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Monday, November 06, 2006

VOTE, Dammit!


I was looking for some articles that said essentially that title, when I came across this Kids Voting.org article, "Kids learn issues and value of voting" from September 30, 1998:
Several kids had trouble naming even one local candidate.
But they all had an opinion on President Clinton's troubles. "He's going to be impeached. He lied to everybody," said Liz Wagner, 13, of St. William School in Price Hill [OH].
She said she wished the president were up for election this year so she could vote against him.

I wonder, now that she can actually vote, what she thinks of the CURRENT President.

Anyway, when you're behind in reading the newspaper, people say to you, "Oh, I read that thing you wrote in the paper," and I say, "Say what?" The local paper has this Times Union Reader Network, and seven of us had our answers printed: "The most important race is the 20th Congressional District between U.S. Rep. John Sweeney ...and Democratic challenger Kirsten Gillibrand - alas, not in my district - because it's a competitive race, a lot more so than I would have imagined, which may influence whether the Democrats will capture the House."
This is a particular nasty race, in which the incumbent is, among other things, indicated in ads that his opponent is getting 88.4% of her campaign moneys from outside the district. Assuming that this is true, what percentage of HIS campaign money is coming from beyond the district? Truly, it's easy to imagine that most of the money to BOTH campaigns are coming from outside. Look at the map, and you'll see Albany, Schenectady and Troy just west of that indentation. With no competitive race in their/my district, those people who are seeing these ads are likely contributors to one or another candidate in the neighboring CD, not to mention the national Congressional campaigns from both parties. I won't even get into the 911 call that Sweeney's wife apparently made last December that the Sweeney camp is claiming the Gillibrand camp leaked to the press. Oh, here's another take on this race (Nov. 2).

I also wrote in the paper: "The most important issue is whether the Republicans can hold onto the state Senate. Based on his recent pouting, I sense the majority leader fears that this will not be so."

Then there's a school board election tomorrow here in Albany as well as the more visible races. In New York State, most school boards are elected in May, along with the vot on the budget. But in Albany, while the school budget, the library budget, and the library board are voted on in May, the school board race can get buried in the larger races of November.

So who to vote for? It happens that my wife heard one candidate, Mark Barth, speak, and she was very impressed. Then I find myself easily influenced by people who are involved, such as my friend Leah, who sent out a gushing endorsement for Mark Barth. Then my friend Leif noted that all the right yards (i.e., the lawns of the progressive folks in town) have Mark Barth signs. So, sometimes, I cede finding out all I can and end up up voting for people who people I trust recommend. Here's one good example of that. Still don't know who ELSE I'm going to vote for (3 candidates for 2 positions).

Also, Pete Seeger called to urge me to vote for the Working Families Party. O.K., his recorded voice. I will, but it's not because of Pete. Eliot Spitzer is cross-endorsed on the WFP, a peculiarly NYS thing, cross-endorsements. The number of votes each party gets determines the ballot position for the next four years. More importantly, it determines whether a political party is actually a recognized party or not. This is why the Green Party ran Al "Grandpa Munster" Lewis for governor in 1998, not because he would win, but because he would likely assure that the party would automatically be on the ballot from 1999 to 2002; he did. (The 2002 gubernatorial candidate didn't get 50,000 votes, but I think the Greens took some sort of legal action to stay viable.)

Tony Bennett also "called" me, to get me to vote for Hillary Clinton. Sorry, Tony, I have a number of your albums, I saw you at Tanglewood a few years ago with Diana Krall, but I think I'll be voting for a minor party candidate this year. Thanks anyway, Tony.

So, right now, I'm voting for 6 or 7 WFPs, 2 Greens, and 1 Democrat. Still don't know who I'm voting for in the comptroller's race, the incumbent Democrat Hevesi, who may be forced to resign for his improprieties, or Callaghan, the Republican, who all my friends in the know think would be TERRIBLE. The rationale for voting for Hevesi is that he (they fervently hope) would resign after being re-elected, or failing that, removed. In any case, the Democrats would be able to replace him. The technical word for this is YUCKY.
***
Your Vote Score: 26% Republican, 74% Democrat

While you don't always agree with the Democrat party, it's a pretty good match for you.
Do be sure to research each candidate. A liberal Republican or independent candidate might fit you better at times.

***
In another NYS Congressional race, the guy from the band Orleans ("Dance with Me"), John Hall, is running a surprisingly close race against Republican incumbent Sue Kelly. She won't be "Still The One" if Hall can defeat her. Hall, BTW, co-wrote one of my favorite songs recorded by Janis Joplin, "Half Moon".
***
Gay Prof worries that you won't vote. Lefty worries - really worries - that you'll vote, but it'll be stolen technologically. Meanwhile this Brit is just taking it all in.
***
DontVote.org
Oh, I took that Don't Vote AARP test:
"You scored 350 out of 350 possible points, or 100.00%
A+
Not only should you vote, you should consider a career in politics."
Well, thanks, but no thanks.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Art Garfunkel


I been mothered, fathered, aunt and uncled,
Been Roy Haleed and Art Garfunkeled.
I just discovered somebody's tapped my phone.

-A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd into Submission)
By Simon & Garfunkel

I've felt really sorry for Artie for a while now. He has a beautiful voice, sometimes achingly so. Yet, I think he's perceived like, say, Andrew Ridgely of WHAM!, lost in the light of his more creative partner.

Certainly, I don't have nearly the number of solo Garfunkel albums as I have of Paul Simon albums, though I do own Breakaway, and The Animals' Christmas (with Amy Grant).

I've had relationships like Paul seem to have with Art, on (as Tom and Jerry), and off (Paul goes to London), and on ("Sound of Silence" breaks), and off (Art makes movies such as Catch-22, which I saw twice in one day - had to do with affairs of the heart) while Paul goes solo, then on ("My Little Town"), then off, then on (Central Park reunion in 1981), then off (the clash over "Hearts and Bones"), with occasional reunions since then.

Anyway, Art turns 65 today, less than a month after Paul. His current music seems to be gaining some acclaim, if not great sales. I wish him well.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Rock 'N' Roll HoF Nominees QUESTIONS

The nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame came out this week, several weeks late, I understand. Five artists will be selected from among the nine nominated:
Chic- the disco group formed in New York City
The Dave Clark Five- one of England's leading musical exports in the 1960s
Grandmaster Flash- the third consecutive nomination for the groundbreaking NYC DJ, who would be the first hip-hop artist in the Hall if he makes the cut
R.E.M.- a first-time nominee from Athens, GA, that went from fan favorites mainstream success.
Ronettes- a classic girl group from NYC, groomed by producer Phil Spector
Patti Smith- New York singer-poet
The Stooges- led by Iggy Pop, the Detroit group paved the way for punk
Joe Tex- soul singer born Joseph Arrington, Jr. in Rogers, Texas
Van Halen- the Pasadena, CA band eligible for at least the past three years, but a first time nominee, has sold more than 50 million albums in the US alone

Five will be chosen. Who do you pick?

The only one that's a serious lock for me is R.E.M., a group that had both musical significance and commercial success.

As for the others: Chic had commercial success, and were quite influential musically. On the other hand, perhaps Nile Rogers should be in the Hall as a producer.

The Dave Clark Five rivaled The Beatles for a time. I think they've suffered because their catalogue can be hard to find.

Grandmaster Flash is clearly important with songs such as "The Message" and the first rap song I ever bought, "White Lines". I straddle the fence. Chubby Checker had a song go to #1 in two-non-consecutive years, but isn't, and shouldn't be in the HoF.

The Ronettes had relatively few real hits, and were overpowered by their producer, unfortunately.

Although I own Horses, the debut album by Patti Smith, my sense is that she's more important to the overall rock scene as a music critic and songwriter than specifically as an artist. But that could be my limitation.

Many claim The Stooges as inspiration. Certainly hooking up with Bowie helped their visibility somewhat.

Joe Tex wasn't a big hitmaker on the pop charts often, but he has at least 10 top 10 soul hits, had a career that spanned 15 years and was well regarded. Moreover, his style presaged rap.

I own only one Van Halen album, and the group really isn't my cuppa, but I gotta give props to a band who thrived with two different lead singers (with the third, not so much).

So:
1. Who would you vote to put in the Hall? I'd pick the Dave Clark Five, R.E.M., Joe Tex, Van Halen and...one of the others, not the Ronettes. I'll flip a coin. O.K., Chic.
2. Who do you think will make the Hall? R.E.M., for sure. Stooges or Smith, or possibly both. Dave Clark Five and Joe Tex. Van Halen makes it only if the Stooges or Smith do not.

And on an entirely different topic:
3. How is it that a television show featuring an attractive African-American male and a woman in peril tied around deja vu, called Daybreak, with Taye Diggs is starting on ABC on November 15, while the movie Deja Vu with Denzel Washington is opening in theaters less than two weeks later? Or two movies about Truman Capote writing "In Cold Blood" are made at the same time, though released months apart?

BONUS QUESTION FOR FANS OF "LOST":

How do you feel about Daybreak filling in for Lost? No "Lost" repeats; indeed, no "Lost" for several weeks.

CLEARLY, I'd love YOUR input.
***
I was watching JEOPARDY!, a week or so behind, which is my practice, when I see a woman named Linda Sue Park on in the middle position. During the interview segment, Ms. Park lets it be known that she is a Newbery award winner. So Alex asks her to tell more. She then explains WHAT the Newbery is, offered up by the American Library Association. Alex tries again, and she proffers that the book is targeted at 9- to 11-year-olds. But she doesn't ever give the NAME OF THE BOOK. Since she lost, she never will, at least on that show. So, I will: A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, the Newbery Medal winner in 2002.
***
Jaquandor fixes the NFL.
***
I was looking for a graphic for this piece when I came across something for "America's 20 Best Shcools". The graphic was boring, but the spelling was exquisite.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Interesting things happen to me

Part 1: Something that had never happened to me before.
A couple weeks ago, I was walking with one of my male friends from choir, who was giving me a ride home. We walked into Washington Park, where his car was parked, at the Henry Johnson Boulevard entrance. Suddenly we hear yelling from somewhere behind us, "Hey, faggots! Whatcha doing?" And this went on for 10 or 12 seconds as we kept walking towards the car. It was most peculiar for two heterosexual men to experience.

Part 2: Something that has happened to me, or a variation of the same, quite often before.
Last week, I got off the bus at Madison and West Lawrence, as did this older white man at about 6pm, which was dusk. He went one block north, I went one block north. He started walking west, I did the same. He was walking fast enough that I couldn't just pass him - not with my knee - but not so fast that I couldn't easily just let him get ahead. He kept looking over his left shoulder every 20 or 30 feet at me. I peeled off to the right to go to the library, and he practically had to do a 360 to find me. This did not seem to relieve him overly much, since I was just returning some items in the night slot, but I turned right to head home, and he appeared relieved. Call me paranoid, but this IS something this apparently intimidating black male has experienced before.
***
I was having lunch yesterday with someone who asked me what I thought of the President. I said something like, "He's dreadful." She said, "But he's a Christian!" If you get into that kind of conversation, get the Sojourners Voting Guide. She's getting a copy today.
***
Fred Hembeck gives me props - mostly - as he answers my questions about one Tom Clay, the Binghamton-born DJ who created that bizarre WWTNNIL/AM&J cut I described recently. There's a bit of Rashomon in the piece, some crime, a little punishment. The story has it all, including a couple goofs which may get corrected.
***
Tosy did a post about the shortest and longest tracks in his music collection. I thought it was sort of funny/silly question, until I realized that my answers (Simpsons and Dylan, at least) were EXACTLY THE SAME. Then it just hurt my head.
***
Eddie describes music he sent me and analyzes music I sent him.
***
Check out the webpage in the first comment to this post of mine. Talk about warm and fuzzy.
***
Our long national nightmare is nearly over. Senator John Kerry has apologized for his joke/misstatement/expression of his true feelings suggesting that our armed forces were stupid for being in Iraq. Now if the Administration would only apologize for sending them there in the first place, we'd be all set.
***
Here's an excellent animation on YouTube, explaining Instant Runoff (IRV) basics in a clear and friendly style. I'm really fond of IRV.

Also on YouTube, Michael J Fox on "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos, interesting because he explains how sometimes he's "herky-jerky" and sometimes he hits a plateau.

Finally, an oldie. The video quality is dreadful, and the audio is out of sync. Nonetheless, itÂ’s still damn good. Jesse Jackson reads "Green Eggs and Ham. Worth listening to, at least, because it's Green.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Kathryn Dawn Lang


Born in Consort, Alberta, Canada, on November 2, 1961, Kathryn Dawn Lang grew up the youngest of four kids in a musical family. She remembers hours spent lying on the floor listening to albums from her next eldest sibling, Keltie: Linda Ronstadt, Cream, Delaney & Bonnie, Emmylou Harris, eventually graduating to singer-songwriters of her own choosing like Kate Bush and Rickie Lee Jones.

I have this complicated feeling about k.d. lang. On one hand, she has a truly wonderful voice in two distinct genres, country and the songs of the chaunteuse. On the other hand, I identify her music with my ex. A LOT.

I already had 1987's Angel With a Lariat on vinyl and 1988's Shadowland and 1989's Absolute Torch and Twang on CD when I was telling her about the new songs on the radio. At first, she didn't know who I was talking about, even though "Constant Craving" was constantly on the radio. But when I bought 1992's Ingenue, and she did finally identify her sound, she went k.d. crazy, playing her music heavily, and buying magazines, purchasing - or maybe I purchased for her, since I am an enabler - 1984's A Truly Western Experience, a fairly obscure album that doesn't even show up on some discographies, as well as the 1993 soundtrack to Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Western ends with a song called "Hooked on Junk", a strange song which seemed at the time to come out of nowhere, compared to the more traditional country tunes on the album. Think of "You Know My Name" by the Beatles, or some other song on an album you've heard and said, "How'd THAT get on?"

"I was really into punk and performance art and singers like Jonathan Richman and the Roches, which is very different from where I ended up going...on my 21st birthday, two different people gave me Patsy Cline albums as a gift...Patsy was also getting hip in the gay circles at the time."

So, when we split in 1994, I got Angel, Shadowland, Torch and Ingenue, as well as the Roy Orbison album that features k.d.'s duet of "Crying" the superior version of the song, I think; Red, Hot and Blue (the beautiful but mournful "So In Love"), the Dick Tracy soundtrack (the fun "Ridin' the Rails" with Take 6); and Tame Yourself (the hard-to-categorize "Damned Old Dog"). Z got Western, Cowgirls, and some Coneheads movie soundtrack, plus all the print stuff.

I've continued to buy k.d.'s music:
1995 All You Can Eat
1997 Drag
2000 Invincible Summer
2001 Live by Request
2004 Hymns of the 49th Parallel
Plus she has a duet on the Tony Bennett MTV album, another on the new Bennett Duets album, and a whole album of their duets together, 2003's Wonderful World.
But now she has a retrospective album of her country period, Reintarnation, featuring songs from those 1984-1993 albums, excluding Ingenue, and it puts me right back in that period.

lang, a painter, showed up in a hand-painted shirt she made with the word 'Patsy' splashed across it in rough punk lettering as an homage to her new hero. It wasn't until she got home after the audition and looked in the mirror that lang realized she'd misspelled and gotten the gig despite wearing a shirt that said 'Pasty'.

The album cover, BTW, is evocative of a famous Elvis cover: go to this website, which you might have read about in Fred Hembeck's post of April 2, 2005, and go to 978 - as of this writing - items are added constantly- for Elvis, and 980 for k.d., (oh, and 992 for The Clash).

In any case, I think I'll wait to buy her NEXT album. Now YOU might consider getting this if you don't have a lot of her country albums. It's fun music that confounded the country music establishment of the time. No, it doesn't include "Hooked on Junk".

As lang put it, they couldn't figure out if this shorthaired gal from Canada was making fun of them or trying to add some sizzle...

And the album has great liner notes, some of which I've copped.

Happy 45th birthday, k.d.
***
ALSO: The big 5-0 for my friend, the Hoffinator. Happy natal day.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

I will relate to this?

It'll be a year and a half of blogging tomorrow. Sometimes, I write on the hard-hitting issues of the day. Then there are other times:

Got one of "those" e-mails that was supposed to remind me of the "good old days", which I might have just read and deleted, but which somehow penetrated my mind:

About ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.


Well, my mom didn't drink or smoke, and in any case, fetal alcohol syndrome is a real problem that some kids didn't survive.

Plus they took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

81 mg of aspirin daily except the week before I'm about to donate blood.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

Yeah, we DIDN'T die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, luckily.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Seat belts almost certainly saved my life at least once.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we
rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.


To this day, I wouldn't ride my bike without a helmet; it reduces the chance of brain injury something like 80%.
I DID used to hitchhike regularly until about 1979, but I had a few peculiar encounters.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

Yes, I did do that and survived not falling out.

We didn't cough into our elbows, we forgot to wash our hands sometimes, and never used a sanitizing gel to get clean.

Actually, I wonder about the efficacy of sanitizing gel. Where do the germs GO?

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

I AM astonished about the bottled water industry. Some comedian - why do I think it was Carlin? - pretty much asked the same question. So, were we all dehydrated for years? Probably.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle
NO ONE and actually died from this.


As far as we know.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank koolade made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because ...

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING !


Well, I WAS overweight as a kid, though I was, in fact, always out playing.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.
And we were O.K.


Largely true in my case, actually, though I was always likely at Valley Street park, the Ansco ball field past the cemetery, or on the school playground.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down
the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.


Well, it wasn't go-karts, but I did ride my bike with bad brakes down a steep hill into bushes. I survived in spite of that, but I was lucky a couple times.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms.......
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!


I had friends, but I also had a lot of solitary pursuits as well.

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no
lawsuits from these accidents.


Always need the requisite lawyer-bashing in these things.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

Well, no.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,

Ditto.

made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

The first half IS true.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang
the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!


Not in my neighborhood, even then.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

This DOES resonate a bit.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.

They actually sided with the law!


Except when the law was a ass.

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned

HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!


Implicit in this is that persons born later than 1979 will not be innovative and creative? Oh, please.

If YOU are one of them . . . CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids,
before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!


The whole premise of "the good, old days," when the life expectancy was less, when people died of diseases that are now all but eradicated, with injuries that can now be treated is bogus.

But the other underlying theme, that we can now have GPS on our kids' cellphones so we know where they are at every minute, almost literally, IS largely true. Even when I was a kid, I was cognizant of "bad people out there". But IS our reaction too much? I don't know, but as Lydia grows up, I suspect I'll find out.

Your thoughts are welcome.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

All Hallows Eve 2006


Lydia's daycare is celebrating its "Fall Festival" today, no doubt in response to those who fear the infliction of religion; the Winter Festival's in a couple months.

Halloween.com: History, origins, costume ideas and links, news, Christian perspective on Halloween "in response to email castigating Halloween.com for glorifying evil :-)", and jokes such as:
Q. Why do demons and ghouls hang out together?
A. Because demons are a ghoul's best friend!

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. - Carol Bishop Hipps (Stolen from a friend)

There must be 30 Ways To Eat a Pumpkin. Ah, a new Paul Simon song, no doubt. And speaking of which - Paul's 65th birthday this month went unmentioned on this page.

So did Sting's 55th birthday. Here's a fun story about the FIRST time Sting met Edin Karamazov, the lute player from Sarajevo, 12 years ago at a circus. You fans of Studio 60 may recognize Karamazov from the episode featuring Sting (and Lauren Graham).

Facts for Halloween from the Census BOO-reau.

CYOP

Picture above from NASA.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Enthroned In The Hearts Of Kings-Mixed CD

Here's the thing about the disc I described yesterday. While I liked the songs, I didn't like the flow terribly much. So I decided to scrap it and start over. But I needed a first song, and a feel. The feel became a bit of Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan.

QUALITY OF MERCY-Michelle Shocked. This is a song from the Dead Man Walking soundtrack. It's the title song, as it were, for in the Billy Shakes play Merchant of Venice, Portia has an impressive speech, from which I took the title of this disc.
Johnny Cash connection: He also has a song on the soundtrack, In Your Mind.
WHO KILLED DAVEY MOORE? - Pete Seeger. From that 1963 live album I bought recently.
Bob Dylan connection: written by Bob.
DON'T TAKE YOUR GUNS TO TOWN- Charlie Robison. Love the feel.
Johnny Cash connection: from a JRC tribute album.
I HUNG MY HEAD - Sting. Great song.
Johnny Cash connection: covered by Johnny, and arguably done better.
FOLSOM PRISON BLUES-Keb' Mo'. He changes a vital lyric! Still, I love the performance.
Johnny Cash connection: from a JRC tribute album.
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE-Beatles. "Rather see you dead, little girl." Without looking it up, I seem to recall, John pretty much disavowing this song.
Bob Dylan connection: likely written after the Beatles and Dylan smoked dope together.
PRETTY POLLY - Judy Collins. Starts off softly, but packs a punch, featuring guitar by Steve Stills. Murder ballad. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", indeed.
Bob Dylan connection: on the album Who Knows Where The Time Goes, which featurers this cut, Judy also sings Dylan's Poor Immigrant.
DELIA'S GONE -Johnny Cash. From his first American Recordings album.
Johnny Cash connection: The very first song on that disc.
GOODBYE EARL - Dixie Chicks. Controversial because the protagonist gets away with murder. With a video that's been heavily parodied.
Johnny Cash connection: their most recent album was produced by Rick Rubin, who produced Johnny's American Recordings in the 1990s and beyond.
WHERE DID YOU SLEEP LAST NIGHT - Nirvana - I knew this as a Leadbelly song.
Bob Dylan connection: performed by Bob in 1961 and in 1990.
'TIL I DIE- Beach Boys. Someone once suggested that I ask my church choir to sing this. It's too nihilist, and, as I suspected, about suicide. But it IS beautiful.
Bob Dylan connection: The Beach Boys and Dylan performed at the same festival in 2003. Both have a Top 5 album on the Rolling Stone: The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
SUICIDE ALLEY -Shawn Colvin. One DOES want a response to suicide, and this is it.
Bob Dylan connection: For Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Rosanne Cash and Shawn Colvin sang You Ain't Goin' Nowhere.
DEATH IS NOT THE END- Nick Cave. Last song on the sometimes brutal "Murder Ballads" album.
Bob Dylan connection: written by Bob.

I think this album has a better flow to it, with men killing men, then men killing women, women killing men, and people threatening to kill themselves.

The problem I had was copying it, for I couldn't get it not to do strange things during the playback at a certain point. Finally, I isolated the problem: the Nirvana track was somehow defective, although not audibly so, so the five-minute track kept going and going and going, messing up everything past it. I ended up buying the cut on iTunes (buying a song I already own, ironically, which SHOULD make up for something), and it seemed to work OK.

Please let me know if you'd like a copy.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

John, Bobby, and John- Mixed CD

My CD for my Gordon mixed bag thing turned out to be a concept album, about the murders of icons of the 1960s.

I SHOT JOHN LENNON - Pretty direct tune by the Cranberries.
HERE TODAY- Macca's response to the event.
ALL THOSE YEARS AGO - And George's. I had it in my head that Ringo also had a response, but my Beatles expert wrote: "I don't think there was one. George was going to give Ringo the song that turned into All Those Years Ago (new lyrics were written for it after the tragedy), and Ringo played on George's version. Paul wrote Here Today for John, and Ringo wrote Never Without You for George on Ringo Rama."
WHEN THE BEATLES HIT AMERICA - John Wesley Harding did a bit about the Beatles' reunion of 1993.
THE LATE GREAT JOHNNY ACE - The transitional song. Ostensibly about the 1950's singer, it namechecks JFK, and talks about John Lennon, ending with some Philip Glass moodiness.
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (Full Phat Remix) - When I think about the Kennedy assassination, of course I think of this Rolling Stones song, not this version necessarily.
FAMILY SNAPSHOT - I've read that Peter Gabriel was inspired to write this song after the attempted assassination of George Wallace, but look at the lyrics.
GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT - Live Kinks, with almost cheerful reference to the JFK shooting.
CIVIL WAR - "And in my first memories, They shot Kennedy." This Guns 'N Roses fits into any civil war, including VietNam.
LEE HARVEY WAS A FRIEND OF MINE- Laura Cantrell's character says, "They said he shot the President, but I don't I don't think he did."
WHO SHOT MR. BURNS (Part 1) - The Simpsons end theme in the style of the JFK movie.
LONG TIME GONE- CPR is one of David Crosby's groups, doing a song about Robert Kennedy, originally performed by one of his other groups.
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS KNOW IS LOVE/ABRAHAM, MARTIN, AND JOHN- Read what it says in my Joel Whitburn Billboard book about this guy:
Born Thomas Clague on 8/20/29 in Binghamton, New York [my hometown!] Died of cancer on 11/22/95 (age 66). Was a DJ at KGBS in Los Angeles when he created this recording." It debuted on the charts on 7/10/71, peaking at #8, and spent nine weeks on the chart. B-side: The Victors [spoken word]. Mowest 5002.
The Blackberries (vocal accompaniment); picture sleeve issued 'compliments of KGBS radio'.

I tell all that to explain why this was the first song to be selected on the disc. When my family and I were visiting Fred Hembeck and his family this past summer, Fred and I started talking about this very song. We weren't SURE we were talking about the same song; one of us remembered the Abraham part, while the other remembered the Love part, or maybe it was the kid section.

This is one of the weirdest damn songs ever to chart. You MUST check out the lyrics here. The first section, and the last, is an announcer, I assume Clay, talking to a kid, about bigotry, etc. There's a little musical "sigh" at certain points, such as after Brinkley says, "Dallas, Texas."

My sense, and it's only that, is that Clay and his radio station, feeling awful about the death of Bobby Kennedy in their city of Los Angeles, plus the other turbulence of the time, were compelled to make a statement by taking the Dion hit of three years earlier and merged it with the tune written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, made famous by Dionne Warwick. The song, I've discovered, appears on Motown Salutes Bacharach, an import . (Mowest was a Motown subsidiary when the label moved to California.) I have it on 20 Hard-to-Find Motown Classics, Vol. 2, which itself is now hard to find.

If you would like a copy of the collection I put together, or just of this last song, please e-mail me.

Oh, and does anyone out there know if the Tom Clay who was an L.A. DJ in 1971 was also the Tom Clay who was a Detroit-area DJ in 1964 and put together this Beatles collectible?

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Baseball MVP QUESTIONS

Before I forget yet again, Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us® on A&E
Saturday, October 28 @ 10pm/9C (TONIGHT!)
Sunday, October 29 @ 2am/1C (which is, in fact, 1 am EST, according to my DVR)
Saturday, November 04 @ 12pm/11C

Quote from Fred Hembeck: "Brief observation: I've never been much of a fan of Yoko Ono, but I can now state this unequivocally: Heather Mills McCartney--WORST BEATLES WIFE EVER!" Given that there have been eight Beatle wives, I'd put her as #8 as well.

Beatles Songs from Worst to First
***
If you have access to the Wall Street Journal of October 26, check out "This World Series Has Huge Following, 38 Years After Fact; '68 Tigers-Cardinals Games To Get Fantasy Replay; Denny McLain Weighs In", a front page article:

The Detroit Tigers this week made a crucial decision about the team's player lineup... The team's decision had nothing to do with the current World Series battle with the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead it harks back to the legendary 1968 World Series between the same teams. The lineup is for a reunion of sorts at a fantasy-baseball camp, where fans and former players will celebrate the 40th anniversary of that matchup. But for the event to succeed, the Tigers will have to sort out some complicated logistics, still-simmering personality clashes, and how to deal with the criminal record of its erstwhile superstar, Mr. McLain, who has served time in prison for extortion and embezzlement.

"We've decided that every living member of the '68 team should be invited," says Jerry Lewis, director of Detroit Tigers Fantasy Camp. He knows that will cause a stir.

***
The questions this week are straight-forward enough: Who would you choose for the major baseball awards? Probably my last baseball post this year. (But as the Mets are saying, "Wait until next year!") Remember these are regular season awards, and the postseason doesn't factor in.

They've already named the 2006 Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award, presented (naturally) by Viagra.

AL Most Valuable Player: If David Ortiz who led the league in homers and RBI hadn't had some medical issues, the Red Sox would have at least contended for a wild card slot; he'll get some consideration. I'm fond of the Twins' Justin Morneau, although another Twins player, Joe Mauer, led the league in hitting. A catcher, no less. And Derek Jeter? Yes, he was second in batting average, and scored a bunch of runs, and plays a decent shortstop. I'm just not convinced that his "intangibles" should put him over the top.

NL Most Valuable Player: Who lead the major league in homers and RBI, batted over .300, and has a slugging percentage over .650? Ryan Howard. Who came in second in the league and third in the majors in homers and RBI, and had even a better slugging percentage? Albert Pujols. They should, and will finish 1-2.

AL Cy Young. Easily, Johan Santana, another Twins player - this will make my father-in-law happy. He lead the majors in ERA and strikeouts - an overvalued stat, the latter is, I think- and tied for the lead in wins with Chien-Ming Wang of the Yankees. No 20-game winners this season, which used to be a standard for excellence in pitching.

NL Cy Young. Six pitchers won 16 games. The one with the best ERA by far is Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a mediocre team. The only people with a better ERA both won 15 games: Roy Oswalt and Chris Carpenter of the NL-winning (BOO!) St. Louis Cardinals.

There are other awards, but I don't know enough about any of them to comment, except that the Tigers' Tom Verlander is likely to be the AL Rookie of the Year. But you can comment further with your vast knowledge.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Election of 2006

I have no expectations that things will be better from "Day One" on when Eliot Spitzer is elected governor, as his ads state. Note that I didn't say if. It's the damn polls.

Alan Hevesi had a walk in the park in his run for re-election as State Comptroller until the Driving Mrs. Hevesi scandal, which has led to Spitzer withdrawing his support. Suddenly, and I mean in the last three days, signs for Callaghan, the Republican opponent, have popped up everywhere, and Hevesi's numbers are way down.

Here's a paragraph I swiped from the October 12 Metroland about the Green Party candidate for Attorney General:
[Rachel] Treichler had petitioned weeks earlier to be included in the League of Women Voters' proposed three attorney-general debates. In a letter, she argued her qualifications: ballot access, financial compliance with New York State Board of Elections, voter interest and serious media coverage. The league, in turn, commissioned a Zogby poll in which Treichler polled 17 percent of the vote among independent voters. It was decided that she was a viable candidate.
So, if you're not a Democrat or Republican, you have to be proven debate-worthy, including showing up in the polls. It's not enough to go through the machinations of getting on the ballot; if your candidacy isn't already strong enough, you won't be invited to the debates. The story continues:
At the last minute, however, Treichler learned that she wasn't going to be included in any of the debates. [Democraticic candidate Andrew] Cuomo wasn't interested, she says, in debating a third-party candidate, and his camp put the pressure on to not include her.

It's polling that will allow me to vote for a third-party candidate against Hillary Clinton and whoever her Republican opponent is this year It was polling that allowed me to vote for Ralph Nader for President in 2000, knowing that Al Gore would still win the state In fact, I could easily vote for third-party candidates for every position; Spitzer is cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party. New York is one of those peculiar states that actually allows that sort of thing.

I certainly would not be in favor of a ban on polling, but it has WAY too much influence on voter activity, including voter apathy, when a candidate is so far behind and a citizen says, "Why bother?"
***
WTEN-TV clips for the races in the local Congressional District in the Albany area.
In the 21st, the Democratic incumbent is a lock for re-election.
In the 22nd, incumbent Republican Sweeney, who, BTW, was one of those folks who ran down to Florida to get Bush 43 selected President, is in a suddenly competitive race with Gillabrand, who Bill Clinton came to town to endorse this week.
In the 23rd, Republican incumbent McHugh's position on Iraq on the link above is particularly entertaining.

President Bush on Iraq: It's Never Been "Stay The Course". Goodness, why did I think otherwise?

A ten minute version of the DVD "Bought and Sold-- Electronic Voting in New York" is now posted on YouTube.
The EBay link for purchase of the full version of "Bought and Sold"

CNN: Should e-voting machines be outlawed?

FOX News (of all people) Exposes Princeton / Diebold Vote-Reversal Story

The Princeton report of computer virus susceptibility of the DieboldAccuVote machine .

RFK Jr on Hardball on November Elections

Want to Vote on Paper on November, 2006? because you don't trust the machines?

Thursday, October 26, 2006

The Lydster, Part 31: Useful


These are some of the 30 month retrospective pics I was going to use last month, but the Blogger was acting up.

You DO realize the real reason I write these, don't you? Because, while they are fresh in my mind NOW, they'll be a point when I'll say to the wife, "Wife, when did Lydia...?" and she won't know, either.


Lydia has become very helpful. She finds glasses, keys, shoes, TV remotes and other items. The fact that she may have misplaced some of these items is irrelevant.

She helps with the laundry. I brought a bunch of bottles to the return section of the supermarket, and without being asked, she hands me bottles to put in the machine; interestingly, she never gave me the can that was also in the bag, and which went in another machine.

She's very quick to let me know I should be brushing my teeth in the bathroom, or that certain socks just don't go with her outfit.

Apparently, day care centers all over the country teach kids how to put on their coats by lying them on the ground then flipping the coats over their heads. Or something like that. She's also figured out the left shoe on the left foot thing, which saves time in the morning.

She's very good at taking her liquid medicine all by herself, after we put it in the vial. Alas, she's not so crazy about her nose spray.

Sure she washes her hands, but she's also figured out which faucet is hot and which is cold in the bathroom, and to turn on the cold one first, lest she burn herself, at least most of the time.

Oh, there's other stuff to brag about, I'm sure, but it'll keep.

Next month, new pics for sure. (Yes, Claire, I'm still having them DEVELOPED.)

Lovin' the child.
***
Happy birthday, Becky, my eldest niece.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

My #1 Favorite Sports Moment

It occurs to me that the Mets' Endy Chavez's catch in the NLCS this month might have made the Top 10 list had the Mets beaten the Cardinals in Game 7. Alas, they did not. Fred must be still in mourning, because he hasn't posted since then.

So, OK, my #1 favorite sports moment is probably obvious. It happened 20 years ago tomorrow. It was Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. But it wasn't just the game, it was the atmosphere.


My high school friend Cecily was having her annual Halloween party in Binghamton, so I took the bus from Albany that Saturday morning. At the party, Cecily was dressed as Gary Carter, the Mets catcher, a fairly good likeness, actually. So while we were partying, it was with one eye on the game until about the 9th inning, when we just stood and waited in vain for a Mets victory. Then the Boston Red Sox went up in the top of the 10th, but the Mets tied and then won. Except for Ralph Branca and Bobby Thompson, few opponents are so paired in the mind of the sports affectionado than Mookie Wilson and Bill Buckner. Seldom have I been in a room with so much jumping up and down with excitement.

The next day, I took a bus home. It was a dark and stormy night. The bus drivers had been on strike for some months - I thought it was Greyhound, though research suggests they weren't striking at the time. In any case, they had replacement drivers. We got out of Binghamton OK, but then the driver got off on Exit 13 of I-88, rather than Exit 15, which involved tooling around Oneonta until a group of passengers, including myself, directed him to the station, and importantly, back to the highway. There was further confusion at the college at Cobleskill when the driver took us to places on campus we had never seen before.

One of the great disappointments was that I'd be missing Game 7 of the Series. But, wait - I discovered the next morning that I hadn't. The rain that pounded the area from Binghamton to Albany also caused the game in Queens to be postponed until the next day, when the Mets took the title. Game 7 was televised opposite a Monday Night Football game between Washington... and the New York Giants at the Meadowlands. NBC received a national Nielsen rating of 38.9 for Game 7 versus an 8.8 for ABC's football telecast.
***
Watched no football this weekend, though I'm thrilled the Giants beat the Cowboys. Still haven't watched a single out of the World Series. I'll probably catch part of Game 5 on Thursday after choir.
***
I'm missing the endorphin rush of playing racquetball 4 or 5 times a week. My wrist and my knee are healing VERY slowly, and it makes me cranky.
***
That sporting event participatory activity known as the Wave started 25 years ago this month. Maybe.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

My favorite sports moments

A post nearly guaranteed to confound this fellow from across the pond.

Greg did his Top 10 Sports Moments last month. I thought to do the same. Of course, there are moments I loved at the time but have faded into memory, including many of the exciting NCAA men's basketball finals.

I was flicking through the channels last month and came onto women's volleyball. The game is to 30, win by two, and in the second game of the match Siena (a college near Albany) beat Binghamton (my hometown) 40-38. It was exciting, but the memory will fade.

The rules Greg laid out is that I have had to actually witness it, not seen it on ESPN Sportscenter later.

10. I know how Greg hates Brett Favre, but even he must admit that the game Favre played on December 22, 2003, right after his father died was magnificent.

9. Mark McGwire's 62nd home run on September 8, 1998. Yeah, the steroid controversy taints this record. But I still think that the home run race between McGwire and Sammy Sosa that season energized the fans in the way they hadn't been since the 1994 strike. In fact, this was Labor Day weekend, and I saw three Cardinals games in a row on FOX, who were looking to capture the historic moment. I loved all of it, Sosa running in from right field, McGwire's graciousness to the family of Roger Maris.

8. Magic Johnson plays center during the NBA Finals. The rookie point guard replaces an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the middle, scores 42 points, and creates a legend.

7. "Villanova beats Georgetown 66-64 to win the 1985 NCAA Basketball Championship ... on April Fools' Day." It seems like most of the finals were thrilling games during that period. I was watching the game with mixed emotions. On one hand, I liked Georgetown coach John Thompson. On the other hand, 'Nova was SUCH an underdog. This is on Greg's list (item 3), so you can read his description.

6. I was never a big Reggie Jackson fan, but I was rooting for the Yankees against the Dodgers in the 1977 World Series. The Yankees had made it to the Series the year before, but were swept by the Big Red Machine. Before that, they hadn't been in the World Series since 1964 and hadn't won since 1962. When Reggie hit a homer in Game 6 on the first pitch, I nodded approvingly. When he hit a second home run, also on the first pitch, I was very happy. But when he hit a third home run, again on the first pitch, I involuntarily jumped out of my seat.

5. August 27, 1991, The U.S. Open. Like Andre Agassi this year, Jimmy Connors in 1991 was in the twilight of his career. I watched most of this match, including the very end. Described in a NY Times article entitled "TENNIS; Not Too Late for Connors" By ROBIN FINN:

"As the twilight melted into the witching hour and beyond, the crowd dwindled to 4,000 of the faithful, but those who stayed last night got to watch a resurgent legend outdistance another legend's younger brother in the first round of the United States Open. On the buggy and humid stadium court, the legend played with the persistence of a gnat, a bionic gnat. Jimmy Connors, making his case for the eternal reprise and perpetual histrionics, swatted, stung, and swore his way past a quavery Patrick McEnroe, 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, to move into the second round of his 21st Open. The marathon took 4 hours 20 minutes and marked the seventh career comeback from a two-set deficit for Connors, who erased a 0-40 deficit and ended things at 1:35 this morning with a service winner on his third match point."

4. Sarah Hughes winning Olympic gold in figure skating in 2002. Mostly, it was because I didn't think she had a chance after finishing fourth in the short program. In the stupid ordinal scoring system they had until fairly recently, if any of the top three leaders (Michelle Kwan, Irina Slutskaya, and I think Sasha Cohen) won the free skate, they would have won the medal. But Hughes skated flawlessly, Michelle Kwan (my wife's favorite skater) slipped to third, and the upset was complete.

3. The January 3, 1993 NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers. I must admit that I didn't see the first half; I was grocery shopping with my then-wife, who slipped on the black ice on the way home. We turned on the game in time for the second half kickoff, and almost turned off the TV when Buffalo's Frank Reich threw the interception early in the third quarter to make it 35-3, Houston. But we're talking about the only team in the NFL that actually plays in New York State, so I stuck with it and was richly rewarded with an unprecedented Bills win. Sometimes, when I'm watching a sporting event and am getting excited by the events, I stand up. I stood up a LOT in that game.

2. For a few years in the 1990s, Central Park in Schenectady, NY, was home to a recognized tennis tournament. In 1991, Michael Stich won Wimbledon singles championship. He then went to Schenectady, and won. The next year, Michael Stich returned to defend his title in Schenectady, but lost in the second round to a tournament wild card named Andrei Olhovskiy, in straight sets, no less. I was in the stands, and I was as shocked as anyone. This ranks so high because it's the only one I saw in person.


I'm saving my #1 for tomorrow.

I should also make mention of Tiger Woods winning the 2006 British Open. I wasn't even watching it, but 60 Minutes (or something) was supposed to be on, so I saw the ending. And he cried because his dad had died. For some reason, so did I.
***
A new study, Immigrants, Baseball and the Contributions of Foreign-Born Players to America's Pastime from The National Foundation for American Policy.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Music I am listening to

Now that I've finally gotten out my larcenous CDs per Gordon's exchange - apologies to all, but it was technology plus stubbornness, described next week when I describe what I did musically - I'll note briefly that I enjoyed all the mixes I've received to one degree or another.

Gordon started with a song that, for whatever reason, didn't grab me, but much of the rest was quite enjoyable, even though he stole my Clash song. For some reason I was particulatrly fond of how
Der Komissar by After the Fire worked with Cheap Trick's Dream Police. And Slip Away was an inspired choice, which never would have occurred to me.

Curiously, I didn't much like the first cut on the contribution by Lefty either, which surprised me, because it often means that I won't like what follows, but this is not the case. Fiona Apple's Criminal was on my briefly considered list for my own mix. I loved the flow from Condi, Condi (Steve Earle) to another song about her and her ilk, Sweet Neo Con (The Rolling Stones), to a Rolling Stones cover, Street Fighting Man (Rod Stewart). The Hey Joe/Down by the River pairing was going to be on my disc; I may STILL do a requested "murder ballads" disc for someone, and they most assuredly would be included. Heroes and Villains by the Beach Boys - an inspired choice for the finale. The only other song I didn't enjoy was the RATM, which after the fifth or sixth curse in a row, I had to just hit fast forward. Oh, and Lydia described the White Stripes cut as noise; I wouldn't csll it that.

Tosy puts together a much more theatrical mix, with mostly unfamiliar (to me) pieces. I must say, the second listen was better than the first, and the third better than the second. It requires a bit of active listening. I did like The Vampires/Mack the Knife/Strange Fruit grouping, which were the only familiar tunes besides Miss Otis Regrets and the songs from West Side Story. Worth another listen.

I didn't find a list of Eddie's songs for this exchange, but I should note the Chieftains/Mick Jagger version of Long Black Veil was on my list. I do find descriptions of the previous mix or two, but I do like them all, even though they're all mostly a slice of Americana, as he's described them. BTW, Eddie, both the Del McCoury Band and Emmylou Harris played here in October. Unfortunately, I saw neither, but I've provided reviews. Ms. Harris was sold out, and we couldn't get a sitter to see your man Del.

Also got a disc from this guy, which I liked in parts - my daughter was dancing to some of it - but not yet from this guy, who's going to Egypt soon.
***
The World Series started on Saturday, and seriously, I forgot. The Mets are gone, and the WS has receded in my mind.
***
The mother of Princess, Bud, Kitten and Mr. Spock died this week.
***
Things more difficult to do with a strained right wrist:
-Change a bottle of water
-Use a plunger to unclog the toilet
-Lift anything much heavier than a daily newspaper
-Pour milk or juice from a container larger than a half pint
-Turn a door lock
-Turn on the stove
-Ride a bicycle
-Type

Sunday, October 22, 2006

W.W.C.T.G.Y.T.B.N.C.O.S.Y.A.O. vs. Copyright

I went to an interesting workshop on copyright last week. I was reminded that it was only a 5-4 decision that allowed one to timeshift television watching. This is a good thing, because timeshifted TV is about the only TV I watch, Game 7 of the NLCS notwithstanding.

The issue of music is more complicated, and I'm not going to get into the law, except to say that I have (probably) violated it recently, and yet I'm all right with that. Mostly.

When music CDs first came out, I had lots of LPs, in excess of 1000, so I was rather disinclined to replicate digitally what I already had in vinyl. So most of my early CD purchases were new product, with an occasional acquisition of a Greatest Hits package. Eventually, though, as I found myself not listening as much to the records, I would buy certain albums I already owned on LP as CDs: Purple Rain by Prince; Who's Next by The Who, Graceland by Paul Simon; The Beatles' oeuvre - I own the British LP box set; the Police CD box set, which covers all of their albums; early 1970s Stevie Wonder, just to name a few. Well, no more.

I am hereby declaring war on the W.W.C.T.G.Y.T.B.N.C.O.S.Y.A.O., which, as described by Mark Evanier is the World Wide Conspiracy To Get You To Buy New Copies Of Stuff You Already Own. Tom the Dog and others have also touched on this topic.

I know people go the library and burn music all of the time; I just reflect endlessly on it. Someone asked, in reference to my (near-obsessive) desire to get the new Dylan album, if I might get it at the library. Well, yeah, I could, but it would be wrong. For me.

Whereas I feel no such compunction about going to the library and buying digitized versions of music I already own. Call it rationalization if you want. I call it fighting back against the W.W.C.T.G.Y.T.B.N.C.O.S.Y.A.O.

So what did I copy this week? I didn't really look for anything specific, just flipped through the racks until I found a half dozen discs, which is the maximum.
Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen (1982). My Bruce collection was neatly divided into the mid-'80s boxed set and before, which was vinyl, and the post-boxed set, which was all CD. Then I ended up getting Born in the USA on CD, even though I had it on LP. For Christmas one year, my (now late) brother-in-law John asked me what I wanted, and I put together a list of Bruce LPs I owned that I might want on CD (plus The River, which I had, strangely, never gotten). He gave me ALL of them: Asbury Park, Born in the USA, Darkness, and The River. I had forgotten to ask for Nebraska and The Wild, the Innocent... Well, now I have all but the latter.

Breakfast in America - Supertramp (1982). Scowl if you wish, but tell me: isn't The Logical song still relevant?
Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical,
Liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name, wed like to feel you're
Acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable!


Those two were morally easy, compared to the other two.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen - Joe Cocker. I found the two-disc, 35th anniversary edition of the classic 1970 album. I had forgotten the story how an exhausted Cocker wanted some rest but was contracted to do this extra tour, lest he never play in America again, how Leon Russell helped put together a bunch of musicians, and how everything was sweetness and light in the beginning between Cocker and Russell, only to sour over the time of the tour.
This special edition has songs that were not the original LP, including the singles versions. Did I pass on those songs? I did not. Not a purist, I reckon.

Aladdin Sane - David Bowie. Another double album, this one the 30th anniversary of the 1973 follow-up to Ziggy Stardust. The second disc has alternate and live versions. It would have been easy not to copy it, logistically. Alas, I succumbed to the ease of the electronic download.
Now, one of the things I STILL won't have are the extensive liner notes, some 30 pages, including a Bowie timetable for 1972 and 1973. Bowie was an early hit on the coasts, but sold only 180 tickets out of 11,000 seats in St. Louis.
I'll miss out on David's musings on many things, including Detroit, where he is quoted as saying that he can't believe there's really such a raw city. He meant this in a GOOD way. Panic in Detroit is my favorite song on the album, BTW.
There was a record company ploy to make a star out of David by having him act the part, with expensive accoutrements; Bowie was ambivalent at best about the plan, which, arguably, worked.
The writer, noting that this tour was less elaborate than the later Diamond Dogs tour, reflected that middle America found that the "lead singer [Bowie] mock-felating his lead guitarist [Mick Ronson] was a little hard to swallow."
A Lad Insane was one of the possible album titles.

Anyway, there are my blows against the empire.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

War Timetable QUESTION

I came across the TIME magazine Quotes page this week. These sets of paired quotes show that the reality in Iraq is a sometimes thing:

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006
"People are bewildered because of the weak response by the Americans. They used to patrol the city every day, but when the violence started, we didn't see any sign of them." - Unidentified Balad (Iraq) Resident, asking why American troops had not intervened when sectarian killings had begun

"The President has made it obvious, we're going to win. And that means, ultimately, providing an Iraq that is safe, secure, and an ally in the war on terror." - Tony Snow, the White House spokesman responded when asked if the U.S. is winning the war in Iraq

Monday, Oct. 16, 2006
"The fact is, America has achieved successes here by removing a dictatorship and establishing a stable, democratic system." - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi leader, during an interview

"It's not going to be 'stay the course.' The bottom line is, [current U.S. policy] isn't working... there's got to be another way." - Iraq Options Committee Participant, on the one thing on which the 10-member panel has reached a unanimous consensus

So my questions are:

1. What do you think will be the US position in Iraq in six months, in a year? I'm increasingly convinced that the Baker panel, whose report will come out after the elections, will have a timetable - the same term, or a euphemism meaning the same thing - that will give political cover to the Administration that it had "stayed the course" while, in fact, cutting their losses, not to be confused with "cutting and running". There will be lots of troop in the region, probably in Kuwait.

2. The Democrats need 15 seats to take the House and 6 to take the Senate. How do they do? I think the Democrats might barely take the House (16-20 seats). The Senate could go either way (5-7 seats).

3. Will there beArmageddonddon in the "Left Behind" sense? Perhaps there will be, but I think it is an abomination of Christian belief to sit around waiting for it, or worse, to root for it. "No one knows the day or time" to me means one tries to live life fully feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, et al.
***
Mark Evanier addresses What would Jack Kirby think of the war in Iraq. (And if you don't know who Kirby was, check this out.

Friday, October 20, 2006

No Joy in Metsville

"Mighty Carlos has struck out." With the bases loaded.

I fully expect that the headline in one of the New York City tabloids will feature my title, quite possibly not on the back page, but on the front. And it was terrible game to watch, because of the emotional roller coaster. Endy Chavez takes a 2-run homer for the Cards and turns it into a double play defensively for the Mets; then he comes up in the bottom of that inning, only to pop up. The crowd (and I ) were deflated when the Mets fell behind in the top of the 9th, but energized when Valentin and Chavez get on. A called third strike on Beltran to end the inning, the game, the season for the 'Mazins.

Don't have a strong rooting interest for the World Series now, though I suppose I'll support those upstart Tigers of Scott's; the Cards were in the Series two years ago after all, though the Redbirds were swept by the Red Sox.

This week, George Will, who I agree with a lot on baseball (and infrequently on other topics) wrote about Baseball's Real 'Golden Age', which was not in the post WWII era, when there was a Subway Series in 1949, 1951, 1952 and 1953, and almost in 1950 as well, but now, because of revenue sharing and other factors, a number of teams have a chance at the postseason. I wasn't looking for a Subway Series, which, BTW, also took place in 1921, 1922, 1923, 1936, 1937, 1941, 1947, 1955, 1956, and 2000. I recognize that it's a bore for those non-New Yorkers. I just wanted one team, the one from Queens.

This means my streak of picking one, not two, not none, but precisely one of the participants in the World Series is still intact.

Go send Fred, who coincidentally mentioned me in his column this week, your condolences.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

TV Age

My current TV is a 19" set I bought in 1987 for a couple hundred bucks. It works fine, though the guy who installed the DVR couldn't believe we had a TV SO antiquated that one still has to get up and turn the TV off and on manually, even with a remote control. I don't have a V-chip, or an SAP button to listen to sporting events in Spanish. I know that eventually I will be in the market for a new TV; the incumbent will give out, and mandatory HDTV is finally on the horizon.

So, I'm reading the November Consumer Reports Annual Electronics Issue, and it has an article about plasma and LCD TVs, the CHEAPEST of which is $1000. Sure glad they are other items on the market, because I, and moreso my wife, would choke at spending four figures on a television.

Which got me thinking about the shows I watch, and don't, again. Always at least a week behind, I'm pleased, though confused, to find that there are a number of shows that I watch (Earl, The Office, Grey's Anatomy) that are repeating the season openers next week, six or seven weeks after the original broadcast. In fact, with the Friday night repeats, I think this is the third time Grey's opener has been on.

There are a whole bunch of new shows on that seem interesting that I haven't even recorded: Friday Night Lights (on at the exact same time as both Gilmore Girls and Dancing with the Stars), Heroes (with that guy Jess from Gilmore Girls), Justice (with Victor Garber, who I've liked for years), Twenty Good Years (with Lithgow and Tambour), Smith (with Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen - ALREADY CANCELLED). Or slightly older shows: STILL have never seen Lost, Desperate Housewives, or any number of programs; I could watch a House marathon on Sunday, October 29, but probably won't.

I haven't figured out what, exactly, are my criteria for giving it a try vs. giving it a rest. It's not just critical acclaim, though that does factor in. Casts matter, writers and directors matter. I'm already leaning on dropping The Nine - one episode viewed - for the same reason I don't watch Lost; I don't have the patience for certain types of convolutedness.

I will say that my absolute favorite scene this season was on Brothers and Sisters, where Sally Field, as the recently widowed mother, throws a party for her kids and grandkids and some others, including, it turns out, her late husband's lover (Patricia Wettig). All of the kids, and the mistress, think that mom doesn't know about her; they are mistaken, as they soon find out in a riveting jaw-dropping monologue.

***
NLCS Game 7. Defending NL Central champs, STL vs. the best team in the league this season, NYM. I taped last night's game and watched it, mostly fast-forwarded, in about an hour and a half, which was about 50% of the game's running time, slowing down mostly for balls that were hit.

Wouldn't have made choices Mets manager Willie Randolph made. Starting picture Maine bats in the 5th, then in the 6th, he gives up a hit, then gets and out and he yanks him? Bradford gets the next batter, Rolen, to hit into a double play, so it turns out to be the right play. Later, he violates the "rule" and doesn't pitch a lefty vs. a left-handed batter, yet RHP Mota gets Duncan to hit into another double play.

A key of the game is PH Tucker stealing second on a pitchout (C Molina throw is high), and after a Reyes hit, LoDuca hits a 2-run double. Important because Mets closer Wagner gave up a 2-run double to Taguchi, to cut the lead to the final score of 4-2, Mets. if I were STL manager LaRussa, I'd play Taguchi (4 for 4 as a pitcher hitter) and sit Rolen, who can't hit and even made an error last night.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

The Emergence of The Theme Will Be Apparent Very Soon

I was watching JEOPARDY! last week. Here's the final, under the category famous cartoon characters:
The 1935 cartoon "I Haven't Got a Hat" was the first of many cartoons that paired him with a cat named Beans. Answer below.
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The paper last Sunday had this headline Car plows through house, killing pig, which struck me as - this is terrible - funny. The subhead: "Driver charged with DWI in crash that destroyed family's home and beloved pet in Ballston Spa." It somehow reminded me of Arnold Ziffel, the pet pig of the neighbors of the Douglases on the TV show Green Acres with Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor.

Then, on Tuesday, this follow-up:
Hannahble's demise inspires wealth of giving, with the subhead: Death of pet Vietnamese potbellied pig in freak auto wreck sparks creation of fund to help other pigs"
Donations may be sent to the Hannahble Fund at Box 561, 5072 Sacandaga Road, Galway, NY 12074...
Unlike domestic pets such as dogs and cats, potbellied pigs are often hard to place, Grossmann Brown said, noting that people often get rid of their pigs because of changing circumstances -- including divorce and new landlords that won't accept such pets
"This was a very bad and scary event and I am glad to be alive. If some other pigs can live a more comfortable life or be saved from harm in Hanners' way, then I would be honored to be a part of it," Grossmann Brown said in a statement announcing the fund.
Grossmann Brown and her husband, Randy Brown, are staying in a hotel while they figure out how to recover from the accident that demolished part of their home at 48 Rowland St. at 4 a.m. Saturday morning and killed Hanners.
Grossmann Brown said, fortunately, her two dogs, cat and two parakeets were not injured when the car tore through the house.
Danielle Schrade, 21, of Ballston Spa, was charged by village police with driving while intoxicated, accused of driving her Mitsubishi Eclipse through the front porch at 52 Rowland St., then through 48 Rowland St., where Hanners was sleeping peacefully in his bed.


Do I feel like an insensitive lout. It's good to be humbled now and then.
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The Guilderland Chamber of Commerce has been plugging its Pigtacular, including Hogtoberfest. Jane, who I knew from her days at the Albany Y, has been hawking these events. Oy. I'll have to razz her the next time I see her.
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One Lydia's favorite book lately is If You Give a Pig a Party. She can hear it four times in a row, and it's not awful for me to re-read. My favorite page is the hide-and-seek page, where even Carol and I had difficulty finding all the animals initially, especially the dog. (The pig was wearing her party dress, so she was easy to spot.)
Lydia's also fond of Mrs. Potter's Pig (mom is neat freak, baby is so messy that mom thinks girl will actually turn into a pig, and she does, sort of), Olivia and the Missing Toy (off a Cheerios box - we're not proud), and Percival the Pig (trying to keep clean for his birthday tea). Some of her farm books also feature porcine creatures.
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Answer to the JEOPARDY! question, which you may have gotten with the additional clues, but which I had no ideas in the 30 seconds allotted:
Who was Porky Pig? They were known as Porky and Beans. Ah, that mid-1930s humor. BTW, none of the contestants got it right, and in fact all picked cartoon cats (Krazy Kat, Felix the Cat, Jerry) as their responses.
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The Mets lost last night, 4-2, and are down 3 games to 2. Sigh. At least I didn't see it. My bike injuries seem to have made me extremely achy and fatigued, and the grey skies that made it feel like dusk ALL DAY didn't help. I went to bed at 8 p.m. last night - highly unusual, let me tell you -and woke up at 3:45 a.m. - not so unusual.