Bob Dylan - New Morning Lyrics

I recently reacquainted myself with Bob Dylan's New Morning album. It has been totally underrated. Although the subject matter is deeply personal, he sings and plays with a subtle looseness that it is refreshing. Clearly this is predecessor to one of his greatest albums of all time: Blood On The Tracks. In this album, the wheels were coming off his marriage. In Blood, it was all over; only the taste of ashes remains. Blood on the tracks was an amazingly realized album of rage and anguish. New Morning still has moments of sunshine and optimism. The looseness of his voice, the music, and the lyrics were a breather-- the calm before the storm:

New Morning

Can't you hear that rooster crowin'?
Rabbit runnin' down across the road
Underneath the bridge where the water flowed through
So happy just to see you smile
Underneath the sky of blue
On this new morning, new morning
On this new morning with you.

Can't you hear that motor turnin'?
Automobile comin' into style
Comin' down the road for a country mile or two
So happy just to see you smile
Underneath the sky of blue
On this new morning, new morning
On this new morning with you.

The night passed away so quickly
It always does when you're with me.
Can't you feel that sun a-shinin'?
Ground hog runnin' by the country stream
This must be the day that all of my dreams come true
So happy just to be alive
Underneath the sky of blue
On this new morning, new morning
On this new morning with you.

So happy just to be alive
Underneath the sky of blue
On this new morning, new morning
On this new morning with you.
---o0o---

Poem: The Late Excavation (Text And Audio)

This poem is also a test of the audio blog feature. Audio blogs are pretty cool, but have some limitations. . .you phone in the audio, so you've got the phone to deal with, and then the MP3 sounds heavily compressed. You call a number, log in, and start dictating, and it appears on your blog a second later. Hey, I'm not complaining; it's free!

/jack

Millenia from his fall,
An Athenian Youth is resurrected.
The broken limbs, severed head and torso
Are carefully pieced back together.

In 1897, a hand is uncovered, tagged
And logged onto the archaelogical map.

In 1946, an Americaniki, PhD.,
Pegs the hand to the vacant wrist.
An amputee no more, the Youth waves
To the crowd filing by his plinth.

In 2005, near where the hand turned up,
Two dusty graduate students
Sift the earth for shards and chips of marble.

A tourist may have carried the pieces away
More than a century ago, but they dig
In search of the missing parts:
Three toes, his index finger, penis and nose.
---o0o---

A Decline In Constipation?

The use of savage here is not perjorative. . .a common earlier meaning of savage was "undomesticated," although we use the word now almost exclusively as "brutal" or "barbaric."

It seems, in the early 21st century that we no longer have the same national obsession with our bowels as we did earlier, in the 20th century. Are we all now, as the saying goes, "regular?"
--o0o---

The Prophet Yahweh Dethroned. Right Here, Right Now.

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An anonymous (so far) Prophet has come forward to demonstrate his or her even greater powers. This Prophet seems to have taken on the mission of protecting the earth from Prophet Yahweh, the Pied Piper of UFOs. Come forward, Prophet, that we might pay you our respect!

"But I am a greater prophet! I have sensed Prophet Yahweh's call to the UFOs. The ether has vibrated to the point of almost snapping, but with my power I have healed the rift. Now I must put Prophet Yahweh back in his place.

"Therefore, let it be known, and my word is certain and will not return void, that on the dates specified, I will be the counterforce to Prophet Yahweh. I will prevent the UFOs from coming at that time.Watch the skies during those times. You will surely see who is the greatest prophet. Me!! This is not a joke. On my word I tell you, the UFOs will not appear!"

Anonymous, at 5/28/2005 08:02:45 AM

Dear Anonymous: We MUST promulgate the message of your greater powers!! What better show of ultimate force than to nullify Prophet Yahweh's commands. Come forward Anonymous so that we may unveil you to a world raptly awaiting Prophet Yahweh's publicity stunt. Could this have any repercussions to Prophet Yahweh's being? Like his wig? I mean, will there be any energy backwash? We wouldn't want The Prophet's head to explode. At least not yet. /jack
By Jack Brummet, at 5/28/2005 01:19:35 PM

Majority In Poll Say They'd Likely Vote For Senator Clinton

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For the first time, a majority of Americans say they are likely to vote for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton if she runs for president in 2008, according to a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday.
---o0o---

President Bush's Propaganda

"...third time I've said that. [Laughter.] I'll probably say it three more times. See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda. [Applause.]

[re: his Social Security reforms] from a speech by POTUS on May 25, 2005 at the Greece Athena Middle and High School, Greece, New York.

Prophet Yahweh Says: "Spaceships Will Appear Over Las Vegas On My Signal"

All This Is That is now on the Prophet Yahweh's news media alert list. Prophet is giving the news media free access to the broadcasts area of his website where they can view his UFO videos, so we'll be able to watch the spaceships coming and going! Woohoo.

MEDIA ALERT:

For only 45 days, starting June 1st until July 15, 2005, Prophet Yahweh, Seer of Yahweh, will be calling down UFOs and spaceships for the news media to film and photograph. During this time, a spaceship will descend, on Prophet's signal, and sit in the skies over Las Vegas, Nevada for almost two days.

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) May 25, 2005 -- Prophet Yahweh was blessed to discover the lost, ancient art of summoning UFOs and spaceships on-demand. There is a difference between UFOs and spaceships. UFOs are usually small flying objects: glowing orbs, metallic spheres, satellite-type flying machines, etc. And, their flight patterns suggest that they are not of this world. But, spaceships are large futuristic vehicles that are clearly designed to carry passengers in like you see in the movies.

Since 1979, more than 1,500 UFOs and/or spaceships have appeared on Prophet Yahweh's signal before witnesses or at unawares. During this time, he was performing his summons privately with only those close to him as witnesses. But, starting June 1st until July 15th (45 days) Prophet is going public by opening up to the news media. He will demonstrate his ability to call down UFOs and spaceships, on-demand, for them to film and photograph. Prophet is in direct telephatic contact with his space being friends. They have revealed that they will send UFOs as soon as Prophet starts asking for them to appear. Also, before the 45 day summoning period has ended, a spaceship will descend and sit in the skies over Las Vegas on Prophet's signal. The spaceship will hover in the sky, not far from Nellis Air Force base, for almost two days. All Las Vegans will be able to see it, day and night, before it goes back up into space.

Some news media representatives won’t be able to come to Las Vegas to film the sightings. But, they would be interested in doing a story on Prophet’s ability to summon them. Others would like to see videos of the UFOs, first, to determine if they are real, before coming. Because of this, Prophet is giving the news media free access to the broadcasts area of his website where they can view his UFO videos.

Also, since some news media will not be able to come to Las Vegas, Prophet is willing to travel to any city to call down UFOs for them to document.If your company would like to film or photograph UFOs and/or spaceships that appear on Prophet’s cue, email your request to him. Afterwards, he will communicate with you concerning it and email you the login information you need to access the UFO videos in the Broadcast Area of his website.

For information: http://www.prophetyahweh.com or Phone: 1-800-314-4847, 702-966-0303 Contact: Prophet Yahweh, Seer of Yahweh/Ufologist POB 271551 Las Vegas, Nevada.

An All This Is That Health Tip

Square Dance At Valley Elementary!

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Valley Elementary held two or three square dances a year and they were the coolest thing in town, but the Lettuce Festival, Puyallup Fair (for which we got half a day off school), Kris Kringle Days, and Hydroplane Races were all right up there.

A semi-pro called the steps over a record player or Wollensak tape recorder. Kent was a natural for square dancing; the town was still full of Okies, Clodhoppers, Tarheels, Hayseeds, Rednecks, Yokels, and Hillbillies: my people.

One of the vocals sounded like Tommy Duncan singing, but I haven't heard the tune in 40 years. Its lyrics are seared into my brain:

Now you all join hands as you circle the ring
Stop where you are, give your partner a swing.

Now swing that girl behind you.
Swing your own, if you have time to.

Allemande left with the sweet corner maid.
Do-si-do your own.

They we'll all promenade with the sweet corner maid
Singing Oh Johnny Oh Johnny Oh.

Girls wore floofy dresses and boys wore button down shirts with cords or jeans. The adults wore bolo ties and gingham dresses. A couple bales of hay and some other countrified accoutrements were scattered around the gym, along with "refreshments" of soda pop, doughnuts and maple bars.

You got to dance with girls without the potential psychic trauma of actually asking one to dance. They arranged us in a group of partners that changed frequently. However, even those chaste touches and do si dos scrambled our brains with thoughts of girls! The fleeting moments allemanding left, whirling skirts, and whiffs of dime-store perfume all fueled our overheated pre- and mid-pubescent psyches.

I remember square dancing in 3rd and 4th grades, but not so much the 5th and 6th. I do remember seeing The Beatles that year on The Ed Sullivan Show show. I don't know if The Beatles killed square dancing, but after their arrival, square dancing just wasn't the same.
---o0o---

Photograph: Split Personalities

slightly digitally altered photograph, 2004

Poem: Jack Kerouac, Meet John Barleycorn

Jack comes down with The Willies,
Dreaming of the western terrain,
From moss-humped cedar branches

To the stilled hacking of crows
And rainchecked dove's cooroo.
The falling sunlight tangles

In the shadows of Oregon grape and salal,
Jack prays for a sober tomorrow
And the forest snores like an earthworm.
---o0o---

Celebrate!! - Cloture Stands Unaltered - Hurrah For The American Way!!

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They've come to their senses--mostly the Republicans, but also the Democrats and their need to concede some ground. And they did. I've been wondering what would happen if Republicans altered the cloture rule (limiting the abilty to filibuster). Would it lead to a revolt against the GOP?...landslide losses? The destruction of the Republican party? The destruction of the Democratic party (like we weren't making pretty good progress self-destructing on our own)?

It looks like two old warhorses, Senators Byrd and Warner put this deal together.

The Republicans know their turn in the cold is coming. They may be mean, but they're not stupid. I want them to have the filibuster; it's so sacred we even let Republicans use it!

Without this tool, The Senate would be no different than the factionalized, reactionary, pork-doling House of Representatives, running for office every eighteen months and raising money every day.

So the Senate remains the coolest political institutional around (not discounting many lapses and moments of insanity, particularly with the Republicans majority).

Here is part of a wire service article from today. Click on the title of this article to link to the full news story.

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a dramatic reach across party lines, Senate centrists sealed a compromise Monday night that cleared the way for confirmation of many of President Bush's stalled judicial nominees, left others in limbo and preserved venerable filibuster rules. "We have reached an agreement to try to avert a crisis in the United States Senate and pull the institution back from a precipice," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., adding the deal was based on "trust, respect and mutual desire to .... protect the rights of the minority.

"We have lifted ourselves above politics," agreed Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W. Va., "And we have signed this document....in the interest of freedom of speech, freedom of debate and freedom to dissent in the United States Senate.

Under the terms, Democrats agreed to allow final confirmation votes for Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor, appeals court nominees they have long blocked. There is "no commitment to vote for or against" the filibuster against two other conservatives named to the appeals court, Henry Saad and William Myers.

---o0o---