It happened last night. Possibly the greatest night of television ever. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The stars were aligning or something. So many things coming together. I think it's got to be some sort of sign. No, not of the Apocalypse. What's the opposite of "Apocalypse"? Well, whatever it is that's what happened last night. Get this:
1) The Season Premiere of The Simpsons guest starring Stephen Colbert. Brilliant. Two great tastes that taste great together.
2) The Season Premiere of Family Guy doing an animated version of Star Wars. I almost peed myself. 80% of it was animated shots directly from the movie with the same music cues and everything. It must have taken them forever. Self-effacing references everywhere. It was quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen.
3) Michaels, Madden, and the Cowboys winning on Sunday Night Football.
I almost have a hangover that night was so good.
Sdtk: My sigh of contentment.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Musings on Fascism
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this blog entry are of a political nature and if the three of you don't like it, tough shit.
I was watching the Colbert Report the other night and his guest was a woman who wrote a book about the oncoming fascist regime in the US. In her book she lays out 10 steps every country that had a Fascist dictator went through leading up to the Fascist takeover. She explained some of them on air and said that the US was quickly progressing through the 10. They had to do with the culture of fear being bred by politicians, how they use this fear to extend executive power, and how by the time the populace realizes it a dictator has emerged and the people look the other way.
Now, I'm usually on the side of the Left-leaning guests on the show, but it seems to me she was going a little overboard. I understand her point and a lot of what she said makes sense, but fascism? I don't think any of the countries that have had Fascist states were built on as strong a foundation of democracy as ours is. Sure, we might be in a less democratic time in our history than others, but we have a long established tradition of it that helps to get through the rougher times. Fascism is like a modern monarchy. Take out the whole hereditary aspect, throw in some modern political lingo and what is essentially a king calls himself a "Dictator". The European and South American countries that had Fascist dictators had at one point been under the rule of kings. You could make individual cases for each, but I'm guessing they weren't democracies for 200+ years before falling into fascism.
Fear in this country IS very high and promoted to a needlessly high level by politicians who want to a)have more power and b)keep their power. They have extended their power into illegally keeping tabs on what people are doing. They have promoted the use of private militias like Blackwater (can you say "SS"?). They have done a lot of alarming things that do point down the road to fascism, but doesn't anyone remember our good friend Communism? Has it been so long we've forgotten the Cold War? You want to talk about your paranoia and government spying on its own people. Does the name Joe McCarthy ring any bells? Don't get me wrong, terrorism is a real dangerous threat to be taken very seriously, but don't think for a second they are more dangerous than the USSR was at the peak of the Cold War. Yes, Al Qaeda managed to do what the Russians never did, attack us on our own soil. That doesn't mean they couldn't have. The only thing that kept that from happening was that we knew where they lived and the cost of such an action would have meant an all out war most likely resulting in the destruction of Earth. I think any physical threat posed by terrorism pales in comparison to the literally planet ending threat of the Cold War.
During the many years of the Cold War, this country was gripped by fear. At some times worse than others. We had a serious domestic spying program. We had people in power who thought a world destroying conflict was right around the corner and had convinced large portions of the populace of it. Our whole foreign policy was geared towards fighting it. The good news is we got through it without devolving into fascism. We took some hits to our democracy and still stood. In many of the countries where fascism took root it was a direct result of anti-communist sentiment. We were almost pathologically anti-communist and still didn't go off the deep end. We had some fascist-like policies and practices, we still do, but still in the general framework of a democracy.
Please don't take this as praise for how we reacted to Communism or how we are reacting now to terrorism. I think we were and are far too heavy handed and are going against the spirit of reason and rule of law that this country was founded on. My point is that even if you, like me, think the Bush administration's handling of this current situation borders on criminal, it doesn't mean we're headed towards a fascist state. If we can get through the paranoia of the Cold War, I'm sure we can weather this with our democracy intact. That is, provided we pay attention...
...uh oh.
Sdtk.: Sting - "Russians" or anything by Rage Against the Machine
I was watching the Colbert Report the other night and his guest was a woman who wrote a book about the oncoming fascist regime in the US. In her book she lays out 10 steps every country that had a Fascist dictator went through leading up to the Fascist takeover. She explained some of them on air and said that the US was quickly progressing through the 10. They had to do with the culture of fear being bred by politicians, how they use this fear to extend executive power, and how by the time the populace realizes it a dictator has emerged and the people look the other way.
Now, I'm usually on the side of the Left-leaning guests on the show, but it seems to me she was going a little overboard. I understand her point and a lot of what she said makes sense, but fascism? I don't think any of the countries that have had Fascist states were built on as strong a foundation of democracy as ours is. Sure, we might be in a less democratic time in our history than others, but we have a long established tradition of it that helps to get through the rougher times. Fascism is like a modern monarchy. Take out the whole hereditary aspect, throw in some modern political lingo and what is essentially a king calls himself a "Dictator". The European and South American countries that had Fascist dictators had at one point been under the rule of kings. You could make individual cases for each, but I'm guessing they weren't democracies for 200+ years before falling into fascism.
Fear in this country IS very high and promoted to a needlessly high level by politicians who want to a)have more power and b)keep their power. They have extended their power into illegally keeping tabs on what people are doing. They have promoted the use of private militias like Blackwater (can you say "SS"?). They have done a lot of alarming things that do point down the road to fascism, but doesn't anyone remember our good friend Communism? Has it been so long we've forgotten the Cold War? You want to talk about your paranoia and government spying on its own people. Does the name Joe McCarthy ring any bells? Don't get me wrong, terrorism is a real dangerous threat to be taken very seriously, but don't think for a second they are more dangerous than the USSR was at the peak of the Cold War. Yes, Al Qaeda managed to do what the Russians never did, attack us on our own soil. That doesn't mean they couldn't have. The only thing that kept that from happening was that we knew where they lived and the cost of such an action would have meant an all out war most likely resulting in the destruction of Earth. I think any physical threat posed by terrorism pales in comparison to the literally planet ending threat of the Cold War.
During the many years of the Cold War, this country was gripped by fear. At some times worse than others. We had a serious domestic spying program. We had people in power who thought a world destroying conflict was right around the corner and had convinced large portions of the populace of it. Our whole foreign policy was geared towards fighting it. The good news is we got through it without devolving into fascism. We took some hits to our democracy and still stood. In many of the countries where fascism took root it was a direct result of anti-communist sentiment. We were almost pathologically anti-communist and still didn't go off the deep end. We had some fascist-like policies and practices, we still do, but still in the general framework of a democracy.
Please don't take this as praise for how we reacted to Communism or how we are reacting now to terrorism. I think we were and are far too heavy handed and are going against the spirit of reason and rule of law that this country was founded on. My point is that even if you, like me, think the Bush administration's handling of this current situation borders on criminal, it doesn't mean we're headed towards a fascist state. If we can get through the paranoia of the Cold War, I'm sure we can weather this with our democracy intact. That is, provided we pay attention...
...uh oh.
Sdtk.: Sting - "Russians" or anything by Rage Against the Machine
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Bring. It. On.
The 2007/2008 NFL season starts tonight and I couldn't be more exited. I've got the DVR all warmed up for those Sunday afternoon games when I have to work at N&O's. I'm looking online for a crock pot-like item to make chili when the weather starts turning colder. On top of that my man, Mike Golic, has the Cowboys as his pick to go to the Superbowl this year. Will this be the year my allegiances are truly tested with a Cowboys/Patriots Superbowl? I have to admit, last year I was behind my man Satan Manning to get the ring (after all, he DID anchor my fantasy team all year long), but this year....Let's not get too far ahead. Bring on week one!
I'll also be giving updates on my weekly progress in my team football pool. I decided against fantasy football this year. I really don't like the way it emphasizes individuals over teams (how very socialist of me). I would be divided when the Cowboys would score: half was happy they scored, half would be upset because they scored with someone not on my fantasy team. That's just wrong in my book.
Sdtk: Pandora Radio: My own "Bonobo Radio"
I'll also be giving updates on my weekly progress in my team football pool. I decided against fantasy football this year. I really don't like the way it emphasizes individuals over teams (how very socialist of me). I would be divided when the Cowboys would score: half was happy they scored, half would be upset because they scored with someone not on my fantasy team. That's just wrong in my book.
Sdtk: Pandora Radio: My own "Bonobo Radio"
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Under The Boardwalk
Greetings, programs! I made it. I put in my time, I learned the songs, I played the gigs, and now I can relax...for a while. So, the past two weeks have been busier than most. The Grift and the Laura Thomas Band had a great round of shows last weekend. First was the penultimate gig at The Wife in Manchester, then a trip down to Boston to play at a club called the Lizard Lounge. It was a cool little club where our Midd fans showed up in droves. I got to see some people I haven't seen in a while including my good friend Feebee. That evening ended with the usual "scour the entire city of Boston for a parking spot for Vanna White and wind up at a hotel at 4AM". That was, however, easy compared to the next day's trip to NYC. It took us a mere 6 1/2 hours to get from Boston to NY. The worst part was there was no construction or bad accidents, just a serious number of cars on the road. We finally got to NY and by the grace of Jebus we found a parking spot right next to the club! We got there in plenty of time to hit up my favorite burrito spot, Chipotle. MMMMmmm...burritos. Oh yeah, the gig was good too. It was a good crowd for August in NYC and both bands rocked it. It was really fun to play some bass again. After 12 years of ownership, my bass also finally acquired a name: White Chocolate! (you have to say it with the exclamation mark). Notso and I got a good long laugh when I came up with that.
On the following Wednesday we played our final Perfect Wife show. It was a great show, monetarily the best Wed. night the bar has had there. Why would we stop playing there then? Well, the owner wants to focus more on the dinner side of things and as successful as Wed. nights have become, she wants to keep the late night music scene to only the weekends there. So, we decided it was best if we kept the late-night thing going, just somewhere else. We're moving down the road to the Manchester Bar and Grill. It's not as nice a space as The Wife and I'll miss their ever evolving dessert menu, but it's good to shake things up every once in a while. I'll keep you all up on how it's going there.
This weekend I had a show in the East Coast gambling mecca of Atlantic City. The show was at Harrah's Casino with a band called Keith Lewis and the Shift. I got the gig through my good friend Russ Lawton who plays drums in the group. They play a few days in a row at the casino every couple of months. On this occasion, their bass player couldn't make the Saturday show and as The Grift had the weekend off, I went down and filled in. It was one of the more big pimpin' gigs I've played. The stage had all it's own backline equipment, we had our own hotel rooms (the photo is the view from my window), and there was a cafeteria that is free to employees and open 24 hours. I tell you, there are few things better than getting done with a show, carrying only your bass off stage, dropping it off in your own room, and hitting up the caf at 2AM for post-gig donuts and ice cream. I was so excited with everything else, I forgot to gamble. The slot machines were so ever-present they seemed more part of the decor than something to be "played". There was also a huge pool area. That's the "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" looking structure in the photo. In the dome there is a pool and hot tub, but also you can rent these cabanas all around and there are a couple big bars as well. Late night they have patries there complete with rave lights and DJ's. Actually, the day after we left ?ustlove of The Roots was spinning there. The gig itself went really well. The guys in the band were super cool and great players. It's a special thing when you can play with people you've never met before, get along instantly, and really put on a good show.
I did get out to walk on the Boardwalk one day. It was nice. It reminded me of when my family used to come to Jersey in the summers to go to the beach. I had a hankering for some salt water taffy. People always say what a cesspool AC is, but it was ok.
I'm sure there lots of parts that are not, but getting too and from the boardwalk area was fine. They could probably help themselves out by changing the name of the street the boardwalk is on though (see photo #2). I never saw AC in it's heyday (if it ever had one), but it still seemed a vibrant place to me. Then again, I live in VT.
So now we're just gearing up for a full Fall. A couple more weddings and prep schools shows will be starting up again. Til next time...
Sdtk: Springsteen's "Born to Run" album. (I listened to it twice in a row while driving through NJ)
On the following Wednesday we played our final Perfect Wife show. It was a great show, monetarily the best Wed. night the bar has had there. Why would we stop playing there then? Well, the owner wants to focus more on the dinner side of things and as successful as Wed. nights have become, she wants to keep the late night music scene to only the weekends there. So, we decided it was best if we kept the late-night thing going, just somewhere else. We're moving down the road to the Manchester Bar and Grill. It's not as nice a space as The Wife and I'll miss their ever evolving dessert menu, but it's good to shake things up every once in a while. I'll keep you all up on how it's going there.
This weekend I had a show in the East Coast gambling mecca of Atlantic City. The show was at Harrah's Casino with a band called Keith Lewis and the Shift. I got the gig through my good friend Russ Lawton who plays drums in the group. They play a few days in a row at the casino every couple of months. On this occasion, their bass player couldn't make the Saturday show and as The Grift had the weekend off, I went down and filled in. It was one of the more big pimpin' gigs I've played. The stage had all it's own backline equipment, we had our own hotel rooms (the photo is the view from my window), and there was a cafeteria that is free to employees and open 24 hours. I tell you, there are few things better than getting done with a show, carrying only your bass off stage, dropping it off in your own room, and hitting up the caf at 2AM for post-gig donuts and ice cream. I was so excited with everything else, I forgot to gamble. The slot machines were so ever-present they seemed more part of the decor than something to be "played". There was also a huge pool area. That's the "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" looking structure in the photo. In the dome there is a pool and hot tub, but also you can rent these cabanas all around and there are a couple big bars as well. Late night they have patries there complete with rave lights and DJ's. Actually, the day after we left ?ustlove of The Roots was spinning there. The gig itself went really well. The guys in the band were super cool and great players. It's a special thing when you can play with people you've never met before, get along instantly, and really put on a good show. I did get out to walk on the Boardwalk one day. It was nice. It reminded me of when my family used to come to Jersey in the summers to go to the beach. I had a hankering for some salt water taffy. People always say what a cesspool AC is, but it was ok.
I'm sure there lots of parts that are not, but getting too and from the boardwalk area was fine. They could probably help themselves out by changing the name of the street the boardwalk is on though (see photo #2). I never saw AC in it's heyday (if it ever had one), but it still seemed a vibrant place to me. Then again, I live in VT.So now we're just gearing up for a full Fall. A couple more weddings and prep schools shows will be starting up again. Til next time...
Sdtk: Springsteen's "Born to Run" album. (I listened to it twice in a row while driving through NJ)
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