Liz Phair live video 930 club washington dc August 8 28 2008 "Fuck and run"

What is up at the AP???!:!:!:!::!?!?!?!?

what in gods name is going on over there? First we had Fournier's disgraceful article and now we have Babington and some other guy whose name escapes me..

 

geez louise.... the AP should stick to reporting the news and not issuing opinion masquerading as analysis!...

 

 

Here's something that reflects the growing sense of outrage with the AP coverage (from www.mydd.com):

 

 

 

The Associated Press Keeps Up its War Against Barack Obama

by Jonathan Singer, Thu Aug 28, 2008 at 11:45:39 PM EST

The Associated Press decides to double down in its attacks on Barack Obama. Here's the headline from Charles Babington's "analysis" of Obama's speech tonight:

Analysis: Obama spares details, keeps up attacks

Amazingly, it actually gets worse, reading almost exactly like Republican talking points (and in fact parroting that exact spin).

Barack Obama, whose campaign theme is "change we can believe in," promised Thursday to "spell out exactly what that change would mean."

But instead of dwelling on specifics, he laced the crowning speech of his long campaign with the type of rhetorical flourishes that Republicans mock and the attacks on John McCain that Democrats cheer. The country saw a candidate confident in his existing campaign formula: tie McCain tightly to President Bush, and remind voters why they are unhappy with the incumbent.

It is not until after the lede that Babington admits that 35-minute speeches are rarely chock full of details -- particularly those that are enthralling to a crowd. (By the way, it is also below the lede that Babington admits that the Obama speech did actually include specifics.) But this admission misses a key point. Babington, and the Republicans pushing this line of spin to him, set up a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for Obama -- either he delivers a compelling speech, which they deride as rhetoric, or he delivers an excessively policy-laden speech, prompting calls that he is too professorial.

What a true journalist would do would be to analyze the speech without using the crutch of opposition talking points, without resorting to the easiest "he said, she said" type of stenography. But apparently this is no longer the policy of the Associated Press under Washington Bureau Chief Ron Fournier -- a man, by the way, who spent months in talks with the McCain campaign about possibly accepting a senior level position. No, what we get out of Fournier's AP is pure and unadulterated talking points that are as non-germane as they are simply incorrect.

Update [2008-8-28 23:59:59 by Jonathan Singer]: Chris Cillizza shoots down the AP's nonesense...

"Obama's speech was more substance than style; more specifics than rhetorical flourish."

Update [2008-8-29 0:20:3 by Jonathan Singer]: The Boston Globe agrees with Cillizza: "Analysis: Obama gets specific, and tough"

It's time, then, once again to contact Fournier's boss, Kathleen Carroll at kcarroll@ap.org or (212) 621-1500 to let her know that you do not want the AP to serve as a stenographer and amplifier for pure spin from the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee. You can also participate in the direct action by MoveOn or FireDogLake. Be POLITE, but be FIRM, and above all speak your mind.

Update [2008-8-29 0:7:14 by Jonathan Singer]: Oy vey. Really? More attacks on Obama from the Associated Press? How long can this organization countenance Fournier sullying its more than century and a half of good reputation?

Update [2008-8-29 0:20:3 by Jonathan Singer]: Wow, just wow. Babington apparently wrote his article before Obama was finished giving his speech.

 

Liz Phair live video 930 Club Washington DC August 8 28 2008 6'1"

Liz Phair Exile in Guyville Tour August 8 28 2008 930 Club Washington DC more pictures

Liz Phair Exile in Guyville Tour August 8 2008 930 Club Washington DC pictures

Cheap Trick August 8 27 2008 live video snippet Dream Police Nissan Pavilion Bristow Virginia

Thanks partly to a little overzealous pre-partying but mainly the usual traffic nightmare it is to get to Nissan Pavilion (can't you guys do something about it??? how about building some more infrastructure to get in and out?) I missed pretty much the entire Cheap Trick set.. Dissapointing.. We heard "i want you to want me" from the parking lot as we pulled in...

Heart live video Nissan Pavilion Bristow Virginia August 8-27-08 "Love Reign Over Me" (Who cover!)

I thought Heart was the best band of the night but then again they are my favorite of the three bands that played last night (Cheap Trick, Heart, Journey). They played a great set list mixing old standards (Barracuda, Straight On [final song..wailing version]), their 80s hits (Alone, Never, These Dreams) and two choice covers (Led Zeppelin's Going to California and the Who's Love Reign Over Me). I thought Ann Wilson's voice was particularly well preserved.. she still had a good amount of the range that she's always had even if she seemed a bit frustrated during the closing Straight On at perhaps an inability to hit a note or two..it must be mentioned that she had also played the night before..I was also struck by Ann's graciousness even going as far as thanking the crowd "..coming out in these hard times..its not easy.. but I think its worth it.." Nancy Wilson has always been my favorite and she looked and sounded great (she sang "These Dreams" which she introduced somewhat sheepishly/embarassed as a "love song").. Nancy contributed electric guitar (though it seemed to me she did not do the heavy lifting), acoustic guitar (on an intro I think to Straight On her playing seemmed so reminiscent of Led Zeppelin), and even some real choice harmonica... I was basically gobsmacked- as the british say- to finally see Heart live and they more than lived up to my expectations from about a quarter century of listening to them...

Journey Set List Bristow Virginia Nissan Pavilion 8-27-08

There you go.. they handed these out at the VIP Box tables...

Journey Nissan Pavilion Bristow Virginia August 8-27-2008 live video Separate Ways

Will post set list shortly.. Review wise there isn't much to say..Basically if you like Journey and aren't bothered by what sometimes skirts dangerously close to cheeze synth rock ..well then you are going to love the current Journey with new lead singer Arnel Pineda... He sounds a lot like Steve Perry which comes in handy on the hits from their most popular era.. At the same time he's a bundle of energy running around the stage pumping up the crowd etc...I think he's giving Journey a second act...Obviously Neal Schon is a very strong lead guitarist even if his guitar tone may be a bit too sweet for my taste.. Jonathan Cain does what he can to hog the limelight but ultimately Arnel Pineda proves to be- even at this early stage in his history with the band- the highlight with a voice that so uncannily resembles Steve Perry that one can't help but be surprised.. I hope he takes care of his voice and can continue to reach those notes for a while...Its amazing that the guy was discovered through youtube clips of him performing in the Phillipines with his cover band The Zoo...just an amazing story..The video posted here..whoever was the camera man did a bad job on the first 30 or so seconds but then he shaped up big time..

hillary clinton at dnc

she's very effective when talking about john mccain..

 

"john mccain doesn't think 47 million people without health care is a crisis"

 

she's good i always have said that..

 

twin cities line tying bush to mccain and republican convention! very nicely done..

 

ah hillary if only you'd not voted to give bush the power to go to war this would be your coronation...

 

its funny i like hillary so much more than her husband....

 

"lets elect barack obama and joe biden..."

 

to me... at first listen this seems like a very good speech....

hillary clinton: "Where you in it for.."

hillary maybe trying to bring it around to obama..it is about time, no?

 

i suppose if obama loses then this is hillary's initial speech for her 2012 campaign..

 

"this will not be easy.."
 

now that sounds familiar...

 

"as i recall we did it before with president clinton and the democrats and if we do it right we will do it again with president obama and the democrats"

 

receives hearty applause..

 

"I cannot wait to watch Barack Obama sign into lawn a health care plan that covers every single american"

 

throwing down the gauntlet!

 

wow a nice line about Michelle Obama

 

this will be interpreted as very gracious....

 

 

 

 

hillary

good stuff... what we would expect from hillary..she brings up the supreme court (had not heard that tonight all night!) she brings up georgia...

 

there was never any doubt she dominated policy issues.... again i'm left with a sense of loss that she did not know when to say when and drop out... Obama-Clinton would have made a nice ticket but she made that impossible.

hillary

"and whether you voted for me or you voted for Barack the time is now to unite for a single party with a single purpose"

 

she does look great..its good to see her.

 

camera cuts to Michelle Obama..interesting..

 

wow this is all about Hillary! "i'll always be grateful..."

"to my supporters..to my champions.. to my sisterhood of the travelling pantsuits.."!!!

 

now THAT was really funny..

 

 

hillary

i have to say while i await her speech i'm a little bit torn... had she pulled out february 20th after wisconsin instead of staying in and going so negative would she be the Vice Presidential candidate?? perhaps.

 

I like her very mcuh and I think she would have been the best VP for Obama but she really made it impossible for Obama to pick her!

 

still i can't help thinking i have total confidence in her and with respect to this convention- with the speech she is going to deliver.. she's one tough cookie

 

had bill clinton not been her husband and interfered in the campaign who knows what would have happened?

 

i hear clapping...."thank you"

its hillary clinton!

i'm hearing some hillary worship video....

 

is this american girl.. yes!

 

 

brian schweitzer

"if you drilled in all of his (McCain's) backyards..even the ones he doesn't know he has...it wouldn't be enough..there just isn't enough oil in america"

 

 

i thought this guy was a senator but the cspan guy just called him governor...

 

anyways that was a good line..and he's had a few..

 

I like it.. a speech focused on energy.. on policy specifics...

 

"john mccain's plan? four more years of the same old same old.. the petro dictators will never own america's wind and sunshine..and we should never be beholden again to their barrel of crude.. now the obama plan surely is ambititious.. critics will pick apart at it.."

 

this guy is pretty darn good! thats what i like about these conventions..discovering these guys.. i'm sure politicos all know this but i've never heard this guy speak and he's pretty good... now he's yelling at people in the cheap seats to stand up!

 

yes he is the governor of montana.. i'd heard him- i now realize - on npr.. but this was very impressive..very well done..

 

 

 

 

Brian Schweitzer..live blogging DNC

some of these lines are so stock

 

"John McCain offers more of the same.."

 

I guess you have to make it clear to the American people but couldn't they use synonyms?

 

I also love the "Barack Obama knows that..."

 

having said all that I like Schweitzer's speech better than Patrick and certainly Warners...

 

"he's taken over a million dollars in contributions from the oil and gas industry..wooooooowww..now he wants to give those same oil and gas companies 4 billion in tax breaks... thats a lot of change..but its not the change we need"

GOOD! WELL DONE!

Deval Patrick

like Obama another Axelrod product.. you could make that case... some of Obama's themes were certainly tried out with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in his run for state office about two years ago.. many have noted the similarities.. there were even accusations of Obama plagiarizing his friend Patrick..

 

where am I going with this? I need a break on this live bloggin and it may as well be here..

strickland

"..would you believe he said last week the fundamentals of the economy are strong.."

 

good

 

"because we just can't afford.."

 

sapporo

 

i like this one.. focused on McCain.... doing what I call the heavy lifting....

 

"stuck in the past policies that mean that Warren Buffet pays a lower tax rate than his secretary and he'll be the first to tell you thats wrong"

 

good stuff

 

lets replace all the "can't afford"'s with "warren buffet"

 

 

GREAT LINE!
 

"George W. Bush came into office on third base and then he stole second"!!!!!!!!!!!

 

"..and John McCain cheered him every step of the way.."

 

"we can't afford.."

 

running out of sapporo..

 

"Barack Obama will give us a $1000 tax cut for middle class families.." GOOD STUFF! POLICY!!!!!

 

"there's more than hope in these ideas.. there are JOBS!"

 

tying it to Ohio and how it would boost wages... "thats the change we need"

 

Strickland is blowing Warner out of the water

 

was I right to say this man should be the VP in late 2007 surveying the political landscape and knowing how much we need Ohio???

 

very good..very solid speech by Strickland..blew Warner out of the water... Mark Warner is so overrated .. there is so little substance to that guy when you get past the whole "I was Governor of Virginia and we did all this great stuff.."

 

 

 

 

ted strickland up

my original choice for VP months ago was Strickland..I felt he could give the democrats Ohio and that was all important... my feelings were ignored.. i'm not hurt.. but a little curious...

good mark warner line

"..almost as daunting is following up on Barack Obama four years later..or delivering a speech before Hillary Clinton.."

 

I don't think he gets into specifics enough.. as many speakers dont.... I would talk policy..nuts and bolts... don't just tell people they have to vote for Barack Obama because the world depends on it.. explain the differences with respect to student loans or health care...

 

I'd like to see more policy and more rehashing/bashing Bush/McCain

Its all about Scranton Pennsylvania

Mark Warner just mentioned Scranton..following up on Casey and Rendell....

 

Its all about the Scranton voters....

Live blogging DNC

....and we hear Mark Warner...

 

"..the most important contest of our generation has begun"...

 

wow ... creative..

 

"I got in on the ground floor of the cell phone industry.."

 

"Barack Obama is running to restore that fair shot for every american!"

 

I'm tuning out...

 

"John McCain promises more of the same.."

 

OK so he is hitting McCain..good.

 

He speaks with conviction but this is pretty boring stuff....

 

here comes the bipartisan part

 

"we need leaders who won't appeal to us as democrats or republicans but as americans..."

 

"if an idea works it really doesnt' matter if it has a D or an R next to it.."

 

"this election is not about left vs. right..its about the future vs. the past"

 

somehow i'm bored.. we've heard all this a billion times.. if you're going to say this stuff do it in a new way that is fresh and exciting

 

"i think we're blessed to be americans.."

 

yawn..

 

 

more liveblogging from DNC

of course the best speech tonight was the one marginalized to the early hours..Kucinich of course!

 

I've been running around for years saying "Americans need to wake up!" and what does he do but base his entire 6 minute speech around "Wake up America!"......He couldn't be more right of course...

 

Mark Warner next.. preliminary indications are he's going for a bipartisan appealing speech trying to further his own political ambitions rather than do heavy lifting for the party's presidential candidate Barack Obama... we'll have to see....

live blogging DNC

nice speech by Bob Casey Jr. (Sen. Penn).. I particularly loved the line about McCain "Thats not a maverick, thats a sidekick!" Right on..

 

I was impressed with Governor Granholm (MI) and her moderating of the panel on actual answers for problems..I loved that whole segment. Its good to talk policy... I wish other speakers would do more of that...

 

Sebelius was nothing to get too excited about...glad she was not picked to be VP..

 

who else did I hear.. Rendell..I liked him..

 

McCain and Bush are being hit hard tonight....I guess the Cajun' Moron Carville and Begala will say "Thats more like it.." .. simpletons...

But the main dishes for tonight are still to come... Mark Warner and Hillary Clinton...

 

Everytime someone says "We can't afford another four years of..." I take a swig of my Sapporo beer.. does nobody realize how overused that line is?

 

There are some truly horrid speakers particularly when they take average americans and put them in front of that.

 

"We can't afford more of the same votes..."

 

and he takes another swig of the Sapporo....

The undying idiocy of Hillary Clinton and her supporters.

I think hillary and her supporters are playing this situation completely wrong..

 

of course no one wants to lose...

 

but lets say hillary and her supporters had all 100% gotten behind obama and lets say obama lost in the fall to John McCain ..

 

there is no doubt that under that scenario in 2012 all democrats would pretty much rally around hillary and she'd be the nominee..there would be a feeling that Hillary would have made the better nominee...

 

but lets say hillary supporters, hillary and bill don't get behind obama (as is happening)...and lets say he loses...god forbid... well its hard to imagine we're all going to rally around hillary after that act of incredible selfishness which will largely be identified as the cause of Obama losing...after all Obama's current problem is not that he fails to appeal to independents but that there are still many Hillary supporters who fail to support him.

its just the same selfishness we saw during the primaries resurfacing.... i mean once hillary got blown out in washington state, maine, dc, virginia, maryland and wisconsin she simply could not win.. and yet they went on and on and on and on..

 

can we honestly now say that hillary continuing the fight helped obama??? now that mccain is basically running ads parroting hillary's attacks and courting her voters? At what point do Hillary supporters bury the hatchet??? Nothing guarantees a runnerup the Vice Presidential slot..it simply does not work that way.

 

hillary and her supporters should have pulled out february 19 when it was clear that short of a cataclysm they could not win... instead they got increasingly desperate and ugly and still failed to turn it around (they were simply too far behind).. now they still persist in failing to get behind the democratic party nominee.

 

poor form.

 

 

 

 

On 8/26/08, YYYYYYYYYYYYYYY wrote:

i'm glad i'm not in your office.

On 8/26/08, XXXXXXXXX wrote:

We've got a very disgruntled Hilary supporter here in our office. I just overheard some very specific Obama (Michelle and Barak) criticisms.

Todd Rundgren Bang the Drum live video snippet August 23, 2008 Wolftrap Vienna Virginia

This post is dedicated to my old college roomate Leith "Lee" Kuhn wherever in the world he may be.

Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band Wolftrap with Todd Rundgren, Denny Laine and Bo Bice Live Video Snippet 8-23-08

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Wolftrap Vienna, Virginia 8-23-08! pictures!

great time tonight at wolftrap...bo "american idol" bice, denny laine (wings), christoper cross ("sailing", "theme from arthur"), lou gramm (mr. foreigner!), and of course todd rundgren played a hell of a show for us!

so

i did see a lot of the olympic soccer final.. particularly the second half..

 

i found it ridiculous to play in that heat!

 

i was really let down by argentina's performance...i'm glad they won the gold but basically after they scored they did the typical try to hold on for dear life... that may work against a bunch of inexperienced young and rather naive nigerian players but that type of approach will not work in a world cup say against germany (which it did not in 2006).... its almost a cultural thing i think....

 

i think argentina had the better team and maybe it was partly due to the heat but i didn't find anything to get excited about in the final.. finals often are like that though..really tight...

 

riquelme to me does not seem capable of playing anymore... why did he not actually take corners and instead just played the ball out with say messi? does argentina have no one capable of heading the ball of a corner??

 

 

 

 

Billy Idol- Pier Six Pavilion Baltimore August 22, 2008 live video Dancing With Myself

It is Joe Biden

So looks like it is Joe Biden. I think Obama did not have any other realistic choice given the current context of what looks to be shaping up to be a close election; he had to pick someone the media and establishment will tell the American people "..is strong and knowledgeable on foreign policy and defense." All rather silly given Biden voted to give Bush the authorization to go to war which in my opinion is not being strong or knowledgeable. But what were his other potential options?

1. Hillary: clearly there is bad blood and there was no way he was going to pick her.
2. Senator Bayh from Indiana: very boring.. had nothing really going for him...I believe he was the runner up and was very close to being selected.
3. Richardson: A black/brown ticket? I don't think so.
4. Governor Sebelius (woman) from Kansas: I just don't see what she added but Obama really gets along with her.. Still a ticket with a black and a woman who is not Hillary would have been pushing it.
5. Governor Kaine from Virginia: he was only just elected Governor.. too inexperienced..Obama probably wished he could have selected him because he really likes him on a personal level..
6. Senator Jim Webb from Virginia.... For whatever reason Obama did not want him.. he just was elected to the Senate so not too experienced but at least he is a vietnam vet and served in the Reagan administration
7. Warner (former Governor of Virginia)..this was a good choice but Warner ruled himself out to run for the Senate.. and Warner has no foreign policy/defense background..he would have given Obama Virginia..no small fact..
8. General Wesley Clark..this was the one I thought was a good choice but Clark was a strong Hillary supporter and I think there was no rapport...

So basically there was no perfect VP choice.. there was something wrong with everyone! Given the obsession of the military industrial complex/establishment picking Biden sends a signal that Obama is not going to rock the boat... ANd given Obama has only been in the Senate a few years and is an unproven entity I guess thats what he had to do... If Obama had been up 10 points in the polls he could have picked Donald Duck but thats not what has been going on... This week we saw the first polls showing McCain ahead... I think that forced his hand. The upside is Joe Biden has the credibility, gravitas etc to take on McCain on foreign policy... For example Biden visited Georgia (the country not the state!) earlier this week. Biden is not a choice that is going to excite anyone but I think Obama doesn't really need any more excitement.. He basically needed one of the old boys club charter members.

Billy Idol Pier Six Pavilion Baltimore 8-22-08 pictures

Rocking show! I'll have a review and maybe even a video up soon hopefully.

Billy Idol Pier Six Paviion Baltimore 8-22-08 pictures!

I'll have a video hopefully and a review up soon. Rocking show!!

Barack Obama tells it like it is...

Eddie Vedder concert review 8-16-08 Warner Theatre (more like scattered musings)

Well I didn't take notes so these will be my scattershot impressions....the opener Liam Finn (son of one of the guys from crowded house) and playing accompanied by a female whose name I am embarassed to say I do not remember- well he was quite impressive....although his music was very unmelodic it was ultra creative... Liam used lots of effects where they'd play something and then loop it back .. so the two really sounded like a full blown band at times...He pounded the drums with particular gusto but played many different instruments...I seem to recall a Beatles cover but this was not the norm which was more on the order of bizzaro jams....The crowd at first was fairly disinterested - we were to learn why soon- but eventually got into it a bit more...Definetly Liam Finn struck me as an artist with a capital "A" and whom I would keep an eye on..

 

After about a 20 minute break which most spent trying to procure a beer from the pathetic shambolic Warner Theatre concessions Eddie Vedder came on.. he was by himself on the stage on what looked like some sort of carpet where some sort of semicircle was created by various guitars... his assistant would periodically come out- dressed in a lab coat- and bring him a new guitar.. he went through guitars (and their relatives such as someting that seemed like a ukelele) faster than a prisoner through cigarrettes..........The crowd immediately we realized would be a problem.. made up of diehard Eddie and Pearl Jam fans these clowns didn't realize that this was not a Pearl Jam concert at the Local 15,000 seat arena.... many felt compelled to yell out innane requests (songs he could not even play) and the mandator "we love you eddie" and "thanks eddie"'s..some people would even yell during songs! Eddie clearly became a bit discomfited and even went as far as stating at one point that this was all "affecting my professional output"... People did calm down a bit but not that much.. I know how it is guys.. you're seeing Eddie Vedder at this wonderful intimate 1800 seat theatre and you want to reach out to the guy..this is your chance! but this is not the way of doing it! Because Eddie was playing most of the songs on his own he really needed to focus on what he was playing and the hooting and hollerin just made him plain uncomfortable...

 

Eddie Vedder mentioned as he began his set that the show was being filmed and we saw numerous cameras running around even right behind our seats which were in front of an aisle....Of course, this being Washington DC and about 4 blocks from the White House, and this being Eddie Vedder, and this being an election year: well it was no surprise that Eddie Vedder talked quite a bit about politics.. he also had a mask of George W. Bush which he decked with a guitar in some sort of mock frustration when he went into the same verse of Masters of War for a second time by accident...The set list was largely made up of songs from the Into the Wild soundtrack, a few choice covers ("Blackbird", "you've got to hide your love away", "Masters of War"), a few Pearl Jam songs to satisfy a crowd hungry for these even though it was not a Pearl Jam show ("Porch", "Elderly woman...", "Wishlist", "Sometimes" (see video on this site), etc.) and a few other experiment songs including a wonderful closing number where he looped his voice and "taped" more vocals over the initial vocal loop until he had created an extremely powerful song which reminded me a bit of a "primal scream" type song..

 

In my opinion the show started a bit slow until Eddie settled down but once he settled into his groove the show really took off... The second half was particularly strong...One of his last songs was a wonderful song I had not hear called "No more war" which I understand is fairly new.. He also played a new song he had just written up in his hotel room in New York city a few nights before..Vedder rambled a bit here and there as anyone who knows him would expect and addressed people who feel that as an artist he should not make political statements by first stating "I don't give a fuck.." and then explaining that to quote George Orwell "..people that say an artist should not mix politics with art are in it of themselves making a political statement.." His introductory remarks to "Blackbird" offered him the opportunity to address the election and candidate Obama by saying that to him it seemed that electing Obama would mean everything because it would mean that in America race finally meant nothing in terms of looking at a candidate for president and that in it of itself WOULD mean everything...

 

The crowd knew the words to pretty much every Pearl Jam song he performed and there were some impressive instances of the crowd singing the choruses back to Eddie...1800 people singing along in a theatre with the acoustics of the Warner is pretty darn special..

Eddie Vedder concert live video Warner Theatre Washington DC August 16, 2008 "Sometimes"

Fantastic show tonight!.. more on it tomorrow...

Don't tear down Yankee Stadium!

Yankees! I can't believe you are going to actually tear down the House that Ruth built! the shrine of baseball! The place where the Babe, Gehrig, Reggie, Mantle, Yogi...Reggie all played.. the place where you won an unprecedented 26 championships.. but lets leave that aside.. so the Yankees won a lot there.so what? its about the history of that stadium with respect to baseball..... the idea that one won't be able to take their kids to the ballpark and say "see ..thats where Ruth played!".. I truly just can't believe it... I can believe the greed and avarice of the Yankee organization but what about the rest of baseball???

 

Would it have been so hard to do what was done when Yankee stadium was last remodeled in the 70s and alternate games with the Mets at their stadium???

 

I'm afraid Ralph Nader had it right in his letter to Steinbrenner in 2006 (see: http://www.leagueoffans.org/blog/index.php?/archives/41-Nader-to-Steinbrenner-Dont-tear-down-Yankee-Stadium.html)

 

There is not reason this ballpark had to be torn down other than unabashed greed. Its too bad that no social movement rallied around saving the stadium.

Buddy Guy pictures Wolftrap Vienna Virginia 8-13-08

Buddy Guy actually came out to the lawn of Wolftrap and hung out with the crowd while he jammed out! Had never seen that before.. he basically came all the way up on one aisle.. crossed the lawn (got way up there), and came back down to the stage on the other side.. a bunch of us followed him around! Madness!

 

 

George Thorogood Pictures 8-13-08 Wolftrap Vienna Virginia

George Thorogood Wolftrap Vienna Virginia 8-13-08 Back in the USA (live video snippet)

Highly enjoyable Thorogood show last night at the best outdoor venue in the country Wolftrap. Very good sound...he finished it off with Chuck Berry's Back in the USA which being the Berry nut I am i absolutely went bonkers over...Thorogood seemed thrilled to be playing Wolftrap and made reference to "..hope we can make this an annual thing.." or some such..From your words to God's ears Lonesome George! Having never seen Thorogood I was particularly thrilled they have a sax player..really gives it that vintage good old time rock and roll feeling....

John McCain: Experienced Bullshit Artist

Now we read that McCain is warning Russia of "severe consequences" if it doesn't halt its actions in Georgia. Well let me ask you John: how you going to back it up considering the US military is stretched thin by your policy of staying in Iraq for another 100 years? If we actually listened to the Iraq government which is demanding a timeline we'd have the military wherewithal to at least present some sort of deterrent to Russia's agressiveness with respect to its neighbours (not to mention focus on finding Bin Laden.. remember him?).

 

Of course it bears repeating that Barack Obama is the candidate that favors a timeline with respect to Iraq which is something that far from weakening the United States - as McCain and his accolytes insist- would strengthen us by allowing us to have the military resources to address crises such as Georgia.

Let us also acknowledge that the surge in Iraq has had important costs! Those additional troops are in Iraq and they are not ready to be deployed to Georgia.

US opened up pandora's box by invading Iraq

"It's a pity that some of our partners instead of helping are in fact trying to get in the way,I mean among other things the United States airlifting Georgia's military contingent from Iraq effectively into the conflict zone The scale of their cynicism causes surprise, it's the ability to cast white as black and black as white which is surprising, the ability to cast the aggressor as the victim and blame the victims for the consequences. Of course, Saddam Hussein ought to have been hanged for destroying several Shiite villages, and the incumbent Georgian leaders who razed ten Ossetian villages at once, who ran elderly people and children with tanks, who burned civilian alive in their sheds — these leaders must be taken under protection."

Vladimir Putin

Re: John Edwards Love Child??

john edwards has confessed.. he's pond scum. ...he's not just scum for having an affair of course but for repeatedly lying to the press and putting the democrats in an untenable situation.. lets imagine he grabbed the nomination and this came out now!... democrats would be toast....amazing how many "progressives" fell for his schtick.. for months during the primaries until he dropped out obama supporters had to endure the "edwards walks on water and obama is not a progressive"... the progressive wing of the party definetly went with edwards.. then they quickly switched to obama when they had no other choice... but the fact that they fell for edwards' used salesman schtick was sad.... even sadder perhaps that the money they contributed to his campaign was used to pay edwards' lover or what have you.. if thats not scuzzy particularly when you add to that the fact that his wife has an incurable illness.. man....

 

it just goes to what i think is my core position on politicians: i don't care that they get it right on all the issues..i don't go to a webpage and look at a candidates positions on all the issues and support the one that has more positions in common with me... i want someone with some integrity..someone i can believe in.... the fact that progresives are so obsessed with candidates "positions" and how closely they mirror their own is shortsighted because positions will of necessity change..... edwards talked a big walk but he's just a another piece of shit liar.

 

 

Heaven and Hell at Nissan Pavilion 8-7-08 Live Video Masters of Metal

Motorhead Ace of Spades Live Video Masters of Metal Nissan Pavilion 8-7-08

Motorhead live at the Masters of Metal Nissan Pavilion 8-7-08

Some pictures of Lemmy and the gang...They were the second band on the bill and played right before Heaven and Hell and then Judas Priest closed it out.. Incredible night of rock and roll and heavy metal. Good night to wear ear plugs for sure!

 

The Black Crowes Wolftrap August 3 2008 Never Ending Song of Love video

Now I realize what song it was! It was Delaney and Bonnie's Never Ending Song of Love from 1971's Motel SHot which is a killer album.. I think I've written about that album on this very blog.. particularly striking on that album besides the great guests which include Gram Parsons, is that they perform the Grateful Dead's upbeat arrangement of Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad BUT here's the kicker: they taught that arrangement to the dead.. ANyways the Black Crowes last night covered this song and it sounded really good...

Black Crowes August 3 2008 Set List

From Crowes base:

 

The Black Crowes
   03 August 2008 - Wolf Trap - Vienna, VA [ USA ]

S E T   L I S T  »

Wounded Bird Evergreen Seeing Things Wee Who See The Deep -> Jam -> Thorn In My Pride Never Ending Song Of Love Locust Street Rockin' Chair He Was A Friend Of Mine Lay It All On Me Movin' On Down The Line Space Captain She Talks To Angels Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution - encore - Hung Upside Down Keep A Knockin'

Loretta Lynn Warrenton Fair August 2 2008 Front Royal Virginia pictures

Boy was it ever great to see Loretta Lynn....I snapped a few pictures..

 

Black Crowes Wolftrap August 3 2008 pictures

So on the lawn this time out.. hence we were a mile away... but these pictures give an idea..

 

 

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