Everything Reminds Me Of My Blog

Just Wait 'Til More Boomers Get Older

2007-12-04T20:33:00.000-05:00

One of my first Christmas purchases arrived today, a black-and-white paddle cutting board. With its stark contrasting sides, it should be the perfect thing for my mom, who has macular degeneration. And that got me thinking about another product I'd like to get for my mom and dad: a cellphone that is easier for them to use than what they have now. Their smallish Nokia model is OK, but they are really interested in a Sanyo "Jitterbug" phone they've seen in ads in the AARP and American Legion magazines. Its screen and number pads are larger than your typical cell these days, so it's better-suited for older folks. The problem is that you have to buy a special service to get the phone-it isn't sold by other providers, like Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. Maybe there's something comparable out there, but I haven't found it yet, and that's a real shame. This is a huge opportunity for somebody to come along and provide a great product to what will be a fastly growing market.

My Top 10 Music Lists For 2007

2007-12-03T21:54:00.001-05:00

There was some really outstanding music this year, from old favorites like Wilco to the ongoing trainwreck who is Amy Winehouse. Will I still be listening to any of it very much next year, never mind five years from now? Aside from The Arcade Fire, maybe not. And, it's going to be real interesting to see how the recording industry continues to decline next year, after the big release of Radiohead's In Rainbows. With all of the competition from Internet radio streaming, HD radio, downloading, and MySpace, the old marketing/promotion model is crumbling, and what takes its place is anyone's guess.

Well, enough of that speculation ... for now. Here are My Top 10 Songs of 2007:
"Play Tough"-Apples In Stereo
"Hang Me Up To Dry"-Cold War Kids
"No Cars Go"-The Arcade Fire
"Into Action"-Tim Armstrong
"Jarhand"-Immaculate Machine
"Split The Difference"-Aqueduct
"Valerie"-Amy Winehouse
"Good Excuse"-John Butler Trio
"Knock 'Em Out"-Lily Allen
"Thou Shalt Always Kill"-Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip

My Top 10 Records of 2007 are:

Neon Bible-The Arcade Fire
Sky Blue Sky-Wilco
In Rainbows-Radiohead
The Reminder-Feist
Back In Black-Amy Winehouse
Or Give Me Death-Aqueduct
a CHILD in life yet a DOCTOR in love-Magic Bullets
Wincing the Night Away-The Shins
Immaculate Machine's Fables-Immaculate Machine
Two Shoes-Cat Empire

Black Friday

2007-11-23T13:01:00.000-05:00

Today, the day after Thanksgiving, is Black Friday. And although I am a strong & proud capitalist, I will not be participating in the buying frenzy. All I have to do is watch how people misbehave on days like this to know that I don't want to be part of the extraordinary madeness of crowds. No thanks. That is all!

885 MMMM Top 100: The Monkees

2007-10-03T20:34:00.001-05:00

I was too young when "The Monkees" debuted on TV in 1966. I only caught the "Pre-Fab Four" when the show was rerun back in the 70s. As a kid, I liked their manic energy & comedy, of course. But as an adult, I've come to appreciate their music, some of the finest pop to come out of that time.

885 MMMM Top 100: Grateful Dead Tour

2007-10-01T11:34:00.001-05:00

I know time often passes in a blur, especially for some Deadheads, but the entire dead tour as a "moment"? Okaaay. I was never a huge fan of their music, maybe that's why I only went to one of their shows, at the Vet in Philly sometime in the late 80s. What a long strange trip that was ... even before we went through the gates. I remember my buddy Dan looking a bit bewildered as we walked by a group "partaking" in a certain illegal substance. I didn't buy any incense, or tie-dye shirts. But I remember having a lot fun that day! But don't ask me about the music though.

Phils Win! On To The Playoffs ...

2007-09-30T20:17:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies, winners of the National League Eastern Division! Jimmy Rollins, favored by many to win the National League MVP, drove in two runs with a triple in the last game of the season today against the Washington Nationals. That also gave him 20 triples for the year; with more than 20 home runs, doubles, stolen bases, and over 200 hits, it's obvious that his boast early on, that the Phils were the team to beat in the division, was not to be taken lightly!

Thanks to the Mets for collapsing over the last 17 games!

Now, it's on to the Division Series, the opponent to be determined today in a one-game playoff between the Padres and the Rockies.

Go Phils!

885 MMMM Top 100: American Idol

2007-09-28T17:09:00.001-05:00

I've never watched an entire edition of American Idol since it debuted on Fox in 2002. Maybe it's because it seems kind of like karaoke to me: singers attempting, often badly, their versions of others' songs. But its influence cannot be denied; it has produced some big recording stars, like Kelly Clarkson, and Chris Daughtry. And it is clean, non-offensive entertainment that attracts the most diverse audience of any program on American television-quite an accomplishment these days.

885 MMMM Top 100: John Lennon's "Imagine"

2007-09-28T11:53:00.001-05:00

I could write about how "Imagine" is a memorable song because it's about hope, optimism, peace, etc., etc. But I won't. I mean those are fine lyrics and all ... if you're on board with that vision of an ideal world. But "No possessions"? I don't think so. I don't buy into much of the consumer culture, but I think people acting in their own individual self-interest is what drives humanity (as a whole) forward in so many ways.

One of my memories of this song is an objection to another lyric in the song-"no religion"-expressed by an evangelical minister character on WKRP in Cincinatti. Hewanted the station to the ban the song for that reason, and the "Big Guy", Arthur Carlson, backed his DJs and refused to do so. Right on!

885 MMMM Top 100: "Rock Around The Clock"

2007-09-27T22:07:00.001-05:00

Written in 1952 and recorded two years later by Bill Haley & His Comets, "Rock Around The Clock" is the song widely regarded as the first true hit of the rock 'n roll era, selling tens of millions of copies. Of course, we can all argue for days on end about rock's origins in R&B and country. Many of those songs are recognizable as what we could call rock music. But this one put rock on the map, much more than Haley's cover of Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle & Roll". George Lucas used it in American Graffiti, and Haley recorded a version of it for TV's Happy Days.

885 MMMM Top 100: Metallica vs Napster

2007-09-25T22:53:00.001-05:00

When Metallica sued the file-sharing service Napster in 2000, I knew the days of worry-free downloading were numbered. I myself never shared on Napster, of course (wink wink), but I had many friends who did. At one point, I joined Kazaa, but didn't get too far in searching for what I wanted. Then I noticed that adware & spyware was being installed on my computer, so I deleted the program. These days, I only download mp3s from legitimate or record company sites. But the larger question, about how the law treats intellectual property, has yet to be answered.

885 MMMM Top 100: CSNY & "Ohio"

2007-09-25T22:19:00.001-05:00

I was only four years old when "Ohio" was written by Neil Young and recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, so it doesn't have the same meaning to me as it did to a lot of other people in 1970. But it is a powerful song, essentially naming President Richard Nixon as the culprit in the shooting deaths of four Vietnam war protestors by the Ohio National Guard at Kent State University. The incident was one more factor in the middle class questioning, and turning against, the war.

885 MMMM Top 100: The "Thriller" Video

2007-09-24T22:28:00.000-05:00

Wow, "Thriller" was one of the videos that really put the early MTV on the musical radar for some of my friends in senior year of high school in December 1983. And really, what's not to love? You have Michael Jackson in garish makeup (well before his plastic surgery), some funky dance moves by various zombies and ghouls, a movie-within-a-movie concept with MJ as Michael "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" Landon, and a spoken word performance by horror movie vet Vincent Price.

885 MMMM Top 100: Simon & Garfunkel & "Mrs. Robinson"

2007-09-24T11:59:00.001-05:00

Of course, much of the song was featured in Mike Nichols' 1967 film The Graduate, which made Dustin Hoffman a star. The score by Dave Grusin dates the film but it's still a lot of fun to watch.

One word: Plastics!

Here's a link to The Lemonheads' version of "Mrs. Robinson"; Frank Sinatra also did a swingin' version of the song.

885 MMMM Top 100: Sony Walkman

2007-09-19T20:43:00.000-05:00

Growing up, I had a GE desk radio handed down to me by one of my brothers. Through it, I was able to listen, with an earphone, to WYSP, WIOQ, and WMMR in the album rock era. Then, at night, I'd often switch to the AM dial, and scan it to pick up stations as far away as Indianapolis, Montreal, or Charlotte. But it wasn't until Sony brought put out the Walkman in the 80s that I could carry my music with me, especially when I run. What a great concept! I've gone through probably a dozen Walkmans, and twice as many sets of headphones.

885 MMMM: Voting Starts Today!

2007-09-17T22:12:00.001-05:00

All of the suggestions are in, and today, WXPN has put up on the website the ballot for the Most Memorable Musical Moments. In what must have been a ~~harrowi~~ interesting experience, the station staff has come up with a list of 100 moments. As I expected, Jimi Hendrix's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" made it, as did the murder of John Lennon, and the appearance of The Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show". But there are some I didn't expect, for better or worse. And, I may just blog about them.

885 Most Memorable Musical Moments: A Fairytale Of New York

2007-09-12T20:34:00.001-05:00

I got to thinking after my last "Guest Blogger" post 2 weeks ago that I hadn't seen anything in the MMMM discussion about Christmas or holiday songs. How could that be-these are some of the best-loved songs of our culture! It's not so much about the quality of the music (and there is an abundance of that), but the memories we associate with them-worship, parties, shopping, family, and friends. One of the most festive (in its own way) is "A Fairytale of New York", by the Pogues and the late Kirsty MacColl.

Shane MacGowan and MacColl trade lines, as two lovers (or ex-lovers) reminisce about their hopes and failures, and their arguments, on Christmas Eve in New York City. It's a rollicking romp, with a nice contrast between their voices, singing some often bittersweet lyrics.

"A Fairytale of New York" became an instant hit in the U.K. upon its release in December 1987, and has consistently been ranked in polls as one of the best Christmas songs.

Here's the video:

UPDATE: Here's how the post looked on the XPN site:

9/11: Six Years On

2007-09-11T21:22:00.000-05:00

It's been six years since the attacks on America. Terrorist plots that would allegedly have resulted in attacks on our soldiers in Germany and at Fort Dix, New Jersey (a case very close to me) have been uncovered and foiled. A Muslim extremist in Utah killed six people in a shopping mall in February.

The war, such as it is, continues.

I have little to no confidence in Michael Chertoff, the Secretary of Homeland Security. He seems to be much the same "empty suit" that Tom Ridge was in that position. I don't think the current administration, nor the Congress, is still doing nearly enough to protect our country's borders, ports, and targets of opportunities. And, too many people have forgotten the horror of that day.

I haven't.

My greatest fear is that many other people won't remember until something even worse happens.

Britney Is Not Fat

2007-09-10T18:56:00.000-05:00

Does Britney Spears really look fat?

I sure don't think so.

Her hyped comeback performance at last night's MTV Video Music Awards was a little embarassing: she looked out-of-it, lip-synching and barely dancing across the stage. Maybe she was a little silly doing that while wearing a sequined black bra and hot pants.

But she's had two kids, and her body still shows that. I still much prefer that look to the anorexic "heroin chic" look of Kate Moss, the Olsen Twins, and now, it seems, Angeline Jolie as well.

There's Red States, Blue States, and ...

2007-09-03T20:04:00.001-05:00

This Labor Day, as the longest presidential election campaign in U.S. history lumbers onward, the rest of the world is taking an interest. A Canadian pollster found that more than 40% of French and German respondents prefer that Hillary Clinton become the next president, and lower percentages of other nationalities. Name recognition has to be the biggest reason for that, I think.

And then there's the website called Who Would The World Elect. The site looks at the IP address of each computer that looks at the site, and however the person at the other end votes, tabulates the result with others from the same host country. Votes are about evenly split between Democratic and Republican candidates as of today (about 15,000 votes) each.

The country breakdowns are fascinating, with many countries putting Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) in the lead. But overall, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) has the most votes (including mine). He even leads in Russia!

I'll be checking on this one often.

885 Most Memorable Musical Moments: More Cowbell!

2007-08-29T22:13:00.001-05:00

"I got a fever, and the only prescription ... is more cowbell!"

Well, who am I to disagree with The Bruce Dickinson? Although it wasn't as instantly popular as other lines that originated with Saturday Night Live, "more cowbell" has become one of the great catchphrases of the last few years. It all started on April 8, 2000, with a parody on SNL of VH-1's Behind The Music featuring 70s rockers Blue Oyster Cult. Famed record producer Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken) is determined to make the band's next song, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," a hit, and the key to success would be the cowbell. The band's lineup includes a fictional cowbell player, Gene Frenkle (Will Ferrell). As Ferrell responds to Walken's demands for "more cowbell" with more frenetic (and annoying) cowbell playing, several takes are ruined; the band becomes more frustrated, and very nearly falls apart.

Here's the moment:

In real life, the cowbell was added as an overdub to "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" at the last minute; the cowbell player's identity is a matter of some dispute. And, while there is a record producer named Bruce Dickinson, he had nothing to do with the original Blue Oyster Cult record, Agents of Fortune.

Since the sketch first aired, "more cowbell" has become part of pop culture, appearing in song mash-ups, emblazoned on t-shirts, and inspiring a website which tracks songs using a cowbell. Christopher Walken is constantly asked about the sketch, and the song proudly remains a staple of Blue Oyster Cult's shows (cowbell included). Gene Frenkle, wherever he is, must be smiling.

UPDATE: Here's how the post looked:

Shame On The Post

2007-08-27T19:23:00.001-05:00

I was a huge fan of Berkeley Breathed's "Bloom County" back in the '80s, but "Opus" has been pretty hit-and-miss. This week's strip made me laugh, but apparently, some people at the Washington Post weren't laughing. Well, maybe they did after the Post banned it from Sunday's edition.

According to various sources, the strip was shown ahead of time to Muslim staffers to gauge their reaction, and they responded "emotionally" to Lola being depicted in traditional Islamic clothing and espousing conservative Islamic views. For that reason, and because of the risque punchline, the Post & other papers did not run this yesterday. And, they won't run the follow-up strip on September 2, either.

Shame on them all.

Maybe in the future, they won't publish any stories on the practice of female circumcision. Or about the slavery of blacks in Arab North Africa. Or the oppression of women under the Taliban in Afghanistan. Or "honor" killings. After all, why offend someone's weak sensibilities?

885 Most Memorable Musical Moments: Earth's Greatest Hits: Voyager's Golden Record

2007-08-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

It was, perhaps, the ultimate mixtape: a 90-minute selection of music, recorded on a gold-plated copper disk that was sent into space aboard the spacecraft Voyager 2, on August 20, 1977. Knowing that the path of Voyager would take it, and its twin, past the outer planets and out of the Solar System, NASA decided to create an ambitious message for them to carry along.

A committee headed by astronomer Carl Sagan selected the contents of the record, which also included photographs, natural sounds, and spoken word greetings to extraterrestrial civilizations in dozens of languages. The music is an eclectic selection from different cultures, nations, and eras. You may recognize "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry, "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground" by Blind Willie Johnson, J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, but there are also works from Peru, Indonesia, Senegal, New Guinea, Azerbaijan, and the Solomons.

Mixtapes (or mix CDs) can say a lot about the person (or species) who compiles them. Although the two Voyagers won't pass near another star for 40,000 years, it was the hope of Sagan and his team that someone or something, finding them, would discover who we are, and like finding a message in a bottle, would maybe look us up someday. Hopefully, we'll still be around.

Here's Chuck Berry with "Johnny B. Goode"

Another Illegal Immigration Outrage

2007-08-21T22:28:00.001-05:00

If I could italicize and boldface the word "illegal" in the headline of this post, I would.

Today's latest not-so-fun story comes from Kansas, where an illegal migrant, Nicholas Martinez, had pled guilty to cocaine possession and endangering the welfare of a child after being caught in a police sting. His plea bargain was rejected by the judge in the case, because she noted that the probation recommendation (which means obeying all state and federal laws) was already moot since he was in the country illegally. She sentenced him to a year in jail.

Unfortunately, it didn't end there:

But on appeal, a three-judge panel threw out the sentence, based on an apparent contradiction in U.S. law. While it is illegal to enter the country without the proper documents and permissions, it is not necessarily illegal to be in the country.

What the ____ ?

Are you kidding me?

And so, the drift towards anarchy continues.

885 Most Memorable Musical Moments: Bill Clinton On "Arsenio"

2007-08-15T22:41:00.000-05:00

When you're running for office, one of the most important keys to victory is seizing the initiative, and building momentum from it. Bill Clinton, one of the great politicians of the last 30 years, knew this well. In 1992, trailing in a three-way presidential race, he took a gamble, and accepted an invitation to appear on "The Arsenio Hall Show".

Late night TV then was in a state of flux: Johnny Carson had just given way to Jay Leno, and David Letterman had switched to CBS. Arsenio Hall's syndicated program had been building a surprisingly large audience for a few years: it was hot, hip, and diverse. Its younger demographic seemed a natural fit for Clinton, whose campaign was trying to woo these voters back to the Democratic Party.

On June 3, 1992, he stood confidently on stage with Hall's house band. Wearing black shades and toting a saxophone, he ripped into "Heartbreak Hotel" (a trademark song of his idol, Elvis) and "God Bless The Child". He got generally good marks in the press for his playing. But, even better, the image that he projected, that of a young, likeable, charismatic guy, made an impact, and moved his poll numbers.

Of course, emotional appeal and image are only good for so much. Everyone remembers the saxaphone, but not what he said. In his interview with Arsenio, Clinton chatted about race relations and poverty, and his plans for the country. He won the White House with 43% of the popular vote that November.

The 2008 presidential primary campaign is now underway. All of the major party candidates are barnstorming the early states, debating, raising gobs of money, and trying to stand out from the pack. I don't know if any of them sing well or play an instrument (John Edwards on electric guitar? Mike Huckabee on keyboards?). But showing that might just help give them an early edge.

From a VH-1 special, some highlights of Bill Clinton's appearance:

UPDATE: This was the main Guest Blogger post on August 17:

Princess Martha, Meet Dutch Daulton

2007-08-14T21:33:00.000-05:00

Remember when angels were one of the hot cultural happenings a few years ago? There were books, calendars, City of Angels, and Touched By An Angel. Now, according to a story today, Norway's Princess Martha Louise, fourth in line for the crown, is being criticized for saying that courses offered by an institute have taught her how to communicate with angels (... and horses):

"Some feel them, others see them. Everyone experiences them from their own standpoint. For me, they are beings of light, like a feeling of a powerful presence, a strong sense of love," she said.

Coincidentally (or is it?), former All-Star Philadelphia Phillie Darren Daulton, in an appearance today on "Daily News Live" on Comcast Sportsnet, said that he communicates with lizards, and expects major world changes (and perhaps, The End) with the end of the current Mayan calendar in 2012. His book, comes out in September, wherein he lays out his beliefs. This interview, like his earlier comments, lead people to snicker at his beliefs. And while I don't share those beliefs, I wouldn't mock him.

There are quite a lot of people out there who are ... out there. They believe in angels, flying saucers, Edgar Cayce & Earth Changes, Atlantis, etc. And as long as they aren't hurting anyone, I don't seem the harm in their expression of those beliefs. There are so many other problems to deal with, last time I checked. Michael Vick, for one!

Another David Lynch Mystery

2007-08-13T20:42:00.001-05:00

I've been a fan of David Lynch's work ever since I saw "Eraserhead" more than 20 years ago. OK, I never did figure out much of what it was about, or some of his other film & TV work over the years. Check out this anti-littering PSA (Public Service Ad) he did:

Love the creepy music!

885 Most Memorable Musical Moments: TSOP: The Sound Of The Phillies

2007-08-08T20:05:00.000-05:00

It's a hot and steamy night at the stadium in South Philadelphia, and I'm watching the Phillies, and their MVP slugger, battling for playoff contention. Only the year isn't 2007, but 1980, and the song playing after another victory is McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". Throughout the run to the World Series that year, it was the unofficial anthem of the team. There were a lot of great players on the Phils then, but the team behind the song was pretty remarkable too.

Gene McFadden & John Whitehead sang together as the Epsilons and toured with Otis Redding, before going to work for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff at Philadelphia International Records. In addition to producing, they wrote or co-wrote, such Philly soul classics as "Back Stabbers" by the O'Jays, "I'll Always Love My Mama," by the Intruders, "Wake Up Everybody", by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and many others. When they decided to become performers as well, they reportedly said "ain't no stoppin' us now" as they headed to Sigma Sound Studios for their first record.

In 1979, "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" went platinum, going to #1 on the R&B chart and #13 on the pop chart. McFadden & Whitehead were native sons of Philadelphia, working for a Philadelphia-based record label known for the Sound of Philadelphia, in a city that seemed down on its luck. To long-suffering Phillies fans, the message was more than just in the groovin' music, it was in the positive lyrics: have hope, be strong, we're going to win:

But we won't let nothin' hold us back,
we're putting our selves together,
we're polishing up our act!
If you felt we've been held down before,
I know you'll refuse to be held down anymore!

With scrappy players like Larry Bowa, Pete Rose, Bake McBride, Tug McGraw, the Phillies gelled as a team, and won their first, and to date, only world championship.

A live version of "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"

Fast forward to November 2001: my friend and co-worker, Ellen D., got me tickets to Me & Mrs. Jones, a musical based on the Billy Paul song, that was playing at Philadelphia's Prince Music Theatre. Starring Lou Rawls, Darlene Love, and 'Nita Whitaker, the show included over three dozen of Gamble & Huff's greatest songs, including "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". Listening to all of this wonderful music again, now as an adult, with an orchestra backing up the terrific singers, did even more than give me great appreciation for the huge contributions of Gamble & Huff, and their fellow artists. It also took me right back to the Vet and that magical Phillies season.

Where are they now?

John Whitehead was shot dead on May 11, 2004 while working on his car outside his home in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia; his murder remains unsolved. His widow began the John Whitehead Foundation in his honor.

Gene McFadden died of lung and liver cancer on January 27, 2006.

Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff continue to work together. Their Sound of Philadelphia Souvenir Shop, which includes displays of their platinum records and their original mixing board, is located at 309A South Broad Street in Philadelphia.

UPDATE: This post is now up at the XPN MMMM site here:

"Union YES"? Are You Kidding?

2007-08-06T18:01:00.000-05:00

The "liberal" blog DailyKos had its annual meeting over the weekend in Chicago. The major Democratic Party candidates paraded in front of the teeming multitudes of bloggers, who, as usual, denounced George W. Bush, conservatives, etc., etc. A colossal yawn in my book. But I did have to laugh when I read today that some of these people are actually trying to form a union:

I think people have just gotten to the point where people outside the blogosphere understand the value of what it is that we do on the progressive side," said Susie Madrak, the author of Suburban Guerilla blog, who is active in the union campaign. "And I think they feel a little more entitled to ask for something now.

I know of Ms. Madrak; she used to write for the News Of Delaware County, a weekly in the Philly suburbs, and has indeed made a name for herself as a blogger. But whether your name is Perz Hilton, or the Wonkette, or whatever, a trade union of bloggers is truly a strange idea.

There are so many questions that come to mind, but here's a big one: Who would they (or to be more exact, perhaps, we) be collectively bargaining against? I suppose there may be value in organizing people to get group health plan discounts, but beyond that? Please.

Philadelphia Under Siege

2007-08-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

Living near, and working in Philadelphia is getting to be a little tough for me. I've been here most of my life, and yet, I'm spending less time in the city, due to some livability changes over the past few years. Sure, there are areas of the city that are thriving, as everyone knows. But each day carries the news of more senseless violence: murders, shootings, stabbings, fear of retaliation for "snitching", as well as other crimes.

This week, Kia Gregory in Philadelphia Weekly reported on Sharon and Larry Boyd, a couple whose house on Lincoln Drive in the Mount Airy section of the city was hit by an SUV on Memorial Day weekend. The driver, Robin Anderson, was likely driving at near 90 m.p.h., far above the 25 m.p.h. speed limit. She caused $200,000 in damage to the house, and the city billed the Boyds for the cost of having the Blazer towed. This part really got my blood boiling:

A few days after the accident Anderson returned to the smashed SUV that was then parked outside the Boyds’ home, looking for her personal belongings. When Sharon asked her for a copy of her insurance card, Anderson was anything but apologetic. She just cursed and threatened Sharon

The article also notes that Anderson was uninsured, and what a surprise, has a long criminal record; she was probably celebrating her latest release with her friends by speeding on the dangerous road. This kind of thing just infuriates me. I have zero tolerance and absolutely no sympathy for people who commit crimes; there is no reason why good people like the Boyds and so many others have to suffer.

It may not be coincidental that the PW's cover story was about Philadelphians who also happen to be gun owners, who were profiled in a recent book by Philadelphia photographer Kyle Cassidy.

Armed America undermines the stereotype of the ’roid-raging, borderline neo-Nazi death fetishist. Instead you find a Buddhist, a left-wing Democratic blogger, a smattering of liberals, an anticolonialist, a socialist and two members of the Pink Pistols, Philadelphia’s gay gun owners’ club

Why do these law-abiding citizens own guns? They all have their reasons, but for many it seems to be about protecting their loved ones and themselves, if necessary. These days, in Philadelphia, it's easy to see their point.

885 Most Memorable Musical Moments: Elvis & "My Way"

2007-08-02T00:15:00.000-05:00

My mom was a bit of an Elvis Presley fan in the 1950s, and like millions of others on August 16, 1977, was a little shaken after hearing of his death. Two months later, we sat down to watch the CBS broadcast of "Elvis In Concert". Comprised of performances taped from his last tour that summer, the special showed Elvis was not a well man: he was quite overweight, and appeared pale and sweaty. Still, he had some power left in his voice, especially in gospel songs like "How Great Thou Art". When he sang "My Way", however, it all became clear to Mom: Elvis knew he was going to die.

"My Way" was written in 1968 by Paul Anka, who based the melody on a French song, "Comme d'habitude". The lyrics are about a man, facing death, who looks back at his life's ups and downs, and is proud of being true to himself:

I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fails, my share of losing
And now as tears subside
I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way
Oh, no, no not me
I did it my way

It was a big hit for Frank Sinatra in the early 1970s, becoming one of his signature songs. And, Elvis had performed it for a couple of years, including his previous TV concert, the 1973 special, Aloha From Hawaii. But here, in the summer of 1977, he invests the song with additional poignancy: there is sadness in his eyes, as if he was sensing that his life really was ebbing away.

Elvis, 1977:

Over the years, "My Way" has become something of a cliche; it's a popular selection in karaoke bars as well as at funerals(!). Then there are the interesting interpretations:

"My Way" by Sid Vicious

"Your Way", a version of "My Way" by William Shatner, at a George Lucas tribute

EDIT: I almost forgot Nina Hagen's!

UPDATE: My post on the XPN site can be found here

885 Most Memorable Musical Moments: My Simpsons List

2007-07-31T19:03:00.001-05:00

Last week, in anticipation of the opening of The Simpsons Movie, Kathy O'Connell of XPN named her Top 5 Musical Moments From The Simpsons. After 18 seasons (and counting) on the air, there could easily be 885 of them. Hers are all excellent choices, but I came up with a few more:

-the Ramones sing “Happy Birthday Mr. Burns”, after which Burns orders "have the Rolling Stones killed"
-Homer yells at Bachman-Turner Overdrive to play “Takin’ Care of Business”, then later, “get to the ‘working overtime’ part!”
-the Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show theme
-Fat Tony calls a radio show to threaten Homer, then requests “Radar Love” ... and Homer sings along!
-the theme from “The Sting” plays as Homer relates how in the 70s, on a visit to New York City, he was robbed, chased by pimps, had garbage dumped on him by Woody Allen … “and that’s when the CHUDs came at me”

So many great memories!

Check the movie out, too, it's a blast!

What's Up With Cindy Sheehan???

2007-07-29T17:17:00.001-05:00

I don't know what to think about Cindy Sheehan these days. I opposed the Iraq War strictly on constitutional grounds: the U.S. Congress did not officially declare war against Iraq. All of the other opposition points: "no blood for oil", "no U.S. imperialism" etc., etc., are pretty empty slogans to me. Culturally, I identify myself more with traditional, limited-government conservatives, not neo-conservatives, nor liberals or the Left.

When Sheehan became the de facto head of the anti-war movement following the death of her son, a U.S. soldier in Iraq, I bristled at her harsh rhetoric. While I mourn the loss of her son, Casey, at the hands of a terrible enemy, he had joined the Army of his own free will, after all. Her shrill tone and her meetings with Hugo Chavez and other evil, anti-American creeps also bothered me quite a lot. But a few months ago, she began attacking the Democratic Party establishment. I think that explains why, as much as the opposition to the war has now become a majority of the American public, explains why her support and exposure in the media has dried up.

In an Irish radio interview she revealed her thoughts about Bill Clinton:

His policies are responsible for killing more Iraqis that George Bush. I don't understand why to rise to the level of being president of my country one has to be a monster. I used to say that George Bush was defiling the Oval Office, but it's been held by a long line of monsters.

I'm guessing this didn't endear her to Hillary and the other powers-that-be.

And in a recent editorial, she doesn't think that the Democrats can be looked at as saviors, given their record:

The Democrats are the party of slavery and were the party that started every war in the 20th century, except the other Bush debacle. The Federal Reserve, permanent federal income taxes, not one but two World Wars, Japanese concentration camps, and not one but two atom bombs ...

In all but declaring her candidacy to oppose Nancy Pelosi for her congressional seat, she recites the usual litany of ~~left-wing~~ progressive causes, like more money (i.e., taxpayer funding) for education, health care, etc., etc., most of which I oppose in favor of individual choice. It's going to be interesting to see how the Democratic establishment handles her in the coming months.

Another Nail In Journalism's Coffin

2007-07-26T20:51:00.000-05:00

I read the news today: Weekly World News, my favorite supermarket tabloid, will be folded; the August 28 issue will be its last. When I was at GWU back in the mid-80s, it was part of the regular mix of my reading materials, like the Washington Post and Washington Times. I checked out the cheesy advice columns, read the horoscopes to my girlfriend, and chuckled at the strange-but-true stories that seemed like a modern-day version of "Ripley's Believe It Or Not". The covers of course, were classics-the best this side of the New York Post.

But my favorite feature was "Ed Anger's America", a column of unadulterated, "pig-bitin'" rage against Congress, the IRS, bureaucrats, the French, the communists, the corporations, Hollywood celebrities, and many more. It was like a print version of Morton Downey, Jr. Just hilarious reading!

To be honest, the paper had become only a shadow of itself in the last few years, so perhaps it's best that it leaves the scene. But I'd still like to know who the aliens will be backing for president next year.

885 Most Memorable Musical Moments: The PMRC vs. Musicians

2007-07-26T00:43:00.000-05:00

Since the 1950s, rock 'n roll and parents have had a little trouble getting along. There's been concern about a perceived loosening of morals and traditional family structure, and less respect for authority. But there had never been a concerted effort to actually attack the musicians and the labels who produce the music.

That changed in the mid-1980s. Mary "Tipper" Gore, wife of Sen. Al Gore (D-TN), along with their daughter Karenna, was shocked to hear sexual references in Prince's "Darling Nikki". Along with Susan Baker, wife of U.S. Treasury Secretary James Baker, and other "Washington wives", they formed a committee, the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), to lobby the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to adopt album content stickers, outside lyric sheets, restrictions on sales to minors, and to reassess the contracts of artists with "objectionable" music.

On September 19, 1985, the Commerce, Science, and Transporation Committee of the U.S. Senate held a hearing on labeling records, and 3 musicians offered testimony. As expected, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and Frank Zappa declared their opposition to the PMRC's proposals. Zappa was particularly pointed in his criticism of the PRMC's "ill-conceived piece of nonsense". In a discussion with committee member Senator Gore, Zappa voiced his concern about a hidden agenda, that even without a new national law, there were parts of the country where laws or regulations would be passed that would take his place in raising his children as he sees fit:

I want them to grow up in a country where they can think what they want to think, be what they want to be, and not what somebody's wife or somebody in Government makes them be.

In a surprise to many, country/folk singer-songwriter John Denver also objected to censorship. He recalled that some radio stations had banned "Rocky Mountain High" due to misinterpreting his lyrics. He offered that:

Discipline and self-restraint when practiced by an individual, a family, or a company is an effective way to deal with this issue. The same thing when forced on a people by their government or, worse, by a self-appointed watchdog of public morals, is suppression and will not be tolerated in a democratic society.

Unfortunately, a few weeks before, the RIAA had caved in to pressure from the PMRC and other groups and agreed to put a simple "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" label on select albums. This led to a refusal by some retailers to carry these records. The following year, the Dead Kennedys were unsuccessfully prosecuted for the use of a poster included in their album Frankenchrist. In 1990, a store clerk in Florida was arrested on obscenity charges for selling a copy of a 2 Live Crew record. The controversy over racist, violent, and misogynist lyrics, particularly in rap and hip-hop, continues to this day.

UPDATE: My post on the XPN MMMM site can be found here

Fresh Is Better!

2007-07-24T20:37:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things about summer is the variety and abundance of tasty, fresh vegetables and fruits. Jersey tomatoes are awesome, and I'm looking forward to driving down to the wilds of South Jersey pretty soon and hit some local roadside stands, farmers markets, and even the occasional house with a table and a few baskets set up out front.

It came as no big shock to me when I read about a study claming that nutritional content has been dropping in crops. Published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, it compared U.S.Department of Agriculture data from 1950 and 1999 for 13 nutrients in 43 crops. The results showed that two of five vitamins have declined, and protein content decreased by 6 percent.

The researchers think that perhaps intensive agricultural practices intended to increase crop yields and disease resistance have resulted in nutritionally-deficient harvests.

As a way out, perhaps farmers can substitute older seed varieties or develop new ones which maximize nutrition without sacrificing too many of the other gains that have been made.

XPoNential Quick Review

2007-07-23T15:32:00.000-05:00

Wow!

XPoNential is finally over! I am not very tired, just a bit wiped out by being busy with volunteer duties for 4 days, catching some great music, and getting sunburned. Oh well!

I was happy to see and hear all the bands I wanted to; as it turned out, the mystery guest who substituted for Bob Mould on Friday afternoon was Philly local G. Love. Maybe he took the ferry over! Jesse Malin suffered a back injury, so Rhett Miller, a favorite of the ladies, subbed for him on Sunday.

The weather was near-perfect, much better than one would expect of Philadelphia in late July. Our volunteers did a great job, which certainly made our job much easier. I got to hang for a few minutes with some (but unfortunately, not all) of the boardies who showed up. All in all, it was a great time. But now ... off to sleep!

Great PSAs: Anti-Smoking

2007-07-21T21:59:00.001-05:00

Aside from a few puffs about 10 years ago, I was never a smoker. Maybe it was seeing what cigarettes did to my grandfather (died of emphysema), or how my dad still smokes a pipe. Or maybe it was these classic PSAs that I remember so well.

Back in the early 1970s, there was the classic "Like Father, Like Son":

Twenty years later, actor Yul Brunner's advisory was released after his premature death from smoking:

XPoNential Begins Tonight

2007-07-19T22:51:00.001-05:00

XPoNential, the WXPN summer music festival formerly known as the All About the Music Festival (and the Singer-Songwriter Weekend before that), opens tonight at Wiggins Park in Camden, New Jersey. There are 4 big days of music this year (up from 3 the last few years); tomorrow is a Y-ROCK oriented lineup of bands. This is the first year I will be a Key Coordinator. I'm so psyched for being able to contribute more as part of the team. The weather forecast is looking good: sunny, low humidity, and breezes off the Delaware River. I've got my fingers crossed that we have no repeat of the lightning, wind, and torrential rain from last year!

Tonight's show opens with Slo-Mo, featuring Mic Wrecka, and also includes James Hunter, with funk masters Tower of Power finishing things off. Tomorrow, I'm planning on seeing Cracker, the mystery guest substituting for the injured Bob Mould, and the Fratellis, one of LRC's favorites. Saturday, I'll be happy with just seeing the Cat Empire. Sunday brings Philly local fave Dr. Dog, Kids Corner perennial Ernie & Neal, the Smithereens, and Marc Broussard (who we saw at a Free at Noon concert, which blew us away).

It's a good thing I took Monday off from work-between our volunteer duties and running into fellow volunteers and boardies, it's going to be a tiring few days!

885 Most Memorable Musical Moments: Travolta Is Back

2007-07-18T23:02:00.001-05:00

In the late 1970s, John Travolta was a rising star who seemed to have the world as his oyster. As the white leisure suited-disco king Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, his style and enthusiasm catapulted him to the status of a pop culture icon. He danced, of course, to one of the best-selling movie soundtracks of all time; the Bees Gees at one time had 5 songs in the Billboard Top 10 simultaneously. In 1978, he danced opposite Olivia Newton-John in the 50s tribute Grease, further confirming his position. In Urban Cowboy, in 1980, his two-stepping, as well as 10-gallon hat, is credited with leading to a boom in pop country music (and for a while, in mechanical bulls at country music bars).

But after that, he turned down the lead in An Officer and A Gentleman to reprise his role as Tony Manero in the Sylvester Stallone-directed Staying Alive. After he ended the film (which flopped) with his "strut", it was easy to think that his dancing days were done; aside from acting with a talking baby and Kirstie Alley, some very forgettable films followed.

In 1994, in Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece, Pulp Fiction, he appeared as veteran hitman Vincent Vega. Assigned to watch Mia (Uma Thurman), the wife of his boss, Marsellus, they go to a 50s retro diner, Jackrabbit Slim's, and enter a dance contest.

You have to see this: wearing dark suit, bolo tie, slightly bloated, and with long, stringy black hair, Travolta (as Vega) is all about being cool, but is trying not to flirt with Mia. But with them twisting to Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" (a #14 Billboard hit in 1964), their attraction is apparent. It was an incredible, terrific moment of abandon, and to be perfectly honest, I think it had what many people wanted to see again: Travolta dancing (even if it was the Batusi). Ain't it cool?!

It is a terrific soundtrack!

The moment:

"You Never Can Tell" was renamed "C'est la Vie (You Never Can Tell)" by Emmylou Harris, and was a hit for her on the country music charts in 1977:

UPDATE:This, my first MMMM Guest Blogger post, can be found on XPN's site here.

Wild About Harry, Indeed!

2007-07-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

LRC & I saw the latest Harry Potter film over the weekend, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It was very good, darker than the previous ones, but the plot moved well, a new friend was introduced, and Harry's new nemesis, Dolores Umbridge, was played to perfection by Imelda Staunton.

I got to wondering how much money this whole franchise is worth, what with the new movie in worldwide release and the final book coming out his coming weekend. Lo and behold, an article in AdAge tried to break it all down.

We totted up broad estimates of everything from book, box-office and soundtrack sales to ad time sold on TV airings of Potter films and even potential revenue from an upcoming theme park, and -- using Ad Age's magical math -- calculatedthe Potter economy in excess of $15 billion.

Wow. No wonder J.K. Rowling is the richest woman in the U.K.!

MMMM ... 885 Countdown ... (Homer drool sound)

2007-07-16T11:47:00.000-05:00

MMMM stands for the Most Memorable Musical Moment, the theme for the latest 885 countdown by Philadelphia's WXPN-FM. Starting today, listeners are invited to submit lists of 10 music moments that are historically important and/or personally significant. The lists are to be compiled by the station into a workable list of 885 moments, the top 100 of which will then be put in a final playback order by a listener vote in September. The special MMM website the station is developing for the countdown will be chock-full of lists, links, posts, and photos.

This is going to be interesting. There's a lot more diversity than some may think exists among the XPN listenership. I expect to see people talking about genres and artists that generally don't get much airplay on the station, if at all. Who knows-maybe part of this will develope into a permanent resource,

And, each Thursday, starting this week, I will be a "Guest Blogger" on the website; that day's post here will be on the XPN site as well. From time-to-time, as this whole train rolls through the rest of summer into the October playback, I'm sure I'll have other moments that come to mind. So check back often, and leave a comment!

10,000 - Just A Number

2007-07-15T20:12:00.000-05:00

I've been a Phillies fan my whole life. As a kid, I would stay up late listening to West Coast games on my Walkman, go to lots of games at the late Veterans Stadium, and generally live (and mostly die) with the team as the seasons progressed from Spring to Fall. So you might think I'd a bit upset that the franchise just lost the 10,000th game in its history, the most ever. But I'm not.

No, long ago, part of me stopped caring. After Major League Baseball players went on strike in 1994, leading to the cancellation of the World Series, I vowed I would never go back to a game. I didn't exactly keep that promise, but it took 8 years before I saw the Phillies again, at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

There have been so many great memories over the years: the World Series-winning team in 1980 led by Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt, the fine pitching and timely hitting of the scrappy 1993 team ... and that's about it. Otherwise, the 125 seasons of the team have seen a lot of bad baseball.

I think this year's team has talent. Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Aaron Rowand, Chase Utley, Cole Hamels-these guys can play. I wish them well. But ...

The Phillies ... just a team.

Classic Commercials: Chanel No 5

2007-07-12T12:14:00.001-05:00

While perusing the YouTube listings, I looked up these 2 classic TV spots for Chanel No 5 that ran in the late 1970s-early 1980s.

The first "Share The Fantasy" ad was directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, G.I. Jane, Gladiator), with music by Vangelis. Truly surrealistic masterpiece, loaded with symbolism:

This "Share The Fantasy" ad from 1982 features sophisticated couple Charles & Catherine, an airplane shadow moving up the side of the Transamerica building in San Francisco, and a cover of the Ink Spots' "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire". Love it!

Great PSAs: Keep America Beautiful

2007-07-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

In my previous post, I referenced an anti-litter TV Public Service Advertisement (PSA) for Keep America Beautiful that ran decades ago, when I was a kid. It was rather striking, following a Native American Indian as he encounters scene-after-scene of pollution and litter in modern-day (well, 1971) America. Of course, I found it in 5 seconds on YouTube.

I still get a lump in my throat when I see this:

A Lot Of Hot Air

2007-07-09T12:05:00.001-05:00

At work today, the usual ~~water cooler~~ Dunkin' Donuts conversation turned to the Live Earth series of concerts held on all 7 continents on Saturday. There wasn't much I could contribute, because I didn't see more than about 5 minutes of it. The reunited Genesis was on stage at Wembley in London, and that was 5 minutes more than I needed to see.

Anyway, I've become very skeptical over the years about these big music events. Live Aid, Farm Aid, Live 8-they all seem to be promoted with the best of intentions. How could anyone be against them? Well, the Arctic Monkeys chose not to participate in Live Earth because of the "hypocrisy" of musicians, their entourages, the production staff, and of course, the audience, using valuable resources to attend these shows. I still remember the amazing swag the performers got in exchange for appearing at Live 8 in Philly 2 years ago.

I also don't like having environmental consciousness shoved down my throat. I've been deeply concerned about threats to the natural world, and human health, since I saw Iron Eyes Cody cry in that TV PSA decades ago. I recycle, I am careful about the goods and services I consume, and I drive a pretty fuel-efficient car. While I, like many scientists, have doubts about global ~~warming~~ climate change, I know it's important to use the planet's resources in an efficient way; I'm a good capitalist. But these are complex issues, not easily reduced to fist-shaking against "the corporations" or the Bush administration, or simple admonishments to change light bulbs. I really wonder how many concertgoers will go right back to the same old lifestyles.

Word on the street is that the TV ratings for this show were pretty low on NBC here in the USA, as well as elsewhere.

Scooter Motors Out Of Hard Time

2007-07-05T12:17:00.000-05:00

Well, now he's gone and done it. President Bush commuted Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison time, while leaving the rest of his sentence for perjury and obstruction of justice intact. I've been amused by the the howls of outrage in reaction to this. The hypocrisy among the chattering classes in DC and the media capitals runs really deep. I do not support this action: I take lying very seriously, and under nearly all circumstances in government, it's just wrong. But this hysteria is silly. I like how Pat Buchanan explains what this is all about:

Whatever the motives of President Bush, this was a radical not a conservative act. Whoever pressured Bush to wipe out Scooter’s sentence was more a friend of Scooter than a friend of Bush. For the president has damaged his reputation as a just ruler, so Scooter could elude what other men have to face.

Will the student deferments for these fellows never end?

The act reeks of cronyism. The perception is that Scooter Libby got preferential treatment, a get-out-of-jail-free card because he was chief of staff to Cheney and assistant to Bush.

That perception is correct.

Because of whom he knew, Scooter got preferential treatment, big-time. The Godfather took care of the consigliere.

Nothing new. After all, one recalls that the attorney who rustled up a pardon for Marc Rich from Bill Clinton was also a Beltway hustler by the name of Scooter Libby. The insiders take care of their own.

And that is how the game is played in the big city.

There it is, from a man who's been through this before.

Birds Of A Feather Again ...

2007-07-02T19:18:00.000-05:00

Two of the worst dictators in the world in one place.

Wow.

Maybe they compared notes on how anti-Semitic they are?

I wouldn't be surprised.

On the other hand, both are facing unrest at home. Maybe something good will come of it-like their departures.

One Cup At A Time ...

2007-06-26T11:49:00.000-05:00

The other day, I was sitting in the lunchroom at the J-O-B finishing off some cauliflower ziti, and washing it down with some of the best lemonade around, Alex's Lemonade. One of the salesguys, who's based on the West Coast, saw the distinctive yellow bottle and asked me about it.

Turns out, as much publicity as Alex's Lemonade has had in the Philadelphia area for a few years now (thanks to racehorse Afleet Alex, especially), there are stll a lot of people who don't know much, if anything, about it.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is a charity that I happen to love and support, so I clued him in on the basic story: young girl with cancer sets up lemonade stands to raise money for researching a cure to pediatric cancer.

He asked me if I trusted Alex's Lemonade like other, bigger charities.I do. I've researched them, and feel a lot more comfortable giving a donation to that group than almost any other one. I am a lot more selective because of a few resources I've looked at that check out charities and provide guidance on how to give wisely:

BBB Wise Giving Alliance

Charity Navigator

Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

GuideStar

They all provide some reassurance that people are looking out to see that your money will be well-spent.

Best Records of 2007 So Far

2007-06-25T12:32:00.000-05:00

With 2007 nearly halfway over, this is as good a time as any for me to list my favorite records for the year. I haven't bought all of the records I expected to right away, which is why I am only now getting around to Arcade Fire's Neon Bible.

But I have some definite favorites, especially Feist's The Reminder, which I like even more than 2005's Let it Die. And Jeff Tweedy and the boys in Wilco have dialed it down a notch in Sky Blue Sky, maybe their best in years.

Here's my top 10 (in no particular order):

Two Shoes-The Cat Empire
Costello Music-The Fratellis
The Reminder-Feist
Or Give Me Death-Aqueduct
Never Hear The End Of It-Sloan
Neon Bible-Arcade Fire
Sky Blue Sky-Wilco
Wincing The Night Away-The Shins
a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love-Magic Bullets
Immaculate Machine's Fables-Immaculate Machine

Steal This Chainsaw ... Home Depot Doesn't Care!

2007-06-24T21:28:00.000-05:00

Yet another story from a few weeks ago about the decline of corporate America, courtesy of The Home Depot:

Man Says Home Depot Fired Workers For Catching Thieves

POSTED: 6:07 pm CDT June 4, 2007

MIDWEST CITY, Okla. -- A former Home Depot employee said the company fired him and three other workers because they helped police catch several suspected shoplifters in May.

Midwest City police said the men helped officers catch suspected shoplifters as they tried to run from a store with lawn equipment.

An internal memo from Home Depot outlines that associates cannot accuse, detain, chase or call the police on any customer for shoplifting. However, one of the fired employees said the company is selective in enforcing that policy.

To the idiots at Home Depot, who likely think that they are defending the company from lawsuits (and had no hesitation giving their last CEO a gigantic golden parachute for basically doing nothing), I ask: WTF?

The fired employees were thanked by the man whose car was stolen by the thieves beforehand, and by the police as well.

A bunch of sick, criminal-loving morons are running that company.

I'll probably just shop at Lowe's from now on ... unless I'm wearing my running shoes ...

UPDATE 24 June 2007: A man whose 1978 El Camino was stolen by the Home Depot thieves 2 months before, has given the four former employees rewards and applauded their actions. Good man!

Postal Governors To Small Publishers: Drop Dead

2007-06-04T20:43:00.000-05:00

Whenever postage rates go up, people most immediately think of the impact of the new price of a 1st class stamp. Actually, the cost of mailing in many categories increases, such as packages, credit card solicitations, catalogs, and invoices. Newspapers and magazines also have to pay more, and for 215 years, they have paid the same rates regardless of circulation size, frequency, or corporate parent.

Until now, that is.

In March, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors rejected a recommended Postal Service plan for modest, across-the-board increases for all periodicals. Instead, without Congressional oversight or public imput, it accepted a modified version of a lengthy, complicated plan put forth by Time Warner (the publisher of Time, Sports Illustrated, People, and over 100 other magazines), for smaller increases (under 10%) for the country's largest publishers, while dramatically raising rates (up to 30% or more) for smaller, independent publishers.

From one free-market perspective, it doesn't seem all that unfair. Megapublishers have the economies of scale through their sorting, bundling, and delivery systems to get their stuff to and through the USPS faster, so maybe they should pay less. Except that this flies in the face of the principle of its universal service mandate. Regardless of whether one is mailing a letter across town or across the country, the cost of 1 ounce 1st class delivery is 41 cents. For over 200 years, periodical rates have been equal because Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, et al., wanted to ensure that there would be a wide and open exchange of ideas and opinions. This principle is now at risk of being seriously degraded.

If there were a variety of choices for delivering periodical mail, there would likely be less argument. But, under the law, the USPS is a monopoly. It can have no competition; legally, it owns the mailbox outside your door. So much for free enterprise in the USA. At the same time, it is mandated by Congress to be self-sustaining, and to honor its enormous pension obligations. Hence, the vicious cycle of regular rate increases depressing mail volume, which, in turn, leads to more rate increases.

A broad coalition, including such strange bedfellows as National Review, The Nation, Mother Jones, American Conservative, and many others, has mobilized to fight this.

Congress needs to intervene, if the Board of Governors won't overturn this whole scheme.

Please contact Free Press's Stop Postal Rate Hikes for more information, petitions, etc.
The effect on a small record company and a music magazine publisher by this proposal

Delta 5-I Finally Got It!

2007-06-03T19:04:00.000-05:00

Back in the late '70s and early '80s, I was a little aware of what was happening in the worlds of punk, post-punk, and New Wave music. I knew the Clash, of course, and Gang of Four, but it wasn't until almost the mid-'80s, when listening to the late, great WHFS-FM that I first heard Delta 5. The brief-lived post-punk group out of Leeds, England was unique not only for its two bass rhythm section but also its female leadership.

After success with songs like "Mind Your Own Business", "You", and "Try", they broke up after releasing a single full-length album. Late last year, Kill Rock Stars released a compilation of their early material, Singles & Sessions 1979-81, which also includes Peel sessions. It's just a shame it took until now for this to come out! And for me to buy it at Philly's AKA Records!

How To Remember Flight 93?

2007-05-30T18:30:00.000-05:00

Here we are, going on six years since the 9/11 attacks on America, and two of the crash sites are mired in controversy. It took years to reach agreement on a memorial at the World Trade Center site in New York, and every time new remains are found, new questions are raised..

Near Schwenksville in Pennsylvania's Somerset County, where United Flight 93 crashed after a battle between the hijackers and the passengers, a temporary memorial was established. Thousands of visitors since 9/11 have left items which have become part of a larger display. Chaotic, unplanned, yes, but also reflecting a truer measure of how many Americans choose to deal with their grief and to honor the fallen heroes.

In The New Republic, Jonathan Last describes the lengthy "sausage-making" process that produced the abstract "Crescent of Embrace" design for the "official" memorial. After many people, including me, found it objectionable because of its similarity to the Islamic symbol, it was heavily modified, and is now truly an empty, bland proposal. As he writes:

It won't have any of the sentimentality of left-behind crosses or rosaries, motorcycle jackets or matchbox cars. Neither will it have any elements of the heroic or the classical--no obelisks or domes or statuary. Instead it will, as the NPS Flight 93 Memorial newsletter soothingly explains, offer the visitor "space for reflection, learning, social interaction, and healing." Not to mention wind chimes. And a spacious visitors' center, too.

Very sad ... but does it have to be this way?

Don't Pull The Plug On Internet Radio!

2007-05-30T11:59:00.000-05:00

I don't stream radio over the Internet very often, maybe three or four times a week, for about two hours (at most). But I was still outraged by the decision in March by the Copyright Royalty Board (part of the Library of Congress) to order a new royalty payment formula. The new fees, made retroactive to 1 January 2006, will require huge increases in payments (in some cases, 1000%!) by webcasters & radio stations with Internet streaming. Since most cannot pay, they will have to cease operations.

SoundExchange, the industry board set up the record industry (read: the RIAA) to collect and distribute royalties to artists and record companies claims that the new fees are for the good of the artists, but this claim is highly dubious. Artists should be fairly compensated, but Internet radio provides important exposure, build audiences, and sell CDs. Besides, as an article in the Houston Press shows, SoundExchange hasn't exactly been killing itself to find all of the musicians who it says are entitled to receive royalties. Instead, it pockets the money. What a disgrace!

Shutting down webcasting will be also bad for non-profit radio stations, some of which, like WXPN, have a large, out-of-market audience. It will further kill off any interest in some music formats, like jazz, blues, classical, and world music, which have carved out a small niche on the Web.

The new fees are scheduled to take effect on 15 July. There is legislation before Congress to overturn the CRB decision, and instead, establish a royalty payment of 7.5% of revenues. Next week, I'll be writing and emailing my U.S. Representatives & Senators to support the Internet Radio Equality Act. In the House, the bill is called H.R. 2060, and in the Senate, it's S. 1353. Over the last 10 years, Congresses under the control of both major parties have avoided taxing Internet sales, access, etc., because they know its importance to future of the U.S. economy.

This bill must be passed.

Progress of this legislation in the U.S. Congress can be tracked here

Savenetradio is probably the leading group looking to overturn the CRB decision.

Chavez & Putin: Birds Of A Feather

2007-05-29T12:07:00.000-05:00

It's amazing what a nice little cash flow can do for one's dictatorship. When prices for a barrel of oil were just creeping into the double digits, the "leaders" of two of the biggest oil-producing nations were laying low. Russia's Vladimir Putin was dealing with Chechen terrorists in the Beslan school massacre, and building ties with the West and President G.W. Bush. Hugo Chavez survived a coup attempt when he attempted to nationalize part of Venezuela's economy.

Now, with revenues gushing into their coffers because of skyrocketing oil prices, both have been taking an increasingly strident stance on the regional and worldwide stage. Putin has been spending huge amounts of money in a military buildup, intimidated Ukraine and Estonia, shut down opposition media and anti-Kremlin political parties, consolidated key industries, and threatened a new arms race with the U.S. over possible depolyment of missile defense among NATO countries in Europe. Chavez has moved to take over key parts of his country's economy and shut down the broadcast operation of the oldest TV station, RCTV.

All of this is not good for the national security interests of the United States, especially in Latin America. But is anyone in Washington, D.C. listening?

In Vino Veritas

2007-05-21T12:11:00.001-05:00

What's in that wine? You may not want to know. According to the L.A. Times, federal regulators are considering new rules requiring winemakers to list ingredients on labels, thanks to an allergen-disclosure law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2004. I'm usually in favor of truth-in-labelling, and being aware of what I consume, so how bad could this be? Ponder this:

It might be disenchanting if the label also listed the chicken, fish, milk and wheat products that are often used to process wine. And it would be hard to maintain the notion that wine is an ethereal elixir if, before uncorking, consumers read that their Pinot Noir or Syrah contained Mega Purple (a brand of concentrated wine color), oak chips or such additives as oak gall nuts, grape juice concentrate, tartaric acid, citric acid, dissolved oxygen, copper and water.

Well, whatever, I don't want to know what's in my Red Head Yard Dog Petit Verdot. Thanks, but no thanks!

What Is That?!?!

2007-05-18T12:08:00.001-05:00

Well?

Any ideas?

I check out Linda Moulton Howe's excellent website, Earthfiles, from time-to-time. She reports on all kinds of things - from environmental issues, odd weather, and crop circles to flying saucers and medical news. This report says people have been seeing and photographing these aerial drones for years. Is it some kind of secret Defense Department "black project"? Alien spacecraft? What?!?

Oil, Now Without Terror!

2007-05-16T15:41:00.001-05:00

Since 9/11, I've been bothered by the failure of the we Americans to wean ourselves from that seductive narcotic, cheap foreign oil, or, to be more precise, Middle Eastern oil. Saudi Arabia ... the United Arab Emirates ... no matter where you look, there are countries which, in ways both official and informal, support Islamic extremists who are killing us. We do need to develop alternative energy sources, raise mileage standards, increase mass transit, and get out of the Middle East. We also need to become educated consumers, and find out where all that foreign oil comes from, and make an appropriate buying decision.

That's what the Terror-Free Oil Initiative is trying to do. According to the group's website, oil from countries that in some way do not support terrorism is hard to find. Even Venezuelan oil is suspect, because of the Chavez dictatorship. But Hess and Sunoco are pretty much OK, as is a venerable old name, like Sinclair. I intend to make my statement at the gas pump.

British Soldier's Heroism "Too Positive"?!?!?!?

2007-05-07T12:09:00.001-05:00

The Iraq "war" has been nearly as divisive in Britain as it has been in the United States. As the only major ally to commit a large number of troops to Operation Iraqi Freedom, there have been great acts of sacrifice and heroism by British troops (just as there have been many by U.S. soldiers and marines). But a film based on the story of one of them, Pte. Johnson Beharry, the first winner of the Victoria Cross in over 40 years, has been rejected by BBC as too positive(!)

He was cited for "valour of the highest order" after he drove a Warrior tracked armoured vehicle through heavy enemy fire in May 2004 to come to the rescue of a foot patrol that had been caught in a series of ambushes. The 30-ton Warrior was hit by multiple rocket-propelled grenades, causing damage and resulting in the loss of radio communications. Pte Beharry drove through the ambush, taking his own injured crew and leading five other Warriors to safety. He then extracted his wounded colleagues from the vehicle, all the time exposed to further enemy fire.

The following month, Pte Beharry was again driving the lead Warrior vehicle of his platoon through al-Amarah when his vehicle was ambushed. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the vehicle and Pte Beharry received serious head injuries. Other rockets hit the vehicle incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew.Despite his very serious injuries, Pte Beharry then took control of his vehicle and drove it out of the ambush area before losing consciousness. He required brain surgery for his head injuries and he was still recovering when he received the VC from the Queen in June last year.

Unfortunately, the BBC decided not to back the project because it didn't want to offend those in the audience opposed to the war. What utter bullsh**. It's one thing to oppose this "war" because of its rationale, or its conduct. But, to denigrate the service of a man who put the lives of his fellow soldiers above his own - twice - is truly terrible. It's basically saying that those who are killing U.S. and British soldiers-whether al-Qaeda, Sunni, Shiite, Baathists, Sadaam loyalists, whoever-are justified in their killing. Maybe ... probably, we shouldn't be there, at least without a formal declaration of war (which hasn't happened since 1941). But this guy is a hero.

The BBC's cowardice is bloody awful, really, and another example of its decline.

The Bad Signs Are Everywhere!

2007-05-01T22:57:00.001-05:00

For years, I had a Saturday morning ritual: visiting yard sales. Most of the time, I'd plan my route out on a map, then make a list of every garage sale, estate sale, moving sale or flea market within a three-mile radius that I had seen advertised in the newspaper. I wouldn't often buy anything unless I came across an exceptional bargain, like the time I bought the entire catalog of The Smiths on CD for $8.

One of the surest indications that Spring, and "Spring Cleaning" season has arrived, is the growing number of signs appearing everywhere. Tacked on or taped to trees, or telephone pools, these signs are almost without exception, the worst possible way to advertise a yard sale.

Take for example, the sign in the photo at right. Thin lettering on fluorescent paper? You can't read the address at all until you're practically standing next to it, totally useless if you're driving around. Another common sin is using cheap paper or even ripped up cardboard as a sign, which blows away if it isn't secured right.

Maybe it's the marketer and advertiser in me thinking, but I just cringe when I see bad signs. No wonder so much eventually winds up out on the curb for trash pickup!

Take Me Out ... For Some Food on The Road

2007-04-30T12:08:00.000-05:00

Singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos is the frontman for Franz Ferdinand, one of the best (and most successful) new bands of the decade. He is also something of a gourmand. In September of 2005, he began writing a column for The Guardian newspaper about the food he was eating while touring the world. His observations have just been published in Sound Bites.

It's an interesting read, filled with stories about friends and meals, from Milan to Melbourne. One of the best passages describes an interlude in Wigtown, Scotland. Kapranos has been recommended to visit Reading Lasses, a women's studies bookstore & cafe. There, he basks in the simple pleasure of two great loves: eating & reading:

I am brought a thick plank of wood stacked with Galloway cheeses, chutneys and homemade bread dense with seeds. I open my book and flick through it, comforted by the reassuring flavors.

You can buy Sound Bites at your local bookshop, or here.

Franz Ferdinand is at work on its next album.

Not Bitten Again ... Yet

2007-04-26T12:17:00.001-05:00

It's Spring again, and I'm still waiting to get bitten again by the running "bug".

I've described myself as a "runner" for over 25 years now. I went out for track and cross country in high school, and was pretty good about running in the off-season as well. But when I got to college, I had quite a lot else on my mind. My running suffered, and each time I would commit myself to getting up early in the morning, lacing up those shoes, and heading out the door, I found a reason not to go.

Eventually, in the late 80s, I set myself some goals (distance races, etc.), and off I went. I entered a bunch of races, from the Marine Corps and Philadelpia Marathons, to a New Year's race that began at midnight in Central Park in New York City.

In looking through extensive logbooks I kept of my training runs, I noticed a pattern I had settled into. It went something like this: training for a race, running it, taking a break from hard running for a few months, feeling bored, setting another goal, and returning to serious running. I haven't run in a competitive road race since 2003. Maybe this'll be the year I decide on something to train for, then go out and do it.

But so far, I'm just not feeling it.

You Might Be A Tech Addict If ...

2007-03-21T22:17:00.001-05:00

If you're feeling a bit too disconnected from the real world thanks to all of this wonderful technology we've surrounded ourselves with, you're certainly not alone. According to John O'Neill, director of social work at the Menninger Clinic in Houston, these are the warning signs that you have an addiction to technology:

1.You become upset or angry when you lose your cell or Internet connection.

2. You lose track of time when you're online; minutes stretch into hours.

3. Talking on your cell phone, checking email, or surfing the Web takes the place of physically spending time with family and friends.

4.You start and end your day checking email, chatting, etc., rather than really relating to others.

5. You travel and even vacation with all of your communication devices.

There's an old saying: everything in moderation. It sure applies here! So, take a walk. Turn off the cell & TV. Go to the beach. Visit an old friend. Read a book or magazine. Tune out for a while.

But please, come back to this blog! ;-)

More Creativity Killers

2007-03-13T21:43:00.001-05:00

I just finished one of the better business books I've read in quite some time. Pushing the Envelope: All The Way To The Top was written by Harvey Mackay, the founder & Chairman of Mackay Envelope Company. The title is a bit of wordplay, because it's not really about how to sell or "push" an envelope. Rather, it's about trying to surpass limits, going to the edge - all those cliches we think of whether we're talking about airplane test pilots or salespeople developing their skills to be more successful. The book is full of advice on hiring, motivating, training, producing, selling, and negotiating in business, that could just as easily be adapted for life in general.

Mackay really resonated with me in listing "creativity killers", the phrases one hears (or says) in business or other endeavors in life that dampen one's spirits and hinder progress. You know what I'm talking about: "That's against policy", "We tried that before and it didn't work", "The competition does it that way" ... you get the idea. I thought of a few more I've heard over the years: "That's just how we do things here", "Oh well, you know (insert your organization's name here)", "The system already works pretty well", and "(insert person's name) is the only person who can do this", and "It's not a priority". I try my best not to buy into that line of thinking.

Harvey Mackay's Website

GEICO's Cavemen: Their 15 Minutes Are Not Up

2007-03-02T13:16:00.000-05:00

I've been amused by those GEICO TV ads featuring the "cavemen" since the first one, "Apology", premiered back in 2004. Roast duck with mango salsa, anyone? More ads have followed, as well as print ads & direct mail. And, one of them was in a series of pieces with Phil Simms in the Super Bowl pre-game show this year. Today, I read this in the trades:

Winner for most unusual piece of development this pilot season goes to ABC, which has turned a series of quirky Geico commercials into an actual half-hour comedy project."Cavemen" will revolve around three pre-historic men who must battle prejudice as they attempt to live as normal thirtysomethings in modern Atlanta. Project, from ABC TV Studio, is penned by Joe Lawson, an advertising copywriter who was behind the "Caveman" ads -- as well as other Geico commercials (think the cockney-speaking Geico gecko, and the reality TV spoof "Tiny House").

I love my industry.

U.S. Out Of Europe!

2007-02-23T13:10:00.000-05:00

I don't know how to say this, but I'm really starting to agree with Pat Buchanan more and more these days. He's a permanent guest on various programs on MSNBC, usually discussing the Iraq war, immigration, or some other foreign policy issue. While I would disagree with some of his views, he is spot on once again, this time in his column on the failure of Europe as a world power. Noting that European powers lack the will to support the United States in exercising military power, Buchanan calls for big changes in the U.S. role in Europe and NATO.

There is a larger meaning to all this, and Americans must come to terms with it. NATO is packing it in as a world power. NATO is little more than a U.S. guarantee to pull Europe's chestnuts out of the fire if Europeans encounter a fight they cannot handle, like an insurgency in Bosnia or Kosovo. NATO has one breadwinner, and 25 dependents.

Wow. This is powerful stuff, because it's a debate that our elected officials have been afraid to have since the end of the Cold War.

You can read the whole column here.

WDRE Remembered

2007-02-19T19:20:00.000-05:00

One of the radio stations that was an essential part of the 1990s for me was WDRE-FM, whose passing 10 years ago this month will be marked by a reunion show on Y-ROCK on XPN on Wednesday.

In November 1992, the new owners of religious station WIBF (103.9 FM) in Jenkintown, PA decided to simulcast New York's WDRE (for "Dare To Be Different") into the Philadelphia market. For many of us, the "modern rock" blend was a welcome relief to the formulaic rock of WMMR and WYSP. The playlist was a mix of grunge and alternative: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, Liz Phair, Cake, as well as "older" artists like U2 and REM. By the time the New York station reverted to its WLIR call letters, the station had developed its own local programming and identity. Bands like No Doubt and Garbage developed a local fan base thanks to exposure on 'DRE and Radiohead played at the station's Christmas show(!) at Egypt (a club on Delaware Avenue).

Then there were the DJs, who really seemed to be having a good time while keeping up on all this great music: Marilyn Russell, Dan Fein, Bret Hamilton, Jim McGuinn, Preston Elliott, Mel "Toxic" Taylor, and the morning show crew of Sarah, Vinnie, and Spike.

The stations was still, however, never a big ratings success, and in February 1997, station ownership announced that it was flipping the format to hip-hop. But, unusual for radio, it gave enough advance notice for the staff to plan one final, blowout concert - "Bitterfest" (featuring G. Love) - at the Electric Factory, on the last day. It sounded like a blast!

Thanks for the good times guys!

Modern rock wasn't quite dead in Philadelphia; Y-100 (WPLY-FM) would become the home for some of the jocks ... but that's a story for another day ...

Y-ROCK On XPN's WDRE Tribute

The Internet Archive's WDRE Site

WDRE Tribute Site

Comic Strip I Love: Get Fuzzy

2007-02-07T17:08:00.000-05:00

Since I stopped subscribing to a daily newspaper in the late 1990s, I really haven't kept up much with the comings-and-goings in the comics world. I know "The Far Side" and "Calvin and Hobbes" are no longer around, but that's about it. When I occasionally pick up a paper, I check out "Dilbert," which is still around, and all-too-familiar. I also like a strip called "Get Fuzzy". It's drawn by Darby Conley, and features the adventures of advertising executive Rob Wilco and his two pets: Satchel Pooch (a dog) and Bucky Katt (a cat).

The three characters live in an apartment in Boston. The humor comes from the conflict between Bucky's and Satchel's personalities, which are extreme stereotypes of cats and dogs. Sweet, trusting, naïve Satchel (always with the wide eyes!) is routinely subjected to the exploitation of cruel, self-centered, aloof Bucky. Rob, the middleman, is pretty frazzled from dealing with them, or more specifically, from dealing with Bucky's destructive nature and overall nastiness.

Absolutely hilarious!

The "Get Fuzzy" website

Doctor, My Eyes Or Why I Haven't Been Posting

2007-01-30T13:08:00.000-05:00

Some of you who look at this site every so often have noticed that I haven't been posting very often. So why is that? Part of the answer is that I've been busy reading, going to concerts, volunteering, etc. This leads to a bigger part of the answer: that at the end of the work day, my eyes just can't take it. My job requires using a computer, and after staring at that screen, the last thing I want to do most days is come home, and continue it. I don't even watch much television, beyond a few minutes of news, sports, and weather, or Lost and 24.

So keep checking on me, I'll try to do better!

Are You Asking Me Or Telling Me?

2007-01-24T13:02:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of silly things that people do or say that annoy me. Drivers not using turn signals when they should is a big one. I'm also bothered when people casually use profanity in a public place, like a bank, or supermarket . Another practice that's been getting on my nerves lately is the habit some people have of ending every sentence in a conversation in a question. This probably sounds familiar: "And then I stopped at CVS to buy Advil? And I remembered I had to call and get my prescription filled?" As it turns out, there's a name to his special kind of pain: uptalking. In the Urban Dictionary, it's defined as:

verb and noun
n. uptalker; n and adj. uptalking

1. A way of speaking that puts an upward inflection on the last word of a statement that makes it sound like a question when it's not. (Common among teens and surfers.)
2. (grammar) speak with high-rise terminals (HRT).
Examples:

An uptalker would say "I've bought a new camera?" as though it were a question.

To say "Have a nice day" in uptalk, raise the last syllable as though you are asking a question: "Have a nice day?"

I'm convinced some people talk this way because they lack enough confidence, even when making a statement of fact. Or they're looking for approval from others. I know I've read about this before, I just have to remember where.

To 2007: May The Music Not Be Forgotten

2007-01-02T13:09:00.000-05:00

"When The Music's Not Forgotten" is a moving song by Steven & Sherilynn Collins, the husband-and-wife duo known as Deadman. It got some airplay in 2005, probably because it was recorded on the day Johnny Cash died, and was inspired by gret musicians like Cash and Ray Charles.

Please come close, for I long for you to hear, Hear the sound that will rid you of your fears. In a land where no water can be found, In a place where there is no fertile ground. Longing for, yearning not to be forgotten; In an age when the music is forgotten, In an age when the music is forgotten.

And the truth (and the truth) speaks of great and mighty things, Teaching us (teaching us) what the peace of Heaven brings; We must give (we must give), we must give to all the others, Those in need (those in need) who we fear to call our brothers; Reaching out (reaching out) so that we are not forgotten. In a time (in a time) when the music is forgotten, In a time (in a time) when the music is forgotten.

If we stand on a hill and do not touch, How can we do good? If we wash our hands of all our friends, What change can really come? If we hide our fears and don't draw near, Have we really lived? Or are we all just standing here, Hoping there is grace?

In a dream (in a dream) that I had not long ago, Visions of (visions of) a city made of gold; And a sound (and a sound) that I'd never heard before, such a sound (such a sound), saturating to the core; such a sound(such a sound)! One that cannot be forgotten. In a time (in a time) when the music's not forgotten, in a time (in a time) when the music's not forgotten.

Amen to that.

Deadman's Official Website

Best Records Of 2006

2006-12-12T12:47:00.000-05:00

The wailing, the gnashing of teeth is over. I have chosen my top 10 records of 2006.

They are:

1. All The Roadrunning-Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris
2. Behind The Levee-The Subdudes
3. Song Of The Blackbird-William Elliott Whitmore
4. The Trials Of Van Occupanther-Midlake
5. Corinne Bailey Rae-Corinne Bailey Rae
6. Dog Problems-The Format
7. The Warning-Hot Chip
8. Allright, Still-Lily Allen
9. American V-Johnny Cash
10. People Gonna Talk-James Hunter

Bubbling under ...

Worrisome Heart-Melody Gardot
Funnel Cloud-Hem
Tired Of Hanging Around-The Zutons
St. Elsewhere-Gnarls Barkley
We Are The Pipettes-The Pipettes

My Other Blog

2006-12-08T12:15:00.000-05:00

The Christmas season has inspired a lot of movies and TV specials, religious and secular, good and bad, over the years. Everyone knows the various versions of A Christmas Carol, and It's A Wonderful Life. For kids of all ages there's A Charlie Brown Christmas, of course. But in 1996, I missed the showing of the made-for-TV movie The Christmas Tree. Apparently, a lot of people did see it, however, and still rave about it, although it hasn't been seen on TV since nor released on DVD.

It starred Julie Harris, Andrew McCarthy, and was directed by Sally Field, based on a book by Julie Salamon. Maybe there's a good explanation for its unavailability; if so, I'd like to hear it. And, so, my quest to rescue this film from obscurity begins with a blog. Check it out!

Chained Melody

2006-12-04T13:04:00.000-05:00

Wal-Mart is one of those American institutions some people just love to hate. San Diego has shut the door on any opening their doors there, to protect local establishments and to protest their wage scale. It may be that some bloom is off the rose: the store chain's profits are down in a quarter for the first time in 10 years. I haven't been in one in a few years, because I have a wide variety of retail choices where I live. But I can't deny that using economies of scale in buying things (whether toothpaste or now, generic drugs), allows many of their customers to stretch their dollars.

And so we come to the typical American's love/hate relationship with chain stores, the subject of an article in the December 2006 issue of The Atlantic magazine by Virginia Postrel (former editor of Reason). We love the lower prices, the better hours and locations, and the wider choice of goods usually provided by chain stores. But she doesn't worry about how shopping at a Starbucks, Target, or Macy's in any location in the country can alter how we perceive a place:

Stores don’t give places their character. Terrain and weather and culture do.

Her argument is pretty convincing. Besides, I have little doubt that a hundred years ago, there were some people who welcomed, say, Woolworth's to their town, and others who fretted. Like Horn & Hardart, Two Guys, Best Products, and lots of other retailers, it didn't change to fit conditions, and disappeared from the scene. Someday, maybe Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and the Olive Garden will as well.

I Know It's Just Hollywood But ...

2006-12-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

There are those moments in many sci-fi or action movies & TV shows when something happens that causes me to just shake my head, or even laugh. This isn't just ships moving through space with a "woosh" sound I'm talking about, I mean plot contrivances that completely violate the laws of physics. From Armageddon to The Core and the Tom Cruise/Stephen Spielberg version of The War of the Worlds, there enough examples out there to give Albert Einstein a splitting headache.

Two of the best places to go to on the Web for review of the bad science on display in major movies are: Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy and Intuitor's Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics.

TV Commercials I Love: GE Healthcare

2006-11-20T20:49:00.000-05:00

You've probably missed this one for General Electric Early Health. Running since February, usually during the Sunday morning talk shows, it promotes G.E.'s health diagnostic services and equipment. The ad features a "monster" rampaging on a beach, a la Godzilla, a trio of Japanese children, and well, you can see it here. It still makes me laugh!

The Election Results

2006-11-08T13:18:00.000-05:00

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent, on everything from direct mail, to TV ads, to bribes and consultant fees, and finally, the election season has ended (well, except for the races too close to call). On the national scene, the Democratic Party has taken control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years, and are closing in on a bare majority in the Senate. For the Republicans, especially in the Congress, they have no one but themselves (and President Bush) to blame.

The Republicans won control of the House in 1992 (for the first time in 40 years) because of a backlash against Democratic scandals, and an overreach by the Clintons in pushing for an even bigger role for government in health care. The Contract With America, which was roundly denounced by Democrats and the Left, was an attempt to break from "business as usual" politics by nationalizing what are essentially hundreds of local races for Congress.

In the years since then, the limited-government approach of the Republicans was forgotten by many of them. Term limits, earmarks, deficit spending, regulation-it used to be that you knew where most House Republicans stood on these issues. But too many had become corrupted by a system they had railed against. And now, it's their turn to leave. Hey people, don't let the door hit ya ...

But the number of close races, the continuing disgust, anger, and disillusionment with politics should be a warning to the Democrats too: Don't abuse your new power. Don't lord it over the GOP (too much) or the President. Get things done. Or you'll be gone too.

The Eagles vs Saints-Arrrrgggghhhhhh!

2006-10-18T16:12:00.000-05:00

Oy. What a frustrating game. On Sunday, the Eagles traveled to the Louisiana Superdome to play the suddenly-resurgent New Orleans Saints. Maybe it was the letdown after the big win over Dallas & T.O. the week before, or maybe it was crowd noise, but they came out really sluggish. It was 10-0 in short order, and the Eagles were reeling. They were getting the ball back with just under 2 minutes left in the first half, when Dexter Wynn & Ryan Moats totally muffed the punt return, which gave the Saints the short field they used to score another TD.

OK, they did look a little more alive coming out for the second half: two touchdowns to tie it up, one a sweet 60-yard catch & run by Reggie Brown. But the Eagles blew some coverage, letting the Saints retake the lead, and in the end, let them march downfield to kick the winning field goal. McNabb did not impress, although I suppose he's entitled to an off game after some of the numbers he's put up. Still, this one leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Those Saints will bear watching the rest of the season.

"Lost"-Season Three Begins Tonight ...

2006-10-04T16:05:00.000-05:00

... and it's about time!

So many questions to be answered after a terrific ending to last season, including:
-Did Desmond, Eko, and Locke survive the hatch explosion?
-Will anything happen to Claire's baby?
-Will Michael & Walt make it back to civilization?
-What's the deal with the Others?
-What amusing nicknames will Sawyer bestow upon people?

We'll start to find out (I hope), starting at 9 o'clock Eastern.

The Monsters Among Us

2006-10-04T16:01:00.000-05:00

There are some really sick, disturbed people in this world, and there are some who are just plain evil. Because of them, the past few days have seen some horrific killings at schools in Colorado, Wisconsin, and now, Pennsylvania. We shake our heads in puzzlement and sigh in frustration as we ponder how a low-life thug in Colorado and devoted family man in Lancaster can apparently just go crazy, enter a school, target girls for molestation, and then start shooting before killing themselves.

I thought about this even more when I heard that another monster, Charles Conner, was arrested in suburban Philadelphia on Monday. He had been detained by the police after a drunk driving accident on Garrett Road, and taken to Delaware County Memorial Hospital, where he made threats against health care workers and police during his blood alcohol test. Later, a huge arsenal of guns, knives, and home-made bombs was discovered in his Drexel Hill house, which sits just 200 feet from St. Charles School in the 3800 block of Dennison Avenue. And, as reported in the Delco Times yesterday, this was not this bastard's first run-in with the law:

It was while Conner was awaiting arraignment for the DUI that Detective Sgt. David Madonna remembered the defendant from the previous suicide attempt last year when police removed 59 potentially dangerous items from the house including guns and knives.

"Over the next months, Conner came to the police department several times for return of his guns and knives and the police department refused," Chitwood said, noting Conner appealed to Common Pleas Court and received a court order in April signed by Judge Joseph Cronin for the return of his property.

"Needless to say, today we’re here after obtaining a search warrant and have 53 guns. It shows how the system works," Chitwood added while waving the court document and a bound folder containing information on how to make bombs and fuses.

Thank God for the quick work of the Upper Darby police, and particularly Superintendent Michael Chitwood, who has also gone after nuisance bars and pawn shops illegally selling guns. But shame on this Judge Cronin! He needs to explain exactly why he did this, and reassure the public that he will be far more careful in the future in making his decisions. Otherwise, he should be gone from office. Period.

Because a lot of this comes down to how some people are able to manipulate the legal system to evade justice.That may have been the case with Conner. And, I just read about how an actress, Pauley Perrette ("Abby") of NCIS, is being stalked and harrassed by her ex-husband, Francis Shivers. I was literally sick to my stomach reading about how he has also harrassed another former wife and a former girlfriend, and uses the courts to file false charges against all three of them. Whether he's sick or evil, someone needs to do something more about him, before he kills.

Philadelphia Daily News Story Of Conner's Arrest

Delaware County Times Story Of Conner's Arrest

Pauley Perrette Of CBS-TV's NCIS Stalked By Ex-Husband

Mark Of The Beast??

2006-09-21T11:58:00.000-05:00

One of the crazy dichotomies of our modern age is that the same computer databases that provide so many conveniences can also wreak havoc with our lives. Take, for example, Social Security numbers. A task force appointed by the President just issued a preliminary report urging the passage of legislation restricting how the S.S. numbers are used, due to the threat of identity theft. It seems like every week there are stories in the media about various companies or government agencies being hacked, or having laptops with personal records stolen. This puts a lot of people's financial well-being at risk, when criminals get their hands on the data.

When the Social Security system was created back in the 1930s, people nervous about the government creating a citizen registry were assured that the data would only be used for administering the program. But over the decades, the Social Security has become a de facto national ID number. Many government forms, as well as financial applications, contracts, etc., require it. I'll hav eto do some research on it, but I remember hearing before that legally, one can't be compelled to provide it in most of these instances. I hope my memory is right.

Interim Task Force Recommends Social Security Number Limits

Top 885 Artists-Numbers 11-20

2006-09-18T12:08:00.000-05:00

Well, my original Excel spreadsheet of artists got up to just under 200 names before I stopped. These are the artists I considered for the top 10. I didn't put them in any specific order, because in the XPN voting, they're only worth one point. They are:

Billie Holiday
Artie Shaw
Jeff Buckley
Richard Thompson
Marvin Gaye
The Smiths
Patsy Cline
Van Morrison
The Cure
Renaissance

Top 885 Artists-Number 1-Johnny Cash

2006-09-12T16:31:00.000-05:00

He was a true American original, a man who lived on the edge, both personally and professionally. He was touted by the Left for his sympathy for prisoners, American Indians, and working men, and by the Right, for his turn towards spirituality in later years. But the Man In Black was always his own man. He was Johnny Cash.

Although he originated his career in Nashville (Sun Records), Johnny Cash was never "of Nashville", at least not for most of his professional life. His independent attitude and frequent brushes with the law saw to that. But in much of his music, in songs like "Folsom Prison Blues", "Cry Cry Cry", "Ring Of Fire", "Ghost Riders In The Sky", and a hundred more, there is a purity and nobility that comes through more than any other performer of the 20th Century. His deep baritone voice and a style that combined the world-weariness of country and the emotional honesty of folk, with the rebelliousness of rock.

In the 1990s and beyond, his career enjoyed a resurgence. He worked with producer Rick Rubin on a series of recordings; he covered "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails and performed with U2. But really, he was cool even when Nashville and the larger musical establishment didn't think he was cool.

As shown in the Academy Award-winning film "I Walk The Line," Johnny could raise sure raise hell, eventually saving himself, with a lot of help from June Carter. Sometimes the biggest sinners do make the best saints.

Top 885 Artists-Number 2-Ella Fitzgerald

2006-09-12T16:30:00.001-05:00

Her voice could make a champagne glass shatter in a famous TV commercial for Memorex. She was the greatest scat singer ever, and much more as well. She was the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald.

Lady Ella's career spanned six decades, but it was her work beginning in the late 1950s, interpreting the Great American Songbook, that defined her as a stellar figure, as far as I'm concerned. Among the greats she covered were Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, and Harold Arlen. And besides that, she put her hornlike vocal style (and three-octave range) to good use on various records over the years, including collaborations with giants like Louis Armstrong and Count Basie.

Top 885 Artists-Number 3-Elvis Costello

2006-09-12T16:30:00.000-05:00

Elvis Costello is one of the more recognizable faces in pop music over the last 30 years. It's kind of hard to miss those big glasses after all. He's performed with Burt Bacharach in an Austin Powers movie. And he's married to jazz singer Diana Krall as well. But there's so much more.

Elvis Costello is one of the first artists I associated with the New Wave, but I soon learned that his music and style were a lot more complex. He didn't really fit in with Television, the New York Dolls, or other acts of the time. And over the years, his music has been all over the place, from ska lite to R&B, to post-punk pop, to classical, and, to jazzy ballads. He's collaborated with Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Brian Eno, Chet Baker, Allen Toussaint, Lucinda Williams, and the Brodsky Quartet. But probably my favorite record of his, even more than Blood and Chocolate, was Almost Blue. He rips through a fine selection of country music covers, from Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me" to Merle Haggard's "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down", and Gram Parsons' "How Much I Lied". He captures what makes real country music so great: the weepy ballads, and jumpin' honky-tonk.

Top 885 Artists-Number 5-David Bowie

2006-09-12T16:29:00.001-05:00

Growing up in suburban Philadelphia, it seems like there was never a time when I didn't hear a lot of David Bowie on the radio. DJs like Ed Sciaky and David Dye were big fans of his music, and they helped shaped the tastes of Philadelpia audiences.

And what wasn't to like? There's the big catalog of fine songs: "Space Oddity", "The Jean Genie", "Suffragette City," "Golden Years", "Rebel Rebel", and many more. But what has made Bowie so great is that he was a true rock icon without being stuck as any specific one. In a few years, he morphed from a folkie to the androgynous glam alien Ziggy Stardust to the alienated addict, the Thin White Duke. And along the way, whether working with the Spiders, or producer Brian Eno and guitarists Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew, Bowie also incorporated elements of funk, R&B, and pop into his music.

Top 885 Artists-Number 4-Miles Davis

2006-09-12T16:29:00.000-05:00

When it comes to Miles Davis, nearly everybody thinks of Kind Of Blue, which is a masterpiece. Bill Evans is on piano, of course, and all the tunes are deservedly considered standards. But there are two other records I like which also show his genius.

A Tribute To Jack Johnson is the soundtrack to a film biography of the famous boxer. Here, his band includes John McLaughlin on guitar, Steve Grossman on soprano sax, Billy Cobham on drums, Herbie Hancock on organ, and Michael Henderson on electric bass. This is a fine jazz-rock record, where Davis & Co. solo at will, and they just sizzle.

On Sketches of Spain, Davis teamed again with arranger Gil Evans. In adapting and building around a classical composition, Rodrigo's "Concierto De Aranjuez", Davis showcases his mastery of the flugelhorn as well as the trumpet. Some self-styled jazz purists don't like this record, taking issue with its incredible lyricism. That's too bad, and rather fortunate that Davis and many fans over the years have brushed this opinion aside. It is a lovely record, with an emphasis on flamenco and a relaxed tempo.

9/11, Five Years On

2006-09-11T16:30:00.000-05:00

Five years ago today, a sunny clear morning changed into something that will be etched forever in American, and world, history.

The attacks of 9/11 is such a complex, multi-faceted topic that I could literally talk about it for hours. But I want to focus on something that's bothered me since sometime in 2002, after the initial shock, sadness and anger wore off.

Where is the sacrifice? After the initial sentimentality and symbolism slowly wore off, we again have forgotten that the world is a lot more chaotic and violent than our splendid isolation has made us see first-hand.

There was an opportunity for the American people, the Bush administration, the Congress, and other elected officials at all levels, to ask Americans, as JFK, said "what you can do for your country." To an extent, some did.

But I think about what happened during World War II, our last declared war. There were shortages as industrial and agricultural production geared up to support the war effort; people grew Victory Gardens and collected scrap materials. Celebrities felt duty-bound to support the war effort.

This time, the Patriot Act notwithstanding, uhhh ... nada. Nope, we got tax cuts. And encouragement to go shopping.

Now maybe it's the nature of the challenge that's different. Maybe because it's more daunting in some respects. We were told that this is a "war" that will take years to fight, and on many different fronts. I worry that our patience is wearing thin, as so many people, left, right, neocon, progressive, etc., are at each others' throats in the same stupid political battles. And this is to our great peril.

Top 885 Artists-Number 6-The Clash

2006-09-11T16:29:00.000-05:00

The Clash were one of the biggest bands to come out of the U.K. in the late 1970s. Angrier and more political than the Buzzcocks, and a bit more together than the Sex Pistols, they symbolized everything that was great (and bad) about punk rock.

The Clash were at their height of creativity and popularity with their third record, London Calling. It is a masterpiece, combining punk with elements of rockabilly and ska. There are some stellar tracks spread out on the double-record, like "Train In Vain", "Clampdown," and the title song. But, like punk itself, the Clash's fall was about as quick as its rise. The band broke up after Mick Jones was kicked out, and any thought of a reunion was put to rest with the death of Joe Strummer. But they will always be remembered for the furious, political energy they brought to the stage.

Top 885 Artists-Number 7-John Coltrane

2006-09-08T17:36:00.000-05:00

John Coltrane was of the greatest figures in the history of jazz, a gifted composer, sideman, and saxophone master who was with us for only a relatively short period of time, and yet produced a huge variety and volume of work.

His style evolved dramatically over the years. After making a name for himself in conventional jazz as a sideman for Miles Davis, his early solo work saw him begin to develop a highly improvised. formless "free jazz" that featured extended runs of playing hundreds of notes in a short time. His work in the mid-1960s became increasingly atonal and dissonant, as he concentrated almost solely on the tenor sax and worked with other free jazz artists on his recordings.

My favorite Coltrane has to be Coltrane's Sound. With the first edition of the classic Coltrane band (with Steve Davis on bass), this dark and brooding masterpiece reworks standard bop. "Liberia" is a version of "A Night In Tunisia", and "Satellite" redoes "How High The Moon".

Top 885 Artists-Number 8-Irving Berlin

2006-09-07T12:03:00.000-05:00

I wanted to include in my top 10 list a representative of The Great American Songbook, and it's hard to think of someone who has been bigger than Irving Berlin. Although he never read music beyond a basic level, he composed the lyrics and/or music for over 3,000 songs.

"White Christmas," originally written for the Bing Crosby film Holiday Inn, became a huge hit in the late 1940s, and was, until a few years ago, the biggest-selling single in history. A proud patriot, Berlin also wrote "God Bless America," made most famous by Kate Smith.

And, there are other great songs as well: "Alexander's Ragtime Band", "Easter Parade," "Cheek To Cheek", "Isn't This A Lovely Day", "Puttin' On The Ritz", "Steppin' Out With My Baby", and "Supper Time". He wrote the music and lyrics for Rogers' and Hammerstein's Broadway smash hit, Annie Get Your Gun. Then there's the light-as-a-feather "Blue Skies", originally written for the Rodgers and Hart musical Betsy. The lyrics were re-done when the movie Blue Skies, starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, was made.

Slim Shady CBS

2006-08-31T16:28:00.000-05:00

I don't watch Katie Couric. I prefer straight-up news most of the time, so I've always avoided the national news chat shows, whether on the broadcaster networks, or CNN, or the Fox News Channel. And of course, no Imus simulcast on MSNBC. I'd rather clean my contact lenses with Tilex before viewing that program.

The idea that people like Katie Couric, or Brian Williams, and the like get paid millions of dollars to essentially read off a teleprompter (and be what the Brits call a "newsreader") is entirely ridiculous to me. I suppose that those who are able to invest a combination of authority, sincerity, and empathy in their delivery are the most successful. I never cared for Peter Jennings, or Walter Cronkite, or even Tom Brokaw, but one can't argue that they were successful for decades because the public thought they had gravitas. Time (and the ratings) will tell if Katie Couric is able to do the same.

But I don't think CBS publicists were doing her any favors when they submitted a Photoshopped picture of of a slimmer Couric to a magazine. Didn't they learn anything from the "60 Minutes II" story which was based on fake documents about the President's National Guard service? That little debacle spelled the end for a few people's jobs, including Dan Rather's. Only, it appears now, CBS is the party that is falsifying things!

Top 885 Artists-Number 9-W.A. Mozart

2006-08-30T16:01:00.000-05:00

A list of the great artists of all time should not be restricted to those from a specific genre, nation, or even century. That's why I had to include the great man who was born 250 years ago in Salzburg: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Of course, Mozart is one of the better-known composers. The first movement of "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" is featured in TV commercials a lot. The play & movie Amadeus, although inaccurate in some respects about his life, and supposed rivalry with Antonio Salieri, led to greater popular interest in his music. If nothing else, at least some people came away with the realization that musicians of that period were just as wild as any rocker or rapper of our time. Then there's Falco's "Rock Me Adadeus", a big hit back in the 80s, or did you forget about that?

I can't possibly devote enought space here to discuss his body of work. He was an amazing composer in symphony, solo concerto, opera, and chamber music. He wrote dances and serenades as well as a lot of religious works, including masses. Some of my favorites over the years have been "The Magic Flute", "The Abduction of the Seraglio", and "Cosi fan tutte". But I always come back to "Jenamy", his Piano Concerto No. 9 (K.271). I first experienced it in a performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra last year. This is rightfully considered one of his first true great works, written when he was 21. After the opening orchestral fanfare, the piano jumps right in, and with passion. This early entrance was unusual for its time. And also unexpected was that in the final movement rondo, Mozart briefly slows down the fast pace with a minuet section. It's a tribute to the father (a dancer) whose daughter inspired Mozart to write this very piece. Absolutely charming!

Top 885 Artists-Number 10-Gamble & Huff

2006-08-24T16:12:00.000-05:00

It's time for me to get the ball rolling by revealing the names of the first musical masters I will be submitting in WXPN's 885 All Time Greatest Artists vote. I hope to profile my nine remaining choices in the next weeks, before the deadline. We shall see. Don't wait up!

One of my goals with this list was to ensure that Philadelphia had proper consideration, if not outright representation. After making a list of Philadelphia-area music figures, I immediately thought of two men whose body of work over the years qualifies them for the Number 10 spot on my list of the Top Artists: Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff.

Beginning in 1963, this partnership and friendship has had a huge impact on popular American R&B music over the last 35+ years. They have 200 gold and platinum records to their name. They have written, or co-written, 3,000 songs, including such masterpieces as "Love Train", "If You Don't Know Me by Now", "For The Love Of Money", "I'll Always Love My Mama", "You'll Never Find (Another Love Like Mine)", and dozens more. As producers, they have worked with a fine lineup of artists, including the Stylistics, MFSB, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, McFadden & Whitehead, Patti LaBelle, Billy Paul, and Lou Rawls. They stand in the elite company of the Beatles and Frank Sinatra as winners of the Grammy Trustees Award.

They developed and shepherded the development of "The Philadelphia Sound", a distinctive style of soul and R&B that mixed danceable grooves with horn and string sections, and terrific vocal harmonies. As a kid growing up in the Philadelphia area in the early and mid-70s, I remember hearing their music everywhere, from "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" to "Betcha By Golly Wow", catchy music that made you smile and uplifted the spirit. McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" was the unofficial anthem of the Phillies 1980 World Championship team. Of course, I remembered every song in their musical tribute, Me & Mrs. Jones, when it played at the Prince Music Theatre a few years ago.

But the power of their music did not end at the radio or record player speaker. With their founding of Philadelphia International Records in 1971, Gamble & Huff demonstrated a commitment to black ownership and control, which they felt was important in providing opportunities for success for the community. To this day, both men are still heavily involved in the community and work to strengthen black families and their support systems; Gamble's Universal Companies operates a job training center, a charter school, and also renovates housing. And they contributed the official theme song for the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

But really, it's all just a continuation of their spirit from back in the day, a time when (as Nikki Giovanni put it in her poem "I Love Music: when gamble and huff ruled"):

the right thing to do to creatively express while knowing who you and your people are

For all of this, and a lot more, they are to commended.

Check out:
Gamble & Huff's official website
Sony Records website for The Philly Sound CD collection

Worlds In Upheaval, Or, One Planet Out

2006-08-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

In the immortal words of Tony Bruno, it's an outrage.

A moment of science, er ... silence, please. The planet Pluto is no more.

Thank you.

Long live the dwarf planet Pluto.

A few hundred of the world's astronomers, convening in Prague at the International Astronomical Union's meeting, voted to strip Pluto of the honor it has held since its discovery in 1930 by Claude Tombaugh. Pluto's status has been a bone of contention for the past few decades, as discoveries of other large objects orbiting the Sun, and refined measurements of its size, have led to a new understanding of the Solar System's incredible complexity.

Last week, there was a proposal that would have brought the Solar System's total to 12, by classifying the asteroid Ceres, Pluto's satellite Charon, and the distant 2003 UB313 (a.k.a. "Xena") as planets. But that was rejected, apparently after outraging a large contingent of astronomers. Other various nomenclatures and lineups were proposed, but today, the IAU decided to classify objects as: planets (the classic 8, since 1846 anyway), dwarf planets (Pluto, and likely Xena, Ceres, and many others as well), and Small Solar System Bodies (comets, asteroids, Anna Sharapova, etc.).

That's too bad. I'm gonna miss the little feller, although I understand some of the reasoning behind the new definition.

But, Pluto is still an important world. It's at the inner edge of a totally unknown part of the Solar System, and it's never been explored up close. I'm going to check out the findings of the New Horizons spacecraft when it passes by Pluto & Charon in July 2015. And by then, maybe today's decision will have been overturned.

Mugshots-Best Coffee In Philly?

2006-08-21T12:14:00.000-05:00

For coffee addicts, there are many great choices in Philadelphia: Old City Coffee, Chestnut Hill Coffee, Joe Coffee, to name just a few. In the last few years, Mugshots, in the Fairmount section (across the street from the Eastern State Penitentary, hence the name), has been racking up various "Best Of" awards.

Owned by Angie Vendetti and Jill Fink, Mugshots boasts a comfortable atmosphere (it's also wi-fi friendly), healthy vegan options, and Equal Exchange coffee that is delicious.

Mugshots is located at 2100 Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia/Phone: 267-514-7145

Update: A Bad New Jersey Driver

2006-08-15T11:56:00.000-05:00

The special prosecutor has issued a report in the case of the New Jersey Attorney General whose boyfriend apparently received special treatment following a traffic stop a few weeks ago.

According to the story, Richard Williams recommended that the three police officers in the case receive suspensions, but no charges for the AG. However, he did find that she had violated two sections of the state's ethics code. Now it's time for Corzine to do the right thing and can her.

UPDATE to this update (9:55 p.m. EST): NJ Attorney General Zulima Farber resigned a few hours ago. 'bout time!

My original blog about this is here

Top 885 Artists: Philly-Only Edition

2006-08-14T16:37:00.000-05:00

As a Philadelphia area native, I think it's important that the city and the region are well-represented in the upcoming voting and countdown for the Top 885 Artists on WXPN. So, this past weekend, I started making a list of "big name" people who were born or raised in the Delaware Valley. It would take too much effort to list them all in columns, so instead, I'll just put them in alphabetical order. It's a remarkable group of people, spanning decades of the 20th & 21st centuries and many genres, including pop, rock, R&B, jazz, blues, and more.

So let's give it up for:

Marian Anderson, The A's, Frankie Avalon, Bahamadia (Antonia Reed), Donald Bailey, Peal Bailey, Samuel Barber, Len Barry, Toni Basil, Blue Magic, Boyz II Men, Michael Brecker, King Britt, Clifford Brown, Roy Bryant, Solomon Burke, Uri Caine, Stanley Clarke, John Coltrane, Little Joe Cook, Linda Creed, Jim Croce, Danny & The Juniors, James Darren, The Dead Milkmen, Joey DeFrancesco, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Alix Dobkin, Bill Doggett, Duane Eubanks, Kevin Eubanks, Eve, Fabian, Lola Falana, Lizz Fields, Gamble & Huff (Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff), Melody Gardot, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Golson, Buddy Greco, Vivian Green, Hall & Oates, Rufus Harley, Robert Hazard, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Billie Holiday, the Hooters, Phyllis Hyman, the Intruders, Philly Jo Jones, Kitty Kallen, Grace Kelly, Khia, The Kinleys, Patti LaBelle, Mario Lanza, Amos Lee, Richard Lester, G. Love, Jayne Mansfield, Pat Martino, McFadden & Whitehead (Gene McFadden & John Whitehead), Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, Gerry Mulligan, Musiq, Peter Nero, The O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Vincent Persichetti, Pink (Alecia Moore), Trudy Pitts, Odeon Pope, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Leon Redbone, The Reds, Paul Robeson, The Roots, Phil Roy, Ursula Rucker, Todd Rundgren, Schooly D, Jill Scott, Cindy Scott, Shirley Scott, Bree Sharp, Bunny Sigler, Nina Simone, Bessie Smith, Will Smith, The Stylistics, Sun Ra, Tammi Terrell, McCoy Tyner, Ben Vaughn, Charlie Ventura, Joe Venuti, Grover Washington, and, Ethel Waters.

Whew!

So, who did I forget? Slo-Mo, and Audible may have to go on that list. They're probably big enough names.

FYI, because Steady B and Beanie Siegel have had some serious run-ins with the law, I'd rather not list them. And Broomall native Danny Bonaduce ... uh, no, sorry. The Bacon Brothers? Hmmmm ... lemme get back to y'all on that one.

Will any of the above make it to my final top 10 (or 20)? Stay tuned to this space ...

The USA: Another Day Deeper In Debt

2006-08-10T12:14:00.000-05:00

On the outside of a building in Times Square in New York City, there's a National Debt Clock which has been running for a few decades now, its total spiralling upward as the federal government continues to spend more money than it takes in. It's disturbing that future generations will be saddled with it, and our future economic growth is at the mercy of countries holding that debt.

In an interview, the U.S. Comptroller General, David Walker says that big changes will have to happen to avoid financial calamity. He says that, generally speaking, tax cuts really don't generate much more income thatn keeping rates stable. He faults Congress for underestimating future costs of entitlement programs, which would be illegal if done in the private sector. His

But according to U.S. Representative Jim Cooper from Tennessee, a Democrat no less, we are in far more dire straits than we know. If standard accounting practices, the ones used by good corporations, that is, are employed, the true financial picture of the federal government (and each taxpayer) emerges. It just ain't pretty, it's actually quite scary.

Interview with U.S. Comptroller General David Walker
Story about the true federal debt

That Stormy AATM Graphic

2006-08-02T11:56:00.000-05:00

After the stormy Saturday at the All About The Music Festival, I used Polaroid's PhotoMAX Pro to modify the promotional flyer for the show and posted it on the XPN Bulletin Boards. And of course, I blogged about the weekend as well, and I also posted the new graphic here. So, I was quite humbled when I opened my e-mail the other day and saw that the XPN staff had used used the graphic I had posted on the boards in the weekly newsletter. In addition to giving his account of the stormy day and the triumph over adversity, Robert Drake invited subscribers to post their own recollections on the boards (which a lot of people did).

Thanks, you guys, for using it and for the mention as well!

Here's how it looked: