I Read The News Today, Oh Boy

I live in Washington, DC, where the paper of record is the Washington Post. So this challenge was one that was a bit tough, as I’m not a regular reader of the New York Times. In fact, I’m more likely to read the London Times than the NYC paper (the closet Anglophile in me, I guess).

So I missed this paper when it hit the stands - oops. Fortunately, the power of the internets, combined with the fact that I have access to academic databases, allowed me to find some good fodder for this challenge.

Headline: “How the West Was Lost”
Story: Okay, it’s a tenuous link, but hear me out: the story is about the fizzling housing boom in Arizona. It was a bit of fool’s gold for developers, as they never quite realized that people wanted homes, not simply McMansion houses. So for the developers who were mixed up in this mess, the game is definitely over. Plus, the song name-checks the New York Times - instant relevance there, right? Right?
Song: “Overs” - Simon & Garfunkel (from Bookends)

Headline: “TELEVISION REVIEW; Swan Song For a Tough Old Bird”
Story: The last of the Prime Suspect murder dramas aired the week of this story. For those who weren’t among the fans of DS Jane Tennyson’s stories: Helen Mirren played the tough-edged, yet flawed, homicide detective to a level seldom seen on TV before - or since. She’s a model of depth in character development: a strong woman with a most chaotic psychology: defiant, depressed, engaging, repellent, and above all, human. I’m sad to see the series go, but it ended on a great story.
Song: “Murder By Numbers” - The Police (from Message In A Box)

Headline: “Democrats Weigh New Power as Leaders”
Story: This song’s title has more to do with those who survived the elections of 2006 with their jobs intact, though mostly from the perspective of House Republicans. They saw their rubber-stamp, do-nothing court reduced to ashes (or at least smoke damaged to a great extent) due to voters’ anger at the asinine lock-step nature of this congress with regard to President Bush’s failed policies. Also, this is Warren Zevon, whose knack for a witty and dark lyric was always something to behold.
Song: “I Was In The House When The House Burned Down” - Warren Zevon (from Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon)

Headline: “Muslim’s Election Is Celebrated Here and in Mideast”
Story: Who said that the U.S. wasn’t ready for a Muslim politician?
Song: “Politik” - Coldplay (from A Rush Of Blood To The Head)

Headline: “Metro Briefing | New York: Queens: Teenagers Charged In Man’s Death”
Story: I’m drawn to the image of teens who caused the death of a man: children thrust into an adult world far too soon. Now all they can do is reflect on what once was: a carefree life, no responsibility, freedom. All were quashed by making poor choices in life. I really appreciate Liv Taylor’s delivery of this song: understated, yet more moving than the more familiar Don Henley version.
Song: “The End Of The Innocence” - Livingston Taylor (from Ink)

Headline: “In Florida, Echoes of 2000 as Vote Questions Emerge”
Story: All I can think of here is the bug-eyed vote counter from 2000. He had a bad day, and Floridians continue to have bad days whenever voting is mentioned.
Song: “Bad Day” - R.E.M. (from In Time: The Best of R.E.M.)

Headline: “Ellen Willis, 64, Journalist and Feminist”
Story: Ellen Willis had a groundbreaking career as a journalist, commentator and music critic, and was a leader in the feminist movement. She was a tough women, born in The Bronx and raised in Queens, and she carried a strong sense of identity and drive throughout her life. She was the first pop music critic for the New Yorker (one of the first female music critics), and wrote many essays for Rolling Stone, helping establish said magazine as a vital political and music journal. Willis described herself as a “anti-authoritarian democratic socialist,” and spoke out against social conservatism and authoritarianism on both sides of the political aisle. And to me, her opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and her criticism of the anti-war movement hits near-and-dear to my own sentiment. So this iconic Lennon-McCartney song simply fits: I can see Willis reading the news and having the same pithy reaction as John Lennon, hoping for something good and meaningful to happen.
Song: “A Day In The Life” - The Beatles (from Love)

Download: Onkel Rudi’s “I Read The News Today, Oh Boy” (zip — SendFile)
(Click here for download instructions)

You can download the songs & XML file individually, too:

Download: “Overs” - Simon & Garfunkel (mp3)
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Download: “Murder By Numbers” - The Police (mp3)
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Download: “I Was In The House When The House Burned Down” - Warren Zevon (mp3)
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Download: “Politik” - Coldplay (mp3)
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Download: “The End Of The Innocence” - Livingston Taylor (mp3)
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Download: “Bad Day” - R.E.M. (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “A Day In The Life” - The Beatles (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Onkel Rudi’s “I Read The News Today, Oh Boy” (XML playlist)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)