Sunday, July 21, 2002

Ballad Honors Taliban John. Now this takes guts. Steve Earle has, according to Fox News (aka the Republican Broadcasting Network), recorded a song praising John Walker Lindh. I'm a fan of Steve Earle, but this does seem a little extreme. The controversial ballad called "John Walker's Blues" is backed by the chanting of Arabic prayers and praises Allah. Earle's lyrics describe the United States as "the land of the infidel." Those fighting Usama bin Laden's declared jihad against the United States and Jews are said to have hearts "pure and strong." The song says when Lindh dies, he will "rise up to the sky like Jesus." Well, we gotta see. I saw a rerun of Steve on Sessions the other night, with the Del McCoury band. He was terrific.  The Lindh ballad is on Earle's forthcoming album "Jerusalem," which contains other songs that touch on political and social issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Earle is currently in Europe and could not be reached for comment. But he told an audience at the Mariposa Folk Festival in Ontario, Canada, this month: "This song just may get me f---ing deported." Music-industry heavyweights are already expressing outrage over the controversial song, and many predict it will be banned from the majority of radio playlists when it is released in late September. [RobotWisdom] via [Steve's No Direction Home Page] Boy - and I always thought Dylan's George Jackson song was dumb. It'll sound like "America The Beautiful" next to this. 11:44:43 PM  Permalink  Say What? [] Love is in the air Hard-luck '60s band making big comeback (SF Chronicle) Now this is something I didn't expect. I was really into their first album in highschool. James Sullivan has written a very funny article about the most recent comeback of Arthur Lee. (kind of a West Coast Lou Reed) 2:46:58 PM  Permalink  Say What? [] For something completely different... Floating Body Turns Out To Be Sleeping Woman (SF Chronicle) Book 'em Dano! 2:24:07 PM  Permalink  Say What? [] Members of Congress To Hold Press Conference In Support Of Medical Marijuana [Marijuana.Com] Hats off to Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX). [Steve's No Direction Home Page] If Steve couldn't read so much, so fast, of the right stuff, I never would've seen this.  There was a period of a few years, when the only thing that reduced my spasticity enough for me (and Ann) to get some sleep, was a few hits on the sacred pipe.  To be fair, I've needed something a lot stronger for pain.  Namely morphine.  But for spasticity, there's nothing like a harvest from Humboldt County. Thankfully, I haven't needed anything for nausea.  Hopefully, I never well.  But it's not at all impossible and may be closer than I think.  Do I expect the Feds to ever back off?  No.  Fortunately, I don't need them.  But there are so many others who don't know who to go to or where to go.  It's downright mean.   1:51:19 PM  Permalink  Say What? [] The Jazz Wife: Muse and Manager (NY Times) - Come on guys, give it up. 1:10:03 PM  Permalink  Say What? []

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