Head of Skate: The Disney Sarah Palin movie

Thanks to Tony Ravo for this excellent link! Click here to watch Head of Skate.
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Stalemate: John McCain rushes back to Washington in a flurry of activity only to witness (and possible create) a stalemate

After all the huffing and puffing about John McCain charging in to rescue the economy. . .nothing happened today. . .pfffffft! They may try to blame the Democratic Party, but in the end, it seems to be the Republicans that queered the deal. . .at least for now.

As late as Tuesday, Senator John McCain hadn't even read the administration's plan! WTF! Hey, we understand. . .it's only been a week or so, and after all, the plan the administration submitted was 2 1/2 pages long! The Senator is a busy man.
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Video: Crosby Stills and Nash at Woodstock '69 perform Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (with lyrics)

CSN perform the great song by Stephen Stills, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (aka Judy Collins) at Woodstock in 1969. It was one of their very first public appearances, and as Stephen Stills said "We're scared shitless."




Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
by Stephen Stills, performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young At Woodstock, 1969.

It's getting to the point
Where I'm no fun any more
I am sorry
Sometimes it hurts
So badly I must cry out loud
I am lonely

{Refrain}
I am yours
You are mine
You are what you are
You make it hard

Remember what we've said, and done
And felt about each other
Oh, babe, have mercy
Don't let the past remind us
Of what we are not now
I am not dreaming

{Refrain}

Tearing yourself
Away from me now, you are free
And I am crying
This does not mean
I don't love you, I do, that's forever
Yes, and for always

{Refrain}

Something inside
Is telling me that I've got your secret
Are you still listening?
Fear is the lock
And laughter the key to your heart
And I love you

{Refrain}
And you make it hard
And you make it hard
And you make it hard

Friday evening
Sunday in the afternoon
What have you got to lose
Tuesday morning
Please be gone, I'm tired of you
What have you got to lose

Can I tell it like it is Catch me I'm falling
Listen to me baby
It's my heart that's suffering Catch me I'm dying
It's dyin' and that's what I have to lose

I've got an answer
I'm going to fly away
What have I got to lose?
Will you come see me
Thursdays and Saturdays
What have you got to lose

Chestnut brown canary
Ruby throated sparrow
Sing a song, don't be long
Thrill me to the marrow

Voices of the angels
Ring around the moonlight
Asking me, said she so free
How can you catch the sparrow

Lacy lilting lady
Losing love lamenting
Change my life, make it right
Be my lady

Do do do do do, do do do do do do
Do do do do do, do do do do
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McCain Weasels: "I can't debate. It feels like my head is on fire."

"What Are You Going To Do If You're Elected
And Things Get Tough? Suspend Being President?" [1]


By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairs Editor

In a stunningly desperate move, Senator John McCain "suspended" his campaign for President. He also said he was cancelling or postponing the debate scheduled for Friday night.

With his lead long since obliterated, the Palin bounce now a momentary flash in the pan, and the backlash following his calling the economy "strong" only last week, McCain threw a desperate Hail Mary Wednesday afternoon. The announcement was mocked by the Democrats and seemed to puzzle the Republicans. One Republican congressman, who refuses to be named, told me "I just about s**t my pants! He must have gone off his meds."

McCain's surprise announcement that he was suspending his presidential campaign was met by a statement from Barack Obama saying it's ``more important than ever'' for the candidates to tell voters how they would deal with the crisis." They can work with Congress while campaigning, Obama said.

"It is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once,'' Obama said.

The move by McCain is "desperate,'' said Linda Fowler, a government professor at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. "He has been trying to change the conversation every time the press and public starts paying attention to the issues."

Presidential Campaigns have not been suspended before, even during the Civil War, the Depression, World War II, and the Vietnam War. "McCain's move should be judged too clever by half,'' said Stephen Hess, a scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

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[1] Some other choice remarks David Letterman made Wednesday:

"In the middle of the taping Dave got word that McCain was, in fact just down the street being interviewed by Katie Couric. Dave even cut over to the live video of the interview, and said, "Hey Senator, can I give you a ride home?"

Earlier in the show, Dave kept saying, "You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right. This isn't the way a tested hero behaves." And he joked: "I think someone's putting something in his metamucil."

"He can't run the campaign because the economy is cratering? Fine, put in your second string quarterback, Sarah Palin. Where is she?"

"What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"
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VP nominee Sarah Palin defends John McCain "the deregulator" (with bonus Palin painting)

In an interview today between Katy Couric of CBS News and Governor Sarah Palin, Couric probed Palin on Senator John McCain's credentials as an economic reformer:

Couric: You've said, quote, "John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business." Other than supporting stricter regulations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac two years ago, can you give us any more example of his leading the charge for more oversight?

Palin: I think that the example that you just cited, with his warnings two years ago about Fannie and Freddie - that, that's paramount. That's more than a heck of a lot of other senators and representatives did for us.

Couric: But he's been in Congress for 26 years. He's been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation, not more.

Palin: He's also known as the maverick though, taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. Trying to get people to understand what he's been talking about - the need to reform government.

Couric: But can you give me any other concrete examples? Because I know you've said Barack Obama is a lot of talk and no action. Can you give me any other examples in his 26 years of John McCain truly taking a stand on this?

Palin: I can give you examples of things that John McCain has done, that has shown his foresight, his pragmatism, and his leadership abilities. And that is what America needs today.

Couric: I'm just going to ask you one more time - not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation.

Palin: I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you.

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*sigh* It was just one of those days

Sometimes, I wish I could break through the Chinese Wall I've erected between this blog and what I do for a living. I've been a good boy for nearly four years now. Why should I suddenly shake that up?

Some days, it's not worth the energy it takes to chew the leather straps, as a wise man once said. And there is always tomorrow.
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Behind the scenes: a John McCain thought bubble.

Click to enlarge...and for intelligibilty

Behind the scenes: a John McCain thought bubble. I don't usually like the snarky caption-photograph school of humor, but when I saw this photo of John McCain and his running mate Governor Palin, I had no choice but to do one. /jack
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Sleepy Jackson, their jangled history, and need for a Human Resources Department

I really like this band, whom I recently, and belatedly, discovered. They have had one incredibly wide, revolving door over the years and have funneled more members through this band than Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention (well, not quite!). This article in Wikipedia details the amusing churn of Sleepy Jackson's membership over their career (the lineup sometimes changed mid-tour!). This is maybe the first band I know that could have useda Human Resources Department.

The Sleepy Jackson formed in 1998 with the original lineup featuring Luke Steele (guitars/vocals), Jesse Steele (drums), and Matthew O’Connor (bass). This lineup recorded a self-titled debut and a subsequent single titled "Miniskirt". Both recordings were independently released. In 2000, as a result of non-musical commitments, Luke Steele suggested that his brother should redirect his attentions and concentrate on other happenings in his life which ultimately resulted in Jesse following his advice and departing the band.

The void created by Steele's departure was filled by Paul Keenan (who later drummed with Eskimo Joe at their live performances). Along with numerous shows in their hometown of Perth, in late 2000, The Sleepy Jackson toured nationally with Jebediah. In March 2001, on the eve of the band’s signing with EMI Records, the band toured with Magic Dirt and Motor Ace with Ronan Charles on keyboards joining Steele, O'Connor and Keenan. Five weeks into the tour, with the band broke, exhausted, and sleeping in caravan parks rather than enjoying the luxuries their touring partners were enjoying, O'Connor, Keenan and Charles quit leaving Steele to complete the tour solo.

In signing to EMI, pressure was soon placed on Steele to produce a recording. The result was a 2001 released EP titled Caffeine In The Morning Sun which Steele recorded in Sydney with a collection of session musicians. In addition to playing solo, Steele recruited drummer Malcolm Clark into The Sleepy Jackson fold and, when some serious touring was required in support of the release, the services of Justin Burford (Guitar) and Rodney Aravena (Bass) were enlisted. In addition to The Sleepy Jackson, Steele's three colleagues were also playing around their hometown with Jonathon Dudman under the name End Of Fashion.

The Sleepy Jackson relocated to Sydney where they recorded another EP, Let Your Love Be Love. Songs from this and past releases were put together to form a self titled mini album for release on the UK market. A period of extensive touring quickly followed which saw the band playing in Australia, The United States, and Europe. The later bought the band some very enthusiastic attention from UK music paper NME. In between live appearances, The Sleepy Jackson worked on recordings that were to become their debut album Lovers. During a series of UK appearances in 2003, Burford and Aravena left the band. With a support slot for Silverchair's Diorama tour looming back in Australia, replacements were quickly sought. Clarke ironically called upon the only other End of Fashion member not previously part of The Sleepy Jackson, Jonathon Dudman.

Dudman joined the band in Sydney where he took over bass duties and the second guitarist position was filled by session musician Ben Nightingale. The Sleepy Jackson's revolving door continued when Nightingale was ultimately replaced by Jonathon Dudman's brother, Julian Dudman. But the Dudmans consequently left the band leaving Luke Steele and Malcolm Clark as the only official members of The Sleepy Jackson.

The Sleepy Jackson released their second full length album Personality - One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird in Australia on July 1, 2006 where it debuted at No. 10 on the ARIA Albums Charts the following week. With its predecessor Lovers receiving generous support from both critics and radio alike, the band supported the new album's worldwide release with a series of live appearances in select markets. Joining Clark and Steele are Dave Symes and Felix Bloxsom, who both worked on the album, and Lee Jones who was formerly in Perth band Spencer Tracy.

The album was released in the United Kingdom on July 26th and in the United States on July 27th. In July 2006 the album was nominated for a J Award by Australian Radio Station, Triple J.

In 2007 The Sleepy Jackson performed at the 2007 Big Day Out, Southbound, Falls Festival and the St Jerome's Laneway festivals in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Luke Steele appeared on the Pnau single "With You Forever", leading Nick Littlemore to state on Pnau's website "...working with Luke Steele... it was amazing, that inspired us to work on a separate project with him all together. It's another album we're doing."

The line-up: Current Band Members

Luke Steele (Guitar, Vocals) 1998–present
Malcolm Clark (Drums, Backing Vocals) 2001–present
Lee Jones (Guitar, Keys, Backing Vocals) 2006–present
Dave Symes (Bass, Backing Vocals) 2006–present
Felix Bloxsom (Percussion, Acoustic Guitar, Synth) 2006–present
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Revisionist history: Bill Clinton says Hillary didn't want the Veep job

On The View, Bill Clinton says Hillary Clinton did not want to be Barack Obama's VP. Bill also discusses John McCain's support for diplomatic relations with Vietnam during his second term as president. Clinton claims he supports Obama, but goes onto effusively praise "Crazy" John McCain...


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Another list: Blues-men and women

This is a list of my favorite blues performers in no particular order. Disclosure: I lean pretty heavily toward the solo finger-pickin' style of blues, and not so much toward, say, Bonnie Raitt or even the Chicago school of the blues. Right now, however, I am deep into listening to Muddy Waters' 3-CD Chess Box Set.


Skip James
Leadbelly (aka Huddie Ledbetter)
John Mayall
Peg Leg Sam (aka Arthur Jackson)
Mississippi John Hurt
Taj Mahal
Bessie Smith
Koko Taylor
Jimmy Ray Vaughn
Etta James
Henry "Rufe" Johnson
Jesse Fuller
Willie Dixon
Buddy Guy
Paul Butterfield
Ray Charles
Bo Diddley
Billie Holiday
Elmore James
Ray Charles
Jimmy Reed
Son Seals
Big Joe Turner
Jimmy Witherspoon

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Brummet Island

Brummet Island is a island in Carroll County, New Hampshire at Latitude: 43.58833Longitude: 71.1425. It is a lake island. I would like to move their and stake my clain.

George Bush's Sewer Treatment Plant

According to the Associated Press, a measure seeking to honor George's Bush's years in office by placing his name on a San Francisco sewage plant has qualified for the November ballot.


The referendum was certified Thursday and will rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.


Supporters say the plan is to commemorate the mess they claim Bush left behind in Iraq. What better facility to honor the President, who has been steadily emitting crap from the White House for the last 7 10/12 years?
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