Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Saturday, February 23, 2008

First Contact

I just made contact with an official Oba-Maniac.
Don't worry about me, though. I'll be just fine.
The chief and I were just out for a bit of lunch. The corner of this restaurant was set up as a tactical base complete with a hopeful young man of about 20 wearing a bright blue Obama '08 t-shirt, his laptop computer (sporting Obama stickers), a blonde/preppy haircut, intellectual-looking spectacles, 2-days' stubble, and campaign literature to spare. He was speaking to several of the equally hopeful clientelle. While we could not hear the conversation, the chief and were in agreement that it must have been full of "Hope" and "Inspiration". I very much wanted to speak to this beacon of change, but didn't know quite what to say. Besides, he was very busy entertaining the crowd and distributing signs.

On his last trip back from the backseat of his car with more signs and literature I saw my chance. As he came through the door I said, "I would like to congratulate you. You guys are running a hell of a campaign and I think you're gonna win". He thanked me and replied that he thought they would too then asked, "so you're planning to vote in this election?"

I said, "Yes. I'm going to vote for Hillary, and then in November I will probably vote for McCain. Even though it has become a bad word in this campaign, I am voting for experience." I wanted him to know that, in spite of their rhetoric, they do not have the market on thoughtful, conscientious, informed, and hopeful voters. He responded that this was understandable and that it was nice to speak to me anyway.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

God bless you, Mr. Rickman...


I bow to you, sir. Having been born in the year of our lord, 1946 you rank amongst the greatest our age has to offer; David Gilmour (obviously of Pink Floyd fame), former President Bill Clinton, and last (but not least) my own father. Yes, you are of the baby-boom generation and you (as well as your forebears) represent the turning point of our present time. Born of "the greatest generation" you came to your own in the birth/growth of television, as well as Western Democracy.

I would be an illiterate fool if I did not acknowledge that I first came to recognize your talents while I was a 14-year-old (who was not allowed to watch rated "R" movies) watching "Die Hard" at the house of a friend who was laid up in a cast and pins holding his 8th grade bones together. A student of Catholic Schools, I was quite unaware of the dangers that lie just beyond Jesus' grasp (on the BIG SCREEN). You, somehow, were able to ring true as Hans Gruber, international terrorist. As much as I wanted the ALL-AMERICAN John McClain to kick your ever-lovin' ass, I wanted you to have your say and get away with whatever you had planned for Nakatomi Plaza. You had a mastery of the Engish language (unlike our current leader), and you had style.

JESUS CHRIST! It is 20 years later as I type this. I respected you in the January Man, could appreciate the sardonic humor in "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and no one, but NO ONE could pull off the role as Severus Snape in the"Harry Potter" series as you, but my ultimate purpose in this post is to comment on your portrayal as "Lord Turpin" in Tim Burton's current production of Steven Sondheim's, Sweeney Todd. You are/were an inredeemable son-of-a-bitch-ass-hole who not only created a terrible tragedy laid upon him, but received it in spades! I have nothing good to say about the "honorable" judge who (out of sheer greed) created the beast of Sweeney Todd out of the humble Benjamin Barker, save that you portrayed him.

As much as I hated the character, I loved that YOU portrayed him. A generation ago you WERE the supreme foil to the all-American hero. I didn't know it at the time, but the U.S. is NOT always right (the fucking shrub has proved that).

I am no more than a fan of the American cinema, but I thank you for all of your efforts.

CJE

Congratulations, Mr. President.

To quote the immortal Neil Diamond, "I'm" now "a believer".

My awakening came just the other day as I was on a road trip. The AM station that I was listening to carried the speech that Barack Obama was delivering at a nearby university. The crowd was electric! He had them eating out of his hand. What charisma! Why did he choose to run now? Because he is what we need!

Now if you, like I believe that we need more substance in our candidates, fear not! We are both wrong! Never has a great speaker made a poor president! Obama brings such hope to this nation in these troubled times. The biggest applause line came when he pointed out that George W. Bush will not be on the ballot this year. Really? I guess I hadn't thought of that. When Hillary made the snide comment that "speeches don't put food on the table" Obama pointed out that neither did NAFTA! Ouch!

There is no stopping the rock-star momentum that he has built up. I just "hope" that he is able to enact all these wonderful ideas that he seems to think will just fall into place if we all just believe. While Hillary has gone head-to-head with the Republican establishment, as has John McCain, experience is not what we need in this campaign. Senator Obama has the ability to INSPIRE!

Alas, he will have to do it without my support.

For right or wrong I will vote for Senator Hillary Clinton in the upcoming primary. When the democrats choose Barack Obama as their candidate I will support Senator John McCain in the general election. Nevertheless, congratulations President Obama. You certainly have your work cut out for you.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Hare Krishna Record Rama

I can't believe I am actually listening to this bullshit. Three million records up for grabs on ebay. Paul something-or-other who owns/owned Record Rama in Pittsburgh was just talking to that annoying little busy-body, Melissa Block. As always you could tell that she thought this was the coolest interview on earth. At age 69, Paul is ready to retire. He admits that he is legally blind and has limited movement due to crippling. What he failed to tell Ms. Block is that he is an unrepentent ASSHOLE. If you didn't know that Tom Hanks went to Paul when he was filming that movie That Thing You Do, you do now. And just ask Paul, he is only too proud to tell you. This blog has discussed a pretentious bitch who, for want of her own eyebrows, penciled two incredible black arches above her beady little heartless eye. She too sold records. She too was too busy for the likes of you.

Anyway, I ramble. Let's get back to Pittsburgh and the visually impaired, personality wanting Paul. Paul was never too shy to gloat about his collection. "I've got it and you don't" was the motto. I went to the counter one day and asked if he had The Monkees Present on vinyl. His reply. "Yeah, I probably do but it's probably gonna run you upwards of $30.00. Do you want me to go look for it?"

No.

Thank You.

Melissa asked him who his ideal bidder would be. He said he would like one investor to purchase the whole thing and then donate the most precious recordings to the Library of Congress. He already contacted the government and they weren't interested. Is that so, Paul? Or is it more to the point that they did not bow to your extortion? "I've got this and you don't." Obviously they did not give a fuck. Why don't you stand up and do the honorable thing and make YOUR OWN donation? I guess there isn't enough profit in that.

You are a greedy son-of-a-bitch who overestimates his own worth. I only fear that some ignorant bidder may, in fact make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. In an ideal world, you would die a lonely old man sitting on a mound of worthless black plastic.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

"I Know You Think That I Protest Too Much..."



Before you get tired of this topic, let me say that Joe Jackson has been at least a curiosity to me for the better part of my life. As a child I spent a lot of time at Grandma S's house. Uncle Frank was living with her at the time and, being 20 years older than me, he was in tune with the music of the day. I remember thumbing through his vinyls and marveling at the artwork. Don't you miss that? And that vinyl smell. Man, when you would open that sleeve and catch a whiff...

Anyway, one record he had was Look Sharp! by Joe Jackson which has been referenced here many times. This has always stuck in my memory because the cover had a pair of white shoes with the ties on the side. This in itself was unremarkable. What was unique, however, was the one inch hole in the upper left hand corner that was actually cut away to make room for the little, black pin-on button that said LOOK SHARP! to be removed and worn at the buyer's leisure. OK, free samples may not impress you, but how about this: the record was 10" , not the standard 12". The sleeve was smaller and it stood out from the other records so, even if one had no idea who this Jackson guy was, it drew your eye to the gap in the records. I have since purchased my own copy of this bit of nostalgia from ebay and would love to wear the pin, but the record is sealed in its original wrapping.

I remember listening to the album and being VERY disappointed. It didn't have Steppin' Out. Keep in mind I was 10 in 1984 and by then Night and Day had been out for a few years.

I digress. Today I bought Rain, Joe Jackson's newest (2008) release. I had gone to the local super center yesterday to find it but it wasn't there. So, I decided to drive the 45 minutes to the nearest big box store to find it this morning. I must say that I am glad I did. It gave me the chance to listen to the record on the way home, with the sun out, the vent blowing cool air, and myself in good spirits.

I really liked the Night and Day II album. It deals with the isolation of several individuals in "the Greatest City on Earth", New York City. At the time that it came out, I was dealing with a certain amount of isolation, as well, and could very closely relate to the album. I have recently revisited it and found it to still be good, but somewhat of a downer. Of course there is the personal connection, but there is definitely the thread that ties all the characters together into a concept album for the turn of the century (2000), but in a world where the events of 2001 were not even imagined.

Rain, on the other hand seems to focus more on the music. The band is pared down to three original members: Joe, Graham Maby on bass and Dave Houghton on drums. It is an (dare I say) uplifting album that makes this reviewer call to mind 1986's Big World album. Stand out tracks are the first one entitled Invisible Man; Citizen Sane, which acknowledges our search for the universal cure-all, and Uptown Train which has a similar feel to the recent work of Steely Dan. In my humble opinion Rain is the best work from these guys in the last 10 years, and worth the wait. Joe Jackson is still able to capture that honest-to-god insecurity of the average guy and work it into a beautiful jazz-pop blend that is timeless. Make time for Rain.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

INSTANT MASH


Alright, I need a break from the political postings, too.

In the supermarket there is music while you work
It drives you crazy sends you screaming for the door.
Work there for a year or two and you can get to like it
I don't work in supermarkets anymore.

It's so easy, it's so easy,
Grab can, lift arm, stack can, turn around.
It's so easy, it's so easy,

Do the Instant Mash...

I was in the car last night and had my iPod on shuffle. This familiar tune came on but I couldn't place it. As the vocals began I shouted, "Holy Shit! It's Joe Jackson!" I shouldn't have been so surprised, after all I put the song on there in the first place. But this is one of those tunes that I absolutely love. I remember playing it over and over on repeat until I knew all the words, but it has been several years since I listened to the Look Sharp! album in its entirety. In fact, I may not have even recognized it by the title alone, but what a catchy tune and a great driving beat, and those lyrics! Who can't relate to the lines above? Muzak may ease the experience of the shopper, but the poor worker has to hear those same awful songs over and over with no escape. Once again, I tip my hat to the everyman stylings of Joe Jackson.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Why I (still) like John McCain

This may completely disqualify me from any future discussions on politics, but with the current state of affairs, I feel that it needs to be addressed. Many years ago I was in between professions (and living arrangements). I had to solve the problem of staying in familiar surroundings or strike out where I had begun to forge my own path (career). There is no question that I did no more than fumble through the motions and end up where I am today, for good or ill. I bring this up because I vividly remember being in the parking lot of an animal shelter where I sought (and found) two companions that, today, I would be lost without, and listening to an NPR discussion. I do not recall, for sure, the interviewer but my memory leans toward Terry Gross, so let's go with that. The extra-marital information of President Bill Clinton was coming to light, and the battle lines were being drawn. Terry was interviewing Senator John McCain. While I was against impeachment, Senator McCain was for it. I thought, "Here we go, another right-wing extremist with a chip on his shoulder. " Little did I know.

As the interview progressed I got some insight into the conditions under which Senator McCain was held prisoner in Viet Nam. While I did not agree with his approach to the impeachment proceedings, I accepted his position and realized that he was not necessarily a partisan/one-issue man. Growing up democrat, it was a strange feeling to be moved by this man, and I found myself wanting to hear more of what he said. It was only about a year later when he challenged that ignorant hick for the Republican nomination. After the debates, I decided that Al Gore was not the man for me, nor was Bill Bradley. The only one who was shooting from the hip and taking on that Texas son-of-a-bitch was Senator McCain. In the primary of that year I registered Republican and voted for John McCain. In the fall I voted AGAINST (but not for AlGore) our current fucking idiot.

I've said it before, and reiterate it now. My support in the presidential bid of 2008 goes to Hillary. For all of its faults, the Clinton administration left us with a budget surplus. The republicans were on a witch-hunt from day one to crucify this guy before he ever came into his own, while they should have been after Ross Perot, who really cost them the election of 1992. So the gays in the military was not such a terrific fight. He did work with the republicans to work out a system of EARNING wellfare benefits, so they are not just a hand-out.

I diverge. The impeachment thing still rings sour with me. It was unwarranted. Former Governor, Bob Taft, got off with a little slap on the wrist. Hillary went from First Lady with a vision to Senator with a Plan. She tried to reform health-care (to no avail, but as first lady, did more than this Texas Ass Hole has done as president). It is this reviewers opinion that she has EARNED the office. It is not a Black/White issue. I liked Senator Obama when I heard him at the 2004 Convention.

I like him less as he attacks the Clintons.

Six paragraphs later I get to my point.

As a faithful Democrat who is loyal to my party, I support our next President of these United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton. If, however, my party forsakes me, and chooses senator Obama, (like that name-humping son-of-a-bitch, Ted Kennedy) I support the next President of these United States, Arizona Senator, John Mc Cain.

It is, now, 2/1/8, and I guess time will tell.