Okkervil River have released a new Australian Tour EP that includes the song "The President's Dead", which is creating a minor stir for its topic, but according to Will Sheff (who wrote it), it is more in response to the degree of hatred being leveled at this president by certain musicians and is actually sympathetic to his plight. I kind of completely disagree if that is truly his point, but this is a pretty beautiful song, whatever its political purposes. Judge for yourself.
The president’s dead, the radio said, Dear friends, is it not so horrible? A shot through my heart like a knife right through bread, The newspaper said, the president’s dead. The sea doesn’t dry and the sky isn’t split, But friends it just seems so wrong, don’t it? A shot from the crowd and a shot in the head, The president’s lying on the tarmac dead.
He’s lying face down with those black-dressed agents, Guns drawn, running around, and the early obits, Say he was a good man, you can’t argue with that, Not today you can’t, not now you can’t.
I recently downloaded some Archers of Loaf songs off of Emusic (the greatest "pay" music site - $9.99 for 40 songs!). The Archers of Loaf, of course, have long since broken up, but they made some really great rock music in the '90s - and I mean, rock music - none of that wussy acoustic guitar and strings stuff that Sufjan Stevens and Bright Eyes have made me fall in love with in recent years. No, these guys rocked. And although their debut album, the phenomenal Icky Mettle, is their most famous and couldn't quite be repeated, they have a number of great songs in their collection. If you've never heard them before, try some of these samples. If you like it loud and energetic and melodic, you won't be disappointed.
I'm participating in my fifth 5K of the past 2 years (and of my life) this weekend, with the one that started it all, the Dunellen Run for Education 5K this Saturday in downtown Dunellen, NJ. I was never a runner when I was young, and actually pretty much hated it, and I remember my teammates relentlessly making fun of the cross country team while they ran laps around the soccer field back in high school. I think we were just angry that we'd be running laps sooner or later ourselves and these idiots were choosing to do it. Well I'm one of those idiots now. I get a subscription to Runner's World, I have 2 pairs of $100 Asics running shoes, I've bought the Nike sweat-wicking running shirts (and socks), and now I'm about to run my fifth race. It's certainly an unexpected turn of events, later in life. But there truly is a "runner's high" and there's nothing quite like the feeling of it, one that cannot be sustained in just a normal workout at the gym. I've always hated working out - I much preferred sitting on the couch and watching TV - but ever since I started running seriously a couple years ago, I realized there was more to a workout than just keeping thin. So that's where I am, a runner. Not very fast (rather slow I would say). And I can't run very far, due to the lack of ligaments in both my knees. Four miles is about my limit. I can't even run every day, due to the strains on my joints. But I just love it too much to stop. Even on the hottest days of the summer - sometimes especially on the hottest days of the summer - I just love to run. And in a training run last week, I broke my all-time mark for a 5K, at 25:15, better than I ever performed in a race. I'm going to try to replicate it this weekend, under regulated timing and distance conditions. And for whatever it's worth, that's a much bigger accomplishment for me than whether or not the Phillies make the playoffs. Of course, I'd prefer if both things happened...
According to electoral-vote.com:2006, which collects and averages the most recent
polls for any "respected" pollster doing polls in a race, this is the current
result for the Senate races.
Projected New Senate: 50 Democrats 50
Republicans
Which is - wow - a 5 seat swing (it's currently 55-44-1 - with the
independent (Jeffords - VT) always voting with the Democrats). And that is
wonderful, amazing and great. Except it's still not enough for a majority,
because the tie goes to the runner, or in this case Dick Cheney. The Senate
Democrats would not be able to pass laws or put a stop to Bush's war or do an
effective job in changing course on a country being driven in the completely
wrong direction.
The new Album Leaf album Into the Blue Again was released last week to relatively little fanfare with an advance track that I liked but didn't love, so it took me over a week to actually purchase the new CD. I'm not sure why. I've loved each of their previous releases, from the completely wordless but beautiful One Day I'll Be on Time to the more filled-out arrangements (and Sigur Ros influence) of In a Safe Place. And this collection does not disappoint. The Album Leaf started as a side project to Jimmy LaValle's Tristeza, which is more electronic based, but LaValle has really expanded his sound into an ambient masterwork, somewhat similar to Sigur Ros, and approximating some of the lighter sounding tracks of Mogwai. And we all know how I feel about Mogwai.
As of yesterday morning (if you are reading this on Friday), the Phillies were tied for the National League wild card lead with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were half a game behind the San Diego Padres for the NL West division title. Depending on the results of last night's games (Phillies off, Padres and Dodgers both playing), the Phillies will be either 1/2 game up, tied, or 1/2 game back going into this weekend's series with Florida. Tonight, in the first of six games with the Marlins (of the 10 remaining on the season), I will be in the crowd at Citizens' Bank Park, going crazy with excitement at the distinct possibility that the hometown Phillies will be in the playoffs for the first time since 1993. It's quite insane that it has been 13 years since this big market team has made the playoffs, especially during the only time in MLB history where there was even a wild card (with 8 of 30 teams invited every year). And it is equally insane how this season - one in which the Braves finally returned to earth after 15 straight division titles (including a couple from when they were in the NL West) only to be supplanted by a dominating Mets squad that left the Phillies in the dust back in May - could be the one that would end the drought.
The Phillies management (Pat Gillick, at least) openly admitted to giving up on the season after the late July salary dump of Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle to the Yankees. He even suggested that this team might not compete for another 2 years. It was one of the darkest days in recent Phillies memory (a memory that is not filled with many bright days). In fact, I don't want to go back and look, but I'm pretty sure I declared myself a Mariner fan that day and said I was done following the Phillies any more. It was just too painful. Then Ryan Howard turned from a good slugger into Superman, strapped this team on his back, and they've been winning ever since early August. Fucking unbelievable.
We had to read a couple writing-related stories from author Joyce Carol Oates this week, which were quite good. We also had another chapter in Bret Lott's difficult book Before We Get Started, this one titled "Against Technique". It was better than what I'd read by him last week, but still too obtuse and mostly pointless. But my paper this week (again, topic wide open and decided by the students themselves) once more referenced Stephen King's On Writing, which was on the reading list this week as well (through completion). It's actually an aborted attempt from our first of three major assignments for the semester, 10-page (more or less) writings about different topics. The first topic is to write "in the style of King" something about writing, or why you write. It's obviously very vague but I started to write like King did in the memoir portion of his book, referring back to his earliest writing experiences. I ended up with a better idea for the assignment (and have finished a first draft already, which may or may not get reproduced here), so the story about my first writing experience got molded into this week's paper. Click below if you want to read it. And thanks to everyone who gave positive comments about this last week. As always, F Jan. And F Lenny, just for good measure.
Keith Olbermann on President Bush's Rose Garden press conference last Friday regarding the rules of torture, which Bush is hoping we completely abolish. Bush goes apoplectic over a letter sent by Colin Powell, a simple, candid letter stating that the world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism as we continue to try to allow the torture of prisoners against all Geneva convention rules, as if we somehow are the only ones with the moral compass to do so. The idea is preposterous on its face, as is shown by longtime Republicans such as John McCain, Lindsay Graham, John Warner, and Powell himself, all opposing the idea of allowing not only torture, but also trials and executions with secret evidence that the prisoners are not allowed to see. Seriously, that's what the president wants. But the most amazing thing in the video - which is the thing Olbermann is asking for an apology on - is the president's violently angry response to the criticism offered by Powell and the consequences of that response on the prospect of free speech, and even free thought, under this administration.
This is an unhinged man. This is an inept and horribly incompetent man. And today, TODAY, according to a USA Today poll, his approval rating is up to 44%, highest in a year. Fully 86% of Republicans approve of the job he is doing. Oh my fucking Lord. I mean, come on people, are you serious? You really are buying this shit STILL? He talks about terror and 9/11 and how "they hate our freedom" because we might want to vote for Ned Lamont, and you fall right in line AGAIN? After Katrina? After civil war in Iraq? After Abu Gharaib? After seeing New Orleans one year after Katrina? After never finding the WMDs? After the gas prices all summer long? Are our memories that short? Is that even possible? Please, please, tell me one thing this administration has done competently or effectively. Just one thing. Are we even remotely safer now than on 9/10/01? Are Iraqis? Are our ports secure? Are the airports more secure - I mean from something other than a bottled water? Did FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security prove they could handle a national disaster? Has he fired the people responsible for the debacle in Iraq - any of them? What about the people who told us Iraq had WMDs? It's insane.
Anyway, thanks to Dan for the tip on the video clip, courtesy of Crooks and Liars. And thanks to Mr. Olbermann. It's good to see somebody - anybody - with the same outrage that I feel over this.
For better or worse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is in the Top 3 of my favorite television programs of all-time, but because it was off the air by the time this blog appeared, I never got the chance to recap any episodes or talk about its sheer brilliance as a program. Which sucks, because it was equally as difficult to discuss any episodes with actual people since no one I knew actually watched the show and let's face it, most were more than a little concerned that I was watching it in the first place. Well I laugh in the face of that criticism and present to you now why it was such a wonderful program. In a form we can all know and love... QUOTES! Enjoy. It's funny, really. It also had incredible acting, amazing storylines, a great backstory, cool action, and deep, meaningful parallels between high school, vampire slaying, and life. Did I tell you how brilliant Joss Whedon is? Has everyone seen Serenity yet? Please do. And click forward to the quotes.
From the best album title of the year comes what is arguably the best song of the year. And I'm not giving it away here - sorry, you've got to buy this one yourself. Yo La Tengo released their - I don't know 80th - album this week, and it is a hodgepodge of musical styles, which is a bit of a return to earlier forms of album construction for them, even if much of the music on here does not immediately sound like a Yo La Tengo album. As expected, some if it works better than others, and I haven't listened to it long enough to give a proper review (plus, I don't have time to do that anymore). But I do want to refer you to the eMusic page for this album for the following reasons:
David Cross, who is just about the funniest comedian on the planet right now, writes a hilarious "review" of the album, which he's never heard, on this page.
You can preview a bunch of tracks - I recommend standouts "I Feel Like Going Home", "I Should Have Known Better" and "The Race is On Again" for some classic Yo La Tengo brilliance.
For only 10 bucks, you can download 40 tracks from eMusic's amazing collection of indie music, including this entire album (NOTE: I don't get paid a cent by eMusic, although I would if they wanted to... anyone? Bueller?)
You can get a free starter subscription of 25 FREE SONGS for free. You can keep these songs forever. There is no DRM software embedded in the music. You can use it anywhere, on anything (including iPods of course) and even give it away on your blog for free. Did I mention eMusic isn't paying me for this?
Download the final track on the album:"The Story of Yo La Tengo". Do it now. It will blow your fucking mind. It's that good. Starts a little slow, and yes, it's almost 12 minutes long, but it's just about the perfect fucking song. Download it now. Come on, they're from Hoboken!
