SUPERMARKET DEMOCRACY

Long time didst thou dwell
Mid the peoples that mourn
Awaiting some voice
That should bid the return

"Hymn To Liberty"   (D. SOLOMOS)

National anthem of Greece


Been to the supermarket and amongst others, bought some shampoo. It was on offer. A buy-one-
get-one-free deal. Mind you, I have a half head of hair...

Take one last look behind
Commit this to memory and mind
Don't miss this wasteland, this terrible place
When you leave
Keep your heart off your sleeve


"Motherland"      (NATALIE MERCHANT)






Greece, the cradle of Democracy. In recent elections the party with most votes was given a bonus
of 50 seats in Parliament!
In the land that gave birth to Democracy...

O, my five and dime queen
Tell me what have you seen?
The lust and the avarice
The bottomless, the cavernous greed
Is that what you see?


"Motherland"          (NATALIE MERCHANT)






It is extraordinary how malleable and open to manipulation the system of Democracy is.
And, much worse, the legal shroud it offers politicians to thieve, to succumb to special interests,
to fuel nepotism and generally to get away with murder (sometimes literally).

You can sleep safely in your bed
While the knife it cuts deep, the blood it runs red
Did anyone hear who fired the first shot?
Who licked the first wound
Was the last one to drop
It's just a game
When you're grown up


"The Grown Ups"       (DEMON)

Everybody's hanging round here waiting for the call
The time will come when you grow sick of it all
We run in circles but we're run by the bentest squares
Life ain't that hard but, Christ, it's hard to bear
I'm there where are you baby, maybe broken now...

Now you know just who I am, I am the devil's son
I'm as cruel as the cursed land you have me walk on


                                                      "Devil's Son"           (LUPEN CROOK)


At the end of the day, it is performance that counts-not words. And reviewing history should
maybe teach us that where things really matter, the world has not gotten any better after the
implementation of Democracy globally. I have no clue re alternatives and if anybody knows of
any please, be my guest...
But I would like to experience waking up one morning to smell the dignity of citizenship.

Now come on shotgun bride
What makes me envy your life?
Faceless, nameless, innocent, blameless and free
What's that like to be?

Motherland cradle me
Close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep
Keep me safe, lie with me
Stay beside, me don't go
Don't you go
"Motherland"        (NATALIE MERCHANT)



It used to be, when you had an autocrat, a tyrant, an oppressive monarch....you could
just shoot the bastard and get rid of.
You'd be hailed a hero.
But what do you do about "Democratic" oppressors?
You'd probably end up in jail.

They like bomb proof cadillac, air conditioned, gold taps
Backseat gun rack, platinum hubcaps
They pick horses for courses
They're the market forces
They like order, make up, limelight power
Gameshows, rodeos, star wars, TV
They're the powers that be
If you see the come
You better run-run, you better run on home

Sisters of mercy better join with your brothers
Put a stop to the soap opera right now
                                                  They say the toothless get ruthless
                                                  Run on before it's too late

                                                 "The Powers That Be"          (ROGER WATERS)

All I would ask of you
Remember me for what I've done
And not for what I didn't do

Wish I was Jeff Bridges moving down the highway
With the wind blowing through my hair
Wish I was Jeff Bridges moving down the highway
Oh the road, it's taking me somewhere...

"Jeff Bridges"       (MIDNIGHT CHOIR)



Got plenty of shampoo for that but a half head of hair..........

HOW TO RESURRECT A DEMOCRACY ON LIFE SUPPORT (PART 2)

Why do we always get politicians who say : "Vote for me and I will do this, this and that"
Why do we never get politicians who will say : "Vote for me and I will do what YOU want"
Then get elected by a landslide, organize a referendum with all the major issues (in a multiple
question format) and go by his day to implement the results...

And my senses newly opened
I awakened to cry-
That the people have the power to redeem the work of fools


("People Have The Power"    PATTI SMITH)





So Aristotle living in an Apollonian environment with utter disregard for the Dionysian
thought he created the perfect system. Which wasn't, as it could be manipulated by the
flawed nature of humans. Manipulated to such a degree that today, it even legitimizes
the crookedness of politicians.
See, if someone stabs me I'd prefer to see the white of his eyes not the smirk on his face.

The living that is owed to me I'm never going to get
They've buggered this old world up, up to their necks in debt
They'd give you a lobotomy for something you ain't done
They'll make you an epitomy of everything that's wrong

Do they owe us a living?
Of course they do, of course they do

("Do They Owe Us A Living?"  CRASS)




I want Crippled Black Phoenix instead of 70's soft porn flick soundtrack
I want Schrodinger's Cat instead of TV reality
I want tit(s) instead of tat
I want fresh fruit instead of rotting vegetables
I want revolution inste....er, sorry, I thought I was young again....

I read somewhere recently and i don't remember who said it (goes to prove I ain't young anymore)
that "Democracy has nothing to do with percentages. It's not a matter 30%, 60% or 80%. Not even
a matter of the (in)famous 50+1%. Democracy is all for one and one for all. Because if it's not all
for one and one for all then, it's all for nothing..."
Wish I could remember who said it to him credit because he deserves it. He's a hero in my book
of sharp minds.

If you didn't care
What happened to me
And I didn't care
For You
We would zig-zag our way through the boredom and pain
Occasionally glancing up through the rain
Wondering which of the buggers to blame
And watching for pigs on the wing

("Pigs On The Wing"   PINK FLOYD)
(Wrong cover but looks great with signatures)

I don't mean to sound biter, cold or cruel, but I am
So that's how it comes out.

BILL HICKS

POKER AND ALZHEIMER'S

Picture this. 3 old ladies with alzheimer's playing poker.

Old Lady #1: What was the bid?
Old Lady #2: .............
Old Lady #3: What bid?
Old Lady #2: Did you order the pizza?
Old Lady #1: I'm hungry. I don't remenber...
Old Lady #3: Don't remember if you're hungry or if you ordered for pizza?
Old Lady #2: How many cards?
Old Lady #1: Two.
Old Lady #2: But you hold just one in your hands...
Old Lady #1: Oh, my goodness. Four...I wish Marlen was here to complete the quartet,,,
Old Lady #3: Didn't you know? She went out for a walk Tuesday morning last week and
                      has probably been walking ever since.
Old Lady #2: The pizza?
Old Lady #3: Poor girl you must be starving. Did you see my bid?
Old Lady #2: It's not the pizza. It's the delivery boy...
Old Lady #3: Get a load of the creaky boned old hag. You wouldn't remember what
                      to do with the pizzaboy...hehehe
Old Lady #1: Remind me, are we playing poker or bridge...
Old Lady #3: Bingo! That's the last number for me! I win!
Old Lady #2: Who the hell are you?

Literally and metaphorically,

The world never ends
When your whole world depends
On the turn of a friendly card


The Turn Of A Friendly Card (THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT)








So, in this piece of land, where every third step you take you come across an illegal gambling
establishment, the police deemed proper to haul some old ladies to court for passing the time
of their twilight years playing cards. Of course they dare not match their wits with the real
criminals or they're on the take. The notion that everybody knows illegal gambling is taking
place BUT the police does not exist. Which means, the (not so) strong arm of the law is either
scared to bother the criminals or, they are sleeping with the enemy. But, folks, you lie down
with dogs, you get up with fleas...

Love junkies wanna change the world
It quickly stays the same
Money junkies hire all the smart ones
Power junkies run the game

One step at a time,
Polarity Hill
If the bad guys don't get you, baby
then the good guys will
 With angels on the take
                                                      and gangsters in the yard
                                                      Hey don't the wars come easy
                                                      hey don't the peace come hard

                                                      Now if I had a way to reach the sky
                                                      I'd grab that crescent moon
                                                      Wield it like a knife
                                                      Save you from the lies
                                                      From the lies that bind you
                                                      And the role you play
                                                      And the game that hooks you
                                                      While the big ones get away


                                                      The Big Ones Get Away (BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE)
                                                    

A History For The Have Nots

Do you think this guy will do his subject justice?
Who knows...I guess we'll have to listen in and see...

History's not written by the vanquished or the damned...


                           Leaving Beirut (ROGER WATERS)

BEST MUSIC OF 2011

KNIFE MAN by The Andrew Jackson Jihad

Punk folk band with phenomenally original, clever and funny lyrics.

ALL RIGHTS REMOVED by Airbag

Second album by swedes heavily influenced by Pink Floyd. Glorious
guitar based prog.

REPETITIONS by Blueneck

Embracing a more analogue and organic approach, the emotional drama
values propel this post rock/prog recordings to masterpiece status.

THE CRIPPLED DOG BAND by Bobb Trimble

This is the unreleased lost 3rd album. The criminally neglected Trimble met
up the teenagers of the Crippled Dog Band and made these exuberant DIY
recordings (1983). This is real rock n' roll brimming with ideas and energy.

OUTBREEDING by David Thomas Broughton

A true contender in the weird folk/nu folk arena, armed with a loop pedal
and an achingly heartbreaking and melancholic voice that sits somewhere
between Anthony Johnson and John Martyn. This is music that begs to be
discovered.

THE BRIGHT LIGHTS EP by Gary Clark Jr

Texas based blues guitarist probably the best thing since SRV. Skips
the influence of the Claptons and the Pages of electric blues and goes
straight to the roots. This half electric/half acoustic EP showcases an
immense talent.

THE HARROW & THE HARVEST by Gillian Welch

A consistent force. Has never made a bad album and don't think she
ever will.

HISINGEN BLUES by Graveyard

I really don't like the term retro-rockers. This is a page straight out of
the seventies with excitement, swagger and soul. You should hear
it on vinyl.

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (Immersion Box) by Pink Floyd

At last, the Floyd remasters! And I couldn't think of any other than James
Guthrie overseeing this huge project. Guthrie has performed wonderfully
with updating the sound and without compromising the dynamics of
Floyd's timeless classics.

WISH YOU WERE HERE (Immersion Box) by Pink Floyd

Excellent music extras and paraphernalia. The blue ray audio is a
tantalizing experience. Now let's have THE WALL Immersion Box.

FEET FALL HEAVY by Kill It Kid

Hard to believe this band hails from the British Isles. Harrowing contemporary
blues.

SON OF BLACK PEACE by Dean McPhee

Amazing tones and resonance from his guitar technique. One to look
out for.

REVERIE by Joe Henry

The ultimate artist of the last 15 years. Has made consistently brilliant
records with subtle dynamics and superior songwriting. Nominated for 10
Grammies (won a couple) for his production work for other artists. He is
up there, artistically, with Tom Waits and Nick Cave.

IMMORTAL SON by Riot

Mark Reale has decided to reassemble the Thundersteel lineup and the
results are stunning. Tony Moore shines, Jarzombek propels, Reale is class.
I can't imagine how it would have turned out for Riot had they not received
the short end of the stick from the record labels. Down to earth lyrics, strong
melodies, a gem of a power/speed metal album.

IN A SPECIAL PLACE by The Waterboys

The demos of This Is The Sea with Mike Scott on piano at the peak of
his creative powers. Others would have killed just to have the bits
and pieces that didn't make the final cut.

AN APPOINTMENT WITH Mr YEATES by The Waterboys

Many years in the making, finally completed, an album to treasure. Very
tricky not to go overboard with this subject matter. But this is Mike Scott
and this is an elegant, mesmerizing and eloquently well balanced album.

50 WORDS FOR SNOW by Kate Bush

This was a quick one for Kate and probably the attention NOT paid to
production values coupled with the songwriting has made this her warmest
album ever. More of this please, Ms Bush.

SHIVER by Too Slim and the Taildraggers

Too Slim has been around for a while and constant touring is finally
paying off. This is great blues...

INCOMPETENCE BLUES

"I woke up this mornin' and none of the news was good..." sang Steve Earle. Well, usually news is not good in general. Especially when you live on a turd in the Mediterranean (please indulge my poetic incompetence).

I will tell you, if Betfair did Cypriot criminal trials I'd be a rich man by now. No convictions on the Helios case? How come I'm not surprised?
It has nothing to do with justice. It has to do with the incompetence of lawyer civil servants. 'Cause when
was the last time a General Attorney in Cyprus won a big case? You can't remember? Nothing wrong with your memory there. Of course, this degree of incompetence should have repercussions in one's career. In other places they step down or are fired. But in this pinnacle of Democracy that is this country, they hold office for life! Covered by the safety of an asylum veil. Why not prosecute this degree of incompetence that further compromises an already crippled Democracy?

"Let's  talk about a criminal procedure
Throw out the idea of illegal seizure
Put a rope around somebody's neck
Let's hold some bastard up for example
Take his blood and urine sample
Feed him garbage and make him pick up the check"

"HERE IT COMES AGAIN" (Graham Parker)





They should all be accountable. Not untouchable. Instead of covering their ass by manipulating Democracy so that the (short arm of the) law does not reach them. Each and every one of them.
And the high Priests, too. Oh, especially the priests...

"They tell you the preacher was hypocritical
What they don't tell you is that he is typical
What he stands for is totally mythical
And as they lead him away he'll pray for you brother
With a bible in one hand and playboy in the other
Imagine what he does to his mother"

"HERE IT COMES AGAIN" (Graham Parker)





Why not evolve Democracy a bit and invent a new term for civil servants who mess up big time?
Don't get upset. It's just a thought which by all means could be wrong. But think about it. We could
name it Criminal Incompetence. Really, chew some mushrooms and look at the bigger picture.
But I guess, Criminal Incompetence suspects will hire big time lawyers and beat the rap...

"You might be the wrong colour
  You might be too poor
  Justice isn't something just anyone can afford"


"CRIME FOR CRIME" (Ani di Franco)



...and incompetence compromises Democracy and, ultimately, Freedom...

"If you think this country's free you must be
  long on cash and short on scrutiny"



"LONG NIGHT #3652" (Casey Scott)



Sadly, their Criminal Incompetence is indirectly proportionate to our Criminal Apathy...

What we do...

"I remember when we was both out on the boulevard
Talkin' revolution and singin' the blues
Nowadays it's letters to the editor and cheating on our taxes
Is the best that we can do"

"AMERIKA V. 6.0" (Steve Earle)



What they do...

"But hey we can just build a great wall around the country club
To keep the riff raff out until the slump is through
Yeah, I realize that ain't exactly democratic but it's either them or us
And it's the best we can do"

"AMERIKA V. 6.0" (Steve Earle)



We live in a country where the president of the House of Representative is called Yannakis (Little John-
not by any means to be confused with the Robin Hood character).
Is it any wonder we are f****d up as a nation?

"Folks, it's time to evolve. That's why we are troubled.
You know why our institutions are failing us, the church,
the state, everything's failing us?
It's because, ummm-they're no longer relevant...

BILL HICKS



"SO LET'S HOLD SOME BASTARD UP FOR EXAMPLE
TAKE HIS BLOOD AND URINE SAMPLE
REMIND HIM A MAN BELONGS DOWN A MANHOLE"
                                                                        (Graham Parker)

It's Just a Ship of Fools

The recent ChristEars inquiry produced a gem that, sadly, our dimwit paperboys failed to latch on to.
The plea was along the lines of "Indirectly I was responsible, directly(personally) not responsible"
So let me get this right...
A person appears before a judge and is convicted of manslaughter. Gets to do a lot of time.
A person appears before a judge and is convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Gets to do time too, only less.

Still guilty by mine or anyones book.
Case closed.
The "Indignants" are waiting for something of dramatic proportions to happen, but it ain't gonna...
And how could they not see that coming is beyond the grasp of the history of this boat.
-It ain't happening!
-No, it WILL happen!

-Boy, is my thumb NOT really on the pulse of Cyprus...

We're setting sail to the place on the map
From which no one has ever returned
Drawn by the promise of the JOKER and the FOOL
And by the light of the CROSSES that BURN
Drawn by the promise of the women and the lace
And the GOLD and the cotton and pearls
It's a place where they keep all the darkness you need
You sail away from the light of the world on this trip

                                    You will pay tomorrow
                                    You're gonna pay tomorrow

                                    Save me
                                    Save me from tomorrow
                                    I don't want to sail with this ship of fools
                                    ("Ship Of Fools" - WORLD PARTY[Karl Wallinger])


And the "Indignants" are still in the streets from time to time. Of course, not all is well in Los Indignados
front and don't tell me you did not see that coming either! Yes, yes there is a split. A breakaway sect that
is being paraded through shows on TV and radio. The soon-to-appear-on-your-TV-screen-again-or-the Supermarket-near-you "Awoken/Decisive".Yes, there is a difference in opinion. There always is
if you wake up and smell the coffee in these Facebook days.
And as my friend Mike may cynically say : "Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one", I beg to
differ.
Nostradamus ain't got s**t on Warhol.
I rest my case...

AVARICE and GREED are gonna drive you over the endless sea
They will leave drifting in the shallows or drowning in the oceans of history
Traveling the world you're in search of no good
But I'M SURE YOU'LL BUILD YOUR SODOM like you knew you would
Using all the GOOD PEOPLE for your GALLEY SLAVES
as your little boat struggles through the warning waves

But you don't pay
                                   You will pay tomorrow

                                   Save me
                                   Save me from tomorrow
                                   I don't want to sail in this ship of fools...
                                  ("Ship Of Fools" - WORLD PARTY[Karl Wallinger])

Meanwhile, the dumbfounded, clueless, powerless serfs are still  awaiting for the Surreal Postman to deliver on the promise of a flawed and compromised Democracy and dream of an ideal consciousness

of Utopian proportions.

Which is unreachable...untouchable...ungraspable...

A place to stay

Enough to eat

Somewhere old heroes shuffle safely down the street

Where you can speak out loud about your doubts and fears

And what's more

No one ever disappears, you never hear their standard issue kicking in your door

You can relax on both sides of the tracks

And maniacs don't blow holes in bandsmen by remote control

And EVERYONE HAS RECOURSE TO THE LAW

                           And no one kills the children anymore

                           ("The Gunner's Dream" - ROGER WATERS)

                           ... with thanks to "Pan" for dusting my memory...