Kory Langhofer, a conservative lawyer from Arizona, said this week that since we already know how Antonin Scalia would vote on the cases the Supreme Court has heard this term, that his vote should still count despite the fact that Scalia is dead.
(Funny that, since republicans are always screaming for voting restrictions out of their fears that dead people vote in general elections....)
Here we have an abject lesson for those who claim that there's no difference between Democrats and republicans: The Democratic Party at times may be unwieldy, bungling, and obtuse, but at no time are we Democrats ever completely and totally out of our fucking minds.
Judging from Mr. Lanhofer's comments re Antonin Scalia's voting prerogative, we most assuredly can tell that the wheels have come completely off the tracks for the crazy train that is the republican party.
Quod erat demonstrandum.
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Friday, February 26, 2016
Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. LXI--Lyle Lovett: Friend of the Devil
I tried, as I was thinking about today's tune, to think of a song that was a cover version that I enjoyed so much more than the original and came up with nary a one other than Lyle Lovett's version of the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil." In fairness, as I've noted before, I'm not an aficionado of the Dead but I can't really say I'm a big fan of Lyle Lovett, either. A mystical confluence of musical events, one supposes.
Lyle Lovett's career has been marked by a quiet consistency. He started recording in the mid 80's and has more or less released an album every two years and while his sales have never soared into the stratosphere he has several gold records, a devoted following, and some serious respect in the music community. Along the way he's won four Grammy Awards, appeared in numerous movies, and married Julia Roberts (if only for a couple of years). Not a bad ride for the lanky Texan.
Written by Robert Hunter with music by Jerry Garcia, "Friend of the Devil" originally appeared on the 1970 Grateful Dead album American Beauty. It tells the story of a man on the run from the law who makes a deal with the devil and then finds himself on the run from Satan, too. The original Dead version is an uptempo folk tune, and immediately became a fan favorite (and a musicians favorite, too--it's been covered by roughly 20 different artists, including Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Dave Matthews, and the Counting Crows).
Though he wasn't the first (Loggins and Messina were actually the first and most others followed, including the Dead in their live version), Lovett slowed the tempo of "Friend of the Devil" considerably and turned it into a masterpiece. Released in 1991 on the Dead tribute album Deadicated, the liner notes say there's a bass, some drums, and some piano on the song, but I'll be goddamned if I can hear any of them. And that's because Lovett's vocals so overwhelm the ears (the acoustic guitar is plenty noticeable, however) as he sings with a quiet pathos that makes you empathize with the fugitive protagonist as he misses his sweet Anne Marie and fears spending the rest of his life in jail. It's American folk at its finest--a tour de force of the old west and one of its many outlaws, all in a perfect harmony from a wondrous vocal performance by Lovett.
Like the man says, "I set out running but I take my time...."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Lyle Lovett's career has been marked by a quiet consistency. He started recording in the mid 80's and has more or less released an album every two years and while his sales have never soared into the stratosphere he has several gold records, a devoted following, and some serious respect in the music community. Along the way he's won four Grammy Awards, appeared in numerous movies, and married Julia Roberts (if only for a couple of years). Not a bad ride for the lanky Texan.
Written by Robert Hunter with music by Jerry Garcia, "Friend of the Devil" originally appeared on the 1970 Grateful Dead album American Beauty. It tells the story of a man on the run from the law who makes a deal with the devil and then finds himself on the run from Satan, too. The original Dead version is an uptempo folk tune, and immediately became a fan favorite (and a musicians favorite, too--it's been covered by roughly 20 different artists, including Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Dave Matthews, and the Counting Crows).
Though he wasn't the first (Loggins and Messina were actually the first and most others followed, including the Dead in their live version), Lovett slowed the tempo of "Friend of the Devil" considerably and turned it into a masterpiece. Released in 1991 on the Dead tribute album Deadicated, the liner notes say there's a bass, some drums, and some piano on the song, but I'll be goddamned if I can hear any of them. And that's because Lovett's vocals so overwhelm the ears (the acoustic guitar is plenty noticeable, however) as he sings with a quiet pathos that makes you empathize with the fugitive protagonist as he misses his sweet Anne Marie and fears spending the rest of his life in jail. It's American folk at its finest--a tour de force of the old west and one of its many outlaws, all in a perfect harmony from a wondrous vocal performance by Lovett.
Like the man says, "I set out running but I take my time...."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Thursday, February 25, 2016
This is what happens when you vote republican, Part II
Once again, into another circle of hell that the republicans have created for the rest of us:
The citizens of Birmingham, Alabama, realizing the game is rigged for the working class of America, took the only step available to those of us caught in the cycle of month to month subsistence: they voted to increase the minimum wage in their city to $10.10 an hour (keep in mind, if one can find a full-time job, this comes to a whopping $21,000 a year.).
The republican state legislature of Alabama, unable to resist businesses they can fellate, are now moving forward with a bill that would prevent municipalities such as Birmingham from setting their own minimum wage, citing that it would make things too complicated to have numerous minimum wages in the state.
Leaving aside the fact that if Alabama republicans find multiple minimum wages rates too complicated it's a wonder they can tie their own fucking shoes. how in the hell can anyone vote for people who subvert democracy and actively seek to make average Americans lives considerably worse economically all the while claiming they are following the will of their voters?
What's the matter with Kansas? Try what's the matter with republican voters, period.
Peace,
emaycee
This is what happens when you vote republican, Part I
Well lookee here: seems that in Michigan, after our republican leaders poisoned Flint's children in an effort to "save" money, amid new allegations that a veteran's home which was privatized wasn't providing quite the same care as the union nurses Governor Snyder's minions fired, and the maggot infested food that Aramark (contracted by--who else? our republican leaders) fed to the state's prisoners, some republicans, off the record, are admitting that perhaps running the state of Michigan like a business hasn't worked out all that well.
Ya think?
I've said it before and I'll say it many more times until enough people stop believing republicans' bullshit free market mantra: There is absolutely nothing the government can do that the private sector can't do a lot worse while charging us a lot more money.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
The farce be with you
Thanks to work requirements which command that people receiving food stamps work twenty hours a week or forfeit their benefits after three months for three years, over 500,000 Americans could be going hungry by the end of March. Of the twenty-three states (all controlled by republicans--surprise, surprise) that have implemented these restrictions, exactly zero have either made exceptions for high unemployment rates or added programs to help their residents look for work. Keep in mind that requiring people to work to receive assistance does not magically create jobs that aren't there--it just means that more Americans will go hungry for no good reason.
I note this not just because I'm outraged by the callousness of republicans, but also because I happened to see a chart of President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year 2017, and 54% of it, or $622 billion, is devoted to defense spending while 1%, or $12.8 billion, is devoted to agriculture and food (which is where food stamps are allotted).
What do you suppose it says about a nation that spends over six hundred billion dollars on weapons and war machines but only slightly more than twelve billion dollars to feed the least among its citizens?
Somehow I don't think that's what the founding fathers had in mind when they called for "a more perfect union."
Peace,
emaycee
Peace,
emaycee
Monday, February 22, 2016
With friends like these
In its infinite wisdom, the republican establishment, now that Marco Rubio is its only viable candidate, is announcing that Bob Dole and Mitt Romney are endorsing Rubio in his bid for the republican nomination. Because nothing--I mean absolutely nothing--fires up the republican base quite like the endorsements of two moderate republicans who lost imminently winnable elections to candidates (Clinton in '96 and Obama in '12) that the base absolutely despised.
Who, outside of the clueless national media, do they think these men are going to influence? Because it's really hard to see supporters of either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz suddenly changing their votes based on the words of two men they think are twits that lost to the womanizer and the black guy.
Jeez, I should have been a republican adviser--if only I'd known when I was young that they were more than happy to pay fortunes for bad advice.
I could have given them plenty of that.
Peace,
emaycee
Friday, February 19, 2016
Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. LX--The Low Anthem: The Ballad of the Broken Bones
It's not often that Friday Night Jukebox features a band from Rhode Island--well, actually, never--but tonight we will. And there's a good chance it'll be the last time for a while--the list of artists from Rhode Island is neither long nor well known by me.
Not so The Low Anthem, though. Formed in 2006 in Providence, Brown University students Ben Knox Miller and John Prystowsky have been the core of the band since its inception with various other musicians added to the mix. Their second album, What the Crow Brings (whence this week's tune), was a DIY recording if ever there was one--the band self released the album, and even dumpster dived for empty cereal boxes which they created silksceens for and turned into LP sleeves.
Another reason why devoting so much of the last forty years of my life to music has most assuredly not been a waste--dumpster diving for empty cereal boxes? How much do you have to love what you do to do that?
Alas, their love has not turned into commercial success. The Low Anthem have released four albums, exactly one of which has cracked the Billboard charts, and that at #198 (probably not with a bullet, but we can dream....). Nevertheless, they tour continuously and seem to have carved out a fine niche for themselves.
I'd like to tell you what "The Ballad of the Broken Bones" is about, but I really have no idea. At times I've thought it was about suffering in silence, redemption, healing, and/or the search for inner peace and they all may or may not be right. I will tell you this: any song that sings lovingly of the dreams the moon can bring and the healing powers of the oceans is A-OK in my book. The music is sparse, merely an acoustic guitar, an organ, and (because it happens so often in pop music) a clarinet, but the three provide the soothing canvas for Miller's artful vocals which are nothing short of redemptive in themselves. He sings with an understated air, the voice of a man who has reached a place where the healing can begin and he's only too ready for its forgiveness--or as he sings, "...And over the world am I." All in all, what you have is one of those magical nuggets of music that makes you extremely grateful that your Mom met your Dad so you can be here to enjoy it.
Cheat sheet: It's a toss up this week between "The poets are going insane" and "'Cause I've been all over the whole goddamn world and over the world am I."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Not so The Low Anthem, though. Formed in 2006 in Providence, Brown University students Ben Knox Miller and John Prystowsky have been the core of the band since its inception with various other musicians added to the mix. Their second album, What the Crow Brings (whence this week's tune), was a DIY recording if ever there was one--the band self released the album, and even dumpster dived for empty cereal boxes which they created silksceens for and turned into LP sleeves.
Another reason why devoting so much of the last forty years of my life to music has most assuredly not been a waste--dumpster diving for empty cereal boxes? How much do you have to love what you do to do that?
Alas, their love has not turned into commercial success. The Low Anthem have released four albums, exactly one of which has cracked the Billboard charts, and that at #198 (probably not with a bullet, but we can dream....). Nevertheless, they tour continuously and seem to have carved out a fine niche for themselves.
I'd like to tell you what "The Ballad of the Broken Bones" is about, but I really have no idea. At times I've thought it was about suffering in silence, redemption, healing, and/or the search for inner peace and they all may or may not be right. I will tell you this: any song that sings lovingly of the dreams the moon can bring and the healing powers of the oceans is A-OK in my book. The music is sparse, merely an acoustic guitar, an organ, and (because it happens so often in pop music) a clarinet, but the three provide the soothing canvas for Miller's artful vocals which are nothing short of redemptive in themselves. He sings with an understated air, the voice of a man who has reached a place where the healing can begin and he's only too ready for its forgiveness--or as he sings, "...And over the world am I." All in all, what you have is one of those magical nuggets of music that makes you extremely grateful that your Mom met your Dad so you can be here to enjoy it.
Cheat sheet: It's a toss up this week between "The poets are going insane" and "'Cause I've been all over the whole goddamn world and over the world am I."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Thursday, February 18, 2016
The content of their character
Pope Francis today noted that anyone (that means you, Donald Trump) who is more interested in putting up walls than constructing bridges is not a Christian. Trump responded by calling the Pope's comments "disgraceful' which was met with applause from his audience.
I'm not sure you could find an example that is more reflective of today's republican party--a man who is the party's leading contender for the Presidency, whose platform is one of hatred and fear, deeming a man who preaches love and hope, as disgraceful.
How exactly such a misanthrope can convince millions of Americans that he is going to make American great again is truly one of history's greatest mysteries.
Peace,
emaycee
I'm not sure you could find an example that is more reflective of today's republican party--a man who is the party's leading contender for the Presidency, whose platform is one of hatred and fear, deeming a man who preaches love and hope, as disgraceful.
How exactly such a misanthrope can convince millions of Americans that he is going to make American great again is truly one of history's greatest mysteries.
Peace,
emaycee
Cuban delusional crisis
Mark Cuban told an interviewer this week that he's not going to run for President in 2016.
Well I'm glad he cleared that up--because so fucking many Americans have just been clamoring for him to enter the race.
What the fuck is up with that? He seriously had to tell us he wasn't going to run? Like we all don't know he knows absolutely nothing about domestic policy or foreign policy and belongs in the White House about as much as my youngest son's cat? That there already isn't a billionaire buffoon running in 2016?
What is it about being a billionaire that can make someone so fucking delusional?
Peace,
emaycee
Well I'm glad he cleared that up--because so fucking many Americans have just been clamoring for him to enter the race.
What the fuck is up with that? He seriously had to tell us he wasn't going to run? Like we all don't know he knows absolutely nothing about domestic policy or foreign policy and belongs in the White House about as much as my youngest son's cat? That there already isn't a billionaire buffoon running in 2016?
What is it about being a billionaire that can make someone so fucking delusional?
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Can we please dispense with the bullshit?
In his private life, Antonin Scalia may very well have been a wonderful man. But as a public figure he was a cretinous goon who in his role as a Supreme Court Justice made life immeasurably worse for the vast bulk of Americans, and especially those who were not white, heterosexual, and wealthy. For Democrats to claim that he merely "disagreed" with us is the height of disingenuousness--Scalia's actions and words were the antithesis of everything we as a party stand for.
His death also creates a very real gut check for the Democratic Party. While we may not be able to get an Obama nominee through the Senate, we must make republicans pay for their obstructionism each and every day until his replacement by a Democratic nominee--in the court of public opinion and at the ballot box (especially in this year's Senate races),
By any means necessary.
The time to prop up American's poor and middle class, and to empty the feeding trough that the Roberts court has been for Corporate America, is now.
Peace,
emaycee
His death also creates a very real gut check for the Democratic Party. While we may not be able to get an Obama nominee through the Senate, we must make republicans pay for their obstructionism each and every day until his replacement by a Democratic nominee--in the court of public opinion and at the ballot box (especially in this year's Senate races),
By any means necessary.
The time to prop up American's poor and middle class, and to empty the feeding trough that the Roberts court has been for Corporate America, is now.
Peace,
emaycee
Friday, February 12, 2016
Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. LIX--The Long Winters: Stupid
It never ceases to amaze me how fluky it sometimes is when we discover great music. Channel surfing one night and you come across someone doing a gig on a talk show and she's singing a song that you're still listening to thirty years later (Rickie Lee Jones, "Chuck E.'s in Love"). Standing in line at a fast food restaurant and something comes on overhead and you're rushing home to google a couple of the words so you can find it on Youtube so you can hear it again to see if it really was that good (King Harvest, "Dancing in the Moonlight"). A music review read while you're sitting in the dentist's office (The Darkness, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love") or a free sample CD stuffed in a music magazine (Okkervil River, "Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe").
When my daughter was in college, she would on occasion send me mix CDs containing songs that she had been enjoying. One such song is this week's featured tune, "Stupid" by The Long Winters--and I can guarantee you that had she never sent it, I never would have heard it.
A small miracle? Perhaps...
The Long Winters are a fine Seattle band (the only constant is one John Roderick) which began in 2001 and have recorded three albums and an EP, though none since 2006. Since 2008 their website has been promising a new record soon, but it has yet to come to fruition. There are no Hall of Fame inductions, no Grammy nominations or awards, and no Billboard Hot 100 appearances in their history, though they are generally well reviewed. Mr. Roderick's other claim to fame is that he ran for the Seattle City Council in 2015 (unsuccessfully, unfortunately). And what are the odds I ever hear a song from a band such as this if my daughter doesn't send it my way?
And what a shame it would have been to have missed "Stupid." Released on their When I Pretend to Fall LP, "Stupid" is the tale of a young man chasing his dream girl, despite being told by a friend that his pursuit is stupid, and his telling said acquaintance that no, what would really be stupid is to find out years from now that she'd had a thing for him, too, and that he'd given up before finding out. Which in the wrong hands could turn into a maudlin piece of garbage, but here turns into a pop music marvel. Roderick's vocals are filled with the right amount of angst (and not desperation) to make us believe that his feelings for her and his fear of missing his chance at her are genuine. Even better, at song's end we're left hanging just like him--we don't know if he won her heart or not. "Stupid" is simply arranged, with some really nice jangly guitar work and a driving drumbeat, and even features a nice short instrumental break. All in all, it's a wondrous and honest pop music peek into the heart.
Truer words, once again: "She has no idea/She could make me do anything...."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
When my daughter was in college, she would on occasion send me mix CDs containing songs that she had been enjoying. One such song is this week's featured tune, "Stupid" by The Long Winters--and I can guarantee you that had she never sent it, I never would have heard it.
A small miracle? Perhaps...
The Long Winters are a fine Seattle band (the only constant is one John Roderick) which began in 2001 and have recorded three albums and an EP, though none since 2006. Since 2008 their website has been promising a new record soon, but it has yet to come to fruition. There are no Hall of Fame inductions, no Grammy nominations or awards, and no Billboard Hot 100 appearances in their history, though they are generally well reviewed. Mr. Roderick's other claim to fame is that he ran for the Seattle City Council in 2015 (unsuccessfully, unfortunately). And what are the odds I ever hear a song from a band such as this if my daughter doesn't send it my way?
And what a shame it would have been to have missed "Stupid." Released on their When I Pretend to Fall LP, "Stupid" is the tale of a young man chasing his dream girl, despite being told by a friend that his pursuit is stupid, and his telling said acquaintance that no, what would really be stupid is to find out years from now that she'd had a thing for him, too, and that he'd given up before finding out. Which in the wrong hands could turn into a maudlin piece of garbage, but here turns into a pop music marvel. Roderick's vocals are filled with the right amount of angst (and not desperation) to make us believe that his feelings for her and his fear of missing his chance at her are genuine. Even better, at song's end we're left hanging just like him--we don't know if he won her heart or not. "Stupid" is simply arranged, with some really nice jangly guitar work and a driving drumbeat, and even features a nice short instrumental break. All in all, it's a wondrous and honest pop music peek into the heart.
Truer words, once again: "She has no idea/She could make me do anything...."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Three pennies for three thoughts
1) Rachel Maddow noted on her show last night that Democratic turnout is down from 2008 in the first two primaries this year and wondered if this was cause for concern for Democrats (it should be noted that it's still at historically high levels). It may well be, but I wonder if it has more to do with the fact that we have two very good candidates this time around and many Democrats will be happy to support either in November. In all honesty, we have trouble getting Democrats to vote in the midterms and it's hard to imagine them taking the time for a primary when both candidates are appealing.
2) At the risk of proving just how bad I am at political prognostication, is it possible that Jeb! Bush can mount a comeback in South Carolina? Probably not, but with Marco "Hal 9000" Rubio, Ben "Delusional" Carson, and John "The Dullard" Kasich as the only republican establishment candidates left, you have to admit there is an opening for him. Maybe his Mom can put in a good word for Jeb!....
3) Jim Webb announced today that he will not be seeking the White House as an independent candidate. Now it's entirely possible that reality set in and his advisers told him that an oak tree had as good of a chance as he did to be the next President, but I have to wonder if it had anything to do with Michael Bloomberg announcing that he was considering an independent run--pretty sure Webb can't sink a billion dollars into a losing campaign just because he thinks he knows better than the American people who our Presidential candidates should be.
Chutzpah aplenty in Neverland these days....
Peace,
emaycee
2) At the risk of proving just how bad I am at political prognostication, is it possible that Jeb! Bush can mount a comeback in South Carolina? Probably not, but with Marco "Hal 9000" Rubio, Ben "Delusional" Carson, and John "The Dullard" Kasich as the only republican establishment candidates left, you have to admit there is an opening for him. Maybe his Mom can put in a good word for Jeb!....
3) Jim Webb announced today that he will not be seeking the White House as an independent candidate. Now it's entirely possible that reality set in and his advisers told him that an oak tree had as good of a chance as he did to be the next President, but I have to wonder if it had anything to do with Michael Bloomberg announcing that he was considering an independent run--pretty sure Webb can't sink a billion dollars into a losing campaign just because he thinks he knows better than the American people who our Presidential candidates should be.
Chutzpah aplenty in Neverland these days....
Peace,
emaycee
Much ado about nothing
For the record, I watched about five minutes of the coverage of Tuesday night's New Hampshire primary election results. Once the projections were made (and nothing that was a surprise) it was on to bigger and better shows. How the hell MSNBC spent the rest of the night covering it is beyond me--Christ, you could have called this one for Sanders and Trump three months ago.
That being said, boy was I surprised the next morning when everywhere I turned there were folks telling me that because 91% white New Hampshire had voted overwhelmingly for Bernie Sanders that the revolution had officially begun. I mean it's over--Hillary can pack her bags and head back to upstate New York.
This despite the fact that the two split the Democratic vote evenly in New Hampshire, the fact that there is absolutely nothing in the national polling that shows Sanders had made the slightest dent in Clinton's rock solid support among people of color, and that the next two primaries are in states that are approximately 60% white (South Carolina) and approximately 50% white (Nevada). I appreciate the fact that campaigns have to spin their victories (a la Clinton turning an underwhelming victory in Iowa into a big win), and Sanders may well win the nomination, but it won't have anything to do with his victory last night
So wake me when the real revolution begins--Clinton won New Hampshire in 2008 and we all know where that got her: the Secretary of State gig and an eight year wait for another shot at the oval office.
Peace,
emaycee
That being said, boy was I surprised the next morning when everywhere I turned there were folks telling me that because 91% white New Hampshire had voted overwhelmingly for Bernie Sanders that the revolution had officially begun. I mean it's over--Hillary can pack her bags and head back to upstate New York.
This despite the fact that the two split the Democratic vote evenly in New Hampshire, the fact that there is absolutely nothing in the national polling that shows Sanders had made the slightest dent in Clinton's rock solid support among people of color, and that the next two primaries are in states that are approximately 60% white (South Carolina) and approximately 50% white (Nevada). I appreciate the fact that campaigns have to spin their victories (a la Clinton turning an underwhelming victory in Iowa into a big win), and Sanders may well win the nomination, but it won't have anything to do with his victory last night
So wake me when the real revolution begins--Clinton won New Hampshire in 2008 and we all know where that got her: the Secretary of State gig and an eight year wait for another shot at the oval office.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
A blooming idiot
Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City and champion of stop and frisk as a legitimate tactic to fight the hordes of brown people overrunning our country, confirmed this week that if Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump win their respective nominations, or if Ted Cruz takes the republican crown, that he just might have to enter the race. And that he'd be willing to spend a billion dollars of his own money on his election run.
Because, you know, nothing--absolutely nothing--says "man of the people" quite like a man who doesn't have the courage to enter the race for the long haul, acts like a petty child when someone he doesn't like wins the nomination, and then vows to spend a billion dollars of his own money to secure his election to the highest office in the land even though he doesn't have a pot to piss in when it comes to domestic policy initiatives or foreign policy chops.
And I can guarantee you that the last thing America needs is another namby-pamby arrogant rich prick telling us what's best for us.
Peace,
emaycee
Because, you know, nothing--absolutely nothing--says "man of the people" quite like a man who doesn't have the courage to enter the race for the long haul, acts like a petty child when someone he doesn't like wins the nomination, and then vows to spend a billion dollars of his own money to secure his election to the highest office in the land even though he doesn't have a pot to piss in when it comes to domestic policy initiatives or foreign policy chops.
And I can guarantee you that the last thing America needs is another namby-pamby arrogant rich prick telling us what's best for us.
Peace,
emaycee
Monday, February 8, 2016
Who else do they have?
Despite the fact that Marco Rubio did his best Wall-E imitation in last Saturday's republican debate in New Hampshire, I really have to wonder who else the republican establishment is going to rally behind. Considering that they hate Trump and Cruz, that leaves Chris Christie, who is too much of an asshole to ever get elected President, John Kasich, who probably bores his own family, and Jeb! Bush, who has proven to be a miracle worker in that his campaign has been so inept he's made his big brother look like FDR.
I still think it's more likely that either Trump or Cruz win the republican nomination, but it's hard to see that if republicans go for the establishment candidate again this year how it can he anyone other than Rubio.
He may be a lightweight, but it's not as if Mitt Romney or John McCain could have given Plato a run for his money intellectually.
Peace,
emaycee
I still think it's more likely that either Trump or Cruz win the republican nomination, but it's hard to see that if republicans go for the establishment candidate again this year how it can he anyone other than Rubio.
He may be a lightweight, but it's not as if Mitt Romney or John McCain could have given Plato a run for his money intellectually.
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Where's the love?
You'll often hear republicans say they're going to Washington or their respective state capital to do the work of the American people. And God knows they control both houses of Congress at the national level and a vast majority at the state level.
I mention this because I read a piece this week about how wage theft has become an epidemic in America, and I think we can all agree that if an employer tells you they'll pay you X amount of dollars for your time that they'll actually pay you X amount of dollars for your time. Or if they ask you to work eight hours in a day and you work those eight hours, they'll pay you eight hours in wages. But in many workplaces this isn't happening.
Has anybody heard of any republicans starting committees, at either the state or national level, to look into wage theft? I mean they seem to have all kinds of committees for defunding Planned Parenthood, or repealing Obamacare, or about Benghazi, or to get concealed carry laws passed--wouldn't you think people getting paid the wages they've earned would be important, too? Wouldn't you think it was the work of the American people?
It would be easy--they could start by lifting that Bible they're so fond of and looking up that part about "Thou shalt not steal" and then skewering the rat prick bastard employers who are screwing working class Americans out of their earned wages.
Of course, that would involve actually working for the American people, and not so much their wealthy benefactors in the business world.
Not that republicans would care, but I'm pretty sure there's something in that Bible of theirs about caring for your fellow man, too.
Peace,
emaycee
I mention this because I read a piece this week about how wage theft has become an epidemic in America, and I think we can all agree that if an employer tells you they'll pay you X amount of dollars for your time that they'll actually pay you X amount of dollars for your time. Or if they ask you to work eight hours in a day and you work those eight hours, they'll pay you eight hours in wages. But in many workplaces this isn't happening.
Has anybody heard of any republicans starting committees, at either the state or national level, to look into wage theft? I mean they seem to have all kinds of committees for defunding Planned Parenthood, or repealing Obamacare, or about Benghazi, or to get concealed carry laws passed--wouldn't you think people getting paid the wages they've earned would be important, too? Wouldn't you think it was the work of the American people?
It would be easy--they could start by lifting that Bible they're so fond of and looking up that part about "Thou shalt not steal" and then skewering the rat prick bastard employers who are screwing working class Americans out of their earned wages.
Of course, that would involve actually working for the American people, and not so much their wealthy benefactors in the business world.
Not that republicans would care, but I'm pretty sure there's something in that Bible of theirs about caring for your fellow man, too.
Peace,
emaycee
And I'm supposed to give a fuck because?
Now I fully understand that AOL News is to journalism what hopscotch is to baseball, but apparently someone at AOL News thought that our election season wouldn't be complete if they didn't inform us of what Mark Cuban thought of the current republican campaigns for the Presidency. Now I appreciate that Cuban is a billionaire and that he has a lame ass TV show, but whereas other billionaires like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates or Warren Buffet have spent their time after becoming wealthy trying to make the world a better place or improving upon their brand, Cuban has spent his time becoming a first class buffoon.
All of which leaves me wondering: If most of us don't care what Bozo the Clown or the village idiot thinks of the republican candidates, what nitwit at AOL News thought we'd give a fuck what Mark Cuban thinks?
I mean I know that today is a slow news day but give me a fucking break.
Peace,
emaycee
All of which leaves me wondering: If most of us don't care what Bozo the Clown or the village idiot thinks of the republican candidates, what nitwit at AOL News thought we'd give a fuck what Mark Cuban thinks?
I mean I know that today is a slow news day but give me a fucking break.
Peace,
emaycee
Friday, February 5, 2016
Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. LVIII--Gordon Lightfoot: Carefree Highway
Must be something about Canada--much like the Barenaked Ladies (though a completely different style of music), Gordon Lightfoot has long been comfort music for me. Whether it's a good day or a bad day, I can put on his greatest hits and it's always a little bit better of a day.
For those not familiar, Gordon Lightfoot is Canada's Bob Dylan (not an exaggeration--Dylan himself is a big fan as well, once saying that when he listened to Lightfoot he wished his songs would never end). Throughout the sixties and seventies Lightfoot won sixteen Juno Awards (Canada's equivalent of our Grammy Awards). He's been inducted into just about every Canadian Hall of Fame that exists, and still tours there extensively. Now I know this is sounding a bit like one of those "my girlfriend who lives in Canada" stories, but Lightfoot is truly an icon in the Great White North. He had his heyday here in the states from about the mid sixties to the mid seventies, but had just one single chart on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1978. He also isn't the most prolific of singer songwriters--in his more than 45 year career he's released just 19 albums--hell, I'd be willing to bet Dylan had nineteen albums released by the time the sixties alone had ended.
The second single from his Sundown LP (the title track--a fine song itself--is Lightfoot's only #1 single in America on the Billboard Hot 100) "Carefree Highway" would hit #10 (with a bullet!), but the really cool thing about the song is that there really is a carefree highway. Yessir, Arizona State Route 74 is actually called "Carefree Highway" and it provided the title as well as the inspiration for the song. Having been to Arizona, I can tell you that it's probably not worth a special trip just to see a highway, but if you happen to be in the Phoenix area it might be worth your time to cruise its thirty miles just to say you've known the rock and roll thrill of songwriting inspiration.
And then again, maybe not.
As Lightfoot drove Arizona State Route 74 many moons ago, a woman that he'd once thought was the one but who eventually left him in a "it's been fun, babe!" kind of way came to mind and his thoughts as he drove that night eventually would become "Carefree Highway." I'd like to tell you there's something earth shattering about the song that made it my favorite Lightfoot song, but the truth is, much like Lightfoot (and I'd be willing to bet, Canada) it's a very workmanlike song. Lighfoot's vocals have always been perfectly understated and they may be about as breezy as he's going to get here. The melody is catchy as all hell, and Lightfoot utilizes an absolute emaycee fave, the repetition of the chorus numerous times, to give the song its pop music chops. The best thing, though, is that every time I hear it it feels like I'm driving down some highway on a warm day, with the windows down and the wind whipping through my hair, alone with my thoughts of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and even thought there's plenty of sorrow in all three, there's more good and all is right with the world.
Live and learn and all that.
Once again, truer words: "Carefree highway, let me slip away on you...."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
For those not familiar, Gordon Lightfoot is Canada's Bob Dylan (not an exaggeration--Dylan himself is a big fan as well, once saying that when he listened to Lightfoot he wished his songs would never end). Throughout the sixties and seventies Lightfoot won sixteen Juno Awards (Canada's equivalent of our Grammy Awards). He's been inducted into just about every Canadian Hall of Fame that exists, and still tours there extensively. Now I know this is sounding a bit like one of those "my girlfriend who lives in Canada" stories, but Lightfoot is truly an icon in the Great White North. He had his heyday here in the states from about the mid sixties to the mid seventies, but had just one single chart on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1978. He also isn't the most prolific of singer songwriters--in his more than 45 year career he's released just 19 albums--hell, I'd be willing to bet Dylan had nineteen albums released by the time the sixties alone had ended.
The second single from his Sundown LP (the title track--a fine song itself--is Lightfoot's only #1 single in America on the Billboard Hot 100) "Carefree Highway" would hit #10 (with a bullet!), but the really cool thing about the song is that there really is a carefree highway. Yessir, Arizona State Route 74 is actually called "Carefree Highway" and it provided the title as well as the inspiration for the song. Having been to Arizona, I can tell you that it's probably not worth a special trip just to see a highway, but if you happen to be in the Phoenix area it might be worth your time to cruise its thirty miles just to say you've known the rock and roll thrill of songwriting inspiration.
And then again, maybe not.
As Lightfoot drove Arizona State Route 74 many moons ago, a woman that he'd once thought was the one but who eventually left him in a "it's been fun, babe!" kind of way came to mind and his thoughts as he drove that night eventually would become "Carefree Highway." I'd like to tell you there's something earth shattering about the song that made it my favorite Lightfoot song, but the truth is, much like Lightfoot (and I'd be willing to bet, Canada) it's a very workmanlike song. Lighfoot's vocals have always been perfectly understated and they may be about as breezy as he's going to get here. The melody is catchy as all hell, and Lightfoot utilizes an absolute emaycee fave, the repetition of the chorus numerous times, to give the song its pop music chops. The best thing, though, is that every time I hear it it feels like I'm driving down some highway on a warm day, with the windows down and the wind whipping through my hair, alone with my thoughts of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and even thought there's plenty of sorrow in all three, there's more good and all is right with the world.
Live and learn and all that.
Once again, truer words: "Carefree highway, let me slip away on you...."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Thursday, February 4, 2016
The road to revolution...
...is paved with disenfranchisement.
I mention this because Ruth Bader Ginsburg this past week warned American consumers and workers about the growing trend in U.S. companies to force them into arbitration agreements, which, in a nutshell, are most certainly not in their best interests. As the Economic Policy Institute shows, when you take an employer or service provider to court, you have a 36% chance of winning with a median settlement of $176,000; in arbitration, you have a 21% chance of winning with a median settlement of $36,500. What's worse is that since the 1980s, courts in the U.S. have allowed companies to flat refuse to hire you or use their services if you don't agree to arbitration, [As an aside, I had this happen to me just last week--I applied for a job online and after answering a couple of questions had a box pop-up that said I must agree now to arbitration or they would not consider hiring me.]
Further, a new study by the University of California and Bucknell University shows that the republican voter suppression tactic of requiring picture I.D.s have dropped Democratic turnout by 8.8% and republican turnout by only 3.6%.
When the powers that be take away a people's right to restitution and their right to change such rules through their vote, eventually you end up with a people that has nothing to lose. And people that have nothing to lose don't always act as rational as they might.
Just ask King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Peace,
emaycee
I mention this because Ruth Bader Ginsburg this past week warned American consumers and workers about the growing trend in U.S. companies to force them into arbitration agreements, which, in a nutshell, are most certainly not in their best interests. As the Economic Policy Institute shows, when you take an employer or service provider to court, you have a 36% chance of winning with a median settlement of $176,000; in arbitration, you have a 21% chance of winning with a median settlement of $36,500. What's worse is that since the 1980s, courts in the U.S. have allowed companies to flat refuse to hire you or use their services if you don't agree to arbitration, [As an aside, I had this happen to me just last week--I applied for a job online and after answering a couple of questions had a box pop-up that said I must agree now to arbitration or they would not consider hiring me.]
Further, a new study by the University of California and Bucknell University shows that the republican voter suppression tactic of requiring picture I.D.s have dropped Democratic turnout by 8.8% and republican turnout by only 3.6%.
When the powers that be take away a people's right to restitution and their right to change such rules through their vote, eventually you end up with a people that has nothing to lose. And people that have nothing to lose don't always act as rational as they might.
Just ask King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Victory lap...
,,,sort of.
Democrats
Nailed it--Clinton won over Sanders in a squeaker and O'Malley has pulled out of the race.
For what it's worth, I'm really beginning to believe Sanders can win the nomination.
Republicans
Can't win 'em all--Cruz ended up topping Trump, but I got Rubio in third (where pretty much every poll had him finishing--can't say I'm a science denier!). Huckabee, Paul, and Santorum have all ceased their campaigns as I predicted. Jim Gilmore, on the other hand, told Rachel Maddow that if he got one vote, one stinking vote, he'd consider it a victory. He got 12 (!) so one supposes he feels he's cruising to the nomination now. It remains to be seen if he can top that total in New Hampshire.
Not sure if Trump's campaign implodes at this point or passes its first gut check, though if I had to bet a dollar on it I'd put it on an implosion.
Not sure if I'd rather face Cruz or Rubio in November--Cruz is a little more cutthroat, but Rubio's got the traditional media believing he's a credible candidate instead of the lightweight he actually is.
Either way, I still think it's the Democrats race to lose.
Peace,
emaycee
Democrats
Nailed it--Clinton won over Sanders in a squeaker and O'Malley has pulled out of the race.
For what it's worth, I'm really beginning to believe Sanders can win the nomination.
Republicans
Can't win 'em all--Cruz ended up topping Trump, but I got Rubio in third (where pretty much every poll had him finishing--can't say I'm a science denier!). Huckabee, Paul, and Santorum have all ceased their campaigns as I predicted. Jim Gilmore, on the other hand, told Rachel Maddow that if he got one vote, one stinking vote, he'd consider it a victory. He got 12 (!) so one supposes he feels he's cruising to the nomination now. It remains to be seen if he can top that total in New Hampshire.
Not sure if Trump's campaign implodes at this point or passes its first gut check, though if I had to bet a dollar on it I'd put it on an implosion.
Not sure if I'd rather face Cruz or Rubio in November--Cruz is a little more cutthroat, but Rubio's got the traditional media believing he's a credible candidate instead of the lightweight he actually is.
Either way, I still think it's the Democrats race to lose.
Peace,
emaycee
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