Best Records Of 2006

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

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

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 ...

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

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

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!

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 ...

... 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

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??

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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:

XPN's Next Countdown: 885 All Time Greatest Artists

WXPN is at it again: another Fall countdown is coming. Two years ago, to mark the move to the new building, the station's listeners voted for the Top 885 Songs of All Time, which were played back over the course of three weeks. The winner was "Thunder Road". Last year, the vote was on the Top 885 Albums of All Time, and the winner was Abbey Road. This time, it's the Top 885 Artists, and I think it's going to be very interesting.

With the two previous countdowns, it was inevitable that there would be large numbers of votes for various songs and records by the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, etc. Certain artists are sure to garner large numbers of votes, and will finish well here also, but there is bound to be much more diversity after the first 50 on the final list.

I am going to base my selections on those artists that I think have made an impact on the world, even if it's just my world. The names I've already started tossing around in my head span various genres, generations, even countries. And to correct for the natural bias in favor of the Beatles, Springsteen, et al., I'm going to exclude them from my top 20. That still leaves a lot of names.

And, now, to open Excel and get my list going ...

Party Purity

So, there's going to be a Democratic Party primary election in Connecticut soon. Joe Lieberman, the incumbent, now seems likely to lose the party nod to Ned Lamont, who is basically buying the party nomination (after giving money to past Lieberman campaigns). His candidacy grows out of his opposition to the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Lieberman's support for it.

This is going to be the first of several big skirmishes in the Democratic Party over Iraq. The so-called "Left" or liberal base of the party, represented by many on the blogosphere, interest groups, and, arguably, the New York Times editorial and news pages is attempting to assert its power in several campaigns.

There is a similar struggle within the Republican Party. A so-called "conservative" group, the Club For Growth, is supporting opponents of G.O.P. incumbents in the primaries. It is targeting RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) for political extinction because they do not adhere to the supposed party philosophy of lowering taxes & spending, cutting government regulation, and supporting a strong national defense.

The concern over party purity is nothing new in American political history. There have been "boll weevils"-Democrats who opposed civil rights legislation, "gypsy moths"-moderate Republicans from Northeastern states, and more recently, Reagan Democrats.

The problem I have with parties basically requiring an ideological purity test is that it is inherently dishonest and deceitful, given how our political system now operates. In most campaigns, party platforms and TV commercials are worded in such a way as to appeal to the greatest number of voters. That's why John Kerry was branded as a flip-flopper-"I voted for the $70 million before I voted against it." If some Democrats are opposed to the Iraq policy and want to demonize and punish Lieberman for it by purging him, fine. If some Republicans want to get rid of incumbents who do not support every single tax cut proposal, fine. But say what you mean in no uncertain terms and then mean what you say when elected to office.

All About The Music Festival-A Wet, Wild Time

I spent the entire weekend working at the volunteer check-in area at WXPN's All About The Music Festival, held for a second year at Wiggins Park in Camden, NJ. It was nice to meet a lot of cool volunteers, as well as media celebs, including Blinq blogger Dan Rubin, and traffic.com's Lauren Valle (who, as it turns out, volunteered for the Kid's Corner area).

I didn't mind spending a lot of time doing the volunteer thing. IMHO, the music lineup was not as chock-full of "must-see" performers as last year's was. In 2005, the AATM featured the Drive-By Truckers, Rodney Crowell, the Indigo Girls, Loudon Wainwright III, Melody Gardot, Jim Boggia, and Patti Smith. It introduced me and may others to the phenomenal Danielia Cotton.

This time around, the New York Dolls were the big headliner Friday night, and from all I heard, they were as strong as ever. No makeup, either! (wait ... maybe that's not a good thing ...)

Danielia Cotton rocked, as always. Alejandro Escovedo did, too. I'm definitely going to have to catch him next time around. And LRC picked up some cool CDs from Codename and Lotus, who sounded good even from where we were stationed.

Following on the heels of Slo-Mo's terrific appearance on Saturday, the big show was provided not by XPN, but by Mother Nature. The skies darkened, the wind howled, and then the heavens opened up. People ran as the rain fell ... and fell ... and blew, too- sideways, diagonally. The volunteers in our tent pushed the tables to the center, and huddled as all hell broke loose. We all got a good soaking and lashing from the wind and rain, as we laughed and wondered when it would all end, and if the abundant lightning would avoid us.

The rest of the evening for me & LRC and a hearty little group of volunteeers consisted of cleaning up some of the debris at the VIP tent near the Marina. And there was a lot of it-wet tables & chairs, broken glass, and soaked linens-dozens of them, some wrapped in plastic but all in need of a good laundering. Carting them around (and in the next bout of rain) was an additional ordeal that tired us all out.

Sunday's weather was everything a good summer music festival should have-a small wind, sunshine, and low humidity. A good way to end the weekend!

Another Sports Curse?

The world of pro sports is full of supposed curses. The Boston Red Sox couldn't win a World Series for decades because the team had sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Some in Philadelphia blame the lack of a sports championship since 1983 on the city's gentleman's agreement building limit being surpassed two decades ago. Now, supposedly, there's another curse against the 2000 champion Pittsburgh Steelers that is claiming the lives of a higher-than-normal number of team members.

The Steelers curse story from ABC News

What I Learned From Watching The World Cup

For most of the last month, I've been following the World Cup football (a.k.a. soccer) competition, initially because my girlfriend, LRC, wanted to look at the games and root for England's team. I really got into it all, and wound up enjoying it more than I thought possible. So, what of it?

1. Well, first of all, I think that these players deserve a huge amount of credit. Running up and down the field, tangling with each other, with no timeouts, no breaks, and only 3 substitutions for 90 minutes takes a lot of energy. Very impressive!
2. The slower pace of the game, as opposed to the quick & structured nature of American football, took a little getting used to. But it's a nice change. The game has its own rhythm, which is less subject to lead & momentum changes than American football, or basketball, but still is compelling in its own way.
3. It's nice to see the nations of the world get together on an athletic field to compete in a relatively peaceful way with a common set of rules.
4. The richest/most-populated nations of the world, China, India, Russia, Japan, and the United States, were not a factor in the tournament. That may not always be the case, and certainly is a change from Olympics competition.
5. Zinudine Zihane should be booking a ticket to Lehigh to try out for the Philadelphia Eagles later this month after this move in yesterday's title match. (see right). We could use him at cornerback this year.
6. The world's soccer fans certainly match the fans of college football, and the NFL for crazy outfits. And, bonus: there were no big violent incidents involving the "hooligans".
7. The tournament format, like the NCAA men's basketball field of 65, really is the best way to settle a championship.
8. Beckham will be back. Posh too!
   
9. I'm really looking foward to South Africa in 2010!
10. Did you know that Berlin's Olympic Stadium is where the USA's Jesse Owens put Hitler & the Nazis to shame at the 1936 Olympics? I already did, I'm only sayin' because I heard it like ... 9,000 times yesterday. Note to the ABC announcers: next time, beef up your notes!

Below are a few of many images I found of the great spectacle that is the World Cup.

English fans painted St. George's Cross on their bodies, or, as here, dressed in medieval regalia.

Go USA!

These women in blue were fans of the victorious Italian team.

Wow, her hairdresser is in for a treat!

Brazil is blessed with some of the more .... enthusiastic fans of any team on the planet.

A Bad New Jersey Driver

I know New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has a lot on his plate these days, what with most of the state government being shut down and all. But there's another matter involving his administration which is also troubling. His attorney general, Zulima Farber, is in a bit of hot water because her boyfriend's traffic tickets may have been cancelled due to her influence.

On Memorial Day weekend, Hamlet Goore was stopped by local police in Fairview as part of the "Click It Or Ticket" seatbelt check campaign. He was initially cited by police for driving without a valid license or registration. He called Farber, who was driven to the scene of the stop. Next thing ya know, those tickets were ripped up. Farber had several tickets and a bench summons to her name before she was appointed by Corzine; her lack of respect for the law led to former governor Jim McGreevey withdrawing her name from consideration for the state Supreme Court.

Corzine's counsel appointed a retired judge to look into the matter; he apparently will have investigatory and subpoena powers. I hope he uses them.

Philadelphia Inquirer story

Highlights Gets Highlights

One of the nice little joys of my childhood was reading Highlights Magazine. I devoured each issue cover-to-cover, reading about science and history, trying the hidden pictures puzzles, and learning simple, but effevtive lessons in morality from Goofus and Gallant.

The magazine is mostly run out of Columbus, Ohio, but the editorial offices are in Honesdale, PA, the seat of Wayne County, which still largely maintains a small-town atmosphere. In order to compete more in a visual way with its competition, the magazine is undergoing a little facelift. Word to the staff: don't you dare mess with the Timbertoe family!

Story about Highlights Magazine design changes
Highlights Products official website
Highlights Foundation official website

Taking Advantage Of Catastrophe

It was a one-day news story last week: apparently FEMA (and therefore, the American taxpayer) was ripped off to the tune of well over $1 billion by Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Sick. Disgusting. Awful. And all too familiar.

In the days after 9/11, the American people showed incredible compassion by donating huge amounts of supplies to relief workers who were putting their lives and health at risk at the World Trade Center site in New York City. But according to an article I read, some of them were diverted, stolen really, by a company managing a warehouse holding the supplies.

So, here's the name of the bad guys: Kieger Enterprises (KEI) of Lino Lakes, Minnesota. These sick bastards should have been prosecuted for the thefts, but it seems the FBI thought they had enough evidence to get them on fraud allegations.

Somewhere, al-Qaeda members are smiling.

A Bad Game Of Capture The Flag

This week, the U.S. Senate will be taking up another proposal to change the Constitution, this time to prohibit "desecration" of the U.S. flag. Already passed by the House, the amendment would go to the states for the ratification process if it gets by the Senate. I hope this won't happen.

I won't go into detail attacking the grandstanding by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers trying to appear more-patriotic-than-thou. That's what those people do by instinct. But I will say this: true patriotism is about substance far more than it is about style. I notice a lot of flags out on display have become frayed since the days after 9/11 or the start of the Iraq war. What are the so-called patriots doing about these violations of the current Flag Code? Or the bedspreads, clothing, tablecloths, etc., made with a flag pattern ... shouldn't these be illegal as well? Or how about a flag with 51 stars or 47 stars, or a reverse order of the stripes? If a protester burns one in protest, and has the necessary documentation, can they be prosecuted? That's not an "official flag", after all.

Unless I've been in a coma, there hasn't been a rash of flag-burning over the years. But, anyone who steals a flag (either private or public) should be prosecuted for theft and vandalism. And, of course, marches and the like require parade permits that ensure order can be maintained. But if someone burns their own flag, it is a legitimate, if distasteful, form of protest. This is something which has worked pretty well for over two hundreds years. Let's not undo it with a bad and completely unnecessary law.

The Senate should not pass it along.

Record Review: Hello Young Lovers-Sparks

Well, I finally got around to listening to the latest Sparks record, Hello Young Lovers, after my girlfriend picked it up at Scotti's Record Shop. And, in some ways, I enjoyed it even more than I did their last effort, 2002's Lil' Beethoven. The first single of the CD, "Perfume", is quite catchy and bouncy, and has had a lot of airplay on WXPN this Spring. The song is a recitation of a man's 30 former lovers, and the scent (Helmut Lang, Davidoff, etc.) he associates with each of them. He's thinking, though, of his current girlfriend:

But you don't wear no perfume
That's why I want to spend my life with you

There are other cool songs as well. "Dick Around", the opening track, is a "Bohemian Rhapsody"-style epic that throws everything but the kitchen sink out there-lush string sections, electric guitar, and more-to illustrate how the song's narrator is frittering his life away. And this is typical of how the Mael brothers take some mundane parts of life, and so totally overdramatize them, to absurd levels, really, by repeating the lyrics over and over again. In "Your Call Is Very Important To Us", a phone call-hold message is repeated as well and alternated with a piano line.

Another highlight is "Metaphor", an advisory about how a firm understanding of metaphor is a key to getting women. There's a simple,clever chant:

Use 'em wisely, use 'em well
And you'll never know the hell of loneliness

But it soon builds up to a terrific crescendo: "Chicks, dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig, metaphors!" Funny stuff!

I've listened to these guys sporadically over the years, and their changing sound. This is a good, fun CD, and now, I think I'll go back and listen to what I've missed.

The Official Sparks website
The Sparks MySpace site
My previous post linking "Perfume" and Stilton Blue Cheese

The House Always Wins

Hi, everybody, I'm AllMusicFan, and I'm not a gambler.

I know it goes against many of my libertarian instincts to be bothered by this headlong rush by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to introduce casino gambling to the state. Who am I to tell people what to do with their money? After all, we're told it'll bring jobs to depressed areas, reduce property taxes, compete with Atlantic City, and who knows, maybe cure the common cold, too. But today, I read an editorial by Bruce Shimmel in Philadelphia's City Paper, which described a public hearing on casino plans for Philadelphia:

The proposed casinos were all boxes, boxes, boxes. Styled in oh-so-tasteful Olde Tyme or Retro or Futurama themes, they were warehouses lined with slot machines, all carefully engineered to produce more losers than winners. In the last wicked twist of the industrial revolution, we're planning factories that manufacture poverty.

For the rest of us, who actually live here, we will get a path along the river. But to get there, we'll have to schlep around the boxes and dance with the traffic cutting conga-lines in our neighborhoods.

This is great stuff, because it encapsulates so much of what I dislike about the gambling industry.

It wasn't enough that thirty-some odd years ago, the states began setting up lotteries to raise money for seniors and kids. They weren't honest enough, after all, to just raise taxes on rich folks, or not to splurge on other spending. No, they had to sell the excitement of winning with some great PR campaigns. That way the public doesn't see it for what it essentially is: a regressive tax. You don't see Paris Hilton standing on line to buy a Powerball ticket, do you?

But it wasn't enough. No, states had to adopt casino gambling, to compete with Las Vegas. First, Atlantic City was supposed to be transformed into a shining city. And for a few blocks, it has been. Newsflash: the rest is still a dump, rife with crime, corruption and poverty. Then, other states got into the act. And Las Vegas responded by ramping up its advertising and marketing efforts.

A few years ago, I was in New Orleans, and out of curiosity, more than anything else, went to Bally's riverboat casino. After walking in, I took a look at people standing in line to get gambling chips. Bedraggled ... infirm ... I was immediately disturbed by what I saw. These were people who should be saving their money, getting involved with community groups to maximize their individual power, not cashing their pension or Social Security checks on a losing bet. This isn't the glamorous, beautiful people who can play around with lots of free cash at the Borgata in A.C. that I'm talking about.

So, again, who am I to tell people what to do with their money? Well, it's fine with me as long as people have something to fall back on when hard times hit - a social net of family, friends, church, and community. But I fear we've become so atomized as a society that the only recourse for many will be their fellow taxpayers. And that's not fair.

Can You Hear This Now? Good!

I heard today that some high school kids are getting around classroom cell phone restrictions by using ringtones that their teachers (who are older) cannot hear. So I checked it out, and I'm happy to report that I did hear it. Which is surprising to me, given my years of Walkman use and many concerts. So there!

Check for yourself by clicking here

Great Song: "I Wanna Be Your Dog"

I'm sure most of you know the impact of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooges. Pre-dating the era of the Clash, Sex Pistols, the Ramones, et al., by nearly a decade, this is punk rock at its purest. Over a blazing, three-chord guitar riff, Iggy Pop screams about the pain of teenage hormones:

So messed up I want you here
In my room I want you here
Now we're gonna be
face-to-face
And I'll lay right down in favorite place
And now I wanna be
your dog
Now I wanna be your dog
No I wanna be your dog
Well c'mon

Raw & loud? Of course, that's what makes it so good! And the perfect thing for a warm Spring-going-on-Summer day.

For a fun listening experience, check out some covers here. Bowie's is pretty cool; others on the site are by Joan Jett, Uncle Tupelo, the Meat Puppets, and many more!

Covers of "I Wanna Be Your Dog"

Remember "By Mennen"?

At my job, first thing I do is review the websites of various advertising and marketing magazines. This morning I read how the AARP has hired a company called DMI Music and Media Solutions to come up with a strategy to make make sound & music part of AARP's brand identity. If a musical cue works for Intel, or "Law & Order", the reasoning goes, it will help AARP stregthen its bond with current members, and of course, the huge number of potential members represented by the Baby Boom generation. The boomers are turning 60 this year, including President Bush and former president Clinton, have been getting a lot of attention for it. But they, and many others are undoubtedly already members; one can join AARP at 50.

Besides incorporating music into its marketing, AARP is also looking at developing a music festival, CDs, an online music site, and more. Since AARP already offers all kinds of financial, travel, legal, and medical services (among others) directly or through partnerships with other companies, it has the potential to make quite an impact in coming years. You can read more here.

Appel Farm-Not A Weather Report!

I think I've finally dried out from Appel Farm yesterday. Yes, it rained, of course, it rained. I know I prayed a lot for no rain. But sometimes, the answer is "no".

My girlfriend & I had a pretty awesome time. Musically speaking, there was a lot to love. The ladies all pined for James Hunter; despite dabbing at his face from the humidity in the air, he was the epitome of cool. Danielia Cotton once again belted out another terrific performance, including "Shame" (which is now my favorite song of hers). Crooked Still & Cabin Dogs showed a lot of promise, The day was topped off for us by a fine performance by Richard Thompson. The man is a total master of the guitar, and his rendition of "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" was absolutely bone-chilling.

We ran into a lot of fellow XPN volunteers and boardies during the day, which was cool. But it was also just really nice to sit, even in the rain, eat some yummy couscous salad, and listen to great music!

I Guess Y'all Aren't Busy These Days?

So, the President is going to be speaking tomorrow in his weekly radio address about the need to amend the U.S. Constitution to prohibit "gay marriage." The Senate will be debating an amendment, which, if passed (it's already gone through the House), would go to the states for the ratification process. But really, is this necessary? There are so many problems this country is facing. Here are the biggies: the war against Islamist extremism, the war in Iraq, the high price of oil, illegal immigration, the budget deficit, Iran, North Korea. I think this is a bone the administration is throwing to a segment of the so-called "right wing" which is unhappy with Bush and just may sit out the 2006 elections. But social legislation, by-and-large, should not be written into the Constitution. Defining "marriage", and legal recognition of unions by gays and lesbians who are consenting adults is a matter best left to the states, and their legislatures to decide.

Appel Farm Is Coming ... Is The Ark Ready?

The Appel Farm Arts & Music Festival is this coming Saturday, and once again, boasts an impressive lineup. Richard Thompson is the headliner as far as I'm concerned, although Fountains of Wayne will be going on last. No offense, but Richard Thompson's long career speaks for itself. I can't wait to see him. Then there's James Hunter, the British R&B/Soul sensation who apparently is spending a lot of time lately in Philadelphia. My girlfriend & I wanted to see him a few weeks back at an XPN Free At Noon concert, but couldn't find any parking due to the Penn Relays. Danielia Cotton, whose record Small White Town I named as my Best of 2005, is going to be there-she is a terrific performer! And, of course, there's arts, crafts, food ... and hopefully, no rain. I'll be saying my prayers.

Look for photos, reviews, and stories of a dry, fun-filled day next week!

Jam On The River-World Party & The Blue Method

This past Saturday, my girlfriend & I went to the Jam on the River at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. The humid, sunny climate made it an ideal setting for catching some rays, drinking some awfully sweet rum blends (courtesy of sponsor Captain Morgan), and grooving to the nice vibes of various bands.

The Blue Method
First up for us was The Blue Method, a Philadelphia-based old-school R&B funk band with keyboards, guitar, a killer horn section, backing vocals by a trio of beauties, and the deep-voiced frontman/trumpeter, Brian Williams. My favorite song was "Something Divine", a love song that is pure Philly soul.

The Blue Method (Brian Williams in blue)-Jam On The River-Philadelphia, PA, 27 May 2006

The Blue Method's website

World Party
The next band we got to see, and the highlight of the event, was World Party. Co-founded back in the 1990s by ex-Waterboy Karl Wallinger, World Party's music is a bit difficult to pigeonhole; I like to think of it as melodic pop rock with bits of funk and folk. This time around, the band includes John Turnbull on lead guitar amd David Duffy on fiddle and mandolin. Wallinger, who lost his voice for a time after suffering a near-fatal brain aneurysm, joked with the crowd; it appeared that not very many in the audience knew World Party's music. The band's set lasted over an hour, and featured some really nice songs, including "Put The Message In The Box", "She's The One", and "What Does It Mean Now" (which has been getting a lot of airplay recently on WXPN). Afterwards, on my way to the bathroom, I saw Karl standing by a barrier having his ear bent by someone trying to promote his band. So I ran up the steps, grabbed my girlfriend, and ran back in time for us to both shake his hand and congratulate him on his performance. He was very gracious. Good to have you back, Karl!

World Party, from left to right: Karl Wallinger, David Duffy, John Turnbull-Jam On The River-Philadelphia, PA, 27 May 2006

World Party's website
World Party's myspace site

How 'bout Those Phils!

My sweetie & I got to see a fine Phillies game yesterday, a 6-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park. There was a solid homer from Ryan Howard (man, that dude can hit), a nice catch from Aaron Rowand (his second game back since the fence-crash injury), and Chase Utley beating out a grounder to start off the fifth inning. Nice work!

This was only my second game at the Park, and as before, I was not disappointed. The sight lines are great, the food & drink are easy to find and reasonably (for a sports event) priced, and the concourses were clean and friendly. Let's just hope the Phils can hang with the Mets and Braves as the season goes on, and get back to the playoffs this year. A word to Pat Gillick (Phils GM): another solid pitcher ... or three would help!

No Major Blog Post Today/"Lost"

Sorry, my friends, but not much to add today except perhaps for a few additions to the links over on the right. It's a fairly slow news day ... and besides, tonight's also the two-hour season finale of "Lost".

Localism: Win One, Lose One

When I was a kid growing up in the 1970s near Philadelphia, my family would usually shop locally, which meant local stores on the major roads, or the local malls. Driving - or taking the El downtown to Center City - now, there was a treat. Although the transformation of Market Street from scary porn shop district into a convention area was still years away, the Gallery at Market East was brand new, and anchored at one end by Strawbridge & Clothier's, one of the grand old department stores of the city. Founded in 1868, it went through a few ownership changes in recent years (and a name change to Strawbridge's), culminating with its closing today. An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer explains part of the magic it used to work:

Featuring marble floors and polished mahogany counters, wide aisles and gracious staircases, plush restrooms for the ladies and in-store fashion shows by Junior League debutantes, Philadelphia's grand department stores stood as beacons ofstyle and set the tone for public decorum.

The rest of the article explains how S&C, along with the late Wanamaker's store further up on Market Street defined department store shopping in Philadelphia for decades. Now, I'm not arguing that these old stores weren't dinosaurs that had outlived their usefulness. Millions of dollars being were spent to lure shoppers back downtown, to no avail. But what bothered me a little is the loss of another local name, its local roots, and tradition, to a national chain.

But there is some good news. The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News, are returning to local hands. They had been put up for sale after the Knight-Ridder media chain sold the papers a few weeks back. As an avid newspaper reader, I have been following the decline of these papers for years: the loss of good writers, the dumbing down of the content, even the reduction in the paper's size. I hope better things are ahead.

Philadelphia Inquirer Story About Strawbridge's
Philadelphia Inquirer Home Page

My Blog's Name-The Jane Siberry Connection

Because inquiring minds want to know how I came up with the name for this blog, it's rather simple ... I thought it was clever (and not just as a pun).

There's a song by Jane Siberry, a singer-songwriter from Canada called "Everything Reminds Me of My Dog". It was on her 1989 record Bound By The Beauty, and I liked it from the first time I heard it. It's a little bit corny, surprisingly witty, and entirely whimsical.

The Pentagon 9/11 Video & "United 93"

Following a Freedom of Information Act request by Judicial Watch, the Defense Department has finally released a fuller version of security camera footage showing Flight 77 smashing into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Of course, this is unlikely to end the allegations of conspiracy theorists, which do not bear repeating here. But it got me to thinking yet again about how the events of that day still resonate with me today.

Recently, my girlfriend & I saw "United 93". This is one of the most important movies I've seen in a long time. Without sensationalism or sentimentality, it effectively shows how the passengers of the airliner revolted against their captors, and in so doing, prevented an even greater calamity. We'll never know all of what happened or was said on the plane; the film is based on phone conversations, cockpit recordings, and a little conjecture. But it rang true with us. The confusion, frustration, and horror of air traffic controllers and officials (many playing themselves) monitoring the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the hijacking of Flight 93 also seemed very believable. Every American, or at least every one that still cares about our country, should see this film.

They Shall Beat Their Swords Into ... Guitars?

The continuing civil war in Colombia gets some attention from time-to-time here in the U.S. Between the drug traffickers, the "left-wing" and "right-wing" guerillas and death squads, and a government that veers from repression to corruption and incompetence, it must be really tough to survive amidst such violence and chaos. But a story I read gives me some hope that there are some good people there who are trying to turn things around through the power of music.

Here's the article about how guns are being turned into guitars.

The GOP Split & Bush's Balancing Act

I was listening to the Howard Eskin show on WIP yesterday, and a caller was damning the Republican Party over the immigration debate. Now, I normally don't think of many callers on that station as Mensa candidates, and this one was no exception. This guy clearly didn't know what he was talking about. So, here's the Cliff's Notes guide to the big divisions in the GOP that have been laid bare over this whole thing.

Senate GOP-mostly favors the "guest worker" program, mostly backed by the Big Business lobby
House GOP-mostly favors punitive measures against illegal aliens already here in the U.S. and the companies that hired them

There are compelling arguments for both major sides, but as far as the growth of the party goes, I think the Senate GOP reform plan will have to prevail. First, to deport 12-15 million people is not just wrong and impractical (logistically), it's bad PR. Second, the GOP should not be so stupid as to alienate Latino voters. In 2004, President Bush got nearly half of the Latino vote. Given the GOP's positions on some issues, there is a natural affinity with this growing constituency that any halfway smart politico would want to cultivate.

The President's plan (such as it is) is not perfect. It doesn't make everyone happy. But I don't know how everyone can be made happy. It is a compromise. In politics, which is real life, after all, not everyone can be made happy. And at a time when we need to come together in this country, this is as good as place as any to start.

Where's Ross Perot?

So I was watching the President talk tonight about immigration and his proposals, and at one point, among all the thoughts I had, was a brief memory of a phrase from years ago: "giant sucking sound". No, not about Mr. Bush, or former President Clinton, either. Rather, it is what independent presidential candidate H. Ross Perot said during the 1992 race would be the sound of jobs leaving the United States for Mexico if the North American Free Trade Agreement were to be adopted. Of course, the treaty went into effect on January 1, 2004, and since the 1996 election, Perot has pretty much dropped out of sight.

But I got to wondering if he has had anything to say about today's issues. Turns out, not much. In this brief April article, he shares his thoughts about the U.S. educational system. Suffice to say, he's not happy about it.

And, according to this recent story, Mexico is now losing ground (i.e., low-wage jobs) to the 800-pound economic gorilla: China. Uh oh.

So What Exactly Does This Perfume Evoke? Lunch?

My vote for the catchiest pop tune so far in 2006 is "Perfume", by the long-lived band Sparks, from their new record Hello, Young Lovers (which I intend to purchase and review in the next few weeks). "Perfume" is a wonderfully bouncy song with elements of synth and a nice string section in the middle.

Besides the huge list of perfume and fashion house brand names, there's this one line that cracks me up:

"The olfactory sense is the sense
that most strongly evokes memories of the past.
Well, screw the past!"

Anyway, I was thinking about this song again when I read today that a new perfume is being introduced to the world, a perfume that smells like blue cheese!

It seems that the Stilton Cheese Makers Association hired an aromatics company to create a new scent, Eau de Stilton. Said perfume is a "symphony of natural base notes including Yarrow, Angelica seed, Clary Sage, and Valerian".

Mmmmmm ... blue cheese perfume ...

Stilton Perfume Story
Stilton Cheese Site

A Little Bit Of New York On Mars

For over two years, the Spirit and Opportunity rovers have been roaming the surface of Mars (on different sides of the planet), drilling into soil and rock, measuring the atmosphere, snapping photos, etc. The builder of the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) on the spacecraft is a small company named Honeybee Robotics. Its main offices are located a few blocks from the World Trade Center site in Manhattan. Following the attacks of 9/11/01, the company decided to pay respect to the deceased in an unusual way. With help from the Mayor's office, some tiny bits of mangled aluminium debris from the site were acquired. Engineers pounded and formed them into cable shielding parts, and installed before launch.

New York Times story about Honeybee Robotics
Honeybee Robotics-official website

The Icelanders Know Their Icelandic

I've long had a thing for quirky music, but even I was little aware of Sigur Rós, the famed Icelandic band, until I started dating my girlfriend and got to hear some of their ethereal music.

So, I recently checked out their website, downloaded a few tracks ... and then saw one of the more interesting pages I've seen. Knowing that some of their fans around the world might stumble of the names of the musicians, the site includes a handy pronunciation guide, with mp3 files for each sound. For example:

sigur rós si-ur rose (the i is like the i in "hit". "rose" is said very quickly)

Remember, everyone, trill those "r"s!
If I ever go to Iceland, at least I'll know how to sound a little more like a citizen after I seriously attempt some of the language.

Icelandic pronunciation guide (courtesy of Sigur Rós)

Invasion

I don't watch too many television shows; I mostly look at news or sports, or old Britcoms on PBS. But I have been watching "24" this year, and I'm fully immersed in "Lost". I'm also watching "Invasion", which follows "Lost". It's a freaky, conspiracy theory-driven drama which first started airing in September of last year.

So, here's the basic plot: a hurricane hits a central Florida town, people start acting strangely. Mariel Underlay (Kari Matchett), a physician, can now hold her breath underwater for many minutes, after disappearing the night of the storm. She's married to the town's sheriff, Tom Underlay (William Fichtner), who was the sole survivor of a plane crash in the Everglades years ago, and seems to know a lot more than he's saying.

I like that this creepy story has been slowly unfolding and revealing its secrets over the course of the season. But there have been similar shows over the years. Two other somewhat similar series, "Surface" and "Threshold", premiered around the same time and faltered. The difference with "Invasion" is that it does have its moments of dark humor. This was part of the appeal of "The X-Files" and "Twin Peaks", and what helped to doom "Millennium". Hopefully, it will help save "Invasion".

Record Review: Weekend-Audible

One of my favorite indie bands these days is Audible, out of Philadelphia, PA.I thought their 2005 record, Sky Signal, was a nice blend of intelligent and catchy pop tunes, particularly "We Were Wrong" and "Sound Makes A Circle" (which I believe was featured in an episode of The O.C. on FOX). Two of the band members, Mike Kennedy and Jim Kehoe, have also played in the better-known (for now) matt pond PA, which has included other Philly musicians who likewise have other projects, like Sean Byrne of Twin Atlas.

Well, the band has a new, self-released EP called Weekend. I listended to it twice today and it's terrific. "Wildwood", a tribute of sorts to the Jersey Shore resort town, really rocks. And, a new version of "Five Pirates" is more accessible and livelier than the one on Sky Signal. Check them out!

From Weekend, an mp3 of "The Fireman"
Audible's website
Audible's myspace site
Audible's April 23, 2006 session on woxy.com

Strange Bedfellows

When the House of Representatives brought articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton in the late 1990s, one of the leaders of the effort was Rep. Bob Barr, a Republican from Georgia. Barr often said he was compelled to do so because Constitutional principles were at stake. It was never that Clinton got a BJ (or is that a Lewinsky?), but rather because he committed perjury before a federal grand jury. Now, years after retiring from Congress, Barr's back on the scene, going after another sitting President of the United States, through his work with the ACLU.

This story from Newsmax.com details how Barr thinks Bush is breaking the law by not exactly following parts of the Patriot Act ... and how the Congress is letting it happen. So, like Judicial Watch, yet another example of a "conservative" acting on constitutional principles, rather than political expediency. Now if only Barr can convince the ACLU to treat the 2nd Amendment the same as the other parts of the Bill of Rights.

Bob Barr story on Newsmax.com

New Jersey: Ummm ... We Got Nothin'

Well, it was just bound to happen. Some of you out there might remember that the state of New Jersey for some reason thought it was necessary to adopt a new state slogan and paid a New York-based consultancy $260,000 to come up with the totally lame "New Jersey: We'll Win You Over" last year. Once the public stopped laughing (although not too hard, that's still a lot of money), Acting Governor Dick Codey announced a contest for a replacement slogan. The winner, "New Jersey: Come See For Yourself", wasn't received a whole lot better.

OK, you may stop laughing. After all, this time, the new slogan was free, more or less. Just one problem: there's a reluctance by state officials to go with it because it may already be in use elsewhere. The Atlantic City Press wrote about a few days ago.

Now how this happened is going to be an interesting story, if, and when, it comes out. I mean, no one thought about compiling a list of all other state and city slogans in an Excel spreadsheet to check against? In the words of John Stossel, give me a break!

Anyhow, I remembered another country's tourism slogan my girlfriend thought was so cool. So, how about we adapt it: "New Jersey: Where The Bloody Hell Are You?"

Atlantic City Press article about state slogan
Australian Tourism

To Hell With Them

The details are rather simple, and sickening: On February 10, 2004, outside Philadelphia's T.M. Peirce Elementary School, a 10-year old boy, Faheem Thomas-Childs, was killed in the crossfire among various thugs. Since the initial outrage and shock, and recently, the trial of the two insignificant evildoers charged with his death, little seems to have changed. 380 people were murdered in the city in 2005, the highest in several years. Many of these crimes will be unsolved or unprosecuted because many people choose to remain slaves to fear, rather than tell the truth about those they know to be responsible.

Indeed, the father of a witness who contradicted her earlier statements to police in this case was charged by Philly D.A. Lynn Abraham just last week with getting her to lie on the stand during the trial. And, this past Friday, the two "men" charged and found guilty for Faheem's murder were sentenced to life in prison. An account of their cruel, twisted, and hateful behavior in court can be found here. Since these individuals, like so many, have contributed nothing to society as of late, but death, fear and destruction, I won't ruminate on their multitude of evils. Their day of reckoning will come.

Faheem's mother, according to the story, was a model of decorum and dignity. She is an example of a courageous woman and mother. I wish, for the sake of the city, and the country, there were more people with her bravery, instead of the cowards and slaves who seems to dictate the course of justice these days. I wish her peace, and will pray for her and her family.

Faheem's murderers sentenced