Smells like...Victory

This is for all you Apocalypse Now (i.e. Heart of Darkness) fans out there. With a new twist.

The Future of American Politics

If you've never heard of Barack Obama, you will. The Democratic candidate for Senator in Illinois gave the keynote address at the DNC last night. It took Clinton's "A more perfect union" theme and ran with it, emphasizing that a divided America can be one again. He touched on themes and images that evoked the American Dream, the urban experience, the struggles of blue collar workers.

My favorite tidbit

The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

Read the transcript, and then go watch it, for full effect. We've really got something here, folks. Perhaps one day, race will not matter on the electability of a president. It will start with Obama.

House of the Holy

Mutual Admiration Society, Moore Theater 7/27/2004

Walking into the lobbby of the Moore about twenty minutes after the show started was kind of like walking into an empty cathedral before mass. I'd never seen it so emtpy. Without even hearing the music, muffled by the closed doors to the auditorium, I knew we made a mistake thinking there was an opening band. We settled into seats at the very back on the main floor while MAS played. Onstage were the members of Nickel Creek -- Sean, Chris, and Sara -- led by former Toad The Wet Sprocket front man, Glen Phillips. They were playing one of Nickel Creek's many bluegrass/pop tunes, with a touch of Phillips's electric guitar, along with a drummer. But what held my attention the most was the guy hanging out in the back, playing bass. From the understated (but slightly cheesy) collared shirt, to the gray hair denoting his middle age, you couldn't tell it was John Paul Jones. That's right, The John Paul Jones. Member of the legendary Led Zeppelin. Definitive rock songs like Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven, Good Times, Bad Times come immediately to mind. Paige on guitar. Plant wailing on vocals. Bonham punishing the drums. And Jones, holding everything together. Seeing the man himself was like going back in time. It was a thrill to be within a few hundred feet of him.

Tonight, the band mostly played songs I'd heard before. The set was mainly a mix of Toad songs, and Nickel Creek songs. A little disappointing, since I expected more from a collaboration of talented artists. I enjoyed the set for the most part because of the (slightly) different take on known songs. Nickel Creek mainly benefited, because the rock style drumming, plus electric guitar (not to mention Phillips's deeper voice) added maturity and depth. The Toad songs didn't fare as well. NC's violin, and especially their backing vocals, seemed out of place. Either too young, or too upbeat for Phillips's somber lyrics. And the songs written on the collaboration record didn't sound too hot, either. The music (written mostly by Phillips) didn't have energy, and the lyrics were more sedate, a la Phillips's solo release, Abulum.

Where the group excelled tonight was in cover tunes. The Beatles' Tax Man even made it in there. I loved it when they brought Pete Droge on stage to play Gram Parson's Hickory Wind (a song covered even better by Grant Lee Phillips when he played the Hideaway). Droge managed to sneak in a great tune that he and Kim Richey wrote together. And the night's cutest moment came when they brought NC's trademark one mic intimacy to a song Sara wrote and performed on the ukelele while the guys did their best barbershop quartet in the background.

Back to the pope, Mr. John Paul Jones. It's clear he can still play, adding complex bass rhythms to match his bandmates' intricate stylings (the audience was told that Jones had to learn nearly thirty songs in four days before they went on the road). They even gave him some space to solo, and he got a loud ovation every time. Normally, I loathe bass solos, but I loved it tonight.

If the crowd added more warm admiration to the band tonight, most of it was directed at Jones. And it couldn't be more apparent when he walked onstage between songs with a mandolin in hand. Now, Chris is one of the world's most renowned mandolin player, but Jones proved he was no slouch. He and Sean played alone on this song, a very familiar tune. And five seconds into it the crowd erupted in recognition of the Led classic, Going to California. Sean played the part of paige, while Jones played Robert Plant's vocals. It was amazing listening to this song flow. I had no idea that Jones could play anything else. The highlight was when Jones did a solo to Plant's bridge ("...Seems that the wrath of the Gods...Got a punch on the nose...and it started to flow...I think I might be sinking..."). When the song ended, it got the biggest standing ovation of the night. Deservedly so.

At the end of the set, the band decided to send us out right, playing Led's Gallows Pole, featuring Phillips giving his best Plant wail. Awesome. Considering that Zeppelin music at times sounds like really loud folk music, I wouldn't have minded in the least if the set list consisted of all Zeppelin songs. Hell, they should make this tour one giant Zeppelin cover/love fest.

Can you imagine Whole Lotta Love, played with steel strings, fiddle, and mandolin? I can.

I just wet myself

Clinton made the headlining speech on the first day of the Democratic National Convention tonight. Masterful stuff. There's nobody better. Because I don't want to worry about updating any broken (perma)links, I'm just going to attach the speech here. I'll be adding to the hits of this site, since I'm going to read this every friggin' day until the election. Of course, it has that extra punch when you watch it on video. Watch the body language. He's the man.

Update: Convention bloggers are in a similar twitter over The Man. My favorite quote so far comes from Matt Yglesias

"...he's a true blue motherfucking rock star"

Here's the speech. Make sure to change your underwear afterwards.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to be here with you.

I am honored to share this podium with my senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton. And I want to thank the people of New York for giving the best public servant in my family a chance to continue serving the public. Thank you. I am also -- I'm going to say that again, in case you didn't hear it.

I'm honored to be here tonight. And I want to thank the people of New York for giving Hillary the chance to continue to serve in public life.

I am very proud of her. And we are both very grateful to all of you, especially my good friends from Arkansas, for giving me the chance to serve in the White House for eight years.

I am honored to share this night with President Carter, for whom I worked in 1976 and who has inspired the world with his work for peace, democracy and human rights.

I am honored to share it with Al Gore, my friend and my partner for eight years, who played such a large role in building the prosperity and peace that we left America in 2000.

And Al Gore, as he showed again tonight, demonstrated incredible patriotism and grace under pressure. He is the living embodiment of the principle that every vote counts.

And this year, we're going to make sure they're all counted in every state in America. My friends, after three conventions as a candidate or a president, tonight I come to you as a citizen, returning to the role that I have played for most of my life, as a foot soldier in our fight for the future, as we nominate in Boston a true New England Patriot for president.

Now this state, who gave us in other times of challenge John Adams and John Kennedy, has given us John Kerry, a good man, a great senator, a visionary leader. And we are all here to do what we can to make him the next president of the United States.

My friends, we are constantly being told that America is deeply divided. But all Americans value freedom and faith and family. We all honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world.

We all want good jobs, good schools, health care, safe streets, a clean environment. We all want our children to grow up in a secure America leading the world toward a peaceful and prosperous future.

Our differences are in how we can best achieve these things in a time of unprecedented change. Therefore, we Democrats will bring to the American people this year a positive campaign, arguing not who is a good or a bad person, but what is the best way to build a safe and prosperous world our children deserve.

The 21st century is marked by serious security threats, serious economic challenges and serious problems, from AIDS to global warming to the continuing turmoil in the Middle East.

But it is also full of amazing opportunities to create millions of new jobs and clean energy and biotechnology, to restore our manufacturing base and reap the benefits of the global economy, through our diversity and our commitment to decent labor and environmental standards for people all across the world and to create a world where we can celebrate our religious, our racial, our ethnic, our tribal differences because our common humanity matters most of all.

To build that kind of world, we must make the right choices. And we must have a president who will lead the way. Democrats and Republicans have very different and deeply felt ideas about what choices we should make. They're rooted in fundamentally different views of how we should meet our common challenges at home, and how we should play our role in the world.

We Democrats want to build a world and an America of shared responsibilities and shared benefits. We want a world with more global cooperation where we act alone only when we absolutely have to.

We think the role of government should be to give people the tools to create the conditions to make the most of their own lives. And we think everybody should have that chance.

On the other hand, the Republicans in Washington believe that America should be run by the right people -- their people -- in a world in which America acts unilaterally when we can and cooperates when we have to.

They believe the role of government is to concentrate wealth and power in the hands of those who embrace their economic, political and social views, leaving ordinary citizens to fend for themselves on important matters like health care and retirement security.

Now, since most Americans aren't that far to the right, our friends have to portray us Democrats as simply unacceptable, lacking in strength and values. In other words, they need a divided America.

But we don't.

Americans long to be united. After 9/11, we all just wanted to be one nation. Not a single American on September the 12th, 2001, cared who won the next presidential election.

All we wanted to do was to be one country, strong in the fight against terror, helping to heal those who were wounded and the families of those who lost their loved ones, reaching out to the rest of the world so we could meet these new challenges and go on with our democratic way of life.

The president had an amazing opportunity to bring the country together under his slogan of compassionate conservatism and to unite the world in the struggle against terror.

Instead, he and his congressional allies made a very different choice. They chose to use that moment of unity to try to push the country too far to the right and to walk away from our allies, not only in attacking Iraq before the weapons inspectors had finished their work, but in withdrawing American support for the climate change treaty and for the international court on war criminals and for the anti-ballistic missile treaty and from the nuclear test ban treaty.

Now, now at a time when we're trying to get other people to give up nuclear and biological and chemical weapons, they are trying to develop two new nuclear weapons which they say we might use first.

At home, the president and the Republican Congress have made equally fateful choices, which they also deeply believe in.

For the first time when America was in a war footing in our whole history, they gave two huge tax cuts, nearly half of which went to the top 1 percent of us.

Now, I'm in that group for the first time in my life.

And you might remember that when I was in office, on occasion, the Republicans were kind of mean to me.

But as soon as I got out and made money, I became part of the most important group in the world to them. It was amazing. I never thought I'd be so well cared for by the president and the Republicans in Congress. I almost sent them a thank you note for my tax cuts until I realized that the rest of you were paying the bill for it. And then I thought better of it.

Now look at the choices they made, choices they believed in. They chose to protect my tax cut at all costs while withholding promised funding to the Leave No Child Behind Act, leaving 2.1 million children behind.

They chose to protect my tax cut, while cutting 140,000 unemployed workers out of their job training programs, 100,000 working families out of their child care assistance, and worst of all, while cutting 300,000 poor children out of their after-school programs when we know it keeps them off the streets, out of trouble, in school, learning, going to college and having a good life.

They chose -- they chose to protect my tax cuts while dramatically raising the out-of-pocket costs of health care to our veterans and while weakening or reversing very important environmental measures that Al Gore and I put into place, everything from clean air to the protection of our forests.

Now, in this time, everyone in America had to sacrifice except the wealthiest Americans. And most of us, almost all of us, from Republicans to independents and Democrats, we wanted to be asked to do our part, too. But all they asked us to do was to expend the energy necessary to open the envelopes containing our tax cuts. Now, if you like these choices and you agree with them, you should vote to return them to the White House and the Congress. If not, take a look at John Kerry, John Edwards and the Democrats. We've got a different economic policy.

In this year's budget, the White House this year wants to cut off all the federal funding for 88,000 uniformed police officers under the COPS program we've had for 10 years. Among those 88,000 police are more than 700 members of the New York Police Department who put their lives on the line on 9/11.

With gang violence rising, and with all of us looking for terrorists in our midst and hoping they're not too well armed or too dangerous, the president and the Congress are about to allow the 10- year-old ban on deadly assault weapons to lapse.

Now, they believe it's the right thing to do. But our policy was to put more police on the street and to take assault weapons off the street. And it gave you eight years of declining crime and eight years of declining violence. Their policy is the reverse. They're taking police off the streets while they put assault weapons back on the street.

Now, if you agree with that choice, by all means, vote to keep them in office. But if you don't, join John Kerry, John Edwards and the Democrats in making America safer, smarter and stronger again.

On homeland security, Democrats tried to double the number of containers at ports and airports checked for weapons of mass destruction. It cost $1 billion. It would have been paid for under our bill by asking the 200,000 millionaires in America to cut their tax cut by $5,000. Almost all 200,000 of us would like to have done that, to spend $5,000 to make all 300 million Americans safer.

The measure failed. Why? Because the White House and the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives opposed it. They thought our $5,000 was more important than doubling the container checks at our ports and airports.

If you agree with that, by all means, re-elect them. If not, John Kerry and John Edwards are your team for the future.

These policies have turned a projected $5.8 trillion surplus that we left, enough to pay for the baby boomer retirement, into a projected debt of almost $5 trillion, with over $400 billion in deficit this year and for years to come.

Now, how do they pay for that deficit? First, by taking the Social Security surplus that comes in every month and endorsing the checks of working people over to me to pay for the tax cuts. But it's not enough.

So then they have to go borrow money. Most of it they borrow from the Chinese and the Japanese government.

Sure, these countries are competing with us for good jobs, but how can we enforce our trade laws against our bankers? I mean, come on.

So if you think -- if you believe it is good policy -- if you believe it is good policy to pay for my tax cuts with the Social Security checks of working men and women and borrowed money from China and Japan, you should vote for them. If not, John Kerry's your man.

We Americans must choose for president...

... we've got to choose for president between two strong men who both love their countries, but who have very different world views: our nominee, John Kerry, who favors shared responsibility, shared opportunity and more global cooperation; and their president and their party in Congress who favor concentrated wealth and power, leaving people to fend for themselves and more unilateral action.

I think we're right for two reasons.

First of all, America just works better when more people have a chance to live their dreams.

And, secondly, we live in an interdependent world in which we cannot possibly kill, jail or occupy all of our potential adversaries. So we have to both fight terror and build a world with more partners and fewer terrorists.

Now, we tried it their way for 12 years. We tried it their way for 12 years. We tried it our way for eight years. Then we tried it their way for four more. But the only test that matters is whether people were better off when we finished than when we started. Our way works better.

It produced over 22 million good jobs, rising incomes for the middle class, over 100 times as many people moved from poverty into the middle class, more health care, the largest increase in college aid in 50 years, record home ownership, a cleaner environment, three surpluses in a row, a modernized defense force, strong efforts against terror and a respected America in the world. More importantly, more importantly we have great new champions in John Kerry and John Edwards, two good men, with wonderful wives: Teresa, a generous and wise woman, who understands the world we're trying to shape; and Elizabeth, a lawyer and mother, who understands the lives we're trying to live.

Now, let me tell you know what I know about John Kerry. I've been seeing all of the Republican ads about him. Let me tell you what I know about him.

During the Vietnam War, many young men, including the current president, the vice president and me, could have gone to Vietnam and didn't. John Kerry came from a privileged background. He could have avoided going too, but instead, he said: Send me.

When they sent those swiftboats up the river in Vietnam and they told them their job was to draw hostile fire, to wave the American flag and bate the enemy to come out and fight, John Kerry said: Send me.

And then, on my watch, when it was time to heal the wounds of war and normalize relations with Vietnam and to demand an accounting of the POWs and MIAs we lost there, John Kerry said: Send me.

Then when we needed someone to push the cause of inner-city children struggling to avoid a life of crime or to bring the benefits of high technology to ordinary Americans or to clean the environment in a way that created new jobs, or to give small businesses a better chance to make it, John Kerry said: Send me.

So tonight, my friends, I ask you to join me for the next 100 days in telling John Kerry's story and promoting his ideas. Let every person in this hall and like-minded people all across our land say to him what he has always said to America: Send me.

The bravery that men who fought by his side in battle, that bravery they saw in battle, I have seen in politics. When I was president, John Kerry showed courage and conviction on crime, on welfare reform, on balancing the budget, at a time when those priorities were not exactly the way to win a popularity contest in our party.

John Kerry took tough positions on tough problems. He knows who he is and where he's going. He has the experience, the character, the ideas, the values to be a great president.

And in a time of change, he has two other very important qualities: an insatiable curiosity to understand the world around him, and a willingness to hear other views, even those who disagree with him. Therefore...

Therefore, John Kerry will make choices that reflect both conviction and common sense. He proved that when he picked John Edwards to be his partner.

Now, everybody talks about John Edwards' energy and intellect and charisma. You know, I kind of resent him.

But the important thing is not what talents he has, but how he has used them. He chose -- he chose to use his talents to improve the lives of people like him who had to work for everything they've got and to help people too often left out and left behind. And that's what he'll do as our vice president.

Now their opponents will tell you...

Their opponents will tell you we should be afraid of John Kerry and John Edwards, because they won't stand up to the terrorists. Don't you believe it. Strength and wisdom are not opposing values.

They go hand in hand.

They go hand in hand, and John Kerry has both. His first priority will be to keep America safe.

Remember the scripture: Be not afraid.

John Kerry and John Edwards are good people with good ideas, ideas to make the economy work again for middle-class Americans, to restore fiscal responsibility, to save Social Security, to make health care more affordable, college more available, to free us from dependence on foreign oil and create new jobs with clean energy and a cleaner environment...

... to rally the world to our side in the war against terror and to make a world with more friends and less terror.

My friends, at every turning point in our history, we, the people, have chosen unity over division, heeding our founders' call to America's eternal mission to form a more perfect union, to widen the circle of opportunity deep in the reach of freedom and strengthen the bonds of our community. It happened every time, because we made the right choices.

In the early days of the republic, America was divided and at a crossroads, much as it is today, deeply divided over whether or not to build a real nation with a national economy and a national legal system. We chose to build a more perfect union.

In the Civil War, America was at another crossroads, deeply divided over whether to save the union and end slavery. We chose a more perfect union.

In the 1960s, when I was a young man, we were divided again over civil rights and women's rights. And again we chose to form a more perfect union.

As I said in 1992, I say again tonight, we are all in this together. We have an obligation, both to work hard and to help our fellow citizens, an obligation both to fight terror and to build a world with more cooperation and less terror.

Now, again, it is time to choose. Since we're all in the same boat, we should choose a captain of our ship who is a brave good man, who knows how to steer a vessel through troubled waters, to the calm seas and the clear sides of our more perfect union. That is our mission.

So let us go in tonight and say to America in a loud, clear voice: Send John Kerry.

God bless you.

Deja Vu?

It seems the last time a Bush was running for reelection, that summer musicians became heavily involved in lending a hand to getting him out of office. In 1996 and 2000, there wasn't that much activity. Not much to get excited about. Here we are in 2004 and it looks like the musicians are stirring again.

Time to get moving. Strap on those boots and give Bush a kick in the ass out the door. And if you step on Toby Keith's head in the process, fine by me.

 
UPDATE: For those not wanting to register with LA Times to see the article, here it is.

Rock Royalty to Join Voices Against Bush With Fall Concerts
Musicians will perform in swing states to try to affect election. Playing for a cause is a tradition, but injecting political views can be risky.

 

By Geoff Boucher, Times Staff Writer

 

July 25, 2004

 

Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, R.E.M., Pearl Jam and a deep roster of other rock stars will unite for politically minded concerts this fall that will give voice to dissatisfaction with the Bush administration.

 

The all-star rock shows, which are expected to begin in October and target campaign swing states, are in the planning stage but were confirmed by half a dozen music industry sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

 

Insiders disagree on the unifying rhythm of the celebrity coalition. Some say it is the promise of the John F. Kerry candidacy, but at least one emphasizes the fear of President Bush's reelection. "There is a range of feeling about Kerry," the source said, "but a uniform belief that Bush must go."

 

The tour turns up the volume of the rock scene's role in politics, but it is not the only example of an apparent surge of commentary among artists. Rockers seem virtually unanimous in their anti-Bush stance, just as country music has seen a wave of passionate patriotism and support for the president, exemplified by the songs of Toby Keith.

 

MTV has been showing a video by the British dance-pop outfit Faithless that features a teen shipped off to Iraq only to return home wounded and disillusioned. Representing a different generation, Tom Waits and John Fogerty have recorded songs about Iraq. For Waits, it's the first political song of his four-decade career; for Fogerty, it's a return to his Vietnam-era songs such as "Who'll Stop the Rain."

 

Elsewhere, rapper Sean "P. Diddy" Combs is steering a new voter registration drive, and the usually bratty punk-pop band Green Day has said its next album will be a political concept piece. Steve Earle has a new album laced with songs about Iraq and Bush and even a mocking valentine to national security advisor Condoleezza Rice. Blues player Keb Mo has an upcoming album of peace songs, including John Lennon's "Imagine" and Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth."

 

Introducing political commentary into music is sometimes a risky prospect — even if it's just a passing reference.

 

Last weekend, Linda Ronstadt was booed in Las Vegas for praising a Bush nemesis, filmmaker Michael Moore, while Ozzy Osbourne relented to critics and removed concert imagery that showed Bush and Hitler together on an overhead screen.

 

The countercultural mind-set and recklessness once at the core of rock music now seem relegated to the distant past, Elton John told Interview magazine. He said that protest had often given way to strict careerism in this corporate age.

 

"There's an atmosphere of fear in America right now, and that is deadly," John said. "Everyone is too career-conscious. They're all too scared…. Things have changed."

 

Tom Morello, guitarist with Rage Against the Machine and once a staffer to the late California Democratic Sen. Alan Cranston, is a veteran of politics-meets-rock. "I'm not surprised you're seeing this music being made, and I'm not surprised it's connecting with an audience," he said. "It's not just people who write songs — carpenters, teachers, everyone is ready for a regime change." Morello was cited by some sources as a probable participant in the concert series, but he declined to confirm plans for the shows.

 

No album or song is likely to capture as much media attention as the concerts involving Springsteen in swing states, which are expected to take place in arenas.

 

Organizers have been tight-lipped since discussions of the idea caught the ears of some of the stars in April. At the end of last week, the formal announcement was scheduled for Aug. 4 in New York.

 

Other artists expected to join the lineup include Earle, the Dave Matthews Band, the Dixie Chicks, Bright Eyes, Ani DiFranco, Death Cab for Cutie and International Noise Conspiracy. There also are reports that Bob Dylan and James Taylor may be part of the bill.

 

The shows reportedly will benefit several organizations, chief among them MoveOn.org, the advocacy group that champions a liberal agenda through Web-based grass-roots efforts.

 

All-star concerts to raise money for philanthropic or political causes have become a tradition. The template goes back to 1971 with George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh and the no-nukes shows of 1980 that featured Springsteen and such artists as Taylor, Jackson Browne and Carly Simon.

 

Organizers have tried to keep the fall shows under wraps to spotlight the official announcement. Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau, declined to discuss the shows, and Young's manager, Elliot Roberts, did not return calls. When Bertis Downs, who manages R.E.M., was asked about the band's fundraising plans, he replied, "I can't talk about that."

 

R.E.M became one of the first bands to criticize the war in Iraq when it posted a song on its website in March 2003, the month of the invasion. Others now joining the critical chorus include the Beastie Boys, a Perfect Circle and Jay Farrar, the alternative-country rocker who said Saturday that he resisted political messages in the past because the topic didn't fit his sensibilities.But now, he said, he would feel derelict if he didn't speak up. "And there will be a lot more artists doing the same thing if Bush gets reelected."

Not a Dime's Worth of Difference?

So says Ralph Nader and his Dem-bashing ilk, on the ideological/political stances of the Democrats and the Republicans.

Um, okay.

A Year Later

A year ago today, my closest friend, Tim, passed away. It was a clear morning, shortly after 5:20am, and the sun was rising. During the night, he struggled mightily, gutting it out in his usual way. All the while his family and friends stayed by his side, keeping a vigil, keeping him as comfortable as possible, comforting each other, saying goodbye. It was the hardest night I'm sure anyone there had ever gone through. Tim made it to the morning. In his last moments, he sat up, seemingly clear of pain. It was if he yearned to bask in the sunlight one last time. And then, in the arms of his loved ones, he was gone.

It's only been a year. The pain of loss is still with me. I somehow feel it every day since. The air feels heavier. Everyone around me seems more somber. The days seem dimmer. One of the brightest lights in my life was snuffed out. I no longer feel like a whole person.

This morning, at 5:15am, I got out of bed. I opened the blinds. My eyes stung, adjusting to the light of the sun, just coming up. I woke Lisa, and she sat up almost immediately, remembering what day and time it was. For about fifteen minutes, we just sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window. We watched the sun rise. I looked at the trees, still dark in the foreground. When 5:25am passed, I looked skyward, heavenward, tears in my eyes. Then I looked at Lisa. She was crying, too.

A year.

I don't usually pray. I really don't know what to make of that particular act anymore. So I did the next best thing. I just closed my eyes and said to myself, I love you, Timmy. I miss you so very much.

A few hours later, at his grave, we laid some sunflowers. One his favorites. You can see some etched on his marker. From the freshness of some of the flowers that were there prior to our arrival, we knew that he had some visitors. Beautiful roses, and one pinkish, spikey flower I don't know the name for. He was the most beloved person I'd ever known. And deservedly so. But his epitaph is also true: "...loved by many...but (he) loved many more..."

He was a loving guy. And he did it in small ways. Just by the way he looked at you as you spoke. He did it with quiet, subtle gestures. That's what I think I'll miss the most -- the way he could make it seem like you were the only person in the world when he spoke to you.

I know things will perk up. It's got to. It's the way these things go, I'm told. You know, "Time heals all things". Blah blah blah. I know. It still hurts, though. When I listen to certain songs or drive by certain places, I get a little pang someplace deep. But I'm comforted by the fact that I have people around me who feel the same, who share the love we'd been given by Tim. I'm glad there are people who I can count on for support and who remind me of the good times. Who remind me of who Tim was. Not to bring in the "awww" factor, when I look at Audrey smile, I can see her old man's squint somewhere in there. She's got the same look that he had when he laughed, too. Eyes wide, mouth quietly agape, like she's going to swallow you whole.

So yeah, it hurts. But I know things will get better. But don't expect me to commiserate with you on this day. I'm not ready yet.

Maybe next year.

Is this what being a conservative is supposed to be like?

If this is what defines a real conservative, I can get on board with that.

Tim's Greatest Hits

The thought occurred to me, and I'm a little surprised that no one's proposed this yet, to create a compilation CD of songs for Tim. Not necessarily songs Tim would like, but more like songs that make you think of him. I can probably rattle off a list of songs that make me think of Tim, but just to kick things off, here are the ones that are dearest to me.

Baby Baby, Amy Grant
Pretending, Eric Clapton

Tim and I used to go to lunch together between classes when we attended Shoreline CC in 1991. We usually ended up hanging out at his parents' house, watching videos on VH1. More often than not, those songs played during that hour or so. I can still see Amy Grant, sitting on the steps, singing tight-lipped. I can see Clapton, in his overcoat (I think it was raining in the video).

Love Will Come to You, Indigo Girls

In the summer of 1992, four of us road tripped to Yakima for an Alice in Chains concert. We stopped off at Ellensburg for the night. After the other two had gone to bed (i.e. passed out), Tim and I stayed up, listening to music on a little tape player. I popped in the Indigo Girls' Rites of Passage. The two of us, girlfriend-less/unlucky in love/pathetic, identified with Love Will Come to You. We played that one a few times. I used this story in my toast on his wedding day. It came off uniquely, uh, intimate, since I mentioned that it was our song. Oh well, whatever. I'll never listen to that song without thinking about that night.

There you have it. Please add songs of your own in the comments for this post. If you have a background story, please send it along with your song selection(s). It will give it more depth and maybe shed some more insight on a side of Tim some of us never knew. Of course, you don't need a story. It could be something like "it was on whenever we came over". Or it had the word Tim in it. Anything. And if it's too personal (the song or the circumstances), you don't have to reply or say anything. Oh yeah, if you know of a song Tim liked but don't know why, or just for the hell of it, send it along. And pass this message to anybody who might be interested. If I get a good number of songs, I'll burn them on to a CD (ooh ooh, copyright infringement!!!), along with a CD jacket with your stories/anecdotes, hopefully in time for Tim's birthday on September 20th. I'll probably be asking to borrow any CDs with those songs that I don't have, and I'll probably ask to borrow some pictures you have of Tim as well.

WWKD

Does John Kerry actually need to have a faith based angle to his platform in order to win? Two writers for The American Prospect debate both sides. The debate concludes tomorrow.

Let 'em see your back side!

Bumper stickers for a better America.

Me Bleedin' Ears

Sonic Youth, Showbox 7/14/2004 
 
The timing for a headache couldn't be any worse. 
 
I'd never seen Sonic Youth live in concert, but by reputation I knew the band was loud, and its sound often times is experimental. Lisa and I got to the Showbox pretty late -- about an hour and a half after the show was supposed to start. We should have waited another hour before going inside. When we got there, we were "treated" to the experience that is Wolf Eyes, a band that I'd never heard of before. When they started playing, it was obvious why Sonic Youth chose to bring them on the tour. For over half an hour, the band gave us an onslaught, or assault, of high pitched feedback, distortion, screaming, and new ways of using noise makers. Most bands that actually are worth listening to use the noise to introduce a song, or bring it to an exciting close. Not Wolf Eyes. Entire "songs" were devoted to the ear splitting crap. And it was every shit eating song in their set. You know, they even broke out a foley artist's tool for emulating thunder, a piece of sheet metal. It was so bad, you couldn't make out what people were yelling five feet away. Through it all, these guys played, bobbing and head banging to a beat only they could hear. I thought to myself, if that's all it takes for me to be noticed as a musician, Sonic Youth could take me on tour. I could just go on stage taking a shit on a miked toilet, playing a one stringed guitar blasting feedback through a five dollar amp. I'd never felt such animosity towards a band like this in my life. I wanted to beat them with their instruments until I blacked out from rage. I wanted to go to a gun range, and shoot a .57 right next to their unplugged ears while I shoved bamboo under their nails, just so they would know what they had made me go through. If you think I'm belaboring the point or exaggerating, I wasn't alone. I noticed that a lot of folks in the audience, with years of rock clubbing under their belts, had facial expressions that switched between scowls and cringes. One of the security guys walked buy and remarked (amazingly audible at the time), "They suck so bad, it makes me sweat!!" True, it was really hot in the room, but my body seemed to only notice the one of its five senses that was dying a horrible death. If my ears had undergone this kind of treatment early in my concert-going life, I would have stayed home every night of the rest of my life. When they finally ended their set, there was a fifty-fifty mix between cheering (I'm still astounded at these poser fans) and booing. I had no energy to boo. My head was pounding, and I was just relieved to have the calm of a room full of people jabbering.

When Sonic Youth finally took the stage, I was to exhausted to care. As I write this, I'm pissed that I couldn't fully take on the experience of this legendary band and give them an enthusiastic listen. I was agitated and ready for the night to be over. I'm pissed that I'm devoting less time and words to the Sonic Youth set. I mean, I enjoyed their set. Especially when we retreated to the back of the room. For as noisy as this band is, at least they know how to make music. They have a mix of tones to their songs, ranging from the moaning, purring, and screeching of Kim Gordon, to the frantic, sarcastic whine of Thurston Moore. Most of it is definitive pop noise punk, and by all accounts not much has changed in their songwriting since they formed in the 1970s. Sonic Youth is probably the best at changing tempo in the middle of their songs, going from beautifully layered guitar to speaker breaking noise, and back again. This, folks, is how you're supposed to use noise.

But I wasn't able to make it through the set. My head continue to hurt, and I was really hungry. We traveled up to Capitol Hill to enjoy a couple of Dick's burgers. And it was so quiet, I nearly wept. Headache abated, we went home, and I fell asleep, grateful for once for living in the quiet suburbs.

"Self-Screwing", part 2

Here's another point of view, just as compelling as Bageant's account. This one maintains that the reason why conservatives dominate the working poor is because the Democratic Party stopped speaking the "language of class".

"Self-Screwing"

Nope, not quoting Dick Cheney.

Liberals like me always wonder why the working poor tend to vote Republican in droves. For the life of us, we can't figure out why most of them blindly support those whose policies leave them further behind. Joe Bageant's new article addresses this issue in a way that most of us homo, commie, wine-swilling, elitist lefties can't. It's direct and isn't condescending, from the point of view of someone who grew up -- and continues to reside -- in a blue collar town that runs Republican red.

Six Degrees from Columbine

I signed a petition at Tom Mauser's web site to urge congress to renew the Assault Weapons Ban. His son was one of the kids who were killed at Columbine High School five years ago. I urge you also to sign the petition.

Black in America

Lately, there's been a lot of noise about what is happening in the Black community, especially black men. In a recent article in AlterNet, the author brings up an alarming statistic that one in three black men born in 2001 will spend time in prison. She brings up the following point:

What's going on here? No one's denying that crimes are being committed. But the real, underlying questions are how we define criminal behavior; how we decide to punish that behavior; and why, in the face of declining crime rates, are prison numbers – especially for people of color – climbing year by year?

Take California's ten-year anniversary of the "Three Strikes and You're Out" law earlier this year. The law was supposed to take care of the "worst of the worst," but it has been bad news all the way around. Men and women have gotten life sentences for shoplifting, for repeat petty offenses, and out of the very nature of their persistent and untreated drug habits. By the end of 2003, it had cost the cash-strapped state about $8.1 billion in incarceration costs.

She doesn't defend criminals of any color. She states that in many states, whites dominate the incarcerated population. Rather, she sees it as a "national crisis" -- where the "War on Drugs" and crime has turned into a war on the poor (a stark contrast to a war on poverty). It's not that people of color necessarily dominate the population of the poor in this country (that's a stat I would need to look up), it's that the bulk of the population of colored people (namely blacks) are poor. Add in other societal factors and historical precedents, and you get to our present situation. This is a complex issue. You can't explain it all simply with "racism". Nor can you explain and deal with it like Bill Cosby (go here for the reaction). Personal responsibility to live up to the legacy of the Brown decision is one thing, but Cosby seems to forget that most poor black folks are good citizens who struggle mightily to make ends meet. It's not cut and dry, especially when you're not a wealthy actor. I agree with many of his points, but he just sounds elitist and downright old fartsy, out of touch with young blacks.

It is not an easy problem to fix. While you can't give criminals a free pass, it is also not realistic to merely throw everyone in the pen. This is the progressive side of the issue of crime and penalty in America. We are not soft on crime, nor do we condone it. Rather, we question the guidelines, standards, and laws that define crime. For example, why are those who commit petty offenses locked up in penitentiaries? Do current drug laws make sense? Do current standards for gun ownership make sense? We seek to find realistic solutions and eliminate the causes of criminal behavior. For example, it's not news that it makes sense to say, take the money from tax breaks to the wealthy, to do things like increase the minimum wage and decrease the cost of medical expenses. It makes sense to put money into poor neighborhoods to strengthen community pride. It makes sense to support and improve public schools. It makes sense to fund drug rehab and prevention programs.

I know, this is not the only solution, but it helps. So you can't eliminate crime altogether, but you can lower the chances of someone committing a crime. Don't get me wrong, serious crimes such as murder and rape should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. There's no way truly rationalize or defend those crimes. Life sentences are fine with me. I'm not opposed to the death penalty, either (just the qualifications to warrant it, and how often it's carried out).

One last thing. Just a moral standards question. If it's so easy to be prosecuted for drug offenses, why is it so hard to be prosecuted for corporate fraud?

Other NY Post news items

In response to the New York Post gaffe regarding Kerry's VP pick, there's a pretty funny thread in Fark. Good stuff.

The funniest Letterman Top Ten I've seen in a long time

Top Ten George W. Bush Complaints About Fahrenheit 9/11:

10. That actor who played the President was totally unconvincing

9. It oversimplified the way I stole the election

8. Too many of them fancy college-boy words

7. If Michael Moore had waited a few months, he could have included the part where I get him deported

6. Didn't have one of them hilarious monkeys who smoke cigarettes and gives people the finger

5. Of all Michael Moore's accusations, only 97% are true

4. Not sure - - I passed out after a piece of popcorn lodged in my windpipe

3. Where the hell was Spider-man?

2. Couldn't hear most of the movie over Cheney's foul mouth

1. I thought this was supposed to be about dodgeball

Smear the Queer 2004

There's word on the street that gay rights activists will begin outing closeted folks on the Hill who support the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment.

Look, even avowed gay Republicans oppose the amendment. I agree that coming out is a personal thing, done on your own terms. But if you're so hypocritical and self-hating enough to support a fucking Constitutional Amendment which would impinge on your own personal freedom (a tragically ironic term for gay conservatives), then you are fair game. Your outing will no longer be on your terms.

Go get 'em. You can start with Rush Limbaugh. I hear he's got a library of Bette and Liza albums stacked under his divorce papers.

Link via Wonkette

Mr. Controversy has his own blog

Michael Moore has a blog now. There's no RSS feed for it yet, but I'm the first to suggest syndication for it (at least on syndic8.com).

Down to the place where we started from

Sarah McLachlan, Key Arena, July 5th

It turns out that before we even met, Lisa and I were going to concerts together. I believe Nirvana at the Coliseum in 1994 was the first. We were across the arena from each other. But I like to think that the first one we went to was Sarah McLachlan at the Moore Theater in October, 1994 (go here for someone else's recollection of the show). I was sitting in the second row, center, and Lisa sat in the second row, right. We both remembered how great that show was, recalling not only the music, but also the onstage antics (just a background, on that night, it was the end of a long tour, and by that time, the band and crew were playing a lot of practical jokes on each other. During the show, Sarah said something pretty innocuous, but funny, between songs (something about relationships, I think). Then, during a moment of quiet, the engineering crew played it back in a loop -- omitting the beginning of the phrase "Don't get me wrong" and the end "but". So picture Sarah talking to a rapt crowd, the room dark. Then you hear booming from the PA: "I love penises...I love penises...I love penises". It looked like she was going to crap her pants from laughter and embarrassment. It was a moment never to be forgotten. And another moment, the crew brought out a stair master onstage for the exercise-crazy backup singer, Camille. I believe she sang on a couple of songs while doing steps on the machine.)

We've seen her a few times in the years since that night. Let's see, I think a couple of times when she was the only one on the bill, and a couple of not so enjoyable Lillith Fair festivals (at the first LF, she played a surprise solo acoustic set to folks off to the side of the main entrance. We caught it as she started playing). And we've bought practically everything she's ever released. Yes, even the forgettable Surfacing album. Which brings me to a point. I/we love Sarah. She's awesome. Unmatched in musical talent and singing ability. She's even a sweetheart in public. But there are two things that bug me. First, it takes almost five years or so between albums (in between you get remixes and live recordings). Second, and it's parly because of the first reason, she retreated into Adult-Contempo-Crap with Surfacing in 1997. Okay, upon first listen of all her albums, we can agree that they all pretty much seem the same. But then listen to the early ones, especially ther first three: Touch, Solace, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. There's a certain new-age mystical sound to them, a kind of edge that on the surface sounds pretty harmless and beautiful, but not mainstream palatable. Then with Surfacing, you can tell she was ready for the big time. And sadly, as it is with many artists with a cult-like (though not small, in her case) following, her mainstream "debut" was with an album that was downright dull. (But Rod! She says Fucked Up on its first single, "Mystery"!) The tone of each song was the same as the rest on the album. And with the release of the single, "Adia", she descended into to Easy Listening Hell. Blecch.

Fast forward to 2004 with the release of Afterglow. It's a little bit like Surfacing, but it's also like Fumbling, her best and most original album. The first single, "Fallen", is pretty good. (And it looks good, too. In the video, she spends a lot of time in a tub ;) ) Anyway, the album sounded promising, so when Lisa brought up the idea of seeing Sarah in concert, I was onboard.

Now, I'll tell you, last night, it was a so-so show for me. Personally, I've got to quit having all sorts of expectations, because in the end, those expectations will not be met. Works just about every time. But hey, if you spend over fifty bucks for a ticket, I'm thinking I have a right to be wowed. But it was not to be.

Highlights

Great seats. We sat in the first section of seats not on the floor, in the first third of seats closest to the stage.
Performance. Sarah's still got the pipes
Like a homecoming. She's from BC, so she visits often. I get the feeling that she thoroughly enjoys playing here.
Playing the oldies. Whenever she played songs from before 1997, I cheered my heart out. More on that later...
Covers. Listen to her version of the Beatles' "Blackbird" on the I am Sam soundtrack. She sang it beautifully last night.
Still hot. Sarah looks better with age, and motherhood has added an extra something. Plus, she wore a backless shirt last night. Pretty cool...

Lowlights

The stage and set. Waayyy too big. Even with eight people or so in the band, the stage was too large. Then there was the set. Ugh. Let's see on the wings, were steps to other platforms, decorated to look like rocky grottos. When they wanted to do their more "intimate", stripped down songs, they moved to the wings. Then they would crowd around whatever person was playing. Too cutesy. Then there was the set decorations. Columns of "rock" hanging down. A little too Stonehenge for me. Which is a good way to segue into my impression that there was an ironic nod to Spinal Tap going on.
The band entrance. I like it when bands just walk on stage when the lights go down. Last night, there was a curtain in front of the stage. When the lights went down, the curtains lit up. When they opened, the band did this coordinated and choreographed walk to their positions. Um, yeah. I didn't come here to see Madonna.
Wake me when it's over. As I said before, most of Sarah's songs sound the same. They're pretty mellow. But you shouldn't start your set with six of your mellowest songs. Tired as I was, I found it odd that I didn't fall asleep.
Jack Black wannabe. The lead guitarist seemed like he was lost, like he was in an 80s glam band then woke up in this one. His solos were done with the traditional rock god power stance. When he wanted to put emphasis on the feedback, he'd do the hold the guitar vertically with one hand maneuver. Even better, and even more repeated, he would hold the guitar two handed over his head. And I love it when dudes like that play to the crowd, as if he were the main attraction. He might as well have been wearing leather chaps and a silk shirt unbuttoned all the way to expose beads and a gold-taloned necklace. And a silk headband wouldn't have hurt, either.

As to my earlier reference to cheering wildly, I had a moment of minor embarrassment. Somewhere towards the end of the set, I was resigned to listening to more adult contempo crowd faves. Several songs had gone by, none of them really appreciated by me. Then when the next song started, I could hear the familiar riff, and before the crowd could cheer in recognition of the song, I yelled wildly and started clapping loudly. Lisa, shocked, nudged me, eyes wide open. People in front of us, likely annoyed, turned to look at me. I looked at Lisa and said, "What?!"

She replied, "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean? I love this song!!"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No way. It's about time they played something good!"

"Don't be an asshole." She looked at me hard.

I thought, what is she talking about? This song rules! I haven't heard it in years, live. Doesn't she know it's one of my fav.... I stopped all thought. Then I realized something.

Holy shit.

I buried my head in my hands, in horror. It's not even the right song, you moron! Then I put head on Lisa's shoulder, laughing sardonically at my mistake. You ass, I thought.

"What is it?" she asked. I turned and whispered it in her ear. Then I put my head back down, eyeing the stage.

Then she started laughing. "You what?!" she exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I thought it was "Possession" (from Fumbling) I said meekly.

"No!! It's "Mystery"!", she replied. Her shoulders shook. Tears of laughter already starting to form.

And there it was. It wasn't a big deal, but to her, to me, it was. Here I was, music snob, fan of only Sarah oldies, cheering like a maniac, for a song that I derided for an entire year, on an album that I compared to monkeys throwing feces at a keyboard. I don't make mistakes like that. Either I was hoping so hard for a good song that I cheered for the first familiar popular one I heard, or I actually kind of like the song to begin with.

And all the while, Lisa shook and laughed. Nose flaring, probably not even breathing. Wiping tears from her eyes. I just went back to my shame, buried my head in my hands and moaned. Fuck...

After ten or so minutes, when she finally stopped giggling, I tried to explain to her what I was thinking ("I was desperate to hear..."). She just smirked. "Whatever!" I winced with pain, which set her off on another fit of laughter. I thought she was going to have a stroke.

I just sighed, face down. Later on, I realized once again, Sarah gave me -- for better or for worse -- a concert experience I'd never forget.

Meeting the Man

Lisa and I met the Big Dog last night at Elliott Bay Books. Nearly six hours of waiting in line and having a bird shit on me was worth the moment I got to look him in the eye, shake his big mitt and say, "It's an honor to meet you, sir".

Liberal Arguments, in a nutshell

This blog briefly notes the liberal argument on certain political issues, contrasting them with its conservative counterpart. It's not bad, but there are two areas where it could be improved:

More robust arguments. I know these are brief bullet points (kind of a "Political Debating for Dummies", but I prefer more supportive info when I debate. If not more info per se, then definitely links to sites where I can get that info.

Arguments on more issues. The list of topics are current events, such as the Iraq war. If you want someone to have an all around understanding of the liberal viewpoint, then there should be more "traditional" or "classic" issues. Such as immigration, taxes, abortion, welfare.