Cheetah Whores

One of my favorite blogs and one of the best writers on Alabama and National politics is shuttering his joint due to a move to another state:

Programming Note - The Alablawg:

"Moving to S’port means the end of the Alablawg, too. I hate it, I really do."

You will be sorely missed, Wheeler.

Go check out some of his final posts. As usual they are really good.

The Alablawg no more. I've got to give that a big 'Booooooo'!

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Fucking christ. If I hadn't just lived through the past 6+ years I would think this to be unimaginable.

Alas,

U.S. government fights to keep meatpackers from testing all slaughtered cattle for mad cow:

"WASHINGTON: The Bush administration said Tuesday it will fight to keep meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease.

The Agriculture Department tests fewer than 1 percent of slaughtered cows for the disease, which can be fatal to humans who eat tainted beef. A beef producer in the western state of Kansas, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, wants to test all of its cows.

Larger meat companies feared that move because, if Creekstone should test its meat and advertised it as safe, they might have to perform the expensive tests on their larger herds as well.

This next line of the article kills me, though. This is the same tripe my 'medical coverage' gave me when I went for a yearly check-up. I asked them to run every test they got (hey, might as well... I'm there... and I'm a paranoid fuck). I got the same bullshit answer.

False positive my ass.

Preventative healthcare means insurance will prevent you from getting healthcare.

The Agriculture Department regulates the test and argued that widespread testing could lead to a false positive that would harm the meat industry."

Oh, and... uh-huh-huh, uh huh-huh... they said 'meatpackers'.

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Really? Ya think?!

House GOP fear fallout from ethics cases:

"WASHINGTON - A half dozen federal investigations into the activities of Republican lawmakers are raising new worries for GOP leaders who hope to regain the House majority they lost last fall.

In recent weeks, two veteran Republicans surrendered prominent committee seats after
FBI agents raided the offices of family businesses. Others have long-running investigations hanging over them. Some conservative activists are criticizing the party's handling of the matters."

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Impeach this baffon. Sign the petition if you haven't already. Remember, it's an easy way to participate in your democracy.

Impeach Gonzales!

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Whores.

I wouldn't say it to their faces, but all the same..... Whores. Or would they be sluts?

Female cheetahs sleep around:

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- For female cheetahs in the Serengeti, the call of the wild is just too hard to resist as new research shows nearly half of their litters are made up of cubs with different fathers."

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300 Pounds of Hongry

I've held off posting the story about the momma humpback whale and her baby taking a detour through the Golden Gate and SF Bay and up the Sacramento River for fear of jinxing the two.

It looks like they are headed back to the open ocean. Woo-hoo! If they could just wait until 5:30 P.M. today to go under the GGB I'll get to watch them a block away from where I live.

Mother and calf rollick in S.F. Bay in sprint to Pacific:

"The two humpback whales that captured worldwide attention for their two-week sojourn in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta returned to San Francisco Bay on Tuesday and came within only a few miles of the Golden Gate and their Pacific Ocean home.

By nightfall Tuesday, the mother and calf faced a swim of less than 8 miles to the narrow channel under the Golden Gate Bridge -- but they weren't leaving the bay just yet. Instead, the pair spent the early evening parading close to the Tiburon shore, delighting onlookers outfitted with binoculars. Then, they appeared to settle for the night just off Larkspur."

Check out the map of their journey. It really is amazing they made it all the way up the Sac. River.

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If you like this website or you like other websites and you like to send email for free and you like the ability to create a website or blog at no to minimal cost or you'd just like to support, well, Freedom of Speech and you would like to fight against the further corporatization of our government, then.....

Do something! Participate in your democracy by signing a petition. It is a great and easy way to have your voice heard.

Public Airwaves for the Public Good:

"The federal government is on the verge of turning over a huge portion of our public airwaves to companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast--who will use them for private enrichment instead of the public good.

These newly available airwaves are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revolutionize Internet access -- beaming high-speed signals to every park bench, coffee shop, workplace, and home in America at more affordable prices than current Internet service. Phone and cable companies don't want this competition to their Internet service--they'd rather purchase the airwaves at auction and sit on them.

In June, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will make a major decision: Use the public airwaves for the public good, or turn them over to big companies who will stifle competition, innovation, and the wireless Internet revolution. We're urging the FCC to mandate that whoever wins the auction cannot stifle competition and innovation.

Can you sign this petition to the FCC today, and send it to your friends?

A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to the Federal Communications Commission."

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If society is going to devolve then I want it to REALLY devolve.

The Dutch are setting a standard here, that I thought, for sure, the U.S. of A. would be the first to do.

Game shows for vital organs.... YES!

Next up: Hunting human prey in an updated version of Survivor.

Dutch show has kidney donation contest:

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A Dutch reality show that claims to be trying to draw attention to a shortage of organ donors said Tuesday it would go ahead with a program in which a terminally ill woman will choose a contestant to receive one of her kidneys.

The program, 'Big Donor Show,' has been attacked as unethical and tasteless. One member of the Dutch parliament suggested the government should block Friday's broadcast.

'We know that this program is super controversial and some people will think it's tasteless, but we think the reality is even more shocking and tasteless: waiting for an organ is just like playing the lottery,' Laurens Drillich, chairman of the BNN network, said in a statement."

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That's some pig: Boy, 11, shoots 1,051 pound hog

In related news, another local boy captured a 500 pound wild chicken while his father has grown 50 pound coffee beans. Not to be outdown the wife and mother has developed a process to cook pancakes that will cover a king sized bead.

These folks along with the hogzilla boy will be joining forces to host the largest weekend breakfast buffet in the history of mankind.

Mmmmmm bacon. (it was mentioned that 500 pounds of sausage will be produced from hogzilla... no shit)

h/t to Naomi at Slacker Country

"MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) -- Hogzilla is being made into a horror movie. But the sequel may be even bigger: Meet Monster Pig.

An 11-year-old boy used a pistol to kill a wild hog his father says weighed a staggering 1,051 pounds and measured 9 feet 4, from the tip of its snout to the base of its tail. Think hams as big as car tires.

If the claims are accurate, Jamison Stone's trophy boar would be bigger than Hogzilla, the famed wild hog that grew to seemingly mythical proportions after being killed in South Georgia in 2004."

Of course his dad created a website for him:

BIGGER than Hogzilla

"300 pounds. As tall as she is round.
And every pound of that body's so fine
I can hardly believe that its all mine
It's all mine!"
Eddie Hinton - 300 Pounds of Hongry

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Golden Gate Bridge

Duuuude! Coming back to work suuuuuucks. A necessary suck, though. (fucking lottery)

I spent yesterday strolling through downtown San Francisco snapping some photos.

I left my heart.....

A couple of hearts in Union Square.

Speaking of leaving your heart in San Francisco, I watched the documentary The Bridge this weekend. A guy filmed the Golden Gate Bridge everyday for a year in 2004. 24 people killed themselves by jumping off the bridge that year. The documentary is about those people. Be forewarned, you do see people jump. 220 feet, 120 miles per hour, a 4 second fall.

That one has fucked me up for the past few days... especially since I live so close to the bridge and ride my bike across it often.

Put it on the top of you NetFlix if you haven't seen it.

Also, check out Patterson Hood's new song, The Golden Gate Bridge. Here's the first verse:

THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
You can run but it’s still gonna getcha
It ain’t nice to fool mother nature
You can hide but she’ll sniff you out
She knows what those demons are lying about
And it’s another late night all alone in here
I’m wide awake and nearly out of beer
It’s seeping in through the cracks in the curtain
Deny all you want but you know it’s for certain
It’s time for some stomping and banging
Leave all you want but don’t leave a man hanging
A shiny car and some really nice digs
Another man’s jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge......

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Alley shot looking towards Union Square

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Why do we live in a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything? Maybe I should just move back to Alabama.

Dr. Hibbert, in The Simpsons

Ala. Terror Web Site Angers Activists:

"MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The Alabama Department of Homeland Security has taken down a Web site it operated that included gay rights and anti-war organizations in a list of groups that could include terrorists.

The Web site identified different types of terrorists, and included a list of groups it believed could spawn terrorists. The list also included environmentalists, animal rights advocates and abortion opponents."

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Tranny America Building


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Angry Atheists Are Hot Authors

While I am excited that atheist authors are selling books these days, the beginning of this article is a prime example of why I stay pissed off at the MSM and their lazy fucking "journalism".

The time for polite debate is over. Militant, atheist writers are making an all-out assault on religious faith and reaching the top of the best-seller list, a sign of widespread resentment over the influence of religion in the world among nonbelievers.

Look, just because my people are starting to speak up it doesn't make us 'militant' nor are with 'making an all-out assault on religious faith'.

What kind of lazy, cheap, half-assed writing is that? Fuck, that shit pisses me off.

We atheist are the least militant, least assaulting folks in the world.

Hey, we don't have a war going on with anybody right now. My religious brethren can't say the same.

Anyway....

"The war metaphor is apt. The writers see themselves in a battle for reason in a world crippled by superstition. In their view, Muslim extremists, Jewish settlers and Christian right activists are from the same mold, using fairy tales posing as divine scripture to justify their lust for power. Bad behavior in the name of religion is behind some of the most dangerous global conflicts and the terrorist attacks in the U.S., London and Madrid, the atheists say.

As Hitchens puts it: 'Religion kills.'"

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Playing chicken with a trolley

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Very cool, if you haven't checked this out yet. I found both of my Granddads.

Ancestry.com Puts 90M War Records Online:

"For every generation in this country there has been a war. And with wars come millions of records that can shed light on family history, detailing everything from the color of soldiers' eyes to what their neighbors may have said about them.

On Thursday, Ancestry.com unveils more than 90 million U.S. war records from the first English settlement at Jamestown in 1607 through the Vietnam War's end in 1975. The site also has the names of 3.5 million U.S. soldiers killed in action, including 2,000 who died in Iraq."

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Yeah, well, I've heard whispers that there is a grouper and a dolphin that are swimming around with a mighty guilty look on their faces. Something about a full moon party and a 3-way.....

Might not be as immaculate as first thought.

Scientists report virgin shark birth:

"DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) -- Female sharks can fertilize their own eggs and give birth without sperm from males, according to a new study of the asexual reproduction of a hammerhead in a U.S. zoo.

The joint Northern Ireland-U.S. research, being published Wednesday in the Royal Society's peer-reviewed Biology Letter journal, analyzed the DNA of a shark born in 2001 in the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.

The shark was born in a tank with three potential mothers, none of whom had contact with a male hammerhead for at least three years. (Watch why researchers say this is not a good sign Video)

Here's the best part....

The baby was killed within hours of its birth by a stingray in the same tank. Analysis of its DNA found no trace of any chromosomal contribution from a male partner.

God, stingrays are dicks, aren't they.

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Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day. And I've got family in the Persian Gulf Bay....

And what did they say? They said...."Get me the fuck out of here!"

On this Memorial Day remember this:

3,813

....remember this:

The Raw Story | Iraq beginning to export fighters to nearby countries - and beyond:

'The Iraq war, which for years has drawn militants from around the world, is beginning to export fighters and the tactics they have honed in the insurgency to neighboring countries and beyond,' The New York Times reports.

According to the report, experts now say that the experience that Jihadists are currently gaining in Iraq will become far more problematic than the training Muslim radicals received in Afghanistan's terrorist camps."

....remember this:

A soldier in Iraq asks in despair: Why are we here?:

"BAGHDAD, May 12 -- My name is Donald Hudson Jr. I have been serving our country’s military actively for the last three years. I am currently deployed to Baghdad on Forward Operating Base Loyalty, where I have been for the last four and a half months.

I came here as part of the first wave of this so called 'troop surge', but so far it has effectively done nothing to quell insurgent violence. I have seen the rise in violence between the Sunni and Shiite. This country is in the middle of a civil war that has been on going since the seventh century."

Why are we here when this country still to date does not want us here? Why does our president’s personal agenda consume him so much, that he can not pay attention to what is really going on here?

.....remember this:

CBS Exposes Bush Admin’s ‘Outrageous Delay’ In Providing Marines With Bomb-Resistant Vehicle:

"While President Bush has been busy politically demagoging funding for the troops, CBS Evening News highlighted a disturbing report tonight that the administration waited over a year before acting on a “priority 1 urgent” request to send blast-resistant vehicles to Iraq, the so-called Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.

Calling it “an outrageous delay,” CBS noted, “The Marines in the field asked for 1,200 MRAPs in February 2005 — but so far, they’ve received less than 100.” The report also noted that the problem is widespread and systemic:"

.... and remember this:

Bush Ignored Senate’s Pre-War Intelligence Warning of Post-War Fiasco

The U.S. intelligence community’s pre-war clairvoyance is notable. While there was originally no link between al Qaeda and Iraq, they accurately predicted how a U.S. invasion would ignite Islamic sentiment against the U.S., allowing terrorists networks like al Qaeda to resurge elsewhere and disrupt regional stability. Some highlights of the report:

“A stable democratic government in postwar Iraq would be a long, difficult, and probably turbulent challenge.”

“Al Qa’ida probably would see an opportunity to accelerate its operational tempo and increase terrorist attacks during and after a U.S.-Iraq war.”

“Rogue ex-regime elements could forge an alliance with existing terrorist organizations or act independently to wage guerilla warfare against the new government or Coalition forces.”

“A US-led defeat and occupation of Arab Iraq would boost proponents of political Islam and would result in ‘calls for the people of the region to unite and build up defenses against the West.’”

“Funds for terrorist groups probably would increase as a result of Muslim outrage over US action.”

But like several other reports, the Bush administration dismissed these predictions. “The committee also found that the warnings predicting what would happen after the U.S.-led invasion were circulated widely in government, including to the Defense Department and the Office of the Vice President.”

Four years after the invasion, these predictions have become reality. Al Qaeda is resurging in Afghanistan and Pakistan, partly funded by allies in Iraq. Anti-U.S. sentiment in the Middle East continues to rise.

Does Bush really “read the intelligence“?

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DBT Week in Review - 5/25/07

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Let's begin today with happenings out of the 400 Unit.

Jason and the gang's new website is partially up and looking nice.

www.jasonisbell.com

The big tour is set. Check out the website to find the city near you where Jason and the 400 Unit will be playing.

This looks to be a mighty fine tour with dates all over. I'm set for a Saturday night show in San Francisco. Woo-hoo!

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Jason's got a new song on iTunes. Make sure you buy a copy of "Brand New Kind of Actress". You'll show your support and you'll give the record company something to use to gauge how many initial copies of Sirens to press.

They'll need to print a lot.... I mean, A LOT of copies.

www.myspace.com/jasonisbellmusic:

"'Brand New Kind Of Actress' Available Now at iTunes! Buy the track and it will be credited to the purchase of the album through iTunes 'Complete My Album Program'"

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Be sure to check out Jason's wonderful tribute to Topper Price. You can find the tribute on Jason's MySpace page on his blog.

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Via Jayne

dbts : Message: Jason Interview Thurs 7 a.m.:

"Jason Isbell Interview
Thursday, May 24- 7:00 a.m.
89.7 WTMD (Baltimore)
http://wtmd.blogspot.com/2007/05/live-from-louisville-schedule.html

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DBT

Jenn made some groovy new banners for your website. I've sported one in my header the past 3 days.

Drive-By Truckers New Banners for your website

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Killer TDU review by RevTodd on Ninebullets:

Nine Bullets:

"Ok, ok, I realize it's two weeks overdue, but I drink a lot folks.

In any case, here's the latest installment of my concert book:

# 412 DRIVE BY TRUCKERS (19)

Fox Theater/ Boulder, Co 5/27/07

Flying from Columbus to Chicago to Denver, I arrived in the Mile High city around 11am MST. Weeb picked me up and we drove to their house in Arvada. I hadn't seen him or his wife , Sandy, since they got married in 2002. I've known Chris (aka Weeb) since my Ohio State days and we've done some serious drinking over the years. Luckilly, marriage has not changed my friend. In fact, I think he found the perfect partner in Sandy. She likes to hike, ride Harley's, drink beer, gamble, and she loves him. "

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My vanity is showing.

Here's a TDU SF review. They used one of my pictures for their review.

Concert Review: Drive-By Truckers at the Great American Music Hall, 5/8/07 | BuzzSugar - Movies, TV, Music.:

"The Drive-By Truckers are a rarity in today's music climate: a band that hugs the road as if it were kin, touring any chance they get. They hit the pavement when they have a new album, or when they have a few festivals to play, or — in this case — when they have a batch of new songs to hone before heading into the studio."

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The Drams

Check the ever entertaining Drams tour diary for the latest shananagans.

the Drams:

"Hey diggidees,
French kisses with a little over the bra gropin! It was only a matter of time that that itch in a place you don't need to know came back and I let you know what is going on, my peep-peeps(hee-hees)! Also know that evidently my damn-ass spell check aint(is not) working in this new Google-enhanced/bought blog space-shit. Sorry, but you are probably used to my half educated ass anyway. History degrees do not get you very far these days.

As of late we have been reserving our energies on the home front and trying to do the things we can to be productive citizens of this society by any means we can. And stuff."

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Go buy this. Brent Best's 'Robert Cole' is included.

Bloodshot Records: Bloodshot Records Compilations - Just A Few More: A Musical Tribute to Larry Brown Bonus Collection

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Music

Some of my favorite political blogs have been discussing music of late.

Eschaton:

Why The Selling Out Conversation Matters

Judging by the reaction of some commenters there seems to be a wide perception that this is just some college-level conversation about who's keeping it real. There's a bit of that, admittedly, but there are larger issues at play. The music industry is going through a radical change right now, due to technology changes and other issues, and it isn't quite clear what the next equilibrium outcome will be. The revenue, marketing, and distribution models are all changing and what they will finally evolve into isn't yet set in stone. There's no inevitable outcome, both due to uncertainty about future technological developments, as well as the fact that policy (copyright law and DMCA, net neutrality and other internet policies, etc...) could play an important role.

The internet provides for the incredible possibility for musicians to market and distribute their own stuff, though there are limits to that so I think it's important to encourage, not discourage, any other alternative methods of marketing and revenue generation.

The Future of Music Coalition has a bunch of info on these issues."


More Selling Out

It's true that while I don't think there's anything inherently wrong about "selling out," it's also the case the rock bands are also brands in and of themselves so turning half their catalog into commercial jingles for canned soup might negatively impact their brand. The issue isn't "how dare they sell out to Big Soup!!!" it's that maybe their fans don't want to be at their concerts thinking about dancing soup spoons.

Like other commercial enterprises bands have a brand to protect, and associating that brand with other things might have negative effects. But that's a different issue than objecting to them making a buck.

Crooks and Liars � Music…:

"I'm joining in to the music discussion that started over the weekend. The music world has changed incredibly in a short period of time, (technology, copyright laws, the Internet, etc…) so what's the big deal if bands let commercials use their music for a hefty fee? Back in 'the day,' it was the cool thing for a band to not 'sell out' to the man, but as Amanda says: 'That is so 20th Century.' I still cringe a bit when I hear a Hendrix song on a commercial, but the times are a changin' and it has always been a struggle to make it in the music world.

What's sad is that the music industry knew that the dynamic was changing because of technology; file sharing in part was developed by them, but they sat on their hands because they DID NOT WANT to set a precedent. I'll have more on this later… "

Matthew Yglesias:

"By popular demand, you'll find the playlist for the Nineties Alt-Rock Party below. A few words. For one thing, this is just the songs in alphabetical order; at the party itself, the Party Shuffle was in effect. Most important of all, before looking at the list you need to understand what it is and what it is not. This is an effort to recreate the experience of listening to your average 'modern rock' radio station during the decade in question. Hence, no hip-hop, no Spice Girls, and no then-obscure indie bands etc. One also gets points for iconicness and the elusive quality of ninetiesness. Hence, 'What's the Frequency Kenneth?' represents R.E.M. on the grounds that it's the 'most nineites' of R.E.M. songs and 'Buddy Holly' represents the Blue Album since it was the monster hit. Arguably, I violated the terms of the arrangement with the Nirvana selections, and it's been put to me that Pavement was sufficiently mainstream to merit inclusion. Be that as it may, the task is inherently subjective and this was my party:"

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Prince played SF recently and covered a songs by our own Spooner Oldham.

REVIEW / His white-hot Purpleness and Sheila E. in concert? Priceless.:

"Vocalist Shelby Johnson brought old-fashioned soul to the sound and, as if to make the point, even sang a heated version of Aretha Franklin's 'I Never Loved a Man.' Two additional background vocalists, all long legs and bottoms and very little skirt, brought a lot of motion to the show with the sort of dancing not often seen outside gentlemen's clubs. When Prince and Sheila E. dragged 15 or so goofballs out of the front rows to dance with the band, it was controlled chaos onstage and Prince made the most of it.

He used a lot of purple backlighting and frequently asked for the already dim lights to be dropped even lower. 'Make it sexy,' he would say, and the lights would go out."

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Dumb Fucking Democrats and Christian Terrorist

Please call your Senators and Reps this morning and tell them to vote no on this travesty of an Iraq funding bill. It will only take you a few minutes and you'll feel good for actually participating our democracy.

HURRY, Our Democray may only be available for a limited time!

Find you Sen and Reps here:

MoveOn.org Political Action: Democracy in Action

You can put in a fake name and email addy to get the listing for your area Reps and Sens.

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How fucking convenient. Releasing intelligence to support your politics. Nice, Georgie.

But, wait, even though YOU failed to catch Bin Laden I thought he was so marginalized now that he was irrelevant?

So, the guy responsible for 9/11 who you decided to let go so you could attack the secular nation of Iraq now matters when you're trying to scare people?

Bush: Bin Laden ordered non-Iraq attacks:

"WASHINGTON - Seeking to rally support for the war, President Bush released intelligence asserting that Osama bin Laden in 2005 ordered creation of a terrorist unit to hit targets outside Iraq, including the United States.

The information, which Bush was to cite Wednesday in a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, was declassified by the White House on Tuesday.

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Onward christian Terrorist. Sunni/Shia.... evangelical/baptist.... same-fucking-same.

The Blog | Max Blumenthal: Diary of a Christian Terrorist:

Visitors to Mark David Uhl's Myspace page will quickly learn that Uhl is a student at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, that he is a devoted Christian, that his name means 'Mighty Warrior' -- and that he likes Will Smith's saccharine tear-up-the-club track, 'Switch.' Uhl reveals his career ambitions on his page as well: 'I will join the Army as an officer after college.' Already, Uhl was preparing in Liberty's ROTC program.

Uhl waited until he was offline, however, to reveal his plot to kill the family of itinerant Calvinist provocateur Fred Phelps (famous for their 'Fag Troops' rallies outside soldiers' funerals). The Phelpses planned to protest Falwell's funeral, a bizarre stunt designed to highlight Falwell's somehow insufficiently draconian attitude towards homosexuals. Uhl made several bombs and allegedly told a family member he planned to use them to attack the Phelps family."

He was arrested soon after and charged with manufacturing explosives. On the surface, Uhl appears to be the latest version of Virginia Tech rampage killer (and "Richard McBeef" author) Cho Seung-Hui. Indeed, both Uhl and Cho were alienated young men who conceived or carried out campaigns of mass murder on college campuses.

But there is a crucial difference between Uhl and Cho: while Cho's motives remain a source of intense debate, Uhl was an a devout evangelical Christian who advocated religious violence in the name of American nationalism. Uhl's blog, featured on his Myspace page, offers a window into the political underpinnings of his bomb plot. In one post, Uhl implores Christians to die on the battlefield for "Uncle Sam." He justifies his call to arms by quoting several Biblical passages and reminding his readers that the "gift of God" is eternal life.

"Christians, we have been given life after death and we should help others receive it and not sit here in our big buildings and sing to ourselves so we can go home and feel good about ourselves," Uhl writes. "Christians, fear of death, fear of death. The fear of death shows you don't believe."

Uhl concludes, "God needs soldiers to fight so his children may live free. Are you afraid??? I'm not. SEND ME!!! "

Uhl's imploration sounds eerily like the battle-cries of another, more notorious religious radical: Osama bin-Laden. Consider what bin-Laden told the Independent in 1993. "`I was never afraid of death... As Muslims, we believe that when we die, we go to heaven. Before a battle, God sends us... tranquility."

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This should be front page news across the nation. Joe Pa is one of the last great ones.

Taking out the trash - NCAA Football - Yahoo! Sports

This spring, six Penn State football players were arrested and charged for crimes stemming from an off-campus fight April 1 in which at least 15 Nittany Lions were present. The charged included a couple of star players, although what apparently bothered coach Joe Paterno the most was how many of his kids were willing to be involved.

And so Paterno, 80 now but no less tough, no less disciplined, hatched a plan to set things right within his program. He'll let the local legal and student judicial process play out, but regardless he decided that to keep people from thinking his team was trash, it'll spend the fall cleaning it up.

According to Paterno, the Penn State football team will clean Beaver Stadium after each home football game this fall. It'll gather garbage, sweep stairs and maybe even hose parts down.

It'll be Notre Dame on Saturday, nacho spills on Sunday.

It's a job that usually goes to members of club sports on campus – say, rugby or crew – which do it to raise money so they can compete. Paterno said the clubs still will get the $5,000 for the job, but his guys, fresh off playing 60 minutes of major college football the day before, will do all the work starting Sunday morning.

"We're all going to do it, everybody," Paterno told the Harrisburg Patriot-News after a banquet in suburban Philadelphia. "Not just the kids that were involved. 'Cause we're all in it together. This is a team embarrassment. I wouldn't call it anything much other than that."

This is easily the greatest punishment in recent collegiate history, an absolutely diabolical, telling, high-impact bit of discipline that should remind one and all that what Paterno has been doing out in State College, Pa., all these years is more than just win 363 football games, including 20 the past two seasons.

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"Channel Your Fury"

My blood pressure has been through the roof these past two days as I've watched the Democrats puss the fuck out on the Iraq funding bill.

Confirmed: Iraq Timelines Dropped:

"It will split the Democratic caucus in half, with as many as 120 Democrats voting no. Among the nays, I’m told, will be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will have negotiated a bill that she thinks is the best option for House Democrats but which she personally can’t support. Most other Democratic leaders are expected to vote in favor. Still, if only 100 Democrats vote yes, the amendment will require at least 118 Republicans in order to pass."

I'm not sure what else my party (and the 'my party' part is under serious reconsideration at the moment) needs to grow a pair of balls.... lady balls even (Colbert calls lady balls "Thatchers")

72% of the country hates Bush.... 75% of the country thinks we should be out of Iraq by the end of the year... Republicans have no intention of doing a goddamn thing in September... It's just all they've got right now "Wait until September! Wait until September". Yeah, we'll wait until September so they can say "Wait 6 more months! Wait 6 more months!".

All Bush wants to do is run out the clock so he can pass Mess-opotamia off to Barak or Edwards or Hillary. Then when they try to get the fuck out of Iraq he can say "Everything was going good on my watch. It's this new President's fault. They fucked it up".

Bush ain't nothing but a spoiled fucking brat. He's Paris Hilton in fake cowboy boots.

Goddamn, I hate carpetbaggers.

So, I'm fucking distraught. Feeling betrayed.

Called Pelosi's office twice and really let her have it.

But I ain't gonna quit and I ain't gonna give up my party. Largely in part because of this paragrph from the below diary written on Daily Kos:

It took the Abolitionists 40 years (and a civil war) to win their crusade. It took the suffragists 80 years. It took the civil rights movement, depending on how you count, 60 to 80 years. Amazing how people who talk about standing tough and fighting back surrender so easily.

It is a long hard slog, so I'm going to do what I hope a lot of you do. I'm going to keep on calling Nancy and Boxer and Reid and every fed politician in my state and I'm going to express my displeasure over and over and over and over and over again until it seaps into their ballless pants.

Read and be inspired.

Daily Kos: Channel Your Fury

It would be hard to find a progressive who had a good Tuesday as far as Iraq is concerned. The Senate-House conference committee put together an ugly compromise that would give Mister Bush tens of billions of dollars to continue the catastrophe in Iraq. Call it what you will - a blank check, a sell-out, a surrender - it ultimately amounts to failure, unless victory is defined as getting a signable bill on the President's desk regardless of its contents.

Compromise is when two sides each give up something they want in order to get something they want in return. But from this compromise among themselves, what exactly is it that the Democrats will be getting in return from the White House?

Nothing. Because the President refuses to compromise.

Many say "be realistic," "be calm," "this is the best we could get," "wait until September."

September is a mirage, folks.

The supplemental bill that will apparently be sent to the President funds the occupation through September 30. The Defense appropriations bill for fiscal 2008 (starting October 1) has already been passed by the House and includes $141 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan. Does anybody REALLY believe that more than a score or two Senators and Congresspeople will vote against the overall Defense bill with an election year just around the corner, risking the accusation that they are "weak on defense"?

As David Mamet noted in a well-regarded Op-Ed in 2005, Democrats need to play better poker. They need to stop calling, calling, calling, then folding. They need to raise.

Nothing could be more true. To watch a few elected Democrats - far from a majority but enough to keep the party from behaving like a majority - is beyond frustrating. It's infuriating. It makes you want to hit the tequila. Some of these infuriators are House Blue Dogs, some are conservative Dems in the Senate, and they, to say it frankly, are holding the party hostage to a strategy of folding instead of raising.

Both they and everyone who doesn't call them to task deserves every bit of the criticism and disgust that has been laid at their feet at length today by Kossacks screaming @#$@%$ %&%$#*#@ #@#$#@%^!! $%#&(*+.

However, it is also beyond frustrating, deeply troubling, indeed, to see rank-and-file Kossacks folding or threatening to fold, abandoning ALL the Democrats because of what SOME have done.

Yes, the Democratic Party is deeply flawed. We all know that, whether we voted in one election or the past 20. But progressive politics is about the long haul. It wasn't merely about 2004 or 2006. It's not only about 2008. It's about 2010, 2012, 2016, 2020. It took the Abolitionists 40 years (and a civil war) to win their crusade. It took the suffragists 80 years. It took the civil rights movement, depending on how you count, 60 to 80 years. Amazing how people who talk about standing tough and fighting back surrender so easily.

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How about a little irony to soothe the soul. Check out the name of the town in which this occurred:

Golfer killed after cart plunges 75 feet from cliff:

(05-22) 13:44 PDT Fallbrook, Calif. (AP) --

A 65-year-old golfer died Tuesday after his golf cart plunged 75 feet off a cliff and crashed into a road below, authorities said."

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Impeach these SiCKOS

The Simpsons showed why it is still relevant after 400 episodes last Sunday by taking on the retarded disfunction that is mainstream journalism.

In case you missed it, Crooks and Liars has a video clip.

Once again, a la The Daily Show, we are getting truth to power not through our nations actual journalist but from fake journalist... this time a cartoon.

The Simpsons v. the media.:

"The Simpsons v. the media.

In its highly-publicized 400th episode last night, The Simpsons skewered Fox News and modern journalism. At one point, outraged news anchor Kent Brockman confesses to the world:

Friends, the press and the government are in bed together in an embrace so intimate and wrong, they could spoon on a twin mattress and still have room for Ted Koppel. Journalists used to questions the reasons for war and expose abuse of power. Now, like toothless babies, they suckle on the sugary teat of misinformation and poop it into the diaper we call the 6:00 News. Demand more of your government. Demand more of your press."

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Like a jobless cousin crashing on your couch... or a sticky booger you just can't seem to wipe off your finger.... these Bushites must be shown the door in a forceful manner.

Sign the petition and watch the video.

Impeach Gonzales:

We, The Undersigned, urge the House Judiciary Committee to begin the process of impeachment of US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, in accordance with Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, which provides for removal of the President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States. We believe the process will prove that Atty. General Gonzales has committed High Crimes and Misdemeanors, including the abuse of power and violation of the public trust, both impeachable offenses."

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Check out the first trailer for Michael Moore's documentary SiCKO. Bush and his gang are already trying to censor Moore by putting the IRS and probably every other governmental agency on his ass.

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Is there anything Republicans won't pervert? Why do they hate science and sex so?

Smithsonian toned down exhibit on climate change in the Arctic:

"WASHINGTON: The Smithsonian Institution toned down an exhibit on climate change in the Arctic for fear of angering the U.S. Congress and the Bush administration, says a former administrator at the museum.

Among other things, the script, or official text, of last year's exhibit was rewritten to minimize and inject more uncertainty into the relationship between global warming and humans, said Robert Sullivan, who was associate director in charge of exhibitions at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Also, officials omitted scientists' interpretation of some research and let visitors draw their own conclusions from the data, he said. In addition, graphs were altered 'to show that global warming could go either way,' Sullivan said."

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OK, I'll give you the relevant pieces of this article and you figure out the rest:

West Virginia
trailer
guns
booze

Man sleeps through gunshot to the head:

"HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Michael Lusher apparently is a sound sleeper.

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DBT Interview by MaddyC - Mobile, AL 4/21/07

Mornin', y'all. Welcome to a special Monday DBT post. This one has been in the works for a few weeks now and I am very proud to finally get to post this on AAW.

Our good friend MaddyC recently scored an on-bus interview with Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley while she was working with Jenn Bryant on DBT's merch booth during a show at The Soul Kitchen in Mobile, AL.

Below, you'll find Maddy's blog about the occassion mixed with a few pictures she took. At the end of the blog you'll find the interview. Maddy did a great job! Looks like we've got a rock journalist on our hands!! (I just wish my Final Cut Pro editing skills were as good as Maddy's interview skills. :-D)

Give it a read and listen and be sure to drop by Maddy's MySpace page and leave her a comment telling her how awesome she is..... and you better tell her how awesome she is... she's got several hundred big brothers and sisters who are most of the time drunk.... mean drunk... so, go tell her how awesome she is and there won't be no problems, got it?

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Almost Famous
by
MaddyC

I was ten years old when I first saw Cameron Crow’s Almost Famous. Ever since that day I wanted to do what William Miller, essentially Cameron Crowe, did with the fictional band Stillwater. I wanted to hang out with rock stars. I wanted to interview them. I wanted to work in the industry. I wanted to see backstage and the tour bus. But most of all I wanted to give back to music. It’s helped me so much in the past that I figured I had to find a way to pay it forward.

Long Strange Trip

This whole long trip actually started about four weeks ago with one email. I sent one email to Jenn Bryant, of DBT web-mistress fame, to ask if she needed help selling merchandise at a festival show in south Alabama, honestly thinking that the answer was not going to be in my favor. I had absolutely no hope in what I was asking, so I guess that’s what contributed to my initial shock when the answer was not only a “yes” but a “hell yes!” I ran through my house screaming, “I’m going to work for the Truckers, Momma!! Can I go? Can I go?” Needless to say the answer from my mom was also a yes. I had a date with destiny in Mobile, AL at the Zewtopia festival. I was going to be working the merchandise booth with Jenn. It was all set into stone. But then we were hit by a pretty big blow.

News came straight from the horse’s mouth: Jason Isbell is no longer in the Drive-By Truckers. Wow. I was away for the weekend, and I came home to a multitude of emails. I was shocked, just utterly dumbfounded. I cried. But then, like all people should, I coped. I realized that I can support Jason’s solo doings just as much as I could have if he’d still been in the band. And that was that. Jason’s off doing his solo thing and the Truckers are doing just that, trucking on.

In the meantime I told everyone I knew about what I was going to be doing for Spring Break. I was working with my dream band, and in my opinion that was a hell of a lot better than any trip to the beach. When I say everyone, I mean it. But the person that got me to writing all of this right now was JPW, the author of the awesome Alabama Ass Whuppin’ Blog. He’s been a long time fan of the band and has a few more connections than I do. So he pulled some strings and greased some wheels and got me an interview with the Drive-By Truckers. Wow! JPW sent me the set of questions James Lipton asks his guests on Inside the Actor’s Studio. I thought this was awesome. I didn’t have to step on any toes asking questions about Jason Isbell and his departure or the new album or anything else mundane like that. This was amazing. I was in heaven. Dreams were coming true left and right, and I think something had to bring me back down.

The news came slowly and not to mention rather late. Zewtopia was cancelled. There was something about a miscommunication between the promoters and performers. At any rate someone wasn’t getting the money they were promised, and it was over. I was devastated until I found out that a bar in downtown Mobile had scooped up the Truckers for a show on the same night! Jenn reassured me that everything was cool. I’d still be helping her just in a different place. So the countdown began, one week. That one week was probably the longest I’ve ever experienced. I mean ever. But Friday finally rolled around, and it was time.

Going Down South

It’s a 251 mile drive from Birmingham to downtown Mobile. I drove while my mom rode shotgun. We always have the best road trips with the best soundtracks. For this one though I chose one that was heavy on The Credence Clearwater Revival, Hank Williams and some Johnny Cash. I also threw some Dexateens, Lucero, and of course the Drive-By Truckers just for good measure. It was amazing hanging out with my mom. We have this really cool relationship. And it still amazes me how much she supports my love of music and my aspirations to work in the industry. But at any rate we had three hours in the car, and that’s a very long time for a new driver. But we made it alright and at a reasonable time. We got to our hotel, a historic building in the heart of the historic and arts district of Mobile. It was beautiful. There was a “green” arts festival going on about two blocks from the club and the whole town was a buzz. We ate and then I got the call from Jenn. I was to come to the back of the club in thirty minutes to start the process.

I got to the club at about 7:30, and Jenn was waiting for me with a backstage pass and a smile! She’s as awesome and more than you hear about, I swear. But by the time I got there she’d done most of the work, counting and labeling. I just helped with the set up of the table. Then it was time to head on to the bus for my interview! It was cool. I was so afraid I would just lock up and be really shy and nervous, but I surprised myself with the confidence I had. I was Cameron Crowe. I was invincible. And I was a rock journalist for those 5 minutes I was asking questions. The interview went pretty quick, but that wasn’t the extent of my experience at all. I just sat and listened to all of the hilarious jokes and thoughtful insights that spewed out of Cooley, Patterson and the EZB. Then Shonna made an appearance. I swear she’s sweeter than apple pie all the time. I met John Neff momentarily, too. It was just cool to see them all so up close and personal like that. And I can’t forget the crew. Matt D and his mutton chops, Josh, and a few other names I can’t remember at the moment. I was a part of the crew. Working for the band, the youngest roadie in Alabama no doubt. Then it was show time. Doors opened.

The Show I’ll Never Forget

There’s one thing you have to know about Drive-By Truckers concerts: The fans are amazing, strange, and drunk people. And that’s cool with me, but I don’t think I realized the extent of all of that until I was working with Jenn. We were selling shirts left and right, and the CD’s were going like hotcakes. People who had no idea about the band were showing up just to hear some good music. The whole feeling of the crowd was good. The opening act, the Uglistick was ok, but honestly nothing to write home about. Then came the main event, eventually. The boys and Shonna left the crowd hanging for a good little time, while the guy running the house music was messing with them, too. But by the time the band came out the whole crowd was pumped! And they were ready to rock. With John Neff on guitar, the whole thing was complete. But don’t get me wrong, it was a different experience for sure. A bit rougher, a little meaner sounding than I’d ever seen live, but they all seemed happy to be grooving off of each other. The whole vibe with the crowd and the band and the music was amazing and you could feel it pulsing off the walls and possessing people who were new to the scene. Patterson was rocking harder than ever, and John Neff was really coming into his own. The encore was loud and the whole crowd was just bathing in it. I think my ears are still ringing a little bit. In all truth the best show I think I’ll ever see. And definitely the show I’ll never forget.

The Aftermath

When all the music was over the fun part came. People who knew nothing of the band before than night were buying up shirts and CD’s and the 40 Watt DVD. And I even got to make a few dreams come true with some signatures. Shonna and Patterson both came up to me after the show to ask me how I liked it. Shonna wouldn’t stop thanking me for the help. And Patterson was calling me darling and just generally giving love and thanks for what I’d done for them. I felt like a part of that band for the day. An honorary member. And that had to have been the best part. Paying it forward and the rewards and rewarding feeling that comes with that.

Jenn was amazing though. I don’t think I could ever thank her enough for the opportunity she gave me and for inviting me back sometime soon! And JPW, too. I am in debt to everyone who made this Saturday happen for me.

Thanks as always,

Maddy

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DBT Week in Review - 5/18/07

...All I can think about's the DIRT UNDERNEATH!!

The intertubes are popping with TDU goodness....

Patterson's Gibson Blog

Been gone just two weeks and a day on what has been about a perfect tour. Easily my favorite in some time, a view that is unanimous on board.

The Dirt Underneath has been our little experiment in public reinvention, as we have worked-up and been playing eleven new songs as we prepare to record them and some others next month for our eighth album.

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Nine Bullets TDU SF Night 2

Two killer fuckin' nights in San Fran! Blew my mind how good it was. - SouthernFriedCanuck (who also posted a good, long review. Check it)

Un-Freakin-Believable!!
These two shows were the BEST thing I've seen EVER!
Great, Great Venue!,Tremendous Crowd, and well, the Band KILLED! - PeterG

I can't get over how beautiful it was to see these shows acoustic and how powerfully the craftsmanship of the song writing came through. - miss jayne

I would definately vote Cooly for president. - scott baxendale

Nine Bullets - Pics from Athens

Nine Bullets - The Dirt Underneath - Night 1 - 4/27/2007

Nine Bullets - Boulder Night 1

Nine Bullets - Boulder Pics

Nine Bullets - Aspen Pics

Nine Bullets - Thoughts on Sante Fe and Tucson

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TDU discussions are popping up on several boards. Here are the fine folks on Phil Lesh's dicussion board. It's worth the registration to go read these threads. Some high praise coming out of the PhilZone.

Philzone Phansite Discussion Board: My trip to the Bay Area-DBT Review:

"Patterson seems ready to take on the world right now. "

"John Neff=MVP of the Dirt Underneath"

"Secondly, there isn't a band that has made me this excited about music in a very, very long time. I loved seeing the Q, but this is a different animal. They are making new music and heading in a new direction, all while keeping a firm grip on the tradition and history that has made them one of the best bands out there.... and when you add Neff and his pedal steel playing along with Brad and Shonna holding down the bottom end, you have one of the finest damn rock bands in al the land.

LET THERE BE ROCK AND LONG LIVE THE DRIVE BY TRUCKERS!!!"

Drive By Truckers, Fox, Boulder 05/13/07

Drive By Truckers, Fox, Boulder 05/12/07

Drive By Truckers, GAMH, 5/8/07

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Tea Leaf Green fans also were in attendance.

Tea Leaf Green :: View topic - DBT - The Dirt Underneath

"The pedal steel was erie, awesome, strong, heartbreaking and lovely all at once. Patterson Hood is captivating to listen to, playing guitar, speaking and singing. He gave the back-story about some of the songs before they played. I remember the lyric with a chorus with "I ain't got no good intentions!" - it really stuck with me."

"Gawd I love these guys. Just oozing with soul and passion. Can't beat that southern drawl either... "

But, I do have to clarify a the following misconception from our Tea Leaf Green friends:

"and the schtick about passing the bottle of jack around the stage all night was fun until it hit me that they were mostly all faking it. "

Ummmm, there ain't no faking of the boozing and I'll support my argument with pictures....

What's Cooley reachin' for?


Oh....


Shonna's searchin' for somethin' but what's she searchin' for....?


Found it!

Truckers don't 'play' drink, y'all.

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On a much more serious note.... Give, y'all:

dbts : Message: My Grandson Jacob

I wanted to pass this along to my fellow dbt brothers and sisters. Please remember my precious grandson, Jacob, in your thoughts. Though his life was short, he brought joy to this world and was,of course, a dbt fan. He loved to roll around on the floor while I played my guitar for him. I wrote him a song, "Roll,Roll,Jacob." Just a simple little tune with either 3,2,, or 1 chord and usually in E major. It could then evolve into several variations of dbt songs before returning to "Roll,Roll,Jacob."

If you can help with a donation that would be cool. If not, please remember Jacob in your thoughts. I had planned to bring him to a show this June in Myrtle Beach but he didn't make it. He did get to go to the South Carolina spring football game. Thanks.

My grandson Jacob lost his battle and passed away last Friday night. He was born with Spina Bifida and Arnold Chiari Malformation. We just couldn't conduct enough car washes or sell enough doughnuts to raise the $200,000 for him to receive more surgery. He was on
Medicaid so many doctors just turned us away and private insurance would not cover him. All this in the "wealthiest", "pro-life" country which spends $10 billion per month murdering innocent human beings. All this in a country where the president vetoes funds for stem cell research. Thanks for the love and support. We now have to raise $850 for them to didg his grave and a $1700 deposit for the funeral home. This will still leave a huge balance just to lay him to rest. This is due to the fact that he was "uninsurable" to the wonderful insurance companies. Anyone who wishes to contribute can donate to the same page. Any donations would be appreciated. There is also a link on the Head On main page.

There is also a link on the Head On main page.

http://jacobcatoefund.zoomshare.com/

Here's a link to his obituary and guest book.

Below is a rough cut I made about Jacob.

http://www.luckyrooster.org/jacob788.wmv

Thanks,

David Rosser

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Jayne's Corner

dbts : Message: DBT Up for Blog Award:

"DBT's A Blessing and A Curse album is nominated for a category in the First Annual Music Blog Awards. The public is free to vote. Also, DBT fan and blogger Largehearted Boy's website is up for an award, as well as another friend's site, An Aquarium Drunkard. Both blogs are fantastic music resources and I recommend you pay them a visit.

http://5acts.blogspot.com/2007/05/first-annual-music-blog-awards.html

There's also a short little interview here with Patterson where he touches on the subjects of the great Alejandro Escovedo, and Jason Isbell leaving the band.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/aznightbuzz/181031"

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dbts : Message: Jason's Take on Danko/Manuel

Article on The Band, and interview with RRobertson, along with some thoughts by Jason on his song, Danko/Manuel.

http://www.jambase.com/headsup.asp?storyID=10420

"The Band has an influence on modern music that seems to be revealing itself more and more as time goes on," Isbell says. "I wrote 'Danko/Manuel' after reading a book about The Band called This Wheel's On Fire. Early on in the book, Levon Helm discusses finding Richard Manuel dead in his hotel room and the half-joking pact they'd made years before that if someone died on the road, they'd put him on ice and bring him home in a storage bay under the bus. That made me think a lot about the fragile nature of life on the road and the difference between the beautiful music Danko and Manuel made and the horrible ways they died."

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Help, Jayne! I lost the link to this article.....

: "As far as writing processes go, Best also says he's stuck with what's worked. “The best tunes end up writing themselves. Sometimes I hear the melody attached to words that I may not understand until I finish writing the song,' he says. 'I find the best way that songs come to me is in the moments before I fall completely asleep, around 5 a.m. I have to get up and record it or write it down. Sometimes I don’t, then I’ll wake up and not remember anything… Sometimes a phrase comes attached with melody and I don’t know why. At some point, it finishes itself. Patterson [Hood of the Drive-by Truckers] and I have talked about this, and it might sound all flighty and zen, but the way the best songs happen has less to do with sitting down and writing songs and more about being ready to take it when one comes.”"

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Check out Audra Brown, y'all:

www.myspace.com/audrabrown

Well, it took awhile to get the final details of the cd but now it is in production and it will be delivered on May 31...which just happens to be the day of my Official Memphis CD release party! It is hard to believe but one of my dreams has come true!! My CD release party will be at the world famous Hi-Tone Cafe here in Memphis on May 31. Doors open at 7, music at 8. Admission will be $5 or $10 to include a brand new cd!! Please check out the hi-tone at http://hitonememphis.com/

Also playing with me that nite will be one of my favorite bands, Double Shovel!!! I am sooo lucky that they have agreed to play and support me. Some awesome talent, you can check out at www.myspace.com/doubleshovel

More details later but just know that there will be some special surprises that nite, including me playing some songs solo, some special guests and the debut of the Audra Brown Band, which includes me on guitar, and the awesome rhythm section of JD Reager (drums) and Eric Wilson (bass). Look out!!

I truly hope to see ALL of you there......

Contagiously,

Audra

www.myspace.com/audrabrown
www.audrabrown.com

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Shonna's brother and sister-in-law Tracy and Randy Tucker own a kennel. They raise some mighty fine labs. Check 'em out and give 'em drop them a line if you're in need of a good puppy.

Crimson Kennels

Our kennel is located on a 45 acre farm in Greenhill, AL. Greenhill is a small community approximately 15 miles outside the City of Florence. With 2 creeks and a pond, our farm is the perfect place for water loving labs.

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Classical music I can get into....

Fistfight mars Boston Pops' opening night:

"BOSTON (Reuters) - A fistfight in the balcony stopped the music on opening night at the Boston Pops, drawing gasps from hundreds of well-heeled guests at one of the country's oldest and best-known city orchestras.

Famous for light classical music and family pop tunes from decades past, the orchestra briefly halted its performance on Wednesday evening as two men wrestled in the side balcony of the 107-year-old Symphony Hall.

Concert-goers looked up after a woman's scream interrupted a rendition of the Hollywood musical 'Gigi' about 20 minutes into the performance.

Shortly afterward, conductor Keith Lockhart stopped the orchestra with a motion of his hand as the murmuring crowd turned to watch the scuffle, apparently caused after one man told another guest to be quiet."

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