Babies and kids in Bucerias

As you probably know, kids are a focal point in Mexico. Far from being seen but not heard, the children are palpably a delight to everyone. And yet they are not spoiled, or rude, or indifferent to strangers. They will talk to you and pose for pictures, and the children from families you know will give you a hug. Here are some of the babies from the 50th birthday party last night. I'll write in detail about the party--and our fun, and strange, evening last night--when I get some time (after I get back from La Playa). In the meantime, I thought the kids and babies would make an interesting sidebar...

Click all photos to enlarge

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Saturday in Bucerias & more photos

First we went to Jorge's for breakfast, and then walked to town to visit the markets. We are having our friends from here Trinidad and Ishmael over for dinner tomorrow night, so we went to town to buy a chicken, chorizo, saffron, valencia rice, etc. for paella. We already have the peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Tomorrow, we'll go in and but camarones and lobster if they have any, and then it will be an afternoon of cooking. I will have to buy a knife, since all the ones in our casa are pathetic; I don't know if I'll be able to find a paellaeria or not--I may just have to use frying pans. We went to the "health food store" where I was able to score a packet of saffron. I also picked up half a kilo of dried hominy, and later a chunk of pork shoulder. So we now have all the fixings for a nice pot of posole tonight. It's amazing how much time we spend marketing for dinners--but we have some incredible meals here (says the chef modestly)...

By sheer coincidence, our friend Trini is turning 50 today, and they are having a gigantic fiesta at her place with live music (I am jonesing to hear a traditional Mexican band with accordion, guitar, and horns, and am crossing my fingers, but I suspect it will be the more usual brass band), food, and cerveza y vino (of course!). The last time we were here, they had a party for us with all their friends and relatives, and they spent all day making fresh tortillas and grilled beef and salsa fresca.

Finally, a couple more photos:




Click to enlarge - Dave tries on a sombrero at a serape and
sombrero stand. I have never seen a Mexican wear either
a serape or a sombrero. . .but I suspect they may wear them
further out, in the boondocks. Mainly I only see sombreros
on 12 year olds on the plane at Puerto Vallarta....


Sunset on la playa - click to enlarge


Juack buying patatas at the fruiteria - click to enlarge
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More photographs from Bucerias

click to enlarge - buying fruit and vegetables for dinner


You don't need to apply for a handicapped permit--just cook
on up with your paint set! - click to enlarge



Casa Linda from La Playa side -- this is the house we stayed in two times
before on earlier visits. Click to enlarge.

A Bucerias baby - click to enlarge

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The Last Weekly Tracking Polls & The Prospect Of A McCain/Clinton Matchup and Love Fest

Pals

The latest weekly tracking polls (from 1/20/08 by Rasmussen Reports) show Senators Clinton and McCain in the Dems lead, and McCain and Romney heading up the G.O.P. heading into the southern primaries and on to Super Tuesday.

G.O.P.

9% Giuliani
19% Huckabee
11% Thompson (oops...he's outta there and his supports are swinging to McCain)
19% Romney
23% McCain

Dems

39% Clinton
31% Obama
16% Edwards
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If Hillary Clinton and John McCain are nominated, this could be the most civilized election ever, at least according to Bill Clinton.

According to CNN, former president Bill Clinton "brushed aside suggestions his wife would prove to be a divisive nominee for the Democratic Party, pointing out how she has successfully worked with Republicans in the Senate," including Senator McCain.

"She and John McCain are very close," Clinton said. "They always laugh that if they wound up being the nominees of their party, it would be the most civilized election in American history, and they're afraid they'd put the voters to sleep because they like and respect each other."

At an ABC debate in January, the two were seen chit-chatting. A Clinton side said "she told the Arizona senator he’d done a “good job” staging a comeback in New Hampshire. He asked that she say hello to Bill Clinton for him."
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Attorney General John Edwards

I have never even considered this prospect. . .but it is a tantalizing one. John Edwards would be an incredible ass-kicking attorney general. In my booklet, he'd be way up there. . .with the likes of Ramsey Clark, and Bobby Kennedy. He would be pro-labor, and pro La Raza, and a genuine force to be reckoned with who would not shy away from the tough fights.

According to Robert Novak: "Illinois Democrats close to Sen. Barack Obama are quietly passing the word that John Edwards will be named attorney general in an Obama administration. Installation at the Justice Department of multimillionaire trial lawyer Edwards would please not only the union leaders supporting him for president but organized labor in general. The unions relish the prospect of an unequivocal labor partisan as the nation's top legal officer. In public debates, Obama and Edwards often seem to bond together in alliance against front-running Sen. Hillary Clinton."
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The Fiesta of our Lady of La Paz in Bucerias, Nayarit, Mexico

It's so great to be back here, and not just for the weather (84 degrees today) or the food, but for the spirit of the people. With a fiesta going on in town, you get to see hundreds of locals having fun. And one thing that has always touched me about the people here are their sweet dispositions and their obvious love of family and friends. In the four times I've been here, I've yet to hear a cross word, or see anyone angry. They take life as it comes. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live here as an Ex-pat...one of those overtanned, coupon clipping 50-60-70 year old honkies you see on the margins and meet once in a while on the street returning from the markets.
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Mexico Travelling Partners

I arrive at the beach late (after having to do some work!)


Dave Hokit tries on a pink Puerto Vallarta hat, which the vendor refused to sell him because it was pink!


Maureen Roberts at Cocina de Jorges


Keelin emerges from the Pacific (81 degrees in the water today)

I joined Maureen, Dave, and Keelin one day into the vacation after a work thing in Los Angeles. They were glad to see me arrive, since I am in charge of both comic relief and cooking. I've been here 30 hours and have already cooked two dinners.

It is an incredible callback to be here again with all of them, since we have been here together on vacation twice before. This really isn't supposed to work, but we have taken at least ten vacations together (the Olympic Peninsula 2x, Methow Valley 3x, McCall Idaho, Lopez Island 2x, Orcas Island, and Salt Spring Island) since we met in 1986. This is the first one without our six children. And while we do miss The Youth, we're getting by somehow.
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Back in Bucerias

La Cocina de Jorges --click to enlarge. Jorges runs our favorite breakfast place, an open air restaurant with great eggs, fresh orange juice, tacos, etc. When we first came to Bucerias, it was Cocina de Linda. But Jorge took over in about 1999. He now talks to us in English even though we prefer Spanish. A great local spot where you rarely ever see gringos.

Click to enlarge - A taco stand at the fiesta, this one specializing in tacos made from the heads of cows (or Beeves as Shakespeare

would have said): lengua=tongue (I have had some excellent tongue tacos); labio=lips; carnaza=tidbits (which I assume means

the tasty bits of the headthat are sometimes used to make things like headcheese and scrapple; sesos=brains.

I flew into Bucerias from L.A. (and got bumped to first class) this morning, to meet Keelin and our friends Dave and Maureen. We are staying in a different house than our previous three visits, and as often happens, there is a fiesta in town. As also often happens it is a fiesta dedicated to the Virgin Mary in one of her forms (this one I think being our Lady of La Paz).

The town is full of Mexican tourists and people from nearby villages and towns. There are dozens of food booths, the usual, rickety travelling amusement rides, souvenir booths, hot dog stands, and many taco stands, agua freesca booths, and fruit stands. Different than previous fiestas we have witnessed are about ten drink stands purveying tequila and rum (ron) drinks. Obviously not all are dedicated to Mechicanos...check out some of the names of drinks apparently aimed at the honky/gringo/gabacho audience. Since I'm fried, I'll just add a few pictures and tell you more tomorrow.

The heartbreakingly simple Catholic Church in Bucerias (it's always open). You might not scoff at religion if you walked in on Sunday and saw the place filled with true believers. Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge - You'd think we were in Puerto Vallarta with the retarded drink names like Adios Motherfu**er and Orgasmo, and Sex On La Playa. This is our fourth trip here, but the first time we've seen the locals get into serious drinking. But in moderation, of course. . .I have never seen anyone drunk here, except American tourists. But you have to admit Adios MF is a pretty good name for a drink. I was tempted!

Click to enlarge - The town square or Zocolo. They also have a bandstand in the middle of the square, and during the festival, there are many (we saw at least ten or fifteen) traditional Mexican brass bands--with trumpets, trombones, tubas, and I even saw a French Horn, along with a couple of drummers. In the town square there were at least three playing simultaneously at all times.

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Vaginas 'R Us::::life on the road in between airplanes::::::::heading for the beach in Mexico

click to enlarge

It's ten-thirty. I guess this is the start of my travelogue of Mexico.

Just up the street is a king-sized readerboard advertising Vaginas Are Us. Live Sex! It is apparently not a very popular sign with the local merchants. a controversial sign: click here to find out more. On the other hand, hey! merchants!, I still patronized your Circle K and Denny's, despite being traumatized by the sign. That's quite a motto anyhow.. . .

Vaginas are us. They're like God's second greatest invention, right behind the sun.

Tomorrow I join Keelin, Dave Hokit and Maureen Roberts in the little beach town where we've vacationed together twice before (we went sans Hokits in 2003). It's a sleepy town, and you mostly just walk, go to the beach, swim, and cook. One of my favorite part of our trips there is doing the cooking and shopping from all the Little markets (I have to be writing about this because I just had a salad from Denny's). There are fantastic briny red snapper and shrimp, unbelievable mangos and pineapple, shockingly fresh eggs and still warm corn tortillas, bunches of gleaming onions and radishes, tomatoes better than Maranzanos, bundles of mint and cilantro, massive piles of sweet Mexican limes, the chicken you meet in the morning, and pick up at noon, plucked, dressed and ready for the fire, the marinated slices of flavorful beef that you toss on a wood fire for a few minutes....this is food porn, isn't it? Like I sad, blame Denny's, sleep deprivation and aviophobia.

I just arrived in Los Angeles, to a sprawling, not quite ramshackle Travelodge anchored around a Denny's . Last night, I went to bed at 3:00 and the alarm went off 4:45. I was on the plane by 6:20, and tomorrow, it's one more plane at 8 and I'll be in Puerto Vallarta by noon, and catch a bus or cab to Bucerias). I am feeling hale for sleeping not even two hours (but I did catch at least a half hour booster nap on the plane to OC). More tomorrow, from Mexico.

The house we're staying in the next week:

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Freddie's Dead! Ex-Sen. Thompson throws in the towel

Ex-Senator Fred Thompson pulled the plug on his moribund campaign today. Only last night, we guessed that, based on the absence of recent Jeri Kehn photographs on their website.



According to the Associated Press: "Thompson did not say whether he would endorse any of his former rivals. He was one of a handful of members of Congress who supported Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2000 in his unsuccessful race against George W. Bush for the party nomination."

I am sure Fred will now enjoy a lucrative career as a highly-paid consultant. And here is the last Jeri Kehn photo compendium:

Where is Jeri Kehn Thompson? A dearth of photos plagues the internet. . .

Jeri Kehn Thompson On The Road/All This Is That's Comprehensive Jeri Kehn Coverage Continues With New Photos

Even Jeri Kehn can't resuscitate her husband's wheezing, tubercular campaign (but it's fun to watch while she tries)

This week's photographic update on Jeri Kehn Thompson

Photomontage: Jeri Kehn pressing the flesh (includes one photo of her husband) and links to Jeri Kehn photo motherlode

Latest Jeri Kehn sightings and photographs

Two more Jeri Kehn Thompson Photos

Latest Jeri Kehn sightings and photographs

Jeri Kehn Thompson photo update No. 12--eleven new Jeri Kehn photographs

Two more Jeri Kehn Thompson Photos

A Jeri Kehn Thompson cameo appearance in a Fred Thompson campaign video, four new Jeri Kehn photographs, and a Mrs. Fred Thompson photo roundup

Three additional photos of Mrs. Fred Thompson a/k/a Jeri Kehn

Meet the Thompson Twins: Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn (with photos)

One More Jeri Kehn Thompson photo

Jeri Kehn Photos, Part 3: Three more photos of Mrs. Fred Thompson

More Jeri Kehn photos--> A follow-up to "Meet the Thompson Twins: Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn (with photos)

Not Jeri Kehn: people who are not Mrs. Fred Thompson, yet who often turn up in search engine searches on "Jeri Kehn"

Three new Jeri Kehn photos; links to Jeri photos; and Fred Thompson describes the beauty of having a hot first lady;New photographs of Jeri Kehn Thompson on the campaign trail (and a couple of her husband Fred too)
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Where is Jeri Kehn Thompson? A dearth of photos plagues the internet. . .

Ex-Senator Thompson's website has, in the last few weeks, neglected to post any photos of bright and scrumptious Ms. Jeri Kehn. Have they decided against sending her back out on the hustings? Has she virtually thrown in the towel (not likely since she was one of the campaign's main strategists)? Clearly, the moribund campaign is on its last legs.

Have they elected to keep her under wraps since any appearance she makes juxtaposes her winsome MILF-ness against Fred's lumpy and sagging visage? Or is it just to thwart the ongoing Jeri Kehn photo series on All This Is That? We may know more soon. Certainly, the ex-Senator seems likely to throw in the towel, at the latest, by February 5th. Unless he comes to his senses and names Ms. Kehn as his running mate...





If you're jonesing for a Jeri Kehn photo fix, you don't have to paw through Fred Thompson's web site. . .because we;'ve done the mining for you. Check out these Jeri Kehn photo links from the last few months on All This Is That:

Jeri Kehn Thompson On The Road/All This Is That's Comprehensive Jeri Kehn Coverage Continues With New Photos
Even Jeri Kehn can't resuscitate her husband's wheezing, tubercular campaign (but it's fun to watch while she tries)
This week's photographic update on Jeri Kehn ThompsonPhotomontage: Jeri Kehn pressing the flesh (includes one photo of her husband) and links to Jeri Kehn photo motherlode
Latest Jeri Kehn sightings and photographs
Two more Jeri Kehn Thompson Photos
Latest Jeri Kehn sightings and photographs
Jeri Kehn Thompson photo update No. 12--eleven new Jeri Kehn photographs
Two more Jeri Kehn Thompson Photos
A Jeri Kehn Thompson cameo appearance in a Fred Thompson campaign video, four new Jeri Kehn photographs, and a Mrs. Fred Thompson photo roundup
Three additional photos of Mrs. Fred Thompson a/k/a Jeri Kehn
Meet the Thompson Twins: Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn (with photos)
One More Jeri Kehn Thompson photo
Jeri Kehn Photos, Part 3: Three more photos of Mrs. Fred Thompson
More Jeri Kehn photos--> A follow-up to "Meet the Thompson Twins: Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn (with photos)
Not Jeri Kehn: people who are not Mrs. Fred Thompson, yet who often turn up in search engine searches on "Jeri Kehn"Three new Jeri Kehn photos; links to Jeri photos; and Fred Thompson describes the beauty of having a hot first lady;
New photographs of Jeri Kehn Thompson on the campaign trail (and a couple of her husband Fred too)
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Rudy Giuliani's campaign is on life-support. . .even in New York::::::can the end of the line be far away?

The Mayor of 9/11 in one of his favorite gowns

From today's Reuters.com: "Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is trailing in the race for the Republican presidential nomination even on his home turf of New York state, a new poll showed on Monday.

"The WNBC/Marist poll ahead of the February 5 primaries in New York showed 34 percent of registered Republicans support John McCain, compared to 23 percent for Giuliani. Among Republicans likely to vote, McCain kept his 34 percent support, while Giuliani was tied in second place with Mitt Romney at 19 percent."

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Video: President Bush Screws The Country (probably not SFW)

From Mojoflix.com, comes this video re-enactment of what gets The President excited. There is no information about the creator or actors in the video.

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"He's being mean!":::::Obama Hits the Ex-Prez Over 'Troubling' Attacks

Sen. Barack Obama says he's ready to confront former President Bill Clinton, calling his advocacy on behalf of his wife's presidential campaign, "troubling."

Jump here to read more about Barack's snipes at President Clinton.
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My Crib: an aerial view of Jack's place

click to enlarge

This is an aerial view of my house in Seattle. To the left, is Puget Sound, an arm of the Pacific Ocean, connecting to the Pacific about 75 miles north, and also connecting with the Strait of Georgia, leading up to Canada, and even further on the inland waterway to Alaska. Puget Sound is technically a fjord system of flooded glacial valleys, linked to the ocean by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a narrow channel whose name is often joked about. My house is a short walk down the hill to the sound, and Golden Gardens, a Seattle park directly left (west) of our house. You can see hundreds of boat slips along the coast at the marina there. The body of water to the east (right) is Green Lake. At the far right side, you can see the ribbon of Interstate 5. To the bottom (south) of the photo, you see what looks like a river. This is the Ballard Locks that connects with the Montlake cut/Ship Canal and connects Puget Sound to Lake Union, Salmon Bay, Portage Bay, and Lake Washington.

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The Home Stretch: The Last Year of The Bush Fiasco Begins Today

The inaugural parade/motorcade passes by the Presidential
reviewing stand


One year from today, at high noon, President Bush and Sub-President Cheney's terms in office will expire as Chief Justice Roberts swears in the new President.

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

This oath must not count for a lot; I can think of numerous specific violations of the oath by President Bush. But all that aside, it really is a time to celebrate the last year of Good King George's Reign of (T)Error. The glass is rising! Selah.



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Painting: The Voters

...click the voters to enlarge...

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An index of rock shows discussed on All This Is That

Favorite Rock And Jazz Shows (1966-Last Weekend) (Part I, discusses, along with Part 2, every rock show I remember seeing)

More Shows I've Seen Over The Years (Part II)

Skanking with The English Beat at Antone's in Austin, Texas

Zappa Plays Zappa at Paramount Northwest

Bumbershoot 2007, a late write-up

The Save Town Lake benefit: Elana James, Bob Schneider, Dale Watson, Stephen Bruton, Jimmy LaFave, and Kinky Friedman

The Willie Nelson Picnic; July 4, 2007 (with the Old 97's, Willie Nelson, Drive By Truckers, and Son Volt)

The Elvis Costello Benefit—Seattle Does Elvis For David Egger's 826 Seattle

Paul Revere And The Raiders - northwest rock pioneers (with video goodness)

Up With. . .Down With People

Music in Austin, Texas this week

Crosby Stills Nash & Young at the White River Amphitheatre July 27th

Rock show of the year (so far):::::::Elvis Costello & The Impostors with Allen Toussaint

The Posies Rock Bumbershoot

The Surprise At The Divorce Crocodile CD Release Party

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She Loves You video by the Beatles in Manchester, England, 1963

From a performance in Manchester in 1963 comes this video clip of The Beatles performing "She Loves You" in 1963. This was one of the early songs that sucked me into the vortex. I got to see them live finally, in 1966 at the ripe old age of 13 (tickets: $4). The first couple of times they came, we couldn't afford a ticket. When I did get to see them, it was their next to last show, ever. Go here to read about that...



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Of course he does! Dr. Samuel Wood, the first person to clone himself, has a porn mustache

Dr. Samuel Wood


The Daily Mail is reporting on an ethical firestorm over cloning that broke out after a Dr. Samuel Wood revealed he had cloned himself by combining his skin cells with five eggs taken from a woman. These embryos are the first to be made from cells taken from adult humans.

Although the clones survived only five days, some believe they demonstrate the viability of human cloning. "Critics fear the technology could be exploited by mavericks to clone babies and accused the scientists of reducing the miracle of human life to a factory of spare parts."

Several years ago, the stem cell research company Stemagen used the same technique used to create Dolly the sheep...the first cloned mammal.


Dolly had no mustache
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Painting: The First Grey Landing Craft

click to enlarge

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Del Brummet's latest songs: Planet of Ice and Golden Nights

del brummet four years ago

Del Brummet under his nom de plume Isla Nubars, has posted his latest songs, The Planet of Ice and Golden Nights. Click here to here to listen. Planet of Ice is my favorite Brummet song since Evolution (which you can find in the same place). Del took music lessons from Milo Petersen for a long time but never made much progress. Milo--a longtime Seattle jazz stalwart, and my friend since I was two years old--was an amazingly inspirational and patient teacher. But it just never clicked. . .until a couple years later. All of a sudden it all clicked and Del began seriously woodshedding. He taught himself chords, and song structure, and started writing songs. It is always stunning what youth can do and learn with music and languages. Do I sound like a proud poppa? Well, I am.

I feel a little guilty for having been an influence in Del's upbringing. . .and the fact a few of his songs focus on aliens, religion, and other twisted obsessions of mine. But he has clearly taken what he needed from the father, and left the rest (callback from The Band: "you take what you need and leave the rest").

Guitars, percussion, vocals, and vocal overdubs by Delaney Curran Brummet.

Lyrics (and chords) to Planet of Ice:

C-Em-F-G

D
A 0 2 3
E 3
Crash-landed on a planet of ice.
We made a mistake, so we’ll pay the price.
Odds are that we are here to stay.
So we might as well make the best of each day.
[Chorus]
Am-G-E-D (AM)
WE ARE STRANDED AND WE KNOW IT!
BUT WE WILL NEVER SHOW IT!
THOUGH OUR TEMPERATURES ARE LOW, OUR MORALE IS HIGH!
WHY NOT BE REALLY HAPPY AS WE DIE?
Today we discovered a cave nearby.
We danced around and then stepped inside.
A monster lived there, his fur so long.
That he let us curl up with him while he sang a song.
[Song]
Am-G-E-D
LA LA LA LA LA LA L LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
With our homes far away and our space ship dead.
We sang and lived on this planet instead.
The monster taught us how to sing his song.
We taught the monster how to belong.
[Chorus]

[Here lead guitar comes in]
[Repeat chords for verse]
[song]

Lyrics to Golden Nights:

THE ISLA NUBLARS
ABDUCTED!
GOLDEN NIGHTS
Capo down 6
AM-C-(G-D-C-G)2
IiIIiIIIiIii Want to sail away in the sky, want to live in golden nights.

[Awesome]
Bb C D
Nooo frights no wooories
Bb C D
Noo plights no hurries
F Em
On a planet where light
Em A
is always shining

G-D-C-G)2
[Pre-Chorus] I want to sail away in to the sky, [Chorus] I want to live in golden nights.

Hills of old filled with memories untold, would green upon my coming there.
Apple trees would daily provide, all the while it warm out side. BECAUSE [Chorus]

AM-C-(G-D-C-G)
And iiii Would live a lie, if the price was forever golden skies. Id blast away to a place that never dies.
[Awesome] [Chorus]

I could live without the religions of the world; they shouldn't be the reason for your good
And to all the people who live life through their windshield, drop your keys, and pick up a guitar. BECAUSE I WANT TO LIVE WITH ALL OF YOU IN THE STARS!

[Awesome] [Chorus]
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Back in Austin, Texas

It is crisp and rainy in Austin tonight. I've probably been here ten times and this is the first time it hasn't been balmy. The tapwater is actually cooler than lukewarm. And the town is quiet. Usually, all the outdoor bars are filled and at The Austin Motel, I can hear music booming from The Continental Club, and Guero's.

We went to Ruby's BBQ for dinner and then walked a few blocks to the Hole In The Wall (another favorite...one of the oldest bars in Austin, who have had many legendary performances on their modest stage. It is a hole, and it is great! Clyde & Clem's Whiskey Business a sort of alt-country jugband affair played.

Now, at 12:30 AM, I am watching a replay of the Democratic debate. It's kind of nice to see the three real contenders go head to head... Tomorrow it is a day of business, then fly back to Seattle where I will arrive before midnight.
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Alien Lore No. 122 - Dozens of people (even some sane ones) report seeing UFOs over Texas

The Associateed Press reported on Monday that dozens of people in Stephenville, Texas reported seeing UFOs. In fact, dozens of people in Texas over the last few weeks have reported seeing UFOs over their towns. If I am lucky, maybe they'll do a fly-by while I am down here in Austin...

Several dozen people — including a pilot, county constable and business owners — insist they have seen a large silent object with bright lights flying low and fast. Some reported seeing fighter jets chasing it.

Federal officials, as usual, have said there is a logical explanation (don't they always: whether it weather balloons, experimental aircraft, swamp gas, etc.), but the locals say it was no airplane. locals swear that it was larger, quieter, faster and lower to the ground than an airplane.
"Machinist Ricky Sorrells said friends made fun of him when he told them he saw a flat, metallic object hovering about 300 feet over a pasture behind his Dublin home. But he decided to come forward after reading similar accounts in the Stephenville Empire-Tribune. "

"You hear about big bass or big buck in the area, but this is a different deal," Sorrells said. "It feels good to hear that other people saw something, because that means I'm not crazy."

Sorrells saw te UFO more than once. He also said it was very large and without seams, nuts or bolts.

The Naval Air Station in Fort Worth said none of their planes were in the area on January 8th--the night the majority of sightings occurred, A spokesman said said the UFO "may have been an illusion caused by two commercial airplanes." He went on, saying "With the sun's angle, it can play tricks on you."

About 200 UFO sightings are reported each month, according to the Mutual UFO Network in Seattle.
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Michigan, Nevada, and South Carolina: The Candidates scramble

click to enlarge the presidents


I am happy to see the race become a race again. Most of us wrote off McCain last summer and he's back! Romney came on strong for a while. Then Huck emerged from the shadows (was he, with his sidekick Chuck Norris, and his sometimes amazing performances on The Colbert Report just a flash...a mime, a momentary blip. Soon enough, Senators Biden and Dodd dropped out. And then, Obama gave Senator Clinton a serious ass-whuppin in Iowa, McCain surged in New Hampshire, and Clinton came back and bloodied Obama's nose. Edwards just can't seem to make any headway, but if you're a solid third, you get to live another day. The one-time front-runner Giuliani seriously needs a win (and things have to be grim around the home office with senior staff was placed on payroll hiatus). I always expected Giuliani would do something a little crazy, but instead he has just faded away. There is only so long you can milk being the Mayor of 9/11. Fred Thompson, on the surface is just the kind of folksy guy (remember, I said surface) that could mount a surge from the base, from Larry Lunchbucket, and even, I once thought, from Independents and disaffected Democrats. He jumped into the race, mystifyingly late, with a skeletal organization, and ended up an also-ran. [ed. note: that also means no more Jeri Kehn roundups on All This Is That, 'though we're overdue for one].

It feels like the race has narrowed to Huckabee, McCain, and Romney on the G.O.P. side, and Obama , Clinton, and Edwards for the Dems.

We have one race tomorrow, and two others very soon (Nevada comes down on Saturday). The Republican candidates hope to milk the frustration in the struggling and dejected blue-collar state of Michigan. The Dems (the front runners anyhow) have decided to quit playing the race card, since it appears to be losing votes for both Barack and Hillary.


click to enlarge

New national polls show Senator John McCain leading the Republicans after his startling comeback in last week's New Hampshire primary. And let's face it: Mitt Romney is fighting to save his campaign in Michigan, where he was born, and where his father was governor. Losing Michigan will be about six more nails in the coffin.

Senator Clinton seems to still be on top of the Dems nationally, leading Senator Obama 42 to 27 percent, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll (which seems so wrong!). However, another survey by ABC News and The Washington Post shows a far tighter margin...42 to 37 percent, just barely outside the range of the statistical margin of error.

A national poll shows McCain with a national lead of 33 percent to 18 percent over Ex-Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucus contest. Michigan is a close race between the Huck, McCain, and Romney, with Romney having a slight edge right now.
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The best live rock albums (with a few jazz titles thrown in)

The Concert for Bangladesh - George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Bob Dylan, et al.
The Woodstock Soundtrack - Various Artists
Live: From Here to Eternity - The Clash
Everybody's In Show Biz - The Kinks
Live At Leeds - The Who
Europe '72 - The Grateful Dead
MTV Unplugged in New York - Nirvana
Four Way Street - Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
Miles of Aisles - Joni Mitchell
Time Fades Away - Neil Young
Weld - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Royal Albert Hall - London May 2-3-5-6 2005 - Cream
The Allman Brothers at Fillmore East - The Allman Brothers
Band of Gypsies - Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Miles
Live at the BBC - The Beatles
Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live - Alison Krauss & Union Station
Roxy and Elsewhere - Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention
Made In Japan - Deep Purple
Unplugged In New York - Nirvana
The Royal Albert Hall Concert - Bob Dylan
At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash
Live Dead - Grateful Dead
The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life - Frank Zappa
Rockin' The Fillmore - Humble Pie
Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads
Rock of Ages - The Band
The Last Waltz - The Band (and a lot of friends)

Some of my favorite live jazz albums:

Sunday at the Village Vanguard - Bill Evans
The Koln Concert - Keith Jarrett
Mingus at Antibes - Charles Mingus
Live at Carnegie Hall - John Coltrane & Thelonius Monk
Live-Evil - Miles Davis
Live in Seattle - John Coltrane
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