rblog

The meaning of songs

Remember back in the 80’s when I was just a little boy the song Born In The USA by Bruce Springsteen was really cool. Little did I understand of the meaning of the song, due to my age and most of all the lack of knowledge for the language. Later I have realized that the song is not patriotic, it is a criticism of the US and how they treated their Vietnam war veterans.

So, I really wonder what was Ronald Reagans excuse when he selected the song as his theme song during the election:

Lyrically, the song deals with the effects of the Vietnam War on Americans, although it has sometimes been misinterpreted as purely patriotic and jingoistic, notably by President Ronald Reagan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_in_the_U.S.A._(song)

I guess for him personally the Alzheimer’s disease and a wife who I have heard had a tendency to turn to the stars for advice when it came to whatever she needed to do…

Todays MySpace playlist

  • Deeyah http://www.myspace.com/deeyahmusic Like nothing else I usually listen to
  • Hinda Hicks http://www.myspace.com/hindahicks To much jazz…
  • Dimmu Borgir http://www.myspace.com/dimmuborgir …not my cup of tea
  • Surferosa http://www.myspace.com/surferosa Needed something safe
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs http://www.myspace.com/yeahyeahyeahs
  • Cat Power http://www.myspace.com/catpower
  • Union Carbide Productions http://www.myspace.com/unioncarbideproductions
  • The Soundtrack of Our Lives http://www.myspace.com/officialtsool
  • Upp til kamp http://www.myspace.com/upptillkampfilmen soundtrack
  • A Camp http://www.myspace.com/swanelisabet
  • A Girl Called Eddy http://www.myspace.com/agirlcallededdy
  • Aimee Mann http://www.myspace.com/aimeemann
  • Suzanne vega http://www.myspace.com/suzannevega
  • Jewel http://www.myspace.com/jewel

Bokhandleren i Kabul – Åsne Seierstad

My latest book “Bokhandleren i Kabul”. Quite good book I must say, but then again I also understand that Shah Mohammad Rais got upset since even if Åsne had tried hide his identity it was of no use. How many people like him was there in Kabul? But apart from that it was ok as said before.

Tett på nett with Shah Mohammad Rais http://tpn.vg.no/intervju/index.php?Inr=25

Bokhandler

Legalize drugs?

An interview with Kristoffer Joner gets me going for sure. He wants to legalize drugs like heroin, and by doing that he hopes to get the abuse under control. The article is found here http://www.kjendis.no/2008/01/27/525093.html He even compares the way drug addicts are treated today with the way the Nazis treated the Jews…

To be short – I could not possibly disagree more!! I want to be proactive, not reactive. Spend money on keeping people away from drugs, not supporting the addicts!

Todays MySpace playlist (and a bit more)

  • Ida Maria http://www.myspace.com/idamaria
  • The cure http://www.myspace.com/thecure Concert on the 11’th of Feb?
  • A Perfect Cirlce http://www.myspace.com/the1hollow
  • Maria Solheim http://www.myspace.com/mariasolheim
  • U2 “Wide Awake in America” http://www.hellem.org/blog/index.php/albums/2006/06/27/u2_wide_awake_in_america
  • U2 “The Joshua Tree” Elin’s cd
  • Colbie caillat http://www.myspace.com/colbiecaillat High up on the charts here in Norway, listened to her before on MySpace. Bubbly is nice
  • The Mars Volta http://www.myspace.com/themarsvolta Had a look at Topp 15 at Platekompaniet. Did not like them at all!
  • We http://www.myspace.com/cosmicbikerrock After my previous mistake, I needed something real!!
  • Hermano http://www.myspace.com/hermanorocks Hermano rocks!!! John Garcia rules!!
  • Mogwai http://www.myspace.com/mogwai
  • Margaret Berger http://www.myspace.com/bergermargaret
  • Kari Rueslåtten http://www.myspace.com/karirueslattenmusic
  • Kari Rueslåtten http://www.myspace.com/karirueslatten The fan site is in fact better, strangly enough…
  • Opeth http://www.myspace.com/opeth Link from the above MySpace. Guess the singer must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, he sounds so angry 🙂

Todays MySpace playlist

  • Maria Solheim http://www.myspace.com/mariasolheim
  • Gillian Welch http://www.myspace.com/gillianwelch Followed a link from Maria Solheim
  • Neil Young http://www.myspace.com/neilyoung Followed a link from Gillian Welch
  • Annie http://www.myspace.com/anniemusic On the first page of “Top Artists – Norway”
  • Nina Gordon http://www.ninagordon.com/media Among it all, listen to her cover “Straight out of Compton”
  • Surferosa http://www.myspace.com/surferosa “Top Artists – Norway”. They claim to sound like nothing else…but, I think they sounds very much like The Sounds!
  • The Sounds http://www.myspace.com/thesounds Just to confirm my statement above
  • The Hearts, Guys & Guitars http://www.myspace.com/theheartsguysguitars Russian bluegrass…just by random, they lyrics are Russian as well making it even harder for me 🙂 …but, bluegrass…I’m not sure
  • Stereophonics http://www.myspace.com/stereophonics “Top Artists – Indie – U.K” Quite ok!
  • Interpol http://www.myspace.com/interpol Have one cd by Interpol
  • Raga Rockers http://www.myspace.com/ragarockers Needs no explanation!
  • Ingrid Olava http://www.myspace.com/ingridolava Cudos to Elin, she started listen to her before me 🙂
  • The Mormones http://www.myspace.com/themormones Rock hard!
  • El Cuero http://www.myspace.com/elcuero Followed a link from Ingrid Olavas myspace
  • The Cumshots http://www.myspace.com/thecumshotsthecumshots
  • Motorhead http://www.myspace.com/motorhead After Cumshots…
  • Orango http://www.myspace.com/orangomusic Trond & co, they are playing on Saturday, maybe we will go and listen…
  • Foo Fighters http://www.myspace.com/foofighters …trallallallaaa…feelgood!
  • Powerman 5000 http://www.myspace.com/powerman5000 Have a cd with Powerman, bought it because of the song Free as I remember
  • Tenacious D http://www.myspace.com/tenaciousd …need not to say anything
  • A Perfect Circle http://www.myspace.com/the1hollow Love it!

Kautokeino-opprøret

We went to see the new movie Kautokeino-opprøret http://www.filmweb.no/kino/article117345.ece today. We both found the movie very good, and felt sorry for the rebels being somewhat forced to do what they did. But, when back home we started to read a bit more about the actual event and quite soon realized that there are different views of the incident. The movie covers most of the events that occurred, but it fails due to the fact that we thought that the rebels “had” to do it. Read more here http://www.altaposten.no/lokalt/reportasje/article130654.ece I also found the dr. thesis about the incident http://ask.bibsys.no/ask/action/show?pid=970088949&kid=biblio

By the way…did not know that my friend Loy had a part in the movie

Loy
Mikkel

“Gud er norsk” – Aslak Nore

My latest book “Gud er norsk” written by Aslak Nore is a book about Norwegian soldiers serving abroad. Starting with Tysklandsbrigaden after the second world war and up to Iraq and Afghanistan today. I find parts of the book very good and informing, as for other parts…not as good. The first chapter when he takes us back to when he served in Bosnia is … bad … This review is more or likely sharing my opinion http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2007/10/12/514798.html

Gud er norsk