Friday, May 31, 2013

Drawing: Faces No. 502

By Jack Brummet 


 ---o0o---

Poem: The Islands from eight miles high

By Jack Brummet


Beneath a chiseled frieze of cerulean blue 
Islands recede into the water
To settle on the sea floor

Like an archipelago of Atlantises.
Islands come and go,
Bobbing up and bobbing down

Like lost corks
Drifting the seven seas,
Treading continents,

And the islands and straits.
They crest the waves
Beneath gathering clouds

As flocks of birds
Circumnavigate the globe,

Shuttling from landfall to landfall.         
            ---o0o--- 

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Poem - from the Poetry Generator: The Cloud Endures

By Jack Brummet, and the poetry generator




1
The cloud endures like a red sun.
Winds calmly rise like a dead captain.

2
Love, adventure, and anger.
Work, anger, and death.

3
Laughter, anger and death.
The dusty skyscraper grabs the truck.
                    ---o0o--- 


Poem: Sailing To Naxos, or, The Vortex

By Jack Brummet 


Sailing the poly-blue Aegean
On a hot day in a steamy haze,
Our ship makes a wide looping turn
A few kilometers off
The white house-dappled shore
Of Naxos, parked in the sea
Like a gem in a finding,
The houses and villas
Strung along the shore
And two layers above
Like a three strand pearl necklace
On the stout and broad neck of a Cyclops,
Waiting to leap from the sea,
And use our ship to beat the sea
Into a churning and foaming
Soup of whirlpools and funnels
That suck everything in sight
Into a sapphire blue vortex,
The water cooling each meter,
As it swirls down and cascades
Into Neptune's drain and picks up speed
As it descends into the dark
And lonely bottom of the sea.
              ---o0o---

Drawings: Eighty Faces

By Jack Brummet 



 ---o0o---

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Adolph Hitler tea kettle

By Jack Brummet, Commerce Ed.



The beleaguered JC Penney company withdrew this kettle today. It caused an international uproar after people decided that it looked like Adolph Hitler.  And it kind of does.

 ---o0o---

Standing on the moon

By Jack Brummet 

Here I am, standing on the moon.


 ---o0o---

Drawing: Falling

By Jack Brummet 


 ---o0o---

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Sweatpants Gipper: Ronald Reagan goes casual

By Mona Goldwater, Fashion Ed.


 ---o0o---

President Obama heads back to the Jersey shore

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Ed.

BHO returns to Jersey to relive his FEMA success during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  And maybe pick up some Q ratings from his propinquity to the diminishing Governor.


"For Obama, the tour helps him continue redirecting the political conversation after two weeks of dealing with the fallout over the administration's response to terror attacks last September in Benghazi, Libya, the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department's review of journalist phone records as part of a leak investigation." - CBS News
                                        ---o0o---

Another rough day at The White House

By Jack Brummet 

They're having a lot of them of late.


 ---o0o---

Painting: Beauties On The Beach

By Jack Brummet 

click to enlarge

 ---o0o---

Monday, May 27, 2013

Poem: Chasing Ghosts

By Jack Brummet 




1
The scenery whirls by
In a drunken Gaussian Blur
Until I slow it down
And watch it unravel
In a multi-colored, quadrophonic
Parade of flora and fauna
Spinning Venn Diagrams
Around each other.

2
I quit chasing ghosts,
But once in a while
I look over my shoulder
And find a face in the crowd,
With a sad smile and a halo.
 

     ---o0o---

Poem: Frontier Justice

By Jack Brummet 



1
A roiling thunderstorm clears the air
Like Wyatt Earp's peacekeeper

2
A bad beginning can be overcome
But a good end lasts forever

           ---o0o---

Sasquatch Festival

By Jack Brummet 




I spent Sunday/Monday morning at the Sasquatch Fesitval at the Gorge Amphitheater.  I was especially knocked out by the performances of The Tallest Man On Earth, and particularly by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes.

I also saw The Dropkick Murphys, Elvis Costello (my fifth time) and The Imposters, Mumford & Sons, Danny Brown, and a bunch of other bands on the smaller stages.
 ---o0o---

Saturday, May 25, 2013

The Lord's bus shows up at Seattle's Golden Gardens

By Jack Brummet, Folk Art Ed.

I met these sweet folks at Golden Gardens on Shilshole Bay yesterday.  They were very nice, and did not proselytize in any way.  I think they were letting the bus do the talking.  They did have a donation box for taking photos.  I slipped them a few bucks to shoot some photos, not for their message but their moxie and medium and warm hearts.














 ---o0o---

Friday, May 24, 2013

Painting: The Landing

By Jack Brummet 

[analog painting, scanned and lightning added in PaintShop Pro]


 ---o0o---

Poem: The Painting

By Jack Brummet 




Stuck under a static sky,
The figure you brushed in
Wants off canvas.
He will not be your Man With Blue Banjo anymore.
He wants to be what he will be,
Not sailing a scumbled ocean
Under impasto thunderheads.

He is tired of the dark sun
And wants to lie down and rest.

No news comes from a far country.
The real estate around him —
A confabulation of blue and red stone —
Chills in an un-harbored sea.

The black sun was pushed, fell, or jumped,
To shine back upon itself.

He knows the sun will never set.
He cannot open his mouth to scream.
The oars will never move.

The island of color
Will always be eight inches away
And the boat
Will always be sinking.

The tattered sails hang in the wind.
The next day refuses to begin.
He clutches that blue banjo
As his ship tilts toward heaven.
        
---o0o---

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Painting: Shifting Sands

By Jack Brummet 

click to enlarge

 ---o0o---

President Obama again denies role in White House press orgy

By Pablo Fanque
National Affairs Ed.


Figure 1 — photographic proof The President was involved in the briefing room outrage

The White House yesterday denied, on three separate occasions (ala Saint Peter), that President Obama led a degenerate, Caligula-style orgy in the West Wing press briefing room.  This is Meet The Press taken to the next level.

The story has been widely quoted in social media, including several blogs and websites that appear to believe the story from The Onion, is true. . .these sites, naturally, call for a bloodletting at the Very Highest Levels. 

"Eyewitness accounts confirmed that as the reporters continued ravenously copulating on top of one another, Obama ripped off his shirt, leaned back in a large golden chair, and was attended to by a bevy of 23-year-old political bloggers who eagerly satisfied his every sensual whim." - The Onion, May 22
The Onion, May 22 article quotes BHO: “This is a day of excess! So now, release yourselves from your attire and surrender your body and mind to the pleasures of thevita carnalis, and to the sheer majesty of the human flesh.” 
“Do not resist,” the president continued. “Avail yourself of every journalist and cameraman in this room!”
  ---o0o---

Painting: Tornado

By Jack Brummet 


 ---o0o---

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Milton Berle covers The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine"

By Jack Brummet 




 ---o0o---

ATIT Reheated: Favorite songs of politicians and pundits


Jack Brummet, Social Mores Editor
Mona Goldwater, Style Editor

We recently researched favorite songs of some of our favorite (and many not so favorite) politicians, candidates, and pundits.  We thought this would be a research nightmare...but then figured, naw... remember when someone on an MTV College Town Hall sort of thing asked Bill Clinton whether he wore briefs or boxers; didn't he answer? People must have asked politicians about their favorite songs too...

This was originally inspired by BHO--Jack remembers him telling someone his favorite Dylan song was "I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more," and what a perfect choice that was.



Former President Bill Clinton's Presidential museum has released two volumes of his favorite songs.  Volume 1 contains


Miles Davis, "My Funny Valentine"
Nina Simone, I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free"
John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, "My One and Only Love"
Zoot Sims, "Summertime"
Mahalia Jackson, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord"
Igor Butman, "Nostalgie"
Judy Collins, "Chelsea Morning"
Art Tatum, "There Will Never Be Another You"
Mickey Mangun, "In the Presence of Jehovah"
David Sanborn, "Harlem Nocturne"



Bill's Volume 2 includes songs by: Joan Baez, Elton John, Stan Getz with Charlie Byrd, Carly Simon, Simon and Garfunkel, Sarah McLachlan, Willie Nelson, North Texas Wind Symphony, Van Morrison, John Williams and the President’s Own United States Marine Band,.

Bill O'Reilly gave this list of his five favorite songs to Don Imus.  Jack felt a little strange about one, since it lists at least two of his own favorite songs (Drive My Car, L.A. Woman):


“I Love Music,” by The OJays
“Baby You Can Drive My Car,” by The Beatles
“Just Dance,” by Lady Gaga
“L.A. Woman,” by The Doors
“Kentucky Rain,” by Elvis Presley

Barack Obama: Favorite Bob Dylan song "I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more"



Hilary Clinton: Aretha Franklin "Respect"


Ex Governor (and bassist) Mike Huckabee: Stephanopoulos: "What's your favorite song?  Huckabee: "Oh, don't ask that because then you start getting me into stuff, which artist. It's going to most likely be a Mellencamp or Rolling Stones or Beatles song. Maybe Creedence. But can you tell, it's got to be heavy guitar music in there?"

But then, another time, Huck gave this list of his favorite five songs to Don Imus:

"I Want to Hold Your Hand," by The Beatles
"Start Me Up," by The Rolling Stones
"Purple Haze," by Jimi Hendrix
"Freebird," by Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Restless," by Alabama

Political Grateful Dead fans.  While we don't know their favorite songs, we do know that these folks have at various times happily admitted to the press (or even followed the band on the road) that they are DeadHeads, a/k/a fans of The Grateful Dead. As a fellow-traveller, I bet that this list is woefully incomplete.   We Are Everywhere.

(photo of Jerry Garcia, the last time we saw him in Seagttle, in 1995)


  • Senator Patrick Leahy 
  • Anne Coulter !?
  • Tipper Gore
  • Tucker Carlson (no question on this one...he's had members on his shows). 
  • Soon to be ex-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  She had the surviving members play after her swearing in as Speaker.
  • Majority Leader, Senator Harry Reid:  Quote: "Here, I'll show you the bathroom. This is my prized possession, a signed poster of the Grateful Dead." - from Las Vegas Eyes Witness News
  • Senator Al Franken - Al was and is a huge Grateful Dead fan (who pressured Lorne Michaels, successfully, to get them on SNL), saw literally hundreds of shows, and I think...appeared on stage with them more than once.


Glen Beck:


"You and I," by Ingrid Michaelson
"Haven't Met You Yet," by Michael Buble
"Bad Romance," by Lady Gaga
"Uprising," by Muse
"Exogenesis: Symphony: Part 3 (Redemption)," by Muse

In 2008, Blender.com listed John McCain and Barack Obama's favorites.  Randy Newman commented on some of their choices:  "McCain has a really likable list. Then again, Hitler liked some good music, you know?" 


Senator Barack Obama:
1. "Ready or Not"  by The Fugees
2. "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye
3. "I'm On Fire" by  Bruce Springsteen
4. "Gimme Shelter " by The Rolling Stones
5. "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone
6. "Touch the Sky" by Kanye West
7. "You'd Be So Easy to Love"  by Frank Sinatra
8. "Think" by Aretha Franklin
9. "City of Blinding Lights"  by U2
10. "Yes We Can" by will.i.am

Senator John McCain:


 1. "Dancing Queen" by ABBA
2. "Blue Bayou" Roy Orbison
3. "Take a Chance On Me" by ABBA
4. "If We Make It Through December" by Merle Haggard
5. "As Time Goes By" by Dooley Wilson
6. "Good Vibrations" by  The Beach Boys
7. "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
8. "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Frank Sinatra
9. "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond
10. "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes"  by The Platters



The Reverend Al Sharpton:  "Talking Loud, Saying Nothing," by James Brown. The Reverend called it "James Brown's song about the Republican Party."



Rep. Dennis Kucinich:"Imagine," John Lennon


Ex-Senator John Edwards:  "Small Town," by John Mellencamp.


Ex-Rep. Dick Gephardt: "Born in the USA," By Bruce Springsteen.


Sen. Bob Graham: "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes," by Jimmy Buffett
A whole bunch of favorites from Don Imus (he regularly asks guests their five favorite songs...we got probably a third of this list from the Imus archives):



Ex-Governor Mitt Romney:

"Friends in Low Places," by Garth Brooks
"Crying," by Roy Orbison
"Let it Be," by The Beatles
"Lying Eyes," by The Eagles
"Like a Rolling Stone," by Bob Dylan
"When I Said I Do," by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black


Senator Bob Kerrey:



"Tom Traubert's Blues," by Tom Waits
"I Still Carry You Around," by Steve Earle
"Can't Let Go," by Lucinda Williams
"Romance is a Slow Dance," by Tim O'Brien
"When the Deal Goes Down," by Bob Dylan

Senator John Kerry:


"No Surrender,” by Bruce Springsteen
“Born to Run,” by Bruce Springsteen
“Hey, Jude,” by The Beatles
“Satisfaction,” by The Rolling Stones
Like A Rolling Stone,” by Bob Dylan

Senator John Thune:


"Long Time," by Boston
"Independence Day," by Martina McBride
"Don't Stop Believing," by Journey
"Roll With the Changes," by REO Speedwagon
"Where the Streets Have No Name," by U2

Senator Chris Dodd:


Anything by Roy Orbison
Bobby Darin
Early Beatles Songs
Anything by Patsy Klein
Frank Sinatra
Barbara Streisand

Congressman Ron Paul:




"Universal Soldier," by Donovan
"Alice's Restaurant," by Arlo Gutherie

Congressman Darrell Issa:




"Cats in the Cradle," by Harry Chapin
"Bennie and the Jets," by Elton John
"American Pie," by Don McClain
"Welcome Back," by John B. Sebastian
"Wouldn't It Be Nice," by the Beach Boys
"Take it Easy" or "Hotel California," by the Eagles



Governor David Paterson:

"Beyond The Sea," by Bobby Darin
"Get Up, Stand Up," by Bob Marley
"A Change is Going to Come," by Sam Cooke
"Sister Golden Hair," by America
"Empire State of Mind," by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
---o0o---