Hmmm, Salon, MJ(?), and Political Panderers

Hey! What happened to MJ? Poor guy. Everyone is paying attention to Ms. Shiavo these days. He tried his best to keep our attention by not showing up, coming to court in PJs, and crying on the stand, but it just didn't work. It's old news. Sort of like his music. Oh well, that trial seemed pretty bogus in the first place.

Salon, Salon, Salon...

Salon's War Room posted some interesting things today. They lifted a story from the Daily Howler and didn't do a very good job of it.

This Daily Howler article about the Schiavo 'Nobel Candidate' was posted three days ago.

Also, the Howler makes a good point about the two Americas. Read on.

Salon's War Room also tried to tie in Schiavo, The Religious Right, and Stem Cell Research. And even though I might be in danger of getting my lefty politik card revoked, I have to say that I'm not big fan of stem cell research. I hated the fact that it was a big election year issue and I hated the way Democrats got all righteous and in our face about it. I don't think we need to restrict it (Bush doesn't want new lines to be created), but I don't think it needs to be a national endeavor. We don't need to pour trillions of dollars in it when there are plenty of other things that need a fixin. A country of limited resources and limited ATTENTION SPAN does not need to spend our time and money focusing on something that may or may not produce significant results. Anyone remember the big push to map the human genome? Wasn't that supposed to cure everything? Same arguments are used for Stem Cell. It will save us. It will be the solution for everything. Just buy into this... Same tactic used by Bushco (Private accounts! Easy Money! Alaskan Oil! Problem Solved!), just a different setting and not as evil.

Hey, I'm not opposed to scientific research (except for Human Cloning), but I just don't see what stem cell research will do for the millions of Americans who can't afford basic healthcare? And yea, maybe that isn't a valid argument (one could say that we should be doing both), but I'd just like to see our leaders focus on something real for once.

So, I've decided that I'm going to keep a list of politicians who will not get my vote due to silly pandering to the public. When I get more time, that list will be published to the right side of this page. John McCain just made that list (see the last few days of archived posts at the Daily Howler). I have a feeling a bunch I'll be checking off a lot of Gs and Ls next time I cast a ballot.

Okay time to get this freakin’ weekend started.

It's pretty bad out there. High water everywhere.

I really wish Bush would stop saying "we need to err on the side of life." The Dianne Ream Show is on NPR right now and they are discussing the

EPAs new mercury regulations

.

"Studies have found that one in 12 women of childbearing age in the United States has mercury levels in her blood above that which the EPA considers safe."

http://www.epa.gov/mercury/effects.htm

Hey, Bush, why don't you talk to your EPA lackies and tell them to err on the side of life?

Shciavo Circus

Dam, this thing is blowing up. From the Seattle Times:

"Supporters of the Schindlers modestly escalated their civil disobedience outside the hospice. About a dozen people, including three children, were arrested after carrying water and Bibles toward the hospice.

'This is my Bible, my sword,' said Orin Cooper, clutching his in a plastic grocery bag before he walked up to the police guarding the entrance. 'I don't go anywhere without my sword.'"

That souds fucking wild.

She's been like that for 14 or 15 years? I don't know about Terri, but that's not the kind of life I want to live.

New Stuff! Plus, The Blues and Andrew Bird

Holy smokes, I finally updated my blog.

New Stuff

2005 Concerts - on the right
New tag line for the blog. 100% lifted from a Magnetic Fields song.

Old Stuff
Still getting into trouble
Still disappointed by my politicians (but good try today, Senator Cantwell)
Still trying to avoid coverage of the MJ trial
Still spending too much money on music

The Blues and Andrew Bird

Purchased a Charlie Patton cd the other day and was completely shocked when "Some of These Days" came blaring through my speakers. I first heard this amazing song on Andrew Bird's first record and instantaneously fell in love with it. My love only grows now that I get to listen to the original. This isn't the first time Ol' Andrew Bird has busted out some bluesy numbers. He covers a Mississippi Sheiks' song on his Swimming Hour cd and appropriates some of their lyrics for a great song on his new album. "She got blood...in her eyes for you." From Fake Palindromes

Unfortunately I've purchased more than a few Andrew Bird albums on iTunes and haven't been able to examine the liner notes. Just the drawbacks of cheap music, I guess. Actually, it's really kind of bothering me now that I think about it. I like knowing about artists' incestual relationships. Andrew Bird played on a Neko Case album. Neko Case played a significant role in the last Band of Blacky Ranchette album (a Howe Gelb project). I first saw and heard Howe Gelb and Andrew Bird at an amazing concert at the Tractor Tavern (thanks, Josh). Andrew Bird covers Mississippi Sheiks' songs, which is a band that I might not have heard of if I hadn't read the amazing liner notes of the Dylan album titled "World Gone Wrong," which is also the title track of the album, and a song by the Mississippi Sheiks. I could go on, but I'm a bit tired. In the meantime, I'll dream of The Blues and epic songs lamenting the disappearing art of album covers and liner notes. In Bluesy E.

E G A A# B D