T-minus three days and counting...

This is the first post where I stop whining, speaking in politico-talk, or raving about the man from Freehold, New Jersey. I thought that I'd lie down on the couch and just chat. Today was my first real day back at work for seven months. See, I teach U.S. History at the high school in my home town. I've griped and complained and even been depressed, but I actually have a great job. I have never once questioned my decision to teach young humans, though I've often questioned my sanity. Today, as I put my classroom together and caught up with my colleagues, I realized just how special an occupation I hold. Not only do I get paid wonderfully for what I do, but I get lots of time to contemplate impending fatherhood or the existence of truth, mow my lawn, or something else that helps me connect with the universe and figure out how to turn it into a forty-minute lesson plan. This year I'll be teaching three periods of U.S. history and two periods of U.S. Advanced Placement, which I teach at the college level. Including a one-year hiatus, this will be my fourth year teaching AP and I absolutely love it; to see young minds process and wrestle with issues in the past and their relevance is truly rewarding. Watching young minds (in either class) grasp ideas and create solutions is sometimes better than getting monetary rewards for my job. Teaching isn't a job; it's an occupation, a calling, a religion, and a psychosis all wrapped up in one. Do people teach to atone for their own academic sins or in order to stroke their intellectual egos? Do they do it to feel loved and appreciated, or do they do it because they believe that by passing on knowledge and thinking skills can actually make the future better than the past? While Freud sorts me out, I will be quickly gearing up for a hopefully successful school term. Heck, with a presidential election, most of my first semester is practically planned!

Off and Running

Tonight, most Americans watching the debate must admit that John Kerry's presidential acceptance speech started off with a bang.  His first fifteen or twenty minutes were dynamic and personable, two characteristics that have been lacking in the personality category for the politicians.  I won't delve deeply into the speech, but if anything happens, the Democrats have at least upped the bar for both houses of Congress to take action on the points addressed, encouraged both parties to make this an election of issues and not mud-slinging; and have done nothing but remind Americans that politicians, political parties, and the federal government can and should be made to serve the needs of the citizenry of this nation.  I was inspired, not for any political jabs or innuendo, nor for any grandiose political demagoguery, nor for any self-congratulatory flag-waving patriotic rhetoric but for the fact that this convention challenged both parties and all Americans concerned with this election that no matter what, the American people and the future of this country demand the best from all of us.  True democratic demands were made tonight, and whether or not Democrats or Republicans can best deliver the goods, what Americans witnessed was the best interests of the country made policy. 

John Kerry's speech ran about twenty minutes too long.  I can relate with the guy; he wants to not only explain himself but leave no one with questions.  In the process, he sounds like a windbag and can often lose his audience.  Being a teacher who truly loves to lecture, I know first hand why people need not to be entertained but to be included and encouraged to participate.  I still thought it was a good speech.  Overall grade: B.

Ann Coulter Is A Bigot

Don't believe me?  Read this.  I find it hard to believe that a newspaper such as USA Today would have even considered this stereotyping, sexist neandertal in the first place.  Please, folks, in order to avoid exposing yourself to this cancerous evil, take the following precautions:

1. Walk upright and work that opposable thumb, baby!
2. Use that organ between your ears.  It's amazing what that mass of neurons can do.
3. Stop watching Fox News (and most cable tv for that matter).
4. Use the organ (symbolically) located in the middle of your chest to find compassion, understanding, and acceptance for people of the world instead of always pouring vitriolic screed from it.
5. Remember (or learn for the first time) that the purpose of journalism is to inform and educate, not to entertain, nor to brainwash.
6. Read, listen to, and watch things for yourself; don't automatically accept things because someone else tells you to do so.

Thanks for listening to today's sermon.  Remember to praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.

And to think that I was going to write about something non-political today.

Read Tony Holt's 'blog about his run-in with one of the most incredible musicians of the 1980s.  You can find his link on the right --------------->

Land of Hope and Dreams

Watching the Democratic National Convention tonight, I must say that I was impressed with the rhetoric given by some of the most prominent and rising members of the party.  Howard Dean, the loose cannon former Vermont governor, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and Teddy Kennedy all rose to the dais to deliver impassioned platform speeches rallying the already faithful to turn out and support Kerry.  Most impressive in my book were two men new to the scene: Ron Reagan and Barack Obama.  The former stumped in favor of stem cell research and the great possibilities of this new medical field.  As we are all familiar, after being deluged by the coverage of a month and a half ago of Ronald Reagan's death, we understand how much stem cell research can aid in the possible cure for neural diseases such as Parkinson's and even Alzheimer's.  His son went on to say that the theology of a few should not be allowed to hijack the needs of the nation.  Speaking out against the fundamentalist religious right's opposition to stem cell research in playing a role in abortions and "playing God," Reagan helped push this issue to the forefront of medical politics.  If the Religious Right is concerned with doctors and medicine playing God, then we should end all internal surgeries such as organ transplants, skin grafts, appendectomies, and heck, even arthroscopic procedures.  As soon as this group attempts to take on the AMA and protest the use of any surgery regardless of its necessity in saving human life because they, too, play God, then I'll wave its flag.  No more cold medicine, vaccinations, and Eric in Philadelphia, stop brushing your teeth!  God-players, all of you be damned!!!
The shining light of the evening was the Democratic contender for the Senate seat of Illinois, Barack Obama.  He spoke of an America without "blue" and "red" labels that was united in the quest for decent basic good and the improvement for future generations.  Ringing of Martin Luther King's "injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere" speech, Obama's speech brought home the importance of Americans' faith, patriotism, support for justice, defense, and other flag-waving characteristics that are included in all good campaign speeches.  What most convinced and inspired me was his hammering home of the necessity in this country to return to "democracy"; little-d, grass-roots, power-to-the-people democratic processes.  In quoting Jefferson's radical Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal", and possessing of "certain inalienable rights", this rising star of the Democratic Party harkened back a time in this nation's mood when politicians inspired, encouraged, and pressed for the citizens of this country to remember that the nation's fate lay in their hands. Even a cynic like myself was touched tonight.  I'm not even a Democrat.  However, and most importantly, I'm a democrat, and this is why I believe that the actions and rhetoric of political groups including the major parties are important to participate in.  I believe that I'm cynical about politics and politicians because deep down inside I believe that people can truly do what is right and bring about a better world than what currently exists.  I guess you can lump me into that category of nut-case believers of utopia like MLK, Gandhi, Marx, Jefferson, More, and that crazy Jew from Nazareth.  No apologies to anyone.
Look out-tomorrow night is Edwards and Thursday is Kerry; any bets as to the Springsteen theme music that will be playing for both guys?  They claim that The Boss' stuff is tops.  If it's "Glory Days" then we should just pack it in and give the keys back to Bush/Cheney. 

On a completely unrelated note, my wife came back from the doctor's today.  She needed to be tested for gestational diabetes.  See, she's seven and a half months with child, and she's been sick for most of her pregancy.  Morning-, noon-, and night-sickness has plagued my precious wife, making this a relatively difficult pregnancy.  I can only hope and pray that she and our little baby are okay.  I'm not panicking, though I must admit that I'm concerned and sad that she is not one hundred percent.  Those of you who are blessed to know her can attest to the fact that she is my rock.  She's been a trooper and doesn't complain at all, soldiering on and feeling that this is just par for the course.  Think good thoughts for her.  Thanks.

The Democrats are coming, the Democrats are coming!

Today kicks off the Democratic National Convention, the big party in Beantown that will see the Democratic Party nominate John Kerry as its candidate in the 2004 election.  Security, as NPR has been reporting this morning about every 3.7 seconds, is extremely tight and strict.  The party, in my opinion, that reflects the needs and feelings of most Americans moreso than the GOP, ironically has limited the "free speech" area to a small, gated, razor-wire-lined pit away from the entrance of the Fleet Center.  I understand the possible threat of terrorism and the looming ghost of Chicago '68, but I thought that only Karl Rove would create such a Treblinka-esque corral to round people up in so they can speak freely.  At any rate, let's hope that nothing bad occurs (like Al Sharpton getting the nod) and that swing voters begin awakening to the reality that the Pretender to the Throne (remember Florida!) has no clothes on.  As George IV parades across the nation with that smart alecky pursed smirk on his face that I would pay to smack off, he can only trump his "wartime presidency" card as a way to wave the bloody shirt and scare people into voting for him.  I pray for the day next May when I can create the history lesson comparing Georges 41 and 43, both with disastrous domestic policies, ties to Middle Eastern oil, train wrecks of Iraq wars fought, and THE FACT THAT BOTH WERE REJECTED IN THEIR BIDS FOR RE-ELECTION.

With that, I read an interview and story on John Kerry in last week's issue of the New Yorker.  Eric Alterman has always praised Kerry for being a passionate, articulate individual with goals that I believe will help our country.  While Kerry sounds a bit like the Swedish Chef when he speaks publicly, I walked away from this article with even more respect for this man.  Kerry is no saint, nor is he a superhero.  However, the fact that he served his country in Vietnam and then returned to lead the VVAW in order for his country to do what he believed was right, makes Kerry a true patriot.  He may appear the wishy-washy politician and the stereotypical Boston Brahmin, but that just hammers home the belief that there are no great men, only men that do great things.  I don't expect Kerry to ascend a white horse and lead our nation in Washington-eque form, but I do believe that he will halt everything that Bush has done to tarnish, stain, and otherwise wreck in the three and a half short years since he was selected president. 

It appears that more and more musicians and other artists are coming out of the woodwork to express their discontent towards President Bush.  This late-breaking story only makes me wish just for one day that I lived in a swing state!  I can't remember if there has ever been such a rallied effort by popular artists to campaign either for or against an elected official like this.  I understand, as pundit P.J. O'Rourke wryly denotes, that these people are pop musicians; their sometimes messianic beliefs that they can change the world are noteworthy in their hilarity.  However, one thing that we as a nation must understand that pop musicians most often connect with the greatest amount of people; they most often speak to and for average people; they most often represent the feelings, fears, and desires of the masses.  Pop musicians are akin to the traveling troubadours of old, touring villages and towns making their art, learning about and touching people and then moving on.  These musicians were responsible for making local tales and songs into cultural institutions that united people across nation-states though the people who remembered and passed on those stories would never meet even a fraction of the numbers of others who would pass them on as well.  This tour could truly impact the election if it encouraged younger voters to show up and cast their ballots.  This tour won't damage the reputations of the musicians involved as many people fear; no one who watches Bill O'Reilly or Dennis Miller has stopped supporting them for the screed they preach in their popular form of entertainment.  The Dixie Chicks, Ani DiFranco, REM, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, Neil Young, and any other crazy Zimmerman who may join in aren't communists, traitors, "liberals", evild-doers, aiders and abettors of the terrorists, or any other label that the right will throw at them.  They're concerned citizens who have and should continue to have the freedom to voice their beliefs.
What I love about this article is this line:

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.

What we continue to see is the evolution not of the "rich man in a poor man's shirt" rock star but the political philosophy of a man who speaks for those who normally aren't listened to; one who has the natural gift of seeing and identifying the segments of society that often face the biggest burdens, need the greatest attention, and make up more of US than we care to realize.  Bruce, I believe, is speaking his heart not with the intention of turning people into Democrats, but active citizens.  His support for organizations like MoveOn.org and his public denunciation of the war in Iraq shows his true feelings for democracy, the idea that the voice of the people should be the most powerful and feared political power in the country.  Power, voice, and representation of the average person is Bruce's main message in both his actions and his art.  What encourages me in respecting and supporting Bruce is his ability (myth-making aside) to remind me that I am another average person and that my voice and opinions and feelings matter and should be heard.  Bruce Springsteen is not a propagandist like Paul Revere; he is not a political philosopher like Adams or Hamilton; yet, he stands as another true American patriot - one of countless millions who live and believe that the ideas of freedom, hard work, individualism, and democracy are what makes this country great.  These beliefs are what make decent human beings great regardless of creed, religion, or nationality- they call to the "better angels of our nature" for all people, and I only hope that maybe it takes a silly little rock and roll tour to awaken the same beliefs in people who either never understood these ideas or who once did but have since forgotten them.  Bruce's actions also should spark a fire under anyone who has always griped and complained but failed to take action into making an effort to help make the world a better place.  Remember,  there are no great people, only people who do great things.  I sure wish I could go to one of the shows.

Whew, that concludes my sermon for the day.  Remember to place an offering in the plate and be kind to your neighbor!

On a personal note: RIP, Grandma Ann, your family will miss you.

Across the Board Today

With newspaper in hand, here I go:

• Pacific Graft and Electric execs have now given themselves $172 million in bonuses this year alone.  This must be for holding California PG & E customers hostage, dragging the state's economy straight into the toilet in 2001, and for being rewarded by the state's Republicans who struck down any sort of plan to re-regulate the power industry. 
• Haliburton abused its contracts in Iraq.  Haliburton overcharged taxpayers because it could.  Haliburton did not need to competitively bid for these contracts.  Haliburton charged the government (taxpayers) $189 million in meals that it did not serve employees in Iraq.  Dick Cheney still receives financial dividends from this company.  Am I the only one who notices the conflict of interest that's killing us?
• The Peterson trial should be congratulated for turning itself into the media circus that it was destined to become.  Lawyers acting as court jesters, evidence that apparently contradicts itself, and the underlying sadness that this case is only generating press because the victim in this tragedy (RIP Laci) happened to be a white, pretty woman.  Change the demographics, this would have disappeared from the newspapers shortly after the victim.
• In order for a single parent to raise two children in the Bay Area and just be able to pay for the bare necessities of life - rent, food, clothing - that person would need to generate $55,162 a year (in Contra Costa County).  In order to live in San Francisco, $69,867.  In Santa Clara County, $72,578.  This is just to be poor.  I'm glad to know that as soon as my wife takes time off to raise our child in September, I, too, qualify to be poor.  Two adults with a combined total of fourteen years of post-secondary education and we're poor.  And that's in the most inexpensive of the Bay Area counties west of Brentwood.
• Thank you, Olympians, for tarnishing the United States' image again as we approach another summer games.  Now no one will believe that our track and field (and who knows what other events) medal winners truly deserve to keep their medals. 
• Mick LaSalle gave Catwoman a good review.  I wish I got paid well to give people my opinion.  Maybe Fox News is hiring.
• The lame SF Chron article on Bruce's music in politics that I was so looking forward to reading.  Trite, dumb, surfacy article that I could have written here in about ten minutes.  Campaign music struggles because rock song messages don't match up with candidates' platforms.  Tell us something that we care about.  I don't know about you, but what I look for in the people who I want to run the most powerful country on Earth is the ability to properly choose the right song from Darkness On the Edge Of Town as their campaign song.  If you picked "The Promised Land," that's it, your reputation in history will be forever tarnished, and I as a history teacher will let generations of students know that.  Lie to the American people and force them into a disasterous war, wreck the economy, strip us of our civil rights and liberties but play Lee Greenwood at your convention, you're a uniter, not a divider.
• U.C. doesn't know its rear from a hole in the ground in Los Alamos, NM.  I thought that the only joke about that place is that the employees glow at night.
• The White House and the Pentagon create policy of indefinite detention of prisoners of war and establish the detestable policy of torture and yet the Army's report of abuses in Afghanistan and Iraq  states that abuses are an "aberration."  I can smell the report clear in California. 
• The GOP is still pushing to create the first and only constititutional amendment DENYING Americans civil rights and freedoms.  I don't know how anyone really feels about gay marriage, but what we see is the government attempting to legislate private behavior based on the fact that gay marriage is sinful.  Just in using that label, what is happening is the formation of a theocracy in this country.
• Illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank are sprouting up at a rapid rate though the government has promised to stop them from growing.  So Jews can take Palestinian land but Palestinians can't have access to their own land (see yesterday's rant)?
• The 9/11 commission has stirred up all of the feelings of pain, despair, and sadness that I vividly experienced nearly three years ago.  I just pray that  no matter what, we as a country can dedicate our efforts to protect ourselves and live freely as a memorial to the thousands of innocent people killed that day.  PDB's and intelligence that told us to blow up Iraq aside, 9/11 replaces Pearl Harbor as "The Day We Slept."

I'm getting desperate now.  Would you be so kind as to leave a comment so I know that you read this?  My ego's taking a beating!

I Bet You Didn't Know I Was Anti-Semitic!

This will go over like a lead ballon, I know, but I am sickened when I read of how the Israeli government continues to defy international condemnation of the building of the West Bank security barrier.  The United Nations has denounced the building of this structure, and yesterday the General Assemby voted 150-6 in opposition to the wall.  Israel's Supreme Court ruled the structure to be in violation of "international law and human rights in areas where it cuts Palestinians off from their lands, schools, and other towns" (SF Chron, 7/22/04 p. A11).  The International Court of Justice has also ruled that the wall violates the inherant rights of Palestinian people.  I understand the Israeli people's desire and need to protect themselves from the horrible attacks of suicide bombers and other people who commit acts of violence.  However, what is happening is sanctioned apartheid.  The vast majority of Palestinians - people like you and me who are just trying to make a living, sending their kids to school, and praying for peace - are being segregated from the land that is rightfully theirs.  The Israeli government believes it is doing what it believes is right, but what is happening will do nothing to establish peace between the two groups in that country.  Palestinians - who have occupied the region for more than a thousand years - have the right to an autonomous, independent homeland that has been denied them for the last forty-six years.  Could you imagine if the six tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy (which existed longer than this country) declared that it was reclaiming its homeland in upstate New York and lower Canada and anyone who challenged them was anti-Iroquois?  That's exactly what happened with Israel's formation after WWII.  Let's save the controversial founding of Israel for another date.  But to broaden this rant, the hypocrisy of the United States government in supporting the West Bank barrier flies in the face of its so-called efforts to extend peace and democracy in the Middle East.  White House spokesman Scott McClellan yesterday called the U.N. vote "one-sided."  One-sided?  150-6 is more than one-sided - it is an international mandate for change in Israel.  Conservative, evangelical Christians in this country, of whom the president is one, support hook, line, and sinker everything the government of Israel does.  It's a matter of God's will, I guess.  God has called for the government of Israel to rise back up the Middle East, piss off all of its neighbors, and help prepare for the Second Coming of Christ, which would result in all Jews (i.e., NON_BELIVERS) going to Hell, not soon after Christians retaking control of the area.   Of course, the United States was one of the six nations opposing the halt.  While it is more than understood that Israel faces regional tensions and many of its neighbors out and out detest its existence, actions denying Palestinians their homeland complicate the issue even more.  I'm not talking about Yasir Arafat (thug), the Second Intifada (four years running) or the P.A.'s lack of consistency in promoting a peaceful solution to this crisis.  Again, I'm talking about how people must be able to peacefully coexist in the region, and while religion and territory hardly ever make for peaceful solutions, we can only pray that this country can objectively help broker a peaceful solution.  However, I agree with professor and author Noam Chomsky who claims that Israel, the United States' "largest off-shore military base" must do more to solve its own issues without furthering bloodshed.  Please, someone, help enlighten me on this issue and educate me on why this conflict still continues.

On a funnier note, check this out:  Here's evidence to show that the reason why we as a species differ from our primate cousins is due to brain damage! :)

Tomorrow in the SF Chron: Why Bruce's songs are miscontrued, even by Democrats who claim to love his music.  I can't wait!

The Difference Between a Q and an N

As most astute reporters, academics, policy wonks, and other experts have been saying all along, the press is reporting that IraN was the one helping al Qaeda, not IraQ!  Geesh!  Had we known that, then we coulda taken care of this long ago!  Now, if you ever looked at a map of the Middle East BEFORE September 11, 2001 (as Ambrose Bierce said, "War is God's way of teaching Americans geography" - too much truth in that!) you'll see that it can be confusing.  Most of my D and F students in world history struggled to figure out if Iraq was the one on the left or the right.  I can see how George got them mixed up.  Since they're both spelled the same and are so close together, it doesn't matter anyway, right?  Also, it's hard to tell the two Middle East members of the Axis of Evil apart for several reasons.  One, the U.S. supplied weapons to both nations in the 1980s while they were at war with one another.  Two, the U.S. has historical connections in supporting oppressive regimes in both countries.  Three, Haliburton and its subsidiaries were &*(^%!# doing business with both countries when legally they weren't supposed to in the 1980s and 1990s!

On a much happier note, I would like to wish my friend Chris "Lefty" Brown a very happy, healthy, and celebratory 33rd birthday!!!  Check out his blog, folks, you won't be disappointed.

Gu-vah-nah Cootsie-Wootsie

Okay, I'm beginning to tire of the movie-quoting Governor One-liner whining that he can't get what he wants.  Up in Sacramento, Governor Arnie called the Democratic Assemby "girlie men" and then stumped to have them all voted out of office this last weekend.  I think the "girlie men" line, directed towards Democrats like John Burton (who once used to smoke stogies and joke with the state chief executive), has been blown out of proportion.  Gay-rights groups have taken offense to this, yet ironically enough, N.O.W. has been suspiciously silent.  Arnie's comment (harmless in a schoolyard context) isn't homophobic; it's sexist.  Pattern there?  Women's rights groups should be screaming for Arnold to at least publically admit that he needs to be a little more careful of what he calls his colleagues.  At least Arnie didn't tell the Dems to go f*(@ themselves. 
Two underlying presuppositions regarding the governor's words are the root of my anger.  The first is that politics is a man's world and a man's game and those who can't handle it aren't weak,  but female.  Next, I'm waiting for our movie-quoting governator to tell John Burton, "shut up, b#@*%, fix me a turkey pot pie!"  (I'll let the four of you who actually read this note the source).  Could you imagine what press Democrat Jackie Speier would get if she called Schwarzenegger and the Republicans a bunch of "dominant male monkey mother-f*#&)@#s"? (okay, c'mon, Steve, quick, what's the movie?)?  Her head would be on a platter and she would be forced to apologize.  The sexist attitudes of our leaders who believe that their opponents possess personal or biological attributes of those with only x chromosomes is one major reason why we haven't accomplished anything in Sacramento - pigheaded male chauvanism.
The second of Arnie's underlying presuppositions is the scariest: he thinks he was elected to dictate to the people of California what he believes is best for them.  Didn't we recall a governor that we thought was incompetent, who couldn't communicate his vision to the Assembly, and who thought that his vision was the only vision for the state?  Now, we've got some clown (isn't that what Arnie's previous profession was-to put on make up and funny costumes in order to make us laugh at him?) in Sacramento who believes it's his God-given duty to tell us what we need to do.  And, if anyone's really reading the fine print, we'll see that he's following Gray Davis' policies nearly to a T.  What happened to bipartisanship?  What happened to the "new Republican" who would work with both parties?  Finally, what happened that convinced us as a people believe that ACTORS KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT RUNNING OUR LIVES?  The last prominent thespian (ha!) who forced himself into office first screwed over California and then wrecked havoc over the nation throughout the 1980s.  Using our model of how we choose our leaders, I'm making a prediction for Presidential race of 2024:  (a b-rate actor with no vision but lots of friends in high places) oh crap, Freddie Prinze, Jr. !

Light Monday

Today will be pretty light.  Just watching to see whether more press will be generated regarding the GOP dumping Cheney from the veep spot.  I highly doubt it, though from a politically smart perspective, it sure would be a smart move.  John McCain, who doesn't like the president, is a true GOP'er and was even politicking for Bill Simon in California this weekend.  Maybe here comes the AZ senator's big move...
 
Every politically astute individual needs to bookmark this page and read it daily:  click here.
 
Saw two excellent films this weekend.  Won't review 'em, go watch them for yourselves.  You won't be disappointed.  Dirty Pretty Things with Audrey Tautou from Amelie and In America starring Samantha Morton.  Great, great storytelling and excellent performances.

Martha My Dear

Martha my dear
though I spend my days in conversation
please remember me Martha my love
don't forget me Martha my dear
 
Hold your head up you silly girl
look what you've done
When you find yourself in the thick of it
help yourself to a bit of what is all around you
Silly girl.
 
Who would have thought that The Beatles on the White Album would have nailed it thirty-six years ahead of schedule?  Let's all pause and take this time to cry a little river for the ice queen, Martha Stewart, who like Ken Lay, Andy Fastow, Jeffrey Skilling, did nothing wrong but is taking a little five month vacation at Club Fed.  Don't fret, guys, she'll be out in time for the major Christmas line up.

Best of the Boss

I thought that my post on Backstreets a couple of days ago should be justified by a short list of Bruce's best albums. I'm a fan of his entire career, not just the "peak" years of Co-Co-Courtney Cox. Here's a list of Bruce's top five. Comments appreciated.

5. The Rising - only this guy could make a 9/11 album that captured the human emotions of pain, loss, vengeance, and survival that really rocks. Highlights are the title cut, My City of Ruins, and the showstopper Mary's Place.

4. Nebraska - he caught heat for this album and yet there isn't anyone of his caliber that could strip down and still cut to the bone like this one. Often times loud guitars and pounding drums make for cool rock but really, when you get down to it, true emotions and incredible writing ability places records heads and shoulders above their competitors. From the desire to never lose faith (Reason To Believe), to the threat of a rumble (Atlantic City) to the shame and fierce pride of being poor (Used Cars) this is Bruce's rawest record.

3. Born in the U.S.A. - naysayers have at it, but this album kicks major tail. Don't listen to it thinking you're back in elementary school and you'll find that ignored Vietnam vets to worried fathers to best friends keeping tried and true come to life on this misunderstood record. Sorry Reagan, sorry Will, Bruce isn't praising your upper-crust supply-side myopic vision of the country, he's singing about Woody Guthrie's, Thomas Jefferson's, Martin Luther King's, and Walt Whitman's America.

2. Darkness On the Edge of Town - With all apologies to Lefty Brown, this one is the penultimate Bruce album. With this record, all innocence is lost, all dreams have been shattered, and what you're left with are a collection of people who live life how they see it - a struggle to be decent (Adam Raised A Cain), hard working (Factory), loving (Candy's Room) human beings. There's light at the end of the tunnel here (The Promised Land), but don't let someone else tell you where to go. You get there yourself (Streets of Fire) and get the hell out of where you are now (Badlands).

1. Born To Run - THE album, maybe of all time. He's still young, still hopeful, still romantic. The vivid imagery on this album has you watching the characters looking to love, be loved, and it is their resilience that attracts you to them. You can hear the screen door slamming behind Mary as she walks out onto her front porch (Thunder Road), hear the street rats scuffle and play along the sidewalks of the Brownstones along Tenth Avenue, and understand the sense of urgency of making sure tonight's deal goes down in order to return to a decent means of living (Meeting Across the River). The album's last cut, Jungleland, is Bruce's nine minute rock opera of West Side Story that paints the city a stage with its performers all seeking to be the best. In a sense, it's the one song that describes Springsteen's career up to that point more so than any of his other epic songs.

I Read the News Today, Oh Boy

We are living in a dangerous time where information, as it is delivered to us via the Internet, television, print media, or radio, is being compromised like never before by its sources. I am not naive to think that this is the only era that has had to watch out for trustworthiness of sources of information, but today with big media and the culture wars, we are being pummeled with supposed "fair and balanced" reporting which is nothing of the sort. First and foremost, people should attempt to see or at least read up on "Outfoxed", a new documentary that analyzes the "fair and balanced" (yes I have repeated this quoted expression for a reason) Fox News Channel. I have had just about enough from Bill O'Reilly, the bastard child of Satan, who claims to be doing investigative journalism a favor by showering us with his opinionated tripe passed as news. Any time a "reporter" leading a major news network has come from a television tabloid ("Inside Edition") we all should be swallowing buckets of salt as we watch. See this excellent yet discouraging article from this morning's Nation on-line here. There is also an informative article in this morning's San Francisco Chronicle that looks at the impact of this new wave of information delivering. Now, I need to be fair about my rant to include Michael Moore's new film, "Fahrenheit 9/11" which has now become the biggest money-making "documentary" of all time. I place this film's category in quotes because, as most of us know, Moore's films aren't true documentaries. They are commentaries about American life and society. I enjoy his films, but Moore does take liberty (via editing, either footage or context) with how he delivers his message, powerful messages as they may be. I agree with Moore, I appreciate his two cents on the Bushies' failure at running the country, and I support more of his voice to counter the right wing-nuts out there at the "fair and balanced" station (you should be getting the hint by now). However, Moore, like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and many KPFA programs (which I also love dearly) is a polemicist. He has a message that he wants to get out to the country. We all do. However, society has to be careful in how it digests all of this information. We need to consider source, context, and what aspects of news is left out just as much as what is left in. I hope that Michael Moore can be considered an influential factor in booting Bush out; however, I can't justifiably show him in my classroom as THE documentary of the Bush Administration due to how Moore delivers his goods. It's not journalism, nor will it hold up as true history.
Onto other aspects of the news that worries me:
1. Pretty newscasters. Does it frighten you that the big news channels (Fox, CNN, MSNBC) as well as a growing number of local news stations, deliver their news via a a young, pretty, and always female newscaster? Trying to boost ratings by "sexing up" the source sickens me. Not that a pretty face can't read any better or worse than a plain-looking chap; however, I find this new wave of news reporting to play to men's inner desires and not the desire to learn about the Dow Jones, Congress, or other stories. I find it sexist and demeaning. Women aren't being sought after for their intelligence - if you don't believe me, then notice the amount of cleavage some reporters show when telling us about that plane crash with a gleam in their eye (apologies to Don Henley). What happens when she gets "too old" to compete with the new, young batch of newscasters? Ask Greta from CNN. I can't even recognize that poor woman any more. And has it helped ratings?
2. The hijacking of most major media sources by the right. Fox News, Rupert Murdoch, et al. Intellectuals on both sides of the political spectrum read the right sources, yet the majority of the country isn't made up of highly educated ivory tower types (I wish I was one). The majority consists of hard working families who don't have the leisure time (the root word of education, fyi) to read, debate, and pontificate because they have to bust their humps to feed their kids, God bless them. However, since people are being fed such garbage from these big media, their filters are also being formed as to how not only they learn about the news but how they VIEW it.
3. The Jon Stewart Show. Another "God bless you" goes out to Jon because he's really funny. I don't watch him a lot, but when I do, I always laugh hysterically because he has become what Dennis Miller once was - the truly witty, insightful, funny pundit. Don't get me started on Judas Miller, but let's keep on Jon. The thing that worries me is how so many younger Americans are getting their news strictly from him. The fact that younger people are getting news is a good thing, but from a comedy show? Again, the filter or bias thing comes into play, but also the growing spectre of Infotainment looms over the Daily Show. News isn't supposed to be funny, scary, or mood-inducing in any way. News should be as non-biased as possible, dry, dull, yet informative. Now, however, we have to be able to find humor in a story in order to report it. We have to be shown the irony in a political speech instead of discovering it for ourselves. We need to be told that the news, if it's good, can keep our attention because there will always be a punchline.
I know I'm going to catch heat from probably anyone who reads this. Thank God no one does! :) I know I'm right, though. Maybe I should become a newscaster!

On a totally unrelated note, it was one year ago today that my beautiful wife and I moved from sunny Fresno to wonderful Brentwood. Leaving my best friends has still been difficult for me to handle, but in celebrating one trip around the sun back in my home town has allowed me to return to my alma mater, my parents and Heather's mom, and the places that helped make me who I am. I live in a wonderful home, have great friends here, and enjoy the view of Mt. Diablo. On this Bastille Day, I'll be thinking back to all of the great times I experienced in Fresno but also be thankful for the move that has brought me to where I am now.

Running for our lives out on them ...

This morning as I ate breakfast and read the headlines of Bush justifying the Iraq War (I think we should from now on entitle it the Bush War) I counterbalanced the mood by throwing in Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run. One of the greatest albums of all time, this one will rock you to your foundations. It's a lesson in the history of rock music up to 1975, with influences of Philly soul, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Elvis, and Robert Johnson, but the best parts are pure Bruce. Lyrically, the album creates an atmosphere of lost souls all looking to find their identities, standing up to the powers that be, and trying to connect with that someone who understands and accepts them for who they are. Not even forty minutes in length and a mere eight songs, Born To Run unlocks that rebel teenage rat in all of us. We struggle to find love and acceptance in our teenage years and then spend the rest of our lives exacting revenge on others when we don't find it. Every song paints a perfect picture of emotion (longing, love, or lust - sorry for all of the alliteration) and Bruce truly demonstrates his genius of creating stories in the limited amount of space in each four minute rock song. The song that connects the most on a personal level is the last song of Side One, Backstreets. The story is of a young man who trusted and loved his best friend during the years of their lives that they grew up, learned about falling in love, and looked to those that were "cool" for inspiration, attention, and acceptance. The young man learns the lessons of life as all of us who have grown up have, and he learns that often those who claim to be our friends cut us the deepest. For the young man of this song, the events he sings about happened years ago, yet he only is the man he is due to those painful memories of betrayal and loss. This man is a strong man though he can never forget the pain from those who hurt him. Maybe his strength comes from not letting those wounds kill him. The last verse of the song drives home the author's point of how one's hopes and dreams only come from within though we spend our lives looking to everyone but ourselves for those hopes:

Laying here in the dark
you're like an angel on my chest
Just another tramp of hearts
crying tears of faithlessness.
Remember all the movies, Terry
we'd go see?
Trying to learn how walk like the heroes
we thought we had to be.
And after all this time
to find we're just like all the rest,
stranded in the park
and forced to confess
to hiding on the backstreets.
Where we swore forever friends
on the backstreets until the end.

Play this one, and play it loud. Thanks, Boss.

It's All Happening!

On a related side note, today is director Cameron Crowe's birthday. We've all seen his films, quoted his lines, and loved his films. My personal favorite (as my friends are tired of hearing about) is his 2000 release, Almost Famous. My friends (the same, see above) took me to see it, and admittedly, I wasn't that big of a Crowe fan prior to this film. However, we all went to see this film with our wives on the sneak preview night. (If you're familiar with the film, it'll help understanding this one today.) From the moment Anita plays "America" for her mom, I knew I was in for something great. As the opening riff to the Who's "Sparks" blasted throught the speakers, my feelings only intensified. Throughout William Miller's adventure across the country writing about the band Stillwater's tour in 1973, one gets a glimpse (a little sappy, a little nostalgic, a lot human) of life on the road with people living a life of decadence, free spiritedness, and hopes that whatever "rock and roll" really means, they'll find it at the next gig.
Crowe's film took in half the amount it took to shoot; hardly anyone I know has seen it, as it may seem too much of a niche film. However, critics rightfully praised it, my bandmates all loved it, and I still can't forget it. I know that I am of the generation of VCRS and videogames, of cable television and couch potatoes when I can quote some of my favorite movie lines as real answers to real life situations daily. I use lines from this one all the time. Thank God, my wife understands my love for this film and also enjoys finishing my quotes (I love you, Heather!). This is the sole contender of Forrest Gump as my all-timer, and you should do yourself a favor and rent this one tonight if you haven't seen it. What are your thoughts on the film? Tell me about it! My wish is that everyone will dig Almost Famous, but hey, what do I know? I'm just one of the out-of-focus-guys.

got woody?

Woody Allen is the greatest American film maker, period. Well, at least to me, and that's all that matters, right? I love his (well-done) films with strong characters, morality tales, witty dialogue, and high-brow humor. I can't say that I like the man because I've never met him. My friends give me such grief when I discuss my love of Woody Allen films, by saying "oh my gosh, he married his daughter! What a pig/jerk/child molester/fill-in-the-blank-with-whatever-choice-obscenity-you-like-that-describes-people-you-think-are-weird!" Well, when one looks through history at famous or highly revered people mythical or real, who have lived less than "normal" family lives, we see that Woody pales in comparison to many of them. A sample few:

Noah - gets drunk, passes out, and then gets boinked by his two daughters. Now, let's not blame Noah for being the inspiration for Faye Dunaway's character in China Town, but his daughters sure do dodge a lot of blame. If you believe the literal meaning of Genesis that they did it to propagate our species, then maybe we're all hard-wired (and Biblically-sanctioned) to go cruising for chicks at our next family reunion. Yeah!

Abe Lincoln - our first gay president? Well, the Log Cabin Republicans believe so, and cite evidence that the Honest One and Mary Todd slept in separate beds and only, well, you know, for the sake of procreation. He was moody, depressive, suicidal, and often rejected social norms. Who knows?

Emperor Caligula - no explanation necessary.

Angelina Jolie - do I even touch this one?

J. Edgar Hoover - this creep, whose life mission was to destroy as many Americans as possible who did not "fit in", lunatics, rebels, and really bad people like Martin Luther King, John Lennon, and Albert Einstein, to name a few, was another pot calling kettles black. Trying to expose people for their "deviant" behavior or attitudes and yet was either a cross-dresser or gay. Now, there is nothing wrong with being either of the two, but the point is that Hoover as head of the FBI has a true hypocrite yet held no qualms in assassinating those he didn't like. More ammunition for those who teach history do so in its entirity.

Oedipus - See, we can't help it. We've always been mixed up.

At any rate, back to Allen Konigsberg. I threw in my cd of his stand up comedy from the 1960s, which is just brilliant. Many of his skits have ended up in his movies, especially Annie Hall. Getting a zero in his metaphysics class for cheating on his final by looking into the soul of the boy next to him; seeing a strict Freudian analyst who would bill him for missing sessions if he committed suicide; trying to enlist in the Army and being rejected as "4P": in case of war, he was a hostage. Classic lines. Sometimes I listen to Woody for his comic timing, other times it's for his self-deprecating wit. What I hear is a well-read, extremely bright individual that makes comedy, films, and fiction that reflects a view of life as I see it: extremely complicated, often relativistic, often comical, sometimes painful, but ultimately beautiful. When recently watching Radio Days, I was amazed at how vignettes of a family's life in Brooklyn could depict even the Depression as a great time. Crimes and Misdemeanors is an incredibly intricate story of power, corruption, morality, and whether God plays a role in the life of even men who struggle with His existence. Bananas is just plain goofy. Interiors is metaphorical for the house where the main characters vacation: close and connected under one roof yet separated by the window panes of the doors dividing each room from the others.

Hey, I know! To steal a page from my friend Lefty Brown's blog, here's a top 10 of my favorite Woody Allen films (in no particular order):

1. Deconstructing Harry - his last best film. A bit dark and vitriolic for most; biting and sharp.
2. Husbands and Wives - of the many tales of, well, read the title, and how often people need to do what is best for themselves, regardless of what the world tells them they "need" to do.
3. Crimes and Misdemeanors - see above. You'll stop this film several times throughout just in order to see where you yourself stand with several of the issues and events in this brilliantly written story.
4. Hannah and Her Sisters - Another funny and challenging film. Many times decisions and promises are life-long, or until her sexy sister comes along...
5. Manhattan - The opening montage alone makes this one. While a bit creepy with the whole dating a teenager thing (autobiographical) there are great exchanges between Woody and Diane Keaton.
6. Interiors - ever need to see a film twice to understand a film and still be knocked out with the devastating thought that no matter what you may do to help someone, they may never be happy?
7. Play It Again, Sam - sweet and goofy, early Allen at his best. I love this movie because he's the outcast, miscast little guy. Maybe I relate...
8. Sweet and Lowdown - "documentary" of the world's second greatest guitarist? Brilliant just in the concept, but a wonderful story of star-crossed lovers (another of his themes).
9. Purple Rose of Cairo - movies are romantic, and what's more romantic is the thought of how we look to them to help guide us along. More sentimental than Radio Days and the best part is when Jeff Daniels steps from the silver screen world because he's in love with someone in the audience. If only...
10. The best for last: Annie Hall - the first movie of his that I saw, the one that hooked me, the one that breaks my heart every time I watch it. Not because Alvy Singer is a dork, not because they don't live happily ever after (thank God for Woody Allen's writing because people more often than naught DON'T live happily ever after; they just keep living). What makes this such a romantic movie is that we all have an Annie Hall; we've all been in Alvy's shoes, where, no matter how happy or content we are now, we always reflect upon those who have passed through our lives wondering just what they're up to and how thankful we are that those people did come and touch us, no matter how briefly.

Headline Grab Bag

Reading the SF Chronicle (you commie bastard, you!) I took note of several things that caught my eye:

Ken "Kenny Boy" Lay was indicted and arraigned on charges that he was a part of the scheme to cook the books at Enron and screw over, oh, let's say, anywhere between 30 and 60 MILLION people by creating energy shortages that people in California haven't quite forgotten about yet.

The Senate Intelligence Committee (oooooooooh, the irony in that group's name) appears to be strictly looking to roast the CIA for faulty intelligence gathering in the whole Iraq War thing. Not even bothering to touch the White House. Senator Ron Wyden, D-OR, stated that "The administration took a flawed set of intelligence reports and converted it into a rationale for going to war." While Wyden's quote is a dissent to the entire committee's official position, don't you think that Wyden and others would hold the administration responsible? Was I the only one who read Bob Woodward's latest book? The Bushies were out to get Iraq from Day One and were willing to use anything to justify a war. Notice (according to Woodward, who, so far, hasn't been shot by the administration for making stuff up, unlike Dick Cheney) that George Tenet's "slam dunk" of supposed intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs wasn't even sought after until months AFTER Bush and Rumsfeld began war planning? A preponderance of evidence, both anecdotal and empirical, shows that the Bushies knew what they were doing all along. Remember, "this was the guy that tried to kill my dad." I'm not even going to quote that source because we all know who said it. You know, it's only 9:22 in the morning and I'm going to be drinking in about five minutes. Man, I have never loathed a human being in my life like the current president. I would cross the street if I saw him walking down the sidewalk. This man doesn't represent me, the God I believe in, the country that I love, nor anything else that I give credit to and I pray for the day that he actually finds a job that he's earned.

Yesterday Bush attacked John Edwards' lack of political experience. DID YOU HEAR ME? Where's Aaron MacGruder when you need him? I want a Boondocks strip on this one. If I could draw, it would have Georgie Porgie's quote and two images, a pot and a kettle. I want to keep this a 'family-friendly' page, so I must make this quick without resorting to profanity. I'll rant later about the two-party duopoly on American politics and how really democracy in this country fails to offer us real choices, but right now I think that everything that comes out of George Bush's mouth was put there by the Josef Goebbels (sorry, no umlaut). This guy helped make Adolf Hitler's public platform what it was. Tell lies big enough for people to believe them and keep repeating them. If you won't convince the people, at least you'll convince yourself, right? When asked to compare John-boy Edwards and Dick Cheney, Bush replied "Dick Cheney can be president." Well, it appears that Cheney acted that way on 9/11, and seems to pull the strings on the puppet when he wants to already. And speaking of Cheney becoming president, we must all stop right now and thank Dr. Heimlich for inventing the maneuvre that dislodged that frigging pretzel from George's throat a couple of years ago, or else the International Atomic Energy Agency would be sending a cleanup crew instead of aid workers to Baghdad right now.

Limelight

This weekend ought to be a blast. Fresno friends Steve, Chris, and Scott are driving up on Saturday so we can go see RUSH at the Concord Pavilion. Rush is one of my all-time favorite bands just because I've been aware of them for so long. I would say that I've been an active fan since 1989 as I began to expand my musical horizons. 2112 and Moving Pictures, which are probably the two albums that hook most fans, were the two that did me in. Then, the (at the time) new Presto was released, then I caught the band live in March of 1990 with 7th row dead center seats. Whenever Geddy Lee struts to the edge of the stage and nods and smiles directly at you in the middle of Red Barchetta, you realize that you're hooked for life.
To reveal a bit of my weirdness, I know that I've been consciously aware of the band Rush since 1981. Not that I was a fan, but that my friend's older brother was. My best friend from childhood, David Gerry, would always have me over to stay the night on weekends, and I'd always return the favor as well. Remember when sleeping over at a friend's house in elementary school was the best treat in the world? Anyway, David's older brother by five years, Scott, was the local Dungeon Master for his group of friends. They would be playing Dungeons and Dragons until the wee hours of the night, casting spells, slaying orcs and goblins, getting lost in enchanted forests, and listening to a lot of music. In the early 80s there was the obligatory Judas Priest, Ted Nugent, Boston, and the like, but what I always remember was Scott's Rush albums. ALBUMS. The only way to listen to music of that era. And it was Exit...Stage Left that always caught my eye. Maybe because the cool gatefold picture had a pretty girl on it. I don't know, but I do remember the other album with the red pentagram on it (oh my gosh, are they really 'Rooks In Satan's Honor'? Not a pentagram, by the way, but man, that first couple of minutes of 2112 still cooks.
Enough reminiscing, but I had the chance to catch Rush on each of its three tours in the early 90s. The band took a couple of years off and in the mid-90s I was living in Fresno, which, by the way, isn't the rumored art and music mecca of North America. I had to miss Rush on its last two tours, which was a major bummer. Saturday will make my fourth time seeing the band which is promoting its 30th anniversary. I'm looking forward to some great tunes. Full report due Sunday morning.

Doggie Doo

The BBC reported today that British Prime Minister Tony Blair adamantly believes that the WMD's in Iraq will be "accounted for." The news agency quoted Blair as standing firm with the United States in the two nations' goal of locating and dismantling Saddam Hussein's vast stockpile of chemical and other type weapons. This flies in the face of an interview the Prime Minister gave just yesterday on how WMD's may never be located though the two nation "coalition" did right in toppling the Hussein dictatorship. Did I miss something? Are the world's most widely-read newspapers only misquoting leaders when they don't make slip-ups? Should I be helping take notes for Al Franken's next book? It appears so far that the Bush/Blair WMD claim is as solid as the Bush/Cheney claim of the al Qaeda-Hussein partnership quote. As I say time and time again, I love watching this administration claim and do what it does only because as a history teacher I have the privilege of exposing students for the next two generations to the lies, blunders, and outright failures of the Bush Pusch. Oh well, another day, yet another rant.
By the way, do yourself a favor and try your best to purchase the Derek Trucks Band's Live at the Georgia Theater. This band is absolutely amazing and this record serves to be its "Live at the Fillmore East" (all you heads know what I'm talking about). The most electric guitar player out there, the DTB runs the gamut on musical styles sounding authentic playing each kind, the singing (Mike Mattison) is soulful and dynamic, and the overall musicianship from Yonrico Scott (drums), Todd Smallie (bass guitar), Kofi Burbridge (flute, keyboards), Count M'butu (guest percussionist), and of course Derek (monster guitars) still floors me when I listen to the album, even though I've been a dedicated fan of the band for five years. Support the band, support good music, and do yourself a favor by picking up Live at the Georgia Theater.

Happy Birthday to "Stupid Is as Stupid Does"

One of my all-time favorite films, Forrest Gump, was released July 6, 1994, ten years ago today. Naysayers have at it, as I know that it's full of sentimental fluff. However, I love this film for many reasons. The post-WWII historical events and issues; the performances of Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and Gary Sinese; and the tale of one man's life changing with the country he lived in all resonate deeply. While I've always wondered how the movie would have turned out had Howard Zinn written the screenplay, for movie's sake, I'll stick with Bob Zemeckis' version and be thankful for the great quotes, a killer soundtrack, Tom Hanks' unforgettable performance, spectacular visual effects, and a heartfelt story that taught me to contextualize the events and issues of my own life with those that the nation has faced over the last twenty five years. Raise your glasses and toast a great film.

Since I'm discussing the impact of a simpleton on American history, I find it no coincidence that 58 years ago, George Walker Bush was born. I'm not going to identify the parallels in the lives of Forrest Gump and George Bush, I'll let you do that. I will mention the interesting article in the latest Atlantic Monthly that compares the W. of the 1994 governor's race to the current president. The author (whose name eludes me, unfortunately) shows the candidate (released ten years ago just like Forrest) as one who appeared well-versed on major issues, a populist that grasped the needs of the people, and a speaker who demonstrated mastery of the English language, three things the man has totally failed at since being selected president. I'd love to hear other's connections between these two characters, please. However, if I were to equate ol' Georgie Boy with a movie character, I think I'd see him as Dark Helmet in Mel Brooks' Space Balls. Here's an absolute troll with the intelligence of the Scarecrow(if he only had a ...) who tries ruling the universe like a supreme thug like Darth Vader (sorry, Darth). Maybe director Tim Burton's trying to make a real-life version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, starring Bushie Boy and Dick Cheney as Jabba the Hutt. I'd go see that! Now, speaking of Dick "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" Cheney, isn't he a piece of work? We'll contemplate Halliburton, the Secretary of Defense, and other stuff later, but right now isn't he a bit behind the times? Just a couple of weeks ago, Pottie Mouth told New York Senator Patrick Leahy to "go f#*k yourself" on the floor of the Senate. C'mon, now, Dick, we live in the post-American Pie era (P.A.P.!). You're just now promoting what Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders was telling kids to do more than ten years ago! No wonder why he's got such a contorted look on his face. Mr. Cheney, if you would just practice what you preached, you'd look a lot happier and would't be so tense. Plus, remember, "self-dating" as described by that American philosopher Woody Allen was as "sex with someone I love." Ten years ago, Republicans called for Elders' head on a platter; now, they probably would get mad at Cheney because his comment didn't fall under the "abstinence-only" policy of the current administration. To each his own, Vice President Hutt, but like George Costanza, a Glamour magazine and five minutes alone would solve a ton of problems, and maybe even distract you from trying to bury your energy meeting files somewhere in the bowels of the Vice President's mansion...

Veepstakes Galore

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry nominated North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his pick for vice president. The John-John team should pose quite a threat to the Bush-Cheney juggernaut that has either rallied support or hatred among Americans the last four years. The Democrats, always the party that constantly does all it can to deflate its own image and appear just out of touch with Americans (though the majority of the country is registered with this party, go no farther than the 2000 Gore campaign if you need an example) need a shot in the arm with IMAGE. Here, Edwards is the wisest choice for Kerry. He's "young" at 50 but carries that youthful exuberance that voters look for, he's only served one term which keeps him out of "establishment" circles, and most importantly, he's from the South. Why does that matter? Because the South needs to be wrapped up by the Democrats in order to pose a viable threat to the GOP. The solid South is a tough nut to crack; religious conservatives, anti-Castro sentiment, and state's righters are all banes to the Democrats. Kerry's own image as being the antithesis of these three groups as well as the "average American" doesn't help. This will be Edwards' job. Kerry also needs to do all he can to chip away at the swing states that have small numbers of electoral votes. Bush swept the Midwest and while CA, NY, PA, and other big states appeared to carry Gore to Washington, those pesky lil' states like Wyoming with four people and three electoral votes really added up (don't get me started on how the electoral college is about as undemocratic as the Senate). Edwards' pizzazz, as attested to by just about everyone who's seen him speak in person, will be this ticket's biggest asset. Kerry's experience, "wish-washy"ness or image aren't the issue here; heck, Lyndon Johnson would still be in Texas if he had to run a modern campaign today. Kerry, toe-to-toe, has what it takes to lead the country. He just needs to convince voters that he's the man that the voters can trust. People like myself don't just want to vote for an "ABB" - "Anyone But Bush" but a candidate that's qualified and capable. My enthusiasm and bright-eyed naivete about politicians saving the country dried up years ago, but there's still a part of me that does want to be excited about the candidate I'm voting for. Maybe because I want to be a part of a team that not only stands for change but change for the right reasons. The dramatic neoconservative revolution that has been underway in this country for the last ten years may be popular with segments of the population, but it's going to kill the nation. The neocon platform on taxes, the environment, government secrecy and control, guns, civil rights and liberties, health care, defense, foreign policy, and its "religiosity" has polarized Americans and has driven this country down the wrong end of a one-way street. The neocons have painted the government into a corner that it can't get out of and therefore needs the people to remind them that they're no longer wanted. Let's just hope that John Edwards, the newly-announced Dem. Veep can help bring more voters not only away from Bush/Cheney but into the Democratic fold.

Excitable boy, oh boy

This weekend, I had the chance to watch the VH-1 tribute special for Warren Zevon, one of music's most talented, irreverent, and witty artists. I must say that I don't know a heck of a lot about his history or am extensively caught up on his recording career. I do have a couple of his albums (thanks, Chris C.) including I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, a fitting, spit-in-the-face-of last September, when Zevon died of cancer. Watching the film of how Zevon recorded one last album before he died in order to leave a final testament was very moving, indeed. To his last, he still had a sense of humor that was sharp, non-politically correct, and ultimately, hilarious. We all know "Werewolves of London" but do we know "The Ballad of Frank and Jesse James"? My favorite Zevon era is one of my favorite all-around times in rock and roll music: the 1970s L.A. singer-songwriter scene. I love Jackson Browne, the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor (he gets included here) and Zevon. The hired studio guns were always top-notch, and the fact that so many artists were friends who swapped songs and musical favors on each others' albums give them a sense of community. It doesn't hurt that they're also stellar pop records. "Poor Pitiful Me", while made famous by Linda, speaks volumes when Warren talks about a little S&M session and how his date was the one who "really worked me over good." Only Zappa would have touched something of that magnitude. "Gorilla, You're a Desperado", while maybe not a poke at Don and Glenn, sure is a slap at late-70s L.A. culture, as the song describes how a gorilla escapes from the local zoo, runs into a lawyer and the two trade identities: the guy's stuck in the miserable zoo, but the big ape takes the guy's car, his apartment and job, and ends up depressed because his life sucks so badly. Now that's clever.
My favorite story that was told in a tribute in one of the many rock magazines last fall described a drug overdose in the late 1970s which terrified Zevon. As he collapsed and began seizing, Zevon said that he prayed to God that he wouldn't die, not because he didn't want to stop living, but so that "Jackson Browne won't write a song about me!" I could not have thought that, but only a witty, off-kilter soul could have.
If anyone has any great Warren Zevon moments, stories, or favorite songs, I'd love to be educated on this great song writer. Until then, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for that hairy handed gent, who ran amok in Kent.

time it was, and what a time it was, it was...

Friday night was sheer magic. I drove down to my old hometown of Fresno to see Paul and Art with some old bandmates. You may know this duo as Simon and Garfunkel, but let's not split hairs. I caught the pair last November with my family in Oakland and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I decided to catch them again as this was the only Northern California stop on the summer run and probably the last time S&G would tour. Ticket prices were steep, but thank goodness for continuing education opportunities and stipends!
I wasn't expecting anything new or spectacular; I just wanted one last glimpse of a duo that had (at least through a single album) been a part of my listening life. My parents owned an lp of Bridge Over Troubled Water that barely made it onto Side 2, except to play the first cut, "The Boxer." However, I never did care for the last cut on Side 1, which was titled, "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright." A). Who is this guy? B). What sort of grown-up music is this stuff? To me, it sounded like background music that would be played at a cocktail party or a restaurant lounge. (How times have changed; FLW is my favorite architect and as of late, I've been knocked out by bossa nova music - who would have thought that S&G would have pushed the envelope by throwing another form of American music on the album?).
At any rate, the band came out with a nostalgic video montage of a cultural history of the last forty years which encapsulated the emotional goal of combining Forrest Gump with "The Wonder Years". As the film on the screens ended, the darkened arena (a fabulous new SaveMart Center) was cut with a single spotlight shining on Paul and Art center stage. Paul was strumming the two introductory chords to "Old Friends/Bookends" and soon they started up...
What came out was two hours of incredible musicianship. Never had I heard the two men sing as a single voice, with little to no off notes or unblended harmonies. Art's fragile angelic voice couldn't have been stronger nor more emotive. Paul was on top of his game on the acoustic guitar as he finger-picked succinct rhythms. I choked back tears on the opening song as well as several songs later when the opening "hmmmmms" of "America" started. I felt like the Cameron Crowe character at the beginning of Almost Famous as he thumbed through his sister's record collection. The pinnacle of the evening was the gospel-tinged "Bride" where I never fail to get goosebumps when Art hits the last high notes of the song as the instruments peak with intensity. While I've always contemplated the music I want played at my funeral, I've never questioned that song to be in the top three. Any of you readers out there, remember, that when I send off, tell someone to play the first song of the record...
I will never be able to fully capture the concert experience nor my feelings through the two hour spectacle. I do know that when Chris, Ron, and I walked to the parking lot, I had experienced a truly wonderful show and wouldn't replace the magic that I had just witnessed for a long time.
In no particular order, here's the setlist:

The Sound of Silence, Leaves That Are Green, Kathy's Song, I Am A Rock, Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound, The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy), America, Old Friends/Bookends, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter, At the Zoo, Bridge Over Troubled Water, El Condor Pasa (If I Could), Cecilia, Keep the Customer Satisfied, The Boxer, Baby Driver, The Only Living Boy In New York, My Little Town, American Tune, Slip Slidin' Away, Let It Be Me, Dream, Wake Up Little Susie, and Bye Bye Love (the last four songs were part of the Everly Brothers' short set, with S&G joining them on the last song).

On a patriotic note, We the People turn 228 today. While we're starting to show our age, I still think that the resilient American people are hanging in there. Thomas Jefferson (with a little editing help) created a truly radical document that presupposed a political philosophy banged out by two score thinkers in Philadelphia that have revolutionized the way billions of people either live or attempt to live their lives. John Ashcroft would have arrested TJ et al as enemy combatants and locked them up long ago had he known what they were up to- organized rebellion pushing for the freedom from tyranny, the belief in the freedom of political voice and expression, and the belief that all people (arguably) are created equal. How we as a country truly have failed to live up to those credos. Then again, name a generation of Americans that hasn't, I guess. Frederick Douglas was correct by stating in the 1840s that Independence Day was not for blacks as July 4th meant nothing to them; today, it is our assignment to make sure that all people are enfranchised, represented, and understand that they have the rights and responsibilities to participate and help make our country greater than it already is. Happy Birthday, U.S. of A.

the horror, the horror

R.I.P. Marlon Brando - man, was he really 80? This iconographic star of not even our generation has been one film giant to carry a legacy of near legendary status. When was the last film that he starred in that will go down in the annals of celluloid history? Apocalypse Now, which is celebrating its 25th birthday this year, and who wasn't either terrified or riveted by Brando's performance? Last Tango in Paris is something that only NPR-types like to talk about due to its pushing taboo subject matter, and that film is now thirty. Just recently I had the pleasure of viewing Brando's two greatest early films, On the Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire. Both directed by Kazan, Brando pushed the envelope with timeless performances and obviously some cool quotes. Who hasn't, just for the fun of it, yelled out, "Stelllllaaaaaa!" at the top of his lungs or griped about almost being "a contendah!"? And then, of course, there was 1972...

As we are celebrating the day that John Adams believed would be the day that all of the world would remember (the day Thomas Jefferson presented the Declaration of Independence, on the 2nd of July) but was off a couple of days, I hope that we all have a great Fourth this Sunday. Not being unpatriotic, though I know there are those who will label me as such, I will celebrate our nation's birthday in two days. However, this year, I am hoping and working on celebrating Independence Day on November 2nd, which is, of course, the day of the presidential election. I can only pray that more and more Americans wish to truly wave their patriotic colors by helping add to the 5.6% unemployment rate by adding one more to its ranks. More on this as well.

Old Friends

I recently returned from a week-long vacation in Hawaii. It will be my last major trip for a while for reasons as yet unstated. I attended the wedding of a dear college friend, someone that I've known for nearly thirteen years. I guess that's not a long time, but then again, neither is a lifetime. The wedding was also a reunion of sorts, as two other college friends came, and it was the last time that all four of us were together since my wedding seven years ago. These three amazing people and their spouses really helped me realize that friendship is the most valuable possession one can have. Thanks, friends.

On that note, tomorrow I'll be headed to beautiful sunny Fresno to see Simon and Garfunkel. I took my parents to see them last November for my mom's birthday, and I don't expect anything new, different, revelatory, or any other redundant adjective to describe what I'll see. However, S&G will dazzle me with Paul's exquisite lyrics, Art's angelic voice, and the (probably) last opportunity to see two musicians that have left an indelible mark on my life. While I'm not going to suddenly turn into Jan Hooks on that SNL episode from years back, I do place the concert in the context of my trip and the strengthening of the friendships that have meant so much to me

Old friends
sat on their park bench like bookends
can you imagine us years from today?
sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange to be seventy

time it was and what a time it was...
a time of innocence, a time of confidences

long ago...it must be...I have a photograph
preserve your memories; they're all that's left you.

Simon and Garfunkel, Old Friends/Bookends

What? Another blog?!

Thanks to the encouragement from several friends and my own desire to make others believe that my voice is equally valid as all others in cyberspace, I've decided to start my own on-line diary. While I can't promise that I'll be anything as extensive as Chris, witty as Tony, or as post-obsessive as Steve, I'd like to be able to rant and rave with the best of 'em. Here goes nothing.