Dowd and Rich and Gore and Live Earth and Celebs and Music and Chickens!!

I just damned Maureen Dowd to Hell because anyone that obsessed with someone else's haircut at a time when there is so much juicy goodness going on should really get a life, or go directly to hell. Its really getting pathetic and boring already, and...who cares what kind of ice cream John Edwards eats or if he likes Andie McDowell or not? If she has access to Edwards, lets hear some of his plans...is this fuckin' Tiger Beat?
Once again the NY Times barely squeaks by with another excellent Frank Rich piece, but how long can he carry Dowd? It seemed to me like she had been moved to Sunday because she wanted a coveted top spot, but now Im thinking that it might have been more about her needing to be bolstered by Rich, Friedman, and all the other glossy offerings in there on Sundays because of a lack of readership or something....who knows?.
I feel sort of bad for her...words like grasping and pathetic come to mind.

To catch these wonderful columns online (because without having Times Select or a friend with it who is willing to email you the articles, you wont be able to read them unless you buy the paper,) check out Free Democracy, where they are not posted yet but they will likely be...not that its even worth it to look at Dowd...but the Frank Rich is an excellent read about the cowardice of the President, and Friedman has a semi-clever piece about applying the concept of carbon offsets to all sins....ha, ha...if he had known about the damned to hell site linked above, he might have had it, but as usual, poor old Tom is just sorta lacking; almost there, but not quite.

















So, I watched the Live Earth concerts yestersay... or I should say, what was shown of them on CNBC and MSN online, and various stations here and there. I kept turning it off because I was struck over and over at the vapid new music and the music of the 80's, in its repetitive lack of real message.
A few pieces of it got me, though, and maybe its all just subjective in that I still have a VHS tape of Live AID, which I watched nonstop on network TV over a weekend, as I recall.... and I was actually at many of the NYC No Nukes shows (including right up front with Springsteen kneeling at the edge of the stage.) I don't know how I feel about Al Gore quite yet because I think that while this is good work that he is doing (as in any work in this direction is good work,) but I still have welfare reform and NAFTA stuck in my craw...and I'm not exactly sure with how he really feels about the war. Anyone can say to pull out now, and anyone can criticize what has been done, but where was he all along? This has not been a popular subject from the get go, and I'm not recalling exactly what he said and how he said it....and I don't hear him saying now that he was wrong. Its a measured response when you are possibly in line to take over an ongoing war and occupation, I know, but I still am not so sure that he is really willing to pull us out and let the chips fall on his own legacy. Im interested in courage and candidates who break out and take chances. I dont see alot of that, and I dont consider it courageous to come out loudly when the coast is clear. I so much prefer a candidate like Edwards who was dead wrong but who comes out and admits it.
Anyone could do a better job than Bush, and with the right advisors, any democrat will probably do, as long as they understand that the immediate work is diplomacy, reversal, and clean-up.

Musings about Gore aside, I was pretty impressed at how well it went off. It was delayed all over the place, which I was just as happy for, because who wants to sit and watch set changes anymore?...Im just not that young and I've got work to do, so lets get to the meat of it.
I was very impressed with young cutie John Mayer, who I usually dismiss as pilates music, in that my instructor often plays him in class, and his records dont much show how talented he is in their slickness. I downloaded some live stuff of his and it never quite got into my ipod, but maybe I will bump it over there now. Why cant I get jessica Simpson out of my head? Too much time in line at the supermarket!

James Blunt is obviously heavily influenced by Elton John, and I cant listen to him without hearing Tiny Dancer in my head...which isnt my favorite song, so its sorta annoying.
I wish that someone had told Blunt that the real Cat Stevens was gonna appear because he tore Wild World apart (which I found to be a totally condescending thought at the time, and now when the real Cat sings it as a Muslim, I just find it to be ...oh, I don't know....the perfect end spot for the "little girl" culture...and it and it's brethren only made me want to be a "bad girl."
In a world where Cat might stand by his death condemnation of Salman Rushdie for his metaphorical book about the Koran, its nice to hear him doing peace train, but I think that opening a dialog about extremism in its many forms might be nicer.
















I feel for Madonna. I think she gets a bad rap in general, when she means well. I'm not at all into her music, except for a few really well written songs that are great as done by other artists and acoustically, but I do like to watch her dance and I like how she metamorphosizes and shows the world some interesting and edgy influences. She is also a good example of the proper use of plastic surgery and all that, I guess, but at some point, it seems like maybe she should let herself slide just a little into over 39-hood. That said, I was not impressed with what she did yesterday and I find the gypsy music thing a little squeaky and agonizing. Its like the Vivaldi of country music...almost bluegrass...and I just cant take much of it at all. The dancing was good though and she looks great.






















The Police....well, what can I say about Sting? I don't exactly hate him, but I really dont understand him and what he seems to like. He is a hack, and thats about the only thing I can say. I am in awe of how scary he looks in his perfectly sculpted and yoga-ed physique, and his tantric sex honed country gentleman persona, superimposed on his Celine Dion-boring music. So, it was with recognition of that repetitive boringness that I reconfirmed what I always thought: The things that were/are great about the Police are centered around the brilliant Copeland drumming, which is so impressive as to be breathtaking, (and he is still the cute one, as far as I'm concerned,) and Summer's fantastic guitar hooks that became some of the most recognizable anthems of their time.
As far as Sting's ability to write "well-crafted pop songs," or whatever, I don't buy it. he wheezes and whines and repeats the same phrase over and over until you're numb. I cant imagine wanting to see them in concert, but it was a nice blast to have a look there...
And of course Sing has been very involved with the rain forest movement, so I have to at least appreciate his social work.

Kids these days....My 13 year old drummer of a son who is starting to look like a tall rock god on is good days, was temporarily caught up in AFI and whoever else was spouting that noise with those funny haircuts and...god, I don't know...I don't know. They just SUCK!! ...and not in the Elvs wiggling his hips sort of way...they just really suck....But after arguing serious music theory and the importance of drummers like Pete Thomas and Ringo Star, and lyricists like Lennon and McManus, well, I can't go there anymore. The thing is that the drummers are not as FAST as Joey Jorgeson of Slipknot; the lyrics of days gone by do not speak to a disaffection that us old folks couldnt ever appreciate...please! Even I could see the pathos of the Cookie Monster and the OCD of the Count all these years...Why can he not at least defer on a certain snippet of what may be the entire popular music canon, fer Christ's sake...
So, when he gets up maybe I will scan through the clips on MSN entertainment and show him old Copeland saving his band and the world in his own little way.

Give me short, sweet and non-repetitive anytime...Elvis Costello in his prime, The Beatles...hell, even the Stones...and if its gonna be long, make it insightful, like a young Springsteen or Dylan doing Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, which took up a whole side of vinyl!

Sam Seder is on today at 4-ish, and I am so happy to not be in the city...and maybe have a chance to listen to him live and blog along or whatever...depending on how much I get done beforehand. This dearth of good liberal voices during the week is really dispiriting and wearing.
How did it come to this? Why is it that so few entities control the output of so much information?








Back to work for me...I am going to post the pictures from origami and gay pride very soon...It seems like its been a long time and sooner than I know it I'm gonna be at YearlyKos hanging around doing not much...wasting carbon apparently

















And yes, I finally ordered my specialty chicks!! I got around 9 of the most interesting types that will winter well, and that are especially friendly and cuddly. Im less interested in the laying, but I'm sure that we will get plenty of eggs. One chick will even lay light blue and light green eggs. Im just not sure how big they will be...but considering that I just made easy over Japanese quail eggs for the boys (an experiment from the Japanese grocery store,) I'm sure it wont matter....
I'm concerned with the security of these guys when they move outside, so when my friend brings the coop (that he built for someone else who has since sold the his house and moved,) I am goign to have it doubled up on the heavy wire and have a cement floor and sunken fence put in...Im hearing alot of horror stories abotu feet and beaks flung about and weasels who suck the blood and leave just the body...So I am getting a special security light and building a fucking wall if I have to! So much for the natural farm life of mini goats and chickens running round...I need a shotgun! (just kidding!)

Gore Team Assembles? Imus Lawyers Up! Skakel Tries For a New Trial With RFK Jr's Help. Movies Shooting in Stamford.

It was front page for 12 whole hours on Huffpo and Chris Matthews mentioned it, so it must be true....Apparently someone in the UK press, Washington Bureau, has gotten wind of some secret assemblage of Gore advisers and workers in advance of a probable run. Gore has reportedly not asked the to do this, but he, tellingly, has not told them NOT to either....and the sleuthing American press can only watch his weight!...hmmmm...
I am an Edwards gal myself, but I cant say that I wouldn't love to see an Gore-Edwards ticket for 8 years with a smooth transition to an Edwards-Obama ticket for another 8 years, segueing into another 8 years and so on and so forth....It seems to me that the first 4 years post Bush is gonna consist of environment, diplomacy, and bringing the security system home where it belongs. Its going to be so much cleanup that its hard to imagine that much else will get done. Gore is the right guy for the job, for sure, but I will remain hesitant about him until I hear what his hindsight feelings are on NAFTA, welfare reform of the Clinton era, and how much of a hawk he really is. Its easy to project alot onto him, but its a different world now than it was in 2000, and we have to be very careful who we throw in with.


Ok...maybe its not really as fun as I think it sounds...but CBS is apparently gonna have to do some negotiating with the old cowboy before this is all said and done....
Looks like a 50 mil payout is to be expected if the fine print wasn't fine enough...dont they call it "moral turpitude?" or something like that?
This should be interesting:

Imus Hires a Legal Heavyweight

The former CBS radio talk-show host has retained a high-powered lawyer. Is a lawsuit pending?

by Jon Fine

Don Imus, the most famous former radio DJ in America, has hired renowned attorney Martin Garbus.

Garbus, a partner in the Manhattan law firm Davis & Gilbert, confirmed to BusinessWeek on Apr. 20 that the deposed radio host has retained his services, but he declined to discuss why. Garbus also declined to discuss whether Imus was plotting any legal action against his former employers at CBS (CBS) and MSNBC (MSFT, GE). A brief sentence on Garbus' personal blog, late Friday afternoon, noted that Garbus "represents Don Imus in a dispute with CBS"—a sentence that was later removed from the blog.

A ferocious litigator who has received numerous media citations as one of America's leading trial lawyers, Garbus has represented clients as diverse as the comic Lenny Bruce, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Nancy Reagan, and pioneering rap group Public Enemy.

Imus, 66, could not be reached for comment.

A CBS spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter. But Imus recently signed a five-year deal with CBS, which was set to pay him just shy of $10 million annually. The company's abrupt dismissal of its high-profile star also has led to speculation in the press about what his departure will mean to the company. A spokesman for MSNBC also declined to comment.....

Imus' disgusting pig of a producer was finally fired and I sure hope that the rest of his vile crew go too. I actually think that Bernard and Charles are more disgusting than Imus.
Why does anyone care for Imus? My Mom was just going on about how she thinks that Imus should be reinstated....huh? This is my hippie, women's movement, bohemian Mom?
All I can say is that I was very happy to not have him on the air this week. It made my mornings so much better to be able to watch MSNBC, which is my news channel of choice for background noise, Here is a little article by a guy who actually likes Imus and says that the liking Imus thing involves desensitization. In that case, I'm even more glad that he is off the air. The disgusting things that these guys have been saying should be sensitive issues for anyone, anywhere. Im not saying that he doesnt have the right to say whatever he wants to, but I wouldn't watch him, and I expect that the slow awareness of the sponsors was bound to stop him sooner or later. There is a big difference between free speech that cuts to the quick of society and free speech that expresses real ideas that need to be talked about. These guys who think its OK to misuse their rights and then scream about their rights are doing the whole system a big disservice...because its beyond rights...its about feeling real empathy for other people and being aware of who is around you (kids with cancer, a national audience, his own friends and family...did I mention kids with cancer?)

In local goings on, Mt Kisco's own Bobby Kennedy Jr. has been testifying downtown at Stamford Superior Court, on behalf of his cousin Michael Skakel. For what its worth, Bobby doesn't feel like the evidence was strong enough beyond a reasonable doubt for conviction, and I agree...but also now there is the issue of new evidence from someone who came forward after the trial that sheds further doubt on the already shaky outcome. I find it chilling that someone can be sent to jail for life on the kind of indirect and very old evidence that they showed. I'm not a lawyer, but I trust Bobby's opinion of this because I know that he is a smart and stand up guy....and logically, even if Skakel did do it, the direct evidence just wasn't there beyond a reasonable doubt, as far as I've seen in following this thing.
So, we've had a line of news trucks and even a huge Court TV van parked outside. I think that Bobby is done, but it might be worth it to try to get a seat if they have any public seats available. Not so fantastic criminal attorney, Mickey Sherman, has also been testifying...and is apparently under investigation himself for tax evasion, (as his partner, and a great guy who happens to be a neighbor of mine, has already pled guilty to the same.) Mickey has lost so many cases lately that its almost like he is just stuck on a streak...Its hard not to be fond of these guys though because they are local boys who grew up together and they know everyone....The amount that Rechihi pled guilty on is 1.8 million, which is really chump change around here. Anyway, I hope that he does easy time because he is not a danger and actually is someone who cares alot about conservation of the land up here and the community. He has helped me out quite a bit...and I'm sorry that he made this mistake.

Spring also brings lotsa movie shoots to Stamford, and next week we're going to have Sean Penn, Bruce Willis, and Bobby Deniro shooting on Tresser Blvd, in an office building (closed set, I hear.) And also apparently Steven Segal (who I cant even believe can work anymore, he is so god-awful) shooting and action film called Marker, here and in Bridgeport. I guess that the film business is hopping here because there is some deal that the film companies get a 30% tax credits, and there are more and more SAG actors here. They've been working on it for a very long time and its paying off...Anette Benning has a movie in the works to be shot in Norwalk, and Hillary Swank has begun a movie that is scheduled to shoot here and Norwalk, I believe.

I like Sean Penn...he sure puts his money where his mouth is, though he can sometimes seem to take himself too seriously, and go overboard. He showed a little of his funnier side on Colbert this past week, which was very nice.....I've got to get some tickets and go to one of Colbert's tapings....he is still my hero.

Its a regular lil' Hollywood ....and traffic, traffic, traffic...But I like the smell of the equipment and prop trucks, just as surely as I'm oh so glad not to be in that business anymore....

Happy Earth Day everyone...dont forget the bees...