Senator Fred Thompson (and strong potential Republican Presidential candidate) put out this video in response to Michael Moore's call for a debate. Fred Thompson must have McCain and Giuliani quaking in their brogans. If I were to pick right now (I guess I am), this race will come down to Thompson v. Romney. While directly attacking Moore, but dodging his invite to debate, Thompson comes across as the sort of blunt speaking no-nonsense guy Republicans love. This, along with some other recent statements and actions, convince me that Thompson could conceivably whip McCain and Giuliani.
Sister Bluebird flying high above, Shine your wings forward to the sun. Hide the myst'ries of life on your way. Though you've seen them, please don't say a word. What you don't know, I have never heard.
Starship Trooper, go sailing on by, Catch my soul, catch the very light. Hide the moment from my eager eye. Though you've seen them, please don't tell a soul. What you can't see, can't be very whole.
Speak to me of summer, long winters longer than time can remember, The setting up of other roads, to travel on in old accustomed ways. I still remember the talks by the water, the proud sons and daughter that, Knew the knowledge of the land, that spoke to me in sweet accustomed ways.
Mother life, hold firmly on to me. Catch my knowledge higher than the day. Lose as much as only you can show. Though you've seen them, please don't say a word. What I don't know, I have never shared.
II. Disillusion Squire
Loneliness is a pow'r that we possess to give or take away forever. All I know can be shown by your acceptance of the facts there shown before you. Take what I say in a diff'rent way and it's easy to say that this is all confusion. As I see a new day in me, I can also show it you and you may follow.
Speak to me of summer, long winters longer than time can remember, The setting up of other roads, to travel on in old accustomed ways. I still remember the talks by the water, the proud sons and daughter that, Knew the knowledge of the land, spoke to me in sweet accustomed ways.
The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority and used it to mold the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University. He was 73. He was a hater, bigot, racist, and sexist cloaked in the habliments of The Church.
I don't want to say you read it here first, but you did. We first talked about this four months ago.
The only mystery about Rudy Giuliani's candidacy for President is when he will jump the shark. Anyone who has closely followed his career knows that he will soon enough, on camera or tape, completely loose his cool and incinerate his Presidential aspirations.
My friends Pete and Kev from NYC may disagree with this assessment, although anyone who has followed Rudy knows this. People seem to in general give Rudy a flyer on most of his transgressions because he "made the trains run on time." But a gentrified Times Square, a crackdown on crime, and (relatively) clean streets, do not mean that their progenitor should necessarily be the guy with his finger on The Button.
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.
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?”
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... ---o0o---
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!
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? ---o0o---
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."