Show: The Posies At The Triple Door In Seattle

We saw The Posies Friday night at The Triple door, at the late show. It was an acoustic show. As far as Posies shows go, it was one of my least favorites. Ken was getting sick, and they just didn't seem to have a lot of energy. The song list had a few gems, but it felt like they'd played their favorites at the first show. And then Ken insisted on slamming the U.S. (citizens, not President), as a French expatriate. Ken, that's cool on your blog, but remember you were in Seattle...home of the WTO riot, two female senators and a governor, and a rock-solid blue state. Let's face it: unlike your adopted homeland, Seattle has remained solidly in the blue column. one of the most liberal towns in the country. But Ken's anti-U.S. tirade aside, it is always better to see The Posies than not see The Posies.

Here are a couple of pretty dark videos on YouTube from the show.







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Poem: Higher Ground

Either the ocean is rising
Or we're all sinking

And it probably doesn't matter
Which is which).

If you grew up on the West Coast,
You remember the evacuation signs

Directing you to safe ground
When the tsunami arrives.

Now this whole world
Is moving on to higher ground

And the tide shows no sign
Of ebbing.

Did God make a mistake
With plate tectonics,

And forget the refrigeration
Under the ice caps,

Or is He just keeping
Us on our toes?

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Disobey Your President For Disobeying The Rules

click to enlarge
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How I became Jack Brummet

I was working for a magazine in Seattle called Construction Data. On my first day on the job, McGoo walked up to me and said

"I have your new business cards."

He handed me a box of the cards.

“Jack Brummet. Circulation marketing and feature article writer? Jack?," I asked.

“I like that, yeah. Jack. John is a pussy name. Jack’s the name of a man's man. These are constuction guys. Do you want to sell magazines, or be be some fop named John?”

I became Jack. And I still am.
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CNN: Bush Resigns

The CNN Today program, just after midnight Eastern time, led with a graphic 'Bush Resigns.' Of course, they meant 'Blair Resigns.' Even though the graphic was on screen 12 seconds, the screen grab is now all over the internet...
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My five favorite Elvis Costello albums

My five favorite Elvis Costello albums in ranked order:

1. Get Happy!
2. Armed Forces

3. Imperial Bedroom

4. This Year's Model

5. Brutal Youth

Trust, and My Aim Is True almost made the cut. Elvis Costello is absolutely one of the most versatile and creative stars of rock. His voice got better with age! His album and shows last year with American music master composer (Yes, We Can Can; Fortune Teller; Working In A Coal Mine) Alan Touissant were heartbreakingly great! I'm ready for another show!

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Aviophobia Update

You may have read here that I suffer from Aviophobia (A confession: How I slipped through the NSA metal detectors. . .with some heavy metal!; Fear Of Flying, Fear of Dying; Poem: Falling; Poem: Notes On Flying; One More Reason Why I Am Scared Sh**less To Fly: Video Of Fixing A Jet's Wing With Duct Tape; Airline passenger restrictions, hip replacements, and why the Executive Branch goes unmolested, while I am scanned, probed, poked and patted down; Poem: The Icarus Factor).

Despite these fears, I now relentlessly fly all over the country. I just returned from a four flight trip up and down the West Coast (with a couple more flights on the horizon next week). Believe it or not, the flight on which I felt least anxious was on a turbo-prop (a Q 200) that brought me home to Seattle from Eugene. You'd think a propeller whirling ten feet from your head would cause someone like me a case of extreme jitters. Maybe it was taking four flights in three days that numbed me. Maybe I am now in such a constant state of alarm that the actual getting on the plane part is no longer even noticeably anxiety-triggering. I just don't know. There is something sweet and old school about flying these turbo-props. Thirty passengers, every seat is an aisle or window seat, free drinks, friendly cabin attendants, and the beauty of getting on and off the plane right on the tarmac. The plane clears out in two minutes, and your bags are right next to the plane. The plane gets in the air almost instantly and climbs fast compared to a lumbering 747. Even in this loud, vibration-heavy plane I am no longer a total basket case.

Now that I have several flights always booked, I at least no longer suffer a two week long build-up of anxiety, or a near catatonic shutdown on the actual day of the flight. The one thing I can't tell is if I am healing myself or if I have become utterly numb, and my brain has just shut down most of that aviophobic input. Whatever the case, it is easier to fly. I think. I am building up my frequent flyer mileage at an amazing rate! And what do you get with frequent flyer miles? More flights!

I should mention that on every single flight I take, my bags are scrutinized, and sometimes unpacked, and I am gone over with the wand, and then "patted down." My prosthetic hip sets off metal detectors. So on this week's trip, I was frisked four times. Unlike a lot of my fellow passengers, I am pretty sanguine about the pat-downs. Many other people become quite surly during this procedure. I don't know if I am being a nice guy about it, or, again, am I now numb?
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White House nude intern scandal―VP Cheney may be implicated

The beleagured White House was rocked once again by scandal this afternoon, following publication of photographs of a group of semi-nude White House pages. The thirteen interns pictured volunteer at The White House, serving as runners, tour guides, and clerical aides to various White House staffers. Another photograph, not released, but in wide circulation on various internet sites, is alleged to be roughly the same pose, with Vice-President Cheney in the center, extending his hands to cover one breast on each of the women at his side.

White House spin doctors claimed the photographs were spurious, and probably Photoshop® composites. Dr. John Newton of the Digital Forensics Laboratory, Inc., however, said he had examined the photos of the Vice-President and pronounced them "the real McCoy." "As much as I dislike saying this," Dr. Newton told a reporter from All This Is That, "that is indeed Mr. Cheney, and these images have not been tampered with or digitally altered."

"It particularly pains me," Newton said, "because I voted for these guys. I don't know how far this will go, but it could make the Lewinsky scandal look like a minor indiscretion."

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George Lucas calls Spiderman 3 "silly"

According to Fox News: George Lucas described Spiderman 3: "It's silly. It's a silly movie," he said. "There just isn't much there. Once you take it all apart, there's not much story, is there?" Lucas then described how he would be making a couple more Star Wars movies, with characters others than the Skywalker family.

I'm not a particular fan of the series, but I saw the last couple (which are considered among the first couple...huh?), and they were silly. He should have let it rest, but it looks like he's determined to run what's left of his franchise right into the ground. . .
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An American Hero: Jeff Spiccoli?

click Spiccoli to enlarge

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Politically incorrect t-shirt

I don't know exactly what this t-shirt is driving at, but I did find it amusing.

Hey, I didn't create it...it just fell my way. I am guessing it means, "let's get stupid"/"let's roast one"/"let's get baked." Why the wheelchair? Why no apostrophe in "lets?" Beats me...

jack in Eugene, Oregon

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A great photo of Brian Wilson from the 80s

click to enlarge

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