Mighty Uke European tour: Friday Links

8 Comments

1. ThomasGC October 14th, 2011 7:11 pm
   

   Watching the Frank Skinner QI clip, I could almost forget that the man’s an utter nutter who I’d normally avoid like the plague.

2. cardboardfrog October 14th, 2011 8:09 pm
   

   if i’m not mistaken the guy with the face full of uke is at the phuket vegetarian festival, where one of the traditions is peircing of the cheeks for reasons i have since forgotten.

3. RobNY October 15th, 2011 2:16 pm
   

   This occupy movement has got me confused. Mostly Marxist indoctrinated students complaining about the student loan debt they’ve incurred. Why aren’t they demonstrating at the colleges and universities where they’ve been indoctrinated? It’s those institutions that charge the obscene price for an education. I have son a senior in Cornell $52,000 a yr. Another son a junior in Catholic high school$7,000 a yr. soon to be in college.This on a civil servant and nurse salaries. No financial aid. Nobody has put a gun to our heads to attend private HS or a private university.I have incurred heavy parent student debt as well as my son incurring the meager amount the Feds let him borrow. I have worked 2 to 3 jobs for the past 30 yrs. I don’t expect any forgiveness of my debt. I will pay my debt,as well as the soon to be incurred debt for my younger son. I believe the unemployment rate for college graduates is 4 point something % in theUS. The demonstrations seem to me to be more of an excuse to party and get laid. There are plenty of jobs available maybe not the ones the students intended to have. There is something more sinister at work here. These students are pawns in a global push to tear down governments. The sad part is ,If anarchy does come the pierced tattooed hipster types will be the first ones to go.

4. Ron Hale October 16th, 2011 1:17 am
   

   There are a number of very nice videos of Sara Watkins performing solo on uke. One of my favorites, Al, is:

   Sara Watkins – Different Drum – Backstage: Tennessee Shines
   TennesseeShines

   She does, indeed, shine.

   Now, on to some politics…

   My comments about the Occupy Movement in local media boil down to the fact that effecting social change takes real work and takes time.

   Locally, many people mock the Tea Party, but those people have worked long and hard to bring about the changes they desire. They formed a party, raise funds, run candidates, win elections. Write and pass legislation. Are influential in presential politics. Real work + time = results.

   Now, what real work do the Occupy-ers do? Well, they march, chant slogans, wave signs, listen to ukers. They specialize in milling around, wandering around, walking around, standing around, sitting around, lying around.

   In San Francisco they blocked the entrance to the Wells Fargo Bank forcing employees to use a side entrance. A great victory for the People, no doubt. I read today they’re rioting in Europe.
   When aren’t they rioting in Europe?

   The question is whether those protesting are willing to put in the long, hard work to bring about the changes they want. The suspicion is they are not. Making demand after demand and throwing temper tantrums won’t accomplish anything.

   Neither will shifting attention onto the police and playing the victim game. We’ve all seen it before.

   And when they leave New York they should clean up their mess. Pretty big mess, I gather. Don’t stick the city with the work and the bill. Show some responsibility. That would be a good start on all the work that has to be done.

   For those who managed to get through the above, one more video:

   D’Ukes Smoke on the Water
   essexuke

   Crank it up. This one rocks. Especially the solo.

5. Amanda October 16th, 2011 9:11 pm
   

   You know that folding uke looks like a really funky bit of kit to own. But I can’t believe the price difference between the States and literally anywhere else.

6. Woodshed October 17th, 2011 5:21 pm
   

   RobNY: I’m not sure student debt is the main focus of OWS. But I certainly agree with you that people should be responsible for their own debts and not expect to be bailed out by the government.

7. art Crocker October 26th, 2011 3:30 pm
   

   Al, Thanks for the link to Gerald Ross. He is a great talent and does a very nice Tutorial.

8. Jennifer Kersey June 11th, 2012 11:45 pm
   

   I was really looking forward to seeing this programme-it has been on before but I missed it-now I wished I had this time too!
   Frank Skinner has unfortunately caught the giant `American vocabulary flu`-everyone one and every thing is now a `GUY`-`ugh and double ugh` (if there is such a thing!?) I turned it off in the end-just what is the matter with people -cannot they say anyone`s name now-it is an extremely lazy way to talk and also a pathetic label to put on a human being!
   A guy(in the UK)is an inanimate object we put on a bonfire on November 5th and burn-Frank Skinner should be put up there too!