Or Something Like That

Laws And Sausage - The Uptones of The United States Of America

Winston Churchill said,
"THOSE WHO LIKE LAWS AND SAUSAGE SHOULD NEVER WATCH EITHER BEING MADE."

And most of us agree. The process in which laws (and sausage) are made is a horrible and disgusting, step by step process. In ordinary day to day peace we may find disagreements. Disagreements can turn into to arguments. Arguments turn into fights. Fights lead to political upheavals. Political upheavals turn into war. The winner of wars make new laws to reestablish peace. A bizarre cycle. It is a strange hoola hooping of history, I say. But that isn't the worst of it. Nay. The greed that motivates politics is the worst of it. The reasons politicians go to war are usually not that complicated. It's always for money and the power to control the money. The method is this type of madness. And it destroys everything in its path.

With that being said, I would like to lighten the subject matter.

My good friend Eric Din from The Uptones has addressed this topic with one of my favorite methods of topic addressing. With a song. A catchy song, too. An amazingly well written and very poetic reprise of Churchill's quote. A tune called Laws and Sausage. This tune has a habit of getting stuck on replay in my brain for hours. I had so much fun with The Uptones when we recorded this. I think this song should be attached to our national anthem, actually. A mandatory musical suffix, if you will.

Anyway...

A brilliant woman named Lisa McElroy took The Uptones' "Laws and Sausage" song and illustrated it most poetically with archival footage, says Eric on his new facebook page called Laws and Sausage. Check it out if you want to get your rant on. I will see you there if you do. And now...

your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

#OWS - Music Set

#OWS by mooselethridge

Your friendly Cyberhood
Uncle Samurai

Remind 'Em (The Few...The Proud)

Sgt. Shamar Thomas has been in the spotlight of Occupy Wall Street long enough to make Americans really think about protest security. Drawing the line quickly between *riot* and *event.* And I commend him for his ability to do so, considering the circumstances.

I have seen security at a riot and know for a fact that it quickly becomes an eye for an eye situation if the crowd is violent first. And that, however the outcome turns out, is at least understandable. One may observe and come to a reasonable conclusion that the police reacted violently to violence. Which is part of their job detail, I remind myself. They are people doing security at a riot. I have done college/bar security. And anyone will appreciate the police the more and more you do bar security. Believe me. Drunk people can be assholes!

But...

If I am at a concert and all the ticket holders are watching a fight, the security does not beat their way through the crowd to get to the action. Because it's an event. And the concert promoter does not want ANYONE beating on their clientele for ANY reason. And it makes no sense to use unnecessary violence to keep people in line. Especially if they are just observing.

So...during OWS, I think the security failed to recognize the difference between riot and event, and Sgt. Thomas had to remind them. Because the police had simply gone too far?

While you think about that, lets take a look at another OWS situation with U.S. Military involved.

Scott Olsen is another War veteran in the OWS spotlight. An actual casualty of a protest misplayed as a riot. Although there is footage from Occupy Oakland that the police were being hit by paint balls before hand, I do not find it reason enough to launch projectiles at unarmed civilians. Maybe if they were up against a hockey team, but they were not. Olsen has sustained injuries that have affected his speech. He is unable to speak. I'm sure the officer who was pelted with paint is still talking. Though he hasn't said much yet.

All is fair in love and war, we know...but let me remind you again...this was a protest/event.

So here is a tune dedicated to those 2 military servicemen and all who serve this country. What we can do is remind them why they serve. Give them (and yourself) a reason why they put their lives on the line. Establish something of a standard to recognize as home. Something that contrasts war.

Something good.

This is an everyday event kind people...

Remind 'Em by mooselethridge

You gotta hold it down, the reason that we're living for
Gotta make it real and count another day
Try to keep it in your mind and never let it go
They've been fighting now so long
You gotta let 'em know what life is worth each day

You gotta hold 'em to those reasons they've been killing for
Gotta make it known and never change your way
Try to keep it in your heart and never let it go
They've been fighting now so long
You gotta let 'em know what life is worth each day

So remind 'em what it is when you find it
Remind them if you think they've lost their way
Remind them what it is when you find 'em
They've been fighting now so long
You gotta let 'em know what life is worth each day

You gotta show them all that love that you've been living for
Gotta let it shine and lead you on some way
It's a feeling in your soul that you have always known
That you've been fighting now so long
Gotta let 'em know what life is worth each day

So remind 'em what it is when you find it
Remind them if you think they've lost their way
Remind 'em what it is when you find it
They've been fighting now so long
You gotta let 'em know what life is worth each day

Inside My Soul

Inside My Soul by mooselethridge

Darlin' your love keeps callin'
And that's how I know
Your heart beats inside my soul
So let the truth be told
Your heart beats inside my soul

Baby this love's so crazy
But it let's me know
Your heart beats inside my soul
So let the truth be told
Your heart beats inside my soul

Honey let's find some money
Until then I know
Your heart beats inside my soul
So let the truth be told
Your heart beats inside my soul
If there's one thing I know
Your heart beats inside my soul

One Track Mind

Another car on the train tracks

So everybody can ride

And good luck to the one man

At the front of the line

Trying to bring a little hope back

To the heart and the mind

But how're we really gonna do that

If we spend all our time

Shuckin' and jivin' backseat drivin'

Pullin' at the break switch burnin' up time

Blame it on the left side, blame it on the right

The engine's on fire with the wheels locked tight

Cuz

This train's got a one track mind to make money

It don't really wanna take its time to make money

It feels just like a race track

And everybody's on line

Yeah I read it on your FaceCrack

And I saw the replies

They were talkin 'bout a new thang

And how we'd all be just fine

But how're we really gonna do that

If we spend all our time

Shuckin' and jivin' backseat drivin'

Pullin' at the break switch burnin' up time

Blame it on the left side, blame it on the right

The engine's on fire with the wheels locked tight

Cuz

This train's got a one track mind to make money

It don't really wanna take its time to make money

So get your car on the train track

So little Sally can ride

And good luck to the one man

At the front of the line

He's tryin' to bring a little hope back

To the heart and the mind

But how are we gonna really do that

If we spend all our time

Shuckin' and jivin' backseat drivin'

Pullin' at the break switch burnin' up time

Blame it on the left side, blame it on the right

The engine's on fire with the wheels locked tight

Cuz

This train's got a one track mind to make money

It don't really wanna take its time to make money

This train's gotta one track mind to make money

And nobody wanna to take their time to make money

words and music by Musashi Lethridge

a.k.a. your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

Ska/Reggae Jams by Uncle Samurai

Hoping to put a little upbeat in your day/afternoon/evening...

Ska/Reggae Jams

All songs instruments played by

your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

Fools Gold

I have seen the look in their eyes when in the Jewelry store; gazing at the giant rocks in a trance...

I was always curious as to who the very first person was to put a price on a shiny piece of stone. And I wonder how long ago that was. And how many people did it take for it to become a permanent idea in everyones heads, the value of a piece of stone.

Because that's where the value is.

It's in your head.

Anyway...
After watching the movie "Blood Diamond" a few years ago, I was inspired to write this tune.

Done on garage band with a Baby Taylor acoustic, a strat and an electric bass. All done in a days work.

Fools Gold by Moose Lethridge

a.k.a.

your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

The Music

A little reggae tune about what I think the world will never get enough of...

The Music

your friendly cyerhood

Uncle Samurai

"67" Part 2

This version has me on guitar playing along with the same loop as previous video posted.
I must admit I have way more fun on the guitar...




Jimi Hendrix would have been 67 years old on November 27th 2009