Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
"Purple Pain: Les You're Crazy" 29 Years Later Another Les Another Dismal Season
Twenty-nine years ago this month the Washington Redskins played the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome in a nationally televised Thursday night game on ABC. As native Minnesotans and die hard Vikings fans who relocated to The Washington D.C. area when our father took a job with the Senate in 1971, my brother and I suffered every fall when football season rolled around.
In the 1970's there was no such thing as cable or satellite TV with NFL Sunday Ticket where you can watch your choice of any or all games. Nope, back then you were stuck with the regional game in your area and for Northern Virginia that meant the Foreskins. Having been spoiled by the consistently excellent teams of the Bud Grant era we were proud of our Vikings and liked to show our pride with our Vikings stocking hats and hero jackets. This of course tended to make us the focal point for our classmates, who were predominantly Skins fans, wrath. Fortunately we survived and after high school we returned to Minnesota to attend the U.
So when the 1984 Vikings schedule was released and we saw that our Vikes would be playing the hated Foreskins on a nationally televised Thursday night game on ABC, we knew what we had to do. Games televised on ABC, usually Monday Night but late in the season the odd Thursday night game, meant that the Metropolitan Sports Facility would be relaxing their strict "no signs" policy so that Dandy Don and Howard would have something to talk about (other than Frank Gifford's slutty wife). For those too young to remember, the key to getting your sign seen on air was to include the ABC logo on your sign with a nod to one of the broadcasters and then in the margins of your sign you could do shout outs to your friends.
As luck would have it though, 1984 was not a good year for the Vikings. Bud Grant had retired just the year before after an almost unheard of mediocre record of 8-8 and the geniuses who made up the management group that ran the Vikings had made one of the biggest blunders in franchise history (sorry Herschel). Instead of tapping Bud Grant's long time assistant and offensive coordinator Jerry Burns, Viking management decided to go with a youth movement hiring 38 year old Les Steckel, a born again ex-Marine. By the time of the game in late November, the Vikings were well on their way to the worst record in team history, 3-13.
1984 was also the year that Prince broke through to national success with his album Purple Rain. One of the singles from the album was "Let's Go Crazy". Simply irresistible. A sign from Jehovah?
$25 of art supplies and a 12 pack of Green Death (Special Ex) later my brother and I get inside the stadium an hour and a half before game time only to find every conceivable bit of railing space is already taken with signage, except one. There was a spot over one of the dugouts. So that's where we hung it and scurried back to our nosebleed seats where we sat looking through binoculars admiring our art work. Little did we know that was the dugout the Vikings used to get to their locker room.
Pretty soon the Vikings came out with their backs to our sign followed by the coaching staff including Head Coach Les Steckel. The players turned around to face Coach Steckel and started to stretch before Steckel started his pregame regime of Marine Corps calisthenics (something a veteran team like the Vikings absolutely despised). Well it didn't take too long until the players started to notice. I believe punter Greg Coleman was the first to crack up and start pointing and soon chuckles started rippling through the ranks, pissing off the whistle clenching head coach. Finally Steckel sees the sign and starts flailing his arms at his assistants who get Sims Security personnel to start removing our sign.
My brother and I flew down to the section where our sign was and all that running got the Green Death coursing through my bloodstream. Being a law student and taking Constitutional Law from Dean Carl Auerbach (just as my father did before me) I start a rant about First Amendment rights as the Sims Security guards were crumpling all our hard work and money into a large ball obviously destined for the trash. The head Pinkerton (aka Sims) wannabe informs me "one more word out of you and you will be watching the game from jail...". The combination of seething anger, humiliation and Green Death was so overwhelming the only way I could keep my cool was to stare at my boots as we walked up the long flight of stairs from near the dugout and out into the concourse of the Metrodome.
At this point my anger is overtaken by the overwhelming need to urinate and now! Using my less than Superman powers of peripheral vision and still looking down at my feet, I follow the shadows of the crowd around me and into one of the large public restrooms. Standing in line, still staring at my feet, the room suddenly gets strangely quiet. I look up and make eye contact with one of the several dozen women staring at me with mouths agape. Both of us let out blood curdling shrieks just before I sprint from the women's room in search of my brother who I find back at our seats. After I tell him what just happened we both agree to leave and go back to his nearby apartment before we run into that Sims Security guard who now will definitely arrest us or at least me.
We spend the game composing the following letters to the editor which were subsequently printed in both the St. Paul Dispatch (not yet Pioneer Press) and City Pages. The next week as I was exiting my 8-9 a.m. class at the U Law School, one of my classmates (now Judge) Mary Hannon comes up to me and asks if I have a brother and when I confirm I do she tells me they read our letter on the KQ Morning Show and that the host, Tom Barnard would like to talk to the brothers who wrote the letter. I jump in my car and make it from the Law School to my parent's house on West River Road near Lock and Dam No. 1 in 17 minutes only to find that the morning crew were done at 9:15 a.m.
The best part of the story, at least for me, was one of our friends back in Northern Virginia said that they flashed a view of our sign on the Joe Gibbs Show so at least one of our friends got to see our shout out to them.
If only the thin skinned born again Marine would have listened to his lovely wife Tess and chilled out I could have recycled my sign. Although 29 years later, same teams, another Coach Les and another dismal season. Same as it ever was.
In the 1970's there was no such thing as cable or satellite TV with NFL Sunday Ticket where you can watch your choice of any or all games. Nope, back then you were stuck with the regional game in your area and for Northern Virginia that meant the Foreskins. Having been spoiled by the consistently excellent teams of the Bud Grant era we were proud of our Vikings and liked to show our pride with our Vikings stocking hats and hero jackets. This of course tended to make us the focal point for our classmates, who were predominantly Skins fans, wrath. Fortunately we survived and after high school we returned to Minnesota to attend the U.
So when the 1984 Vikings schedule was released and we saw that our Vikes would be playing the hated Foreskins on a nationally televised Thursday night game on ABC, we knew what we had to do. Games televised on ABC, usually Monday Night but late in the season the odd Thursday night game, meant that the Metropolitan Sports Facility would be relaxing their strict "no signs" policy so that Dandy Don and Howard would have something to talk about (other than Frank Gifford's slutty wife). For those too young to remember, the key to getting your sign seen on air was to include the ABC logo on your sign with a nod to one of the broadcasters and then in the margins of your sign you could do shout outs to your friends.
As luck would have it though, 1984 was not a good year for the Vikings. Bud Grant had retired just the year before after an almost unheard of mediocre record of 8-8 and the geniuses who made up the management group that ran the Vikings had made one of the biggest blunders in franchise history (sorry Herschel). Instead of tapping Bud Grant's long time assistant and offensive coordinator Jerry Burns, Viking management decided to go with a youth movement hiring 38 year old Les Steckel, a born again ex-Marine. By the time of the game in late November, the Vikings were well on their way to the worst record in team history, 3-13.
1984 was also the year that Prince broke through to national success with his album Purple Rain. One of the singles from the album was "Let's Go Crazy". Simply irresistible. A sign from Jehovah?
$25 of art supplies and a 12 pack of Green Death (Special Ex) later my brother and I get inside the stadium an hour and a half before game time only to find every conceivable bit of railing space is already taken with signage, except one. There was a spot over one of the dugouts. So that's where we hung it and scurried back to our nosebleed seats where we sat looking through binoculars admiring our art work. Little did we know that was the dugout the Vikings used to get to their locker room.
Pretty soon the Vikings came out with their backs to our sign followed by the coaching staff including Head Coach Les Steckel. The players turned around to face Coach Steckel and started to stretch before Steckel started his pregame regime of Marine Corps calisthenics (something a veteran team like the Vikings absolutely despised). Well it didn't take too long until the players started to notice. I believe punter Greg Coleman was the first to crack up and start pointing and soon chuckles started rippling through the ranks, pissing off the whistle clenching head coach. Finally Steckel sees the sign and starts flailing his arms at his assistants who get Sims Security personnel to start removing our sign.
My brother and I flew down to the section where our sign was and all that running got the Green Death coursing through my bloodstream. Being a law student and taking Constitutional Law from Dean Carl Auerbach (just as my father did before me) I start a rant about First Amendment rights as the Sims Security guards were crumpling all our hard work and money into a large ball obviously destined for the trash. The head Pinkerton (aka Sims) wannabe informs me "one more word out of you and you will be watching the game from jail...". The combination of seething anger, humiliation and Green Death was so overwhelming the only way I could keep my cool was to stare at my boots as we walked up the long flight of stairs from near the dugout and out into the concourse of the Metrodome.
At this point my anger is overtaken by the overwhelming need to urinate and now! Using my less than Superman powers of peripheral vision and still looking down at my feet, I follow the shadows of the crowd around me and into one of the large public restrooms. Standing in line, still staring at my feet, the room suddenly gets strangely quiet. I look up and make eye contact with one of the several dozen women staring at me with mouths agape. Both of us let out blood curdling shrieks just before I sprint from the women's room in search of my brother who I find back at our seats. After I tell him what just happened we both agree to leave and go back to his nearby apartment before we run into that Sims Security guard who now will definitely arrest us or at least me.
We spend the game composing the following letters to the editor which were subsequently printed in both the St. Paul Dispatch (not yet Pioneer Press) and City Pages. The next week as I was exiting my 8-9 a.m. class at the U Law School, one of my classmates (now Judge) Mary Hannon comes up to me and asks if I have a brother and when I confirm I do she tells me they read our letter on the KQ Morning Show and that the host, Tom Barnard would like to talk to the brothers who wrote the letter. I jump in my car and make it from the Law School to my parent's house on West River Road near Lock and Dam No. 1 in 17 minutes only to find that the morning crew were done at 9:15 a.m.
The best part of the story, at least for me, was one of our friends back in Northern Virginia said that they flashed a view of our sign on the Joe Gibbs Show so at least one of our friends got to see our shout out to them.
If only the thin skinned born again Marine would have listened to his lovely wife Tess and chilled out I could have recycled my sign. Although 29 years later, same teams, another Coach Les and another dismal season. Same as it ever was.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Plain Sense Enters Contest to Win Van Morrison's Moondance Deluxe Edition: Why Does a Lover of Americana and Roots Music Love Van Morrison’s Music?
- Which track is my favorite off of Moondance: All of them.Moondance comes from the era of the long playing vinyl record. Unlike today's compact disc or the mp3, which make it almost too easy to skip to the most accessible, and sadly, often most commercial tracks, vinyl records, more often than not, allowed artists the freedom and room to tell a story.By story I do not mean a continuous plot line with the same characters, but rather a loosely based concept or theme that created and told if not a story, at least a mood.Although the best LPs did not necessarily have a formal beginning, middle and denouement, the best took you on a memorable trip where the journey was more important than the eventual destination. Moondance is certainly such an album. From the opening song “And it stoned Me” with its reference to American Music forefathers (i.e. “Jelly Roll”)through several soul numbers that were written and performed with the authenticity of some of the great Northern Soul or Memphis labels, Moondance is a tour de force.While I do not rank Moondance as my favorite Van song the sum of the parts that make up the album Moondance make for one of the greatest LPs of the 60’s-70’s rock era.That said, what is my favorite Van Morrison album? The answer may surprise you but is the reason why Van Morrison is one of my favorite musicians.My favorite Van album is not Astral Weeks, Moondance, or even Into the Music , don’t get me wrong, I love all of them, but my personal favorite is “A Night in San Francisco” . The reason I love “A Night in San Francisco” so much because this is, in my estimation Van Morrison’s love letter and thank you to American Music.Van is not only a lover , but a student of American Music. The musicians Van assembled for the two nights of shows that were recorded live included several icons of American Blues and Jazz, heroes and mentors of Van, who sadly were well past their prime. Even sadder, some had been compromised by the ravages of age and addiction and were being ignored if not forgotten by the public and shunned by their colleagues. Nevertheless Van incorporated these musicians into the immensely talented large band he assembled for the occasion and then gave them the support and encouragement to spotlight their talents and they rose to the occasion.And that is why a lover of Americana and Roots music loves Van Morrison’s music, because Van Morrison passionately loves American Music. A beautiful vision indeed.(Out of respect I am not mentioning the great musicians of whom I speak but it is apparent to anyone who reviews the liner notes and is familiar with the latter stages of these great musicians career.)Enter contest to Win a copy of Van Morrison's 'Moondance' Deluxe Edition on
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Washington Weeks In Review: A Visual History
Senator Cruz Devises A Strategy:
The Tea Party Responds:
It becomes a world wide sensation:
Pakistani children play game called "House Republicans doing the Republican Shutdown"
Some even tried to take advantage of a seasonal angle:
But tried as they might, the conclusion was never in doubt:
And what have the arrogant, self defeating, mostly racist, fools, known as the Tea Party, accomplished for themselves (after all it's only about them) out of all this pain and misery?
Oh, and just one more thing Tea Baggers:
Some even tried to take advantage of a seasonal angle:
But tried as they might, the conclusion was never in doubt:
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Now You're Messing with a Son of a Fitch
Just as John Ashcroft used every last bit of strength to raise himself off his bed in the ICU at Georgetown Hospital, prop himself up on his elbows and tell the Bush/Cheney staffers sent to collect his sign off to illegal wiretapping an emphatic "NO!", so I leave my sick bed of the last three days to monitor the dire situation unfolding in the nation's capitol.
The hypocrisy of the so called party of the fiscal conservatives has always been well known to those who pay attention (e.g. prior to the the GWB Great Recession of 2007 the biggest deficit spenders in history were Reagan and GWB). But hypocrisy has reached new heights in D.C. as the "New Republicans", the hostage taking, ransom demanding, spoilt little children known as the Tea Baggers have played chicken with a Democratic controlled Senate and a moderate President who has been publicly saying he was willing to have constructive discussions aimed at improving the Affordable Care Act for nearly 2 years now.
So how are the nattering nabobs of negativity doing saving us, the American people, money? CBS News reported yesterday that the government shutdown has cost the economy some $22 Billion to date and the higher interest rate paid by the Government on just one small issuance of bonds amounted to another $20 million Dollars. But the biggest repercussion of all, the announcement yesterday by the rating service Fitch that they were putting the U.S. AAA bond rating under review for a possible downgrade should send shivers up the spines of all rational actors. Unfortunately, when discussing the "New Republicans" we are not dealing with rational actors which almost makes one yearn for the old days of two bit actors of the Reagan kind.
The hypocrisy of the so called party of the fiscal conservatives has always been well known to those who pay attention (e.g. prior to the the GWB Great Recession of 2007 the biggest deficit spenders in history were Reagan and GWB). But hypocrisy has reached new heights in D.C. as the "New Republicans", the hostage taking, ransom demanding, spoilt little children known as the Tea Baggers have played chicken with a Democratic controlled Senate and a moderate President who has been publicly saying he was willing to have constructive discussions aimed at improving the Affordable Care Act for nearly 2 years now.
So how are the nattering nabobs of negativity doing saving us, the American people, money? CBS News reported yesterday that the government shutdown has cost the economy some $22 Billion to date and the higher interest rate paid by the Government on just one small issuance of bonds amounted to another $20 million Dollars. But the biggest repercussion of all, the announcement yesterday by the rating service Fitch that they were putting the U.S. AAA bond rating under review for a possible downgrade should send shivers up the spines of all rational actors. Unfortunately, when discussing the "New Republicans" we are not dealing with rational actors which almost makes one yearn for the old days of two bit actors of the Reagan kind.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Even a Two-Bit Actor with Alzheimer's Knew the Consequences of a Government Default
"The full consequences of a default, or even the serious prospect of
default by the United States are impossible to predict and awesome to
contemplate. Denigration of the full faith and credit of the United
States would have substantial effects on the domestic financial markets
and on the value of the dollar and exchange markets." President Ronald Reagan discussing the effects of a government default.
Perhaps the current batch of Know Nothings aka Sen. Ted Cruz and the House Republicans should heed the words of Saint Ronnie and act responsibly.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Letter Questions MPR's Journalistic Ethics Over Its Coverage on Priest's Alleged Possession of Pornography
The following was submitted to Minnesota Public Radio.
Listening to the update about Father Jon Shelley wherein it was reported that a citizen has turned over to police something purporting to be a copy of his laptop's hard drive from nearly 10 years ago set off warning bells in this criminal defense attorney's mind.
In light of the emotionally charged nature of the allegations against Father Shelley, the prospects for someone"ginning up" the case against him are great. This is one reason why in the law of evidence there is something called "chain of custody", something that the purported "copy of a hard drive" sorely lacks.
Furthermore the reporting yesterday seemed to imply that Father Shelley was somehow to blame that the purchaser's intended use for the used laptop was to give it to children six or 7 years of age. This aspect was emphasized in bold print and a separate balloon in your article and it was ridiculous, created an unfair impression that this somehow involved child pornography and was plain bad journalism.
I would lastly submit that someone who was truly a pedophile would have more than one or two questionable images among thousands of adults engaging in sexual activities. If the Catholic Church is going to adhere to its archaic sexual norms and mores, the media and the public should not be in a rush to engage in an electronic lynching of a human being's reputation and character before all admissible evidence is in.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Despite Shutting Down Federal Government the Republican's Childish and Desperate Attempt to Stop "Obamacare" Fails
Ha Ha Ha! That's right all you money grubbing racists your mean spirited and hateful attempt to keep less fortunate Americans from something you take for granted, access to affordable health care, failed. Now please go back under the rock you crawled out from!
Plainsense10/1/2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Deliberate Economic Sabotage: Cruz, Republicans and Tea Party Resort to Terrorist Tactics
With uncertainty will come the predictable downturn in the economy and upheaval in the markets. Real people in red states and blue states are going to lose their jobs.
"But wait a second", you say, "I thought the Republicans were supposed to be the party that supports business and the middle class?" Ha! Big business and the ultra rich, Hell Yes, the Republicans are all in. The notion that the Republicans promote policies that favor the middle class is simply rhetoric. How much evidence do the cracker barrel bonobos that comprise the majority of voters in the red states need? The last forty years are not enough?
It does not take a Nobel prize winning economist to figure out the economic ramifications of the Republicans' childish and self-destructive behavior in forcing a government shutdown. The hypocrisy and stupidity of the modern day know nothings, the Tea Baggers and Republicans is mind numbing. Why on God's green earth would a political party responsible for controlling the Unites States House of Representatives pursue the tactics of the same people who caused 911 which in this instance furthers the same goal of disrupting the U.S. economy? Grow up America and do the responsible thing and vote demagogues who place personal and party ambitions over the good of the country out of office.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Disrespectful and Wasting Other Peoples Time: 911 Conspiracy Crowd Need to Become Gainfully Employed or Volunteer Their Time to Legitimate Causes
I really hate to draw any attention to these nitwits but they really piss me off with their stubborn refusal to approach questions using the scientific method and cherry picking the same, long discredited theories and selective use of only photographs, video and evidence that supports their industry, CONSPIRACY. If you don't believe its an industry, I've got a money grubbin' former Governor I'd like to sell you.
This week's edition of the City Pages has a full page ad on the inside back page trotting out the same, long discredited talking points and false choice logic but relabeled as Rethink911.org and paid for by "Minnesota 9/11 Truth", the disrespectful and Wasting Other Peoples Time crowd that needs to either become gainfully employed , volunteer their time to the multitude of legitimate, constructive charities and nonprofits out there or find some other constructive use of their time.
It takes only a few seconds to do a google search to find numerous sites that point by point destroy the false arguments of the disrespectful time wasters and lead you to legitimate news and government sites with original source content. Here are just a couple of the sites the conspiracy industry would rather you not read: http://www.structuremag.org/Archives/2007-11/SF-WTC7-Gilsanz-Nov07.pdf
http://www.debunking911.com/pull.htm
I had to laugh when I saw the title of the conspiracy theorists full page ad "SHHHHH...dont mention the third building" because a good editor would have caught the excessive verbiage and shortened the title to simply "SHHHHHIT" because that is all these cracker barrel bonobos peddle.
This week's edition of the City Pages has a full page ad on the inside back page trotting out the same, long discredited talking points and false choice logic but relabeled as Rethink911.org and paid for by "Minnesota 9/11 Truth", the disrespectful and Wasting Other Peoples Time crowd that needs to either become gainfully employed , volunteer their time to the multitude of legitimate, constructive charities and nonprofits out there or find some other constructive use of their time.
It takes only a few seconds to do a google search to find numerous sites that point by point destroy the false arguments of the disrespectful time wasters and lead you to legitimate news and government sites with original source content. Here are just a couple of the sites the conspiracy industry would rather you not read: http://www.structuremag.org/Archives/2007-11/SF-WTC7-Gilsanz-Nov07.pdf
http://www.debunking911.com/pull.htm
I had to laugh when I saw the title of the conspiracy theorists full page ad "SHHHHH...dont mention the third building" because a good editor would have caught the excessive verbiage and shortened the title to simply "SHHHHHIT" because that is all these cracker barrel bonobos peddle.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Six Degrees of 911: “It’s A Small World After All”*
*Note: Plain Sense is in court today performing a day of service defending the piece of paper upon which this great country of ours is based (no my Republican friends, it's not the All Mighty Dollar but the Constitution of which I speak). To that end I am reposting my entry of September 11, 2011. Don't thank me just think of this as Deja Vu all over again.
Like most Americans over the age of 15, I can remember September 11, 2001 as if it were yesterday. Who
could forget that incredibly blue, cloudless sky and the fresh, crisp
air with the first hints of the coming change in seasons that would soon
be Fall.
It was
shortly before 9:00 AM and I was working at the computer in my “Parkway
South” (aka home) law office in South Minneapolis. I
had a television on in the background with the CBS Morning Show on when
I heard Bryant Gumbel announce reports of a fire at the World Trade
Center. I thought to myself,
“this has got to be interesting…” and got up and went over to the t.v.
just in time to see what looked like a shadow pass in back of one of the
towers only to explode out of the side of the tower facing the camera
in a spectacular orange fire ball.
As
I stood there staring at the television screen in utter disbelief, the
telephone rang and like I was in some kind of strange, hypnotic trance, I
picked up the receiver and said hello without even glancing, as was my
custom, at the caller ID. You
see, I had consulted earlier that summer with a potential client, a bank
robbery suspect, being held under a federal hold at the Sherburne
County, MN jail. At the time they
were constructing a new federal courthouse and detention center in
downtown Minneapolis and until the new facility was ready, the federal
government was contracting with Sherburne County, which had just built a
state of the art facility with plenty of capacity, to house federal
detainees and prisoners awaiting trial and/or hearing.
When
my prospective client did not come up with the retainer fee, I stopped
taking his collect calls from the Sherburne County jail which had run up
to a not insignificant amount. Because
my prospective client had been accused by jail staff of being
uncooperative, they had moved him into the solitary confinement wing at
the Sherburne County jail. Hearing
the voice of my unrequited client, I snapped out of my trance and
unleashed a torrent of verbage, something to the effect: “You
would never believe what just happened, I just watched an airliner fly
into and explode against one of the World Trade Centers…”. Over
the course of the next hour, the one hour my client had outside his
cell in solitary, I relayed the incoming news to my client who in turn
was passing along the information to the other prisoners in the solitary
wing by yelling updates down the hall.
It
was not until the next day and reading the Minneapolis and St. Paul
newspapers did we discover that also in the solitary wing of the
Sherburne County jail that day was Zacarias Moussaoui, who has been held
since August of 2001 after raising suspicions at a Minnesota flight
school. Despite what the
newspapers reported as when Moussaoui first learned of the attacks when
he walked into a television lounge and saw new reports later in the day,
to which he allegedly pumped his fist in triumph, both my prospective
client and I knew the truth, that we were the first persons to apprise
him of the news of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
If
you will
remember, in the days following 911 there was considerable discussion of the government listening in on attorney client phone calls from jail and you can bet I was sweating that I would receive a phone call from the FBI asking me to explain myself, which thankfully never came.
remember, in the days following 911 there was considerable discussion of the government listening in on attorney client phone calls from jail and you can bet I was sweating that I would receive a phone call from the FBI asking me to explain myself, which thankfully never came.
This story
just goes to show how interconnected we are and how small the world is
that I would be connected, even in the most remote way, to the most defining event of our generation. Kevin Bacon eat your heart out.
P.S. Zimmy the Fathead back in jail where he belongs.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Silent Sentinels to Walker's Injustice: Permits? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' PERMITS!!!
A good friend and former colleague of mine sent me this editorial he wrote for the enemy state's widest circulation newspaper. In a break from the long standing policy of this site not to disseminate falsehoods or promote the bully tactics of the effete elite, I relent on this one occasion on the condition that I can add my editorial enhancements. Plain Sense
Capitol police are right (Police right? Yeah, right.)
Although I side with the Capitol rotunda sing-alongers' goals (With friends like you who needs Republicans?), I am forced to agree with conservatives that their means are self-centered, juvenile and, ultimately, ineffective.As an attorney, (Look whose self-centered now, I mean come on , give me a break, at the rate we're going pretty soon everyone will be a flipping attorney. Whoop tee doo.), it greatly frustrates me (if you think you're frustrated ...he's my friend remember)when my fellow citizens (Who is this guy, LBJ?)invoke constitutional rights that they do not fully understand. Time, manner and place restrictions on free speech rights have been in place for decades.
William Conley, the federal judge who upheld the permit requirement for groups over 20 people, is no puppet of Gov. Scott Walker. This is, after all, the same judge who granted a restraining order preventing implementation of Wisconsin's admitting privilege requirement restriction on abortion providers. Facts can be detestable little creatures (author a big Lady Gaga fan no doubt).
Although press members and mere witnesses should never be arrested, I cannot bring myself to even feign outrage that the very young, elderly, firefighters, politicians or others who actually participate without a valid permit are cited. Outrage would be appropriate if the Capitol police chose not to arrest certain classes of people based on age or profession. (You miss the whole point my friend, Walker did not like the content of the message so he changed the rules by executive order to require a permit to assemble in the house of the people, the Wisconsin capitol. When 22 instead of the maximum number of 20 assembled the Walker private Pinkerton army aka capitol security manhandled and used excessive force on 70 year old ladies who were doing nothing more than singing.}
But my chief complaint is that the sing-along seems to exist merely for its own sake. Name a policy that Walker has changed or backed down from due to these tone-deaf crooners. The off-key singing does nothing but distract from the larger social issues at hand.
In Minnesota, the DFL showed real organization and political leadership in legalizing gay marriage. This was accomplished by the people, through their elected representatives, not by court mandate. Information and ideas were spread door to door, over the telephone, via social media and, yes, through organized protests.
Protest if you can, sing if you must, but above all, be effective. The "Capitol Crooners" could learn a thing or two about the last bit from your neighbors to the west.
Shortly after Walker's version of the Tiananmen Square Massacre two Steve Earle fans conducted their own protest:
Silent Sentinels to Walker's Injustice: Permits? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' PERMITS!!!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Drum World Misses A Beat: Joseph F. Pulice, Sr. May 19, 1928-August 18, 2013
If you play drums and grew up in Southeast
Wisconsin during the 1970s or 1980s odds are pretty good you learned how
to play from "Papa" Joe Pulice or at least had some lessons at his drum
store, Pulice Music Unlimited in Racine.
A member of the Drum and Bugle Corps and Racine Music Halls of Fame,
the beloved drum instructor and big band drummer passed away on Sunday,
August 18, 2013, in Racine, following a brief illness. Joe Sr. was 85
years old.
Although a talented drummer who played part time
professionally for over 60 years, Joe Sr. first love was teaching others
to play the instrument he loved. In an interview with the Racine Journal Times in December of 1999, Pulice reminisced about his music store:
"At one time, I had 11 teachers there and up to 90 drum students overall. Personally, I had 45 students per week at one time."
First and foremost among Pulice's talented and
successful students are two of his three sons, Mark, long time drummer
for Carmen McCrae and his youngest son, Joe who played in Woody Herman's
Thundering Herd as well as a veritable who’s who of music greats as one of the top on call drummers in the Twin Cities.
Joe Sr.'s other notable students include Victor
DeLorenzo of the Violent Femmes, Darrel Damrow of Dead Fly Boy and
Level and Don Baldwin of Harry James and Frank Sinatra fame .
To read further about the life of Joseph Pulice Sr.
along with quotes from his students and friends see Lee B. Roberts
article in the Journal Times “Drummer remembered for his skill and his generosity”.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated
Saturday, August 24, 2013, at 11 a.m. at St. Rita Catholic Church, 4339
Douglas Ave. Private interment
with Full Military Honors will be held at the Southern Wisconsin
Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, Town of Dover, at a later date.
Relatives and friends may meet with the family Friday at the funeral
home from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. (Roma Lodge service at 6 p.m.) and
Saturday at the church from 10 a.m. until time of Mass at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Forget Manning, Snowden and NSA, Reuters Blows Lid Off of Secret DEA Program Aimed at Covering Up Source of Intelligence Used In Investigations of Americans
Reuters News Agency reporters John Schiffman and Kristina Cooke in a series of exclusive articles filed last week uncovered a secret program run by the Special Operations Division (SOD) of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) which had as its purpose the reverse engineering of probable cause trails in criminal and drug forfeiture cases to conceal the real origin of the intelligence information which initiated the investigation.
Through a process the government agents euphemistically referred to as "parallel construction", past and present members of the DEA admitted to retroactively creating parallel probable cause trails through the use of such things as pretextual stops of motor vehicles known to be transporting controlled substances. After effectuating a stop of the vehicle by traffic units, drug sniffing dogs were then called to the scene who would alert on the vehicle thereby justifying a search. While it may be somewhat common in drug cases to do these type things to confuse and mislead a defendant so that the defendant would think the investigation originated out of what appeared to be routine traffic stop and thereby protect confidential sources, where the program became an absolutely illegal conspiracy was when the DEA coached its and other government agencies' agents from agencies such as the IRS, to continue the deception in official court filings or discovery submitted to defense counsel, prosecutors and judges. These illegal actions had the effect of depriving American citizens of their constitutional rights including due process and right to a fair trial.
Perhaps most chilling of all was the fact that approximately half a dozen past and present members of law enforcement and the DEA thought these actions were legal. We have a real crisis here folks when members of the executive branch, those charged with defending the constitution and enforcing the law, cannot recognize something so blatantly unconstitutional and illegal. My fellow citizens, forget Manning, Snowden and the NSA, and pay attention to these stories and write your elected officials. This illegal conduct must not be ignored, overlooked or lost in the noise of the 12 hour news cycle. The time is now America. Stand up for your rights before out of control government agents euphemize them away.
Please take the time to read the following articles from Reuters destined to win their authors the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism:
Exclusive: U.S. directs agents to cover up program used to investigate Americans
How DEA program differs from recent NSA revelations
U.S. defense lawyers to seek access to DEA hidden intelligence evidence
Monday, August 5, 2013
The "Low Highway" Comes to Wisconsin with its Message of Truth, Hope & Solidarity
I wish I could of brought with me last night, August 3, 2013, to the Mastersons and Steve Earle & the Dukes show at the Barrymore Theater in Madison WI, anyone who had ever asked me "who is Steve Earle?" or more likely the feigned "Oh yeah, Steve Earle. What does he do again?" Better yet, if I had the dictatorial power of say, for instance, an overreaching Gov. Walker, I would have ordered my capitol security to forcibly deliver those cracker barrel bonobos on sites like ticketmaster.com which provide space for social media concert "reviews" whose users use the opportunity to spew their ridiculously ignorant invectives at artists like Earle (e.g. The review by a member of the Le Leche League or perhaps a fan of one of Steve's early side projects, The Supersuckers: "...steve earle sucked. was deeply disappointed...didnt stay for the whole thing...broke my heart with his suckiness" and apparently the review by a fashionista: "...I was shocked to see the way these guys dressed, like slobs actually..Steve Earle wore a hot denim long sleeve shirt and was sweating profusely by the end of the show. Maybe drop a few pounds would help. The rest of the band wore dirty tee shirts and jeans...".
"But what could Bozos like those have possibly learned?", I hear you say. Well for one thing, they would have learned that Steve and his band work long hours and that he is genuinely proud of being a 58 year old Dad to a beautiful 3 year old son named John Henry. They would have also learned that Steve is also very proud of his latest version of the Dukes, which gave him every reason to be proud last night.
Although some friends kid me that I some times lose perspective in my music reviews. That my friendship with an artist or band may affect my reviews. That I am more of a cheerleader than a critic sometimes... Oh Hell, I could accept all that were it not for those disturbing images of our former President in his prep school male cheerleader uniform looking, well, unleader like, to put it politely. I admit it. I may be influenced by the fact that Steve and the Dukes, despite having just performed some 3 plus hours (including the Mastersons masterly opening set, a set introduced by Steve himself, no less) waited in a friendly and patient, if not somewhat drained manner, to meet every last one of the couple hundred fans who had lined up to get something inscribed, take a photo or just share a word with one of their favorite hardcore troubadours. I know this for a fact because my son and I were the second to the last in that line and did not leave the theater until the early hours of the next day.
Before I forget, let me say this about the venue, the Barrymore Theater is the venerable funky matron of the Madison music scene. You can keep your "Majestic moments" because not only is the Barrymore one of Mr. Earle's favorite places to perform (you could tell by how comfortable he was and how much fun he was having by his performance, the best i have personally witnessed) but the Barrymore is truly the theater in Madison where things get real. My personal thanks to the incredibly cool staff that served my son pop long after the show and concession stand closed. This kept his incredibly dehydrated father from passing out after a very long day including extended sampling following our tour of the Capital Brewery in Middleton.
But whoa, I get way ahead of myself. To begin the beguine, the day did not get off to a very auspices start. Being somewhat of a considerate Dad myself, I did not want to subject my 18 year old son to riding bitch on the back of my bike for the four plus hour trip from Minneapolis to Madison. Not because of some ignorant sexist notion but rather because my son is a rider himself and I know from personal experience how awkward and uncomfortable it is when you are accustomed to being the operator. So I went onto one of those William Shatner sponsored websites to negotiate a deal on hotel and car rental. While the hotel part worked out nicely if not ironically, we got a very nice room in brand spanking new chain hotel in a quiet corporate office park about 4 miles from the gig, for $68. Although the price was right, the surroundings did seem somewhat hypocritical, being the "Low Highway" tour and all. It should come as no surprise to any of my fellow travelers on the "Low Highway" that corporate America would not settle being out negotiated and absolutely raped me on the rental car. In its continuing war on the lower classes, corporate America, specifically the rental car agencies have divined that if you use a debit card instead of a credit card to pay the security deposit the 3 day rate goes from not $77, not $124 but to $205. By comparison, the Japanese occupation of Nanking seems like just a bad date.
So after riding the light rail out to the airport to pick up my overpriced economy sized nerd mobile (in retrospect I should have taken my 1973 Boattail Riveria, which even at 8 mpg probably would have not cost much more than my Taj MaHertz rental car)it was off to the Home of the Jolly Green Giant to pick up my boy. My son seemed somewhat relieved that I was spiriting him out of his mother's adopted place of residence which was setting up for the "Giant Days" parade across the street. The fact that the local police chief (Wiggum) and next door neighbor had parked his ramshackle camper trailer in their driveway only added to the festivities. Before taking off, my son and I gathered in his mother's kitchen where I gave my customary pep talk that I give before all road trips: a mixture of John Belushi's road trip speech from Animal House mixed with some "physical" inspiration ala former Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes (i.e. breaking watch crystal on my forehead, ripping brim off baseball cap etc.) I ended with the customary taking a knee to deliver the Lord's er I mean Santorum's Prayer: "God grant me the strength to gain weight so that I don't blow away even in the most mild of breezes.." at which point we placed our hands over each others hands breaking with a raucous "Yea God!"
Before long we had cleared the state line and had successfully escaped to Wisconsin. After a couple of hours we relented to the Culver's Custard billboards which constantly bombard you on I94 for a couple of Butterburgers and banana malts. While eating lunch I took advantage of the free copy of the La Crosse newspaper only to be confronted by a very troubling story on the front page about the sentencing of a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student on a ridiculously reduced charge. The troubling part was that the perp, a wrestling team member, got off with a hand slap for what in reality was a criminal sexual assault on a fellow male student using a lint roller. (Please fill in the double entendres yourselves.)
With enough saturated fat under our belts to clog the plumbing of...(e.g. UW-LaCrosse student?)it was off to Middleton home of the famous Club Tavern (subject of Alejandro Escovedo's song "Dear Head on the Wall") and home of the Capital Brewery, makers of one of this country's finest seasonal brews, the doppelbock Autumnal Fire, where we had reservations for the 3 pm tour. Arriving one-half hour early, (I know, I know, my work colleagues are reaching for their smelling salts to fight off their incredulity) we took advantage of the beautiful beer/hospitality garden and the wonderful weather. Following the tour and complimentary beer sampling I was able to finagle a couple of 4 packs of my favorite flavor which technically is impossible as sales of said doppelbock does not officially begin until September and ends in December.
Opening Act: The Mastersons: Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore
The husband and wife duo who also comprise 1/2 of the Dukes. Performed material from their debut cd "Birds Fly South". Beautiful harmonies mixed with stellar playing. Ms. Whitmore had me forgeting all about Lucinda on "You're Still Standing There" from Dukes set and Chris Masterson can do it all. A nuanced, subtle monster on guitar. Thoroughly enjoyable set by two very talented artists. I am looking forward to their next disc.
Steve Earle & the Dukes Set List Barrymore Theater 8/3/2013
The Low Highway
21st Century Blues
Calico County
Taneytown
Hard-Core Troubadour
I Thought You Should Know
That All You Got?
Love s Gonna Blow My Way
After Mardi Gras
Pocket Full Of Rain
This City
(Devil?)
You're Still Standing There
Invisible
Burnin It Down
Guitar Town
Copperhead Road
Warren Hellman's Banjo
Freeman
Billie & Bonnie
(The Mountain ?)
The Galway Girl
Down the Road Pt II
Remember Me
City Of Immigrants
Harlan Man
Nobody But You / Continental Trailways Blues
The Revolution Starts Now
From the opening strains of "The Low Highway" to the closing roar of fuzz guitar on "The Revolution Starts Now" Steve and the Dukes came to play and were invested in their performance. From the brilliant lyrics of "21st Century Blues" to the meth scourge of "Calico County" there is little doubt that the mantle of most intelligent and relevant singer songwriter has been passed to Mr. Earle. I don't think I have ever enjoyed myself at a concert as much as when they played "Hard-Core Troubadour" only to be followed with a mesmerizing a cappella incantation that is "I Thought You Should Know". When Steve slammed his mike stand down at the end of "I Thought You Should Know" indicating he had nailed it, it was at this point that most in the audience realized they were in for something really special.
"But what could Bozos like those have possibly learned?", I hear you say. Well for one thing, they would have learned that Steve and his band work long hours and that he is genuinely proud of being a 58 year old Dad to a beautiful 3 year old son named John Henry. They would have also learned that Steve is also very proud of his latest version of the Dukes, which gave him every reason to be proud last night.
Although some friends kid me that I some times lose perspective in my music reviews. That my friendship with an artist or band may affect my reviews. That I am more of a cheerleader than a critic sometimes... Oh Hell, I could accept all that were it not for those disturbing images of our former President in his prep school male cheerleader uniform looking, well, unleader like, to put it politely. I admit it. I may be influenced by the fact that Steve and the Dukes, despite having just performed some 3 plus hours (including the Mastersons masterly opening set, a set introduced by Steve himself, no less) waited in a friendly and patient, if not somewhat drained manner, to meet every last one of the couple hundred fans who had lined up to get something inscribed, take a photo or just share a word with one of their favorite hardcore troubadours. I know this for a fact because my son and I were the second to the last in that line and did not leave the theater until the early hours of the next day.
Before I forget, let me say this about the venue, the Barrymore Theater is the venerable funky matron of the Madison music scene. You can keep your "Majestic moments" because not only is the Barrymore one of Mr. Earle's favorite places to perform (you could tell by how comfortable he was and how much fun he was having by his performance, the best i have personally witnessed) but the Barrymore is truly the theater in Madison where things get real. My personal thanks to the incredibly cool staff that served my son pop long after the show and concession stand closed. This kept his incredibly dehydrated father from passing out after a very long day including extended sampling following our tour of the Capital Brewery in Middleton.
But whoa, I get way ahead of myself. To begin the beguine, the day did not get off to a very auspices start. Being somewhat of a considerate Dad myself, I did not want to subject my 18 year old son to riding bitch on the back of my bike for the four plus hour trip from Minneapolis to Madison. Not because of some ignorant sexist notion but rather because my son is a rider himself and I know from personal experience how awkward and uncomfortable it is when you are accustomed to being the operator. So I went onto one of those William Shatner sponsored websites to negotiate a deal on hotel and car rental. While the hotel part worked out nicely if not ironically, we got a very nice room in brand spanking new chain hotel in a quiet corporate office park about 4 miles from the gig, for $68. Although the price was right, the surroundings did seem somewhat hypocritical, being the "Low Highway" tour and all. It should come as no surprise to any of my fellow travelers on the "Low Highway" that corporate America would not settle being out negotiated and absolutely raped me on the rental car. In its continuing war on the lower classes, corporate America, specifically the rental car agencies have divined that if you use a debit card instead of a credit card to pay the security deposit the 3 day rate goes from not $77, not $124 but to $205. By comparison, the Japanese occupation of Nanking seems like just a bad date.
So after riding the light rail out to the airport to pick up my overpriced economy sized nerd mobile (in retrospect I should have taken my 1973 Boattail Riveria, which even at 8 mpg probably would have not cost much more than my Taj MaHertz rental car)it was off to the Home of the Jolly Green Giant to pick up my boy. My son seemed somewhat relieved that I was spiriting him out of his mother's adopted place of residence which was setting up for the "Giant Days" parade across the street. The fact that the local police chief (Wiggum) and next door neighbor had parked his ramshackle camper trailer in their driveway only added to the festivities. Before taking off, my son and I gathered in his mother's kitchen where I gave my customary pep talk that I give before all road trips: a mixture of John Belushi's road trip speech from Animal House mixed with some "physical" inspiration ala former Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes (i.e. breaking watch crystal on my forehead, ripping brim off baseball cap etc.) I ended with the customary taking a knee to deliver the Lord's er I mean Santorum's Prayer: "God grant me the strength to gain weight so that I don't blow away even in the most mild of breezes.." at which point we placed our hands over each others hands breaking with a raucous "Yea God!"
Before long we had cleared the state line and had successfully escaped to Wisconsin. After a couple of hours we relented to the Culver's Custard billboards which constantly bombard you on I94 for a couple of Butterburgers and banana malts. While eating lunch I took advantage of the free copy of the La Crosse newspaper only to be confronted by a very troubling story on the front page about the sentencing of a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student on a ridiculously reduced charge. The troubling part was that the perp, a wrestling team member, got off with a hand slap for what in reality was a criminal sexual assault on a fellow male student using a lint roller. (Please fill in the double entendres yourselves.)
With enough saturated fat under our belts to clog the plumbing of...(e.g. UW-LaCrosse student?)it was off to Middleton home of the famous Club Tavern (subject of Alejandro Escovedo's song "Dear Head on the Wall") and home of the Capital Brewery, makers of one of this country's finest seasonal brews, the doppelbock Autumnal Fire, where we had reservations for the 3 pm tour. Arriving one-half hour early, (I know, I know, my work colleagues are reaching for their smelling salts to fight off their incredulity) we took advantage of the beautiful beer/hospitality garden and the wonderful weather. Following the tour and complimentary beer sampling I was able to finagle a couple of 4 packs of my favorite flavor which technically is impossible as sales of said doppelbock does not officially begin until September and ends in December.
Opening Act: The Mastersons: Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore
The husband and wife duo who also comprise 1/2 of the Dukes. Performed material from their debut cd "Birds Fly South". Beautiful harmonies mixed with stellar playing. Ms. Whitmore had me forgeting all about Lucinda on "You're Still Standing There" from Dukes set and Chris Masterson can do it all. A nuanced, subtle monster on guitar. Thoroughly enjoyable set by two very talented artists. I am looking forward to their next disc.
Steve Earle & the Dukes Set List Barrymore Theater 8/3/2013
The Low Highway
21st Century Blues
Calico County
Taneytown
Hard-Core Troubadour
I Thought You Should Know
That All You Got?
Love s Gonna Blow My Way
After Mardi Gras
Pocket Full Of Rain
This City
(Devil?)
You're Still Standing There
Invisible
Burnin It Down
Guitar Town
Copperhead Road
Warren Hellman's Banjo
Freeman
Billie & Bonnie
(The Mountain ?)
The Galway Girl
Down the Road Pt II
Remember Me
City Of Immigrants
Harlan Man
Nobody But You / Continental Trailways Blues
The Revolution Starts Now
From the opening strains of "The Low Highway" to the closing roar of fuzz guitar on "The Revolution Starts Now" Steve and the Dukes came to play and were invested in their performance. From the brilliant lyrics of "21st Century Blues" to the meth scourge of "Calico County" there is little doubt that the mantle of most intelligent and relevant singer songwriter has been passed to Mr. Earle. I don't think I have ever enjoyed myself at a concert as much as when they played "Hard-Core Troubadour" only to be followed with a mesmerizing a cappella incantation that is "I Thought You Should Know". When Steve slammed his mike stand down at the end of "I Thought You Should Know" indicating he had nailed it, it was at this point that most in the audience realized they were in for something really special.
While the set list was clearly meant to showcase “The Low Highway” which in its low key but perceptive manner may be his most realized work yet, Steve and the the Dukes gave the appreciative audience a complete retrospective of his long and varied career. Most importantly, this was not just some hackneyed greatest hits medley but carefully chosen songs which delivered a message and performed, to a song, better than the originals.
It was fun too. When he was walking over to the piano to play “Pocketful of Rain”, one of the album’s quirky but charming sleepers, someone in the audience yelled out a song request to which Steve replied firmly, but with good nature “we’re only 20 minutes into the show I think I am still in control of my set list”. “Pocketful of Rain” is one of those unique little oddities on an album that for some strange reason really ties the album together and almost defines it by being off topic (Tom Waits comes to mind.) Steve made it even more memorable by telling a story about back in his drinking days, when he got really tight, he thought he could speak Spanish really well but he really couldn’t. Steve also observed that there is something about New Orleans that makes normally sane individuals think they are piano players. (Which brings up one of my pet peeves: Hugh Laurie, nuf said)
There were so many high points, so many moving moments when the artist truly connected with his audience, you just luxuriated in the moment. Steve’s expressed several times during the performance his admiration and support for the workers and people of one of his favorite places on Earth, Madison, Wisconsin and reminded everyone in attendance that we are living in historic times. While we might not win every battle it is important to fight the good fight and to be good to each other as we are all Americans.
I will never forget as long as I live when Steve introduced the song he wrote for his 3 year old son John Henry, entitled Remember Me. Hearing another father talk about facing something as personal as his child suffering from a disease for which there is currently no cure, Autism and which we know so little about was incredibly moving. But to be listening to this next to your healthy 18 year old son, who suffered as a young child from such severe and mysterious health problems that at one point they misdiagnosed him with cystic fibrosis, this was life sending me a marker.
I wanted to tell Steve that story when I introduced him to my son later that night but due to the hour and sensing the condition of the people who had just spent the last 3 plus hours pouring everything they got out for us, for once I had the good sense to keep my big mouth shut.
I am pissed that I forgot to tell Steve that the whole time we were driving to the show, some four plus hours, I was working out an imaginary set list in my head. With God and my boy as witness, I said several times, my favorite song of Earle’s is an obscure classic called “Nothin’ But You” which was aptly covered by Mark Wenner and the Nighthawks way back in the mid 80’s but that I was unaware of Steve recording it . (I now know it was originally on Steve’s 1982 EP Pink & Black on Epic.) Well let me tell you, my son now knows what it must have been like to be at one of the early Beatles concerts the way I went nuts when he and the band launched into what else, Nobody But You / Continental Trailways Blues as the second to the last encore only to raise it up one more notch, if that was possible, ending with a full tilt version of “The Revolution Starts Now”. Music with a Message Indeed!!!
My last unforgettable moment from that night came when August and I were walking up the aisle a good 10-15 minutes after the show had ended. Making eye contact with a couple of fans in one of the last rows of the main floor, still sitting in their seats, frozen in awe and mouthing at each other and us “Was that the best f____king concert you have ever seen!” We could only nod our heads in agreement.
Author's Note: A truncated version of this review was selected as among the best reviews on No Depression and appears without author attribution at Steve Earle & the Dukes at their Apex: The “Low Highway” Comes to Wisconsin with its Message of Truth, Hope & Solidarity
Sunday, July 21, 2013
"We Have to Deal with this In an Honest and Open Manner": Non Leader John Boehner's Attempt at Standup Comedy
Just when you thought that the obstructionist Republican
House could not sink any lower comes House Speaker John Boehner's over the top
appearance on CBS' Face the Nation.
Apparently oblivious to the harm their policies are causing the economy,
an economy that would well be on the way to a full recovery be it not for their
intentional sabotage for party gain at the detriment of the nation, Boehner's
full throated, primary endorsement speech to the Fox News crowd was devoid of
any semblance of reality or rationality.
It was clear from Boehner's performance, for that's what it
was a performance, a kabuki dance to keep the far right, the birthers, tea
baggers and Paulites of his party off his back. The way Boehner refused to answer any of Bob Schieffer's substantive
questions, talked around and flat out refused to address the questions posed
was reminiscent of Hubert Humphrey, but unlike Humphrey, often called the “Happy
Warrior”, the ill intent and malevolence
for his fellow Americans came through loud and clear.
If you have not already figured it out America, the choice
is clear. This country is headed in only
one of two diametrically opposed directions.
We can either act like grown-ups, take politics for what it is, the art
of compromise and concessions where everyone gives up their perfect ideal or we
are headed for a right wing oligarchy headed by the ultra-rich and the fundamentalist
branch of Christianity that worships materialism
and self-aggrandizement over charity and helping the less fortunate.
Demographics are in favor of the Democrats, moderates and pragmatists. The only question is how much damage are the majority of Americans willing to allow the right wing ideologues to inflict upon this country as part of their scorched earth policy on their way out.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
And the Winner Is: Steve Earle: The Warner Bros. Years
Several posts ago I wrote on how I had entered a contest to win a signed copy of 'Steve Earle: The Warner Bros. Years' box set courtesy of No Depression, the Americana, alt-country and roots music authority since 1995. My entry was:
"Asking a Steve Earle fan to pick his favorite song is akin to asking a parent to pick their favorite child but what the hell here goes:
I am partial to “I Feel Alright”. The opening verse of “…Now some of you would live through me Then lock me up and throw away the key Or just find a place to hide away And hope that I'll just go away Huh…” is autobiographical but also speaks to the generations of incarcerated in this country for nothing more than a health problem aka drug addiction.
I saw one of Steve’s last shows before he reported to prison (he warmed up for Los Lobos at First Ave in Mpls) and he was looking and sounding pretty rough and who could blame him. Which is why Steve is an inspiration to me; for taking control of his life, learning from his mistakes and for working for unpopular causes. Truly a great songwriter and musician but even a better man."
Truth be told, I had alot more to say, especially on the issue of the futility of controlled substance laws in the United States and the perversion and corruption of the criminal justice system by civil forfeiture laws. For once, however, I listened to the little voice in my head that kept telling me to keep it concise.
Well they say a picture is worth a thousand words...
This is a beautiful box set consisting of 4 audio cds, a dvd of Steve and the Dukes performance at the Cold Creek Correctional Facility in 1996 as part of his probation on drug and weapons charges that sent him to prison for nearly a year. The Shout Factory has done an excellent job in executing the final product and it is well worth its retail price, whether you are already a die-hard Steve Earle fan or as an excellent way of getting to know one of the most talented, provocative and intelligent singer songwriters of his generation.
The incredible liner notes by former Baltimore crime beat journalist and co-creator of "The Wire", David Simon, made me glad I refrained from my standard epistle, as a criminal defense lawyer with 25 years experience in controlled substance defense, on this country's drug laws in my contest entry. As someone who refuses to pay for cable television, I became aware of Simon and his cable series first through print media reporting on the series, its excellent choice of soundtrack music (e.g. the Nighthawks, Steve Earle, etc.) and later through his advocacy work on America's broken drug laws.
Simon's wonderful liner notes gives you a real feel for Mr. Earle, not as some kind of American hero, but as a fallible human being, self taught intellectual and incongruously, a Texas-transplant Yankee fan. Coming on the day that my Twins finally broke their 2013 losing streak versus the Yankees and the fact that Simon recalls the story of his attending a Twins-Orioles game at Camden Yards, a game the Twins won by the way, is sweet serendipity indeed. Simon's liner notes, alone, are worth the price of admission.
Special thank you to Kyla at No Depression.
"Asking a Steve Earle fan to pick his favorite song is akin to asking a parent to pick their favorite child but what the hell here goes:
I am partial to “I Feel Alright”. The opening verse of “…Now some of you would live through me Then lock me up and throw away the key Or just find a place to hide away And hope that I'll just go away Huh…” is autobiographical but also speaks to the generations of incarcerated in this country for nothing more than a health problem aka drug addiction.
I saw one of Steve’s last shows before he reported to prison (he warmed up for Los Lobos at First Ave in Mpls) and he was looking and sounding pretty rough and who could blame him. Which is why Steve is an inspiration to me; for taking control of his life, learning from his mistakes and for working for unpopular causes. Truly a great songwriter and musician but even a better man."
Truth be told, I had alot more to say, especially on the issue of the futility of controlled substance laws in the United States and the perversion and corruption of the criminal justice system by civil forfeiture laws. For once, however, I listened to the little voice in my head that kept telling me to keep it concise.
Well they say a picture is worth a thousand words...
This is a beautiful box set consisting of 4 audio cds, a dvd of Steve and the Dukes performance at the Cold Creek Correctional Facility in 1996 as part of his probation on drug and weapons charges that sent him to prison for nearly a year. The Shout Factory has done an excellent job in executing the final product and it is well worth its retail price, whether you are already a die-hard Steve Earle fan or as an excellent way of getting to know one of the most talented, provocative and intelligent singer songwriters of his generation.
The incredible liner notes by former Baltimore crime beat journalist and co-creator of "The Wire", David Simon, made me glad I refrained from my standard epistle, as a criminal defense lawyer with 25 years experience in controlled substance defense, on this country's drug laws in my contest entry. As someone who refuses to pay for cable television, I became aware of Simon and his cable series first through print media reporting on the series, its excellent choice of soundtrack music (e.g. the Nighthawks, Steve Earle, etc.) and later through his advocacy work on America's broken drug laws.
Simon's wonderful liner notes gives you a real feel for Mr. Earle, not as some kind of American hero, but as a fallible human being, self taught intellectual and incongruously, a Texas-transplant Yankee fan. Coming on the day that my Twins finally broke their 2013 losing streak versus the Yankees and the fact that Simon recalls the story of his attending a Twins-Orioles game at Camden Yards, a game the Twins won by the way, is sweet serendipity indeed. Simon's liner notes, alone, are worth the price of admission.
Special thank you to Kyla at No Depression.
Travon Martin Verdict: Not Guilty, But Still Not Right
As a criminal defense attorney, the Travon Martin Case has a silver lining. The jury system still works in this country. From what I could follow from the media, the evidence was just not there. There was reasonable doubt. But this is a predictable outcome when you write a law that allows aggressors to execute their victims.
Whether you believe George Zimmerman was morally right in "standing his ground" and taking the life of an unarmed 17 year old young man or if you believe, like I do, that George Zimmerman was a cowardly, bigot of a punk ass loser who unnecessarily provoked a confrontation that did not have to happen, got his ass kicked by a kid who then used lethal force to extricate himself from the position he put himself into, you have to respect the verdict, give appreciation to the six woman who honorably discharged their duty and question the wisdom of the Florida State Legislature. This was a foreseeable outcome from an improvident, poorly crafted (by ALEC no doubt) rubber stamped piece of legislation.
Sadly it will take another latino or African American George Zimmerman and a white, middle or upper class version of Travon Martin as a victim, to evoke sufficient empathy in the public, especially right wing Republicans, to howl like the cracker barrel bonobos they are and change the law. Not because all of a sudden it became morally wrong, but because next time, and there will be a next time, it happened to one of their own.
Whether you believe George Zimmerman was morally right in "standing his ground" and taking the life of an unarmed 17 year old young man or if you believe, like I do, that George Zimmerman was a cowardly, bigot of a punk ass loser who unnecessarily provoked a confrontation that did not have to happen, got his ass kicked by a kid who then used lethal force to extricate himself from the position he put himself into, you have to respect the verdict, give appreciation to the six woman who honorably discharged their duty and question the wisdom of the Florida State Legislature. This was a foreseeable outcome from an improvident, poorly crafted (by ALEC no doubt) rubber stamped piece of legislation.
Sadly it will take another latino or African American George Zimmerman and a white, middle or upper class version of Travon Martin as a victim, to evoke sufficient empathy in the public, especially right wing Republicans, to howl like the cracker barrel bonobos they are and change the law. Not because all of a sudden it became morally wrong, but because next time, and there will be a next time, it happened to one of their own.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Who Helped Bring Down the Berlin Wall: JFK, Lech Walesa, Pope John Paul II, Gorbachev, the German People and ...Springsteen!
Say What? That's right all you Hip Hop Abs fans. "Forget David Hasselhoff," says Erik Kirschbaum, author of Rocking the Wall, referring to the actor-singer whose single Looking for Freedom was No 1 in West Germany in the spring of 1989 – and who famously claimed he brought down the Berlin Wall. "Unlike Springsteen, Hasselhoff didn't go to East Berlin to perform...". Despite what millions of Red State Americans have been spoon fed to believe, the role of a certain senile, but affable, Mommy fixated President has been grossly overestimated. I mean, come on, do you really believe that Rotten Ronnie politely calling for the wall to come down a year before it happened was cause and effect:? If so I have pieces of a certain bridge collapse er, I mean wall to sell to you.
"The highlight of Springsteen's four-hour concert, in which he played a total of 32 songs, was undoubtedly a passionate speech, delivered in a creaky but understandable German, that carried a subtle but clear political message. "I'm not here for any government. I've come to play rock'n'roll for you in the hope that one day all the barriers will be torn down," he said to a crowd that erupted, before he launched into Bob Dylan's Chimes of Freedom, whose lyrics – about the "city's melting furnace … with faces hidden while the walls were tightening" – could hardly have resonated more with his captive audience, many of whom the crowd waved homemade American flags."
To read more on the concert that helped change the world:
The night Bruce Springsteen played East Berlin – and the wall cracked
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