A Journal for Jordan

Oh man, this is deep. Please check this out:
http://spotlight.news.yahoo.com/v/11317059

Mike Singletary!

Good times at the Cuellar household! Go Niners!

Jeff Tweedy Sunken Treasure DVD

My first Netflix review: Jeff Tweedy - Sunken Treasure. Fricken amazing!!!!!! Rent it! Buy it! See it! You'll thank me later. . .

Here's the trailer:

MLB Network!

Oh-yeah, this is the real deal! The channel looks amazing! If you have cable you're ready to go. Nothing extra. Check out the promo.

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200812053704040

The Fireman (Paul McCartney) - Sing the Changes

The Fireman! Yes, this is Sir Paul McCartney's new single! Good stuff!!!!!! SING THE CHANGES!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcfiViHa1F4

Stevie Wonder - Someday at Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Pearl Jam - Let Me Sleep

From their annual fan club Christmas single (1991). You can also find it on their B-side album, "Lost Dogs." Great song.

Written: Vedder/McCready

"Why History Can't Wait"

A GREAT ARTICLE SUMMARIZING WHAT I EXPECT FROM AN OBAMA PRESIDENCY. IT'S WORTH YOUR TIME.

PICTURE: ANNE SAVAGE
Made of faces from Obama rallies, Savage calls this mosaic Out of Many, We are One. It is pieced together from the faces of 5,700 people who attended the rallies she covered.

Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008
Why History Can't Wait (LINK)
By David Von Drehle (TIME MAGAZINE)

EXCERPT:
But crisis has a way of ushering even great events into the past. As Obama has moved with unprecedented speed to build an Administration that would bolster the confidence of a shaken world, his flash and dazzle have faded into the background. In the waning days of his extraordinary year and on the cusp of his presidency, what now seems most salient about Obama is the opposite of flashy, the antithesis of rhetoric: he gets things done. He is a man about his business — a Mr. Fix It going to Washington. That's why he's here and why he doesn't care about the furniture. We've heard fine speechmakers before and read compelling personal narratives. We've observed candidates who somehow latch on to just the right issue at just the right moment. Obama was all these when he started his campaign: a talented speaker who had opposed the Iraq war and lived a biography that was all things to all people. But while events undermined those pillars of his candidacy, making Iraq seem less urgent and biography less relevant, Obama has kept on rising. He possesses a rare ability to read the imperatives and possibilities of each new moment and organize himself and others to anticipate change and translate it into opportunity

Eddie Vedder and Corin Tucker - The Golden State

Here's Eddie Vedder and Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney) covering John Doe's (X) "The Golden State." Good stuff!!

No One Is Safe From This Economic Crisis

"The search for efficiency and the urge to consume has set us all up like a row of dominoes - there is no buffer, no resiliency. As one problem rises it causes another. As one solution is tried it drives another problem. We all pull back and the consumer economy stalls. The auto industry and credit firms feeds the media (40% of conventional advertising). Papers and TV and Radio networks, many subject to LBO's will have to fail as per the Tribune. Every sector will be laying people off. Sales of all things fall off a cliff - driving more business failures and layoffs. Cities and states that depend on sales tax and property tax and the credit markets can rely on none of these. So they too will have to lay off millions - thus making all the problems worse. National governments will be asked to save us all and of course cannot. As States and Cities get squeezed and cannot borrow, they will too lay off millions - teachers, firemen police. No one will be safe," - Robert Patterson, surveying the year to come.

Face of the Day

A nun attends the last Sunday mass before Christmas at the Latin Catholic Church in Gaza City on December 21, 2008. Some 2,000 Palestinian Christians live in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. By Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty.

Stone Gossard - 1999

Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam covering Prince's 1999. Zak is diggin it right now! So you better dig it! :) Thanks to my old high school bud for this video.

UPDATE: MAN, I'M DIGGIN THIS BIG TIME!

Mike McCready Profile (CBS Local News)

This is for the Pearl Jam fan. Good stuff!

PART 1


PART 2

Wilco - Muzzle of Bees

This is for you Erik. . .

Immigration In America

A video that shows immigration to the US from 1820 to 2007. Each dot represents 100 people. This is cool. . .

"Whatever America's faults, what other country draws so many for so long?" - Andrew Sullivan


Immigration to the US, 1820-2007 v2 from Ian Stevenson on Vimeo.

President Bush - More Shoes! Shoe the Shoeless!

C'MON IRAQ! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT YOUR DIRT IS HIS FUC*EN FOOD?

FUNNY STUFF. THEY DID FINISH THE SHOW. . .

INDIO, 1993

Tom Jones - Treat Her Right

Wow! This will either excite or scare the hell out of you! Either way it's great entertainment! It gets real good at the 1:15 mark. Enjoy. ;)

Allen Ginsberg & Paul McCartney - The Ballad Of The Skeletons

Said the Presidential Skeleton
I won't sign the bill
Said the Speaker skeleton
Yes you will

Said the Representative Skeleton
I object
Said the Supreme Court skeleton
Whaddya expect

Said the Miltary skeleton
Buy Star Bombs
Said the Upperclass Skeleton
Starve unmarried moms



Said the Yahoo Skeleton
Stop dirty art
Said the Right Wing skeleton
Forget about yr heart

Said the Gnostic Skeleton
The Human Form's divine
Said the Moral Majority skeleton
No it's not it's mine

Said the Buddha Skeleton
Compassion is wealth
Said the Corporate skeleton
It's bad for your health

Said the Old Christ skeleton
Care for the Poor
Said the Son of God skeleton
AIDS needs cure

Said the Homophobe skeleton
Gay folk suck
Said the Heritage Policy skeleton
Blacks're outa luck

Said the Macho skeleton
Women in their place
Said the Fundamentalist skeleton
Increase human race

Said the Right-to-Life skeleton
Fetus has a soul
Said Pro Choice skeleton
Shove it up your hole

Said the Downsized skeleton
Robots got my job
Said the Tough-on-Crime skeleton
Tear gas the mob

Said the Governor skeleton
Cut school lunch
Said the Mayor skeleton
Eat the budget crunch

Said the Neo Conservative skeleton
Homeless off the street!
Said the Free Market skeleton
Use 'em up for meat

Said the Think Tank skeleton
Free Market's the way
Said the Saving & Loan skeleton
Make the State pay

Said the Chrysler skeleton
Pay for you & me
Said the Nuke Power skeleton
& me & me & me

Said the Ecologic skeleton
Keep Skies blue
Said the Multinational skeleton
What's it worth to you?

Said the NAFTA skeleton
Get rich, Free Trade,
Said the Maquiladora skeleton
Sweat shops, low paid

Said the rich GATT skeleton
One world, high tech
Said the Underclass skeleton
Get it in the neck

Said the World Bank skeleton
Cut down your trees
Said the I.M.F. skeleton
Buy American cheese

Said the Underdeveloped skeleton
We want rice
Said Developed Nations' skeleton
Sell your bones for dice

Said the Ayatollah skeleton
Die writer die
Said Joe Stalin's skeleton
That's no lie

Said the Middle Kingdom skeleton
We swallowed Tibet
Said the Dalai Lama skeleton
Indigestion's whatcha get

Said the World Chorus skeleton
That's their fate
Said the U.S.A. skeleton
Gotta save Kuwait

Said the Petrochemical skeleton
Roar Bombers roar!
Said the Psychedelic skeleton
Smoke a dinosaur

Said Nancy's skeleton
Just say
No Said the Rasta skeleton
Blow Nancy Blow

Said Demagogue skeleton
Don't smoke Pot
Said Alcoholic skeleton
Let your liver rot

Said the Junkie skeleton
Can't we get a fix?
Said the Big Brother skeleton
Jail the dirty pricks

Said the Mirror skeleton
Hey good looking
Said the Electric Chair skeleton
Hey what's cooking?

Said the Talkshow skeleton
Fuck you in the face
Said the Family Values skeleton
My family values mace

Said the NY Times skeleton
That's not fit to print
Said the CIA skeleton
Cantcha take a hint?

Said the Network skeleton
Believe my lies
Said the Advertising skeleton
Don't get wise!

Said the Media skeleton
Believe you me
Said the Couch-potato skeleton
What me worry?

Said the TV skeleton
Eat sound bites
Said the Newscast skeleton
That's all Goodnight

-Allen Ginsberg

Jay Farrar - The Picture (acoustic)

Good stuff. . .

The Public Education Hole

THIS IS PRETTY POWERFUL LOOK AT THE HOLE WE'VE CREATED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. THIS DEFINITELY OPENED MY EYES. A MUST READ. AROD, GO BACK AND GET YOUR CREDENTIAL! WE NEED GUYS LIKE YOU!

By Amanda Ripley / Washington
TIME MAGAZINE

EXCERPT:
Rhee is convinced that the answer to the U.S.'s education catastrophe is talent, in the form of outstanding teachers and principals. She wants to make Washington teachers the highest paid in the country, and in exchange she wants to get rid of the weakest teachers. Where she and the teachers' union disagree most is on her ability to measure the quality of teachers. Like about half the states, Washington is now tracking whether students' test scores improve over time under a given teacher. Rhee wants to use that data to decide who gets paid more--and, in combination with classroom evaluation, who keeps the job. But many teachers do not trust her to do this fairly, and the union bristles at the idea of giving up tenure, the exceptional job security that teachers enjoy.

Please read the rest of the article here - Rhee Tackles Classroom Challenge

The Band - The Weight

Man I love the way they groove. . . You just know they're feeling it.

The Campaign Managers: Florida, Rev. Wright, The Economy, Palin, Iowa

THIS IS FOR THE POLITICAL JUNKIES (LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE). YOU WILL LOVE THIS! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS AIRS ON C-SPAN. . .

FROM MARC AMBINDER'S BLOG.
11 Dec 2008 08:57 pm

At Harvard's Institute of Politics tonight, David Plouffe, David Axelrod, the winners, and Rick Davis and Bill McInturff, not the winners, met on somewhat neutral territory to exchange war stories and engage in a series of fascinating counterfactuals meant to help the Kennedy School of Government draft a bit of story.

For example: Plouffe acknowledged that if Florida had kept its delegates and its January date on the Democratic nomination calendar, Obama might not have won the nomination. "Florida was concerning to us. If that Florida primary, coming three days after South Carolina, it might have mitigated all of South Carolina, and, in fact, we might not be the nominee."

READ THE REST HERE: http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/12/the_campaign_managers_florida.php#more

John Lennon - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)

Warning: This video will make you think.

"Self-Inflicted Prophecy"

December 10, 2008, 9:00 pm
Self-Inflicted Prophecy (New York Times)
By David Kramer
Years ago, I had had a run of terrible luck in my life. My career was going nowhere. I thought about going to see a shrink, but I was totally broke and I didn’t want to get myself involved in anything that was going to cost me lots of time and money. So I went to see a psychic. In my mind, it was just like seeing a shrink, only instead of wasting all that time mulling over my past, I could set some totally arbitrary goals and navigate my life through them, moving forward.

My wife knew this guy named Kevin and he apparently was quite good at this. I asked him if he could do a reading of my stars and numbers. He agreed.

Kevin told me almost right away that I was living with a black aura and that my career and money were my biggest issues. I knew right then that Kevin was legit. Kevin told me that I would struggle for many years in my career — I’m an artist — and that things would slowly get better and better. He then told me that in 10 years (this year actually, 2008), things would finally work out — I would never have to worry about money again.

Read the rest of the article here - http://proof.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/self-inflicted-prophecy/

Paul McCartney & Neil Young - Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Bridge School 2004. Dragged my 8 1/2 month pregnant wife to this show. So you can say that this was Ava's first concert. Pretty cool. Eight rows back and I was in heaven. It was absolutely surreal to see McCartney and Neil sing THIS song together. Look at Neil. He's like a little kid playing music with one of his rock heroes. It was quite amazing. By the way, my wife was a trooper. She was in pain but that didn't stop her from singing "Hey Jude." :)

A Reminder To All Republicans

HERE'S A REMINDER TO ALL REPUBLICANS WHO ARE TRYING DESPERATELY TO LINK OBAMA TO THE ILLINOIS GOVERNOR SCANDAL. I'M QUICK TO REMIND THEM OF THE EIGHT DISASTOUROUS YEARS WE EXPERIENCED UNDER THE "DECIDER."

Eddie Vedder w/ My Morning Jacket - A Quick One While He's Away (live)

Eddie Vedder and My Morning Jacket cover The Who. Turns this up! Second time I had to post this. . . Trying to convert here!

By the way, this song inspired Pete Townshend to write two "Rock Opera" albums ("Tommy" & "Quadrophenia").

Part 1


Part 2

Smashing Pumpkins - Mayonaise (acoustic)

Classic rock? I'm getting old. . . Anyway, I love this version. Enjoy.

I Have More Arod.

KUNG FU MONKEY


SURFING DOG


BEAR PLAYING HOCKEY


SKATEBOARDING DOG

My Bad Arod

How about "slam dunking monkeys" Arod? Is this real? ;)

Simon and Garfunkel - The Only Living Boy In New York

Feeling this right now. . .

"Crazy Swingin Baby Neighbor"

The only funny thing about this is the people filming the video. Wow!

The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

Getting myself psyched up for the "Civil War" lectures. . . :)

"Nothing I have read … has brought home the overwhelming human sense of history that this song does. The only thing I can relate it to at all is 'The Red Badge of Courage'. It's a remarkable song, the rhythmic structure, the voice of Levon and the bass line with the drum accents and then the heavy close harmony of Levon, Richard and Rick in the theme, make it seem impossible that this isn't some traditional material handed down from father to son straight from that winter of 1865 to today. It has that ring of truth and the whole aura of authenticity." - Ralph J. Gleason (Rolling Stone Review 1969)

Robbie Robertson, who wrote the song, describes the inspiration for it:
"When I first went down South, I remember that a quite common expression would be, 'Well don't worry, the South's gonna rise again.' At one point when I heard it I thought it was kind of a funny statement and then I heard it another time and I was really touched by it. I thought, 'God, because I keep hearing this, there's pain here, there is a sadness here.' In Americana land, it's a kind of a beautiful sadness." -Robbie Robertson (Guitarist for The Band).

Gordon Ramsay - Sticky Lemon Chicken

Gordon is the man. . .

Jim James & Calexico - Goin' to Acapulco

This is a Bob Dylan cover from the movie "I'm Not There." The original "basement tape" is amazing! This version is also amazing!

"Giants must appeal to Sabathia's heart, not wallet"

BRUCE JENKINS MAKES A GREAT ARGUMENT FOR SABATHIA.

Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle Sports Columnist

Friday, December 5, 2008

(12-05) 17:27 PST -- The Giants aren't going to compete with the Yankees' offer for CC Sabathia, nor should they. They're playing a hand called logic, with a side of sentiment. Sabathia just might be that rare individual who truly appreciates the value of lifestyle.

Sabathia's idea of bliss isn't the madness of New York City, or a relentless press corps hounding him at every turn. He prefers the serenity of Fairfield, his hometown, and more down-to-earth pursuits. As an anxious public awaits his decision on the free-agent market, sources keep hinting that Sabathia's deep-down preference is the Giants.

Then for heaven's sake, man, just pull the trigger. What could be sweeter than pleasing your family (a wife and two kids), playing in a spacious ballpark, playing in a DH-free league (the man loves to hit) and joining a team that just might become a favorite in its division?

If there's a constant to the free-agent mind-set in all sports, it's that money counts above all. Terrible city? Lousy team? Yanking your kids out of a cherished school system? "That's cool," says the athlete as he poses for photographers with his agent. "I've got the most coin."

What a monumentally lame way to conduct your life. Financial concerns are paramount for those of us in the real world, but not for someone who (a) already is a multi-millionaire and (b) was just offered five years for more than $100 million. That's a ballpark estimate of how far the Giants might go for Sabathia. It sad to think he'd join the parade of mindless sheep, accepting the Yankees' package (a reported six years at $140 million) for the sake of bragging rights.

Some would question the wisdom of the Giants' interest. Didn't they learn from the Barry Zito experience that it's risky to sign any pitcher to a conspicuously long-term deal? Shouldn't they be chasing down a power hitter? Don't they already have a chance to possess the best starting rotation in the NL West?

For one thing, this isn't Zito, whose career downturn already had begun in Oakland. Sabathia is at the peak of his game, durable and reliable and exceptional in the clutch. All of the available power hitters carry some annoying baggage, ranging from poor defense to absurd contract demands to "curveball, strike three." There's always the chance Sabathia has placed excessive strain on his arm, but as we view him today, in his pristine state, his value is absolutely unassailable.

Even if the Dodgers retain Manny Ramirez and the Diamondbacks' young players rise to their potential, Sabathia makes the Giants a serious postseason threat (Sabathia and Tim Lincecum in the first two games? That series is over). He gives them an identity, a reason to win back some disgruntled fans. More than anything, he'd make the Giants matter - and if you know anything about club President Larry Baer, that's more important than oxygen.

The suggestion from here: Make the most ostentatious offer the budget will allow, and don't worry about the Yankees. Play upon one of Sabathia's finest attributes: common sense.

"Wasilla whack-job"

FROM ANDREW SULLIVAN. NOW YOU HAVE TO GET A NEW PASSWORD RONNIE:

More evidence that the Wasilla whack-job was getting pretty Barbra by the end of the campaign. The McCain camp spent over $100,000 on make-up and styling for Palin in the last two months of the campaign, and there's another $30,000 in clothing allowance has yet been spelled out. When you put it all together, we're talking about a woman who, if this carried on, would have an annual budget of something close to a $1 million for clothes and make-up alone. Some hockey mom. No wonder this beauty pageant contestant who once claimed she smelled of fish and longed to meet IvanaTrump, doesn't want to leave the stage (or go back to Alaska which she pretends to govern). And it's all perfectly fine if your goal is to provide a bimbo hood ornament for horny old white male voters. Just please don't tell me any of this has anything to do with a serious political party.

Eddie Vedder w/ Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - Face Of Love

The original song can be found on the Dead Man Walking soundtrack with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Nusrat's nephew, Rahat, is singing with Eddie. According to Wikipedia, "Rahat took over the family Qawwali party after Nusrat's death in 1997." The 2:50 mark is when the magic begins. . . By the way, they're from Pakistan. Oh the power of music. . .

The La's - Timeless Melody

One of my favorite Pearl Jam covers. . .

>

Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers

Not much to say here except that this band and song rocks! Too bad they broke up. . . Anyway, give it a chance. . . Good stuff!

Mike Ness - Story of My Life (acoustic)

OKAY, I'M GOING. . .

Mike Ness - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (live)

Mike Ness is doing a bunch of SoCal shows this month. This video convinced me that I need to be there. . . :)

You can find the original Bob Dylan song below this video. Good stuff!



Here's the original:

BOB DYLAN - DON'T THINK TWICE, IT'S ALL RIGHT

NBC News - Latinas learn to lower health risks

"Iran: A Nation Of Bloggers"

I hope and pray that Obama understands this. . .


Iran: A nation of bloggers from Mr.Aaron on Vimeo.

Wilco - Jesus, etc.

I know you're digging it Arod. . . Johnny Q. don't fall behind man! Penner, it's time for you to have the Wilco 10:08 rm. 501 conversation. . . Atomictata and Adrian, thank you! I can't get enough of Wilco. . . The rest of you guys enjoy this. . . They're a great band!

Ten things to know if you're having Thanksgiving with Republicans

Got this from 236.com. You might want to prepare yourself. . .

10- President-elect Obama won by 8 million votes.

9- President Bush is probably drinking again.

8- Many media conservatives are furious with President Bush.

7- Experts say that Al Qaeda's recent video shows that the terrorists are afraid of President-elect Obama.

6- President-elect Obama is cocky enough to think he can pull this "economic miracle" shit off.

5- The "socialist" takeover of America's banks happened on Bush's watch.

4- The "Democratic" Senate has been working with a one vote majority, and that vote is Joe Lieberman. If they get to the "Magic 60," that sixtieth vote is still Joe Lieberman.

3- The majority of rich Americans voted to have their wealth spread.

2- President Obama will probably only get to replace liberal judges on the Supreme Court.

1- Cheer up, the GOP still owns the "racist belt!":

The Real Estate "Downfall"

It's real. It's very real. . .

Calexico - Across The Wire (live)

I can't believe I didn't go see them in September. Anyway, this is one of my favortie Calexico songs. . . Great live version. Enjoy.

Tiger Army - Outlaw Heart

I can never get sick of this song. . .

Eddie Vedder - The Kids Are Alright (live)

November 1993. I had this bootleg but never had the visual. Good stuff!



Just in case you haven't heard the original.
THE WHO - THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

Smashing Pumpkins - Soothe

Feeling this right now. . . This is off their "B" side album, "Pisces Iscariot." Don't mind the video. Brings back some old memories. . . Good stuff.

Tom Friedman Wants The Inauguration Bumped Up To Thanksgiving

THIS IS SCARY STUFF:

It’s a huge moment for America and the global economy. I think we should seriously consider moving up the inauguration day. Because I don’t know that we have two months to have a political vacuum at this moment in this economic crisis. I mean, to Neil’s point, the financial system is the heart, it pumps blood to the industrial muscles of the economy. It’s not working. We’re supposed to sit around for two months and wait for the new administration to get in…because this administration has kind of checked out. They’re not going to do anything big. And so, I don’t think people have fully grasped the fact …I tell you, I go to restaurants now and look around, your point earlier….I wanna come up to people and say, “You shouldn’t be here. You should be home having tuna sandwiches. What are you doing here? Don’t you understand there is a storm coming?” Okay? And it hasn’t hit yet. And I believe the decisions made possibly in these next two months could determine the next four years. This administration could be over before it starts. Over in the sense that it will spend the next four years digging out of a hole that has been created right now that may be deeper and darker than anyone realizes.

Olbermann Views The Palin Turkey Slaughter

Can't get enough of this. . .

Citizen Cope - Son's Gonna Rise

This is for Adrian. He continues to "school" me after years of high school. . . He called me from Bend, OR just to tell me about this guy, Citizen Cope. According to Adrian, he is an "f'in genius." So I have no other choice but to take his word. Well I'm diggin' it Adrian. Good stuff. . .

Click here for the offical video of "Son's Gonna Rise."


CITIZEN COPE - LET THE DRUMMER KICK

"Much to His Chagrin, 'Plain Old Barack Is Gone'"

This article is for the political junkie.



Obama nourished his soul on a life of routine in Chicago, friends say. Now they hope he can find comfort in a city he has never embraced.

By Eli Saslow and Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, November 24, 2008;

During his political rise, Obama safeguarded times of normalcy and credited them for keeping him sane. A run on the treadmill in the early morning. An evening meander through 57th Street Books. Date night with his wife, Michelle, at one of their favorite restaurants. Pickup basketball at a gym downtown.

Obama already has learned that his mundane routine will be difficult to replicate as president, but his friends say that establishing some kind of similar comfort zone is critical to his success in Washington. They consider it one of the most pressing -- and most challenging -- issues of Obama's transition: How can he create a life as president that keeps him happy?

"Look, there are just certain things that he can't do anymore, or he can't do as easily, and that's going to be hard," said Marty Nesbitt, Obama's closest friend in Chicago. "The objective is to just make sure that things stay as similar to the way they used to be as they can. The same routines, the same conversations -- that's what he wants."

Radiohead - Street Spirit (live)

Sometimes we need to be reminded. . . Good stuff!

SNL - Obama Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, Has A Message For You

This is funny. . .

Thom Yorke Discussing Neil Young and After the Goldrush

Thom Yorke talks about meeting Neil Young and playing him After the Goldrush. This is an outtake of a BBC documentary on Neil Young.

Neil Young: Don't Be Denied



Here's the song. . . Good stuff! You can download this version at itunes.

Norah Jones - Jesus, etc.

This is the first night of the Bridge School Concert (2008). Hey, it took a lot for her to do this since Wilco was backstage. Good times. . .

A Better Brew - The rise of extreme beer

Must read for the beer lover! (New Yorker Magazine)

Beer has lagged well behind wine and organic produce in the ongoing reinvention of American cuisine. Yet the change over the past twenty years has been startling. In 1965, the United States had a single craft brewery: Anchor Brewing, in San Francisco. Today, there are nearly fifteen hundred. In liquor stores and upscale supermarkets, pumpkin ales and chocolate stouts compete for cooler space with wit beers, weiss beers, and imperial Pilsners. The King of Beers, once served in splendid isolation at many bars, is now surrounded by motley bottles with ridiculous names, like jesters at a Renaissance fair: SkullSplitter, Old Leghumper, Slam Dunkel, Troll Porter, Moose Drool, Power Tool, He’brew, and Ale Mary Full of Taste.

Accountability Mr. President. . . (part 2)

FROM ANDREW SULLIVAN:

To paraphrase Hitch: torture poisons everything.

And people wonder why I seem so angry and concerned about this issue, about its centrality to this election, and about the unique, once-in-a-century chance to put it behind us before it infects us beyond cure. It is, in my judgment, the biggest single crisis we now face, because it does not simply affect our wealth or our safety, but because it affects who we are.

We cannot know hope until we end torture.

Photo: a detainee killed by US forces in Abu Ghraib prison, after being beaten and forced into a position with his arms bent back over and behind his head, with a hood restricting his breathing. All the techniques used against him were authorized by president George W. Bush.

Obama Impersonation - "Ba-L-Ack Obama"

SNL Is looking for a new person to play Obama. I vote for this guy. Hilarious!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Too Funny! Sarah Palin Interview

You can't make this stuff up! Saturday Night Live isn't this funny! Here's an interview of Sarah Palin while turkey's are being slaughtered in the background. I'm not kidding. . . She's an idiot!

"From Pickin’ Cotton to Pickin’ Presidents"

Cotton production in 1860 with the 2008 presidential results.
Here's the article

CLICK ON THE MAPS



Combine the TWO maps - - AMAZING!!!

The Who - Blue, Red and Grey

ONE OF MY FAVE'S. . .

This off the WHO BY NUMBERS album (1975)

THE WHO - BLUE, RED AND GREY
Some people seem so obsessed with the morning
Get up early just to watch the sun rise
Some people like it more when there's fire in the sky
Worship the sun when it's high
Some people go for those sultry evenings
Sipping cocktails in the blue, red and grey
But I like every minute of the day



I like every second, so long as you are on my mind
Every moment has its special charm
It's all right when you're around, rain or shine
I know a crowd who only live after midnight
Their faces always seem so pale
And then there's friends of mine who must have sunlight
They say a suntan never fails
I know a man who works the night shift
He's lucky to get a job and some pay
And I like every minute of the day
I dig every second
I can laugh in the snow and rain
I get a buzz from being cold and wet
The pleasure seems to balance out the pain

And so you see that I'm completely crazy
I even shun the south of France
The people on the hill, they say I'm lazy
But when they sleep, I sing and dance
Some people have to have the sultry evenings
Cocktails in the blue, red and grey
But I like every minute of the day
- Pete Townshend

The Virgin Mary

A statue of the Virgin Mary is seen among the rubble of burned out mobile homes at the Oakridge mobile home park in Sylmar, California, on November 18, 2008. The fire near the suburb of Sylmar devastated nearly 500 properties in the Oakridge mobile home park and has burned around 10,000 acres. By Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty

John Lennon at 30

Happy Birthday Arod. . . Lennon was just getting started man!!

John Lennon - Crippled Inside

The Moral Cost Of Leaving Iraq

This will not be an easy decision. Obama has a lot of cleaning up to do. Pray for him.



FROM ANDREW SULLIVAN:
An Iraqi man weeps next to the body of a dead child killed in an explosion at the morgue of the general hospital in the northeastern town of Baquba some 60 kms from Baghdad on November 16, 2008. A suicide car bomb exploded at a police checkpoint in Iraq's volatile Diyala province today, killing at least 15 people, including seven policemen, a security official said. Police Major Hassan al-Kurawi said another 20 people were wounded. STR/AFP/Getty Images.

This must be the most heart-rending and disturbing face of the day I've ever posted. My policy is to err on the side of showing everything - from the Nick Berg beheading to the worst abuse of prisoners under the Bush-Cheney interrogation policy. We need to see the evil that we unwittingly unleashed in Iraq and the evil that will doubtless take hold the minute we leave. It is part of the moral equation in deciding what must be done now. And it is not easy. As an advocate for withdrawal, I do not want to deny the moral costs it may involve.

Nebraska's Safe-Haven Law

I told my students about this Nebraska law and how parents are literally dropping off their teenage kids. One student responded, "Is there a place where we can drop off our parents?" Man, that was funny. It reminded me of why I wanted to be a teacher. . . :)

Here's an article from the Washington Post.

Palin 2012

Obama's Inheritance

Rachel Maddow Show: Risks of Keeping Joe Lieberman

Rachel Maddows makes a great point! You have to see this.

Accountability Mr. President. . .

"There are bound to be casualties when any nation veers from its domestic and international obligations to uphold human rights and international humanitarian law. Those casualties are etched on the minds and bodies of many of the 62 former detainees interviewed for this report, many of whom suffered infinite variations on physical and mental abuse, including intimidation, stress positions, enforced nudity, sexual humiliation, and interference with religious practices.

Indeed, I was struck by the similarity between the abuse they suffered and the abuse we found inflicted upon Bosnian Muslim prisoners in Serbian camps when I sat as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, a U.N. court fully supported by the United States. The officials and guards in charge of those prison camps and the civilian leaders who sanctioned their establishment were prosecuted—often by former U.S. government and military lawyers serving with the tribunal— for war crimes, crimes against humanity and, in extreme cases, genocide," - Patricia M. Wald, foreword, Human Rights Center's report on former Gitmo detainees.

John Lennon - Mother (live)

This is from Lennon's first solo album "Plastic Ono Band". His best solo album by far! Lennon traced much of his unhappiness back to a sense of rejection by his parents. And now, to free himself of that baleful legacy, he must in turn say goodbye to them. Powerful stuff!

"That Burger You're Eating Is Mostly Corn"

By David Biello

If you thought you were eating mostly grass-fed beef when you bit into a Big Mac, think again: The bulk of a fast-food hamburger from McDonald's, Burger King or Wendy's is made from cows that eat primarily corn, or so says a new study of the chemical composition of more than 480 fast-food burgers from across the nation.

The Side Effects of the Sarah Palin Media Blitz

This is what happens to your dog when they watch too much Sarah Palin. . . :)

Peter Schiff Was Right

He predicted this economic crisis. And he was ridiculed for it! This will blow you away!

Orange Mocha Frappuccino

Sometimes you need that orange mocha frappuccino. . . :)

Pearl Jam - Falling Down (live)

Staying on the bootleg trip. . . Red Rocks 1995. I was there for both shows (6-8 rows up). They've only played this song once. A lot of fans were expecting "Falling Down" to be released on their "B-side" album "Lost Dogs". This is definitely a Pearl Jam gem for the hard core fans. And it's a very good song! Enjoy. . .

Jeff Tweedy - New Madrid (live)

One of my favorite Uncle Tupelo songs 15 years later. . . Good stuff:



Here's the original
UNCLE TUPELO - NEW MADRID

Pearl Jam - Baba O'Riley

WOW! JUST FOUND THIS ON YOUTUBE. THIS IS PEARL JAM REHEARSING BABA O'RILEY IN 1992.



HERE'S THE ORIGINAL. TURN THIS UP!! AND USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOUR BOY HOW TO DO THE PETE TOWNSHEND WINDMILL. . . :)
THE WHO - BABA O'RILEY

November 11, 1918

British World War One veteran Henry Allingham, 112, (L) reacts after placing a wreath, during an Armistice Day commemmoration ceremony in Whitehall in London on November 11, 2008. Europe on Tuesday marked the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I, with the handful of surviving veterans at the vanguard of commemmorations for the fallen of the 'War to End All Wars'.
By Shaun Curry/AFP/Getty.

Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis

HERE'S AN INTERVIEW OF ROWAN JACOBSEN WHO WROTE THE BOOK, Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis. THIS IS SCARY STUFF. HE DISCUSSES WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO HUMAN CIVILIZATION IF BEES COMPLETELY DIED OFF. HERE'S AN EXCERPT:

What would happen to us if honeybees were to completely die off?
More than 100 crops, about a third of the calories we eat, require cross-pollination by honeybees. The grain staples such as corn, rice, and oats are wind-pollinated, but most of the stuff that adds color to our plates and vitamins and antioxidants to our diets—apples, pears, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, plums, melons, cucumbers, zucchini, almonds, macadamia nuts, and so on—would disappear. Plants like lettuce, carrots, broccoli, and onions, which don’t make edible fruits but need to make seeds for next year’s supply, also rely on bees. Bees also cross-pollinate the forage crops, like alfalfa and clover, that are vital to many dairying and beef cattle operations. And don’t forget honey, of course.

Bob Dylan - Chimes Of Freedom

Definitely feeling this song right now. . . This is Dylan with Joan Osborne (1999). You can find the original song on ANOTHER SIDE OF BOB DYLAN (1964). Powerful lyrics. . . Enjoy.

CHIMES OF FREEDOM

Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

- Bob Dylan

Wilco - What Light

And if the whole world’s singing your songs
And all of your paintings have been hung
Just remember what was yours is everyone’s from now on
- Jeff Tweedy

"Finishing Our Work"

GREAT EDITORIAL! A MUST READ!

November 5, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist (NYTIMES.COM)

Finishing Our Work

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
And so it came to pass that on Nov. 4, 2008, shortly after 11 p.m. Eastern time, the American Civil War ended, as a black man — Barack Hussein Obama — won enough electoral votes to become president of the United States.

A civil war that, in many ways, began at Bull Run, Virginia, on July 21, 1861, ended 147 years later via a ballot box in the very same state. For nothing more symbolically illustrated the final chapter of America’s Civil War than the fact that the Commonwealth of Virginia — the state that once exalted slavery and whose secession from the Union in 1861 gave the Confederacy both strategic weight and its commanding general — voted Democratic, thus assuring that Barack Obama would become the 44th president of the United States.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE

"Real" Americans

I guess this only happens in "real" America. . .

"Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast,"

OH MAN THIS IS GETTING GOOD!!!
FROM NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE

NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin's shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family—clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent "tens of thousands" more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.

A Palin aide said: "Governor Palin was not directing staffers to put anything on their personal credit cards, and anything that staffers put on their credit cards has been reimbursed, like an expense. Nasty and false accusations following a defeat say more about the person who made them than they do about Governor Palin."

McCain himself rarely spoke to Palin during the campaign, and aides kept him in the dark about the details of her spending on clothes because they were sure he would be offended. Palin asked to speak along with McCain at his Arizona concession speech Tuesday night, but campaign strategist Steve Schmidt vetoed the request.

Palin and the "Country" of Africa

The gift that keeps giving:

World Reaction 2

INDIA


INDIA

FRANCE

Dakar, Senegal

Basra, Iraq

Denmark
China

Feeling Good And Keeping It Real

An email to Andrew Sullivan:

Nothing in my life has actually changed in the 30 minutes since it was announced Obama will be our next president. I have the same bills, the same amount of money in the bank, my dishwasher is still broken, and my 5 month old beagle won't stop peeing on my carpet. Everything in my life is exactly the same as it was 30 minutes ago; and yet I feel as though everything is different.

I feel so much hope. I feel so much pride. I feel like my one vote was a single drop of water in a great Tsunami of change. I feel like I was one of a million voices screaming in the night, " I love my country and I'm taking it back!" I'm so proud of the country that I love and have so much hope in my heart that we can together heal the wounds that have been such a source of pain and anger to us all.

I know Obama isn't going to fix the economy overnight, I know he won't be able to provide healthcare to all Americans by February '09. I know Obama isn't a Messiah who four years from now will have turned this country into a fabled utopia. But I also know Obama will make moral decisions. I know Obama will try to unite where others try to divide. I know Obama will help to make America the beacon of hope it once was to others. I know that at 27 years of age, I witnessed one of the most important and hopefully glorious chapters in American history.

I know hope.