Okay Music n3rds, as stolen from smlhope

Step 1. Put your playlist on random. (note I do not have a "playlist" so this is from my complete mp3 collection)
Step 2. Post the first line from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing. (You can skip songs that are instrumental.)
Step 3. Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly.

1. Every boy and girl, woman to man
2. Petrol bombs and barricades
3. We Have No Choice But To Fight Back
4. I have tried
5. Its one a.m. you havent called
6. What are your motives,
7. Let me tell you the tale of a hot rod race,
8. Her hair is soft and her eyes are oh so blue
9. I kinda get that feeling
10. There was cameras brought for pictures to hold all the small details.
11. I contradict myself daily
12. He's not a dreamer or a schemer,
13. Back when I was younger they were talking at me
14. Precious cups within the flower
15. Michigan State, MIT
16. This time I'm not going to walk away.
17. Tried to warn my neighbors about my inner plot
18. The mark is on you now
19. Ive seen em doing battle
20. I like breaking arms and legs
21. You turn me on, you lift me up
22. Searching for Black Jesus
23. keep me alive. only you can do it. if not you'll die too
24. Well we all have a face
25. Far away upon a hill on a sunny mountain side

Thought I'd post some links to some recent blog posts I made on http://linchpin.ca

BC dockworkers force feds to back down

The state robs the unemployed

Ontario Labour roundup

and finally, here's a teaser...

Perhaps my favorite anti-war song of all time is given the youtube treatment with footage from the destruction and occupation in Iraq.

Overall, I think it's pretty well done though you should be warned that some of the footage has graphic violence. In honesty it could have been even more graphic as in my opinion too much of it is soldiers running around with guns and stuff blowing up - which to a lot of young Americans is going to look kinda cool. If you're going to make an anti-war music video you should show more of the results of the violence of the occupation on the civilian population even if it is extremely disturbing. Still it's well worth a watch.

As you may or may not have noticed I don't post much here anymore.

However, if you're interested in reading some political / current events blogging by yours truely please turn your attention to:

http://linchpin.ca/blogs/mick

Which obviously, is part of the broader Common Cause members' blogs on the http://linchpin.ca website.

Some recent ones by other folks that I thought were quite good were;

Remembrance on the Montréal massacre at École Polytechnique in 1989. sabotabby's premire blog post on the website!

Protest turns violent in Caledonia, Gary McHale finally hospitalized which includes video footage of him being mocked on camera with a bloody nose!

and an audio recording of a marxist stand-up comedian, doing what else, giving a lecture on Marx.

I'll probably throw together an RSS feed for LJ that people can subscribe to if they want.

Here I am mugging for the camera with Toronto FC's star 'keeper Kenny Stamatopoulos after tieing the NE Revolution and finishing dead last in the MLS.

More embarrassing photos and video of me can be found on the Internets if you try hard enough.

I didn't stop partying until 5am the next day.

This is what you get when you mix military disipline with anti-war activism. Fantastic. I wish we had a similar group of Canadain Afganistan veterens that spoke out against that war.

August 18, 2007

Iraq Veterans Against the War sounds off with their stance on the America's Army game at a St Louis expo. Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) stood in mass company formation and sounded off with "War is not a game" in front of an America's Army game booth and were met with cheers from bystanders.

I decided to set up a soccer-specific livejournal at rowdycorner. You should friend me if you want to continue to read about the greatest team in the MLS, the mighty Toronto FC!

It is unlikely that I will use this journal for anything more than reading friends pages and making the odd comment.

Toronto FC vs FC Dallas - June 17, 2007 Highlights


A few FC Dallas supporters made the trip, and were treated to some beer that at least one couldn't handle.



In other news, the bus trip to Chicago has sold out! Thank god, I was stressing on it after putting myself down for 5 grand for the bus. Now we're going to invade Chicago with 2 coaches and over 150 people (a bunch are driving / flying down).

I also scored a single ticket to the opening Canada vs. Chile game of the U-20 world cup on July 1st. Great seat too, Section 113, row 3 (U-Sector represent!).

Tonight the mighty TFC take their game on the road and are up for a revenge re-match against the North East Revolution who initiated the team into the league back in April with a 4-0 loss. The Hideout is the place to be tonight if you want to watch the match.

I also signed up for the U-Sector winter indoor soccer league, where skill is actually frowned upon" and "ya have to have a pub. What do you think we would run around for an hour for the good of our health (have ya even seen me?), no, it's to earn yerself some time in the pub." Should be fun.

It was the clash of the corporate teams with BMO sponsored Toronto FC hosting the New York Red Bulls (owned by, you guessed it, Red Bull energy drink).

If you want a match report, go here.

As far as the match goes it was pretty good, and we squeezed a 2-1 victory out of Colorado who frankly are a better team. The atmosphere in the stadium was amazing again and we were able to suck the ball into the Rapids' net and help keep it out of ours, even though a number of our starters were away on international duty. The only shameful thing that happened is that Kevin Goldthwaite was red-carded for "abusive or offensive language", which could just be dropping the f-bomb, but likely was something far nastier (like a racist insult, though I doubt we'll ever know for sure).

Anyway, here's the highlight reel.

Toronto FC Goals. Joga Bonito (play beautiful)



Not only do we jam to Portuguese dance songs, we have a chant in French! (and like to throw streamers and heckle opposing teams corner kicks). At the end of the video you can see my section 111 throwing the "TFC Massive"(AKA "The French chant") over the Gate 3 gap. You can see me about the middle of the screen with my black "Toronto" ball-cap on and khaki shorts (and my red Toronto FC jersey of course).



It's pretty good, but still not as awesome as the original from Lens in France.



Before the match I collected some money from U-sector guys for the road trip to Chicago that I'm helping organize at the pub pre-match, and got a 50/50 90 minute pool going for Toronto's first goal of the match (which nobody won, so will all go towards the trip). Unfortunately, the pub decided to be really strict on letting people in post-match, which was the last straw for a lot of us after they kicked everyone with a Toronto FC jersey out a couple weeks ago after one idiot (not a u-sector member) threw a pint glass into the street. Fuck the Wheatsheaf seems to be the prevailing sentiment (there's also a couple photos in that link of me stuck outside the pub looking bored). I ended up going to some friends' apartment after the match got an 8 pack of Creemore, hung out on the front lawn drinking, got a huge roti from Pam's, and then somehow ended up falling asleep in front of the Stanley Cup final (fortunately I woke up and was able to leave the house sometime around 1am).

Can't wait for the match against the New York Red Bulls (worst corporate named team in the MLS). on Wednesday.

I don't really have time to write an article about the last TFC match, so here's a great article by someone else.

( Thunder on the Lakeshore )

Okay, haven't posted in awhile, I don't really know if I'm going to update this journal much anymore. But I did go to the Toronto FC home opener last week and had an awesome time. Here's some photos and clips to give you some idea of what the atmosphere was like (but really you have to be at the match to really get it).

Photo 1 - Where's Mick?


All we are saying... viewers on the CBC get a taste of TFC supporters singing a modified Jon Lennon tune.



A reminder to all away team players who might score, don't go to the TFC supporters section to celebrate unless you want a free beer-bath




And of course, what is a sporting event without the post-game party?



If anyone want to go to a match let me know as I do have an extra seat that needs to be filled. However, be advised, going to a match in Section 111 means you will be expected to stand, chant, sing, and support Toronto FC. Check out the upcoming schedule and let me know what game you want to go to. Note: for the LA Galaxy AKA "Beckham" game I will be using a lottery system to decide who gets to come with me to heckle that over-paid rockstar.

Great news, the jinx I had watching Sudbury Wolves games is now officially broken! I just watched the Wolves win 6-3 over the Mississauga Ice Dogs tonight, advancing them to the semi-finals of the OHL playoffs.

It was a pretty intense hockey game, with lots of physical play and a fight that saw Devin Didiomete send a Mississauga player to the dressing room with the "Inglewood Jack".

The best part of the game was when a mere five seconds after conceding a power-play goal against them Justin Donati answered back with a goal for the Wolves and the cheering in the Hershey Centre stopped like a record that's needle jumped off the turntable.

Me and my friend Martin treated ourselves to the platinum seats (which were only $5 more that the other seats) and got to see some great hockey up close with a good number of future NHLers.

Sudbury plays Barrie next in the playoffs, and we have a very tentative plan to make a trip up there and stay at his aunt's place there complete with a hot-tub!

If they make it to the finals I'll have to try and make a home game back in Sudbury.

Go Wolves Go!

In other sporting related news, I picked up my sweet Toronto FC scarves from the guys in the U-sector. Besides being really happy with how great the scarves turned out it was also cool in that I was wearing my Sumoud T-shirt and met a U-Sector guy whose band had played a benefit concert for Al-Awda and got props on it from another guy. So, even if soccer fans are generally going to be a pretty apolitical bunch of guys (and I do mean guys, the U-sector is a total sausage party) it's nice that at least a couple of them are sympathetic to left issues and the rest at least aren't at all hostile.

Self-indulgent photos of me and my new scarf follow.

( Rocking it U-sector style )

One of the things I found out about yesterday was that the Iranian police busted up an IWD protest. But the real story isn't the heavy hand of the Iranian state, it's the courage of the women who protested in front of the Iranian Revolutionary Court earlier in the week in solidarity with five women on trial for organizing a feminist protest last June. 50 women were arrested, one so violently that her teeth were knocked out when she was thrown against a police van, they then responded with a hunger-strike that won a release from prison for all but three women who still remain in jail.

Today, these women are my Heroines (Click the link for photos of them).

Comment with the words "Top Ten" or "Top Five", and I will reply with a subject for which you will generate a top ten (or top five) list. Post the list and these instructions in your own journal.

sabotabby asked for my top ten riots. Here are the first ten that came to me, in chronological order.

Kinmel Park Riots, 1919

Christie Pits Riot, 1933.

Detroit riots, 1967

Attica Prison riot, 1971

Soweto Uprising, 1976

Brixton riot, 1981

Intifada, 1987

Poll Tax riot, 1990

Los Angeles Rebellion, 1992

Youth riots across France, 2005

So last night I went to the Art auction for OCAP.

I had a couple of beers and bought 3 peices.


"The Factory" Print by Gain Mura


"Bring Your Own Bombs" I currently forget the artist.


"Daybreak in Dawson" by Henry Haskins

- Birthday Party. Was good, friends came, got drunk, got a present, Leafs won, made other plans with people who couldn't make it.

- Work. Sucks, as usual, I want to make more $ in a less crazy environment.

- Music. Going to Viletones/ Fucked Up OCAP gig on the 28th. Red Sparrowes on March 10th. Considering Cuff the Duke this weekend. Probably going to get a wristband for CMW again.

- Sports. Celtic FC and AC Milan tied 0-0 today in Champions League Football (Soccer). I support both teams so this is a good outcome. Ronaldo was on fire during the exciting 4-3 AC Milan victory over Siena.

Also, for the next three weekends the Sudbury Wolves are playing the the GTA. ('Suaga, Brampton, and Toronto). Let me know if you want to catch a game with me.


- Politics. Shamaltics.

Circulated on behalf of amandarant

***pour une version francaise contactez amanda@resist.ca***

I am writing an article about the ways in which we need to develop a more compassionate and cohesive strategy for dealing with what is commonly termed "mental health issues" in our communities. The original proposal for the article is below. Right now, I am looking for people to respond to a questionnaire over email about your experiences. Please read further for more information or write to me at amanda@resist.ca with questions or to participate.


==> THE SURVEY
There are 2 parts, the first would be closed-ended questions about what you experience/how you situate yourself within a mental health discourse and the second would be more open-ended questions relating to what you have needed or been able to provide for people struggling with mental health and in/sanity and what you think could be or needs to be done to build a more sustainable supportive community or network.

I am asking people to respond to either part or both, and you could opt out of any questions you wanted to.

==>SECURITY
Nothing on email is 100% secure but to the best of my ability i will keep your participation and responses completely confidential. Any responses in French will need to be translated but will be done without your name or contact info associated with it, by someone who will also commit to absolute confidentiality. Anonymous responses are welcome. I will under no circumstances disclose the names or contacts of anyone who participated, or any identifying facts or features, without explicit consent from the person/people involved. I will transfer responses to a file that doesn’t associate directly to your name, email or contact info. The survey will ask permission to maintain a system for reassociating your contact info with your questionnaire in the event that i want to ask permission to follow up with you specifically. If you decline permission, I will remove any way of associating your contact info with your answers.

==>METHODOLOGY
This is not rigorous research and not supervised by anyone else; i have no formal training in research methods and do not have any criteria for participation other than self-selection.

At the moment, i want to use these responses as indications of the
realities of people in left-libertarian scenes in an article i am writing
for perspectives. i hope to do public talks and more writing in the
future.

==> THE ARTICLE
Contact me for a copy of the article proposal

Thanks very much for your time. I can be contacted at amanda@resist.ca

1. Grab the nearest book. (N.B. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.)
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag 5 people.


"The Country must be conquered, for out of the country a new military force may be formed.

"But even when both these things are done, still the War, that is, the hostile feeling and action of hostile agencies, cannot be considered as at an end as long as the will of the enemy is not subdued also; that is, its Government and its Allies must be forced into signing a peace, or the people into submission; for whilst we are in full occupation of the country, the War may break out afresh, either in the interior or through assistance given by Allies. No doubt, this may also take place after a peace, but that shows nothing more than that every War does not carry in itself the elements for a complete decision and final settlement."

I just tagged: sabotabby threeisbetter quining kellista and frandroid - You're it!