Saturday, January 31, 2009

Poem: The Water




1
The water, in perpetual motion,
Drifts into the troposphere,
Accumulates, and returns to earth
To join the rain and snow,
In the hills and mountains,
Rolling into aquifers and underground lakes,
Chasms, fissures, streams,
Valleys, craters, hollows,
Creeks, rivers, lakes, and oceans.

2
Is water the only thing
On this earth
That never gets old?
---o0o---

Friday, January 30, 2009

Senator Jay Bulworth visits a talk show and raps about TV, Big Money, and procreative racial deconstruction




You know the guy in the booth who's talking to you in that tiny little earphone?
He's afraid the guys at network are gonna tell him that he's through
If he lets a guy keep talking like I'm talking to you
Cause the corporations got the networks and they get to say who gets to talk about the country and who's crazy today
I would cut to a commercial if you still want this job
Because you may not be back tomorrow with this cooperate mob
Cut to commercial, cut to commercial, cut to commercial.

Ok ok I got a simple question that I'd like to ask of this network
That pays you for performing this task
How come they got the airwaves?
They're the peoples' aren't they?
Wouldn't they be worth 70 billion to the public today?
If some money-grubbin Congress didn't give them away for big campaign money?
It's hopeless you see
If you're runnin for office without no TV
If you don't get big money
You get a defeat
Corporations and broadcasters make you dead meat
You been taught in this country there's speech that is free
But free don't get you no spots on TV

If you want to have senators not on the take
Then give them free air time
They won't have to fake
Telecommunications is the name of the beast
that, that, that, that, that's eating up the world from the west to the east
The movies, the tabloids, TV and magazines
they tell us what to think and do
And all our hopes and dreams
All this information makes America phat
But if the company's outta the country
How American is that?

But we got Americans with families that can't even buy a meal
Ask a brother who's been downsized if he's getting any deal
Or a white boy bustin ass til they put him in his grave
He ain't gotta be a black boy to be livin like a slave
Rich people have always stayed on top by dividing white people from colored people
but white people got more in common with colored people then they do with rich people
we just gotta eliminate them.

White people, black people, brown people, yellow people, get rid of 'em all
All we need is a voluntary, free spirited, open-ended program of procreative racial deconstruction
Everybody just gotta keep f***in' everybody til they're all the same color
---o0o---

Painting: Double Portrait of Maureen Roberts


click to enlarge

Alien Lore No. 147 - Ten Signs Your Co-worker May Be An Alien

The Weekly World News has recently re-published their 10 warning signs that someone you know is actually an alien:


"Many people work side by side with space aliens who look human - but you can spot these visitors by looking for certain tip-offs.

Experts have listed 10 signs to watch for:

1. Weird or mismatched clothes. “Often aliens don’t fully understand the different styles, so they wear combinations that are in bad taste, such as checked pants with a striped shirt or a tuxedo jacket with blue jeans or sneakers,” noted Brad Steiger, a renowned UFO investigator and author.

2. Strange diet or unusual eating habits. Aliens might eat french fries with a spoon or gobble down large amounts of pills, the experts say.

3. Bizarre sense of humor. Aliens who don’t understand earthly humor may laugh during a serious company training film or tell jokes that no one understands, said Steiger.

4. Takes frequent sick days. An alien might need extra time off to “rejuvenate its energy,” said Dr. Thomas Easton, a theoretical biologist and futurist.

5. Keeps a hand-written or online diary. “Aliens are constantly gathering information,” Steiger said.

6. Misuses everyday items. “An alien may use white-out to paint its nails,” said Steiger.

7. Constant questions about customs of co-workers. Aliens who are trying to learn about our Earth culture may ask questions that seem to be stupid, Dr. Easton said. “For example, a co-worker may ask why so many Americans picnic on the Fourth of July,” noted Steiger.

8. Secretive about personal life-style and home. “An alien won’t discuss domestic details or talk about what it does at night or on weekends,” said Steiger.

9. Frequently talks to himself. “A space alien may not be used to speaking as we do, so an alien may practice speaking when it thinks it’s alone,” Steiger noted.

10. Displays a change of mood or physical reaction when near high-tech hardware. “An alien may experience a mood change when a microwave is turned on,” said Steiger.

The experts pointed out that a co-worker would have to display most if not all of these traits before you can positively identify him or her as a space alien.

Have you ever discovered one?"
---o0o---

Sarah Palin explains How Obama Won with collusion from "the bloggers" and liberal media as she is interviewed for the documentary "Media Malpractice"



By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairs Correspondent

Sarah Palin was recently interviewed for what seems to be a right wing documentary on how Obama won, titled "Media Malpractice." It's basically stock Palin. . .interestingly, she doesn't take on the McCain campaign who were probably more responsible than anyone for how she was perceived by the media, and the public, particularly in the last month of the campaign, when they unabashedly threw her under the bus (ed note: do not infer by this that we don't believe she fully deserved to be placed under the bus).


---o0o---

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Scary Things

funny graphs
more music charts

Stolen-->Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman<--Stolen

I loved Abbie Hoffman's first book when I was young. Thumbing through it now, through the filter of years, I still admire its indulgent, subversive anarchy. Well, someone has really stolen it, or at least placed it online (there is no difference, is there?). I bought the book twice. The first time, of course. . .someone stole it. I found this book online because bannination.com listed it with the caption "Dirty hippies give tips to unemployable bankers on how to survive in meltdown economy."

There is a lot of good stuff here. Or maybe you had to have "been there," I'm not sure! Click here to Steal This Book,
---o0o---

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Poem: The Mission




The fire from up above
Shines down upon us
And everyone standing

In the light has a mission
To carry
Their brothers and sisters

It's up to us
To administer
The benevolent will of heaven

The light shines
Without prejudice
Upon everything on earth

On the evil and the good
We're all just customers
Of the sun

With a mission
To leave a little good
In our wake
---o0o---

Painting: Del Brummet in Selcuk, Turkey


click to enlarge Del
---o0o---

And the race is on: The 2012 Presidential campaign has begun. . .The first hat in the ring? Sarah Palin's.




By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairs Editor

All This Is That's coverage of the 2012 Presidential race begins now. The election campaign kicked off quietly today, when Governor Palin of Alaska launched her website and PAC. What does The Governor's political action committee intend to do? They are. . .



"Dedicated to building America's future, supporting fresh ideas and candidates who share our vision for reform and innovation. SarahPAC believes America's best days are ahead. Our country, founded on conservative principles and the fight for freedom, must confront the challenges of the 21st century with integrity, innovation, and determination.

"SarahPAC believes energy independence is a cornerstone of the economic security and progress that every American family wants and deserves.

"SarahPAC believes the Republican Party is at the threshold of an historic renaissance that will build a better future for all. Health care, education, and reform of government are among our key goals. Join us today!"


It is clear as an unmuddied stream...Sarah Palin is running for President. She will do it by swinging to the far right, or, really, shucking the patina of moderation the McCain Presidential campaign required of its would-be Veep.

Sarah Palin will remind us that she warned us about just what Obama would unleash once the fetters were off. She will use BHO's middle name frequently. She will call him a Marxist, pinko, commie dupe, and naive. If she studies hard over the next couple of years, and if Obama seriously fumbles the ball, she may just have a shot in the primaries.

It will be most interesting to see what her PAC cooks up, and who in the G.O.P. will be on her side. One old pro I don't think we'll see sign up is Senator John McCain. I would have to guess they spoke the last words they spoke to each other were through gritted teeth the night of the election, when McCain put the kibosh on the concession speech she thought she could strongarm him into letting her deliver.

We are on her mailing list and will bring you updates as her PAC swings into action and begins accumulating cash for her Oval Office bid.
---o0o---

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Elizabeth Suman on the Technology used during the Inauguration

Elizabeth Suman--a woman I've met in Seattle and who lives in NYC now--just published a pretty fascinating article in Nerdabout "10 Most Important Forms of Technology Used During the 56th Presidential Inauguration."

She goes into both the successes and limitations of technology in and around the Inauguration. Jump here to read the story on Nerdabout.
---o0o---





Poem: Autopsy of the 43rd Presidency


click to enlarge


Weak character coupled
With an honored place,
Half-baked knowledge
With big plans,
And limited reason
With heavy responsibility
Will not escape disaster.

---o0o---

Monday, January 26, 2009

Fun with portable traffic signs

As it turns out, these ADDCO portable signs are quite easy to program. i-Hacked tells how right here. .

But, of course, they do remind you:

*** WARNING YOU SHOULD NEVER TAMPER WITH THESE SIGNS ***



---o0o---

Gov. Blagojevich considered naming Oprah to fill Obama's Senate seat. Did "O" fail to cough up the requisite $$$?



By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairs Editor

Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the soon to be ex-Illinois governor, in the middle of an impeachment trial told ABC's "Good Morning America" that the idea of nominating Oprah Winfrey came to him as he looked at candidates for the job he is now accused of trying to sell to the highest bidder.

"She seemed to be someone who would help Barack Obama in a significant way become President," he said. "She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators."

The governor dropped the idea, 'though, because he felt it would look like a gimmick; he also thought that she would not accept the position. Of course, it's also quite possible she was unwilling to cough up the cash he required for the slot. . .
---o0o---

Painting: Claire Brummet a/k/a Moochie


---o0o---

Poem: Orienteering, or, What Do I Do Now?

The way through is unclear.
You look for an omen,
Like the old kings,

And contemplate
Advance and retreat,
Fight or flight,

Waiting for The Lamplighter
In his own sweet time
To show you a sign.

---o0o---

Poem: The Recurring Nightmare




You drag your wooden leg
Up a shattered staircase,

Across the sagging boards
Of a crumbling porch.

The only light filters down
Through banks of fog,

Radiating in waves from
A cockeyed half moon.

You hear whimpers
In the dark basement.

The door is locked.
You jiggle the knob.

The door creaks open.
You pause at the threshold,

Take a deep breath
And shuffle in.
---o0o---

Check it out: http://www.bannination.com/

I am really enjoying Bannination. It's somewhat similar to Fark, with less restrictions. And the people seem way less snarky.
---o0o---

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Painting: Augie 2008


click to enlarge
---o0o---

Music video: Pierre Nadeau's "Girls Boys."

This is a video of Pierre Nadeau's "Girls Boys." It will probably one day be looked upon as a seminal music video. . .around 3:25 or so, you'll see Pierre rocking out on the KeyTar. The French video was re-released a couple years ago as Dans Le Speedo de Pierre Nadeau.


---o0o---

Poem: The Peacekeeper



1
The hawk on a high wall
is hardened in his wickedness

2
A roiling thunderstorm clears the air
Like Wyatt Earp's peacekeeper

3
You can overcome a bad beginning
But a good end lasts forever
---o0o---

POTUS 44: President Obama portrait on day five


click to enlarge

President Barack Obama, still smiling on Day Five of the new administration. Godspeed, bro'.
---o0o---

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Poem: Gitmo


1
Is it goodness
To see justice
Administered with a granite fist
In an asbestos glove?
Let it come down
Like thunder and blue lightning,
Like the old surprise visit,
And an image of
Biting
Through.

2
The old kings made iron-clad laws
With exponential penalties.
Is a punishment that fits the crime,
Punishment at all?
When his feet are fastened in the stocks,
And his toes disappear?
When his neck is fastened in a wooden cangue,
And his ears disappear?
When the punished veer
From pleading for life
To pleading for death?
---o0o---

Painting of Keelin Curran at Yosemite, 2008


click to enlarge
---o0o---

Friday, January 23, 2009

The text of Elizabeth Alexander's Inaugural Poem (and a mini-review)



By
Pablo Fanque,
All This Is That National Affairs Editor

Why would I review a poem, instead of Jack? Because immediately following the Democratic Convention, Jack hectored the transition team with sample poems, bottles of Washington Cabernet Sauvignon bundled with Theo Chocolates, pleas, outright lies, donations, flattery, and schmaltz. . .all in hopes of snagging the poet slot at the inauguration.

Jack knew his chances were slim at best, and if anyone from the transition team went so far as to check his blog, or actually read his work, well, then:::::::::::::pffffft!


He didn't relent until the day in December the team named Elizabeth Alexander as the Inaugural Bard. In short, I am reviewing the poem because it would be sour grapes for Jack Brummet, and besides he is perhaps even more pathetic a reviewer than me.

Alexander chose the form of an
African praise song. "These traditionally celebrate the life of an individual, giving their name, genealogy, totem animal, job, personal attributes, etc." These songs are done in a call-and-response/trading fours style. I've read some cool ones.

To use this old form was a great idea. It could have been a raucous, rhythmic, densely worded, and colorful celebration of America and change. As it turned out, Elizabeth Alexander's inauguration poem was a snoozer.

Walking is a dominant image, and probably the appropriate one, since BHO often talks about the journey, the path, and the road. But to make walking a central concept, walking needs to be more than plodding (for a celebration of walking listen to Guy Clark's recent "Walking Man").

The poem has virtually no wordplay or deep images. It is depressingly prosaic. Alexander ends at least one verse with a preposition (of). The rhythms are flabby. It's like a poem written for people who don't much like poetry, so why bother to change their minds? The almost random, but hopeful and kaleidoscopic view of America is nearly devoid of music. All that said, her heart was in the right place.

Most occasional poems are weak. Why would this be an exception? Alexander has written many a better poem. It had to be a tough writing job, and lord knows how many constraints she was working under! Here's the text. What do you think?
_______________________________________________________


Praise Song for the Day
A Poem for Barack Obama's Presidential Inauguration


by Elizabeth Alexander

Each day we go about our business,
walking past each other, catching each other's
eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.

All about us is noise. All about us is
noise and bramble, thorn and din, each
one of our ancestors on our tongues.

Someone is stitching up a hem, darning
a hole in a uniform, patching a tire,
repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere,
with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum,
with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin.

We encounter each other in words, words
spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed,
words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark
the will of some one and then others, who said
I need to see what's on the other side.

I know there's something better down the road.
We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain: that many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,

picked the cotton and the lettuce, built
brick by brick the glittering edifices
they would then keep clean and work inside of.


Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.

Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?

Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,

praise song for walking forward in that light.
---o0o---

Senator Jay Bulworth raps on Money and Obscenity



From the movie, Bulworth, Senator Jay Bulworth's rap on Money and obscenity:

Obscenity? The rich is getting richer and richer and richer
While the middle class is getting more poor
Making billions and billions and billions of bucks
Well my friend if you weren't already rich at the start
Well that situation just sucks
Cause the richest motherf****r in five of us
Is getting ninety f***in' eight percent of it
And every other motherf****r in the world is left to wonder
Where the f*** we went with it
Obscenity? I'm a Senator
I gotta raise $10,000 a day every day I'm in Washington
I ain't getting it in South Central
I'm gettin it in Beverly Hills
So I'm votin for them in the Senate the way they want me too
And-and-and I'm sending them my bills
But we got babies in South Central dying as young as they do in Peru
We got public schools that are nightmares
We got a Congress that ain't got a clue
We got kids with submachine guns
We got militias throwing bombs
We got Bill just gettin all weepy
We got Newt blaming teenage moms
We got factories closing down
Where the hell did all the good jobs go?
Well, I'll tell you where they went
My contributors make more profits makin, makin, makin,
Hirin' kids in Mexico
And a brother can work in fast food
If he can't invent computer games
But what we used to call America
That's going down the drains
How's a young man gonna meet his financial responsibilities
Workin for motherf****n' Burger King?
He ain't! And please don't even start with that school s**t
There aint no education going on up in that motherfucker
Obscenity? We got a million brothers in prison
I mean, the walls are really rockin'
But you can bet your ass they'd all be out
If they could pay for Johnny Cochran
The constitution is supposed to give them an equal chance
Well, that ain't gonna happen for sure
Ain't it time to take a little from the rich motherf****r
And give a little to the poor?
I mean, those boys over there on the monitor
They want a government smaller and weak
But they be speakin for the richest 20 percent
When they pretend they're defendin' the meek
Now, sh*t, f**k, c***sucker, that's the real obscenity
Black folks livin with every day
Trying to believe a mothe****in' word Democrats and Republicans say
Obscenity? I'm Jay Billington Bulworth And I've come to say
The Democratic party's got some s**t to pay
It's gonna pay it in the ghetto
It's gonna pay it in the ghetto.
---o0o---

Poem:Inauguration Day

1
The fortress wall
Crumbles into the moat

And the King's body
Hangs naked from a flagpole.

2
Cold winds scrub the desolate earth
And we try to get it right one more time.
---o0o---

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Poem: The White Pony




The white pony
Gallops over the hill
As if she has wings,

Like Shadowfax or Pegasus
Racing toward the fire
On the mountain.

---o0o---

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Pablo Fanque: My favorite All This Is That Articles On Ex-President George W. Bush




By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairts Editor

Some of my favorite articles from All This Is That over the last term of the Bush Administration:

George Bush sees ghosts
President Bush finally beats Nixon & becomes the most unpopular ...
Former Press Secretary McClellan says Bush, Cheney, Rove, Libby Lied
Laura Bush puts the mark on George Bush/President Bush rumored to ...
Retired General George Washington Lashes Out At President Bush
Jimmy Carter Reams Bush: Bush Responds Like A Wounded Swamp Sow
President Bush drunk at Camp David
Alien Lore No. 65 - George Bush, Dick Cheney & The Greys
President Bush: "Stop doing this shit!"
President Bush lights up the "c***suckers" in the press
President Bush, remembering images of her tush, makes a move on ...
President Bush, reacting to yesterday's article on All This Is ...
President George Bush 'channels' Adolph Hitler during Iowa speech (includes audio clip)
Presidents Bush and Chirac, and Queen Elizabeth II F*** For Peace!
Priests to Purify Archeological Site After President Bush Visit
Former President George HW Bush excoriates his son's war
Bush and Abramoff captured together in explicit photographs
President Hugo Chávez: Hang President Bush First
Revelation: President Now Suffers Enuresis--More Trouble Every Day
---o0o---

Painting: The Dolphin


click to enlarge
---o0o---

Cancelled! George Bush mosies off into the sunset


click to enlarge
---o0o---

Pardon Me, Mister President? No pardons?


click to enlarge the president

By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairs Editor

President George W. Bush has now taken his "victory lap." made the rounds to speak to various governmental agencies, and given a televised farewell. Just about all that's left for POTUS to do is issue his pardon and immunity list. I just heard that he will hand out virtually no pardons or immunity blankets? Is that even possible? He never has been big on pardons, unlike his Dad (who had a couple of humdingers). He might even have a record for fewest pardons.

Finally, yesterday, he did grant early prison releases to two ex-U.S. Border Patrol agents whose convictions for shooting a Mexican drug dealer ignited a gnarly national debate over illegal immigration.

Bush, caved in to pressure from both sides of the aisle, and commuted the prison sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. The two guards from El Paso, Texas, were each sentenced to more than 10 years for the shooting.

George Bush has given far fewer pardons than most of his predecessors. And yet, many of his former minions, aides, and associates could possibly be prosecuted for their actions. Will the President issue a broad blanket pardon, or cloak of immunity, to many people, or just select a small subset of his loyal henchmen and donors? It looks like neither. Just a couple of border guards. It only took eight years for The ex-President to execute a real class move.
---o0o---

Monday, January 19, 2009

Painting: Dean & Mary star in The Kiss


click to enlarge
---o0o---

Painting: Pink Plane Plummets


click to enlarge
---o0o---

Female talk show hosts talk about breasts! Tyra Banks and Oprah weigh in on store-bought vs. The Real Deal


click to enlarge

I have to ask (why? I know the answer) what would happen if David Letterman, Jay Leno, or Stephen Colbert were in Oprah or Tyra's boots?

"I love that you have real breasts, because in all the breast scenes, your breasts do what real breasts do," Oprah said to Kate Winslett last week. And Kate played along, fondling her chest and making a joke or two about her award-winning girls.

"Thank you so much. You mean that kind of thing? asked Kate, "And this kind of thing? And the moment when they race for sanctuary under your armpits when you lie on your back?"

Months ago, Tyra Banks said much the same thing, although she actually lunged in for a closer personal inspection when she discussed Katherine McPhee's breasts.

click to enlarge Kate and Tyra
---o0o---

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Poem: The Velvet Glove

1.
With every hesitation,
Trouble widens.
The dragon is unleashed.

You won’t begin what needs to begin
Because you’re searching
For a sign.

2.
You move in the troops
And impose order
With a velvet glove.

3.
When the horse
And the wagon part,
Bloody tears will flow.
---o0o---

Images of the Kansas City Public Library

The book walls at the Kansas City Public Library. This is pretty cool. At least a couple of walls feature mostly modern classics, and one seems to include popular and genre fiction.

Click the photos to enlarge...







---o0o---

Poem: Birdwatching




An owl sits in the plum tree
And she doesn't know
I'm glad she's here.

This is as good as it gets
And it gets this good
Every day.
---o0o---

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Poem: Dragons


1.
You may be a bottomless chasm.
But every bucket needs a bottom.

You may be receptive.
But every bucket soon fills up.

2.
The earth's factory setting
Is receptive

She takes on everything we dish out.
So far.

3.
Dragons fight in the meadow
Their blood is black and yellow.
---o0o---

Friday, January 16, 2009

Poem: Surviving



Your salvation lies
In remaining unblinded

To the treachery
Massing around you:

The enemy without,
Calculating your fall

And the traitor within,
Beating in your chest.
---o0o---

The Moondoggies tonight at Neumo in Seattle


click to enlarge

If you live in Seattle, you should try to see this show tonight. There seem to be a lot of great rock bands in Seattle right now---like Fleet Foxes, Spook the Horse, Band of Horses, and the MD's are right near the top. They are playing at Neumo Friday night, and the White Eagle Tavern in Portland tomorrow. Check out their tunes on their MySpace page or just go out and buy their record on your lunch break.

The band: Tishiro mifune on jug,caleb quick,kevin murphy,robert terreberry, carl dahlen, and sometimes jon pon(genepool). Rolling Stone loves 'em, and NPR called them one of the top debuts of 2008. I have been playing their album nonstop for the last couple of weeks.

Their record company--Hardly Art--has a great write-up on their website (see below). See you there tomorrow night, where they will be playing right after The Maldives.

"There is a popular chapter of American mythology that pertains to The Highway. It tells of a two-way ribbon of blacktop running endlessly through our past to our future, linking city to country, offering escape and motion and freedom to travel anywhere the imagination might wander. In this chapter, The Highway is both means and end, metaphor and reality.

"And down that mythical Highway there is a Bar. Inside that Bar is a Stage. On that Stage is a Band. That Band is the Moondoggies.


"The Moondoggies are a four-piece band from Seattle that plays timeless American music. Warm three-part harmonies, gothic Rhodes organ, and wanderlust guitar mark a sound rooted in boogie blues and cosmic country; whip-smart songwriting leads to hook-heavy tunes that bristle with originality. Led by 22-year-old singer/guitarist Kevin Murphy, the Moondoggies are intent on artistic balance. They're a serious band with a silly name. They play music that speaks of travel but is strongly connected to its place of origin. They're young musicians continuing a legacy that goes back generations. Songs that unravel over seven sinuous minutes are somehow catchy and compact.

"Murphy and his band mates—Robert Terreberry on bass, Carl Dahlen on drums, and Caleb Quick on keys—started making music together as teenagers (all but Quick graduated from Cascade High in Everett, a Seattle suburb). The Familiars, their first band, was a noisy, garage-rocking outfit that gained minor notoriety locally, but the boys soon realized their passion lied in vocal harmonies, not power chords.

"Seeking the inspiration of new surroundings, Murphy lit out for Ketchikan, Alaska in the summer of 2005. It was there, in a dusty attic with an acoustic guitar and four-track recorder, that he zeroed in on the Moondoggies' sound. Upon his return to Seattle, the band took up residence at the Blue Moon Tavern, a notorious University District dive that for over 70 years has boozed up a rogue's gallery of writers, poets, artists, student radicals, and other drunks. The Moondoggies and the Blue Moon were made for each other. Before long they accrued a dedicated following drawn to the band's woozy, spirited live shows and a new Northwest phenomenon was born.

"That same spirit shows up on Don't Be A Stranger, the Moondoggies' debut. Shades of gospel, blues, rock, and country commingle; wall-of-sound harmonies radiate joy and passion; songs remain in the mind long after the record ends. The influence of the Band, the Byrds, and especially early Grateful Dead is evident, though the Moondoggies’ lyrical economy and compositional sensibility render these 13 tracks fresh and unique. From the hard-charging garage boogie of "’ol Blackbird" to the mournful, hand-clapped spiritual "Jesus on the Mainline" to the anthemic rock 'n' soul of "Changing" to the rollicking, bar-room singalong "Bogachiel Rain Blues," each of these songs earns a slot in the great American jukebox.

"I don’t think sitting down and playing guitar is an old-time thing," Murphy recently told The Seattle Times. "Our sound is what seems to happen when we sit around and sing and play. It's never going to get old. People will always do that."There will always be a Band that sings the song of The Highway. For us, for now, that band is the Moondoggies."

---o0o---

All This Is That Hero of the Year: Sully! Chesley Sullenberger's amazing qualifications for pulling off a miracle

The Pilot who landed his disabled jet in the Hudson yesterday and then helped get everyone off the plane (even walking up and down the plane twice and looking under every seat) is truly an American Hero. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III is a captain for American Airways with over 40 years of flying experience. But get this. . .of all the people who could have flown that plane, he may have been singular in that he was the best trained of almost any pilot for an emergency. He is a scholar of air disasters, and even has a company that teaches and consults on air safety.

From the SRM web site, read his amazing qualifications:




SRM Founder Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III is a captain for a major U.S. airline with over 40 years of flying experience. A former U.S. Air Force (USAF) fighter pilot, he has served as an instructor and Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) safety chairman, accident investigator and national technical committee member. He has participated in several USAF and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident investigations. His ALPA safety work led to the development of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular.



Working with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists, he coauthored a paper on error inducing contexts in aviation. He was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Crew Resource Management (CRM) course used at his airline and has taught the course to hundreds of his colleagues. Sully is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy (B.S.), Purdue University (M.S.) and the University of Northern Colorado (M.A.). He was a speaker on two panels at the High Reliability Organizations (HRO) 2007 International Conference in Deauville, France May 29-31, 2007. He has just been named a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Prince solos wth Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, etc. on While My Guitar Gently Weeps

This solo is effortless and unbelievable. Prince starts soloing at around 3:30 or so and it is just unbelievable. He blows the doors off the hall and probably sucker punches every other guitarist on stage (and there are plenty). A real mind-F’er of a solo, and in general, a great performance of the tune by the gang, including Harrison's old Wilbury bandmates Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.





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Obama Stumbles, Again, and the F-ups are beginning to accumulate


click BHO to enlarge [painting by Jack Brummet]

By Pablo Fanque,
All This Is That National Affairs Editor

I am as happy as the next person, hopeful, excited, and re-energized,--exhilarated even--over the prospect of our new President. I love the man and what he stands for, but there have been some disturbing snafus lately. . .violence in Pepperland, so to speak.


"I love you, man!"

Not only does Barack Obama suck at choosing ministers (notably the Reverends Wright and Rick Warren), but he has performed a few pratfalls with his cabinet as well. Obviously the upcoming Obama Administration got caught with their pants down on the failed Bill Richardson nomination (which was just a consolation prize for being passed over for SoS in any case), and now it seems as though his nominee for Treasury secretary is in trouble as well. Not deep trouble perhaps (about which, more later), but trouble nonetheless [1].

One question I have for the transition team: did you bother to read and vet any of the 64 page "job applications" you required of all incoming senior staff members? It seems like none of the other prospective Cabinet Members had to undergo anything like the microscopic vetting Senator Clinton endured. Or did you spend all your time on that application and cross your fingers on the rest?

Timothy Geithner had a nanny problem, similar to the one that disqualified Zoe Baird eight years ago, as well as several years of underpaying taxes, some of which were discovered by Obama's vetting team, and some later, by a Senate committee.

Luckily for Geithner, and Barack Obama, he will probably be confirmed sometime in February. Why, you ask? As it turns out--and this comes from people on both sides of the aisle--we have no choice! Geithner is virtually only person in the world who actually understands the whole bailout, and the banks involved, since he is one of its chief architects. He would probably still be confirmed even if someone discovered a terabyte of kiddie porn on his hard drive! As it is he will not be confirmed by opening day--the guy we need more than almost anyone to hit the ground running. Hillary Clinton survived her mild grilling and will be confirmed right around inauguration day. She also has her hands full, but at least she will be able to begin work immediately.



Finally, we must consider the Blagojevich matter. Obama's "campaign's" first statements about his and his aides communication with Blagojevich were feeble at best and misleading, or worse, at worst. We know he was not involved, but they attempted to cover it up in any case. Does this remind you of any previous President?

This really makes me wonder about the wisdom of choosing Rahm Emmanuel as the White House Chief of Staff. At the first whiff of trouble, Rahm immediately raised the power shields around Obama, and began what almost smacked of Nixonian-Haldeman evasions and bobs and weaves. I get that Obama needs a strong CoS. . .but what he most explicitly does not need is a Haldeman style Iron Curtain drawn between the White House and The People to whom Obama promised something entirely different.

[1] Did BHO never read A.E. Housman's Eastern Hymn? Excerpt:

The thoughts of others
Were light and fleeting,
Of lovers meeting
Or luck or fame;

Mine were of trouble
And mine were steady,
So I was ready
When trouble came.



Recent, related articles on All This Is That:


http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com/2009/01/obamas-first-f-upbill-richardson.html

http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-defense-of-ignorancebarack-obama.html

The League of SuperPresidents ® Power Breakfast

Another One Bites The Dust: Demo Governor Blagojevich of Illinois arrested for trying to sell Obama's Senate Seat

BFF: Best Friends Forever? Hillary and Barack start down the road of world affairs

Senator "Crazy" Joe Lieberman lives to see another day

Barack Obama: "Off to a good start" says Republican leader
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Cure Sleepiness Right Away- suitable for long-distance driving, drunk-driving, and night driving


a closeup of a stenciling on the device--click to zoom it up


click to zoom it up


click to zoom it up


Here are two different packages of this fine product. Various people bought these for $1-4 in dollar stores, auto parts stores, and convenience stores. None of the purchases of these units people have written about were for more than $4 dollars. I have yet to stumble on a review of the device. I am not feeling that intrepid on this one...

Could something so cheap actually even have an accelerometer like it seems to claim. . .or do they use mercury like old fashioned light switches to detect the neck snap/head bob as you descend into Wunda Wunda Land?

[Transcribed from the instructions of this curious device]

CURE SLEEPINESS RIGHT AWAY

FUNCTIONS:
To ensure driving safely and to avoid traffic accidents caused by sleepiness

TIME TO USE:
Long-distance driving, drunk driving, and night driving

USED FOR OTHER PURPOSE:
Reading or working late at night


HOW TO USE:
1. Before long-distance driving, drunk driving or night driving, put the "Cure Sleepiness Right Away" on the right ear, or the left ear and at the same time, move the switch to the location of "ON" and the " Cure sleepiness right away" will begin to work. Easy to put on like an hearing Aid.


2. If drivers feel tired or fall asleep while driving, there heads will usually fall forward. The "Cure sleepiness right away" will then produce warning sounds like "BI---BI---"Which will effectively warn or stimulate the drivers and wake them up immediately. After use just switch off ready for the next late night drive home.

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