A new banner for all this is that?

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Young Fresh Fellows Videos: Still There's Hope-Picture Book-Barkley's Spiritual Store

One of the beloved Seattle bands (1980s-now). Young Fresh Fellows is lead by Scott McCaughey (McCoy), who is also a member of Minus 5 with Peter Buck, Ken Stringfellow, et al). He is also (like Stringdfellow) in the REM touring group). I have seen them play before, at the Horiuchi Mural, in the 90s.









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Sparrow unloads its bowels on President Bush during Rose Garden press conference

Even the birds have begun flinging ca-ca The President's way. During Thursday's Rose Garden press conference, a passing sparrow made an editorial comment on George W. Bush's performance in office. The LiveLeak video appears below. . .

Poem: Late Spring

The wind has taken the blossoms
And the fruit is set.
The roots that clutch,

Hanging onto the globe
And the branches reaching out,
Rising to the nimbostratus clouds

Are lodged in the troposphere.
In between earthbound roots
And limbs reaching for the stars

Are us, and our cousins
Clad in fin, fur, flesh and feather.
We must be in heaven

And if we're not
We're growing one
Right here, right now.
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Video trailer for Michael Moore's upcoming "Sicko"

It's a good trailer, done in Moore's usual style, with great music, humor, and underlying horror.



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Photograph: A division of Keith Miyaharas

click the photograph to enlarge
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Go Johnnie Go!--> John Edwards Repudiates The War On Terror

Democratic candidate John Edwards yesterday savagely repudiated the "global war on terror," saying it was an ideological doctrine advanced by the Bush administration that has strained American military resources and given heart to the actual terrorists. You can read the full Associated Press story here.

In a defense policy speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, Edwards called the war on terror a "bumper sticker" slogan Bush had used to justify everything from abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison to the invasion of Iraq.

Whew! I always find the new John Edwards intriguing. . .especially when he actually says out loud what a lot of people are thinking.

I am sure former Mayor Giuliani (a/k/a the 9/11 candidate) will have some choice words to say about this prouncement. Because, let's face it, without that war on terror, the Giuliani campaign is dead in the water.

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The Posies: Solar Sister Video

A live, acoustic version of Solar Sister. They look so young. . .they look about 20. I also include a 1994 Phoenix live Solar Sister with the full band. The Posies were in their hair band mode.





The Posies' misfire (e.g., not becoming rich and famous) is one of the great puzzlers of rock for me. They put out a passel of exciting, melodic, moving, harmonic power pop albums:

Failure (1988) [a wonderful, chiming, exuberant, youthful album]

Dear 23 (1990) [ a college hit: beautiful, rapidly maturing]

Frosting On The Beater (1993) [their near-hit that got a lot of MTV and college airplay, with many of their greatest tunes]

Amazing Disgrace (1996) [Probably their greatest. A stunning record, and the greatest mystery of all...why this didn't soar to the top of the charts]

Success (1998) [possibly my least favorite album, 'though it is not without merit either]

In Case You Didn't Feel Like Plugging In (2000) [a wonderful and charming live album: great tunes and banter, and The Posies at the height of their power]

Alive Before The Iceberg (2000) [a middling live album, maybe my least listen to Posies CD]

Last, At Least (Box Set) (2000) [rarities etc. for fans. If you love The Posies, you'll love this.]

Dream All Day(Best Of The Posies) (2000) [as with all Best ofs, puzzling for the omissions]

Nice Cheekbones And A PhD(2001) [A knockout EP with two heartbreakingly great songs: Ken's Matinee, and their gorgeous cover of David Crosby/The Byrd's Lady Friend. When The Posies played my birthday party in 2003, the only song I even requested was Matinee. They kncked it out 0f the park.]

Every Kind Of Light (2005) [the revival album...totally respectable, with several songs as good as anything they ever did. Of course, it stiffed].

And then, there is their great work with Big Star:

Columbia - Live At Missouri University 4/25/93 (1993)
Big Star Story (2003)
Big Star In Space (2005)
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Democratic Governor Bill Richardson Tosses His Hat Into The Ring--Possibly The Best Qualified Candidate Of Either Party

Click the mosaic Governor Richardson to enlarge...

Governor Bill Richardson today made it official: he is running for the Presidency. With Richardson's Mexican heritage, his entry into the race makes it the most diverse slate of candidates, ever. And it adds a little gravitas to the race. Richardson is probably the best-qualified (but close to the most obscure) candidate running. Not only that, he's actually one of the good guys. He served as a U.S. Representative for fourteen years; he worked as an effective diplomat and negotiator (where he in fact helped free hostages in several countries); he was a Secretary of Energy in Bill Clinton's administration. I've always liked Richardsdon. . .I am still leaning toward the far less experienced John Edwards. However, if Bill Richardson can muster some momentum, he would be a great president.

Announcing his candidacy in Los Angeles, The Governor said "From day one, we have to repair the damage done here at home and our reputation abroad," he observed. "And that all starts with restoring diplomacy as the primary instrument of our foreign policy and basic fairness as the primary means for solving problems here at home."
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It's Only Tuesday, Sure, But Your Job Could Be Worse--> Five Photographs Of Jobs That Suck

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Jimmy Carter Reams Bush: Bush Responds Like A Wounded Swamp Sow

AP article verifies that President Jimmy Carter said President Bush's administration is "the worst in history" in international relations, singling out the White House's pre-emptive war, and the Administration's feeble

The criticism from the 39th President also dug into Bush's environmental policies, and the "quite disturbing" faith-based initiative funding.

"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history," Carter told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in a story on Saturday. "The overt reversal of America's basic values as expressed by previous administrations, including those of George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon and others, has been the most disturbing to me."

Carter spokeswoman Deanna Congileo confirmed his comments to The Associated Press on Saturday and declined to elaborate. He spoke while promoting his new audiobook series, "Sunday Mornings in Plains," a collection of weekly Bible lessons from his hometown of Plains, Ga.

The White House on Sunday dismissed Carter as "increasingly irrelevant."

White House spokesman Tony Fratto in Crawford, Texas, where Bush spent the weekend, said: "I think it's sad that President Carter's reckless personal criticism is out there," said Fratto. "I think it's unfortunate. "

"Apparently, Sunday mornings in Plains for former President Carter includes hurling reckless accusations at your fellow man," said Amber Wilkerson, Republican National Committee spokeswoman.

On Monday, the former President seemed to back off somewhat from his previous statements:

An AP dispatch Monday included the following: "Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday his remarks were "careless or misinterpreted" when he said the Bush administration has been the "worst in history" for its impact around the world. "

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Video: Crosby, Stills & Nash cover The Beatles Blackbird

At about 2:24 in this video, Crosby, Stills, and Nash perform a version of the Lennon/McCartney classic Blackbird from The White Album. It is harmonically completely different from the original, and an altogether fascinating cover. Blackbird was never one of my favorite Beatles song, but this cover made me re-think that.



Blackbird
by John Lennon/Paul McCartney

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
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