Pink Floyd Reunion Aftermath

This was posted to the Echoes mailing list that I subscribe to...there are some errors, and when I cut and pasted it from my email, it became sort of jumbled. However, I am for the most part leaving it alone because I don't have the time now to adjust it and I think there will be some interest among the readership. It's an interview with Bob Geldof after Live 8 with some quotes from some others thrown in. As the Echoes member writes, it is not a complete transcription of the article, but most of the important parts are included. Enjoy.

To: "Echoes" <>
I don't think anybody has put this online yet, so here it is. It's not complete (can't possibly transcribe the whole thing) but I made sure all the juicy bits are including, leaving out stuff that has already been printed elsewhere.
Live 8 / Floyd Feature in Word magazine
Transcribed by Thanasis Tsilderikis WITHOUT PERMISSION
WORD MAGAZINE, July 2005 issue

When, midway through their 20-minute set, Waters announced he felt "incredibly emotional to be back with these three guys again", he meant it. As he tried to sing Wish You Were Here, a song about Syd Barrett, his childhood friend and the band's inspirational founder who left in 1968, his voice cracked and he could barely get the words out. Gilmour, Waters's arch-enemy in one of the longest feuds the rock world has witnessed, carried on scowling down at his electric guitar. Although the band played on, none of them had expected such a public declaration from the man who had sued, insulted and mostly just ignored them for 20-odd years. Even Nick Mason, the group's unflappably urbane drummer - and the only member on speaking terms with Waters before the Live 8 reunion - admitted later that "we were all very surprised at the way Roger behaved".

Peter Jenner, the band's first manager, recalled that Waters "was the one who had the courage to drive Syd out, because it was chaos", but that it hurt. "Syd was the only person, I think, who Roger has ever really liked and looked up to, and he always felt very guilty about the fact that he'd blown out his mate." According to Gilmour, Waters proceeded to take it out on him. "I was the new boy. Not only that, I was two years younger than the rest of them, and you know how those playground hierarchies carry over. You never catch up. Roger is not a generous-spirited person. I was constantly dumped on."

Mason believes that it is Waters' absorption in his solo projects which has taken the sting out of rejoining his old adversaries. "Roger's very pragmatic. Because he's enjoyed working on his own, I think that being back with the band feels like a novelty to him."

As relations were warming in one corner of the frosty foursome, they were cooling somewhat in another. Mason's lavishly illustrated, delightfully chatty personal account of Pink Floyd - Inside Out, published in 2004 - did not find favour with David Gilmour.

The book's gossipy, self-deprecating style shortchanged the band's real musical achievements, Gilmour grumbled privately to friends. (Though they live not far from each other in the South of England, in West Sussex and Wiltshire respectively, Gilmour and Mason haven't socialised for years.)

In terms of their recent public profile, the closest thing to a gig Pink Floyd had done prior to Geldof's intervention was a brief performance at the funeral of their manager, Steve O'Rourke, in the summer of 2004. Gilmour, Mason and Wright played WYWH during the service at Chichester cathedral and Wright followed it with a solo piano rendition of Great Gig in the Sky. "It didn't feel like a gig," Mason noted, "and we didn't ask Roger to take part because he still had some differences with Steve, who was very much a part of our team. So he wasn't asked to come at all."

(comment ---> this, I believe, is the first official confirmation that such a 'performance' in O'Rourke's funeral took place, other than the initial rumours that claimed Roger played too, along with Dick Parry.) But here comes the good part. Geldof's own account of the reunion, with his characteristic, wholy un-British, frankness. Enjoy! :-)

Word magazine: Why were you after PF in particular? Bob Geldof: Well, that world audience, those sales. Also, that morning I'd receive a print-out from some guy from an Internet site saying that the Pink Floyd would never play again unless it was something exceptional like Live Aid. So I rang Nick Mason. He said, are you serious? I can't see what would make the others talk to each other. So I called David Gilmour. I've known him since The Wall and he was driving up to London with Polly and he practically swerved off the road. And said mmmm, you know? I said, well, I'll come and see you. I rang him again and he said, look, the answer's no. I want to do my solo album now. Also there's the concern that the record company think there is a giant pot at the end of the PF rainbow. I did a Vicky Pollard - yeah, but, no, but - I said well, don't say no now [ed: Vicky Pollard is a comedy character on British TV, satirical of the 15-year-old working class girls in 'Little Britain' and the way they talk in fits and starts]. Give me a chance to lay out my stall, my purpose, let me come and see you and maybe argue my position. I said I've got to come down and see you, which train do I get? So I get to Croydon and he rings me says Bob, there's no point. I've got as far as Croydon. I'm at East Croydon station, Croydon East, you know! And I said, at least come and pick me up. He was a bit grumpy but he turned up in this lovely od Merc and we went back to his place. And I went into it. He knew I was there to pitch. He was being kind but it was a little awkward and he kept his head and at the end he just said, I just can't go through all that stuff again, and told me I had to try and understand all that.

- - So how did you sell it to him?

Geldof: I laid out the politics of the thing, what would happen if the PF played. The world audience, the uniqueness of the event, the fact that they never said goodbye to the audience, and that every person who ever bought a PF album in the world would have access to them again. He was sotto voce in the end. He took me upstairs and played me some tracks from his new solo album and I told him to take some speed! He said, I get a lot of pleasure out of all this, and they ware very beautiful songs. So he said well, I don't know, I'm not going to change my mind now, Bob. So I didn't crap on about it. I said, at least think about it. He said he was going on holiday for a week and there'd be no time to rehearse. I said do think about it. But then Mason called to say how did you get on? I said, I don't think very well but I'll write him a letter. Next Roger Waters calls me, in a great mood. I think a lot of people think he's bitter and cynical but I don't think he is at all. He's hilarious and has this acerbic wit and he's very up and funny. And he said what's happening? I said will you play? And he said all things considered, I'd love to. That took me back a bit, so I checked with Nick that Rick Wright would be up for it and he said he would. And I rang Roger back and Roger said 'What's Old Grumpy up to? I said, still being fairly grumpy."

:-D :-D :-D

Geldof: "There were clearly lots of unarticulated things going on, lots of water still flowing under those bridges. And Roger said I'd like to do it and I'd like to do it in London if we can do it. I said, dude, you can do it on the moon, you know! Now Nick, Rick and Roger appeared to be absolutely wanting to do it but Dave was away. I said I'd written Dave a letter, I called Nick again and told him about Dave and he said "It's the curse of leadership."

- - Referring to Roger or Dave Gilmour?

Geldof: "Referring to Dave, I suppose, as Dave's the one who has led the Floyd for the last 20 years. The burden of carrying on gradually. And Dave is with his new family and he's just got rid of that house and Dave I think just didn't want to go back to that place he'd been before. Roger on the other hand had become hugely expansive and was wanting to gig and quite prepared to let sleeping dogs lie. Terrible cliche but it's true. It was sort of like a reversal of roles really. And Roger said, have you got Gilmour's number? I heard no more for two weeks and then the phone goes and a voice says, all right then. I said sorry? He said "It's Gilmour. All right then." "I said you're not fucking serious! Fuckin' hell, you've made an old man very happy. Not that I can stand you cunts but you've made an old retro-punk very happy! Cos I never liked their music, really."

comment ---> Sir Bob doesn't mince his words, does he? You gotta give him that!

Geldof: "I rang Roger and told him Dave had called and he said "Oh Good. Where will we be on the bill?" Apparently that first meeting they had together was great. What older people should behave like, all grins and smiles. Nick told me, you know without being mawkish or anything, that it was like being in a band again. So familiar and fun and so good. Instantly they got to sorting out what songs they would play and even asked me at one point if I thought they were all right. 'What do you think?' I said, what do you mean what do I think?! The enormity of the Floyd playing again. The sheer numbers of eyeballs watching, all marshalled to a political end, it's amazing. In the US this is a bigger story than Live 8, why this band with such a painful history of disorder, why are they doing it?


- - Was this the biggest news story you could have engineered? I can't think of a bigger one.


Geldof: "In pop terms, absolutely. The whole point was the brand, and the individuals have become more and more fascinating as a result. As you began to understand the dynamics of each song and who did which bit it became fascinating. And their strange sense of politics, politics on a polite English level but with a profound bitterness. I didn't care for the music much but I genuinely like them as people.

- - Do you think all bands will reunite eventually, and that events like Live 8 just give them the excuse to do so?

Geldof: "No, I don't really. I think age is the excuse. You look at it and think back to what it was. We were glorious, you know! I don't know why we were glorious but let's acknowledge it! I'd like to play to all those people again! Whatever happened to us was just clearly uniquely good. It's not to recapture the old glory." Later in the article, there's that Mason quote reprinted again: Mason: "Bob and Roger are a bit like Hitler and Stalin with a better sense of humour. And, in Bob's case, worse hair."

There's an interesting account (Nick's) of the whole dynamics of Gilmour's upcoming solo album and PF reuniting for Live 8: Mason: "The moral pressure on anyone to do something like this is phenomenal." He totally sympathised with Gilmour's predicament:

"Live 8's going to impinge on next year when he tours as a solo artist. People will be saying, "Come on Dave, do some Floyd material", as they will have just seen him do some. And it takes a hell of a long time to establish yourself as a solo artist. But Bob rang me and said 'David Gilmour won't do it'. And I felt, well, that's Dave. You can take a horse to water but you can't make him drink. In Dave's case you can't even get him near the water. So Roger rang David and that cemented it. Bob then spoke to Roger and he agreed. I think he felt -well we all felt actually - that it was a shame we didn't play Live Aid but we didn't really exist as a band at the time."


Very interesting stuff.

Bye Week Lives Again

With the help of what may be described as a 'ringer' (a professional playing for an amateur team....we were assisted by Alex's friend Eric, who recently graduated from Princeton), Team Bye Week climbed back to the top of the heap at the Anchor Inn Trivia Night. The team was composed this Tuesday of Alex, Eric, Matt, Turck, Lindsay, Chelsea, and myself.

Turck and I celebrated with Irish Carbombs. Following a White Russian, some of us went to the Saloon to play some darts and pool. Nate was in all his Graceful Turck glory.

A fun night.

The Land of Oz

Due to popular demand, this is the link to Alex's (Ozzie) Cell Blog D. Enjoy at your own risk.

You never know what topic Oz will tackle next - from steroid use to date rape to the most pressing concerns of Harry Potter fans everywhere....and last week he even managed to use the blog as a very indirect way of breaking up with his girlfriend.

For the most diverse use of blogging technology, I salute you.

Zach's Wedding Weekend

Thursday night at Sears, I called and checked my messages at home. It was fortunate that I did, because Kristen had called to let me know that everyone had arrived and was ready to hang out. I had been house-sitting for my grandparents all week, so I went there to make sure everything was in proper condition as well as to change out of my work clothes. What follows are just some of the many highlights from a very entertaining and fun weekend.

When I got to Kristen's house and hugged Kristen, John, Steve, Christine, and Bruce - and also met up with Clayt for the first time in about six years - we made our plans for an abbreviated Second Street Shuffle. The Triple S involves hitting every tavern, bar, and pub on Second Street from Falconer to Jamestown and having a beer, shot, or mixed drink. I'm not sure it's actually possible, but if anyone could do it, I think we had some promising candidates with us. We were also joined by John's sister Laura, Randy Binko and his girlfriend, as well as Debbie Yahn and Mrs. Bisignano.

Our first stop was Bonesy's (or Bonsey's, depending on what sign over the bar you'd like to believe). There was confusion among the regulars as to what our true purpose was, but we quickly confirmed that it was to drink. Licenses were tossed on the bar from California, Colorado, and New York. Clayt was wearing a curly black wig. Biz spotted his drink of choice in the cooler behind the bar, and seven bottles of Pabst Blue Ribbon (what? It comes in bottles? Apparently....) were ordered. We made another positive impression on the crowd when we played the same Stones song twice to kick off our jukebox selections - I believe it was Gimme Shelter, but I could be wrong. Steve's hat was tossed out the door on three occasions. Eventually, we determined that it was time to leave and we simply couldn't grace Bonesy's with our collective presence any longer. Kristen enlisted my help to finish her beer - a trend that would continue during the evening.

We left Bonesy's with Mel's Place as our next destination - yet another fine establishment that I had never visited. John and Laura took off at an astonishing pace, and we could barely keep up. In apparent frustration, Clayt kicked a composite stone garbage can at a high rate of speed. He did not fall, but he would later accuse Steve of giving him a stress fracture due to the fact that he had no memory of the garbage can kick. After a brief sprint, we strolled up to Mel's Place, a bar that boasted numerous NASCAR signs and a POW/MIA flag. Upon entering, we were treated to Shania Twain's Come On Over. We were able to play some 'ski-bowling', a game which I do not have any talent for playing. Kristen and Steve encountered a former neighbor, and Mrs. Yahn was hit on, and then it was time to leave.

From Mel's, we headed over to the glorious Bullfrog Hotel. Surprise and dismay was expressed at the fate of the Long Branch, which had burned down. Upon entering the lobby of the deluxe Bullfrog, we discovered that a shitty band was playing very loudly, and also that it was approximately 819 degrees Fahrenheit inside. We decided to skip the Bullfrog and head directly to Miley's, where Zach and others - including Tony, John's brother - were waiting for us. The moms took John, Laura, and I in one car. No sooner had we pulled out of the parking lot and passed our comrades in front of the hotel that John stuck his upper torso out the back window and yelled "WOOOOOOO!" just in time for a passing patrol car to see him and pull a U-turn, lights flashing. The officer was very understanding once he saw that our party had the benefit of maternal guidance and left us with a few words of wisdom - "try to stay in the car while it's moving..."

Stuck in Draft form for about 7.5 years, I think I'll publish this now without attempting to remember anything else from that weekend... 2013.02.08

August 4, 1981

Happy Birthday to anyone who might have been born on this day. Hope your life is going as well as you'd like.

NYT Article Regarding SC Nominee John Roberts

Some disturbing, but likely unsurprising information about John Roberts and his views on the renewal of the Voting Rights Act in 1980-81.

Ramble

Well, I've been posting rarely, since it's difficult to write anything substantial while at work and my only other opportunity to access the internet comes at a blazing 26400 bps via the antiquated phone line that connects my parents' house to the rest of the world. I don't venture to Fredonia that often - in fact I mostly just go to pick up and pay bills. My apartment's climate is stiflingly hot since it is on the second floor. I stole a fan from my parents' basement two days ago and brought it there to help alleviate the jungle atmosphere.

I have not made any concerted effort to find a roommate since Matt's loan reduction forced him to back out of living there in the fall. The walls are bare and now the couch is gone, so it's even more attractive now. I don't think I'm going to bother spending too much to replace furniture or various amenities that Aaron reclaimed when he moved out. It seems to make little sense to move a bunch of stuff up there when I'll be out by the end of December or early January. I don't feel like looking for/auditioning roommates either, since I'm fairly particular about who/what I will tolerate. In other words, I'm an asshole.

With recent increased readership, I've become somewhat more reluctant to post my feelings about current events (in my life - not the world in general). Hopefully that will change as the summer draws to a close. ...and yes, I probably could be more vague if I really tried.

Anyway, I've seen quite a few movies lately and I've been reading quite a bit. I'd like to devote some space to that kind of thing, but this internet connection just tries my patience so much that I doubt I'll get to it very soon.

In the world of politics and global current events, it may seem as if things have slowed down, but of course that's not really true. I'm certainly not as informed now as I was during school, since I've been effectively limited to the 24-hour "news" channels that spend as much time on shark attacks and missing person cases as they do to Supreme Court nominations or scandals involving chief Republican strategists like Karl Rove. Without the high speed connection to monitor Democracy Now or even really the time to read talkingpointsmemo.com and the NY Times on a regular basis, I feel a hell of a lot dumber, or at least out of the loop.

Life is funny, in a sad kind of way of course. If you've ever doubted that, talk to me sometime. Things are weird.

I know, I know - not too eloquent, right?

You may have noticed - or even emitted a sigh of relief - that I never got around to posting reviews of the Plant shows. I feel bad about that, but a large part of my laziness in that matter was due to my disappointment with other people that attended the shows and sat down for every non-Zeppelin song. At the Toronto show I finally got angry enough to mock people and tell people that they better sit down whenever a track off the new album was played.

Oh - one highlight of that trip...in the bathroom before the show started, Thom overheard this exchange...

"What has seven arms and sucks?"

"I don't know - what?"

"Def Leppard."

For anyone who doesn't know, the drummer for DL lost an arm in a car accident.
Yeah, it's mean. But you laughed.

Alright. Well, I'm going to take off now. I'm housesitting for my grandparents this week. No computer there. No cable/satellite either. So I read and watch movies.

This post sucks. Sorry.

Stuff

Tuesday night, I met up with good friends Paul and Tia, who are in town for a few weeks prior to their move to Washington, DC for graduate school.

After yet another unsuccessful night at trivia, Turck accompanied us to the Good Time Saloon, where we played a few rounds of pool before retiring to Nate's house for a few shots of Wild Turkey (bad idea, Turck) and various other indulgences. A good time was had by all, and I didn't crawl onto the Turck family futon until after 4am. I did brandish a chemically-enhanced southern/hillbilly accent for a lenthy amount of time before turning in. Anyway, we had some fun and it was good to see them.

Next Friday, Kristen and John will be home and I'll be attending a little barbecue at Kristen's.

Billy Takes an Early Exit Down Under

American rocker BILLY CORGAN abandoned a solo concert in Melbourne, Australia last night (26JUL05) after fans repeatedly asked him to play songs by his former band SMASHING PUMPKINS.
Despite placing an advert in the Chicago Tribune expressing his intent to reform the Smashing Pumpkins last month (JUN05), Corgan became increasingly angered by continued catcalls from the audience.
According to reports in Melbourne newspapers, one fan heckled "play some Pumpkins" to which Corgan replied, "Can I live my life for today?"
Later in the performance, another audience-member shouted "We want rock" - prompting Corgan to suggest he ask for his money back.
The final straw came towards the end of the show when another fan requested Pumpkins material. Corgan declared "F**k this" and stormed off stage ignoring calls to return.

Good Times Bad Times

The title of the post does not just refer to the first song on Led Zeppelin's first album.

One year ago today, I fell asleep while driving home and hit a guard rail about one hundred yards from my own driveway. About an hour afterward, I picked up a very attractive but seemingly empty-headed girl and had to have her crawl in to her seat through the driver's side door. Very dignified. We had dinner at Red Lobster and then walked along the lake at Celeron, where she told me it was "weird" to hold hands.

The next day, we went to Matt's 4th of July celebration, where she did not interact with any of my friends and did not play frisbee with those of us who were doing so. I had to take her home at 12:30 to meet her curfew. Although I found that, in principle, dating a girl originally from Ukraine had some exotic appeal, it wasn't quite as good as one may have hoped.

Five days later, we had broken up.

I do not mourn the end of that relationship.
__________________________________

Return to Form

Tuesday night, our team Bye Week - with its shifting lineup comprised this week of Thom, Turck and Lindsay, and me - regained the top spot on Trivia Night at the Anchor Inn in Lakewood. The prize this week was a slightly more generous $25 bar tab. The place had no shot glasses left, so our Jack Daniels and Jagermeister was poured into plastic cups (in what seemed to be three ounce servings).

Once again, each member of the team proved to be invaluable. Trivia Night has been fun each time, but it's a hell of a lot more fun when we win.

Long Post

I have a folder in my room at my parents’ house where I keep most of the notes that Destini wrote to me during our relationship, as well as a few photographs and other reminders. Yesterday, for whatever reason, I got it out and began looking through it. There are literally dozens of letters and little notes, from September 26, 2000. The last one in the folder (but not the last one I received – those came to me in the mail in Fort Collins, CO) was one from January 18, 2003 – months after the end and just a few weeks before I left to head west.

The majority of those letters were just amazing in their expression of love. I remember the days that she describes in those words. It seems that we were immeasurably younger and more confident in ourselves and in our ability to survive anything and everything. I was talking to one of my married friends not too long ago about how Destini and I had not spoken very much about marriage. I remembered that I had asked her very early on whether she wanted that and she had disappointed me somewhat by saying that she really didn’t. However, I found a letter yesterday from the mid-to-late period of the relationship that refers to her happiness at something that I said to her about getting married and how it was something she wanted, which of course made me feel just a little bit worse than I had been feeling already. It’s probably sick to hang onto this kind of thing. I just can’t possibly imagine throwing it away. Those letters are such an incredible body of work that provides tremendous insight into the feelings of the most important person I’ve known in my life.

I didn’t read every one yesterday. I read a few lines from every third or fourth page and every so often I would read an entire note. I kind of expected a progression from the almost delirious beginnings to the peak of our happiness and then a downward movement as the end approached. But it seems for the most part that Des wrote mainly when she had something incredibly nice and loving to say. So there was really just a sharp downturn toward the very, very end and it shocked me a little bit. As much as you can be shocked by something when you already know the outcome, that is. This is the girl that quoted Led Zeppelin lyrics back to me, even to the last. One of the letters she wrote to me while I was in Colorado was sent in an envelope that had “Since I’ve Been Loving You” on the back. I don’t know why I kept reading when things got ugly. It hit me hard – again, like it was unexpected? Of course, if life followed the desires of my mind, the story would have changed – Butterfly Effect style, if anyone’s seen that movie – and as I got to the “end,” the bad stuff wouldn’t be there and there would be many letters after the last one. Des would come walking into the room, take one glance at the folder and smile, asking me why I was going through those again. However, as some people like to point out to me, my life is not a movie and that kind of thing doesn’t really happen. And if it is a movie, it’s pretty goddamn depressing in many ways.

Those were days when friends would tell me I had never seemed happier or more content.

Like I said, although it makes no sense, the last of the letters hit me hard – as if the outcome was in doubt. I cried – suddenly and without any apparent warning. It was weird. I had started to get the same near-nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach that I had for weeks after the breakup and through the time with Andrea at her cabin and then of course again when I found out that Destini had ‘reciprocated’ in her way. Back when I didn’t really want to blow my own head off so much as I wanted someone else to do it for me. I don’t remember the last time I actually cried. I am the kind of guy, for better or worse, that gets teary-eyed at emotional movies – but I don’t usually actually sob or anything. Yesterday it felt like I had forgotten how to cry. It was halting and stilted and unnatural. It didn’t last long. I didn’t like it. And I didn’t really feel any better after I had done it, like you’re supposed to. I cried for what is gone, what is past, and what can never be again.

It’s really not possible to meet anyone like Destini was ever again, but I think if I did, I would do my best to turn her away. It wouldn’t be right to put anyone through the dizzying highs and correspondingly crushing lows that we were subject to.

I went through a stage after the relationship during which I didn’t really want to talk to anyone about it in matter-of-fact “my girlfriend and I broke up” kind of terms, because I thought it was so much more than that. She and I had something that defied “conventional wisdom” or dumb clichés. Then after a while, I began to be more casual about it. I was informed that everyone had something like that in their past and everyone’s hurt and everyone has to move on.

Well, I think I’m back to where I was. Far from moving on – I am stuck in time. I have gone thousands of miles out of my way in order to return to the same place, to come – if not full circle, at least most of the way. I can compare individual moments or deeds or events or brief periods to other people and relate to them in that way, but the time with her as a whole is unique, and I am sticking to that. It is not like anyone else or anything else. It is – was – ours and only ours. There were countless ups and downs and things that I complained about, but underlying our relationship together as a whole is something no one else can even approach. I’m confident that I will never be loved or looked upon the same way by any woman ever again, and I can say with all certainty that I have that Destini will never be loved by any man ever again in the way that I loved her.

I am not so unrealistic any more as to believe that the two of us could ever really reconstruct what we had. It would, in all likelihood, be too painful to try.

The whole thing has, as I think I’ve said before, pretty much kept me from getting involved too much with anyone else, though I’ve had some limited opportunities (none for about the last eight months, however). Anything that gets even remotely close is shut down pretty quickly. Last November, I effectively ditched the girl I was “seeing” by not asking her to the Plant show until the day of the event, because I was waiting for Destini to tell me that she wanted to go. She never did, and the other girl – who is a really cool person and fun to be around – knew about it. Not surprisingly, we didn’t “see each other” any more after that.

I had a dream last night. It was some sort of confrontation between whoever is in her life right now and myself. The guy was called Matt (Baxter – whom I refer to as “the cokehead”) – but it was not. For some reason, there was a series of things that we had to compete in, and this guy was not the little shit that the cokehead is; this was a much bigger guy and I felt real fear. Not actually fear of him, but fear that I would not be able to beat him and show that I was indeed better.

For many years, I’ve had dreams where I am in a fight and while I feel powerful and confident in myself and my abilities in the dream, I can’t seem to connect with my punches. They are either off-target and glance off, or they are not as strong as I feel like they should be. If I had to take a guess, I think I could figure out what that probably symbolizes.

Anyway, last night was the same story. I had all the rage and adrenaline in the world, but I couldn’t put the guy away the way I felt I was eminently capable of doing. I think part of the reason for this is that I’ve never been in a real fight and I’m not sure of how I would do if I had to fight someone.

Well, either the dream ended before the outcome could be reached or I don’t remember what happened. That’s the kind of sleep where you wake up and you are not exactly refreshed.

___________

Speaking of fights, I had the pleasure of running into Jess Moyer yesterday at Sears. I even shook his hand. He and Jim Ribaudo were walking through the mall gearing up for their camping excursion with other people from Cummins. I stifled the urge to ask Jess if he had been arrested lately. I don’t think I can count the number of dreams I’ve had about winning a fight with Jess. Of course, when we see each other now, the way he treated me through the majority of our adolescence is never a topic of discussion, and he acts like we’re old friends. It’s somewhat exasperating.

______________

Later, I approached a customer and asked if he needed any help. The guy turned around and it was Abe, recently returned from the South – New Orleans, parts of Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, and elsewhere. It was good to see Abe and talk with him about his last six months or so. We were going to hang out last night, but he ended up going to the Casino in Bemus Point with his brother. I almost asked him to say hi to Destini if he saw her, but I didn’t. That was the last place I saw her – in late July last year. But he’ll probably see her at Blue Heron in a few more days anyway.

______________

I need to write my reviews of the Philly shows soon, while I can remember any of what happened. I just haven’t had the ambition. Next Wednesday is the Toronto show.

Very Odd

Well, I'm back. Alex and I had a good time in Philadelphia. We met up with Cindi - a woman I met at the Myrtle Beach show in March - and her friend, Matt. I'll post setlists and reviews of the two shows when I get a chance.

For now, I wanted to relate two things that happened on the trip that were somewhat out of the ordinary.

We got into the city around 9:30 on Monday night and after driving by the Tower City Theatre and seeing "Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation - SOLD OUT" outside, we set about finding a place to stay. We ended up at the Summit Inn Hotel and were greeted by a mildly effeminate Andy Dick (of NewsRadio fame) look-a-like.

Andy instructed me to fill in a registration form. One of the spaces was for the make and model of the vehicle, and although I realized later that I didn't need to fill that portion in, I wrote down Alex's Dodge Intrepid license number. I thought nothing of that until 5:45 the next morning, when we were awakened in our hotel room by the blaringly loud ring of the phone. I answered it and was informed that our car was blocking someone in and we needed to move it immediately. I tried to confirm that it was indeed our car and was told it was. I wasn't sure how that was possible.

When Alex and I arrived in the lobby, we were met by a short man in coveralls telling us that we were blocking his truck in. We went out the front door, walked a short way to the car, looked around, and looked quizzically back toward the entrance. The man was holding the door open to the lobby and shouting in, "it's not their car!"

Then he came toward us, motioning for us to follow him to the side of the hotel to see where someone else's Dodge was blocking his truck in. He continued to beckon us as we stood completely still by the car (I was looking at my watch). He finally ascertained that we were not going to follow him and again came toward us, saying,

"LOOK - they blocked me right in! I know what my driver's gonna say: FUCK IT! That's what he's going to say - FUCK IT! That's what he'll say alright!"

Meanwhile, Oz and I had started walking back to the hotel with the guy yammering behind us all the way. I leaned slightly toward Alex while the guy was still talking and said, "well, I know what I'm about to say..."

So that was Tuesday morning. It took me about an hour to get back to sleep. I kept thinking what the front desk guy was going to have to do, since no one else really fills in their vehicle information when they check in and I had only done so because I wasn't sure that I didn't have to do so. Would they call everyone in the place and ask them what kind of car they drove? I was more amused than pissed off, but I'm sure other people might not feel the same way.
_________________________

On Wednesday night after the second show, we were waiting at the corner on the left side of the venue in hopes that Robert's vehicle would drive by us or perhaps stop and take us all to some fantastic place. Okay, well I knew that wasn't going to happen. I don't really know what we were doing there.

Anyway, our little group of four was approached by what looked to be a short, staggering troll. As it turned out, that was pretty much correct. One may also add the adjective 'drunken' to the description. The troll spoke to Cindi for a bit in terse unintelligible sentences before coming close to me. She (the troll) looked up at me and said something I failed to understand. She repeated, "can I kick you in the knee?"

I was not positive that I was hearing her right so I made an effort to confirm what she had said.

Me: "Can you kick me in the knee - is that what you're asking?"
Troll: "Yeah. Can I?"
Me: "Um.... Sure. Why not...."

At this point, the troll raised her right leg and struck a glancing blow to my shin with her foot.

Me: "You missed. Any particular reason you wanted to do that?"

The troll appeared not to hear me. Cindi asked why she would do something like that.

Troll: "Because he's hot and good-looking and taller than me."

Mystery solved.

As far as the hot and good-looking part, I did mention that she was intoxicated, didn't I?

Father's Day

Well, I spent 12-6 working at Sears. I saw Rebecca Ball with her brother today. Michael bought a Sony mp3 player. She was, and continues to be, a very nice person to me. Rebecca greeted me with a hug and what seemed to be sincere interest in how I'm doing.

After that little incident with the Ant/Grasshopper Affirmative Action email in 2003 or 2004, she and Chelsy both emailed me and were extremely supportive. That was a big surprise. I always liked Rebecca - I wrote her a horribly long love letter in 6th grade. She was very compassionate in the way that she crushed my eleven year old dreams though. Anyway, she looks great and I believe she's getting married soon or perhaps already is. I don't know. Nice to see her.

I also saw Steve Anderson, who was a great friend to me growing up. I used to get off the bus at my grandparents' house after school until I was 13 or so, first because both my parents worked and later because most of my friends lived around that area (Drew Erlandson, John Matteo, Steve). Steve lived just up the road and was friends with a few of the guys I always considered to be assholes. He always stuck up for me and was just a good guy all around. He's had kind of a tough time in life to a certain extent and always handled himself very well. It was good to see him.

I'll be going to my grandparents' after I get out of work and then over to Ozzie's to plan our trip to Philly.

Movie

Batman Begins was excellent. I went to see it with Matt and Thom last night. My only (slight) complaint is with the Batmobile, which in this film is a converted military vehicle - somewhat reminiscent of an oblate Hummer - painted black, of course. However, it was definitely "action-packed" as they like to say.

I'll restrain myself from making any further comment, just in case other people are going to see it.

Madness

I watched The Forgotten last night. I was supposed to meet Randy and Laura at The Watermark in Mayville to watch a little two-piece band, but when I got there I did not see either of their vehicles. I went inside and didn't see them there either. By the time I got back through Lakewood, I was too late to catch the 9:45 showing of Batman Begins.

I'm pretty sure it was only last year that I started going to movies by myself. Actually, never mind - it was 2003 when I got back from Colorado. At first it was just as bad as going to eat at a restaurant alone. I don't mean the actual act of watching the movie. I mean buying the ticket with a bunch of couples around. Oh well, I guess. Why shouldn't I be able to watch a movie just because no one will go with me? I went to a lot of them last summer.

Anyway - so I was too late and ended up going to Blockbuster and renting a couple things. I got Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 3) just in case The Forgotten freaked me out too much; I would have something light to watch afterward. I tend to like to watch something funny after a horror/thriller. Really just thrillers, because I usually find horror movies distasteful and stupid.

I would recommend The Forgotten to anyone who can handle science fiction. Some people can't. I know Aaron hates it because it's just too weird for him. If it's not realistic, he tends to focus on the unreality of things rather than the underlying premise that is being explored, which of course is what science fiction is really about. Many people in my science fiction English class last semester were pretty hung up on whether or not the book was realistic. Apparently they forgot what kind of class they had enrolled in.

It's no secret that I can become pretty emotionally involved with movies and television if they are touching on things that I find relevant to my own life in some way. Ben once criticized me for essentially seeing my life as The Wonder Years played out in real life. So anyway - I think the reason why the movie last night and of course Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind hit me so hard is because of how attached I am to my memories.

You know - I always start these things or compose them in my head and they're much more complete than they end up being when I post them.

At work yesterday, I recorded Grosse Pointe Blank on the DVR because I've never seen it in its entirety and I love John Cusack movies. So I'm watching it and he tells Minnie Driver's character that he's had dreams about her roughly five nights per week for the last ten years. I don't need to tell you what that reminded me of and started me thinking whether that's going to happen to me. Of course after the movie last night I predictably had a dream about Destini. Many times I can't remember exactly what the dream consisted of, I'm only left with the knowledge that her presence in it was pervasive and complete. Surely, this is madness, is it not? Obsession?

I will reiterate that I have not seen her since late July 2004 and have not heard from her via email since December. That doesn't mean that I haven't emailed her. But I'm not getting responses anymore. Probably because she has moved on and now views me as pathetic and/or crazy. Of course I don't know what I'm really asking for, because knowing how incredibly jealous I am, there is little chance that, given a second chance at things, I would be able to erase enough of my bad memories to allow a positive relationship to proceed. So maybe that's what she knows and she's sparing us both the heartache that would accompany any attempted reunion. I don't know. All I know is that watching Curb Your Enthusiasm was not a big relief - the last episode I watched featured Larry's wife going to see a play that her friend Brad is performing in, and Larry's first reaction is to say go ahead and go, even if he doesn't feel good about it. Of course the thing is a comedy and everything developed in a humorous manner, but I was stuck in a memory of mine. It was after the break-up and Destini was leaving my house to see a band play. I was doing her laundry. She was supposedly going to see the band because her friend Melinda liked a guy that played with them. Of course the guy was the cokehead and within weeks I found out that was the guy who she was sleeping with. It's possible no one else will see my mental progression on that one. Nonetheless, it was there.

Maybe that's why I don't usually finish these things - because I seem much crazier after I write it out than when I'm stewing over it in my head.

Philadelphia Bound

On Monday, I'll depart for Philadelphia with Oz to catch two Robert Plant shows on June 21 & 22.

Trial

The Michael Jackson trial is over, and to rip off NewsRadio (read in stilted Captain Kirk voice): 'if what you're saying is true....then I still don't care...'

Second Place

is the first loser.

Trivia Champs

Tuesday at the Anchor Inn in Lakewood, Thom, Matt, Turck, and I competed in a trivia contest with perhaps twelve other teams. The questions were read by a professional trivia master (which is to say a busboy with a laptop). The battle consisted of three rounds, with each round comprised of questions worth more than the last. Our team, Bye Week, was victorious by five points. It was pretty exciting because we climbed from far back in the pack over the course of the three rounds and many of the leaders fell away in the final round.

Curiously, most of the questions seem to have been made up in 1997 or thereabouts. The queries ranged in subject matter from music to movies to politics.

Our prize was a whopping fifteen dollar tab at the bar, which we used on four beers and a shot of Jack Daniels for Thom and I. I expect that we'll be back next Tuesday in an effort to defend our title.

It's Been Over Two and a Half Years...

so why do I continue to dream about her on a semi-nightly basis and why is she so pervasive in my thoughts?

Last time I actually saw her was last July. Last time I had any communication with her was in December.



What the hell is wrong with me?

Laughing on the Inside

I went out last night to join Matt and Thom at the Cherry Lounge. We were later joined by Matt's friend Stephanie/Stefanie, who attended JCC when I did. We've met a few times. Anyway, I was told at one point that I appear to be laughing at my own internal joke much of the time.

Coupled with some other remarks that were made, I might be forgiven if I got the impression that she thinks I'm an arrogant prick. But hey, I'm sure that's not true.

Military Recruiters Encounter Opposition from Parents

This is definitely worth reading. Does everyone recall the recruiters in Fahrenheit 9/11?

Bush Opposes More Aid to Africa

If you asked most people in the United States what percentage of our Gross National Product goes to foreign aid, I'm sure you'd get quite a few inaccurate responses. If you asked how much our country gives in comparison to other rich nations, you'd probably get a few more wrong answers.

In reality, the United States of America gives less money proportionally than almost any industrialized nation to foreign aid, less than one percent of our GNP.

The article also touches on what the US has done since our country declared the Darfur situation in Sudan to be genocide. (Virtually nothing.)

Bob Herbert Editorial from NYT

Here's an editorial from Bob Herbert with parallels drawn in the Nixon and Bush administrations. A nice, concise piece.

Out of Exile

Two listens in, I would say I'm very pleased with Audioslave's sophomore effort. Standout tracks include "Yesterday to Tomorrow," the title track, the first single - "Be Yourself," "The Worm," and "Doesn't Remind Me."

Circuit City was giving away a free small poster with the purchase of the CD. The poster features the same images of the four band members as the center of the liner notes.

I also purchased the first two seasons of NewsRadio, the TV show on NBC that ran for five seasons and featured Phil Hartman and Dave Foley. I'm a big fan of the show. Many of the second season's episodes are named after Led Zeppelin albums.

Aaron's Wedding

Well, after all the stress and worry, the event went off with nary a hitch. It was a genuinely lovely ceremony with the expected emotional moments. Even though it was only 65 degrees Fahrenheit or so, I was still sweating quite a bit. I'm sure I had some nice pit stains when I took my jacket off, but I didn't bother to check. Nikki was a beautiful bride of course, and Aaron was outwardly very calm. Regrettably, I cannot say that I was particularly involved in the wedding effort in the months leading up to this one, but I can say that I was pretty involved with at least the last week.

On Wednesday, we had a small bachelor party. Brett and I went golfing with Aaron at Sunset. I had the best score with a 59 over nine holes. For you non-golfers (like me) out there, that's not good. We golfed the last hole using only the putters. Then we went to the Seneca Casino in Salamanca with Turck, Aaron's brother Eric, Aaron's then-future brother-in-law Paul, Matt, and Thom. We ate at the buffet, which was very good. I provided Aaron with some seed money for gambling. Hours later, none of the eight guys had won a damn thing. I did pretty well at blackjack, but unfortunately spent too much time on the slots. After the casino, we went back to Brett's (The Studio) for a fire and some music. By this time, there was only Matt, Thom, me, Brett, Turck, and Aaron left. Aaron stayed until about 3am. He seemed to have had a good time, despite our luck at gambling.

Thursday was the rehearsal dinner, which was at the Marvin House and was very nice. I met most of the wedding party that I hadn't up to that point. Chrissy and Keah were Nikki's friends from California that she had met at Anderson University in Indiana (Christian school). Both girls were very nice. There was at least a glimmer of interest in conversation when it was revealed that Keah is a Zeppelin fan. However, shortly afterward I was brought back to earth during a conversation about Colorado when she mentioned that Colorado Springs is where 'Focus on the Family' is based. I was quickly reminded who I was talking to. Focus on the Family is the foundation set up by James Dobson (of 'SpongeBob is gay' - and other idiotic pronouncements - infamy). I suppose I could have mentioned that it's also where I had some fantastic passionate sex with my girlfriend at the time, with a lovely view of Pike's Peak out our window. However, I decided to be civil.

Friday, I drove to Cuff's Formal Wear in Erie because Aaron's father Greg's tux had pants that were about three inches too short and his shoes were too small. I made up a map at Aaron's house for the route from the church to the reception, and then Aaron and I went to dinner. After a Market Fresh sandwich, we went to the Legion in Frewsburg to set up for the reception. I drove Aaron back to his apartment and then went home to finalize my Best Man speech.

I had been working on the speech in my head for months but I hadn't actually written anything down. The Best Man's Handbook that Wendy sent me helped me to synthesize my ideas into a semi-coherent 2.5 page speech that looked to draw some laughs and also to convey my sincere feelings. I finished typing it up around 3:30am.

I was pretty nervous the whole time leading up to the wedding. I went to the mall, purchased a gift, and had it wrapped. I had many opportunities before to buy a gift, but I hadn't really found anything I liked. I settled on a small chest with three photo albums inside. I figure married people can never have enough photo albums, right? I went to Aaron's house and took him to the church. We changed into our tuxedos and got ready for pictures, which were being taken by Aaron's friend Yoo Rok from RIT. My responsibilities included hanging onto the ring as well as lighting the candles in the windows and the candelabras on the altar.

The receiving line after the ceremony probably took longer than the ceremony itself; there were over 200 people there for the wedding. It's always nice when people greet the bride and groom warmly and then just stare at you and keep walking. Even nicer is when the line stops and you're stuck across from someone you know not at all and you just stare at each other awkwardly.

Sorry this post is so disjointed. I'm typing things as I remember them. I've been in three weddings now and things always seem to go by in kind of a blur. Basically, everything was very nice and very well done. I was nervous about the speech I was going to have to give, so I was somewhat preoccupied during the time after the ceremony because I was worrying about that.

Anyway, the speech went surprisingly well. It helped that they had a microphone for me, and I noticed the DJ turned me up about three times. I got quite a few laughs and an overall very positive reaction from everyone who commented.

The reception was dry, as I may have mentioned earlier. This did not preclude a lot of dancing. I think Al and Barb, Nikki's parents, were the cutest couple to watch dance. Al was tearing up the floor. I always enjoy seeing older couples having fun with each other.

Keah dragged me onto the floor for a dance, but after brief consultation we both headed to the bar, where I had the unique opportunity to buy a drink (a Madori Sour - I have no idea if I'm spelling that right) for a pastor's daughter (she is apparently a youth pastor going for her Master's Degree in Divinity). I had a Tom Collins. I didn't want a White Russian right then and I really don't know drinks very well. I ordered what came to my mind first. A Tom Collins is what Holden orders in the hotel bar in Catcher in the Rye. Anyway, she seemed like she was a fun person, if somewhat misguided in her thinking.

The reception wound down about 11 or so. The DJ, who was supposed to have "The Rain Song" because it is Aaron's favorite Zeppelin song, could not produce it. He had only the fourth album, which 25 million other people have as well. And he had "That's the Way" because it's on the Almost Famous soundtrack. Lame. I requested "Going to California" but it was not played. I was disappointed.

I'm at work, so I think that's all I'll write for now. It was a good time. It's weird to have yet another friend married. If this trend continues, we single people will soon be in the minority. Odd.

Link to Thom's Recent Post

Rather than copy the entire post, I'll just link you to Thom's blog. This post shows a portion of activities last Monday at the Good Time Saloon in Lakewood. We found some humor in the seating choice made by some members of a particular ethnic group. Before anyone gets upset, it was all in good fun.

Grades are In

Medieval History II = B
Science Fiction = A-
Media & Politics = B+
The 1960s = A
The Cold War = A

Cumulative = 3.6

Eerily enough, I received exactly the same grades as last semester in exactly the same disciplines (two As and a B in the History courses, an A- in English, and a B+ in Political Science) even though it seems like this semester was much smoother. I'm not going to complain though, since I got so lucky with the grades last time. I'm sure next Fall will be another adventure.

Dave Grohl Comments on New Album, Draws Comparisons to Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti

Just what the title says. Check out the link.

Rick Santorum Feature in NYT Magazine

A long article profiling the obnoxious US Senator from Pennsylvania who once equated homosexual sex with bestiality. If he hangs onto his senate seat in 2006, and possibly even if he doesn't, he may be a presidential candidate for 2008. Santorum is among the proponents of blurring the line between church and state.

Frank Rich Column from NYT

Great column on the administration's tendency to shoot the messenger.

Miscellaneous

Thanks to Wendy for sending The Best Man's Handbook to me in the mail. I received it today, and it may come in handy. I have yet to write the material for my toast on Saturday.

I noticed two days ago that The Rolling Stones will feature two opening acts of interest to some - Pearl Jam and The Tragically Hip. I doubt that I'll be shelling out the money to see either of those shows, but it would be cool. I'm not the biggest Stones fan, but I'm sure that collectively they'll both be great shows. The Hip actually opened for Jimmy Page and Robert Plant during a portion of the 1995 tour.

I should be back online on a more regular basis fairly soon - I'm going to be ordering a new Dell next week. Now all I need is a computer desk.

That's all for now. I'm at work now. Looks like I'll be going to Turck's for a bonfire this evening. Should be fun.

Couldn't Have Written It Better Myself

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd is off until July 6, but Matt Miller takes over and does a fine job, writing about the trend of putting the US wars on credit, to be paid...someday. Very funny take on things. Worth a read.

Warning: Infrequent Updates Ahead

My friend and roommate Aaron, who will be married in two weeks' time, moved his stuff out of our apartment in Fredonia yesterday. Translation: I have no computer, except for the one at Sears that I'm using now and the one at my house that is slower than a glacier. Also - I have no microwave, garbage cans, dishes, things to put under my home theater speakers, et cetera. I was successful in retaining the nice couch and rust-orange chair, as well as the television that cannot reproduce the color red or any variation thereof. Nice.

Anyway, until I get a new computer and desk, I'm somewhat at a loss for blogging opportunities or online time in general. That means I'm likely to fall further behind in the quest for Bonus Points at The Irreverent Marsupial and that I will be less-informed than I typically like to be. A tragedy, to be sure.

I'll be working on preparations for my Best Man toast at the reception and also for the most tame bachelor party you can probably imagine.

School is over, for better or worse. I don't think the results will be quite on par with last semester, but we'll see. I did not expect to do as well as I did last time, so maybe that bodes well. Efforts to contact me should be directed to my parents' home and my Hotmail address.

Upcoming plans aside from the wedding ceremony which I'm sure will be very nice include the Robert Plant shows in Philly and Toronto in June and early July.

Turns out that Matt will be unable to move in for the Fall semester, so I am in search of a roommate once again. All the luck in the world, eh?

Late Night Robert

Robert Plant appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien last evening, and Late Show with David Letterman on Monday night. Friday night's performance was definitely superior - the band produced a very funked-up arrangement of "Shine It All Around." The Strange Sensation is not quite intact for these television appearances however; guitarist Skin Tyson is in the UK, awaiting a new addition to his family. David Rhodes is substituting. Rhodes has worked with Peter Gabriel and Roy Orbison. I'm sure he's better on material he's written and practiced, but his solo on Monday was most disappointing. Friday's was a bit better, but they were both somewhat jagged and stilted - not smooth or fluid.

The Letterman performance came after a mere nineteen commercial breaks (okay - it was only four). Robert seemed to be a bit unnerved. The show returned after yet another commercial and there was Robert, jamming with friend Paul Shaffer and the CBS orchestra on a rendition of "Treat Her Right." Did the cameras catch this great impromptu moment? Sure - about 15 seconds of it. Thanks so much for that.

James Spader was not the featured guest, as scheduled, for Friday's show. Instead, Quentin Tarantino took up a big chunk of time talking about directing an episode of CSI. Fascinating! Not.

So there was only time for Plant to do the song and then the show was over. Apparently the lyrics to "Tin Pan Valley" hold somewhat true: "I'm turning down the talk shows, the humour, and the couch..." Maybe he's using them to showcase the new single but is not consenting to dumb questions about what it was like to dump televisions out of windows thirty years ago.

ABC News Robert Plant Feature

A nice, lengthy, thorough piece. Well-written and appreciative.

My Day

I had a final in my Cold War class at the lovely time of 8:30am today, which would have been good enough on its own. However, I also had a 1960s paper due at 4pm. I had 2.5 pages typed, and the paper was supposedly a 15-page minimum, although there was no indication of that on the course syllabus. I tried to work on it last night, but I wasn't really getting anything done. I was tired, and laid down on the couch at about 1am, setting the alarm for 3am. Well, the alarm went off and predictably, I wasn't ready to get up. I sat at the computer and got maybe a paragraph written. I reset the alarm for 4am. Then 5:30. Then 5:45. Then I started to give up, but not entirely. I set the alarm for 6:45, then 7:30. I didn't actually get up and shower until 7:45am. I walked into the final exam at 8:28am, walked out of the room at about 9:55, and walked up to the computer lab with the idea that if everyone around me was working, then maybe I would work too. However, I didn't actually begin then. I logged on, set up my papers around me, put the disk in the computer, and then strolled over to Reed Library for a blueberry muffin and a coffee. I ran into my friend Dan Lukasiewicz ("Luka") from both my Medieval and 1960s classes. We walked into the library and talked for a bit while I ate my breakfast and waited for the coffee to cool. Dan intimated that he had no expectation that Dr. Filipink would actually read a word of our papers. He said Filipink was just tossing the papers in a box in his office. Luka had already handed in his paper, being the conscientious student that he apparently is.

Well, I didn't really start working until 11am. Then at 11:40, I went back to the apartment, picked up the Plant album from my mailbox, used the facilities, and came back in a roundabout way after previewing a few tracks. By 12:15, I was back in the computer lab.

Anyway, somehow I churned out 11.5 pages in about 4.5 hours and was printing my hastily-designed lame cover page at about 3:56 and handing the paper to the professor at 3:58pm. It may be crap, or it may be good. Not sure what he'll think of it. In any event, it's done. I have two finals to go - Media/Politics tomorrow and Medieval History on Thursday, and then the Media and Politics paper due on Friday the 13th.

I'm kind of shot at this point from waking up, sleeping, waking up, stressing out, et cetera. However, I'm going to try to make it down to Brett-Dogg's abode to view Plant's performance on Letterman tonight, since I don't actually have cable or any other reception here. Dedication.

The Mighty Rearranger Review

Note: Robert Plant will appear on the David Letterman show tonight, May 9. Will Ferrell is the featured guest.

On Friday, Robert will be on Conan O'Brien's show. James Spader is the featured guest.


I received my preordered copy of this album today from Amazon's UK site, where it was released May 2. It will go on sale tomorrow here in the United States. My pressing contains a "hidden track" after "Brother Ray," which is the 'rave mix' of the first single, "Shine It All Around."

All I can say is that the album is very, very good. I'm not sure I can gush over it like some of the critics have, specifically the ones that say it is his greatest work since mid-period Zeppelin, or since Physical Graffiti, mainly because I love Presence and In Through the Out Door. However, I can safely say that it is better than Dreamland and it approaches the greatness of 1993's Fate of Nations. I don't necessarily like to compare works by the same artist. It's really purely subjective. I'm sure that 1983's Principle of Moments was very good for its time, but it may not possess the same resonance today as it might have then, especially among younger listeners. I guess I can say that virtually all Zeppelin sounds timeless to me, while some of the group's former members have produced albums that now sound somewhat dated, even if I can still appreciate them. On some songs, Mighty Rearranger has been infused with some electronica in addition to its rock and African rhythms, and in time the electronica may sound to us the same way 80s synthesizers sound to us today. For an album of this time, it's really good. Lyrically, I believe it's just as good as his best, on Fate of Nations, if not better.

"Another Tribe" starts the album. If you read the Rolling Stone Q&A that I posted yesterday, you'll recall that Plant calls this his best latter-day vocal performance. I'm not sure I would agree with that, but it's a good song. The vocals are definitely mixed to the front. The main instrument is the percussion, with some string accompaniment. The lyrics may refer to tolerance for other people's beliefs and/or culture:

"I think there may be a war in heaven
Paradise beneath the smoking gun
As every saint and small town saviour
Race to justify their chosen one
I wonder, as our world collides
I want to reach out there
Across the great divide"

"Shine It All Around" is the first single, and it's been out for a while. It features the big, pronounced drum beat and great bass line. The vocals are echoed in some places, and the guitar is nice and crunchy. This is a great pop song, and probably the wisest choice for the first single. The lyrics pertain to famine relief ("break a little bread now, share it all around..."). There's a nice short solo about three minutes in.

I've already posted the lyrics to "Freedom Fries" but the Myrtle Beach show was the only time I had heard the song until now. It's a pretty funky number, North African drum intro with the vocals coming in next, and then the bass and guitar. The lyrics are just great to this one. There's an excellent guitar solo on the "outro." Here are some of the lyrics again:

"Billy the Kid told the Prince of Thieves,
A little give and take to satisfy my needs
You can give me lots but I'll take some more
I got my eyes on your treasure beneath the desert floor
Freedom fries and burns and scars
The liberator goes too far"

"Tin Pan Valley" is next. This song has an electronica-flavored introduction with almost whispered vocals, bass and drum accompaniment. There's just a great rhythm to this track with excellent phrasing. There's a degree of irony to the lyrics given Mr. Plant's appearance on two late-night shows this week...It is not until Robert yells, "Like THIS!" that the guitar really kicks in and he unleashes some of those trademark wails. Then the understated vocals return for another round until..."like THIS" everything explodes again.

Again, some lyrics:

"I come from Tin Pan Valley and I'm moving right along
I live on former glory, so long ago and gone
I'm turning down the talk shows, the humour and the couch
I'm moving up to higher ground, I've found a new way out.
There's parasols and barbeques and loungers by the pool
The late night conversations filled with 20th century cool
My peers may flirt with cabaret, some fake the rebel yell
Me - I'm moving up to higher ground, I must escape this hell..."

Next up is a really nice acoustic ballad called "All The King's Horses" that features some great picking from Skin Tyson. There's an electric guitar in the background. Sounds like Plant's vocals are doubled on the repetition of the song's title in a couple spots, which has a nice effect. There's a very fluid solo in the middle portion. This is a good campfire kind of love song.

"All the Kings horses, all the Kings men
I'll weave a circle round the sun
Throw down my arms and give my all
I'll be your soldier of love"

Track six is the previously reviewed "The Enchanter" that has a very sensual groove to it. The drum and bass work very well together, and the guitar is serpentine in nature. There are some electronic effects, but they're in the background and do not compete with the huge backbeat and swirling guitar. If it was up to me, I would have made this song the first single. Perhaps it will be next. There is what some have described as a "rave-like fade out," and this is true to a certain extent, but I think it works within the song. In addition to the effects, there's Justin Adams on the bongo and a simple keyboard line repeated over again with a little bass. This is one of the best tracks, and it's undoubtedly about a provocative female. If the last song was wholesome, this one hints at the passion underneath.

"Takamba" follows, and this begins with some muted guitar and some clapping before the rest of the band enters and blows everything up. This has one of the best introductions. Plant declares, "Sing a song of freedom, write it in the sky. Pocket full of secrets, belly-full of lies...tricks and mirrors, sleight of hand - promised land." The lyrics look to be a bash of Prime Minister Blair's decision to lead the UK to war with the US in Iraq. A very strong song.

"Dancing in Heaven" sounds like a corny title, but this song is really quite good. Prominently featured is Skin's acoustic guitar once again, gently supported by the rest of the band and strong vocals from Robert. Nice solo, likely from Skin - and good bass work from Billy Fuller. There's a nice groove to this track.

"Somebody Knocking" - if you read my blog regularly, you'll realize that I already panned this song more than a month ago. I've tried to listen to it since then, and while it has grown on me a bit, it's still not my favorite. In the context of the album, it fits well enough. The instrumentation is somewhat rambling, but Plant's vocals definitely sound better on the CD than they did in the mp3 I've had for weeks now. The lyrics on this song are the weakest of the whole album, mostly blues cliches and variations on that theme set incongrously to North African instrumentation.

"Let the Four Winds Blow" made its live debut at the Myrtle Beach show I saw in late March. This track is similar to "Tin Pan Valley" in a way, there is a good rhythm and groove coupled with great phrasing on Plant's part. The vocals may be stronger on this track. The whole song has a kind of sauntering stride to it, a mixture of quiet confidence and with just a little bit of aggression that removes any doubt that the song rocks. More great work from the whole band and standout guitar from both Skin and Justin Adams. There is quite a bit that sounds similar to "If I Ever Get Lucky" from Dreamland and from Justin Adams' solo CD, Desert Road.

"Mighty Rearranger": The title track has a lot of the swing of the last track. The vocals are mixed a bit oddly here, with the effect of having them sound somewhat hollow with a bit of echo. The song sounds a bit tinny before the rhythm section steps in, and even then, there's something not quite right. The live version from Texas I've heard sounded superior to the album version. That said, there's some nice harmonica here from Plant.

"Brother Ray" is not much of a song. It's more like a piece of a jam that was somewhat obviously tacked on to the album as an afterthought, or as a hastily-arranged tribute to Ray Charles, or both. It sounds like everyone in the band picked up whatever instrument happened to be around them and started playing. There are no actual lyrics, just a series of "ooh" and "ahhh, yeah" repetitions from Plant. The whole thing lasts just over a minute before a few seconds of silence and then the remix of "Shine it All Around." I've heard the bonus track on the Japanese pressing, "Red, White, and Blue" and would have preferred that, either in place of the remix or "Brother Ray." I think RWB is really good. Remixes are for singles, not for albums, in my opinion.

All in all, a very solid effort for Robert Plant. I can't wait to see him again in Philly and Toronto this summer.


Now go out and buy the album, if you haven't already.

That Explains a Lot

Listening to NPR, I just heard that NASCAR still uses leaded gasoline to fuel their races, burning an estimated 100,000 gallons of the stuff in a given season. There are countless scientific studies available on the hazards of lead that indicate not only just how toxic it is, but also how damaging it can be to the brain - actually decreasing IQ.

Studies have shown that lead particles hover in the air for hours after being burned in automobiles. With the number of cars in a race, and the attendance of these huge NASCAR events, I think we can all see the conclusion I'm drawing from this. One may speculate all one wants regarding the intelligence of those that go to watch NASCAR, but one thing is for sure:

they certainly aren't any smarter when they leave.


The amusing thing about hearing the story on NPR is that they covered the story they way they would cover anything else - by capturing the ambient sounds associated with whatever they happen to be reporting. While at a race, they recorded at least a dozen "yeeeeehaaaaaaa" and "wooooooooohoooooooooo" exclamations from various race fans (the fans may have been named Jim-Bob, Bobby-Joe, Billy-Joe, Billy-Ray, or some other combination - but we know it could be hyphenated, and that's what counts).

Rolling Stone Q&A: Robert Plant

Robert brandishes his trademark wit in this highly entertaining mini-interview for Rolling Stone.

Check it out.

High Crimes or Misdemeanors

This article talks about the media's obsession with the Clinton sex scandal and contrasts media coverage of that chapter in our history with the recent memo uncovered by the London Times, which received very little attention in American papers. It is certainly worth reading and worth some consideration, no matter your affiliation.

While you're at it, check out:

http://www.gregpalast.com/video/palastmarch%2705.mp4

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/cta/progs/newsnight/attack22.ram

Krugman Column on Medicare

Should be of interest to everyone, but perhaps especially for my pharmaceutically-inclined friends.

America is Over

This is a column that appeared in the Austin Chronicle on April 29th. It lays out exactly what can/will happen to the United States as a result of our dependence on fossil fuels and the lack of effort we've made as a nation to switch to other sources of energy over the last few decades. The 1970s oil shortages were like a warning bell that the US failed to heed. It is increasingly likely that within our lifetimes, the US will be in a far different position than it has been in the last eighty years or so. We will either relinquish our 'superpower' status with grace, or we will fight to protect it, and things will get very messy. Read the column.

Audioslave Live at the Agora Theater in Cleveland April 24, 2005

Audioslave Setlist 04-24-05 Cleveland Agora Theater

The Bob Marley was turned low, and then off. Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk, and Tom Morello emerged from stage right. Commerford was business-like, going straight to his post at stage right. Wilk climbed atop the riser and sat behind the kit, giving a tentative kick to the bass drum. Morello engaged the crowd, smiling at the crowd reaction and raising one arm while gripping his Soul Power Fender Stratocaster with the other. The lights had not been dimmed very much. The applause was incessant. There was a pause. Where was Chris Cornell? Ah – the anticipation mounted. After perhaps five seconds, he strolled out in long-sleeved shirt and cargo pants, his arm raised in a salute to the audience, his piercing blue eyes scanning the crowd. He approached center stage, removing the wireless microphone from its stand. The band started to play. It was time to ‘set this fucker off.’

Throughout the show, I was struck by the effortless way in which Cornell could sing such vocally challenging songs and how nonchalant he appeared to be, several times singing with his one hand in the pocket of his cargo pants. Thom remarked after the concert that in his Soundgarden days, Chris had often been in his own world on stage. That was the case this night at least to a limited degree. One could see his mind was turned inward for much of the show.

The primary factor that limited the total impact of this intense show was the fact that Chris Cornell’s vocals were so very low in the mix that they were utterly drowned out many times by the powerful band behind him. Cornell seemed unaware of this; wearing earpieces in each ear that were likely vocal monitors, he was probably oblivious to the problem. However, the vocals that soared above the cacophony that often developed to his back were, it must be said, much better than the entire first Audioslave album. His voice retained all of the clarity and strength audible on Soundgarden albums that I’ve grown used to, unlike the vocals on Audioslave’s album, which apparently due to the production, made Cornell’s voice seem ragged and weak in many places.

“Your Time Has Come” (alternately referred to as “Your Time Will Come” in advertisements I’ve seen subsequently) was the first new song of the set, and was introduced as such by Chris. It is difficult to judge new songs when they’re played for the first time in a concert setting, so I will reserve judgment. I will say that although the new songs they played that night sounded different from those on the first album, they were not incongruous with the rest of their material; they seemed to fit in well. With any good band, different albums show forward progress and not stagnation, and Audioslave certainly seem to be moving ahead.

“Spoonman” was the first nod to the members’ previous work in other bands, and it received a tremendous ovation at its conclusion. All four men in the band had a turn in the spotlight during this number. Commerford proved himself more than competent on the bass solo and backing vocals. Wilk had a nice roll on the drums, and Morello showed his remarkable versatility with the solo on his sunburst Gibson Les Paul. The Soundgarden songs that Audioslave played were played in what seemed to be a cautious manner and perhaps with just a bit of hesitation. This may improve with more shows under their belts. Chris Cornell seemed like he was genuinely moved by the crowd’s reaction, looking out at specific members of the crowd and nodding his appreciation.

Tom Morello was by far the most animated of the four for the entire show, jumping on monitors and off again, striking poses, and inciting the crowd. At no point was this more visible than during the Rage Against the Machine songs. After playing the first single from Out of Exile, the band paused. Cornell announced that behind him stood the greatest rock band in the country, and then walked off the stage. The first strains of “Bulls on Parade” wafted out toward us, and the crowd went nuts. We in the front row were thrust forward toward the barricade. I remember thinking with disappointment that Cornell wasn’t going to attempt to sing the RATM songs, but I was enjoying the raw power of the instrumental version too much to care a great deal.

Then Cornell returned – walking back to the microphone as “Sleep Now in the Fire” began. This song provoked more movement from Cornell than most others; he displayed his rhythm by rocking back and forth from one leg to the other as Wilk played at a martial tempo, reciting these great lines –

“For it's the end of history

It's caged and frozen still

There is no other pill to take

So swallow the one

That made you ill

The Nina, The Pinta, The Santa Maria

The noose and the rapist

The fields’ overseer

The agents of orange

The priests of Hiroshima

The cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fire”

The audience was in frenzy. After a great “Outshined” and a solid “Shadow on the Sun,” the band walked off. Cornell returned alone, walking out with an acoustic guitar, and serenaded us with a subdued “Black Hole Sun.” This was the one point at which his vocals had a chance not to be ‘outshined,’ but alas – it was not to be. Some prick behind Matt decided that he could sing the song better than Chris and tried to prove it. This may come as a shock, but he was wrong.

The full band came out for one of my favorite Audioslave songs, “I am the Highway,” and this rendition did not disappoint. The throat-tapping effect to conclude “Show Me How To Live” would have made for a great short movie clip taken with a digital camera, but unfortunately those had been disallowed at the last minute.

“Killing in the Name Of” was the penultimate song, and there is little to say about it, other than it was incredible. The Rage boys tore up the stage, and Chris acquitted himself of any doubts anyone may have had, seeing this on the setlist in advance. Unquestionably this song brought the most forceful crowd participation, as only a song with the lyrics “Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me” can.

Audioslave closed with “Cochise,” but as with any supergroup composed of members from other famous bands, the highlights came in the Soundgarden and Rage songs, which is probably why they were not played on the band’s first tours. The lowlight? Well, that would have to be the sweaty moron’s armpit that rested on my shoulder for the majority of the last four songs of the show.

All in all, an incredible show and a band I would see again whenever possible. Our front-row position saved us from probable serious injury…and also made for a great experience. Chris Cornell, it can safely be said, is one of the greatest frontmen in rock, and his claim about his bandmates is truly not much of an exaggeration. Great concert.

The Smile of a Satisfied Fan

Me, Zareh, and Jim (Susie's husband) after the show in Myrtle Beach

This picture was taken just outside the House of Blues after the show. I had talked with Zareh and his beautiful wife for quite a while prior to the show. Zareh reminded me a great deal of my friend Paul, just in his ecclectic musical taste and the ease with which he and I conversed about bands we enjoyed. He lives in New York City, but had traveled up from a temporary stay in Georgia to be there for the show. There was some bittersweet quality to the encounter with Zareh and Alina, just because they reminded me of the four Plant shows I had attended with Destini, mostly by their shared enthusiasm and obvious love for each other. It just brought to my attention, once again, that I was alone.
Jim is Susie's husband, and we had also talked while standing in line. He seems like a really great guy, and really - how can you not be a great husband if you're taking your wife to see Robert Plant? They had flown in from Wisconsin and both had a great attitude about life, basically espousing the belief that life is meant to be enjoyed and that they weren't going to wait until retirement to have a good time. I was very lucky to have great people around for the very long wait before the show. This is in direct contrast to the next month's Audioslave show, when Matt, Thom, KP, and myself were surrounded by idiots.

Having a Drink with Mr. Plant

Susie, Cindi's sister (sorry, don't know her name), Robert Plant, Cindi, Justin Adams (guitar, Strange Sensation)


Well, I'm not sure what to say about this other than that I'll resent these people for the rest of their lives for being able to hang out with one of my idols while I was busy trying to drive a few hours after the concert so I wouldn't have to drive for 13 hours the next day.

No - I probably won't hold it against them...for long. Anyway - these are some of the people that I spent time with in line before the show in Myrtle Beach. We had some nice conversations, some Zeppelin-related and some not. I also ended up standing next to most of them for the duration of the performance and we talked for a bit after the show. Susie and Jim informed me that they were going to try to meet Robert. I basically said, "good luck." Well, they were pretty determined. They found out he was staying at a certain hotel, finally tracked it down, and eventually encountered the band minus Robert (I may post that picture later, but I realize most of you don't care) and later saw Mr. Plant emerge from an elevator. I won't go into the whole story, since it depresses me to tell it - ha - but essentially, they had the pleasure of sitting down with Robert and having a nice, casual, hour-long discussion over drinks in the hotel lounge.

Yeah, I said an hour.

Anyway - they're all nice people, and Susie was kind enough to send me some pictures. I've talked to Cindi via email since the show - from all accounts, she was virtually speechless the entire meeting.

So although I went alone, I did meet some great Zep/Plant fans, and that's what it's all about.

Fredonia - Brad's Birthday Party 04-23-05

Never quite got around to that card game...

Not sure what's going on here...Matt, Thom, Me, Dan/Luka

Matt and the Birthday Boy

Now that's an eyebrow...

Thom with his Labatt Blue and me with my locally-brewed Southern Tier Porter, which is quite good. I have a tendency to absentmindedly remove labels, piece by piece, which is what happened here.

Nice To See Some People Speaking Up

From CrooksandLiars.com:
"Bright Eyes plays anti-Bush song on Jay Leno

I couldn't believe he got to play this song on NBC.
I'm waiting for the right wingers to mount a protest against Jay Leno and NBC now. Brent Bozell will proclaim "liberal bias" high atop the rafters of the MRC.
Click here for the performance
Daily Kos: Last night, folk-rocker Conor Oberst (aka Bright Eyes) performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. If you've heard any of his albums, you know Bright Eyes is clearly political (he participated in last year's Vote for Change tour, as noted in the Rolling Stone excerpt I posted below the fold).
But last night's performance was just incredible -- in fact, I'm legitimately surprised NBC even allowed it to air..."

and also:
http://homepage.mac.com/njenson/movies/timryanlow.html

April 24, 2005 Cleveland Pre-Audioslave

Concert Line

Thom, Matt, and I arrived in Cleveland shortly after 3pm, after a slight detour temporarily pointing us toward Columbus. We found the venue after a short trip through the warehouse/ghetto district of the city. When we parked, we were one of roughly five other cars in the lot (not counting radio station vehicles). It was snowing lightly and the wind was fairly strong. A guy parked near us got out of his car to tell us that they had yet to open the doors, but that they normally do so if the weather is poor. We inquired about the nearest restaurant and/or restroom and were directed to a "Mr. Hero" sub shop, which we later found to be utterly abandoned. Kevin arrived shortly after we did, parked between the Mr. Hero spokesman and Thom's car, started to get out of his Ultimate Driving Machine (not a picture of his car, but one very much like it) and promptly smashed the hell out of the Mr. Hero advocate's automobile when the wind grabbed the Festiva's door and threw it open. We all had a good laugh as KP climbed into Thom's Intrepid without a backward glance, especially when Hero-boy had to get out and examine the damage. We decided to leave KP's car in the lot, at the mercy of Mr. Hero and his disciples, while we went looking for something to eat.
We chose to forego a chance to sample a Cleveland Subway in favor of something local, winding up at a place with a really elaborate name that was something like "The New Best Steak and Gyro Restaurant." The place turned out to be huge, just like the woman who took our orders. She was quite friendly though. The interior of the restaurant contained pool tables, arcade games, and a gumball machine. Matt and I got cheeseburgers, Kevin had already eaten, and Thom had a pizza on a cardboard plate. Matt commented on my ability to furnish him with napkins whenever we eat anywhere and claimed to appreciate my utility. Matt speculated that the restaurant was a prime hangout on Friday and Saturday nights, since it is open 24 hours and is close to Cleveland State.
We returned to the parking lot close to 5pm and found a few more cars there. We made our way inside and found ourselves perhaps 10-15 people back in the line. After a long wait which was made much longer by our proximity to so many stupid conversations, and instructions given that cameras were not allowed (and then allowed, and then “instamatic” cameras but not digital cameras), we were ushered into coherent lines. Many people that arrived much later than we did were equally close to the front of the line. The four of us had an understanding that anyone getting to the front would save spots as best he could for the rest. Once through the ticket check and security, I rushed ahead and was able to claim a large section of the railing just to the left of center stage. I was soon joined by my companions, although Thom elected not to squeeze into a spot at the front and elected instead to stand behind me. I thought this was curious, but then as the show got going I saw Thom’s motives more clearly…just kidding, Thom.
After an extensive run through Bob Marley’s greatest hits, the opening act hit the stage just after 8pm. Johnny Polonsky was the opening act. Polonsky covered vocals and lead guitar. He seemed to be begging for a comparison to Kurt Cobain, both in his vocal delivery and in the way he played the guitar (except he was right handed). The guy could definitely play. His solos were pretty intricate. The songs were not incredibly complex though, and they all seemed to be in the same vein. The real entertainment of the opening act was the drummer, who looked to be the absolute least-coordinated musician I’ve ever seen. Most drummers cross their hands, with right-handed drummers positioning their right wrist over their left. This guy played with both sticks parallel, and looked like he had just learned how to play. In fact, he brought to mind someone throwing a baseball for the first time in their life. He didn’t seem to be able to bend his wrists at all and just had no fluidity. Oh – and he looked a lot like Thom Yorke.
I did a little research and it seems that Polonsky has played with Tom Morello in the past, specifically in some Axis of Justice shows.
When the band finally left the stage, we were again treated to yet more Bob Marley, which by this time was getting pretty tiresome. The review of the Audioslave portion will follow, hopefully shortly.

Pearl Jam, eh?

Yeah. Now that I've blown virtually ALL this semester's student loans and earnings from Sears, all these concert tickets go on sale at the same time. Do I restrain myself and keep a couple hundred dollars in the checking account, figuring I can wait and order tickets later? No. Of course not.

As you'll see when you follow the link, tickets can only be purchased in pairs, which is of course how I normally buy them, regardless of the fact that I have such a difficult time finding people to accompany me to shows. I just completed a purchase of two tickets for the Toronto show, although looking at a map (and apparently having no knowledge of Canadian geography beforehand), I see that Hamilton is closer. Oh well. It's only another 45 minutes or so, and the crowd might be a little more fired up (although they're Canadian, so who knows...kidding).

I take it demand for this show, at least among my primary blog readership base, will be higher than for the Robert Plant shows? Well, I'm going to need the money fast, so who wants to go? If someone wants to hit the Hamilton show as well, I'm going to need the money up front. If you read the rules, you'll see that I can only order one pair per concert.

Robert Plant Interview in Iceland

Pretty amusing.

Bleeding My Account Dry

Just purchased two tickets (yes, I realize no one's going to go with me, but I bought the second ticket anyway because I'm an idiot) for the June 21 Robert Plant Philadelphia show. The June 22 show has yet to go on sale.

I need money. I need a job for the summer that I work at for more than 13 hours per week.

Wasting Time

So I recently joined "The Facebook" but since I'm older than everyone else, I don't really have any of my 'old' friends in college to make it look like I'm popular. Most of my friends are out of school/married/living far away, et cetera. So help me out here - if you can register and add me, I would appreciate it. It's alright if you're alumni - that works too (Cornell, Fredonia, RIT, et cetera).

Oh yeah - I should be writing a paper right now.

Energy Bill Passed in the House

You really have to read the article to understand just how outrageous this legislation is. Even in the neutral tone of the Times language, the influence of big business and its hold over lawmakers is glaringly obvious. Among the provisions of the bill is the go-ahead to start drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge that I've mentioned here before. Aside from that is an important point regarding the gasoline additive MTBE. Here's a piece of the article:

"Capps said groundwater contamination from the gasoline additive has affected more than 1,800 community water systems in 29 states with a potential cleanup cost of $29 billion. MTBE makers, including large oil companies and refiners, dispute that estimate but have argued they need liability protection because of an expected surge in lawsuits.

The MTBE provision has been a top priority of Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Rep. Joe Barton, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, who argue that Congress endorsed the widespread use of the additive when it required gasoline contain an oxygenate to help clean up the air.


Both are from Texas where major MTBE manufacturers are located."

Subtle, eh? Social conservatives vote these great Republicans in, hoping that they'll ensure that gays can't get married and women can't get abortions. Apparently they're not thinking of the unwanted child being born with birth defects from the contaminated water its mother drank while she was pregnant and how the company that polluted the water supply is protected by legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Congress...

A bit of a stretch, you say? Perhaps, but everything's connected.

Crooks and Liars

What's this site about? Republicans, of course! Need you ask? Well, it's probably not exclusively about Republicans, but I would bet they appear there more frequently than any other group.

Anyway, here are two great clips from the site. Make sure you download the Daily Show clip about the Prez and his staged Town Hall meetings. Good stuff.

The other one is a segment of the John Bolton (proposed UN ambassador who has been quoted as saying it should be disbanded and/or that the US should leave the organization) hearings and probably won't interest you unless you're more like me than you're willing to admit.

http://movies.crooksandliars.com/The_Daily_Show_Luntz.wmv

http://movies.crooksandliars.com/U~3.wmv

Bob Herbert NYT Column

Mr. Herbert talks about the passing of four-term president FDR, questions why the sixtieth anniversary of his death has not received more coverage/attention, and underlines the contrasts between what Roosevelt planned for this country and where it has gone since he left us.

Audioslave on Sunday

I'll be seeing Audioslave this Sunday in Cleveland with Matt, Thom, and KP. I was already pretty excited about the show, but I found out today that they're playing Soundgarden and Rage songs on this tour, which is not something they were doing on the last tour (that I missed because I went to Colorado and sold my tickets to KP, because I needed all the money I could get at that point).

I was going to post a setlist from their show on the 14th, but just in case those guys want to be surprised by the selections, I'll refrain. If anyone's curious, they can check this link.

New Pope Has an Interesting Past

Although this particular aspect of Ratzinger's past (that he was in the Hitler Youth organization, which was mandatory by age 14 in Germany) will likely garner the most attention, this passage from the article is probably more indicative of how his papacy will proceed:

"Despite question marks over Ratzinger’s wartime conduct, the main obstacle to his prospects in the conclave — the assembly of cardinals to elect the new pope — is the conservative stance he has adopted as guardian of Catholic orthodoxy since John Paul named him to head the congregation for the doctrine of the faith in 1981.
His condemnations are legion — of women priests, married priests, dissident theologians and homosexuals, whom he has declared to be suffering from an 'objective disorder.'"

Happy Birthday, Brett-Dogg

Happy 24th Birthday to my good friend Brett - enjoy it!

Separation of Church and State

This is an article in the April 21 issue of Rolling Stone. It's perfect for anyone (and I think I know a few people like this) that thinks Christianity should become the official religion of the United States. It's pretty scary; these people need to be stopped and exposed for the nutcases they are.

Robert Plant Interview

Informative interview - Robert talks about the Zeppelin's third album, his new album, his father's passing, and about his relationship with Jimmy Page.

Odd

It occurs to me that I have had nothing to eat besides bowls of Cheerios for more than 30 hours.