Rod Alence
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ralence.bsky.social
Rod Alence
@ralence.bsky.social
93 followers 77 following 200 posts
Politics and political economy of Africa, based at Wits University in Johannesburg. Sometimes also posts about music and tennis.
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ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 31: A song that feels like a long journey.
Depeche Mode - Route 66 (Beatmasters Mix)
YouTube video by TheLightningMan
youtu.be
January 30, 2026 at 9:00 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 30: A song with a memorable bridge.

A "boss" bridge.
Lou Reed - Street Hassle (Official Audio)
YouTube video by LouReedVEVO
youtu.be
January 29, 2026 at 9:10 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 29: A song that sounds best loud.
NEW YORK DOLLS - THERE'S GONNA BE A SHOWDOWN ( VIDEOCLIP )
YouTube video by Laserdisc70
youtu.be
January 28, 2026 at 9:20 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 28: A song driven by rhythm.

The original Bo Diddley beat.
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley (1955)
YouTube video by BoDiddleyOfficial
youtu.be
January 27, 2026 at 9:09 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 27: A song you understood only later in life.

1/2
"The Joker" came out when I was in early primary school. My friends and I didn't understand that "I'm a picker and a grinner" was about playing guitar. We formed a completely different mental picture of Steve Miller "picking and grinning" -- and thought it was hilarious that he would make such an embarrassing confession in a song on the radio non-stop. I still have flashbacks every time I hear this classic.
January 26, 2026 at 9:17 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 26: A song that led you to an artist’s entire catalog.
Lucinda Williams - "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road" [Live from Austin, TX]
YouTube video by Live From Austin TX
youtu.be
January 25, 2026 at 9:41 PM
ralence.bsky.social
I'd love to see the minutes of the national meeting where Australians chose their accent.
#AO2026
January 25, 2026 at 9:56 AM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 25: A song that changed your opinon of an artist.

"Toto, I don't think its a party-party weekend anymore." Even Che seems to have raised an eyebrow.
Hey gringo « no pasaran »
YouTube video by Joe King Carasco - Topic
youtu.be
January 24, 2026 at 9:15 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 24: A song that feels like a warning.

Know your rights, all three of them.
The Clash - Know Your Rights (Remastered)
YouTube video by theclashVEVO
youtu.be
January 23, 2026 at 9:05 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 23: A song that feels hypnotic
David Byrne's American Utopia - I Zimbra (Live on Colbert, 2021)
YouTube video by Oh No Compassion
youtu.be
January 22, 2026 at 9:16 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 22: A song that builds slowly

Still timely 45 years later, with the best slow-stick-solo intro ever.
Gang of Four - "He'd Send In The Army" (LIVE) - Old Grey Whistle Test (1981)
YouTube video by Gang Of Four 77-81
youtu.be
January 21, 2026 at 9:13 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 21: A song with a powerful live version

One song, two versions.
Jimi Hendrix - The Star Spangled Banner [ National Anthem ] ( Live at Woodstock 1969 )
YouTube video by Looky Lambert
youtu.be
January 20, 2026 at 9:21 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#MusicSky
#MusicChallenge
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic

Day 20 - Song that introduced you to a new genre

West African highlife (the song is still a Mother's Day staple on Nigerian radio, I'm told)
Prince Nico Mbarga Sweet Mother
YouTube video by visualito
youtu.be
January 19, 2026 at 9:48 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 19: A song that feels happy but has sad lyrics

"🎶Everybody dies frustrated and sad, and that is beau-ti-ful.🎶"
They Might Be Giants - Don't Let's Start (official version)
YouTube video by ParticleMen
youtu.be
January 18, 2026 at 9:07 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky

Day 18: a song for when you feel lonely
Wilco - How To Fight Loneliness
YouTube video by muertootravez
youtu.be
January 17, 2026 at 9:42 PM
ralence.bsky.social
#MusicChallenge
#MusicSky
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic

Day 17: A song that captures pure anger

youtu.be/KvgCIDbj6gQ?...
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - I'm Not Angry - 5/5/1978 - Capitol Theatre (Official)
YouTube video by Elvis Costello on MV
youtu.be
January 17, 2026 at 6:53 AM
ralence.bsky.social
Nice linguistic caveat in the preface to a 1960 academic book about Ghana published in the US: "Some English words used by Ghanaians but not by Americans have been retained."
November 28, 2025 at 11:46 AM
ralence.bsky.social
Xi goes up to eleven.
October 10, 2025 at 6:48 PM
ralence.bsky.social
If there's one thing markets hate more than policy uncertainty, it's terrible policies with certainty. #EconSky
August 30, 2025 at 8:08 PM
ralence.bsky.social
Until the WH renovations are done?
Bullion markets breath sigh of relief after Trump says gold will not face tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he would not impose tariffs on gold, a move welcomed by global bullion markets and which ended days of speculation that the yellow metal could be caught up in the ongoing global trade spat.
www.reuters.com
August 11, 2025 at 6:55 PM
ralence.bsky.social
CNN International ticker now reporting that a tremor off the Alaskan coast has "triggered a local tsunami about 5cm high." Slow news day?
July 17, 2025 at 6:26 PM
ralence.bsky.social
Proof that everything is more fun in pidgin -- a welfare analysis of tariffs, which asks the crucial question, "Why tariff still dey?" 1/3
1. Wetin Be Tariff Tariff na tax wey government put for goods wey dem import from another country. E dey make di price for dat kind good go up for di country wey import am. 2. Who Gain, Who Lose People Wey Dey Involved | Wetin Happen To Dem If Tariff Dey --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- People wey dey buy (Consumers) | Dem lose: Price don high, dem go buy less. People wey dey produce (Producers) | Dem gain: Dem fit sell for higher price, make more money. Government | Dem gain: Dem collect di tariff money.
July 15, 2025 at 8:04 AM
ralence.bsky.social
50 years later, Ekeh's "two publics" reconsidered?
youtu.be/DkI3j4lGlII?...
Real Nigerian #theme #song. How #nigerian are you?
YouTube video by NATIONAL ORIENTATION AGENCY
youtu.be
July 14, 2025 at 7:20 PM
ralence.bsky.social
Good work by the Ghanaian diaspora:
edition.cnn.com/2025/07/11/p...
A federal judge on Friday found that the Department of Homeland Security has been making stops and arrests in Los Angeles immigration raids without probable cause and ordered the department to stop detaining individuals based solely on race, spoken language or occupation. US District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, ordered that DHS must develop guidance for officers to determine “reasonable suspicion” outside of the apparent race or ethnicity of a person, the language they speak or their accent, “presence at a particular location” such as a bus stop or “the type of work one does.”
July 12, 2025 at 7:48 AM
ralence.bsky.social
Ackman-Sock drop first set in ATP Newport Challenger in 21 minutes.
July 9, 2025 at 6:17 PM