Music Monday–Baby Bundler Dance Party

Eek! Music Monday is beginning to feel a bit perfunctory. I dunno, maybe you couldn’t tell? I’m not quite ready to throw in the towel though. Today feels a little more organic, but part of me thinks, you know, we all have access to the same music, can I really tell you something you don’t already know?

By the time our first born was about 6-months old, we’d stick her in the “Baby Bundler,” a 25-foot long, 2-foot wide piece of stretchy cotton that wrapped around our bodies, place her facing out, and dance around, her arms and legs sticking out and bouncing up-and-down to our movements and the music. A splendid time was had by all.

I can’t remember many of the songs we played, but here are a couple of favorites.

Listening to Yo La Tengo in the car the other day reminded me of this:

Speeding Motorcycle, Daniel Johnston

Speeding motorcycle, won’t you change me?
Speeding motorcycle, won’t you change me?
In a world of funny changes
Speeding motorcycle, won’t you change me?
Speeding motorcycle of my heart
Speeding motorcycle; always changing me
Speeding motorcycle, don’t you drive recklessly
Speeding motorcycle of my heart
Pretty girls have taken you for a ride
Hurt you deep inside but you never slowed down
Speeding motorcycle in my heart
Speeding motorcycle, let’s speed smart
‘Cause we don’t want to wreck but
We can do a lot of tricks
We don’t have to break our necks
To get our kicks
Speeding motorcycle, the road is ours
Speeding motorcycle, let’s speed some more
‘Cause we don’t need reason and we don’t need logic
We’ve got feeling and we’re dang proud of it
Speeding motorcycle, there’s nothing you can’t do
Speeding motorcycle, I love you
Speeding motorcycle, let’s just go
Speeding motorcycle
Let’s go let’s go let’s go
Oo oo

Considering what Iggy Pop was doing when he’d perform this song live, how appropriate was it for baby bundler dancing? I’m not too concerned, but just now when my kids saw a couple of the live videos, they made faces and said “he’s weird Mom.” What’s worse than the naked gyrations and references to heroin addiction was the sell out to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Maybe the joke’s on them.

Lust For Life, Iggy Pop

Here comes Johnny Yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And a flesh machine
He’s gonna do another strip tease

Hey man, where’d you get that lotion?
I’ve been hurting since I bought the gimmick
About something called love
Yeah, something called love
Well, that’s like hypnotising chickens

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in the ear before
‘Cause of a lust for life
‘Cause of a lust for life

I’m worth a million in prizes
With my torture film
Drive a G.T.O.
Wear a uniform
All on government loan

I’m worth a million in prizes
Yeah, I’m through with sleeping on the sidewalk
No more beating my brains
No more beating my brains
With the liquor and drugs
With the liquor and drugs

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in my ear before
‘Cause, of a lust for life (lust for life)
‘Cause of a lust for life (lust for life, oooo)
I’ve got a lust for life (oooh)
Got a lust for life (oooh)
Oh, a lust for life (oooh)
Oh, a lust for life (oooh)
A lust for life (oooh)
I got a lust for life (oooh)
Got a lust for life

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in my ear before
‘Cause I’ve a lust for life
‘Cause I’ve a lust for life.

Well, here comes Johnny Yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And a flesh machine
I know he’s gonna do another strip tease

Hey man, where’d ya get that lotion?
Your skin starts itching once you buy the gimmick
About something called love
Oh Love, love, love
Well, that’s like hypnotising chickens.

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in the ear before
And I’ve a lust for life (lust for life)
‘Cause I’ve a lust for life (lust for life)
Got a lust for life
Yeah, a lust for life
I got a lust for life
Oh, a lust for life
Got a lust for life
Yeah a lust for life
I got a lust for life

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the way it is or twinkly’s Manifesto of the Pussy

Ladies and Gents,

I am a woman; I was born female; or as Her Ladyship Gaga likes to say “Baby, I was born this way.”

I was born complete, with all of my eggs.

I am a perfect vessel for many things. Fornication, procreation, lactation, IF I SO CHOOSE. All of the biggies that somehow some folks seem to think I don’t understand about myself.

I was made unique from the males of the species. There need be no judgement of this; it is fact, not good, not bad; not right, not wrong. Add an intelligent brain and critical thinking to the fact of my biology and I choose that I am right and I am good. I am not bad nor am I wrong; my body’s design is a perfect amalgamation of centuries of evolution.

When our quadrupedal ancestors stood up and eventually evolved into homo sapiens, the genitalia of the males of the species became vulnerable in a way that they are not in a quadruped. Female genitalia, in a fundamentally different way than in any other mammal, became protected and free from the males’ easy accessibility. Add to this that women have a menstrual, as opposed to an estrous, cycle and you have women’s sexual liberation, built right into our unique human biology. Add that women are [potentially] multi-orgasmic. Add that within a pregnant woman’s body, the absolute time and place of life and death exist. These all make for a potentially POWERFUL FORCE OF NATURE.

I will state it a different way: women are powerful forces of nature due to our biology. What about this? Nature can feel threatening because it can seem out-of-control. Sometimes, this makes people uncomfortable. When we are uncomfortable, our fear response is often triggered. The fear response can take the form of fight, flight, freeze, submit, or any combination/manifestation thereof.

Right now, many are mislead into thinking that the females of the human race are somehow wanting. I say we lack nothing; though, like anyone doing the hard work of being human, we have needs and we need support.

We need support for many reasons, not the least of which is to carry out the hard work of being female in an fearful, unjust, uncomprehending world.

Women have always sought ways to prevent pregnancy. Not always has morality been attached to this seeking.

I am tired of confusion. I am tired of obfuscation. I am weary of the twists and lies, misinformation and rhetoric currently sucking energy away from real issues of wealth disparity, war-mongering, environmental degradation, and the hijacking of our country by corporations and corporate interests. I am tired of Rush Limbaugh, the state of Virginia, the misguided political climate, fundamentalist religions, and corporate greed, to name a few, trying to wrest control and power from me.

I declare that no one can call me a whore or a slut unless I say so. If being a whore or a slut means I like sex, always have and likely always will, then I will gladly call myself these things. If you resort to calling me names, then I call you misguided and I suppose you are probably not having the kind of sex you’d like or as frequently.

I choose to be sexually free. I choose to be in charge of when, how, with whom, and where I have sex, as long as it is consensual, and I declare, just like Billy Holiday, that it ain’t nobody’s business if I do.

Kiss your daughters, kiss your wives. Declare your love and admiration for your mothers and sisters, for women with children and women without children. Kiss the ground we walk on and throw rose petals before our feet. Stop using our names against us. Give credit where credit is due. Remember history before god was declared a man, before doctors stole from midwives, and when mother-worship ruled.

Bow down before the original life and death force.

I am grateful that I was born a woman, motherfuckers.

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