Friday, September 29, 2006

Drams-BT Week in Review - 9/29

Update: I've given The Drams their own linkage fiefdom on the right. If there is a link I'm missing let me know. Also, it has been mandated that those of us in the know must bring at least one DBT/Drams virgin to the shows when they tour together. This also applies to the 4 solo shows The Drams have remaining. 'Cause, really, all ya gotta do is get a virgin there. The Drams and DBT will take care of the rest. Instant fans.

________

".... as the van began to sway"


".... as the band began to sway"

".... as the fans began to sway"


________

9/29/06 Boise ID - Neurolux
9/30/06 Salt Lake City UT - Ego's
10/2/06 Denver CO - Bender's Tavern
10/4/06 Albuquerque NM - Launch Pad

If you live in or anywhere near the 4 cities listed above, and you don't go to see the Drams play, nay, Rock, and you don't take several friends with you, and then after you don't go out and buy a copy of Jubilee Dive even if you've already had a friend burn you one (you stealin' bastard), then you want the terrorist to win, plain and simple. If you do not do all of these things you are a cut-and-runner, whose obstructing the Rock and you really, truly, in-you-heart, yearn for the terrorist to win. It is that simple. You hate freedom, too. You even hate freedom fries. You are Shortsighted.

"Started out as an excuse
Then became something to believe"

What, you think I'm joking? You think I'm using hyperbole to hype the situation? You ask youself what kind of insight do I have that allows me to make these statements? How, pray tell, do I know this? I know this because I was formally baptised in the traveling waters of Denton, Texas on Monday of this week. I saw my very first, in venue, Drams show. (Cooley's birthday bash doesn't count. Sensory overload that night made it impossible to fully focus on the band.)

" This could be the way to go if you're going down.
Good music every night, friends in every town"

Make a Book?

"Everyday I read a little bit more from my book.
What's it say? It says it's okay."

Turns out I have in a way. Made a book. This blog is my book, of sorts. I know I won't "... be a great author one day." But I can relate my experiences with DBT and the Drams that, hopefully, will entertain, intrigue, promote, and spread much love for these incredible people and incredible musicans.

"All the love, every friend, every gift, every hardship that you've lacked
An open heart is an open book, When you need it read it back."

Monday Night

Monday at work, I feel a nasty stomach/body flu bug coming on. None to happy as the Drams are playing that night at the Bottom of the Hill.



I bowed out of work early to get some rest and to get a handle on this cursed flu bug before the show that night. When I pulled myself together closer to show time I called my buddy Rich to see when he'd be ready to leave. He was waffling hard. Said he didn't really dig the album (wait, wait, give him a chance... he's a metal head.) and that he was thinking about bailing on the show. I hushed up, didn't push, Trusted Jesus, and let him talk himself into going. Rich was on board.

We left early to find a restaurant and found a pub next to the Venue called the Connecticut Yankee.



Being southern boys we were a bit hesitant to go into a place called the Connecticut Yankee. But the atmosphere was perfectly pubish and we comfortably saddled up to the bar.

When you're sick (When you tired...) you try to rationalize your drinking in a way that makes you believe that the type of alcohol you choose will, in the long run, benefit your ailment. I, irrationalized, that a Hefeweizen with a lemon would be good. As we are hunkered over the bar Mr. Best comes in the door, recognizes me and has a seat with us. Brent and I ordered the "Wade Boggs" while Rich tried to order some spinach dish just to see if they had spinach.... they didn't. He got a salad and some crabcakes.

One conversation we had over dinner was the difference between the album and the live show. Brent had done an interview earlier that day and the interviewer had asked "What is the connection between the album and the live show. How does the band draw a line between the two. What was the artistic spine that joins... yada blah yada." Brent's most proper response was "What?". As Brent puts it, the album and the show are two totally different experiences. Why in the hell would he want to replicate the album on stage? You've got the album already.

"Appreciate the fireflies maybe just in case You never see the stars"

After seeing the live show here are my thoughts on the subject. The album grew on me... the live show freakin' ROCKED me.... after seeing the live show the album changed for me. It became something better. It became more intimate. It became a best friend. It is all I've listened to this week. iTunes at work, iPod in the gym, in the CD player in the car.

The album's musical arraignments are outstanding but the lyrics are other worldly. If you've been listening to the album for a while, grab the liner notes and read the lyrics without listening to the music. Read 'em again.... I'll wait.... Now, plug in the album and listen. Literature set to incredibly arraigned music. It... is... mighty fine!

Back to the Yank and onward to the show....

Brent finished up his "Boggs" and headed over to the venue. Rich and I had a couple of shots of Jamieson's because, you know, it is medicinal. We walk over to the venue where one by one we greet Jess, Keith, Tony and Chad. We listen to the openers. There were two of them. One of them was a solo performer who played a ukulele. That'll be enough on the openers.

Then cometh the Drams.



They opened with Make a Book and from the first snare, I knew this was going to be a serious treat. Tony's rat-ta-tat-tat on Make a Book will give an AKA-47 a run for its money. They played most of the Jubliee Dive to a crowd of 25 (fucking pitiful, SF, but at least we were better than L.A.). Got a smoking version of Haze of Drink and a couple more Slobberbone songs. When they finished, the small crowd kept chanting until we got an encore. It was a song I wasn't familiar with but it sounded really sweet. I'll break the commentary for a moment and show you some pictures:

I uploaded some really big pictures this time. I've looked at them on a couple of different screens. If you have a Mac they should look pretty awesome. If you have a PC you may need to brighten you monitor for the full effect. My little camera has served me we'll but I believe it is on its last leg and I've outgrown what it can do for me. I'm in the market for a serious digi cam and I'm shopping around for something tres badass and tres expensive.



Chad spanking the ivory in a blur before adding that sweet, sweet high harmony.


Tony is a fantastic drummer


Even being jacked up on pseudofed couldn't prevent Jess from bringing mucho quantities of excellent guitar playing. He caught, in L.A., the same crud I had apparently.


Keith thumping the bass and adding lovely harmonies.


Brent Best. Enough said.


Kicking it up a notch.




I love this picture.


Whiskey Glass Best


They ended the show around midnight. After a few more drinks we helped the boys load the van. I offered the band my pad as a crashing place, but they had plans of driving to Santa Rosa to stay with some friends. Santa Rosa being an hour or so away. They boys huddled then took me up on the offer to crash at my pad. After a brief stop at Safeway to grab a California case of beer (20 Buds to a case. WTF? A case is 24 goddamn beers. It really is the end of the world as we know it) then we head out to the ocean and my pad. My roomates were out of town so it worked out perfectly.

We stayed up until 4 a.m. talking, but mostly laughing. Brent had a half bottle of Jim Beam that was passed around. In hind sight that wasn't such a good idea with Jess and I having the fluish crud. Unfortunately, I think the virus found its way to some other members of the band later on. Check out their tour diary. Sorry guys! I'd feel worse if Jess didn't have it previously before coming to S.F.

If this blog is my public "Book", then my time with the boys laughing and sharing a bottle will be mainly kept in my personal "Book". Some of the funniest shit I've ever heard came from that evening.... Did you know 10k dollars can buy you 27 shetland poines? We also discussed the crazy world of Thai cuisine, in particular fish paste where you can still see the eyes and strawberry poki. Ah, good times, good times.

Regarding the following picture..... I thought long and hard whether to include it in the post or not. I decided to include it because (A) It was so damn funny at the time I almost pissed myself (B) If you were the first to pass out in my house during my younger days, then much worse would have happened... and (C) Chad is such a sweetheart that I don't think he'll mind one bit.

Chad and Keith are so conditioned to falling asleep sitting up in a van that when they sat down on the couch they immediately zonked out. I grabbed a couple of blankets and threw them over the two to add a little comfort. (Notice the Dead blankets that belong to my roommate. Nice, huh?) Brent grabbed the green frog and placed it, lovingly, between the two. Then Jess grabbed the Pooh Bear and snuggled it up next to Chad. We three stood back and admired our handywork (In case you are wondering I live with a couple who have a 16 month old... thus the toys.) At that point, we knew that a picture must be taken.

Keith woke up on the first flash. This picture shows his reaction after he looked over at Chad.


So I had another Rock and Roll dream event. You can not meet a nicer bunch of guys than the Drams.

Go see them on this solo tour. Then see them again when they tour with DBT. Hopefully, I'll be doing some more posting during that tour.

The Drams and DBT together will be an orgy of Rock. The good natured gauntlet will be thrown each and every night they play together. DBT has to follow the Drams and that ain't going to be easy so expect A games from all involved during that tour. If every venue is not packed to the rafters during that tour then some Alabama Ass Whuppin's will be dealt out accordingly. Seriously, you are doing yourself a disservice by not going to see these two bands together.

Brent, Jess, Tony, Keith and Chad. thanks for an incredible night of music and the many laughs afterwards.

P.S. Remember earlier I mentioned that my buddy Rich almost didn't go... didn't dig the album. The Drams are now his favorite band (keep in mind he's a metal head) and, yes, he now owns the album. The next day Rich calls me on the phone and sounding very distraught asks me "Why can't the Drams live in San Francisco and play for us every night?". I know, Rich, I know. Looks like somebody needs a comfy Dead blanket and a snuggly Pooh Bear.

DBT Week in Review

Americana Awards Honor Young, McMurtry, Veteran Rocker Neil Young, Singer/Songwriter James McMurtry Win Americana Music Awards:
"The awards, which honor American music based on the country, folk and bluegrass tradition, also recognized the Drive-By Truckers as duo/group of the year and guitarist Kenny Vaughan as instrumentalist of the year.
_______

From the Yahoo Group kornshucker444 finds DBT on Toyota's website:
"Toyota has a website dedicated to their new Truck FJ Cruiser:

THEN GO TO: Section 2
CLICK: Journals
SCROLL DOWN TO: Over The Mountain

The entry gives our favorite Band a nice plug
There has been some fantastic DBT concert review writing going. Here are a couple that caught me eye:

dbts : Message: Lancaster Chameleon Club 9/27/06:
"This band is inspiring in so many ways.

I want to cast a smoldering gaze like Shonna...

I want to humbly fulfill an indispensable role as rock solidly as Easy B

I want to be a silent bad-ass like Cooley...

I want to someday create anything half as poignantly, achingly,
beautiful as Jason did with Goddamn Lonely Love & Decoration Day...

And most of all, I want to howl with abandon at the top of my lungs
like Patterson.

Great night, totally worth the trip from Philly and the aching neck,
sore throat, and low energy level tomorrow.

Cline"
Nine Bullets:
"Not tonight, though, because the Truckers hit the stage at exactly 9 and no change, and are climbing Lookout Mountain full throttle.

Don’t ask me for a setlist, because I lost the thread of that early on, along with my voice and my freaking mind. I do remember that my surrogate father played Daddy’s Cup, Love Like This, Marry Me, Women Without Whiskey, Gravity’s Gone, Shut Up and Get on the Plane, and…drumroll please, EZB…Zip City. That’s the one. It’s always the one. They could come out the rest of the time and fart Sweet Home Alabama. So long as my sherpa swami guru maestro Mike Cooley does that one little ditty, I inevitably stagger away feeling totally rocked to the core. "

Jason does his anti-war song and Rolling Stones cover. The crowd is made of dogs. See ya at the Rock Show is bloody right. But dammit, where is Maysel in all of this. I hope he’s somewhere hot and is getting it all down. We are witnesses at history. I may never go to another concert again. At least until DBTs hit town the next time. Why bother. Those poor, pathetic alternatives will only pale by comparison. This shit is the shit, and it owns. All week I have been waiting and hoping, and yesterday afternoon I almost threw up to think that that night was the night. And it really was.

Patterson pulls out his Carroll cover, and the night is over. There’s no more road left to go. We have shimmied and shook. Guttered and gabbled. Howled and moaned and drunk and spat and come back for more. This is my band, I’m a basketball mom. Every move they make is mine. Me and my boys are connected by the extended cord of electricity. Each riff strums my mortal soul.
________

Go to the end of this story to see the DBT relation.

Writer behind JT LeRoy comes clean:
"SAN FRANCISCO - The author at the center of an elaborate literary hoax is finally coming clean — or so she says.

Laura Albert, 40, a New York City native, is acknowledging that she is JT LeRoy, the supposed male author of gritty, graphic, best-selling novels like 'Sarah' and 'The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things,' which was made into a film.

In a story in The Paris Review's fall issue, Albert admits that she invented the character in therapy. Her psychiatrist encouraged her to write down her stories.

'I wish I could've had my own voice,' she told The Associated Press at a tea party Wednesday in San Francisco. 'It's not unusual that people can't be themselves.'

When an admirer approached and asked her to sign a book, she asked whose autograph the man wanted. 'I've gotten the JT LeRoy signature down,' she said, laughing.

LeRoy is a purported 25-year-old former male prostitute and drug addict born in 1980 who drew from his own experiences hustling, living on the streets and selling sex for his literary work.

Albert is a tall, slender woman with dainty features and auburn curls. She wore a Renaissance-style gown with black leather gloves and a corset at the soiree, where about 30 friends had gathered.

'I'm proud of the work. JT saved my life and JT saved many other lives,' she said. 'People talk about the authenticity of the books. Those are my experiences.'

LeRoy grabbed the attention of authors Tobias Wolff, Dave Eggers and others. He spent hundreds of hours on the phone with director Gus Van Sant and helped him with the screenplay for 'Elephant.'

Then LeRoy started appearing in public — usually wearing hats, wigs and sunglasses. Famous friends read his work in public because his crippling shyness supposedly made it impossible.

Some wondered aloud whether LeRoy existed. Or whether some famous author was doing the heavy lifting."
Now who prey tell does the website for this literary sensation?

__________

Heh.... ummmmmm.... Rock on, fellas! Rock on

Firemachine - Where The Devil Don't Stay.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object)

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Older article from 8/10/2006. I highlighted these guys a few WIR ago.

Lynam enjoys Shoals shows | TimesDaily.com | Times Daily | Florence, AL:
"BIRMINGHAM -- While their musical styles differ slightly, Birmingham rock trio Lynam and the Shoals' Drive-By Truckers share something in common.

Both bands have toured relentlessly to create a fan base and generate a buzz about their music.

'That's exactly what we've done,' Lynam front man, Jacob Lynam said during a telephone interview.

'The Drive-By Truckers are legendary in what they've done, without any radio play, to build a huge fan base,' Lynam said."

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Saved by the Dirty Sanchez

What the fuck is it about being a child TV star that FUBAR's a person when they become an adult. Why couldn't it be one of the chicks from Save by the Bell doing the home porn movie. Ok, we got some softcore, B movie action from Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls and Tiffani Thiessen blessed us with a Playboy pictorial, but why did it have to be Screech in the grainy, nightvision 3-some where he actually gives one of the girls a Dirty Sanchez. Good god, man! I am adamently opposed to viewing this video. With that said, I'll let y'all know when the good parts hit the web for free.

Porn star's name may ring a 'Bell':
"He may have played nerdy eighth-grader Samuel (Screech) Powers in the sitcom 'Saved by the Bell.' But former TV geek Dustin Diamond can now take his place with Colin Farrell, Tommy Lee and Kid Rock as the star of his very own sex tape.

Everyone who remembers Diamond as a lovable putz is in for a shock once they see a 40-minute video in which he engages in a kinky three-way with two women, sources tell us.

We can't get too graphic here, but word is that the action includes some bodily functions and an act known as a 'Dirty Sanchez.'"
_______

A nude statue in a museum. What is the world coming to.

The terrorist are winning. You just need to figure out who the real terrorist are.

Art Teacher Loses Job After Kids See Nude Sculpture:
"FRISCO, Texas -- An award-winning Texas art teacher who was reprimanded after one of her fifth-grade students saw a nude sculpture during a trip to a museum has lost her job.

The school board in Frisco has voted not to renew Sydney McGee's contract after 28 years. She has been on administrative leave."
________

Damn straight! Again, DO NOT USE THE ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES WHEN YOU VOTE IN NOVEMBER!!! They've stolen the past 4 elections and they're sure as hell gonna try to steal this one too.

Senators Propose Funds for Paper Ballots to Back Up Electronic Ones:
"WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 — Three Senate Democrats proposed emergency legislation today to reimburse states for printing paper ballots that can be ready at polling places in case of problems with electronic voting machines on Nov. 7.

The proposal is a response to grass-roots pressure and growing concern by local and state officials about touch-screen machines. An estimated 40 percent of voters will use those machines in the election.

“If someone asks for a paper ballot they ought to be able to have it,” said Senator Barbara Boxer of California, a co-sponsor of the measure with Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut and Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconson."
________


'I think they'll both lose miserably,' Indeed.

Musharraf talks Osama, Iraq on 'Daily Show':
"To conclude the interview, Stewart put Musharraf on the 'Seat of Heat,' a new feature for the program in which red lights flash around the studio and the guest is asked a final question.

'George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden -- be truthful -- who would win a popular vote in Pakistan?' asked Stewart.

'I think they'll both lose miserably,' replied Musharraf, an answer met with raucous laughter by the 'Daily Show' audience."
Finally, for all you Virginians out there, you're very own George Allen Insult Generator. Not sure what bigoted term to call someone not of you color? Ask Senator Allen. Oh, and vote for Webb in November!

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Willie's Breakfast

Normally, I'd shun anything O'Lielly or Ann Voulture or any of the neocon mouthpieces that spew hate and misinformation as unworthy of even a mention on this blog. However, Media Matters has come up with a new imbed that highlight the lies. First up is Mr. Loofah and his lie that he "doesn't do personal attacks". Watch.






______
This week, Willie Nelson, whom Donald Rumsfeld calls the 'number two man in al-Qaeda' - was the victim of a pointless search that revealed he had with him a mere pound and a half of marijuana and a fifth of a pound of psychedelic mushrooms - or as Willie calls it, breakfast."
_______

Bush can't read

And look at the denials of responsibility (a hallmark of the Republican group think) from the lady supposedly teaching Bush to read. Shocking.
Spellings said the problems happened in the early days of the program, which began in 2002, before she was secretary.
......

Spellings, who became secretary in 2005, said she is not aware of any effort to favor certain reading programs.
......

"I'm doing everything I can at this point," she said. "I can't undo what's been done."
_______

They are not fucking around with the Chinese version of "The Apprentice". I hear that if you lose they torture your family..... No, wait, that's the next version of the U.S.'s "The Apprentice". My bad.

China takes on local version of "The Apprentice":
"A Chinese version of the hit reality series 'The Apprentice' is in the works, although details of the project are shrouded in secrecy."

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

September's High...

I'm lacking the necessary brain cells this morning to formulate any commentary, so you read, me recover.

Rolling Stone : Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -- Will The Next Election Be Hacked?:
"According to Hood, Diebold employees altered software in some 5,000 machines in DeKalb and Fulton counties - the state's largest Democratic strongholds. To avoid detection, Hood and others on his team entered warehouses early in the morning. 'We went in at 7:30 a.m. and were out by 11,' Hood says. 'There was a universal key to unlock the machines, and it's easy to get access. The machines in the warehouses were unlocked. We had control of everything. The state gave us the keys to the castle, so to speak, and they stayed out of our way.' Hood personally patched fifty-six machines and witnessed the patch being applied to more than 1,200 others."
....

"It is impossible to know whether the machines were rigged to alter the election in Georgia: Diebold's machines provided no paper trail, making a recount impossible. But the tally in Georgia that November surprised even the most seasoned political observers. Six days before the vote, polls showed Sen. Max Cleland, a decorated war veteran and Democratic incumbent, leading his Republican opponent Saxby Chambliss - darling of the Christian Coalition - by five percentage points. In the governor's race, Democrat Roy Barnes was running a decisive eleven points ahead of Republican Sonny Perdue. But on Election Day, Chambliss won with fifty-three percent of the vote, and Perdue won with fifty-one percent."
Hating' not Bush But Failure | The Huffington Post:
"Folks, what Democrats 'hate' is not Bush but what he's doing to our country and to our reputation around the world. The problem is not those who criticize Bush's failures but rather Bush's failures."
Orcinus:
"The baseline problem with torture, after all, is that it is prima facie immoral, a violation not just of the Golden Rule and basic Christian precepts, but of nearly any system of ethics. Even the most hard-nosed rationalist will come to this conclusion (see, e.g., Kant's Categorical Imperative). It's an obvious one if you're a Christian."
Not that this story holds any particular interest for me other than I didn't know there was a 'test' for truck bombs. I thought it would be pretty self evident.

Tests show Hariri killed by truck bomb

Monday, September 25, 2006

Keepin' it Real.

The Big Dog chewed some FAUX News ass this weekend. But first, the incredible GOOD that President (a real one, I might add) Clinton is doing in the word.

Clinton raises billions for world issues:
"NEW YORK - A conference hosted by Bill Clinton on world problems ended Friday with the former president announcing a total of $7.3 billion in pledges to help reduce global warming and fight Third World poverty, disease and ethnic strife."
On to the show. Just read the inetire transcript then watch the first 20 minutes of the interview. Here are some snippets;

Clinton Takes On Fox News:

"CLINTON: OK, let’s talk about it. I will answer all of those things on the merits but I want to talk about the context of which this arises. I’m being asked this on the FOX network…ABC just had a right wing conservative on the Path to 9/11 falsely claim that it was based on the 9/11 Commission report with three things asserted against me that are directly contradicted by the 9/11 Commission report. I think it’s very interesting that all the conservative Republicans who now say that I didn’t do enough, claimed that I was obsessed with Bin Laden. All of President Bush’s neocons claimed that I was too obsessed with finding Bin Laden when they didn’t have a single meeting about Bin Laden for the nine months after I left office. All the right wingers who now say that I didn’t do enough said that I did too much. Same people."
Here's some backing quotes for Clinton's bolded assertion above:
"You can support the troops but not the president."
---Rep Tom Delay (R-TX),

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years."
---Joe Scarborough (R-FL),

"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."
---Sen Rick Santorum (R-PA).

Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
-Governor George W Bush (R-TX)

Back to the spanking:
"CLINTON: But at least I tried. That’s the difference in me and some, including all the right wingers who are attacking me now. They ridiculed me for trying. They had eight months to try and they didn’t…I tried. So I tried and failed. When I failed I left a comprehensive anti-terror strategy and the best guy in the country, Dick Clarke… So you did FOX’s bidding on this show. You did you nice little conservative hit job on me. But what I want to know.."
.....

"CLINTON: What did I do? I worked hard to try and kill him. I authorized a finding for the CIA to kill him. We contracted with people to kill him. I got closer to killing him than anybody has gotten since. And if I were still president we’d have more than 20,000 troops there trying to kill him. Now I never criticized President Bush and I don’t think this is useful. But you know we do have a government that thinks Afghanistan is 1/7 as important as Iraq. And you ask me about terror and Al Qaeda with that sort of dismissive theme when all you have to do is read Richard Clarke’s book to look at what we did in a comprehensive systematic way to try to protect the country against terror. And you’ve got that little smirk on your face. It looks like you’re so clever…"
And the only time I'll ever ask you to watch anything on FAUX News. Click here for the video.

Of course, you knew FAUX News was going to clippy-clippy the interview to portray Clinton in the worst light possible and to push their neocon agenda of blaming EVERYTHING on Clinton:

"Nice Little Conservative Hit Job": And Also, Nice Little Conservative Clip Job

_________

Then we have this:

Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting U.S. Terror Fight:
"The war in Iraq has become a primary recruitment vehicle for violent Islamic extremists, motivating a new generation of potential terrorists around the world whose numbers may be increasing faster than the United States and its allies can reduce the threat, U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded."
And add a bit of this:

Retired officers slam Rumsfeld handling of Iraq war - Sep 25, 2006:

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- Retired military officers on Monday bluntly accused Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld of bungling the war in Iraq, saying U.S. troops were sent to fight without the best equipment and that critical facts were hidden from the public.

'I believe that Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq,' retired Maj. Gen. John R. S. Batiste said in remarks prepared for a hearing by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee."

And you've got complete failure by the Republican Party. Complete.... utter.... incompetence.

Friday, September 22, 2006

DBT Week in Review - 9/22

OK, my two passions again? DBT and politics. So what do I see on one of the big (and one of my favorite) political blogs the other day? REM and Patterson Hood. I believe this video is from the boys at Ninebullets, but it was linked to on C&L. If you don't visit Crooks you should. You'll never need to what cable or network news again.

Crooks and Liars Late Nite Music Club with REM and friends:
"Bertis Downs is an old friend of mine; he’s also R.E.M.’s manager and a Crooks and Liars LNMC fan. He sent me a cool, FUN video last week. The backstory is here. And the contest is for an autographed copy of Peter Clothier’s fantastic new book, The Real Bush Diaries. I’ll give 3 books away for the best list of R.E.M. covers– in other words, your favorite R.E.M. songs performed by other artists. Entries to downwithtyranny@aol.com"
Let's keep is rolling with this progressive/rock theme with some words from Patterson:

The Sound of History - The Drive By Truckers:
The old Mason/Dixon criteria is largely moot, and it's become a more red state/blue state issue and a rural/urban issue. Which is still bullshit. Americans aren't as different from each other as we often think. We're just easier to control and manipulate when we're too busy fighting each other to notice we're being sold down the river by a few really rich powerful MF's"
.....

"As long as poor white people are fighting with poor black people, nothing will ever change. To the powers that be we're all just the same. Bush wouldn't like me any better than he would Kanye West.'
Amen, brother, amen. George Bush doesn't like black people.... and Patterson Hood. And anybody that doesn't like Patterson Hood.... I won't even finish the statement 'cause y'all know, y'all know.

I'll move back to Alabama when the governor's race is between Patterson Hood of the "Progressive Rock" Party vs. Charles "The Hamma'" Barkley of the "I use to be Republican 'til I figure out I was black" Party.

_________

This bit regarding Jason's reading habits caught my eye:

Macon Telegraph Drive-by Truckers on a roll all over:
He's also read a couple of Chuck Pahlaniuk's books, known for their visceral intensity.

'When I read the first chapter of 'Haunted,' I felt like I was gonna throw up,' he said. 'Then I later heard that at his readings, dozens of of people had fainted during that chapter.'"
I read this book about 3 months ago. The first chapter is the most brutal literature you could possibly ever read. I was sitting in Golden Gate park during lunch after I had purchased Haunted at the school's bookstore. That first chapter had me pacing around, wanting to puke, wanting to throw the book from my hand but I just couldn't stop reading. Borrow that book (don't buy it because beyond the first chapter the book is crap, IMO) go somewhere alone and read that first chapter. Try not to feel faint. It is brutal.

_________

Speaking of Jason, y'all know he did a version of Outkast's 'Hey Ya!' with DBT. You can listen to it below. Well there is a YouTube out of a folksy singer who does a mellow, worthy version that is worth a look.

Obadiah Parker: Hey Ya!
Jason/DBT - Hey Ya!

Here is some more YouTube fun:

Gravity's Gone Acoustic at Grimey's Records
YouTube - DBT

Here an old school video. Nice mustache, Patterson.
YouTube - Drive-By Truckers "One of these days"

Someone put together old stock footage of the battle of Iwo Jima to the sounds of Patterson's Sands of Iwo Jim
YouTube - The Sands of Iwo Jima

Kinda sappy, but cool that people are using DBT's music for the soundtracks of their lives.
YouTube - Tribute To My Friends

Here is Ms. Audra Brown of Zip City fame. She's the youngun' that a year or so ago sang Zip City with the band on a couple of occassions. She has her own rock band now and apparently competed in a rock off or was part of a rock camp. Either way, DBT is inspiring the youth of america to pick up guitars and to lay down the rock. Good on ya, Audra!
YouTube - Most Popular Misfit by Try A Little Harder

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Alright, so it's Friday ("...I'm gonna get you high today, 'cause it's Friday; you ain't got no job") and you might be bored at work and thinking to yourself "how could I support the band today". One easy way is to freep these Yahoo! Answer thingies. When you do a search for DBT or Drive-by Truckers on Yahoo, they pimp their "Yahoo! Answers" above the search results. There are a few that are DBT related. Throw a comment in to support the viral marketing of DBT. Just another way to spread the good word

Yahoo! Answers - Got a minute or three?
Yahoo! Answers - Does anyone recognize that the Drive-By Truckers is one of the best bands out there right now?
Yahoo! Answers - The Drive-By-Truckers are the best songwriting band since Uncle Tupelo broke up, anyone agree or disagree?

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F'ing Awwwww! I'm mean, cute as can be..... "Who's Jesus and how big is he".

Nine Bullets:
"Our 3 year old daughter loves DBT, and Shonna. But, the best part is when she expounds on the meanings of the songs. Here's a sample of what DBT means when you're 3. Right now, she's hooked on Decoration Day...

The Deeper In - 'the creepy song'
Sinkhole - 'the one about the Daddy's farm'
Hell No, I Ain't Happy - 'the mad one'
Marry Me - 'this is Mike singing, the others are just rocking'
My Sweet Annette -' a song about a horse' -huh??? I think she's confusing alter with halter
Outfit - 'Who's Jesus and how big is he?' - thanks a lot Jason
Something's Gotta Give - 'the boyfriend song'
Pin Hits the Shell - 'this song is about a cowboy, and my horse' "
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From the Nine Bullets posting board, Roland Doobie (Best. Screenname. Ever.) commissioned the Freed's to do a family portrait. Really, really cool. When I get up enought scratch... um, and a family, I guess, I'm gonna have Wes do one for me, too. Click the link to see the thread and a picture of the portrait.

Nine Bullets:
"Just wanted to brag about my newest purchase. The wife and I celebrated our tenth anniversary this summer, and to commemerate the occasion I had a 'family portrait' commisioned by Wes Freed. I contacted the Freeds over a year ago and through numerous e-mails described what I wanted. They were very thoughtful on giving me what I wanted and helpful in offering artistic suggestions (acrylic over water color, etc.). The end product is stunning and everyone in the family is more than happy with the final product.
It is now the single coolest thing in the house, and the kids finally have something to fight over when Jen and I are dead.

I just wanted to say that I have no affiliation with the Freed's prior to the painting, and I highly recommend Wes for all your fine art needs."
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THE DRAMS! I get to see them again this Monday in SF. Wooo-fuckin'-hooo!

KellyD on the Yahoo list turns us onto this article

Jubilee dive- Pasadena Weekly:
"Best and Barr haven’t entirely forsaken their Stonesy swagger, but their guitar fury is tempered and given bluesy texture in the Drams by Stockslager’s organ pads. The change in instrumental and vocal choices has given Best new harmonies and tonal colors to play with, resulting in surprisingly poppy songs. “You Won’t Forget,” for instance, matches Beatles-esque bounce with Chicago-style horns."
Here is the Drams' set list from Cooley's birf-day party:
Break up Song
Hummalong
Rich Girl
Never U Mind
Shape I'm In – The Band
You Won't Forget
Winter Long
Here You Come Again
Shortsighted
Crudely Draw
Trust Jesus – Slobberbone
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The Dixie Butcher aka Jyl Freed says you might be an UnsophisticA-tit Rustic if:

Willard's Garage: You Might Be an UnsophisticA-tit Rustic If....: "
You might be an Unsophisticated Rustic if you keep live Virginia Opossums in your home. Which we don't. Right now. "
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The Ninebullet's board learned me, this week, what a Wookie was. Too funny:

PASSED OUT WOOKIES
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via largeheartedboy

List of lists of songs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Much posting was done on the Yahoo list this week on Willie's drug bust. Since, I've seen 3 or 4 celebrities on talk shows discuss getting smoked out by Willie. In the latest edition of Playboy (I steal my friend's copy just for the articles) they do 20 questions with Johnny Knoxville and he discusses Willie getting him WAY fucked up once right before he had to do several promo interviews. Funny stuff:

My Way News - Willie Nelson Cited for Drug Possession:
During a search of the bus, Williams say approximately 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana and approximately 2/10 of a pound of mushrooms were located on the bus.
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Apparently Keith ain't hanging out with Willie. Willie's got the good shit.


The Sun Online - Bizarre: Keef: I've quit 'weak' drugs:
“And you’re talking to a person who knows his drugs.”
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Thursday, September 21, 2006

'I got my money back, hell yeah,'

Gosh, that liberal media sure does get the truth out, doesn't it. Black people... and red people, and brown people, and yellow people, and a few white people don't like George Bush. We need a new Congress to neuter this puppy. Vote in November.



Buyer's remorse: The Bush story the press won't tell:
"Here then, is some much-needed historical perspective to put Bush's standing in context:

* According to Gallup, on the eve of President John F. Kennedy's 1963 assassination, he was suffering the worst job-approval ratings of his presidency -- 58 percent.

* In 1968, when the war in Vietnam was claiming hundreds of U.S. casualties each week, President Lyndon Johnson was considered so unpopular that he didn't even run for re-election. Johnson's average Gallup approval rating for that year was 43 percent.

* When Reagan's second term was rocked by the Iran-Contra scandal, his ratings plummeted, all the way down to 43 percent.

* This year, according to the Gallup numbers, Bush has averaged an approval rating of 37 percent."
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Here's a reason we need a new House and Senate. The Republican's really are trying to drown the baby in the bath tub..... how do you like THAT mix of metaphors? (If Katrina wasn't proof enough).

PBS set to reveal 'stealth campaign' to cut healthcare, education:
"PBS newsmagazine NOW this week plans to target what producers are calling, 'a stealth campaign for deep cuts in social services,' RAW STORY has learned.

The program is to examine ballot initiatives across the nation that it will characterize as deceptively-titled attempts to slash funding in health care and education. 'Initiatives with titles like 'Taxpayers' Bill of Rights' and 'SOS - Stop Over Spending'' will be the focus of the segment."
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It may sound trite, but the "Buy locally, think globally" movement is what can save this pitiful dirtball from we termites called humans. And as a serious carnivore I kinda like the idea of going to the farm and picking out my beef for the next few months. I'd get to bond with the animal before I grill his ass over an open flame. (probably want to slow roast his 'ass', though). And coming from the south, I'm about a generation removed from consuming this type of food.

Consumers are going to the source for pastured beef, pork, poultry and eggs:
"Jeff and Katie Hagan are never stuck wondering what's for dinner -- not with 80 pounds of beef in the freezer.

The San Francisco couple buy a quarter of a pastured steer at a time, frozen and neatly wrapped as roasts, steaks and burgers, plus oddball cuts never seen in an American supermarket -- ones they've learned the hard way whether to give a long braise or a fast sizzle.

Like a fast-growing number of American carnivores, the Hagans are opting out of the mega-feedlot meat system. They're buying directly from a local rancher or farmer who raises meat animals the old-fashioned way, on grassy pastureland."
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So Ol' Griz here runs a beer makin' shop in my neighborhood. I've pass by it often and have said (for the past 5 years) that I should stop in there sometime. I haven't, but I will now after reading this article about the 'character' that runs the place.

The king of beers and good conversation:
"'As long as I can remember, my main goal in life has been to be a character.' So I was told several years ago by Gregory William Miller Stein, co-owner and resident of San Francisco Brewcraft, a home-brew supply shop in the Richmond District.

To all outward appearances, the man had fulfilled his destiny. He had the look: white hair down to his shoulders, matching beard, the Jerry Garcia-style wire-rimmed glasses, well over 300 pounds packed into a 6-foot 2-inch meat matrix. His indisputable bearlike quality had earned him the requisite nickname: Griz."
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Florida man takes 50-foot dive for $20:
"PALMETTO, Florida (AP) -- Mark Giorgio figured a 50-foot plunge was worth $20. Giorgio, 47, was counting his money and walking across the U.S. 41 bridge over the Manatee River Monday when a $20 bill blew out of his hand and flew over the rail.

He followed. And plummeted 50 feet into the river. Then he swam about 100 yards to fish the bill from the water.

'I got my money back, hell yeah,' Giorgio told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 'Twenty bucks is a lot of money when you're broke.'

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Penis/Off

I love Uncle Ted. I wish he still owned the Braves and CNN. The world would be a better place. Oh, and I agree 100% with this comment:

Ted Turner:
"When asked about the possibility that the next U.N. secretary general might be a woman, Turner went a step further, advocating that men should be barred from public office for a hundred years in every part of the world."
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I've always been a Yahoo man, because they've got a bigger directory than Google, but, I can't make sense of this at all. The two founders of the company created a motto that has driven the success of Google. That motto is "Do no harm". I can't imagine why they would abandon that motto now:

Google 'eager' to work with Republicans:
"Google is 'eager' to work with the Republican Party and has boosted its presence in Washington, D.C., according to Roll Call."
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Your Repthuglican cover-up machine at work:

Lawyer says FCC ordered study destroyed:
"WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission ordered its staff to destroy all copies of a draft study that suggested greater concentration of media ownership would hurt local TV news coverage, a former lawyer at the agency says."
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Good. These people are just as bad as the Taliban.

Anti-abortion group loses tax status:
"WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service has revoked the tax-exempt status of the anti-abortion organization Operation Rescue West for prohibited political activity during the 2004 election."
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OWWWWW. OWWWEEEE OWWWEEE OWWWEEE.

Like Face/Off.... Only with a penis... Still....

OWWWEEE OWWWEEE OWWEEEE...

Penis Transplant Reported in China:
"Chinese doctors say they successfully transplanted a penis on a man who lost his own in an accident, but had to remove it two weeks later because of psychological problems experienced by the man and his wife."
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This is really one of the coolest, if not, THE coolest cities in the world:

SAN FRANCISCO / Tides around Golden Gate are potential energy source:
"Giant turbines submerged in the choppy waters below the Golden Gate Bridge might one day generate enough alternative energy to provide power to nearly 40,000 San Francisco homes, city officials said Monday."

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

I Love the 90s

Clinton on Rove: 'I am sick of Karl Rove's bullshit.'

The above quote comes from a, supposedly, fantastic article in the New Yorker, yet know one knows about it. Read the article on the article, then see if you can find the edition of the New Yorker that has it. I'm looking for it myself. Clinton was a REAL president. He screwed the Democrats by not building the party like Dean is doing, but, he really cared and always did what he thought was the best for the most.

Check him out on the Daily Show last night to see what an embarassment Bush really is.

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The media is making Gore out to be such a cock tease with this constant 'is he running, is he running' questioning. He keeps giving the same answer, 'I have no intentions, but I'm not closing the door on that possibility'. Watch what will happen is if does run and the shit for brains media will turn around and call him a flip-flopper.

We may have a better picture next spring with Big Al will seek the presidency. Run, Al, Run.

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But of course, Gore will need a fair election to have a chance at being elected. Something that hasn't happened yet this centure. Things are looking good for the mid terms. God, those Republicans are good at having all of their evil in place before a big election.

Check out this piece on CNN that shows how easy it is to manipulate the vote with electronic voting machines. USE ABSENTEE BALLOTS THIS NOVEMBER!

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Stupid is as stupid does. Never, NEVER have those words of wisdom from Forest's mom applied so perfectly to a group of people as they do the Republicans:

Ties to GOP Trumped Know-How Among Staff Sent to Rebuild Iraq
"To pass muster with O'Beirne, a political appointee who screens prospective political appointees for Defense Department posts, applicants didn't need to be experts in the Middle East or in post-conflict reconstruction. What seemed most important was loyalty to the Bush administration.

O'Beirne's staff posed blunt questions to some candidates about domestic politics: Did you vote for George W. Bush in 2000? Do you support the way the president is fighting the war on terror? Two people who sought jobs with the U.S. occupation authority said they were even asked their views on Roe v. Wade ."

Many of those chosen by O'Beirne's office to work for the Coalition Provisional Authority, which ran Iraq's government from April 2003 to June 2004, lacked vital skills and experience. A 24-year-old who had never worked in finance -- but had applied for a White House job -- was sent to reopen Baghdad's stock exchange. The daughter of a prominent neoconservative commentator and a recent graduate from an evangelical university for home-schooled children were tapped to manage Iraq's $13 billion budget, even though they didn't have a background in accounting.
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Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy....

Unfinished Tolkien work to be published in '07 :
"NEW YORK (AP) -- An unfinished tale by J.R.R. Tolkien has been edited by his son into a completed work and will be released next spring, the U.S. and British publishers announced Monday.

Christopher Tolkien has spent the past 30 years working on 'The Children of Hurin,' an epic tale his father began in 1918 and later abandoned. Excerpts of 'The Children of Hurin,' which includes the elves and dwarves of Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' and other works, have been published before."
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Land shark... No shit. They are evolving to come and get us on land. Look, if you think the Crocidile Hunter's death was an accident, you are sadly mistaken. Animals around the word are sick of egotistical television personalitys coming to their domain and fucking with them just for rating. They've decided to fight back. Land shark, y'all, land shark. Be careful when you get a 'candygram' knock, knock, knocking on your door. Don't say you haven't been warned.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Ode to Rednecks

Check out Cooley's 40th Birthday Party here.

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Redneck Remembrance:



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Rednecks around the world: Kazakhstan


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Rednecks in Australia. It is OK to "borrow" a piece of pizza.

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This study had to be funded by a group of rednecks. How else could they come to this conclusion.

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American Buddhism on the rise because of the inner peace and spirituality associated with it? Nope. Buddhism is on the rise in the U.S. because Buddha's body type is the ideal.

It is Monday. Hang in there.

Friday, September 15, 2006

DBT Week in Review - 9/15

43 hours of consciousness that included 4 + 4 hours of airplane stasis (doesn't count as sleep) and 13 hours of Rock and Roll fantasy camp was the result of a whirlwind trip to Birmingham, Al last Saturday night for Mike Cooley's surprise birthday party.

Miss Jenn so cooley (heh-heh.... shut the fuck up, I make myself laugh, ok!?) invited me to the par-tay a few weeks ago and I famously waffled for a week before Jenn subtley tightened the screws on my decision with the following, "Sure, I understand that the plane ticket might be pricey and that you can only stay for that one day. So your choices are to come on to B'ham and have a great time or stay home in S.F. and regret it for the rest of your life". Jenn sure does know how to make a situation crystal clear. So, guess which option I took.....

Got up at 3:45 a.m. PST, packed a bag, jumped in the car and drove to the "super dope home boy"'s home town, Oaktown(land.... 'and he's known as such, and this is beat, huh, you can't touch'. That's right; Hammer is from the Bay Area, baby!) got on a plane, made a brief stop in Houston where I found another West coast DBT family member going in the same direction that I was and by 3:00 p.m. CST I was being picked up at BHM by the lovely and talented Miss Jenn along with my new found friend from the Pacific Northwest.

While we drove to the hotel in Hoover I marveled at the thick humidity and green, green trees. I spotted the exit off I-65 I used when I attended UAB and my old apartment complex as we drove through Homewood. We drove past the grave yard that my great grandmother is buried in. I was assaulted with memories on the drive from the airport to the hotel from my days of living in Birmingham some 12 years ago.

When we pulled up to our AmeriSuites hotel and were walking in the door to check in I glanced over my shoulder and there was Mr. Brent Best and the rest of the Drams following us in. See, The Drams made a special 10 hour drive from Texas to play at Cooley's birthday. Think about that. How cool would it be to show up at your surprise birthday party and find out that the Drams were playing.

As we are standing in line waiting to check in, Jenn introduces me to Brent and we strike up a conversation. I tell him how the DBT Yahoo group got me into Slobberbone a few weeks before they broke up. I also tell him that whenever any new folks enter the list and post a request for new music besides the Truckers the entire board explodes with Slobberbone and The Drams. Brent laughs and says that since Slobberbone broke up they've sold more albums than when they were together and he attributes it to DBT gaining the traction they have and the DBT Yahoo list. So y'all need to know that we're doing some serious good for these bands by the recommendations we make on that board. People Purchasing Power!

We get everyone checked into their rooms and I'm way to giddy to eat lunch but I damn sure want a beer so I borrow Jenn's ride to look for an alkeehaul joint. (We're just a wee bit too far away from Wayne's Package Store). As I'm pulling out of the parking lot I see this girl staring at me funny and pulling out her cell phone to make a call. I think, "oh shit" somebody thinks I'm stealing Jenn's car. I roll down the window and introduce myself to The Matador's wife, (Sweet) Kelly. Matt pops out of his car and we have a good laugh then I'm off on the beer run.

The closest place to get beer? Super-Fucking-Wal-Mart. Super-Fucking-Wal-Mart will end civilization as we know it. I live in San Francisco and we just don't have that shit here. We have locally owned little markets on every block so If I want something I walk out of my door and walk to the store (I know that might be a fucked up concept for some. Walking to the store.) and buy what I need. It may cost a bit more but more than likely the dude working there knows my name and needs and I don't have to take a fucking Tram to get from shoe wear to apple sauce. Sorry, but I just needed to go on a Super-Fucking-Wal-Mart rant.

Back at the hotel I enjoy a beer or two and a tale or two with Matt, Kelly and Jenn. Around 7:00 pm we head on over to the party location which is here:



The party was held at the Hoover Met, the Birminham Baron's AA baseball team. Jordan played there when he quit basketball the first time. Really great place for a party. We had the entire stadium to ourselves. Unfortunately, no body got drunk enough to run the bases but I think that's because we drank the open bar dry in about 3 hours. The bar included a keg of Amstel Light and about 8 bottles of J.D.

There were about 60 folks at the shindig. We all gathered and waited for Cooley to come up the elevator to where the party was being held. He was under the impression that he was going to a work party for Mrs. Cooley. As all eyes were focused on the elevator, typical Cooley enters from the stairs. Here is one of the 3 really crappy pictures I took that night:



As this post is already getting a bit long winded, let me see if I can whittle down my relay of the details.

Cooley arrives. Much partying ensues. I meet a bunch of crazy DBT people that I never imagined I'd run into:

Met Cooley's Mother. She's real proud of her son. I told her that a lot of folks around the world were real proud of her son too. She seemed to be having a good time pushing around one of her grandbaby's in the stroller.

I met Shonna's brother and sister-in-law and chatted with them about the Crimson Tide as they drove over from Tuscaloosa where they had been to see the Tide play. Loves me some Alabama Football. Didn't know it was Shonna's brother until the very end of the evening. Also didn't know that he and his wife were the ones that Cooley married on the 40 Watt DVD. Had a good laugh about that. Real good folks.

Met some old friends from Florence who I hadn't seen in years. Their mother was with them and I'm pretty sure she's gonna bust me to my folks as I didn't tell them I was coming in town due to the quick decision to come and the only 14 hours I had there. Sorry mom and dad....

Jenn and Matador put together this incredible slide show of Cooley through the years. Some really great photos. There is one where Cooley is wearing a red dress and make up and he looked a little too good. Kinda freaked me out.

The Freakin' Drams played.



They opened with Greg Kihn's Break-up Song, uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh then followed with a remarkable version of Hall and Oates Rich Girl. I was standing next to Patterson and I thought he was going to crap himself. He said he has never in his life heard any one cover that song. They played for an hour or so. Fucking great band... more on them later.



Let's see, what else.... Had a funny conversation with Jess Bar's wife, Ashley who made the trip over with the Drams. She was also celebrating her birthday. Very cool chick.

Met Chris Pennington who was recording the show. Got to talking with him and found out that he recorded my favorite Archive show, Cooley's House.

Spoke with Jason who gave me the OK to leak this little tidbit on AAW. He just cut a studio version of Dress Blues and it WILL appear on Sirens. Every chance you get, whether it be a posting to a board, an email or if you catch his ear at a concert, thank him for that song.... Then thank him again.

I caught a ride back to the hotel with EZB and his wife Kimberly. The told me that they just finished Kimberly's album and played me a couple of tracks off of it on the ride back. SOUNDS SO GOOD! Buy that one and buy it quick when it comes out.

Also, Brad must laugh himself to sleep every night and wake up giggling every morning because Kimberly Morgan is so beautiful it hurts. I mean, seriously. You are the man, EZB.

The after party was an Almost Famous moment if I've ever had one. And thanks to Jenn, I've had a couple over the past year. But this one had to be the biggest.

They hotel room was packed with The Drams, Jason and Shonna, EZB and Kimberly, Matador and his wife, Ashley, basically all of the rock and rollers sans Cooley and Patterson (understandable when you're that old). I had some of the best conversations in my life over the next 4 hours in that room.

They last of the Drams trickled out around 4:00 a.m. and by 4:45 a.m. I was in a cab heading to the airport. By 12:30 p.m PST I was sitting in my car in the short term parking lot in the Oakland airport wondering what the fuck just happened and if, technically, I was sober enough to drive home to San Francisco. Jubilee Dive guided me there.

Two more side notes:

The Drams, the members of the band, Brent, Jess, Tony,Chad and Keith are the nicest, coolest group of peopleyou could ever hope to meet. I can't say enough about Brent Best. And, MAN, is he hot.... according to Jenn. ;-)

(Jenn just emailed me and said in order to keep the above part in the post I have to admit to my own, nonsexual, mancrush on Brent.... It is true. Brent Best is my fantasy BFF. There, Jenn, are you happy?!)

Hell, I was so impressed with those guys that I thought about changing the title of this blog to Alabama Ass Jubilee or Alabama Ass Dive, but, for apparent reasons, I thought better.

Go see the Drams, go buy another copy of Jubilee Dive, go request them at your local radio station. Do what you can to support these guys, cause they are grade A nice human beings who deserve all of the success in the world.

Lastly, keep an eye out for a DBT music video. That's all I've got to say about that.

Oh, and one more thing. I love you to death, Jenn Bryant. Thank you for an incredible day and night. Without you, none of these bands would mean jack-shit and would not have the success they are having if you were not involved. I truly believe that.

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Here's the rest of the week in review.

dbts : Message: Message from Patterson:
"It was five years ago today that we first released SOUTHERN ROCK OPERA. September 12, 2001 was the second worst day imaginable to release a project that we had all worked 6 1/2 years on and all of us feared that it was all some kind of terrible oman. Wednesday's, of course are never release days, as the industry ALWAYS releases albums on tuesdays, however at that point in our lives, there was no industry. We had showcased at SXSW before a sold out crowd, previewing our then almost completed magnum opus before a sold out crowd of industry fucks to no real avail. Folks kept coming up to us wishing us well and telling us how much they liked it, but no one was making any offers of any kind. A month or so later, we received our only bid, and it was so horrifyingly bad, that upon doing the math, I realized that we would be bankrupt within a year if we took it. (At that time all of our income was based on merch sales and the wording of that offer combined with the high wholesale price we would have paid, rendered that impossible). We turned the offer down and set out to find a way to put it out ourselves."

I hope to be posting some writings here, as well as keeping a blog for Gibson.com
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via dapper dave:

offBeat:
"A large crowd turned out at Tipitina’s that Saturday to see the Drive-By Truckers, and the conversation was all about how to get out of town. The impending hurricane didn’t dampen the audience’s enthusiasm, though. “It was a great night,” says Drive-By Trucker guitarist and singer Patterson Hood. “It was one of my favorite shows we played all year.” The band, the last touring act to play New Orleans before Katrina, hadn’t heard much about the storm before the show. “The next day I woke up in Tuscaloosa, turned on the TV and they were having the evacuation,” Hood says. “It obviously wasn’t going well even then.”

The Drive by Truckers left for Europe two days after their Tipitina’s gig. They watched the situation in New Orleans unfold on the BBC. Even Hood, a fierce critic of the Bush administration, couldn’t believe what he saw. “It went so far beyond the limits of human decency,” he says. “It’s the government’s job. What are they getting paid for?” The band added Randy Newman’s “Louisiana 1927” to their sets and performed at benefit concerts for the Tipitina’s Foundation in New York City."
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Staying Sick - Los Angeles CityBeat:
The Drive-By Truckers – an Alabama-spawned sextet – were the evening’s biggest surprise. Whodathunk anyone could model themselves after Lynyrd Skynyrd’s trio of riffslingers and – thanks to some truly inspired guitarchitextures from Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, and Jason Isbell (plus pedal-steel player John Neff) – transcend the obvious influence?

Well, having three singers-songwriters in the band helps. As does having actual songs – you know, the kind with verses, choruses, bridges, and witty, keenly observant lyrics about contemporary life in the American South, such as “Aftermath USA,” “Easy on Yourself,” “Goddamn Lonely Love,” “Women Without Whiskey,” and – especially – “Uncle Frank,” for openers. And that’s just the ones I remember without ever previously having heard a note."
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Via Jenn

Oct 5 and 6 - Musickfest
This benefit will be to help our good friend and beloved Athens musician Wendy Musick, who plays guitar for Southern Bitch, with some very high medical bills. As you know, most musicians don't have insurance, so please come see these shows! There are two of 'em in Athens, and will feature Patterson Hood and the Screwtopians, Will Johnson from Centro-Matic, Don Chambers Goat, David Barbe and the Quick Hooks, Dave Marr, Clay Leverett, Mother Jackson, Kimberly Morgan, Betsy Franck, Diet RockStar, Still Small Voice and The Joyful Noise, and Fest-goers can expect surprise performances by other members of the Athens Music Family.
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Via Largeheartedboy

Centro-matic heating:
"Centro-matic's dynamic is intelligent, emotional American rock that mines some of the same veins as My Morning Jacket, Son Volt and the Drive-By Truckers.

The Truckers, who share Johnson's love of Southern Gothic literature and grungy guitars, have become Centro-matic's most visible fans. Leader Patterson Hood even wrote the promotional blurb for ``Fort Recovery.'' The relationship began when Centro-matic passed through Georgia on tour immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks.

``We were out on the road at that point and kind of unaware as to what to do with ourselves in the wake of all that mess; whether we should keep touring or go home or what,'' Johnson says. ``We wound up hanging out with Patterson for a few days that week, and I think a friendship was pretty well solidified from that point on.''

``Since then, I think the mutual admiration mountain has only grown higher and higher, with the risk of sounding completely goofy,'' he adds.

The two bands annually arrange their schedules so they can perform together around New Year's. ``It's kind of a family-style thing,'' he says."
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Dixie Chicks documentary could be election issues
"The film revolves around the aftermath of singer Natalie Maines' statement at a 2003 London concert, where she said, 'Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.'

It chronicles death threats, political attacks and radio boycotts against the country trio, and that could make the film a political hot potato as well as potential ammo should longtime Democratic party supporter Harvey Weinstein become involved in the fall political campaigns."
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Via Fugere. You should go check out all the recipes. Some good ones

Southern Culture on the Skids:

Bologna Cups

This hearty meal goes well with sports.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with bologna slices (red ring removed).
Crack an egg into the center of each bologna cup.
Sprinkle each with salt and black pepper.
Bake until firm.

Add a slice of American cheese to each cup and bake until melted or you can broil cheese.

Serve with beer and tobasco."
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Creative Commons:
"Creative Commons licenses provide a flexible range of protections and freedoms for authors, artists, and educators. We have built upon the 'all rights reserved' concept of traditional copyright to offer a voluntary 'some rights reserved' approach. We're a nonprofit organization. All of our tools are free."

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Mash Potatoes and Cranberry Sauce....

Again. Do not use electronic voting machines if you want you vot to count. Us a professional ballot or vote in absentee. While prospect look good for Democrats to regain the House, the Republicans are poised, yet again, to steal several elections. Sigh.

As someone said the other day, "Why would you use a computer running Windows to vote on?"

Princeton prof hacks e-vote machine:
"TRENTON, N.J. - A Princeton University computer science professor added new fuel Wednesday to claims that electronic voting machines used across much of the country are vulnerable to hacking that could alter vote totals or disable machines."
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A real Texan and a real American:

Former Texas Governor, Activist Ann Richards, 73 :
"Two years before she was elected governor of Texas, Ann Richards electrified the 1988 Democratic National Convention with a keynote speech in which she joked that the Republican presidential nominee, George H.W. Bush, had been 'born with a silver foot in his mouth.'"
A fake Texan and a fake christian.... but one scary motherfucker. It must be election time. Time to scare up the christians. End Days! End Days! 2nd Coming! 2nd Coming! 9/11! 9/11! Vote Republican!

Bush Tells Group He Sees a 'Third Awakening' :
"President Bush said yesterday that he senses a 'Third Awakening' of religious devotion in the United States that has coincided with the nation's struggle with international terrorists, a war that he depicted as 'a confrontation between good and evil.'"
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Best. Video. Ever.



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Gillooly.... Football Style:

Backup punter may have stabbed starter:
"'I guess the only identified motive (in the attack on Mendoza) at this point in time is the competition for that position,' Evans police Lt. Gary Kessler said."

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

...And I Feel Fine...

"It's the End of the World as we know it...."

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Hump day needs to be kept silly every once and while and that's just what we're gonna do today. But you know I can't resist a smack down of dear leader so.......

President Bush’s Reality:
"Iraq had nothing to do with the war on terror until the Bush administration decided to invade it. The president now admits that Saddam Hussein was not responsible for 9/11 (although he claimed last night that the invasion was necessary because Iraq posed a “risk”). But he has failed to offer the country a new, realistic reason for being there."
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Bush and Leiberman celebrate 9/11



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Do Republicans read Playboy? Apparently.
-- 79 percent of those surveyed voted in the 2004 presidential election, 15 percentage points higher than the national average.

-- 36 percent of its readers are Republicans compared to 25 percent Democrat, 25 percent independent and 14 percent other parties.

-- 72 percent of Playboy readers favor stem cell research compared with 61 percent of the non-reader group sampled.

-- Half of Playboy's readers oppose a ban on gay marriage, double the number in the non-reader group"
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Mom I just finished my Algebra. Can I hit the bong now?

Coolest. Mom. Ever.

Son Gets Marijuana for Doing Homework:
"GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A woman admitted to smoking marijuana daily with her 13-year-old son to reward him for completing his homework. Amanda Lynn Livelsberger, 30, pleaded guilty to several charges Monday and will be sentenced Nov. 27."
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"Ain't nobody gonna stick anything up your ass...."

The best part of this story is that freakin' Greenpeace put out the warning.

Greenpeace issues toxic sex toy warning:
"Greenpeace Netherlands has issued a statement warning sex toy lovers not to shove the 'Spectra Gel Anal Plug' or the 'Crystal Jelly Double Dong' where the sun don't shine, according to an eye-watering report on Expatica.

The reason behind the shock advisory is not the possible risk of ending up in hospital with a dildo stuck firmly up your jacksie and having to endure the humiliating laughter of medical staff who avail themselves of the opportunity of grabbing a few X-rays for later dissemination on the internet, but rather that sex toys apparently contain 'extremely high concentrations of phthalate plasticisers which allegedly pose a risk to human health and the environment'.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Livin' in Fear is Just Another Way to Die Before Your Time

W = FEAR:
"He doesn't say we won't allow ourselves to be terrorized, and we won't be afraid. (That would run counter to the central Republican game plan for the mid-term election.) He doesn't say that in our zeal to fight the terrorists, we won't give up the qualities that make America great. He acknowledges no mistakes, he calls for no sacrifice, he refuses to reach out to those who disagree with him."
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FEAR. NOT.

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TRUTH BE TOLD:
"Bill Clinton's far-reaching plan to eliminate al Qaeda root and branch was completed only a few weeks before the inauguration of George W. Bush. If it had been implemented then, a former senior Clinton aide told Time, we would be handing [the Bush Administration] a war when they took office.' Instead, Clinton and company decided to turn over the plan to the Bush administration to carry out. Clinton trusted Bush to protect America. This proved, nine months later, to be a disastrous mistake - perhaps the biggest one Clinton ever made."
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Guess who said this:
'They don't let many black people in the governor's mansion in Alabama, unless they're cleaning.'"
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This rot-gut moonshine is makin' me sick:
"At least 35 people have died from drinking methanol-laced sugarcane liquor in the past week and nearly 600 have fallen ill, overwhelming hospitals in Nicaragua's worst health crisis in recent history, officials said Monday.