Archive for September, 2008

Top Ten Favorite 80s Songs

Posted on: September 25th, 2008 by Geoff Livingston 6 Comments

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Jessica Hartin, a high school friend (Abington High School, Class of 90! w00t!), asked me to list my top ten favorite 80s songs. Ahh, the 80s: The hair, the MC Hammer pants, the Madonna bracelets and scrungees. Good times.

OK, enough waxing poetic, here they are with links to the YouTube songs:

1) Bon Jovi – Wanted Dead or Alive (1986): One of my first concerts. Truly describes my spirit from the lone wolf attitude to the motorcycle (steel horse).

2) Public Enemy – Fight the Power (1989): Yup. That’s right, and rap never got better. Chuck D, Terminator X, Flavor Flav brought punk militant attitudes and shoved it down all of our throats. Love it!

3) U2 – Bad (1984): Not their biggest hit, but the one that stirs me the most. Truly a cry against racial inequality and strife. Bono was even more passionate about world peace back then. This video features their performance at Live Aid in 1985. Bono’s mullet is impressive, and he still sang off-key.

4) Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock – It Takes Two (1988): Awesome hip hop dance tune that they still play in clubs today. This stuff was incredible. Joy and Pain almost made this list.

5) NWA – Straight Out of Compton (1989): Rap or punk, you tell me. This song ignited an insane wave of gangsta rap.

6) The Clash – Rock the Casbah (1982): Their last album, and my favorite tune on this particular disk. The video was an MTV original, and the piano track was unusual for a punk song. Clearly, one of the best punk bands ever!

7) Prince – Raspberry Beret (1985): In the follow-up album to Purple Rain, Prince released this funkadellic love jam, and it was a hit, but not a huge one. It’s still my favorite Prince song from the 80s (Kiss was pretty damn good, too).

8) Kid ‘n’ Play – Rollin’ with Kid n Play (1988): Another fun dance rap groove, Kid ‘n’ Play. Even better in the House Party movies. It was the era of Hip Hop when it was still fresh and new.

9) Metallica – Blackened (1989): Favorite Metallica song ever, tight as hell, and an absolute political tear on environmental ills. I saw them on this tour and they were insane. Young Metallica was literally one of the best concert acts ever.

10) Rick James – Super Freak (1981): Funk, dance, yeah, a moving tune! Do I really need to say anything? Other than shame on you, MC Hammer, for ripping this off! :P

I figured to make it extra fun, I’d tag some other bloggers to see what their favorite 80s songs were. So, Ike Pigott, Lauren Vargas, Sonny Gill, Amber Naslund and Wayne Hurlbert you are up!

Popularity: 42% [?]

Nokia N82 Delivers the Photo Goods

Posted on: September 20th, 2008 by Geoff Livingston 2 Comments

I’ve been walking around Las Vegas with my new mobile phone, the Nokia N82. This features the same 5.0 megapixel camera that’s in my former N95. But it’s obvious there’s been some technological improvements. Check out these stellar shots from last night’s photo walk. Tonight’s test is video.

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Popularity: 27% [?]

When You Have a Coffee Problem

Posted on: September 18th, 2008 by Geoff Livingston No Comments
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You walk around networking events at 7 p.m. like this! Photo by Steve Fisher.

Popularity: 15% [?]

What’s It Like to Ride

Posted on: September 10th, 2008 by Geoff Livingston 2 Comments

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There’s something deeply primitive and physically fulfilling about riding a motorcycle. Whether its the shots of adrenaline racing up your spine as you corner, the shudder the bike makes — shaking through your thighs as you open the throttle — followed by the exhilarating thrill as she leaps forward screaming down the road, or the firm pressure of the wind on your chest and shoulders as you race down the road at 70 mph, it just gets me.

There’s an excitement, a freedom, a thrill to life that I can only get on a motorcycle. I’ve won tense games, have had incredible moments of intimacy, felt the tired physical exhaustion from a thorough methodical work-out. Nothing delivers every time like a great motorcycle on the open road.

After a three year absence, it feels like I got my mojo back. But this time, it’s a little different. Why? Well I opted for a Ducati (full photo set here), the Italian motorcycle company, known for its racing bikes. While my GT1000 is not a true road bike, instead more of a retro standard, it’s all Ducati.

Here’s a description of what it’s like to ride (yeah, I really am wearing my motorcycle glasses):

Compared to my prior motorcycles – Honda Shadow, Harley Road King, and Yamaha V-Star Classic – the Ducati is just a superior machine. It’s a muscle bike, yet precision tuned, so that when you shift your hips to hit a steep curve, the bike just naturally swings, dropping you 30 degrees. There’s no fear. The machine clearly acts as it was designed to.

At the same time the gutural roar the engine makes is just sick. You really do feel it shutter, and leap forward, and the roar is amazing. Just a totally exhilarating experience.

The GT1000 is not unattractive either. Quite frankly, I get more head turns on this bike than even the Harley. The Ducati’s muscular, she’s fast, she’s nimble, and yeah, she’s red hot Italian. I highly recommend it, not for the new rider, but for someone who can appreciate a truly great motorcycle.

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Popularity: 48% [?]

Gerry Connolly Should Not Hold Office

Posted on: September 9th, 2008 by Geoff Livingston 2 Comments

Fairfax County Chairman Gerald Connolly should not be elected to Congress. He is the Democratic Candidate for VA- District 11. That’s coming from a fellow Democrat.

His handling of the Huntington Flood situation disgusts me. My once-gentrifying neighborhood has suffered because government bodies moved Cameron Run and never maintained it. After the cataclysmic flood of 2006, the neighborhood has never been the same. Now we are plagued with wave after wave of evacuations and possible floods with every major storm.

Government’s answer? It’s not my fault. I don’t pretend to know the legal aspects of this case, and who or why some organization is to blame. That’s why we the residents have a legal team behind us.

And thank God we do. Because it’s obvious that Fairfax County Chairman Connolly won’t act on our behalf, instead trying to weasel blame on other parties. Regardless of who is actually to blame legally, Connolly needs to act like a real leader and stand up for this district. Instead he backs down like an atypical political scum bag.

This is not Congressional material. And it’s not the first time Connolly’s shady character has come to the fore. He has a questionable job at SAIC, which makes his current political position seem like a conflict of interest to me.

No thank you. I am voting for Keith Fimian.

Popularity: 54% [?]

Email from Barack Obama about RNC Attacks

Posted on: September 4th, 2008 by Geoff Livingston 2 Comments

This is why I endorsed Barack Obama. I am sick of Rovian attacks, an the RNC has just absolutely repelled me from even considering them. And yes, I have voted Republican before, name George W. Bush in 2000.

Geoff –

Why would the Republicans spend a whole night of their convention attacking ordinary people?

With the nation watching, the Republicans mocked, dismissed, and actually laughed out loud at Americans who engage in community service and organizing.

Our convention was different. We gave the stage to everyday Americans who hunger for change and stepped up to make phone calls, knock on doors, and raise money in small amounts in their communities.

You may have missed it, but we also showed the country a video with the faces and voices of those organizers, volunteers, and donors from every corner of the country….

https://donate.barackobama.com/changevideo

What you didn’t hear from the Republicans at their convention is a single new idea about how to make the healthcare system work, get our economy moving for the middle class, or improve education.

Just attacks — on me, and on you.

But what the McCain attack squad doesn’t understand is that people like you — who devote part of their busy lives to organizing and building their communities — have the power to change this country.

With your help, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

Thank you,

Barack

Popularity: 31% [?]