Folk-blues legend Dave Ray dies at 59

 I was 12 years old when this album was released in 1963 and, since LSD was not even on my radar,   I'd have to say that listening to it was one of my first mystical experiencess.  Dave Ray was an early inspiration, and even though  I haven't thought about him in years, I'm sorry to see him go.  (via Expecting Rain)

Say What? [] 1:03:47 PM  Permalink  

My Best of 2000 music list is on the music page. I've had it sitting around here for at least a couple of weeks.  I really wanted to write short reviews for each entry, but I just haven't been able to focus lately or to spend any significant amount of time in front of the computer.  I haven't really been able to spend any extended amount of time doing anything. 

In spite of the fact that I'm receiving a large amount of morphine 24/7, plus several other things, I've been in more pain than usual for the last month or so -- a gris gris mix of the physiological/orthopedic and haywire neurological signals from planet hell.

I don't want anyone to worry. As long as I can roll out on our beautiful 200 square foot redwood deck on a clear, cold night when the stars are vivid and my breath is quiet, I'm okay.  But don't be surprised if things slow down on this site for awhile.

Actually, I'm a helluva lot more worried about Anny then I am about myself.  She's pretty burned out. Still, her spirit rages on and runs deep.

Aw fuck it -- down the beautiful, mighty river we go...

Say What? [] 11:31:09 PM  Permalink  

How the pols stole Christmas

Washington has something special in store for the jobless this holiday season -- cuts in unemployment insurance.

"to be charitable, it is possible that the president does not know what an unemployment check is, or why the failure to receive one in the dead of winter could harm a family's values -- like the value of keeping the heat on or having a roof over one's head.  (Salon)

It's further evidence of how cynical I've become when stories like this just cause me to shrug my shoulders and go on to the next thing.  But that's not who I am.  And what I am -- is both outraged at politicians and deeply sad for the victims of their crimes.

Say What? [] 11:35:47 AM  Permalink  

McCartney. McCartney's band really kicks butt. This TV show is much better than I thought it would be. The band is great, Paul's performance is terrific, without what I expected would be too much cute. Really affecting. [Steve's No Direction Home Page]

It's funny, at the exact moment I first saw Steve's post, I was listening to "Fool On The Hill" from the soundtrack album to last night's show.  Ann and I thoroughly enjoyed it (in spite of the fact that there were five commercials after every two songs).  Fortunately Paul didn't play too much of that mostly creepy Wings stuff.  The songs from his own non-Wings solo career fares better, but none of it holds a candle to the Beatles tunes.

As a former guitar player, I was disappointed that Paul's new guitar players hardly played a note of their own -- opting instead for note-for-note Harrison copies.  On the other hand, it really makes you appreciate what a compositional player George was.  Hey, if you're only given 12 seconds you better make it count, and his solos have become just as memorable as the melodies and lyrics themselves.

Say What? [] 1:22:03 PM  Permalink  

Hu is the leader of China.

A little obvious, perhaps but carried off very well. There's more in the orginal story:

(We take you now to the Oval Office)
     George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?
     Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.
     George: Great. Lay it on me.
     Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.
     George: That's what I want to know.
     Condi: That's what I'm telling you.
     George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?
     Condi: Yes.
     George: I mean the fellow's name.
     Condi: Hu.
     George: The guy in China.
     Condi: Hu.
     George: The new leader of China.
     Condi: Hu.
     George: The Chinaman!
     Condi: Hu is leading China.
     George: Now whaddya' asking me for?

[Steve's No Direction Home Page]
Say What? [] 1:08:10 PM  Permalink  

The Attack On Civil Liberties

Above is a link to Village Voice columns on Ashcroft and crew's attack on Civil Liberty.

And here is the one and only Mike's Office of Homeland Security.

Say What? [] 7:04:31 PM  Permalink  

Whose Hands Are Dirty?. Buried in the Homeland Security legislation is an inappropriate provision to protect pharmaceutical outfits from mercury poisoning lawsuits. By Bob Herbert. [New York Times: Opinion]

fyi

Say What? [] 12:25:25 PM  Permalink  

All-terrain wheelchair videos [bOing bOing] -   I can't imagine why, but I just don't think that my HMO is gonna go for this.  anybody got an extra 25K?
Say What? [] 12:48:11 PM  Permalink  

Marijuana smoking tied to depression, schizophrenia [Reuters Health eLine]

Hey, some of my best friends are crazy...

Say What? [] 12:39:21 PM  Permalink  

In a nutshell. "An irresponsible exercise in political chicanery". In a fiery speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Robert Byrd calls the Department of Homeland Security a butt-coverer for Bush, a corporate boondoggle and a license for Uncle Sam to spy on Americans. [Salon.com]
That sums it up pretty nicely. [Steve's No Direction Home Page]
Say What? [] 7:02:27 PM  Permalink  

so you wanna build a web page, eh?

I don't post technical information on this site.  But this is the best instruction on the subject I've ever seen. Worthwhile for all levels of experience, it completely demystifies the subject. Make sure that your speakers are turned up!

Say What? [] 10:47:29 AM  Permalink  

From street thug to dharma punk (Salon)

how ironic - only two weeks ago, Frank and I spent several hours together - sitting down to a horrific Pizza Hut delivery job, washed down with a killer cup of Peet's Coffee.  As usual, we covered a lot of ground. 

I would say that, as far as The Dharma goes,  easily the deepest connection we made was when we kicked back to watch "The West Wing" - me laid out on my bed, Frank reclining in my wheelchair -- reaching out to each other across the infinite space between, navigating the multi-threaded plot. 

in response to a request from me for some specific help with my practice, Frank said that he would send me some tapes by Stephen Levine.  Then he told me about Noah.  I had forgotten all about that story until i saw this.

Say What? [] 11:43:07 AM  Permalink  

Tibetan exiles fear increasing tensions (BBCi)

Marc Gold, who spent quite a few weeks in Tibet last summer, sent me this link.  Somebody, please, leave these people alone.  As one escaping monk asked in a moment of despair --

"how did the high-flying shit that we be get pinned down to this spoonful of meusli in fruit juce and that dust onna telephone over there?"

Say What? [] 4:53:11 PM  Permalink  

Gods and alternate religions. God of the Month Club - unsure of your belief system yet yearn for some spirituality? Why limit yourself to one - sample a different God or Goddess every month. Learn about the belief and worship systems surrounding White Buffalo Woman, the Horned God, Green Men, Morpheus, Hecate, Vulcan, Freya or the ever-popular Venus, just to name a few. [MetaFilter] [Steve's No Direction Home Page]

Say What? [] 12:52:48 PM  Permalink  

Larry David, a Rough-Edged Cultural Touchstone

The funniest show on TV. An acquired taste to some, but absolutely brilliant.

Say What? [] 7:04:21 PM  Permalink  

Big Brother redux

William Safire's must-read column today reprises the reporting John Markoff did last week on the government's plans for a master database of personal information. You thought online marketers were bad? Admiral John Poindexter (of Iran-contra scandal fame) is spearheading a plan -- it's currently a part of the Homeland Security Act, which is seemingly on the verge of passage into law -- for "Total Information Awareness," a centralized federal spy database with dossiers on every U.S. citizen. It's significant that the outcry against this plan is hailing not just from the left but from civil-libertarian conservatives like Safire. Safire, of course, served as a speechwriter in the Nixon White House, where routine abuse of FBI files on American citizens was the order of the day. That era's rampant and hideous misuse of government surveillance for private political ends should stand as a reminder of the perils in Poindexter's plan. (Different Strings has posts on this issue here and here, as well.) [Scott Rosenberg's Links & Comment]

Say What? [] 12:11:07 PM  Permalink  

The case of the confusing bookstore

It takes the skills of a great detective to find the best mysteries among the new releases. Our critic offers his list of some recent gems. (Salon)

A long time ago, I always enjoyed reading mystery novels.  These days, I read almost no fiction, and almost nothing in printed form.  (it's too hard for me to turn the pages) The only one among my friends who I know for sure is an avid mystery fan, is Craig.  This list is especially for him. I don't know any of these authors, so I hope it's worth a damn.

Say What? [] 11:43:36 AM  Permalink  

Berkeley repels coffee purists

Never let it be said that my home town never met a government regulation it didn't like. In their infinite wisdom the citizens of Berkeley, California have defeated a local initiative that would have required our cafes to serve only "fair trade" or organic coffee. We may be a Nuclear Free Zone but we're not going to turn our coffee into a political battleground. Hey, Peet's and many other coffeehouses serve fair-trade coffee; you can vote with your order. [Scott Rosenberg's Links & Comment]

Say What? [] 10:07:33 AM  Permalink  

Best Music of 2002

I've started working on this year's list.  This is hard!  Do I have to stick to only 10? when I'm finished, this will appear on my music page.  I'll let you know.

Say What? [] 6:55:12 PM  Permalink  

& thou shalt HONOR

Ann and I ran into Fred Mah the other night. Well, "ran into" isn't exactly how it happened. Fred is a 95 year old Chinese American who lives across the street from a place we rented about 20 years ago. It's wierd to hear myself say "20 years ago" in relation to California. Three weeks out of Boston - as we flew through the Texas Panhandle, Nancy Griffith and Albert Collins tapes distorting through our car's lousy speakers, who could imagine how things would turn out?

Anyway, like I said, Fred's 95 years old. He was sitting on his porch under soft yellow light, wearing a knit hat that made him look Tibetan. It was Halloween. He was holding a tiny plastic pumpkin full of candy, a big old dog by his side. 

During our brief visit, memories returned like ghosts to an abandoned shack. The year we lived across from Fred was not very good. When we said goodbye, I tried to memorize the scene, and the crumpled map of a lifetime etched upon his face.

Folks like Fred, with no living family and in his own home, are almost unheard of (especially in America). This makes me think back on a TV show on PBS that Ann and I saw about a week ago. It was called "& thou shalt honor":

a warm and caring look at family caregiving, telling the stories of the caregivers, those they care for and the professionals who struggle with an underfunded and often misunderstood system.

Anyone with elderly parents (or who knows someone severely disabled) -- will understand why there isn't any subject that is more important (and frightening) to us. Please take a look. Thank you.

Say What? [] 2:03:19 PM  Permalink  

Warren Zevon on Letterman.

Last night I Tivo'd Letterman with the Warren Zevon performance on it. As Mike said, this is great televsion. When Letterman is serious, when he's talking with someone he loves and respects, it shows up so clearly. He gives Zevon a chance to tell his story, gently coaxes the story of his lung cancer out of him. There are some laughs, tears. Zevon sings "Mutineer," which Dylan did so nicely in the shows I saw, very moving. I've been listening to Zevon's first album, the one with "Lawyers, Guns and Money," and others on it. I haven't paid a lot of attention to him over the years, since that first album, and another one along the way. My loss.

We live in a time when there is such a richness around us. There is so much great music, so many great books, great poets, storytellers, actors, painters, etc. around us, it's almost overwhelming. And the thing that really breaks your heart is that you know there are many, many wonderful artists of all stripes who don't show up on the radar of popular culture, or high art. Maybe they're just singing in a bar or in the shower, or peddling their pictures on the the street corner or acting in commercials on local TV. The world isn't big enough for all the riches it contains. [Steve's No Direction Home Page]

That's some nice writing, Steve. Thank you. I also came to Zevon's work late in life, when a rehab doctor gave me a copy of "Life'll Kill Ya."  I have his last studio album, "My Rides Here" and I'm going to pick up Rhino's new single disk compilation, "Genius."  The cover, as you can see, is, shit - I don't know, what can you say?

the lettermen show appearance was a gift.

Say What? [] 11:43:36 AM  Permalink