McCain for President?

I will do what I can to flip conservative family members and acquaintances to support and vote for Barrack Obama for the Presidency. Whatever it takes. We want our country back!

The thought of this war-mongering, flip-flopping tool of the militaryindustrialcomplex McCain having any chance of being elected makes me ill. But there is hope, my countrymen and women. Talk to your kinfolk and especially veterans (I am one, there's shock and awe for ya) about how McCain has not supported any pro-vetran bill before him in the last 10 years and most recently was a no-show on a vote to reinstate GI bill benefits for Iraq/Afghanistan vets. The bill passed despite his ambivalence. He most certainly will, if elected to office, (like that tool Bush) have our poor boys and girls fighting in godforsaken corners of the world and then they'll be discarded once they have served. Any veteran or those whose lives have been touched by war should be made aware of the folly in electing this man.

bad things this last week, yikes

As I'm sure you've seen, on the news or up close, lotsa flooding going on throughout the mid-west. Not much of it has affected my life directly, many have lost their homes or struggle to keep them safe. The Rock River in Southern WI is due to crest this week, and I'm sure it's already bad down there. Locally the bike path under major roads near the Yahara (just completed last year) is underwater but prolly still navigable. Glad I don't have to drive anywhere for my job - road closings abound. Hear this morning the the trip to (or is it from) Milwaukee goes via Beloit effectively doubling the distance. We should have more sunny days this week, to dry things up a bit, unless you are at the end of watersheds.

In other news, I was personally quite saddened by the passing of Tim Russert this last weekend. He was one of the great TV journalists of our time. Fair and yet not cowtowing to anyone - he could put both dems and republicans on the hot seat with equal aplomb. His personality was a welcome presence and is one of those people you can't imagine being replaced. One of a kind.

Light work week, catching up on domestic stuff, branching out further on the 2-wheeler and getting back to some gear-building projects: battery operated stereo mic preamp, one good kick drum pedal from two broken ones, put new heads on the floor tom tom, and I'm sure there's more! Hope to jam with some friends soon so gotta get the drum kit humming.

Listen:
Scott Fields Freetet - Bitter Love Songs
Joey Baron - Raised Pleasure Dot
California Guitar Trio - Rocks the West

View:
Bill Bruford DVD

Read
NY Times
gear manuals

A flower?

Summer's here, finally. Wisconsin actually had a reasonable Spring this year. The weather has been great, and the rampant hormonal race of Spring is beginning to ebb. Mother Nature is kicking in with her flora 'n' fauna hugely.

Ahh, 6 days straight attending to the maintenance requirements of the bar are now behind me.

Isthmus Jazz Festival happening, Saturday is a rare concert on UW campus with Joan Wildman. Hopefully we won't be stuck with the Rathskellar as a venue for the free offerings. It's not a room for music, for most groups.
Drummer Roy Haynes (who is 92!) is playing the big theater, but I cannot attend cuz it's pricey.

Brother Hal is passing through town on Monday and we will 'do lunch'. He's between tours, finishing a week with Moody Blues Sunday. Next up is Tom Waits merchandising! He seems very excited too, going to Europe and many shows have multiple dates in the same city, time off to hearseesmelltouchtaste the sights.

Things have been quite interesting around work lately. What else is new?
A personal goal: trying to slack off from the drinking until the wee hours and not being physically and mentally drained the next day. And there's plenty of work, business is OK, for summer. So I am a lucky guy then, he typed with no irony intended.

Otherwise, life is good. The weather is finally allowing the car to be left at home. Biking around almost exclusively. I love biking, always.

Starting up a project with pal Jack helping him tame technology, or at least watching his struggles, eventually to write and perform some of his very sharp music yet this year. A slow cooker to be sure, but I am learning some things I want to dig into (latest Mac stuff for playing samples, with that *old school* MIDI). We'll get there. My trio of yore with Jack and Jon rehearsed for sumpin like a year before playing out.

And thank god for Mother Fools, or I'd seldom get to play drums in public. That's par for the course when it's the 'difficult listening hour' kind of stuff. I told Nicole the other night 'I don't want to play experimental music (anymore). I want to play successful music.' Time to leave the avant guard to others and rock out or something.


Listen:
Adrian Belew - Side One
Ouija Radio - OH, NO... YES! YES!
The Bears
Gateway Trio live 1982
Joni - Night Ride Home
Nels Cline Singers
The Mic 92.1 Madison
WORT-FM

Read:
Sound on Sound mag (thanks Greg!)
National Geographic
J.G. Bennett - Energies
Tape Op

View:
A Scanner Darkly
lots of PBS