
Mae Moore, “Because of Love”
Chantal Kreviazuk, “Before You”
Kate Bush, “Hounds of Love”
The Reivers, ?Once in Awhile?
Joan Armatrading, ?Heaven?

Song To Cheer Up A Friend:
Pizzacato Five, “Happy/Sad”

Song To An Ex That Isn’t Meanspirited:
Tori Amos, “Tear in Your Hand”

Song To An Ex That Is Kinda Meanspirited:
Jann Arden, “I Only Wanted Sex”

Song to Listen to While in The Country Looking at Stars:
Syd Straw, ?People of Earth?

Song to Lose Your Mind To:
Dalbello, ?Heavy Boots?

Song To Cry In Your Pillow to:
Wendy & Lisa, “Jonathan”

Songs That Make You Feel Amped and Inspired:
Queen & David Bowie, “Under Pressure”

Great Semi-Obscure B-side:
Eurythmics, “Grown Up Girls”

Song That Makes You Miss Your Mom:
Wendy & Lisa, “Valley Vista”

Tough Break-Up Songs:
The Magnetic Fields, “Oh Yeah”

So Happy It Makes You Wanna Skip:
Book of Love, ?You Make Me Feel So Good?

Feel No Shame: Great Current Pop Songs:
I just looked at Billboard?s Top 100 songs and curiously, I don?t know a single one.

Album No One Would Expect You To Love:
Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine

Album No One Would Expect You To Dislike:
10,000 Maniacs ? most of them.

5 Desert Island Discs off the top of your head (30 sec clock):
Kate Bush, Hounds of Love
Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
Sufjan Stevens, Come On Feel the Illinoize
Martha & the Muffins, Danseparc
The Reivers, Saturday

3 Contemporary Artists That Were Your Faves 10 Years Ago:
Kate Bush, Garbage (are they still contemporary?), Jann Arden

Fave Electronic Record You Own:
BT, 10 Years in the Life

Random Album You Loved In High School But Are Afraid To Admit It:
Oh there are so many? how about Styx, Cornerstone

Album You May Have Listened To More In Highschool than Any Other Album:
A toss up: Fleetwood Mac, Rumours or Heart, Little Queen, Side A

If You Could Enter A Wrestling Ring to a Song It Would Be:
Wendy & Lisa, “If I Were Brave?” or
The Tragically Hip, ?Grace, Too?

Album To Clear A Room With:
Veda Hille, Spine

A Billiant Album That’s Also Stark & Lonely:
Suzanne Vega, Suzanne Vega

Hope I didn’t miss any worthy songs or albums, but I’m sure I did.