#musicmonday: Mama's Theme Song

Certain co-workers of mine have found it impossible not to sing a song with the lyric "mother" in them as they pass me in the hall. Today it was this one:



However, in my head that "mother" refrain turned into this:



Evidently, music re-popularized in 1992-1993 was preparing me for motherhood. Does anyone else have the urge to go play Rock Band now?

Your Friday Awesome: The Internetz

Yes, yes, proliferation of information...a meeting place for ideas...but really when it comes down to it the internet is really just good for one thing, sending and being sent adorable pictures of fuzzy things when you are having a shit of a day or week.

You're welcome.

Your Friday Awesome: Axe Cop

What happens when a 29 year-old decides to draw a comic written by his 5 year-old brother? Pure awesomeness, that's what.

Axe Cop seems absolutely insane to us who have been brainwashed by the logic of adulthood. But in kid world it makes perfect sense. Does the character eat something or accidentally get the blood of something on them? Oops! Now you are part lobster! Uh-oh! Now you can throw avocado grenades! Also, your name will be determined by your characteristics and/or powers, and it will change as they change - unless of course you are the main character. Also? Poop.

Its also a pretty interesting manifestation of how kids absorb the construction of heroes and villains. Notably, all of the main characters are men and with few exceptions the women that show up are bad or not so nice. So I appreciate the 29 year-old's attempt to incorporate more female superheroes.

Your Friday Awesome: Its (gonna be) a boy!

For those of you who don't know me in real life, this is happening. He's quite a bit bigger now, but this week the tech only gave us pictures of his junk or slightly creepy skull faces.

Despite the crazy science experiment that has become my body, it is really, really awesome. I was hesitant to start posting about pregnancy/parenting, but with this post I'm officially giving myself permission.

I have an increasingly proven theory that if you have a degree in Women's Studies or are a Women's Studies professor you are pretty much guaranteed to have a boy. Perhaps it is the universe saying we need more feminist men. Or, perhaps it is the universe's way of letting us off the hook so we don't have to deal with an onslaught of pink princess crap (though if down the line he wants to be a pink princess, more power to him). Either way, over the last few months my blogging brain has been going non-stop without an outlet, so I'm gonna give it one. Just don't start calling it a mommy blog.

#musicmonday: Sounds of (not so) Silence

This has been in my head all day. Now it is in yours. You're welcome.

PS: Does the shot of the groovin' audience member remind anyone else of the audience from MTV's Unplugged? Could have been in the Nirvana show, or maybe it was his kid.

#musicmonday: Dessa, Kick (some) Ass Lady Rapper

I was introduced to Dessa through my husband's friend who brought him along to review a show. He thought it would be funny since my husband used to be in DESA (I would link to this really awesome video that he and our friend made here, but Warner Music Group has decided it has rights to something written, sung, produced, directed and filmed by people whose content they have no rights over, and YouTube believes them, so here's my second favorite, but anyway...). Adam gave Dessa a DESA shirt and brought me home a CD, 'cause you know bad-ass lady, means Stephanie will totally dig it.

Of course he was right. Dessa cannot only sing, she can rap, and she writes some pretty amazing lyrics. At first listen I was a little disturbed by a theme that runs through both Dixon's Girl and Alibi, but after a couple of listens they still resonate.



In both, she reaches out to another woman who is being exploited or abused by a man. But, rather than offer to help them get services she offers an "alibi" or "bad advice." The alibi also pops up in the Dixon's Girl video, and while I won't publicly condone subverting taking the law into your own hands...the songs bear the truth of the many reasons women rely on friends rather than social services or the police, particularly financial dependence, whether it is providing shelter (Alibi) or income (Dixon's Girl).

They also reflect the relationships between women that provide this kind of support. Dixon's Girl is an amazing look at the life of a female rapper, from lack of women in the scene, to getting shows snowed out, and its pretty fun to watch.