November Surprise?

Am I the only one terrified that nothing on the national level has come out against the Democrats? Regional smear tactics and below-the-belt campaigning was to be expected when the GOP has had nothing positive to run on for the last two years. The fact that Karl Rove has remained silent thus far terrifies me. No heightened security alert? "Mushroom cloud" threats? I do fear that Saddam Hussein's verdict will be handed down next weekend and the guilty verdict will say, "see? Georgie was right all along!" The Dems will still lose one if not both Houses in this election as polls for the last six years have truly been unreliable. By all accounts, right Zogby, the occupants of most major positions have been incorrectly called, even with media hype. If Barack were running this year, the press would have turned it into the greatest thing since 1932. What's the weirdest is the fact that the Dems have been picking up steam in the goofiest of places and yet Arnold Schwarzzeneger is up by 17% over the Democratic challenger whose name eludes me. Maybe that's why Arnie's coasting to such an easy victory. Who's running Angelides' campaign? The same people who ran Gore and Kerry's campaigns? A candidate has to be out there and not in Phil's case, "out there". Phil comes across as a clueless incompetent, one who's proud to be a 70s tax-and-spend liberal kinda guy. Sorry but that's not what we're looking for. It worked for Jerry Brown thirty years ago but we need to wake up and realize that the last and most effective liberal governor this state had was Pat Brown and that was HALF A CENTURY AGO.

I love my dad and am terribly proud of his campaign. He's running clean, not attacking his opponents and rejecting money from big-time developers who want a pawn or a puppet. "Hell Yes!" I want Bob Taylor for mayor!!!

It Never Entered My Mind

Heather and I had just driven over the Brooklyn Bridge and were entering the East Village. Catching a light, we were caught between the excitement of inadvertantly driving over the bridge and fighting about getting lost on our way to Battery Park. Patient as ever, our son in the back looked out the window into a vast, unknown world. As our car wound down the off-ramp and into the Village, we caught a red light and waited. All the time, we had a brand new cd in the stereo; neither of us were really listening as we struggled to make sense of our location, stressed about taking longer than we wanted to reach our destination and tense as driving in New York is about, well the dumbest thing one can do. I found myself, though, at the light, with a little breather, a little quiet, watching the working suits crossing the street and I realized that this was playing. It Never Entered My Mind that the mass movement of humanity in a crowded, impersonal and artificial world could flow so seemlessly. Like a scene from a film, I captured a half-minute of busy working-day life for a group of people I'll never know and I gave them a soundtrack for my visit. While the light turned green and we delivered our little car into the center of the Village in order to find Washington Square and NYU, I realized just how peaceful chaos can truly be. The rest of our driving experience mellowed and I stopped being irate at my passengers; I don't think I've ever been tense or angry at my family since that red light four weeks ago. Red Garland's building arpeggios with Paul Chambers sparse bass notes create a tranquil environment for Philly Joe's percussive accents. All of this waits for Miles' muted trumpet lines, so calm and soothing. It Never Entered My Mind that music so dated and distant from my life could be the song of comfort and familiarity. This is the quintessential song of what is becoming the greatest album of my collection; "Workin' With Miles Davis" from fifty years ago this week is the essence of group collaboration; each musician feeding off one another and the whole building each song to its creative fullest. For every time I press play on this album, that mass of people crossing the street do so in half-time in my mind, the city and its inhabitants becoming one organic and freely flowing singular unit. If I remember nothing else of our trip, I have that thirty seconds.

Lefty Brown's blog about classic albums nearly created a riot in my mind. Just what makes a "classic" recording? Or, for that matter, a piece of music defining its time? Is "Frampton Comes Alive" classic or indulgent tripe? Or both? Is the popular music scene so splintered today that there can be no such thing as a recognizable "classic" album of this decade without that piece of work being so commercialized and mainstream? Does mainstream mean sellout?

I'm interested as I give my students in my rock history course an assignment. They're to pick an artist from the last quarter century (for cripe's sake, that's 1981 onward!!!!) that is most due for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I've found myself wondering which artist or band I'd induct. Granted, there are already some great bands that have made it in since Reagan's inaugural - U2, The Pretenders, but what bands, new and worthy, have come our way over the last twenty-five years? So many are up for disqualification as either being one-hit wonders or band stuck in their respective eras and not successfully making it into "true" legacy status. R.E.M.? I'd like to see them nominated and yet they commercially crashed in the early nineties. The Smiths? Possibly. Any of the Brit-pop/New Wave bands? Depeche Mode and New Order come to mind. If Prince isn't in already, he's a shoo-in the immediate second he becomes eligible. While we can cheat ourselves ahead, what about bands from the nineties? Of course, Nirvana's a given. Should the Smashing Pumpkins be inducted? If Jane's Addiction never makes it, Perry Ferrell should be for his genesis of Lollapalooza. The Chili Peppers are reaching their induction year and should rightfully enter. Metallica (80s, too) as well. I'd throw Pearl jam in there as well. Alanis Morissette? Spare us, though that first album sold a hell of a lot of records. Phish is deserving, though no other bands from that scene are worthy, even though the String Cheese Incident had a good run and Widespread Panic still has its followers. Will Gov't Mule ever get the recognition it deserves, or should Bruce and James Brown get bumped aside so that the HoF can dedicate an entire wing to Warren Haynes as the hardset working man in rock music? Will Ryan Adams be seen as a visionary or a snotty nosed alt.country punk who couldn't create an original piece of music without sounding twenty-five years older than the recording dates? I understand my audience of three will contemplate this question to great depths but no one else will read this. What are your thoughts, guys? Your musical palates are possibly more diverse at this juncture; I'm listening to more jazz than I've done so in my life and you amaze me with your discoveries of new music all the time. Wow me.

Back to Miles, if you don't mind. I'm waiting for the light to turn.

"Not That There's Anything Wrong With That..."

Here.

Let's start with the first one. "Do as I say, not as I do" is how democracy works, isn't it?

Let's look at the second one. "The best money democracy can buy". Why do I include this second part? Beckstrand is running against my old man, who has refused to lay down for the developers and their lawyers. Even on this dinky little mayoral race in a city of 45,000, this campaign has practically killed any hope of mine for grassroots democracy. Money money money money money money and we wonder why every single political decision made is always contested in court by business, praised by business or questioned by business. We didn't invade Iraq for a bunch of people in an imaginary space with dot-to-dot borders separating them from their neighbors so they could vote or even be free from Saddam Hussein. Or to fear "weapons of mass detruction" for that matter. Three letters and begins with "liquid gold". Why the hell do we kid ourselves with the idea that democracy is worth it? Why should I be promoting this to my students? Why should people care if I vote or not? Part of my bleeding heart liberal says to vote because it's the way to express one's freedom that most in this world do not have. The realist and cynic on the other side makes me question why I should vote for someone over someone else who will either serve the interests of the powerful and wealthy only to be removed if she/he doesn't serve their interests. I'm terribly jaded right now and wish that either democracy would simply just rename itself something more realistic or that something or someone would arise to actually make our system be carried out to how it should be working.

Anyway, this possibly could be one of my last posts as an employee of the school district, eh? I wouldn't put it past my neurotic fascist employer to crack my head along with anyone speaking about this. Figures.

Having No Brains

Did Dick Cheney publicly support waterboarding or not? Is Mark Foley a gay man or is the real issue congressional cover up of personal misconduct of a public official? Gay marriage needs to be solved in late October? The border fence is actually going to work because Bush caved in to the extreme right wing of the GOP? Harold Ford likes screwing blondes? What does 'stay the course' really mean, even though you claim to never have said it? The saddest of all of this is the fact that the Republicans will retain control of the Senate and probably the House as we look at things today. Shame on the GOP for serving as the biggest hypocritical party of "values" since Agnew resigned and shame on all of you out there foolish, ignorant or just plain blindly stupid to have put these people in power.

Iraq continues to go so well that there is more than one civil war erupting. The first is in the country Bush invaded by choice. The second is among the left/progressive/liberal/conscious population of the United States. The third is among the rank and file officer corp of the U.S. military. The military bucking the commander in chief and voting Democrat? I asked my brother, the history genius, when the last time this occurred and we thought about, maybe, FDR and the rise of fascism. SEVENTY YEARS AGO??? The fourth is among the Republican Party as Bush has splintered it into the conservative wing and the totally-FUBAR-because-we-support-this-tool wing. Shame on the Democrats for continuing to remain unorganized and unfocussed since LBJ.

My dad's mayoral campaign continues, full steam ahead. He's been hitting the pavement and pressing the flesh. Today, his camp flew an airplane over the entire city of Brentwood carrying a sign that read, "Putting People First Vote Bob Taylor For Mayor". I continue to be proud of my old man. If he wins it's because he ran a great campaign and has a great reputation as a city official. If he loses, it's truly because the monied interests from Sacramento on down helped to bury him for standing in the way of the power brokers and monied interests that have had the privilege of running everything for a long, long time. Twelve days and counting...

Two More Weeks

Things on the homefront look good here. The race is hot and heavy with a little salacious gossip, insider knowledge of goodies and a big fat question mark about the pulse of the general voting population. I'm cautiously optimistic but also anxious enough to wonder if he'll pull it off. We'll just have to wait and see in two weeks. No great news to share with anyone who reads this that they'll understand. I'm proud of my old man and think he'll make a great mayor for our city.

Last Thursday, my wife and I received the shocking news we never expected to hear: we're having twins. That explains the extreme sickness. My life is going to change in so many ways I have no idea how nor where to start. Yes, I'm terrified but I'm also excited. I feel blessed but it didn't take twins or even a second pregnancy to create that feeling. Now, let's just see if I can stash more away for college tuition and figure out what to do with the bedroom for the two of them.

Cautiously optimistic is the same feeling I have regarding the midterm elections. Will the Democrats take control of one or both houses of Congress? What October/November surprise will pop up with Rove or the GOP trying to desperately accuse their opponents of now? I pray for a Democrat sweep and the beginning of Bush's official lame-duck status. I just hope Bush will "stay the course" with the rest of his foreign and domestic policies; that will practically guarantee an impeachment trial and a Democratic sweep in two years. I can't believe we still have two more years with that imbecile.

Mid-October Musings

Interesting day, being back from vacation. So many emotions and very little time to collect them. Already I feel three days behind and that's maybe because I didn't work on school work. Then again, I'm feeling in a rut with a couple of classes and am wanting to shake things up a bit with some of my major lesson plan units.

My little son is trying so hard to be a big boy. He's using words, spelling with his foam letters in the bathtub and doing all of the things that lit'luns do that sometimes lead to trainwrecks. Today, for instance, he was pretty tired as his schedule isn't fully re-adjusted from our trip. He tuckered out pretty early this afternoon and melted down when I wouldn't give him a cup of water as I had just given him a cup of juice. As he began crying, the look on his face was of absolute pity; tears were rolling down his cheeks, his eyes were nearly shut from the intense rush of emotions and the look on his face was one that drove home the need and want of little ones for their parents. After a while, he didn't seem to know what to be mad at and when I picked him up and showed him his juice, he immediately calmed down and rested his head on my shoulder. I can't imagine being able to love another child with the same amount of love that I do for my firstborn.

I received a visit from a former student who graduated last year. He graduated early in order to enter the Marine Corps last winter. Now completed with basic training and entering specialty school, this young man shows the excitement and discipline that the military instills in young people. He's a demolitions expert and in March is being sent to Ramadi, Iraq. We both expressed concern and trepidation about his assignment and yet as the young man left my room, I wondered just in fact how someone willingly puts him or herself in danger for other "bigger" causes that may result in the loss of his or her life.

Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip has turned out to be a fantastic show. The West Wing for SNL as many have called it and probably rightly so. I enjoy seeing Bradley Whitford retain a role similar to the Josh Lyman character and it's great seeing Matthew Perry in a role that utilizes his acting abilities. Friends was a pretentious and nitwitted sitcom that used contrivances to become "America's sitcom" of the '90s. In fact, that show espouses so much of that decade's values that it makes me wonder how quickly one generation (based, of course on its art and commerce which do reflect the values of the nation) became so vacuous. Could you imagine knowing any of those people? Those were the people that I graduated and moved away from in order to not have to ever see them again.

The Gov't Mule show last Saturday night (Thank you, Chris) was another skull-splitting exercise in heavy metal by the four men "making music for your ass". Two and a half hours of career-spanning tunes, the Mule (Warren Haynes and whomever can keep up with him) showed itself to be a new band; after losing its original bass player six years ago, Warren needed to reinvent the band in order to maintain some spirit of the original yet press ahead in ways that have successfully kept the band from sounding like a nostalgia act for former self. While the keyboardist doesn't really do much for me, he does act as an all-inclusive rhythm instrument holding the bottom end down when it's time for Warren to solo. Andy Hess on bass more than holds his own and keeps the band from constantly being compared to the original power-trio lineup. While I have listened to enough Warren Haynes' guitar playing to anticipate portions of his improvised solos, I love watching the guy make music. As the Mule is pretty monolithic in the type of sound it creates (think Sabbath; not in a comparative sound but in the lack of deviation from its signature sound), I still enjoy the occasional head-pounding that is the live performance. Great tunes and while I was exhaused by the end of the evening (or morning), I appreciated the show and wonder what they'll be like when I see them again, another two and a half years.

Chris Brown held my feet to the fire and yet I still can't answer his question: What is Elton John's best album? Better yet, how's this: What are his best five songs? Maybe I can do that: 1. Tiny Dancer 2. Rocket Man 3. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 4. Levon 5. Roy Rogers. I know I'm only plucking from three albums but those albums are his best, in my opinion.

Time for bed; it's quarter after midnight.

Prime Again

Here's to Eric Taylor, resident of Ardmore, Pennsylvania and student extraordinaire at UPenn as he celebrates his 31st birthday. Enjoy the vegetable curry tonight and may you and yours relax and enjoy the evening. Here's to good health, a great Black Crowes concert and a wonderful week-long visit. See you in March when I come to move your stuff back to California.

Agreeing With Tony

Please check out Tony's most recent post on the demise of Tower Records. I, too, lament Tower's passing but see it unfortunately as a self-inflicted wound. A megastore such as Tower had, in all its power, the ability and choice to offer lower prices on its goods. I must say, however, in its favor, Tower did have just about the greatest selection anywhere. I will, vulture-style, help pick the carcass clean as the stores liquidate their inventory at now-reasonable prices.

I also lament something else: the death of the "record store". As a child of the 80s, I truly lost my music virginity at the age of 9; I was really into purchasing music in junior high. By high school, I was a musical fiend. While buying all of my stuff on tapes (I was just about the last of my friends to move to digital), I absolutely LOVED the experience of perusing the record section of music stores.
Now, I must explain something: if you know me, you know I'm a passive and timid person, the first-born of my family and one that never wants to rock the boat. I'm one that also really struggles to try new things and often stick to what I know. Tower Records was a place that I didn't really know for a long time as its well-lit and clean floors intimidated me as well as the rows and rows of tapes, lp's and cd's. See, I am a Rasputin fan. Not the best, definitely not the cleanest and sometimes not the cheapest, Rasputin's Records, however, is my favorite music store on the planet. The closest store is in Pleasant Hill, (in high school) a half-hour away (with the growth out here, it's closer to an hour). Twice a week, I'd hop in my car by myself and head to Rasputin's just to wander the aisles, look at the stock, listen to terrible indie-punk music piped through the speakers, look at the posters and maybe sometimes buy a cd. Lp's moved farther and farther to the back of the store by the early 90s but I would always visit them, often spending lots of time in the dollar bin section. Like William Miller in the beginning of "Almost Famous" touching and caressing the lp covers wondering what treasures lay in the grooves of the vinyl, I would spend hours at this place checking out artists I never had heard (and many still have not heard). It took several years but I also began perusing the cd aisles like the lp aisles, choosing random artists and rummaging through their catalogues. To this day, there are artists whom I've never listened to but I can tell you album art, production credits, song listings and other minutiae simply because I spent so much time with those stupid lp's and cd's. Like Penny Lane said, "whenever you're feeling lonely, you just go to the record store and visit your old friends". Now, I know Tony and the other of our ilk and, again to quote AF, to paraphrase Lester Bangs, "we're not cool". To make an outing of visiting a record store and not buy anything but go simply because one of the pillars of the faith mandates at least a weekly visit defines me and my friends. Steve, you and I were separated at birth (By the way, Portela, I've never told you this story: shortly after the release of the Allman Brothers' Fillmore 70 show, I was wandering Tower on Blackstone and, starting with the As, moved to see, if by any divine intervention, a cd by the Allmans would pop up that I didn't have. While of course nothing new had popped up, so I moved down the alphabet. Some guy, slightly taller than me with black hair and a five o'clock shadow, approached me and started talking shop about the Allman Brothers Band, this new vault release, how cool the band was at the time (mid-1997) and a little history of the Duane era. The conversation lasted maybe three to five minutes but all these years, you're the only one who fits the description of this anonymous brother-in-arms ABBfiendwhojustrandomlyapproachespeopleintherecordstoretosharethegoodnewsoftheABB. Actually, THAT you can print!) and Chris, you know this is you as well. In fact, tomorrow afternoon, we'll probably be living out this memory before the Mule show tomorrow night!
Remember having to wash your hands after visiting the record section? Remember the dusty feeling in your fingerprint grooves, the smell of years of neglect on the vinyl and cardboard and the rush of stacking up fifteen to twenty dollar-priced lp's in anticipation for your arrival at home to listen to these newly-discovered treasures? Much of my love for "older" music (my favorite and the best kind, circa 1968-1974) comes from building up my inexpensive lp collection. Why is it that I knew who Linda Ronstadt's rhythm section was in 1976, that Thin Lizzy had three lineup changes and Asia's album covers resembled Yes's and Iron Maiden's but never looked as cool as Boston's first two covers? Who the hell was Mott the Hoople but why did their album cover of "Mott" with the spotlight and the glam outfits just look inviting? Maybe the historian in me always jumps out at the record store but the older stuff seemed more inticing simply because it had a history to it; new things (except babies, of course) haven't had the chance to prove their worth, regardless of how good they are. Most of the old stuff, especially the stuff you never listened to but always loved their covers, aged like the best Bordeaux. You just KNEW it was good and by listening to it only proved your belief. I'd love to hear people's stories of the first time ever listening to music that was old but untouched; what was it like to finally throw on that twenty-year old album your dad kept but stopped listening to? I can tell you my first experience with "Born To Run" but will spare you here.
Tower Records, maybe I'll even wear black when I visit you next time. Maybe you'll have those two Miles cd's at reasonable prices. Have they been remastered just yet?

What Am I Thinking?

How did I forget the new Bruce album? Holy cow, the three last songs are worth the price of admission. Not to mention that the "Bring 'Em Home" video is from my Concord show last June. To quote old Rolling Stone, "Buy This F***ing Album".

Still jonesing on Miles Davis, especially after picking up the newly-remastered "Working With..." and "Relaxing With..." albums. You want classic jazz? While 'Trane's playing is still a bit formative, these just may be the two greatest jazz albums I've purchased in the last twelve months. Could someone tell me if "Cooking With..." and "Steaming With..." have been remastered?

Personal

I wanted to keep my railings separate from my travel stories. My trip was good, with some exceptions. My expecting wife is battling severe morning sickness. And afternoon sickness. And evening sickness. This poor, beautiful woman has struggled so hard. She dropped six pounds just over our vacation and will probably have to go to the ER for an IV to keep herself hydrated.

Philly was cool. Little sight-seeing, though I celebrated my ninth anniversary there and took my son to Sesame Place, a small theme park with the muppet characters aimed at little children's interactive playing and sharing. Took my son's picture with the Count and I thought my son would bust a stitch, he was smiling so much at this Sesame Street character. Elmo's World was also wonderful.

Visited the Gettyburg national battlefield and covered the entire park with my history-nut brother. We must have walked ten miles in about four hours, from Little Round Top to Cemetary Ridge. I was moved to see the location of where Lincoln delivered his two-minute address and was barely heard. Saw a shirt that said, "If At First You Don't Secede, Try and Try Again." I thought about sending that shirt to the Sunni population of Iraq.

New York City was again wonderful. Strolled one day through Central Park with my family. Hiked our butts all the way to 88th Street to see the Guggenheim only to find it scaffolded over and under reconstruction. Figures. Drove to Sutton Place to re-re-create the Woody Allen photo from "Manhattan." Found the stupid bench this time. Problem here was the fact that the trees were still in full foliage and the 59th Street Bridge couldn't be seen. Check out my blog from March 2004 and you'll love my second-round FUBAR. Cripes.

Ellis and Liberty Islands were amazing. My son loved imitating the Statue of Liberty and I could have spent all day looking at the island that received 15 million immigrants. Took some great shots of the skyline. Accidentally drove across the Manhattan Bridge (thank you, Sonny Rollins!) and back into the city across the Brooklyn Bridge, which was a very cool little goof. Never drive in NYC; it's ridiculous. An hour to get 3/4 of a mile? The Village. Washington Square Park and NYU. Broadway and Times Square. The Flatiron. NEVER enough time to see and do all the wonderful things in NYC. I guess we'll have to leave it for one more "next time"!

Branford Marsalis Quartet continues to floor me. I've often said that he's my favorite contemporary jazz performer. The Jazz Standard is a jazz "club", not some Yoshi's-type performing arts center. Sat at a distance from Branford closer than the distance to the edge of my kitchen table typing this. Only drawback: an hour set. Call me nitpicky; I always want at least seventy minutes. However, the twenty-minute "Blackzilla" opener more than made up for the brevity. I would agree, though, with the NY'ers description of the band's ensemble improvising as "sometimes relentless". Still the best ensemble out there. Third time's a charm, BM.

Black Crowes last night: An hour and fifty minutes of the best rock and roll out there. Fifteen songs, two new members, two missed friends, the company of four great friends and at least five thousand fans, one unrecognizable (or new) song and six million guitar changes during an awesome performance. One never knows what he'll get at a Crowes show except one rocking good time. No noodling, just great singing and a tight, tight band. Excellent.

Off to see Gov't Mule Saturday night with Lefty Brown. Check out his blog. Much more important and cosmopolitan than mine.

My estranged grandfather died last weekend. Haven't talked to him since he disinherited the family seven years ago. Still don't know how I feel about his passing except for remorse that someone with so many loving family members felt it necessary to shun them.

Now that my son is a Thomas the Tank Engine fiend (thanks, cousin! :) ), he wants to fly all the time like Harold the Helicopter (and our airplane). Just too cute. Any ideas where to find those little wooden trains for cheap?

Playing Catch-up

I returned yesterday from my trip on the east coast and am lagging hard. Doesn't help that three hours after returning, I hopped in my car and drove to Fresno to see the Black Crowes last night. And then drive back. And then get up four hours later with my two year old. Man, I'm not made for this, anymore!

What's gone on in just one week?

Kim Jong Il set off a nuke.

Mark Foley set off a bigger nuke.

George Bush is thankful that the first bomb is distracting the press from the second.

The Republican Party, in case you didn't know, is the Party of Hyprocisy as leaders who knew of Rep. Foley's behavior and actions buried them in order to remain strong in the polls and against their opponents. One of these leading this cover-up happens to be Speaker of the House. Whose fault? The Democrats? Gays? Not me? I hope people leave their stupidity at home when voting in less than a month on this one.

Stalin was right: one death is a tragedy; a million, just a statistic. Just how many people have died in Iraq? A new survey places the number at more than a half-million. If that is correct, that equals the number of Americans killed in the Civil War, nearly twice the number of Filipinos butchered by U.S. marines at the turn of last century or roughly the number of people killed in bombing Japan. And yet, to even ask questions regarding this administration's failure in Iraq is to support the terrorists.

Bob Woodward, where were you five years ago? And why, in your second book on Bush's war, did you not raise the issue further when, on 9/12/01, Bush and Rumsfeld drafted the plan to attack Iraq and link Saddam with NYC?

Victor David Hanson, historian at Stanford: your op-ed columns are beginning to read like diatribes against common sense and national strength and less like your condescending and irrelevant diatribes on current political affairs. Whining that Woodward cited many "anonymous" sources in his latest book on Bush now? You didn't seem to have a problem about that in his first two books. Actually, you didn't seem to even have a problem with it thirty years ago. Why now? Don't like what you hear? Maybe you should apply for a position in the Bush White House. I hear they often rail against information that is factually correct that they don't like to hear, either. By the way, the answer to every frigging modern social issue is NOT to ask, "WWTD?". For those not familiar with Hanson from Fresno State's history department where he taught the classics and ancient history, is "What Would Theucidies Do?" Sorry, but maybe the only relevance to the classics and today is that both leaders of the world's largest empires are quite good fiddle players, I hear.

Don't restrict gun usage and availability for fear of keeping gun-related deaths down. Pennsylvania seems to be roiled in gun-related issues: the attention-grabbing tragedy in Amish country was terrible. So is the ignored fact that over 320 people have been murdered just in the City of Brotherly Love this year alone. This on top of my own colleague being gunned down two weeks ago.

My father participated in a mayoral candidate debate last week with his two opponents. Word (albeit from family sources) state that my old man did quite well. I don't know whether this will help or hurt my dad but he continues to gain public endorsement and support from civic leaders and popular organizations in town. Apparently Pops did so well that one of his opponents is going to begin smearing him on his personal life. Gee, I didn't know my dad was running against another Republican...Actually, I am (and always have been) extremely proud of my old man. Do I think he'll win? Of course, I want him to and don't want to see him come in third place. Will he or won't he? I sure don't know but I feel very confident that, if nothing else, the election will show that my dad has quite a lot of support as a politician of my little city. We'll see; less than a month away.

Sailing Into Philadelphia

As if I was Mark Knopfler! Anywho, I leave tomorrow and am off for quite an adventure. Looking forward to seeing Branford in a couple of days and my family for a week. Will post along the way, time permitting. Read Lefty Brown's blog about Woodward's new book. I've always said that while he's not the greatest writer, he's a good reporter and always has the inside scoop. While he's no Sy Hersch, Bob Woodward has helped shed some light on the political history of our nation. While his connection with the Plame case has caught him at his own game, it's great watching the Bushies squirm. Maybe, just maybe, this will be the tome that helps unravel the Bush charade and helps bring new leaders and another party to power. To think of just how much Bush has damaged our country in just five and a half short years. Bush should be impeached and Cheney should be exiled.

And Yet, I'm Still Wrong

How can one not read the papers, watch the news or listen to the radio and still wonder why, instead of just voting them out of office, people don't line up and execute half of Congress? We're now watching the GOP keep on its game face in light of a sex scandal that involved, not two grown adults, a Congressman and underage kids. Teachers lose their jobs and careers for simply being accused of this sort of behavior. Priests get transferred, members of Congress get named to committees that oversee the enforcement of Child Protection laws. To worry about the personal behavior of this person from the great state of Florida perpetuates our puritanical hangups regarding personal morality. Please, don't think I believe pedophilia is permissible; it's an abomination. What I'm worried about is the similar behavior the White House has shown regarding its foreign policy and the Middle East. To rape a foreign country using lies, blackmail and threats while spending (for just now) a HALF TRILLION dollars failing in the process is a crime not just against the United States but all of humanity. How any rational, level-headed intelligent person can view George Walker Bush as anything more than a stooge and a straw man for a Cheney-Rumsfeld-neocon putsch shows just how many millions of Americans drank more of the Kool-Aid than we know. Unfortunately, Bush has lined himself perfectly. Can we impeach him? That would only give us President Dick, who would only be given a new title.
Back to the Mark Foley scandal: The Republican Party continues to show itself as the Party of Hypocrisy. Foley can screw anyone he wants but if his targets are underaged boys, we have a series of crimes on our hands. To bury an investigation or carry out a cover-up is impeachable. Dennis Hastert and John Boehner knew for almost ten months? Others knew for several years? This is the United States Congress, not the Catholic Church. Yet more reason for my brother to look into finding that high-powered hunting rifle and that frog suit. Of course my brother will only kill the Republicans and other fakes by teaching history and upholding the values of the Constitution. I will attempt to kill those in the same way.
If you read this and care about our democracy (and live in my voting district of east Contra Costa/western San Joaquin counties), you must vote against Congressman Richard Pombo if for anything, greeting President Bush tomorrow night for a financial handout for his own re-election campaign. Anyone who wants to protect his own family's private property and real estate values while attacking those who care about the earth God gave us as "enviros" in a pejorative term shows that he represents perfectly the values of someone ensconced in the mid-20th century. However, we need people in our highest offices who have visions for the mid-21st.