Stephen MacDonald

Today is my parents 27th wedding anniversary. I suppose it’s cliche, but I really don’t know where I’d be without them. They have been supportive every step of the way for me and have given me so much. It almost makes me nervous that I won’t live up to it when the time comes for me be a father. Even now, they come to almost every single one of my shows, even if that means little to no sleep for them that night. Dancing, singing, and right there for me to hug when I get off stage.

They are two people that I sincerely look up to.

This is a photo from Thanksgiving 1989. Every time I look at it I start laughing.

Take a moment and please check this out. Some peers of mine, from my hometown of Plymouth, are setting out to do real proactive work in Haiti. They will be documenting the whole thing and need some help raising funds.

Personally, I go back and forth on the whole kickstarter thing. I get it. It helps artists figure out a way to fund a piece of work, while allowing fans to become involved. As someone who plays music though, I personally have a hard time asking for fans to fund an album. There is a part of me who thinks that you should create with the means that you have.

Anyways, that’s not the point here. The point is that this particular effort speaks to me as it goes beyond just making a music video or something. I graduated high school with Jeff and then later served as a substitute Journalism teacher for Jaresiah. Both of them are really great guys and I admire them for this. Donate if you can but at the very least check out the project and spread the word if you can.

Apparently this comes out every year.

“ I might never sell 100,000 records or be on the cover of Rolling Stone and that’s fine. If I’m true to myself I’ll always have this core group of people who give a shit about it. These new people coming in, that’s great. If they stick around, that’s great, and if they stick around for one record and leave then alright, we’ll see. It’s like preaching to the choir to always get up and play in front of the same kids who you know like that music. I know what to expect if I get up in front of a group kids who listen to (insert indie rock band here). I don’t know what to expect if I get up and sing a song about the failure of two party politics to a crowd who listens to all pop music. Surprisingly cool shit happens. People’s eyes open up and I think that’s more the challenge and that’s more what I am into.

—

Kevin Devine (via featheroars)

Ha! This is from an interview I did with Kevin when we first met back in 2006.

(Source: spotlightthe.blogspot.com, via fuckyeahkdev)

Friday night was surreal, from the moment I stepped into The Iron Horse. Never thought I’d have that chance. Thanks to all.

“

People are taking the piss out of you everyday. They butt into your life, take a cheap shot at you and then disappear. They leer at you from tall buildings and make you feel small. They make flippant comments from buses that imply you’re not sexy enough and that all the fun is happening somewhere else. They are on TV making your girlfriend feel inadequate. They have access to the most sophisticated technology the world has ever seen and they bully you with it. They are The Advertisers and they are laughing at you.

You, however, are forbidden to touch them. Trademarks, intellectual property rights and copyright law mean advertisers can say what they like wherever they like with total impunity.

Fuck that. Any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It’s yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.

You owe the companies nothing. Less than nothing, you especially don’t owe them any courtesy. They owe you. They have re-arranged the world to put themselves in front of you. They never asked for your permission, don’t even start asking for theirs.

— Banksy (via thenewavengers, angwe & moorehn)

(Source: thechocolatebrigade, via yourmandevine)

3eanuts:

May 13, 1979 — see The Complete Peanuts 1979-1982

I could use this for a week.

(via evoke)

designersof:

by Steven Hill

sirmitchell:

carton-rouge:

84-year-old Occupy Seattle participant Dorli Rainey, pictured above after being pepper sprayed by Seattle Police on November 15th.

She later wrote about the incident:

“Something funny happened on my way to a transportation meeting in Northgate. As I got off the bus at 3rd and Pine I heard helicopters above. Knowing that the problems of New York would certainly precipitate action by Occupy Seattle, I thought I better check it out. Especially since only yesterday the City Government made a grandiose gesture to protect free speech. Well free speech does have its limits as I found out as the cops shoved their bicycles into the crowd and simultaneously pepper sprayed the so captured protesters. If it had not been for my Hero (Iraq Vet Caleb) I would have been down on the ground and trampled. This is what democracy looks like. It certainly left an impression on the people who rode the No. 1 bus home with me. In the women’s movement there were signs which said: “Screw us and we multiply.’”

What a heroic woman, and a severely disappointing action by the Seattle Police.

Not quite sure what to say.

(via yourmandevine)