Friday, August 27, 2010

The Green Heron


Well, the birds, that's right, plural, seem to have flown the coop for sunnier climes.

Before they departed however, I got a much better look at 'em and am wholly convinced that they are a nesting pair of Green Herons.

Au revoir mini dinosaurs!

Know Nothing Nation


This just in from the NYT.

Stupid...it's the new black.

(hat tip to Mike over at Prospect Music)

Beck of Nazareth


The Rude Pundit provides a glimpse into the weirdness that will be tomorrow's big Glenn Beck Revival Show at the Lincoln Memorial.

It's shaping up to a real post-apocalyptical wing-ding.

Friday Random Ten


Kings Horses -- JET
Paper Tiger -- Spoon
Fitz & Dizzyspells -- Andrew Bird
My Science Fiction Twin -- Elvis Costello
Life Wasted -- Pearl Jam
Black Like Me -- Spoon
David Watts -- The Jam
Walk This Way -- Run D.M.C.
Jesus Of Suburbia -- Green Day
Yours & Mine -- Fountains Of Wayne

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

James Wolcott


I don't know if any of y'all are watching Mad Men or not. We are and we love it.

Wolcott has spent the last couple of seasons at VF cataloguing every blow by blow of each episode. If you've not seen the program, the details will mean nothing, but man o' man, can that guy write.

My old buddy, Paul in Chicago, never owned a television. He said he got all he needed from tv by reading the episode blurbs in the Sun Times of the shows that were popular. He was pretty much right. Except for Mad Men.

The Hollies


I watched their induction into the Rock Hall last year and was left wanting. Here's a great clip from German TV circa 1967. Great shots of that wild Vox Phantom guitar.

Oh, and the Hollies are most definitely not from London. They were a Manchester band....

Monday, August 23, 2010

Juan Cole


Hmmm, an actual adult has entered the room. Dr. Cole's assessment of the Mosque-i-vites.

War's end


With all this talk about the troop withdrawls in Iraq, it's only a matter of time before both of our current world wars will take an even further dive into the rabbit hole of forgotten folly giving us all the more time to focus on the Kardashians, Justin Bieber and the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars.

Instead, let's all take a brief look at what is really happening and reflect on those truths. I've said it before and I repeat...we will never leave Iraq or Afghanistan during my lifetime and a huge military presence will remain in those places for decades to come.

Maybe I can go get a job in Kandahar...

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Frank Rich


Nobody frames an issue better than Frank Rich. We're being had, fellow citizens.

Rupert Murdoch is pure fuckin' evil...

Joe


Joe Strummer would've been 59 years old yesterday. He remains one of the more charismatic front men of that entire era. R.I.P. Joe.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Nature Boy




So, a couple of weeks ago I noticed an inordinate volume of bird poop running down the trunk of the big maple tree in front. A couple of days later, I see this very prehistoric looking bird fly up into the tree and settle there. It appeared to be some kind of miniature stork/blue heron looking kind of thing.

Well, the other day I was cutting the grass. I look down and there is a half eaten fish about 2-3 inches long.

Now I'm intrigued.

I start doing some research on the innertubes and I think it's some variant strain of a cormorant.

Just a few minutes ago, Georgene is pulling out to go meet some friends for cocktails since I have a rehearsal tonite. She calls me from the driveway. She says look out the window quick... the bird is back. He was right outside the picture window and then flew up into the tree. I ran out and got these rather fuzzy but definable shots and I then also found another fish on the ground being mauled by some bees.

We live a good couple of miles from the Rocky River which feeds directly into the lake. Cormorants are definitely water fowl. He's completely out of his element, Donnie. How and why this noble beast has chosen to take up residence in my front yard is a mystery, but I dig it entirely.

I'm calling the Metroparks Nature center tomorrow and see how common a phenomenon this actually is around here.

Wow.

Mosque thoughts


I've been intending to weigh in the the whole Mosque at Ground Zero kerfuffle, but I couldn't quite find the right note.

Tersely put, my opinion is that it's just another right wing smoke bomb that I guarentee will be one of the focal points of the 2012 Presidental race between the Obama/Biden vs. Palin/Beck tickets.

Of course, being a lazy sod and a greatly inferior writer to Roger, I'll let Mr. Ebert do the heavy lifting for me.

WSJ


I'm fairly confident that this is the first time I have ever linked to an article in the Wall Street Journal.

They usually don't let non trust-a-farian riff-raff such as myself to even have access to their pearls of capitalist wisdom, but I ducked in a side door and lifted this link to a nicely positive blurb about the Cleve.

Cleveland...we're not Detroit!

Friday Random Ten


Solar Sister -- The Posies
Don't You Evah -- Spoon
Working Class Hero -- John Lennon
Walls -- My Dad Is Dead
Torn Curtain -- Television
Sick Day -- Fountains Of Wayne
Chewing Gum -- Elvis Costello
M.I.A. -- Foo Fighters
We're Having Much More Fun --X
The Kids Don't Stand A Chance -- Vampire Weekend

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

And another one, and another one


...another one bites the dust.

James Kilpatrick dead at 89. While the right continues to prop up contemporary versions of these neo-cons, (Savage, Coulter, Rush, Hannity, Beck, etc.) few were hardly as vitriolic, cruel and mean-spirited than the man who famously declared himself "10 miles to the right of Ivan the Terrible".

Rest in turmoil, asshat.

And on another festive note, flame thrower extraordinaire and "internet shock jock', Hal Turner had a particularly bad Friday the 13. He was convicted of threatening 3 Chicago area Federal judges with murder via his rabid promotion of guns. The over/under on sentencing for these kinds of shenanigans is oh, about ten years or so. Looks like Hal won't be playing with any of his steel blue toys for a good while to come.

Is is just me, or is today going swell or what?

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Sitting Seder


Here's another great lo-fi videditorial by Sam that I found over at Atrios' joint. I figured I'd cross post since I have so many more readers than he does.

I've never felt that Net Neutrality was all that hot of a topic. However, according to Sam, if Google and Verizon get their way, we've all got a bone to pick with WebComm giants tout suite!

Arcade Fire


I'm finally going to run out today and get the new Arcade Fire cd this morning. Everyone is just raving about the release including Mr. Benton, (who I saw at Bernie's hilariously apt University of Cincinnati Women in Architecture Scholarship Fund benefit gig last night), to big brother Dave who was fortunate enough to see AF at Lollapalooza last weekend and said that they were the bomb-diggity-bomb of the whole festival.

Regardless, here's a video from the Funeral record of one of my fave tunes.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Friday Random Ten


Can't Let Go -- Isaac Hayes
Fish & Bird -- Tom Waits
Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue -- Ramones
P.S. 78 -- Gruppo Sportivo
The Call Of The Wreckin' Ball -- The Knitters
Take Me I'm Yours -- Squeeze
Step Up -- Devo
New Deep -- John Mayer
Green River -- Creedence Clearwater Revival
Bowels Of The Beast -- The Ravonettes

(I gotta say, even for me, this is a fairly diverse FR10. Crazy Ipod machine is whack, yo.)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Roasted Quayle


Oh goodness. The spawn of the stupidest man ever to hold higher office, (next to the Shrub) has issued this ad in his bid for Congress.

The silver spoon doesn't fall far from the fatted calf.

Somebody oughta knock the hell out of him.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Bob Herbert


Mr. Herbert says it as plainly as possible. It's a horror show.

We're deep in a crisis and nothing is being done to fix the problem. I've been reticent to produce many posts here on LMS that reflect my personal situation as it pertains to unemployment, but it's staggering.

Come the end of the month, it will have been three years since I discovered that my job was going away. Sure, we could've relocated to Phoenix as was offered, but who could've imagined that things would have gone so horribly off the rails. Plus, Phoenix fuckin' sucks.

By my estimate, I've applied for over 600 jobs that I was entirely suited to perform. I've been close to landing a couple of those only to lose out at the end. It has undermined every facet of my life, my sense of self worth, it has devastated our personal finances and has changed me irrevocably as a human being.

How everything will end up no one can know, but be sure of this; unless you're in the same boat you cannot know the pain and turmoil that this upheaval has caused myself and my small family.

You just can't.

Monday, August 09, 2010

Why we pay our taxes


Black is white, good is bad, up is down, etc...

This ridiculous clown car of a nation continues to blow my mind. From cutting off street lights, to laying off cops to allowing our bridges, rails and roads to rot, America is a dying land.

However, we continue to pour billions into a place no one really cares about just to prop up our military blood lust and our junkie habit need for oil.

I'm really around the bend these days. So fucked we are.

Welser-Most


We had a great time at Blossom last night.

If I weren't at rehearsal all week, I'd definitely go to one of these recording sessions. Franz Welser-Most if doing a super fantastic job of nou just keeping the Cleveland orchestra going, but really thriving in the shit economy.

Plus, I understand that he's a stone cold Bruckner freak, so this show ought to be sumpthin'.

Sam Seder


Sam Seder layin' it down, innertubes style. Looks like a nice day in the city when he shot this...

(Tip o' the lid to our special lady friend, Utah Savage.)

What a Country!


Hey, does everybody remember Yakov Smirnoff? Yeah, I thought so.

"What a Country" was his tagline as he issued forth another breathtaking observation of the odd greatness that was America during the end of the last century.

Well folks, here's one more milestone of where this nation is headed and how far we've fallen. Krugman does it again.

Oh, and by the by, don't forget that it's all Grover fucking Norquist's fault.

Friday, August 06, 2010

Friday Random Ten


Little Miss Understanding -- Graham Parker
Shanty For The Arethusa -- The Decemberists
Brand New Companion -- Steve Earle
Happiness -- Black Uhuru
Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You -- Lauryn Hill
The Killer Moon -- T Bone Burnett
Down By The River -- Neil Young
Bubble Gum Years -- Gomez
Casa Bey -- Mof Def
Paint It Black -- Rolling Stones

And...

You Are What You Is -- Frank Zappa

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

$70...same as in town


Well, it looks like we've coined a new phrase to define the haves vs. the havenots.

Richistan.


Iz sho hopes Iz kin git me some vittles from dat nice ol' lady down da block. Else, Iz gwanna hafta slit her throat in the night and takes alla her damn money.

Colbert

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Laura Ingraham
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes2010 ElectionFox News

I remember a long ago HBO special with Robin Williams live at the Roxy in L.A.

John Ritter was in the audience and chose the unfortunate option of taking Robin's bait of joining him onstage for some witty repartee and improv.

HUGE mistake. Ritter wasn't a half bad actor towards the end of his career (i.e. Slingblade), but he was a horrible hack as a comedian and Williams ate him alive onstage. It was extremely cringe worthy.

Watching Laura Ingraham try to keep up Colbert from last night's show put me in mind of that Robin Williams special.

Tool Time


It behooves each and every Ohion to make sure that John Kasich does not become the next Senator from the Buckeye state. Watch the video and then click here to link to Lee Fisher's website.

Monday, August 02, 2010

Howl


Just in time for my regular Franco fix, comes this post from Lance Mannion about the soon to be released Allen Ginsburh bio-pic. Looks great in the clip.

Oh, and I agree 100% with Lance's take on Ginsburg. We shall see about the film...

Sing along with Mitch


Mitch Miller died this weekend at the ripe old age of 99. Seriously, who knew he was still alive. Not I for one.

Anyway, those records where a staple of my youth at the grandparents house and played a role in my ever loving relationship with popular music.

There's even some excellent cheesy ads in this clip and Mitch's version of a "minstrel show". Yikes.

Now...let's all follow the bouncing ball!!

Sunday, August 01, 2010

Arcade Fire


Yo. Have I mentioned lately how much I love Arcade Fire? I have? Good.

'cause I do, you know.


New album drops Tuesday...

Orwell


Ha. I read Keep The Aphidistra Flying a million years ago. This piece has about as apt a description of the book as I've heard.

Goodness me, this Tea Party business is quite the rage, innit?

Up is down.
Black is white.
You are me and we are all togethter.