Music Monday: Not Ready To Make Nice

Since I "republished" one of my very first posts here on "Nifty Nation" yesterday, I thought it only appropriate that today's feature be a Dixie Chicks video.

Yes, it's controversial.

Yes, it's "the" song.

Yes, it swept the Grammy's last year, and deserved every single award it was given.

I'm talking about "Not Ready To Make Nice," the centerpiece of the "Taking the Long Way" album.

Dixie Chicks-Not ready to make nice
Uploaded by Coyote63000

You may not be a Dixie Chicks fan, you may not like this song, but at the end-of-the-day this is an incredibly powerful song. In fact, I personally feel it's such a powerful song it warrants highlighting the lyrics here:

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

Still at war and still singing

I've been blogging personally for nearly a year (I published the first post here on Nifty Nation on the 25th of March, and for the most part I've been pretty good at keeping up with staying active) and professionally for well over a year.

As politics are at the height of public awareness I'm reminded of a post I published about the Dixie Chicks and their documentary "Shut Up & Sing." I have to reiterate how important the movie is, regardless of whether or not you're a fan of the band. To honor the documentary I'd like to republish that post, which went live on 26 March 2007:

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A couple of weekends ago I watched the recently released DVD "Shut Up and Sing", the documentary chronicling the controversy surrounding the Dixie Chicks and their remarks made a few years ago about the current world war in Iraq. I'm already a fan of the Dixie Chicks so I couldn't' wait to watch the movie, but after watching it I have to admit I love them even more and thoroughly recommend it to any American who believes in free speech. Now, I have some friends who believe "entertainers" shouldn't use their celebrity platforms to convey their personal beliefs, specifically when it comes to politics. You know, after viewing this film—and knowing the story behind the controversy—I disagree wholeheartedly.

The Dixie Chicks, although the statement made by lead singer Natalie Maines was not precontrived, are not only one of the most talented and incredible bands of our time, but also the most important. I was so completely moved by watching "Shut Up & Sing" that I couldn't contain myself. Sure, many folks would…and have…disagreed with the stance of the Dixie Chicks, but I find them totally brave and resilient. Can you believe, based on what Natalie Maines said in a concert in London, that someone threatened to kill her? I mean they told her the date, time, and location. Scary. All this just because she said she is ashamed George Bush is from her home state? Hell, I'm ashamed he is from the United States. And I am NOT fearful of saying that. Why did they have to be made the examples for a country who can't stand the person leading us, in the world's eyes? I just don't get it.

The documentary is not only a statement about politics and freedom of speech but also how ridiculous the music business is in our country, and how absurd people can be (in one of the scenes in the movie a woman proudly rebukes the Dixie Chicks and even encourages her baby—who can probably not even speak—to do the same; how can you impose your ideals on a person who can barely even think for himself?). It really is mesmerizing.

SHUT UP AND SING
Uploaded by TheWeinsteinCompany

If you end-up watching "Shut Up and Sing" I'd love to know what you think.

Mommy bloggers determined to change the face of a nation.

Because of my job and my personal interest in blogging and social media, I somehow managed to get signed up for a newsletter distributed by the Chicago Moms Blog. A few days ago a newsletter dropped into my inbox, titled "Open Letter to the Presidential Candidates." I was immediately intrigued.

In a nutshell, this network of women bloggers (Silicon Valley, Chicago, New York, and DC Metro Moms Blogs) is pushing an open call for the Presidential candidates to meet with them, and discuss the issues they feel are important and relevant to them (the bloggers).

What a great testimony of the power of social media. I'll be watching closely to see if any of the candidates respond.

Twittering and Politics

I'm an avid Twitterer. I've been using it both professionally and personally for quite some time now, and find it useful--and productive--on both accounts. I recently learned that many of the current Presidential candidates are Twittering as well (or at least someone on their staff is). Oddly enough the majority of the candidates are running on the Democratic ticket, at least this is what I've discovered in some minor research (if you know of a central location that lists all the candidates who Twitter please feel free to pass it along to me). One individual who stands out as a rather active Twitterer is Senator Hillary Clinton. You can view her profile here. John Edwards has a profile as well but he hasn't posted any updates in quite some time.

Now, what's interesting about this observation to me is that I really have to question why the Republican candidates haven't embraced this medium. Particularly as someone who is not only young but is also extremely active in social media and technology. That doesn't leave a good impression with me. I believe an application like Twitter is certainly something that should be integrated into campaign packages, if the campaign managers were smart. I'll be interested in watching this as the elections get closer.

Who do you support?

I've posted here before how I'm currently forced to listen to local radio, which completely blows. However, a few days ago I was heading to work and the hosts of a morning radio show was chatting about a website where listeners can take an online poll, helping them gauge which American President hopeful their ideals line-up with. (We can all agree that the Internet and social media have played the most important role ever, in the current races.) It's the "Select a Candidate Quiz." Topics of relevance within the poll are: Iraq War, immigration, stem-cell research, and, of course, marriage. After taking a few moments to fill-it-out it was revealed that I support John Edwards.

I think I need to do some more research on these candidates. If you'd like to take the poll click here.

Political Thoughts: Part II

American politics is severely heating up, particularly given the next Presidential campaign is less than a year off. A few weeks ago I had a post titled ''Political Thoughts: Part I,'' and the center of the topic is about celebrity involvement in politics. Everyone has their own opinion on the matter. On top of this, religion and politics are most often very controversial (see Mitt Romney article), and mostly always heated. It's because of that I'm not going to go into much detail about my personal opinion -- I'm mostly interested in finding out what other people think.

Many people believe a candidate's religious background should play a major role in their campaign. The idea being that religion equals character equals how individual choices are made. Others, however, hold the opinion that religion has no impact on a political campaign, and does not belong in the government.

What's your opinion? Let others know by participating in the following poll:

Political Thoughts: Part I

Politics is not something I've historically been involved--or even interested--in. Perhaps because I've never found a politician who really exemplifies my own political beliefs. Maybe it's because I'm one of those individuals who tends to believe that even if a politician begins a career in politics their good intentions are overpowered by greed. I don't know. But what I do know is I'm making a concerted effort to involve myself in the 2008 Presidential election -- I'm 32-years-old and it's time I made some sort of [political] contribution to our country. (I refuse to debate whether or not it's a privilege or a civic duty.)

Now while the influence of my contributions aren't necessarily the topic of this particular post--which is the first in a series--I do wonder about the contributions of other citizens. Specifically, celebrities who endorse political parties and/or given candidates. Of course this is brought to the forefront right now because Oprah Winfrey has publicly endorsed Barak Obama for the Democratic Presidential candidate. I've got no problem with that; however, I have my own ideas & opinions about how this impacts the political scene.

I have a friend who holds the opinion that celebrities--actors, musicians, television personalities--should not inflict their personal beliefs out into the general public...for fear that this might "mislead" some people to believe a certain way, just because said celebrity does. My own personal opinion on the matter is that celebrities have a perfect platform for getting people involved. I love the quote Madonna* gave a reporter, as featured in the documentary ''I'm Going To Tell You a Secret'': "I'm not here to cause turmoil or tell people what to think. I'm here to wake them up." (I'm paraphrasing here, so don't hold me to the quote.)

I feel that the general public should already have their own political beliefs, and they're going to vote for their ideal candidate. For those citizens who don't typically participate in politics, then what's the harm in a celebrity bringing a certain platform to light? (It's certainly some celebrites into trouble.)

So while Oprah's choice of candidate to endorse isn't particularly my personal preference, I say more power to her!

What do you think? Do you think it's OK for Oprah to publicly endorse the candidate she prefers? Or should she just keep her opinions--and her mouth--shut?!?!



*As I'm crafting this post, I just heard it announced on E!'s The Daily 10 that Madonna is about to "officially" endorse Hillary Clinton. Interesting....

CNN * YouTube Debates

Referencing my last post, these debates are so much better than I was expecting. Sure, CNN is still very much involved...and selecting the video submissions...but for the most part I think it's an incrediby innovative way of approaching relevant topics.

My friend Kim and I keep exchanges text messages back-and-forth about who we like! Social media at its finest!

FYI...I'm NOT voting for any person who wears a hearing aid.

Social Media & Politics

If you haven't already heard, politicians and major [American] news organizations are jumping on the social media bandwagon. Actually, bandwagon isn't the appropriate term to use. Typically, I think of "jumping on the bandwagon" as being associated with something trendy or fleeting, and social media is certainly here to stay. Politicians and news organization undoubtedly recognize this and are therefore taking note of how to integrate the medium with their business models. The big question right now is just how much does social media play in both of these fields? Does it dictate news stories and political platforms? Or does it merely supplement them? Personally, I don't think anyone really knows the answer (although there are definitely strong opinions about both), and we probably won't for years to come.

I bring all of this up because I just learned that CNN is hosting the first-ever Presidential video/social media debates. I'm a little surprised that I'm just hearing of this since I live much of my life online. Anyhow.... Taking place tomorrow (7/23) at 7pm EST these debates will unarguably be historic, and could determine the relevance of social media in such vital events. The concept is really quite simple: candidates will answer questions directly from the American public, via video-sharing powerhouse YouTube.com. No journalists. No panelists. No agendas. Or so we're told.

Dubbed the "CNN * YouTube Debates" the live broadcast will launch with the Democratic Presidential candidates. The Republicans will follow in mid-September. Of course, only time will tell just how much of an impact these initiatives will make, but it'll be interesting to watch.

If you're interested in taking part in this landmark event click here. The deadline for submissions is today (7/22) though, so you'll have to hurry!

Let Your Voice Be Heard

As we all know (with the exception of some folks), our country is a big, fat mess right now. Unarguably, we have one of the worst Administrations in the history of the United States of America. Now, I've never really been a "political" person but as I'm getting older...strike that...as I'm maturing I've realized it is detrimental that I at least involve myself in what our politicians are doing, and how they're representing me and my country. That being said, I'm in "education mode," right now, and trying to start learning as much as I can about the Presidential candidates.

Last week I registered myself at HillaryClinton.com. Now, I'm not saying I'm voting for Hil, or that I'm even endorsing her. I'm merely exploring my options. Anyone who knows me, though, knows I'm a HUGE fan of sites that integrate various features of user involvement, and Hillary's site does just that.

I'm sure the other candidates have similar features on their websites, but here are a few reasons I like HillaryClinton.com:

Regardless of whatever political party you are affiliated with, what Presidential candidate you support, or what your views are on the current war, I encourage you to at least be aware -- wake up and let your voice be heard.

SHUT UP & SING!

A couple of weekends ago I watched the recently released DVD "Shut Up and Sing", the documentary chronicling the controversy surrounding the Dixie Chicks and their remarks made a few years ago about the current world war in Iraq. I'm already a fan of the Dixie Chicks so I couldn't' wait to watch the movie, but after watching it I have to admit I love them even more and thoroughly recommend it to any American who believes in free speech. Now, I have some friends who believe "entertainers" shouldn't use their celebrity platforms to convey their personal beliefs, specifically when it comes to politics. You know, after viewing this film—and knowing the story behind the controversy—I disagree wholeheartedly.

The Dixie Chicks, although the statement made by lead singer Natalie Maines was not precontrived, are not only one of the most talented and incredible bands of our time, but also the most important. I was so completely moved by watching "Shut Up & Sing" that I couldn't contain myself. Sure, many folks would…and have…disagreed with the stance of the Dixie Chicks, but I find them totally brave and resilient. Can you believe, based on what Natalie Maines said in a concert in London, that someone threatened to kill her? I mean they told her the date, time, and location. Scary. All this just because she said she is ashamed George Bush is from her home state? Hell, I'm ashamed he is from the United States. And I am NOT fearful of saying that. Why did they have to be made the examples for a country who can't stand the person leading us, in the world's eyes? I just don't get it.

The documentary is not only a statement about politics and freedom of speech but also how ridiculous the music business is in our country, and how absurd people can be (in one of the scenes in the movie a woman proudly rebukes the Dixie Chicks and even encourages her baby—who can probably not even speak—to do the same; how can you impose your ideals on a person who can barely even think for himself?). It really is mesmerizing.

SHUT UP AND SING
Uploaded by TheWeinsteinCompany

If you end-up watching "Shut Up and Sing" I'd love to know what you think.