12/03/2008

Lights on for Odetta

Sad news arrived today. The great Odetta has passed. If you don't already know, Odetta was a huge force in American folk music, the civil rights movement and music in general. A true treasure, she passed away today at age 77. She influenced the likes of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and countless others. If you're not familiar with her music and her amazing voice, go and get some. She is undoubtedly one of music's legends. Her voice gives me chills when she sings.

Here she is on Johnny Cash's variety show

a clip from No Direction Home, Scorsese's Dylan documentary...



and an article in today's paper ... LA Times

... farewell sweet voice, I'll see you in my dreams ...

10/26/2008

this just about sums it up ...



Palin and McCain have been deriding the democratic ticket and throwing out the scary words again. When will people like this grow up?

Turns out many of their lobbyist advisers come from the insurance industry which is scared to death of the democratization of national health care - the people want it. Its a disgrace to this country, and the world for that matter, that health is thought of as a for profit business.

5/28/2008

Its Business Time

the cats from the best show on TV, that I can't watch (no cable)
Flight of the Concords ...

5/24/2008

helloooooooo

Just a couple things in the news this morning...
Weeeeeee!
Where's My Money!
Gulp!
Chuckle
... I need to go outside.

5/22/2008

I Like Fake Mustaches

But I didn't do it. (click the "it")
Kinda wish I had though. I love that it was repeated.

The removal of historical photos is both troubling and telling. Very telling. Why would a regime plaster pictures of itself all over the halls of its own buildings. These are glossy colorful "moments" of the great Age of Bush. Or so they'd like you to think. Or so they'd like their own staff to think. I find it very strange. Self aggrandizing. Something that despots and dictators do to brainwash the people, as in say, North Korea or Iraq under Saddam. Can they believe posters on their own halls would rally the troops? Don't they realize that for all non-zombies, (that would be all of us not from Pat Robertson's Regent University - see below) we know when things are good. And when the jefe is ... not quite ... doing the right thing.

Here's a fun fact for ya. Regent University is a Tier 4 university - lowest tier in the ranking. Regent University is the most conservative college in the nation. Until George W went to the white house it was pretty rare for someone from this school to get a slot in an administration. Now over 150 alumni have been hired by the federal government. Hmmm. They don't want smart people, they want loyal people. Loyal zombies willing to do anything for the great leader whose picture is everywhere.

5/17/2008

I'm All Ears Baby, All Ears

Vote for this man! Think about it. Is there really a choice? Smart. Vibrant. Good. A man who has a smile in his eyes. He knows that we know it could be better. And he can speak in clear and concise phrases, not the fragmented speak of the last 7 years.

McCain is more of the same. McCain would have been a great president 7 years ago. He probably would have dealt with the post 911 world with more rational sensitivity and not so much reckless bravado. But he was stabbed in the back by the neocons, those he now coddles. Its almost hard to watch. He'd probably do good things in office, no, I take that back - he would have been better than Bush. But so would anyone else. I'm afraid he's tainted, and badly so. Too old. Too similar. Sorry Johnny my vote will be elsewhere.

Hillary, poor Hillary. Last night on NPR I heard someone say, "A woman president is long overdue in this country, but she's a Clinton." And he's right. Bill was much better than W. He had life in him. These bores today are way too clubby. I'd much rather have my president getting a blowjob while talking to some diplomat, than a president who thinks its OK to collateral damage thousands, yes thousands, of children. Are you OK with that? W gave up golf to be in solidarity with the dying and wounded troops. Wow. Bill was a goofball, but smart. A policy wonk. And he liked to engage people in discussion. He could speak clearly. But Hilary, smart as she is, is not Bill. She'd get my vote if she gets the nod, but... Counting Bush One's vice presidency and a four year term should Hillary take office, Bushes and Clintons would be in the executive office for 32 years. I'm sorry Hillary but this is not a monarchy. Too much baggage in the name. We need change. Another woman will get there soon. After Barack. Maybe even you.

Light a fire under yer ass people! We need a spark in our leadership. A dynamic thinker, not someone stuck in his Boss Tweed ways. Why does there have to be so much vitriol in today's politics. Now W has broken the boundary in political ethos of leaving partisan politics at the shore. He compared current politicians to Nazi appeasers, in Israel of all places, on their 60th Anniversary. I guess his committee (Cheney) really thought that one through. I'm so tired of shaking my head when I see W speak. I'm embarrassed. My father is a lifelong republican. We don't talk a lot about politics, but I think I stumped him during the 2004 election. I said, "Dad, all I want is a president who's smarter than me. You have seen George speak over the last four years, have you not?" And he looked down at the table in a way that you do when your kid stumps you. He knows.

Barack has charisma. I actually like to see him speak. And ... now get this ... he actually writes much of his own stuff. Its almost unthinkable. He has ...(in your very best Captain Kirk-speak)... his own ... thoughts ... Oh my.

In the larger picture of history this has to happen for the good of the planet. Now is that time. Go!

3/28/2008

Dominican Republic

I'm off with my good buddy Biff to the Dominican Republic. We're shooting a documentary with producer Carol Fleisher about the sugar plantations. If we're not having too much fun, I'll try to post details and pix.

3/26/2008

Goats Eat Felton

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of gigging with my other family, The Goat Family, at the Felton Jug Band Festival outside of Santa Cruz, California. We're a jug band based in San Francisco. I live in LA so when I can, I'll drive my old truck or catch a plane up for some good time music with the lads. The night was a hoot. We surprised and slayed. This photo is of a song called Citadel Of Love by Rock Ross. That's Rock in the middle. Thad and I on strings. Dan, Todd and Chris lending vocal accompaniment. Our seventh member, Mike, lives in Alaska. When he shows up we usually play for days, indulge considerably, and generally molt leaving ourselves re-vibed and renewed. We're near completion of our second album, a CD of 20 original songs.

If you'd like to be on our mailing list, or you'd like a copy of our first CD, let me know.

Chris is on the verge of presenting a sweet new website. Here's a link to the current version ... The Goat Family

2/15/2008

The Brethren

In late January I went back to the land of my birth, Long Island, New York, to visit a group of people I've known most of my life. I met several of them when I was five years old and by seven or eight I knew them all. We are fifteen strong. One of us died in a tragic accident a few years back. And one or two have drifted off into the ethers of life's complexities. We have an annual dinner. A gathering of The Brethren. This year fourteen of us made it. The big fella, Joe Leone, unfortunately had the flu. Two of us flew in from California and one from London. The rest are within a few hours drive of each other. And many live in the towns we all grew up in. Williston Park. East Williston. Albertson. Mineola. All part of the town of North Hempstead.

I've been in California for twenty years. It gets better every time I go back. Somewhere along our path we formed a very strong bond. Maybe it was in The Pit in Albertson. Or maybe it was at The Tressle behind the Willie Park Pool. Our allegiance dates back an amazing 37 years. Man, typing that makes me feel old. But the moment we gather, we are ageless. The initial noticing of grey hair, lack of hair and expanding bellies fades quickly and again we are teenagers laughing at and with each other. Goofing off again. Time fades. It's as if there were no gaps since the last time we back slapped. The beers flowed freely. The stories rolled out loudly. Faults have no place here, except to be laughed about. There is no malice involved. It is a safe haven. I get encouragement from their friendship. While not blood, they are kin.

We gathered at TR's a local bar where from the ages of 19 to 21 we practically paid the mortgage. It was central to us all. Stumble distance. Though like many young fools we drove all the time. I've probably spent more time leaning on that bar or the shelves in the kitchen than the present owner. This relative ownership of the bar held an ease over the evening's events. I felt sorry for the tables of families nearby who I'm sure dreaded the loud group of fourteen men laughing like 20 year olds, no holds barred.

My favorite moment though was the march of eight of us down Broad Street after we met at Johnny O's house for a preliminary brew. John lives close to the Pool and Old Motor Parkway, another famous spot where we spent our teens lurking, drinking, partying, fighting and hooking up with girls. We marched the length of Broad Street like in the days of yore. There were always too many of us to walk on the sidewalk so we marched in the middle of the street. We did on this night also. Every block and nearly every house held a story. We laughed like we used to. We laughed at ourselves and what we were doing; eight men in their early forties strutting down the middle of a street, bent over laughing. But it also struck a chord. I was home.

New rule for next year Tom ... no white sweaters ...

1/20/2008

Year of the Rat


I read blogs daily but developing my own has been turtle paced at best. But it's a new year. New prospects. New beginnings. My wife and I rounded out the end of 2007 with an 18 day trip to Europe; some quality time with her Grandmother in Bielefeld Germany, visiting friends in Hamburg and finishing up with four days in Amsterdam for New Year's celebrations.

Europe has it going on. Their cultures are older, wiser.

The US is a bully right now on the world stage. Our reputation is a mess. Foreigners love our people and our creativity, but to a person everyone I know outside of this country thinks our government is full of malcontent. Corrupted by power and huge sums of money. Eisenhower's warning of the coming military industrial complex has been realized. Our's is a country of news entertainment where the newscasters don't provide journalistic presentations. They provide bias, spin, speculation and celebrity nonsense. They tow the mother company's line generating stories and ratings. Hype. Fear. Orwellian newspeak. They continue to feature pundits and experts who consistently inflame situations with off the mark analysis draped in opinion. How many times does someone get to be wrong before they are taken off the air? They yell louder and appeal to base constituencies doing nothing to progress or inform mankind. War! And mostly from men and women who have never donned a uniform... I digress.

I get my news now from the web. I can control what I read. I can quickly fact check a story. I get hope from this.

We've returned to the states and our humble home refreshed and ready for the new. And today, January 20, marks the one year anniversary pre-dating the removal from office of the Bush Administration. I'm not religious, but amen.

The photo up top is a shot of a canal in Amsterdam on the evening of Jan 1, 2008.

The shot below is of Margaret in Amsterdam at 12:20 am on the same day. A smokey, foggy and rainy night. Amsterdam blows itself up for New Years, reminiscent of the near complete burning of the entire city in 1452. We rode our bikes around the the steets and alleys until 2 am. I've never seen anything like it...