Billy Neal Haddock - 1924-2007

In loving memory of my Grandfather who passed away last night....

Billy Neal Haddock 1924-2007

I'll miss him sorely, but at least he can go turkey hunting again.

Mama called.... I'm flying home......

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'Puter done broke

I've got crazy intermittent web connectivity today... it goes up, it goes down, it goes up, it goes down. While that's much fun in the boudoir, it ain't fun when yer tryin' to post a DBT Week in Review.

Instead of half assing the DBT WIR, I'm going to delay in til Monday.

So, I'm going to slap up a few thangs for today, slap y'all on the ass, and tell you to have a safe and fun weekend.

Film 1000 films | Features | Guardian Unlimited Film

Well over a century has passed since the Lumière brothers frightened the life out of Parisians with The Arrival of a Train at a Station, and well over a million titles have since been recorded - if the Internet Movie Database is anything to go by.

Out of these million-plus movies, our team of experts has picked what we believe is the essential 1,000 - those that best sum up the dazzling achievement and variety of the movies.

Over the next five days we are publishing the full 1,000, in alphabetical order. Find them, along with expert comment, below.

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My kind of Supreme Court Justice.

The Raw Story | Stevens: Smoking pot akin to drinking during prohibition:

"'Today the actions of literally millions of otherwise law-abiding users of marijuana, and of the majority of voters in each of the several States that tolerate medicinal uses of the product, lead me to wonder whether the fear of disapproval by those in the majority in silencing opponents of the war on drugs,' Stevens wrote.

Most debate over the efficacy of the war on drugs focuses on government crackdowns on users of medical marijuana, for whom the drug eases chronic pain. But in comparing pot smoking to social drinking, Stevens suggests that the drug could be legalized in all cases.

In his opinion, Stevens insists 'no one seriously maintains that drug advocacy ... can be prohibited because of its feared consequences.' Later, Stevens observes the shift in Americans' views on alcohol since the 1920s and 30s.

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Scientists take step to making synthetic life:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists have taken a first step toward making synthetic life by transferring genetic material from one bacterium into another, transforming the second microbe into a copy of the first.

They intend to use their technique to custom-design bacteria to perform functions such as producing artificial fuel or cleaning up toxic waste, the researchers report in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

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From a Brit tabloid.... for what its worth.... That Amy.... She's so crazy!

Bizarre: Amy's sick self harm stunt:

"AMY WINEHOUSE has stunned America with a horror show of grotty, self-hating behaviour.

The Camden Caner carved words into her own FLESH, rushed back and forward to the TOILETS and launched into four-letter RANTS during an interview with a US rock mag."

Bullet Headache

Following up on yesterday's post re: the modern day Alabama lynching:

Looks like sweet home Alabama was a real world evil laboratory for Rove. He tested of few of his nastier tricks in Alabama, pre-W's reign of terror on the entire country.

Most specifically, it looks as though he worked on perverting an already shaky legal system in the state.

TPMmuckraker:

"Ex-Gov. Don Siegelman (D-AL) is again questioning the motives and impartiality of the prosecutors who want to put him away for 30 years. And the prosecutors keep giving him good reason to."

A newbieish Alabama blogger, Legal Schnauzer seems to be all over this story:

Legal Schnauzer:

"Reporters are focusing on the case because it is the latest example of corruption in the U.S. Justice Department, a scandal that began with the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys earlier this year. A growing body of evidence suggests that the Siegelman/Scrushy prosecution was politically motivated and driven by Alabama Republican operative Bill Canary, with assistance from White House political strategist Karl Rove. The Alabama case presents the strongest evidence to date that the politicization of the U.S. Justice Department has direct links to the White House.

The Los Angeles Times reports that even prominent Republicans, such as former Arizona attorney general Grant Woods, smell something fishy going on in Alabama."

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Again, if you vote for people who don't believe in government and want to shrink it to an appropriate bathtub drownable size, then this is what you get.

They feel no shame, no obligation to their fellow men and women, no sense of honor, no sense of honesty.

Fuckers.

Think Progress - New Post-Katrina Investigations Reveal More Federal Waste And Incompetence

EPA allowed toxic chemicals to harm poor Katrina victims:

FEMA guaranteed billions in profits for big companies:

FEMA guaranteed billions in profits for big companies:

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Another follow up on yesterday's post re: obstructionist Republicans.

Why the fuck aren't the Democrats screaming bloody 'up or down vote' just like the Republicans did? Why aren't we threatening the nuclear option.

Democrats, quit playing a game that your opponents aren't playing. They've defined the game over the past six years. You can't just ignore it. You have to play their game and whip their ass at it THEN you can change the rules to your game.

Take off the fucking gloves.

Think Progress - Senate Conservatives Aggressively Obstructing Critical Legislation:

"Senate conservatives in the 110th Congress are obstructing and blocking legislation at a rate more than double that of the past two Congresses combined.
.....

The legislation being blocked by right-wing senators has broad public support:

– Conservatives blocked debate on raising the minimum wage (54-43, Roll Call Vote #23)
– Conservatives blocked debate ethics reforms (Rejected 51-46, Roll Call Vote #16)
– Conservatives blocked debate on funding for renewable energy (Rejected 57-36, Roll Call Vote #223)
– Conservatives blocked a vote on funding for the intelligence community (Rejected 41-40, Roll Call Vote #130)
– Conservatives delayed legislation fulfilling the 9/11 Commission recommendations (Passed 97-0, Roll Call Vote #53)

Believe your eyes, then....

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A ray of hope... though it don't mean shit until it translates into votes.... I take that back, it does mean shit b/c these young'uns are attaching themselves to liberal/progressive ideas which are the best ideas at fostering a peaceful, responsible, educated, loving, lucrative future for this dirt ball we're stuck to.

MyDD :: Direct Democracy for People-Powered Politics:

I've been trying to track the transformational potential of the Bush presidency -- how the tenure of George W. Bush could change the electorate for decades to come to become significantly more Democratic -- for some time. Back before the election, for instance, I pointed to the argument that once political and partisan leanings are enshrined in young voters, as they appeared to be doing last fall, they tend stay with that cohort for as long as that cohort stays in the electorate.

Exit polling from last November's elections indicated that younger voters -- those age 18 to 29 -- were more likely than any other age group to vote for Democrats, backing Democratic House candidates over GOP candidates by a whopping 60 percent to 38 percent margin (up from 55 percent to 44 percent in the 2004 House elections). Subsequent polling undertaken by Pew back in January also indicated a decidedly Democratic and progressive lean to the group they labeled as 'generation next.' And now a new survey (.pdf) commissioned by The New York Times, CBS News and MTV finds that younger voters look a lot more Democratic and progressive than the electorate as a whole."

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god, I hate those liberal Hollywood jerks, using their time and money to prevent genocide. I mean, what kind of jackasses are these people?

Clooney's dreamy. I mean, he's no Fred Thompson with the smell and all, but....

Clooney: Cast raises millions for Darfur:

"UNITED NATIONS - 'Ocean's Thirteen' stars have donated $5.5 million to humanitarian efforts in Sudan's Darfur region, according to actor George Clooney.

Clooney told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Rome that he was joined by Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and producer Jerry Weintraub in raising $9.3 million for Darfur, most of which was contributed at a dinner during the film's premiere last month at the Cannes Film Festival.

Clooney said more than half the money has already been donated to various charities dealing with Darfur. He said his group wants to keep emptying and replenishing the coffers of the humanitarian organization they co-founded, called Not On Our Watch, to focus global attention on the plight of the 2.5 million civilians in Darfur who have fled their homes."

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Oh, what a true champ Kobayashi is turning out to be. He's going to play through the pain, maybe.

Hot-Dog Champ Is Coming to Brooklyn, Manager Insists:

"Takeru Kobayashi’s debilitating jaw pain has generated widespread speculation in the world of competitive eating that he might not be able to take part in the Nathan’s Famous July 4 International Hot-Dog Eating Contest next week — a competition he has won every year since 2001.

But The Times’s Tokyo bureau, which interviewed Mr. Kobayashi’s manager today, tells City Room that Mr. Kobayashi got treatment for his jaw problems today and intends to catch a flight to the United States on Thursday. The manager said that Mr. Kobayashi intends to take part in the Nathan’s contest on July 4 and in a Pizza Hut “Dare You to Still be Hungry” eating contest on July 10."

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Man, how drunk do you have to be to not know you've been shot in the head until the next morning.

It's great.... she took him to the hospital and only ran after then found the bullet. Did she think they wouldn't find it?

Florida man's headache mystery solved by a bullet:

"MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida man awoke with a severe headache and asked his wife to drive him to a hospital, where doctors found a bullet lodged behind his right ear, sheriff's deputies said.

'The nurse looked at him and said, 'It appears that you've been shot,'' the Fort Pierce Tribune quoted St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara as saying. 'And he said, 'No way.''

The wife, April Moylan, fled the emergency room when the bullet was discovered but later told deputies she had accidentally shot her husband as he slept early on Tuesday. She was jailed on a weapons violation charge while deputies pursued additional charges"

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Jaw Breaker

I want to say this is unbelievable... but I know that it is not.

Where there's smoke (coming from your house that was set a flame because you dare speak truth to Rove) there's fire.

Rovian Justice in the Banana Republic of Alabama:

"Wow. Go read this if you want to learn just how Rove wants to use the legal system to settle political scores. Of course, I’ve always felt that Alabama was really a third world banana republic run by the sort of folks who belong in John Grisham novels — but I digress.

And, apparently, it all would’ve worked perfectly but Dana Simpson, a Republican, had to open her mouth and blow the whistle. So now the Rovian mafioso-like intimidation begins:

The response to Simpson’s affidavit has been a series of brusque dismissive statements – all of them unsworn – from others who figured in the discussion and the federal prosecutor in the Siegelman case, who has now made a series of demonstrably false statements concerning the matter. She’s been smeared as “crazy” and as a “disgruntled contract bidder.” And something nastier: after her intention to speak became known, Simpson’s house was burned to the ground, and her car was driven off the road and totaled. Clearly, there are some very powerful people in Alabama who feel threatened. Her case starts to sound like a chapter out of John Grisham’s book The Pelican Brief.

Um, national media? National media where are you? This sounds like something you might want to look into — perhaps? Maybe?"

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People are pretty put off by Congress these days and for good reason. Democrats are working hard if not entirely smartly. Lord knows we still have to weed out a lot of fake Democrats and Liebercrats from our party to have a true progressive movement while at the same time battle the fucking evil that is the Republican party.

Remember when the Dems where in the minority and the Republicans kept threatening to use the 'nuclear option' which would have stripped the minority of most of their ability to participate in the government? Remember the constant threats that all bills and appointments deserved an up or down vote whenever the Dems considered a filibuster? Remember?

Well, these Republican fucks are using the filibuster daily now to prevent all kinds of progressive, smart, helpful bills from even coming to a vote.

These hypocritical bastards know how to do one thing and that's obstruct.

Screw the workers.

Senate Republicans block labor bil:

"WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked a bill that would allow labor unions to organize workplaces without a secret ballot election.

Democrats were unable to get the 60 votes needed to force consideration of the Employee Free Choice Act, ending organized labor's chance to win its top legislative priority from Congress."

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And remember all the carrying on about 'liberal activists judges' (who exists only in the Republican mind along with a liberal media and unicorns). That was a smoke screen for the REAL Neocon, activist judges being shoved down our throats. And because the Dems were too cowered to filibusters a lot of these fucks, we are now reaping the demon seed that was sown.

Both of these decisions are so outrageous and contrary to the founding principles of this country that I just want to break shit.

Court bars suit against faith-based plan

Court: Protecting trade secrets takes priority over election transparency:

"A Florida appeals court has upheld a lower court decision that denies requests for an independent source code audit of voting machines used by Florida's 13th district, which suffered election irregularities in a highly controversial congressional race. The appeals court has chosen to support a lower court decision which asserts that forcing voting machine maker Election Systems and Software (ES&S) to provide source code access to independent security auditors would amount to 'gutting the protections afforded those who own trade secrets.'"

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It's nice how we get to find out how terrible our government really is only after 20-30 years have passed. Kinda puts us in a perpetual state of suckiness, doesn't it. Can't ever learn from the fuck ups because by the time we learn about them it is too late.

Though, some of these scandals seem quaint to what Cheney/Rove/Rumsfield have put on the table.

CIA releases papers that set off scandal:

"WASHINGTON - The CIA released hundreds of pages of internal reports Tuesday on assassination plots, secret drug testing and spying on Americans that triggered a scandal in the mid-1970s.

The documents detail assassination plots against foreign leaders like Fidel Castro, the testing of mind- and behavior-altering drugs like LSD on unwitting citizens, wiretapping of U.S. journalists, spying on civil rights and anti-Vietnam war protesters, opening mail between the United States and the Soviet Union and China, break-ins at the homes of ex-CIA employees and others."

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I'm taken by eating contest for some reason. I think, probably, because its something that I physically just can't do. As someone who has shitty pipes and who constantly battles indigestion and heart-burn, I'm enamored by these folks who can shove massive amounts of food down their throats in short periods of time.

The competitive eating world suffered a huge blow recently when champion Kobayashi blew out his jaw.... no shit.

Japan's all-star speed eater suffers professional injury:

"A Japanese man who set a world record by wolfing down dozens of hot dogs within minutes has suffered a severe jaw injury due to his rigorous training, making his next title uncertain.

Takeru 'Tsunami' Kobayashi said he can only open his mouth to make a gap the size of a fingertip after being diagnosed with jaw arthritis.

In an entry on his blog entitled 'Occupational hazard,' Kobayashi said: 'My jaw refused to fight any more.'

The injury occurred only a week after the slender 29-year-old started training to win his seventh straight title at the annual July 4 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating event on New York's Coney Island.

'I feel ashamed that I couldn't notice the alarm bells set off by my own body,' he said. 'But with the goal to win another title with a new record, I couldn't stop my training so close to the competition."

I was really looking forward to whatching Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi battle it out this forth of July at the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest.

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But, I do have a local kid whose not doing it for money or glory... he's doing it because he can.

Inhuman Eating Machine: IEM Session #2- Battered and Fried- A Fish & Chips O.D.: "

I approached Inhuman Eating Machine (IEM) session #2 as if I was about to jump out of the tenth story of a burning building into one of those net-things the fire department uses. Even though I knew I must proceed, the prospect terrified me nonetheless. I had chosen fish and chips this time and I knew this could possibly be the greatest struggle I would face in my IEM career.

I have a very strong stomach. I willingly partake in foods spicier than most mortals, I eat street food in undeveloped countries, and I eat too much of everything. But despite all of this, I rarely, if ever, experience heartburn or an upset stomach. And I can count on one hand how many times I have vomited post toddler-hood. However, fried chicken and fried fish are 2 items that I cannot ingest with impunity. If I eat larger-than-average portions of either of those items, I start to feel not-so-fresh. It’s as if those items drain me of my life-force. They quash my chi. They are my Kryptonite."

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Dream Ticket

Sweet Home GoreObama.... The dream ticket for 2008. These two fella's could right a lot of wrongs. Watch it and feel damn sexy.

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Just in case you missed Mr. 26 percent.... Officially lower that Carter ever charted... 3 points away from Nixon.

The Raw Story | Bush's approval rating plunges to new low:

"US President George W. Bush's approval rating plunged to a new low of 26 percent, making him the least popular US president since Richard Nixon, a poll released on Thursday found."

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This entire post on C&L is a good one, but the historical quotes defining patriotism vs. nationalism are especially poignant.

Crooks and Liars - Responsibilities

The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does; the first attitude creates a feeling of responsibility, but the second a feeling of blind arrogance that leads to war. — Sidney J. Harris

Patriotism is a lively sense of collective responsibility. Nationalism is a silly cock crowing on its own dunghill and calling for larger spurs and brighter beaks. I fear that nationalism is one of England’s many spurious gifts to the world. — Richard Aldington

“Responsibility” seems to be a common theme:

What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national responsibility … a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. — Adlai Stevenson

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Jeezus, there's not any kind of war a Republican can't fuck up. War on terror, war on drugs.... the combo War on drerror in Afganistan....

U.N.: Afghan Opium Production Up:

"VIENNA, Austria — Afghanistan produced dramatically more opium in 2006, increasing its yield by nearly 50 percent from a year earlier and pushing global opium production to a new record high, a U.N. report said Tuesday.

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Ya got me real good girl and I must admit, you pack a pretty mean punch for such a purty little dish.

And its a shame to know most folks don't ever know love like this

Naked Couple Die From S.C. Rooftop Fall:

"Police on Wednesday were investigating how a naked couple fell 50 feet from the roof of a downtown office building to their deaths.

The bodies were found on the road by a passing cabdriver around 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Clothing was discovered on the roof, leading authorities to suspect the man and woman, in their early 20s, may have been having sex. Their identities were not released."

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DBT Week in Review - 6/25/07

I'm coming in contact with more and more great bands and the fine folk who comprise these bands through this blog. I've determined that I want to use the communicative power of this blog to spread the good word about these bands and people. Quite a few of these folks have been inspired by DBT as was I with the creation of AAW. Hang with me as I develop a best practice to do this.

However, I don't ever want to get in the business of being a music critic. Music is my joy and passion. Politics, media and the treatment of my fellow women and men are where my critical interests lie ( a big 'no d'uh' to those of you who read my normal Monday-Thursday posts).

I love music and I want those who are creating and trying to scratch a living from it and using it to benefit others, to teach others... I want all those folks to succeed. If I can assist them by using this blog to communicate their doin'ses then that's what I want to do... I think.... like I said, hang with me til I figure this out.

With that said, for whatever reason I said it (feel kinda rambly today), here are a couple of folks/bands who you should consider supporting via an album purchase or checking out a concert or by throwing a few dollars at one of their causes or by simply listening some of their tunes and spreading the word.

Lauderdale

Album: Lauderdale

Lauderdale MySpace

Corey (olwiggum from Nine Bullet's) is the bassists for this Florence, Alabama 3 piece. They've just cut a record that should be returning from the printer anytime now. Corey was kind enough to send me an advance copy and I've been listening to it pretty solid for the past week or so. I love it.

I love it because its good, goddamn music and because its part of the Muscle Shoals Sound revival that's taking place back home. DBT inspired a lot of young 'uns to take back the "Hit Making Capitol of the World" mantel and Mr. Isbell, making the Shoals his home base, is cultivating that inspiration. I'm real proud and excited about what's happening there musically.

From the early nineties rock inspired Wasted Life, to the partly Dave Matthewsesque 14 Seasons (one of my favs) to the remarkable up tempo ballad Breathless P.M. (also one of my favs) this ain't no garage sounding throw together. This is a solid rock album with well written songs and excellent musicality. Damn fine job, boys!

From Lauderdale's bio:

"Lauderdale began in early 2005, shortly after New Year's Eve. The sound is Rock and Roll without any pretensions. The band, born and raised in the Shoals area of North Alabama, is obviously deep rooted in Southern culture. The Muscle Shoals area has provided no shortage of influences for the band. A lot of the best and most successful music from the 60's and 70's was produced and engineered in the band's hometown. Lauderdale has also been influenced from a wide range of other musical genres as well. Taking mostly from folk, country, bluegrass and Americana, the band performs these styles with their own huge injection of guitar driven Rock and Roll. Their music is saturated with big, beautiful melodies and strong pop hooks with a true southern grace. "

Track Listing:

Intro
Wasted Life
Exhale
Falling
Breathless P.M.
18
Fireworks
Take Me Home
14 Seasons
Stateline
Back Home
Milemarker
Valentine
The Edge

The band is testing out some of the songs to see which for should stay on their MySpace page. Go over and cast your vote for the current crop in the comments section.

Oh yeah, Lauderdale is opening for the Sirens release show on July 10th:

Nine Bullets.org: :

Jason's new record, 'Sirens of the Ditch', is finally being released by New West Records on July 10th. There will be a CD release party in the Shoals on Saturday, July 7th at the Muscle Shoals Music Hall. Details about near-by hotels can be found in this thread on the message board. I also plan on adding directions about how to get to the Muscle Shoals Sound buildings (old and new), and how to get to FAME for those of you that may be coming from out of town and plan on killing a few hours before the show.

Also on the bill are 2 other Muscle Shoals bands, Lauderdale and Sons of Roswell.

Be there to get there early and see both of those bands. I'm in Lauderdale. :)
-Corey (olwiggum)"

I'll have more on these boys when later. Go check out their music and if you like, support them.

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Audra Brown

Album - Most Popular Misfit
Audra Brown MySpace
Audra Brown Website

Someone wise once said....

I'm beginning to appreciate the value of generations changing hands
Family ties and eyes and lips
Pass it down
Patterson Hood - I Understand Now

Ms. Audra Brown.

Born in 1991... yes, 1991. First major on stage singing performance was in 2003 with DBT... yes, with DBT... singing Zip City.

Audra's all of 15/16 and has just released her first album titled "Most Popular Misfit". In a move that had to be inspired by one of her mentors, Patterson Hood, Audra is currently back in the studio working on her 2nd album. Her first album came out 3 weeks ago. Now, that Rocks!

A bit about Audra from her bio:

Born in May of 1991, Audra grew up listening to her father's original songs. She got a heavy dose of southern southern rock and loved Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nirvana, Warren Zevon and the Drive-by Truckers. She started composing songs in the spring of 2003. She got to meet the Drive-by Truckers in May 2003 and quickly became friends with the band. Patterson Hood became her email pal, discussing rock and roll, his songs and growing up experiences with her. Then in October of 2003, the band asked her to sing their song Zip City on stage with them in Memphis at Newby's. It was a night to remember. This night was captured for all in a review published in the Memphis Flyer Issue 779. She had just begun teaching herself to play guitar but that night cemented her future of songwriting and playing live.

Audra sent me a copy of MPM, and, well, this ain't no thrown together record neither. It is really well produced and Audra has recruited some stellar talent to assist her.

What jumps out at ya is that Audra wrote every song on the album and the talent is very apparent on each and every song. Audra will be a force someday cause she already knows how to craft a tune. From the slow builder 'Drifter' to her rockingest tune 'Skeleton In The Closet' (can't wait to hear more like Skeleton from Audra) MPM has some gems on it and when she blows up in a few years will you have a copy of the rare to find Most Popular Misfit? You best get one.

Several of her songs have a hint of The Sundays.

So she's young yet wise beyond her years, an excellent songwriter, a fan of DBT and Jason Isbell.... what else could their possibly be?

Audra's socially active, involved in the Souther Girls Rock and Roll camp and she organized a fund raiser that benefited Wendy Musick of Southern Bitch.

I'm very excited about Audra's music and her passion to help people. We need more humans like this.

Go buy a record from Audra. Apparently her record company is pretty brutal about album sales. ;-D

From a recent email:

Thanks for helping me spread the word!! (My record company says I may be dropped if we do not sell 500 cd's) (My dad is my record company)

Tough world, eh?

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DBT

In studio pics on Patterson's Gibson Blog:

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Nine Bullets:

"After Fridays free outdoor show there's a bunch more new DBT fans in Richmond Virginia. The setlist could not have been better. Thankfully there was no story or anything before Two Daughters and A Beutiful Wife. That's still to fresh and maybe always will be.

We got the full blown 18 Wheels of Love and you could tell there were lots of people really hearing it for the first time. We got the full on Road Cases complete with The Story Of The Road Cases. Patterson was getting his best Springsteen on Very Happy Two new Cooley songs including a brand new one(Self Destructives Zones?) How does he do it? "

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Nine Bullets:

To those that have heard that the band has lost something recently, let me set the record straight: the band is fucking as good as ever. Neff absolutely ripped tonight. Granted, he looked quite 'cautious' at times, as my brother and I put it, but he nailed his leads and pulled off some nasty solos. It was really awesome to watch and everyone there noticed it. The band certainly answered my questions resoundingly tonight. I feel like a fool for ever doubting them. I don't know what did or didn't happen in Knoxville, but my experience in Myrtle Beach tonight was totally opposite from any negative review I heard about that show. "

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An Aquarium Drunkard - Patterson Hood’s Guide To Ath-fest:

"MP3: Patterson Hood :: Heavy And Hanging"

Myspace.com:

"Hey guys! We just posted three new songs, including two live and one outtake from The Dirty South. Check them out. Here are the notes Patterson wrote for each one: "

Shonna Tucker's home town turned 50 years old recently:

BEST BETS | TimesDaily.com | Times Daily | Florence, AL:

# Happy birthday to the town of Killen. To celebrate 50 years of incorporation, there will be a party 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday at Killen Town Park. Entertainment will be by Ted and the Casuals. All former employees and those involved with the town's incorporation will be honored. For details, call Barbara Austin at 757-1158."

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Jason Isbell

Here's a great in studio interview with Jason. He also plays acoustic 'Grown' and 'Dress Blues'

Isbell Interview

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blog.myspace.com/jasonisbellmusic:

"SPIN has a blurb about 'Sirens of the Ditch' in this months issue. They call it a 'gorgeously whiskey-soaked country-soul masterpiece.' Rocking the hyphens indeed. Thanks SPIN.

Also, I am very excited about passing the 100,000 play mark after only having the page up for three months. That's great. Thanks to everybody for listening.

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Nine Bullets.org:

Jason's new record, 'Sirens of the Ditch', is finally being released by New West Records on July 10th. There will be a CD release party in the Shoals on Saturday, July 7th at the Muscle Shoals Music Hall. Details about near-by hotels can be found in this thread on the message board. I also plan on adding directions about how to get to the Muscle Shoals Sound buildings (old and new), and how to get to FAME for those of you that may be coming from out of town and plan on killing a few hours before the show.

Also on the bill are 2 other Muscle Shoals bands, Lauderdale and Sons of Roswell.

Be there to get there early and see both of those bands. I'm in Lauderdale. :)
-Corey (olwiggum)"

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A montage interpretation of Whipping Post performance at the Bluebird cafe with Jason Isbell, Chris Tompkins, Gary Nichols with special guest Bo Bice.

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A couple of YouTubers trying their hand at 'Outfit'.

Outfit Cover #1

Outfit Cover #2

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The Drams

Tony is posting tour diaries:

the Drams:

"Firstly, I've gotta wrap up the last two days of the S. E. tour. We spent a good chunk of our off time at Jenn's and she's a saint for putting us up. But everyone already knew that. God bless Matt for tolerating us too! I would be a dino-dick if I did'nt mention the other folks in Athens who have become our extendo-family: Shayne(who gave us spiffy haircuts and rockin fried chicken, plus sass galore) and Todd(singer/songwriter deluxe who pours a mean shot), Fritz and Julie(who came to Macon for God sakes) at Tasy World, Jayne-Jayne-Jayne, sweet as can be. Matt T. for staying up and getting out of the house. Johnny Roulette and Ruthie, ever vigilant. Hell we even got blessed with getting to with Patterson, Becca and sweet little Ava! "

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Tequila Brad has got some great Dram's Videos on his MySpace

Tequila Brad's MySpace Dram's Videos

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Music

Festival of the Great Unknowns - Gadling:

"Here's a music festival to add to your list of things to do immediately, as in tomorrow. Or, if you can't swing that, keep it in mind for next year. It sort of fits between the Gadling's unusual festivals of the World or the Massively Huge Summer Music Fest Round-up. I just heard about it myself, and if it weren't for the Midwest, Oklahoma and Texas being so darned big, I'd hop in my car and head there myself."

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Via Naomi

Rude at Bonnaroo

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AMY'S WINE LIST

"We've grabbed a sneak preview of it, and it would go to the head of even the most notorious ligger.

On arrival Amy will be greeted with two bottles of Spanish red wine, a large bottle of vodka, a bottle of champagne and a bottle of brandy. Talk about a welcome pack!

Perhaps she's celebrating - again - her marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil, who she wed in a quickie ceremony in Miami last month.

Let's hope he is on-hand to prop her up when she performs, for before she goes on stage Amy and her band will have also glugged, puffed and chomped their way through the rest of the rider - one case of lager ('NOT Stella or Carling!'), 40 Marlboro Lights, a load of chocolate and three 'good quality' HOT pizzas."

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DBT WIR Delay

I'm feeling like ass times infinity today so the massive DBT Week in Review I had planned will be delayed until Monday.

In the meantime enjoy some hilarity introduced to me by the bestest, coolestest chick in the world, Ms. Jenn B.

First I give you Alexyss K. Tylor.

Behold the power of the penis and vagina. Wear your headsets on this one. Possibly some of the funniest shite every. It's a watch till the end must see.

"If you really want to earn your man you need to learn your man."



And here's the Remix:

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Next, also via Jenn, my favorite new cartoon:

Metalocalypse:

"Metalocalypse follows the exploits of the part-American/part-Scandinavian metal band Dethklok. Although the name is usually spelled 'Dethklok,' almost all of the band logos have it spelled as 'D�thkl�k.' Dethklok follows true-to-life metal styling, one example being their death metal-oriented song, 'Mermaider,' about 'mermaid murder.' They enjoy a popularity level unheard of in reality, being 'the twelfth largest economy on Earth.' They are so popular that their fans will do anything their songs tell them, even if it means death. If Dethklok endorses a company, it instantly becomes the only source for the product it happens to sell, as every competitor is quickly driven out of business. The band's unnatural popularity has attracted the attention of an Illuminati-style group, known as the Tribunal. Each episode sees this group attempt to covertly thwart the band by calling in various 'specialists', such as a 'military pharmaceutical psychotropic drug manufacturers', 'celebrity depression specialists' or various psychopaths that attempt to infiltrate the group."

[adult swim] | Metalocalypse - Meet the Band

C
heck out some of the episodes here:

Die For Dethklok: The Curse of Dethklok

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OK, I'm going back to bed. All y'all going to Athfest, have much fun.

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4Realz or Killer Sand

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Culture of life my ass.

Fuck!!! Goddammit!!! Fuck fuck FUCK!!!!!

US military: 14 troops killed in 2 days:

"BAGHDAD - The U.S. military said 14 American troops have died in several attacks in the past 48 hours, including five slain Thursday in a single roadside bombing that also killed four Iraqis in Baghdad."

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More blatant hypocrisy from the pro-lifers.

It's opposite world for these people. Whatever they say, they exact opposite is true.

So, Shrub vetoes a bill that 70% of the U.S. supports, a bill that has the potential to save millions of people from all kinds of diseases, a bill that support science and the administration's marionette has the gall to say....

Snow On Stem Cell Veto: ‘This Is The President Putting Science Before Ideology’:

"Faced with the opposition of nearly two-thirds of Americans, White House spokesperson Tony Snow today attempted to spin the veto as a positive development. Snow claimed that Bush has a “unique and unprecedented role” in supporting stem cell research, and attacked critics for “misstating” the administration’s policies, claiming that Bush was in fact “putting science before ideology.”

In an attempt to drum up support for less potent alternatives to embryonic stem cell research, Snow falsely characterized the science behind stem cell research, claiming scientists “are not even entirely sure about what the possible benefits of embryonic stem cells [are].” Watch it:"

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More goddamn lying from the marionette. Remember, opposite world.

Democrats call Tony Snow's Clinton-era White House e-mail allegations 'untrue':

"When asked Monday whether officials in the Bush White House had destroyed presidential records by failing to archive e-mails sent over Republican National Committee accounts, Press Secretary Tony Snow said that the current administration's preservation efforts were no different from those used by the administration of Bill Clinton. However, the Democratic National Committee begged to differ.

'That's simply untrue,' Stacie Paxton, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, told RAW STORY in a Tuesday phone call. 'Clinton White House officials did not have DNC e-mail accounts.'"

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Now there's just no reason to ever go back to the beach. The sunburn you'll get will lead to cancer.... go in the water and a shark will get you... now this.....

Why does science hate tasty waves so much?

Docs: Sand more deadly than sharks:

"ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Waves and sharks aren't the only dangers at the beach. More than two dozen young people have been killed over the last decade when sand holes collapsed on them, report father-and-son doctors who have made warning of the risk their personal campaign."

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If I may suggest an alternative: Fo' Realz or B Fo' Realz.

I'm really glad that they got rejected because I'm so going to name my child this:

N.Z. couple can't name their son '4real':

"WELLINGTON, New Zealand - New Zealand authorities have blocked a couple's bid to officially name their new son '4real,' saying numerals are not allowed.

Pat and Sheena Wheaton said they decided to name their new baby '4real' shortly after having an ultrasound and being struck by the reality of his impending arrival."

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Wild Ride

She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie....

or

Lost my house, lost my car, lost my job working on Guiliani's campaign....

Uh.

Cocaine. (insert guitar riff)

Unless you're a Republican.

Meet Rudy Guiliani's South Carolina campaign chairman. He likes the powder.... a lot.

State treasurer suspended after drug charges

Gov. Mark Sanford has suspended state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel after it was announced Tuesday the Charleston Republican had been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent distribute cocaine.

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The only money I ever want to use. The godless kind.

Mint releases more 'godless' dollars

PHILADELPHIA — It looks like the U.S. Mint has struck again — or not struck again, depending on how you look at it. New dollar coins featuring John Adams are missing edge inscriptions including "In God We Trust," according to the Professional Coin Grading Service, a rare coin authentication company based in Newport Beach, Calif.

The company said people have found hundreds of Adams dollar coins without the edge lettering, repeating a previous mistake. In March, an unknown number of George Washington dollar coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint without "In God We Trust," "E Pluribus Unum," and the year and mint mark inscribed on the edge.

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Let's see.... health care, wages and education... all Democratic issues... very important issues, wouldn't you say?

Red States are at the bottom of each..... yep, that's about right.

You get the governments you vote for.

Red States not doing so well on health care, wages and education

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Speaking of Red States....

....and don't get me wrong. I was born and raised in a Red State. Plenty of very good damn people in Red States. But there is a need to point out the rampant hypocrisy that occurs in the Republican led states.

Sanctity of marriage my ass.

Daily Kos: Bigots lose in Massachusetts

Update: Look at the pernicious effect gay marriage is having on marriage in Massachusetts! (From MikeBaseball in the comments)

PRESIDENT Bush and Vice President Cheney make reference to "Massachusetts liberals" as if they were referring to people with some kind of disease. I decided it was time to do some research on these people, and here is what I found.

The state with the lowest divorce rate in the nation is Massachusetts. At latest count it had a divorce rate of 2.4 per 1,000 population, while the rate for Texas was 4.1.

But don't take the US government's word for it. Take a look at the findings from the George Barna Research Group. George Barna, a born-again Christian whose company is in Ventura, Calif., found that Massachusetts does indeed have the lowest divorce rate among all 50 states. More disturbing was the finding that born-again Christians have among the highest divorce rates [...]

The Associated Press, using data supplied by the US Census Bureau, found that the highest divorce rates are to be found in the Bible Belt. The AP report stated that "the divorce rates in these conservative states are roughly 50 percent above the national average of 4.2 per thousand people." The 10 Southern states with some of the highest divorce rates were Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. By comparison nine states in the Northeast were among those with the lowest divorce rates: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

It's the difference between people who embrace love, and those who seek to politicize and demonize it.

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This happened a week ago and it got lost in the shuffle.

I use to watch Mr. Wizard. RIP Mr. Wizard

TV's 'Mr. Wizard' Don Herbert Dies at 89:

"Don Herbert, who as television's 'Mr. Wizard' introduced generations of young viewers to the joys of science, died Tuesday. He was 89. Herbert, who had bone cancer, died at his suburban Bell Canyon home, said his son-in-law, Tom Nikosey.

'He really taught kids how to use the thinking skills of a scientist,' said former colleague Steve Jacobs. He worked with Herbert on a 1980s show that echoed the original 1950s 'Watch Mr. Wizard' series, which became a fond baby boomer memory."

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Another story lost in the shuffle.

Mich. man in wheelchair takes wild ride:

"RAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A 21-year-old man got the ride of a lifetime when his electric wheelchair became lodged in the grille of a semitrailer and was pushed down a highway for several miles at about 50 mph.

Ben Carpenter was unharmed but was taken to a hospital as a precaution. He had been secured to his wheelchair by a seat belt. Carpenter, who has muscular dystrophy, told a television station that he thought he might not make it through the ride.

'I was probably thinking that this is going to keep going and not stop anywhere, 50 or 60 miles somewhere,' he told WOOD-TV of Grand Rapids.

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4000 Pounds of Hongry

Al Gore Is Getting Hot...

In here. I hope he doesn't take off all his clothes... OK, enough with Nelly, but I do hope that Gore runs. He's my only candidate of choice at the moment.

How can you not love this man that speaketh thusly:

Reason, logic, knowledge, evidence - these all may play a diminished role in our conversation of democracy today. But when enough people lock into the same narrative and connect the same dots and feel the danger facing their children, then these objections will be set aside. They will be. And we're close. We're not there yet. But we're close.

"Reason, logic, knowledge, evidence"... oh baby! Makin' me hot in here.

Changing the pattern that causes people to sit in traffic jams for an hour and a half every day is not a sacrifice, it's an enhancement. Changing the assumption that it's perfectly natural to take 4,000 pounds of metal with us everywhere we go doesn't have to be a sacrifice. Whether it's ultralight, ultrasafe vehicles or plug-in hybrid technology or some better alternative that is still on the drawing boards, let's have at it. Will there come a time when harder choices or more difficult and painful choices have to be made? Probably. But the sacrifices associated with not doing it completely overwhelm whatever difficulty might eventually be involved in making this transformation.

Here are a couple of Draft Gore site:

DRAFT GORE: AL GORE FOR PRESIDENT 2008

Draft Gore 2008 PAC | Grassroots Organizing Really Early

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Henry has got a really good show on IFC. I don't watch it as often as I should but whenever I do I'm always impressed by how smart it is. Smart TV needs support.

Sic 'em, Henry:

Henry Rollins 'Tees Off' on Halliburton-style privatization:

"Punk singer-songwriter Henry Rollins took on Iraq War profiteers on his Independent Film Channel show this Saturday.

'The invasion and occupation of Iraq and the resulting nightmare we are enduring are for some a depressing, ongoing catastrophe with no end in sight,' he said. 'Yet for another group, it is the best thing that could ever happen. ... The corporations that provide services to the military are making more money in this time than ever before. Troop withdrawal is not in their interest.'

'Why not bring that overpriced roadshow here to America and treat the citizens to a little of that privatized efficiency?' Rollins went on. 'I'm sure KBR knows what to do with my freedom a lot better than I do. Might as well privatize that, too. Keep it up, Cheney. All you're doing is emboldening me.'"

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Democracy, schemocracy.

When you elect people who don't believe in government, well, then you get people that ignore the rule of law.

Government watchdog says Bush ignored law after 30% of signing statements

The Government Accountability Office issued a report showing that US government agencies ignored Congressional legislation on 30% of the occasions when President George W. Bush issued a 'presidential signing statement' after signing bills into law. The report was released today by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
.....

"The White House cannot pick and choose which laws it follows and which it ignores. When a president signs a bill into law, the president signs the entire bill. The Administration cannot be in the business of cherry picking the laws it likes and the laws it doesn't," the President Pro Tempore of the Senate said. "This GAO opinion underscores the fact that the Bush White House is constantly grabbing for more power, seeking to drive the people's branch of government to the sidelines....We must continue to demand accountability and openness from this White House to counter this power grab."

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What the fuck is the matter with this country's priorities?

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Wasted away again on Sesame Street

Bill Moyers. One of the last media good guys..... discussing the Scooter apologists.

Bill Moyers: Begging his pardon:

We have yet another remarkable revelation of the mindset of Washington's ruling clique of neoconservative elites-the people who took us to war from the safety of their Beltway bunkers. Even as Iraq grows bloodier by the day, their passion of the week is to keep one of their own from going to jail.

It is well known that I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby-once Vice President Cheney's most trusted adviser-has been sentenced to 30 months in jail for perjury. Lying. Not a white lie, mind you. A killer lie.

Scooter Libby deliberately poured poison into the drinking water of democracy by lying to federal investigators, for the purpose of obstructing justice."

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No comment other than, isn't New Orleans part of the United States?

New Orleans turns to international aid:

"NEW ORLEANS -- The cash-strapped city of New Orleans is turning to foreign countries for help to rebuild as federal hurricane-recovery dollars remain slow to flow.

Kenya Smith, director of intergovernmental relations for Mayor Ray Nagin, said city leaders are talking with more than five countries. He wouldn't identify the countries, saying discussions were in the early stages. But he said the city is 'very serious' about pursuing foreign help."

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Later that evening, the baby punched the manager of the Applebee's in the nose when he tried take away the margarita then started crying uncontrollably that no body loves him. Soon after he tried to grab all the waitresses boobs.

Baby was wasted away again in.....

Toddler Served Margarita in a Sippy Cup

A toddler who was served a margarita at a restaurant earlier this week is doing well, and investigators say the incident appears to have been an accident. Police say 2-year-old Julian Mayorga ordered apple juice but instead received an alcoholic beverage in a covered, plastic sippy cup on Monday night at an Applebee's franchise in Antioch, between San Francisco and Sacramento.

The boy's mother, Kim Mayorga, said she noticed Julian making funny faces and pushing away his cup. She opened the lid and was hit by the smell of tequila and Triple Sec. The toddler grew drowsy and started vomiting a few hours later and was rushed to the hospital.

"I wasn't going to make a big deal about it," the mother said Thursday, "but then he got sick."

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Wait, did I get sentenced to this same fate but nobody told me?

Judge orders man not to have girlfriend:

"PETERBOROUGH, Ontario - A judge has ruled that a 24-year-old Canadian man is not allowed to have a girlfriend for the next three years."

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DBT Week in Review - 6/15/07

Today's DBT WIR is going to be a bit different. Instead of the usual DBT/Jason/Drams/Music News I'm going to throw together a hodge-podge of different music and music related articles. A stew of music news, if you will... and you will.

One DBT note: The boys and lady are in the studio recording up some mighty fine goodness. Word has it that things are going great. Oh boy, I can't wait for this album.

Wheeler at Alablawg is closing shop and has written some parting posts. The saddest came recently with this disclosure.

Goodbye Part III, Stuff I Never Got To Do - The Alablawg:

"Alabama things I always wanted to do, but never got around to doing.

See DBT. They’re in town every year right after Thanksgiving. We’re always in town, too, but I’ve never made the show. Mostly because we always have turkey day at our house, which means out of town guests with whom I want to spend time. Hence, no show."

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Hilarious thread on Nine Bullets. The question asked; "If Weird Al did a DBT song". May favorite is below but all submissions are worth a look.

Nine Bullets:

"Puttin' Puddin' On The Spoon?"

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I would like to be this dude just for one day.

Via Scott Jenkins on the DBT Yahoo Group.

glumbert.com - Guitar never seemed so hard

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Dirty needles and......

Cheap Cocaine: It's a 'Social Thing':

"Thirty-six years after President Nixon declared a 'war on drugs,' cocaine remains thoroughly in demand and it's as cheap and trendy as ever.

'Coke's a social thing, and I always pair it with alcohol,' said a 25-year-old Los Angeles woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, to ABC News."

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I've admitted to a few man crushes on this blog. Apparently the term has entered the national lexicon.

Summer sizzles for Man Crushes -- and there's nothing wrong with that

We're talking, of course, about a Man Crush -- the completely non-sexual feelings that develop when one heterosexual male finds another dude to be so cool that Guy No. 1 wants to spend as much time as possible with Guy No. 2. Aristotle had a Man Crush on Plato. Richie Cunningham had a Man Crush on the Fonz. And for the entire month of April and part of May, everyone in the Bay Area with a Y chromosome had a Man Crush on Golden State Warriors star Baron Davis.

The Man Crush has always been a delicate subject among straight men, with a very complicated rule set. It's considered OK to spontaneously proclaim your love for an NFL quarterback when he just scored a touchdown. It's not cool to point out that Bob from human resources always looks nice in that blue sweater. It's socially acceptable to have a poster of a shirtless and sweaty James Hetfield from Metallica on your wall, but never a half-naked or even fully clothed picture of Orlando Bloom.

But we're at a crucial point in Man Crush history, where a perfect storm of events could make it possible for even the most insecure guy to proclaim his undying like for his fellow man.

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We can't find bin Laden, but we can find Lou Pearlman. *sigh*

Boy-band mogul Lou Pearlman to appear before federal judge:

"Lou Pearlman, the Orlando boy-band mogul, was taken into custody by the FBI early this morning in Indonesia."

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Don't know anything about this book, but the friend request came through this week and the title caught my eye. If anyone has read it and can give a thumbs up or down, leave a comment.

www.myspace.com/theboywhocriedfreebird

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Al Gore is a badass:

Antarctica Cements Act for Gore’s Live Earth:

In an effort to fulfill his promise of a concert on every continent for his “Live Earth” event on July 7 to 8, Al Gore approached the British Antarctic Survey in February to explore the possibility of flying a band in to its Courtesy British Antarctic Survey Rothera Research Station in Antarctica.

No, he was told, July is mid-winter in Antarctica, and no planes or boats can get in or out.

But all was not lost. BAS officials told Gore that a band was already in place on the South Pole. BAS press representative Linda Capper told blogger Tim Slagle, “We have a house band — five of our science team. They are very good indie rock-folk fusion. The remaining 17 will be the audience on location.”

They’ve never played in front of an audience. To make matters worse, the band, named after a Greenlandic word for “summit,” will be playing outside on the ice, where temperatures could be as low as minus ten degrees Celsius. One of their colleagues will film the performance for broadcast on TV and the Internet"

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To Kill a Dirty Word

My oft harangued home state deserves a lot of the shit flung its way. Shitty politicians, race issues, fundamentalist preventing beer on tap and titty clubs, inflexibility, etc, etc. (N.B. I do reserve the right to punch you square in the mouth if you talk shit about her and aren't a product of an Alabama womb).

But I'm a firm believer that negative extremes often produce a fertile ground for the equal and opposite extreme to develop... especially in the arts. You need pressure and conflict and the world working against you to produce superior art.

Not only in the arts, though. There's a reason the best Marines are produced on Paris Island in South Carolina. The place is a hell hole. You want a superior soldier? Train them in the worst possible conditions, then.

Anyway, it has always been a pleasure of mine to know that one of the most popular American novels was written by an Alabamian and that that novel's power is in its ability to positively influence people's view regarding bias and injustice.

2nd most popular book in the U.S. next to the Bible. Get some of that!

Alabama town uses "Mockingbird" to learn from past

U.S. readers often cite it as their favorite novel. It ranked second only to the Bible in a reader survey of books that had affected them the most. Library Journal voted it the novel of the 20th century.

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This report was produced by the Bush administration. It doesn't even mention the issues with gun control and points the finger at privacy laws. Do you get that? Privacy laws were what caused the rampage at Virgina Tech.

I'm sorry, but that's about the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard. I work with privacy laws every damn day in a University setting. This 'report' is a bullshit attempt to take more of your privacy away by this gestapo of an administration.

This shit makes my blood boil. The laws ain't the problem. If, per Mike Leavitt below, "People don't understand what they can share and what they can't share" is true, then its not the laws fault. Its the damn lazy fucks in charge who don't take the time to educate themselves and their employees on those laws. And trust me, Academia in the U.S. is fraught with lazy, fat cat bureaucrats who actively work against any type of innovation because they don't want to change their Luddite ways.

Absolute bullshit.

Virginia Tech report faults privacy laws:

"'People don't understand what they can share and what they can't share,' said Mike Leavitt, the secretary of Health and Human Services."

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SiCKO going to be BIG. It's time to crush these greedy fuck medical insurance companies. They practice 'preventative healthcare'. It is their goal to prevent you from getting healthcare because it will cost them money.

Daily Kos: *UPDATED*: Nurses Give Moore, SiCKO 8-minute Standing Ovation:

"Yes I timed it.

After yesterday's national debut of SiCKO, 1,000 nurses from the California Nurses Association and across the country rose as one, roared, and continued roaring for 8 full minutes. I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes at the same time, and so did everyone else in the theater."

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Put this in the "news that should not be news" category. Spielberg makes movies, right? Who gives a fuck who he endorses, then? Is the Stars Wars voting contingency waiting to hear from Lucas on who they should vote for in '08? I shan't be voting for Jar-Jar.

Gee, I'm waiting to see who Paris Hilton endorses (probably herself).

It. Doesn't. Fucking. Matter.

Clinton Gets Endorsement From Spielberg:

"NEW YORK — Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton has won the endorsement of film producer and director Steven Spielberg, ending a tug-of-war between Clinton and Barack Obama for the Hollywood heavyweight's affections."

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The liberal media that isn't:

For seven hours, MSNBC hosted only conservatives and reporters to discuss immigration:

"During the seven hours of the June 11 edition of MSNBC Live (9 a.m.-4 p.m. ET), 15 segments aired about immigration or the Senate immigration bill, none of which featured a Democratic or progressive commentator. Indeed, in nine of the 15 segments, the anchor interviewed a conservative anti-immigration activist who had opposed the bill -- including six separate solo interviews with MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan. The remaining six segments consisted of two panels with Buchanan and conservative activist and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Tamar Jacoby (who, alone among the guests, favored the recent immigration bill), an interview with Congressional Quarterly immigration reporter Michael Sandler, an interview with MSNBC terrorism analyst Joe Cantamessa, and two reports from MSNBC congressional correspondent Mike Viqueira."

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Fuuuuuuuuucckkkkkk....k........kk.....k

You Are So F--ing Obscene / The president says it, you say it, your kids say it all the time. So what's the f--ing problem?

Let us now recap: Since 2003, BushCo's own nipple-terrified regulatory agency has been working like a prudish little ferret to destroy perceived indecency, particularly those "fleeting expletives" that love to pop up in major media, threatening to fine any network roughly $5 bazillion for any appearance of the dreaded "f--" or "s--" or anything else that causes unusual tingling sensations anywhere in the pallid body of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.

Dismissed as eye-rollingly idiotic by every cunning linguist in existence, this absurdly strict rule nevertheless caused enormous panic and trepidation among generally spineless network honchos who immediately shifted programming and yanked uncut versions of "Saving Private Ryan" from broadcast and fired on-air talent for the slightest indiscretion and desperately called their lawyers in prayer. It was, to put it simply, f--ing ugly.

Fast-forward to now. A New York appeals court just told Bush's hard-line FCC that they are, in essence, a bunch of simpleminded out-of-touch dweebmonkeys and that the TV networks, while morally vacant in nearly every way imaginable, still cannot be held to such impossible standards when such juicy curse words are a common element of everyday speech, including that of President "Stop This S--" Bush and Dick "Go F-- Yourself" Cheney and just about every other being anywhere, with the possible exception of the ghost of my late grandmother.

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Creationism Porno

Given that the below Wall Street Journal link uses math and statistics and some science... and we all know that math and statistics and science are evil and that they hate America and that they make the fundies poop their pants because Dog... I mean god doesn't clearly state that this is factual in the Bible along with all of those other hard and fast truths that make the Bible such delicious fun.....

Given all those things, check out which President since Truman is the only President to finish their time in office with a higher approval rating than when they started. (h/t Kos)

WSJ.com

Blow jobs are cool!

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Speaking of blow jobs and fundies.... Do these people ever vet anyone properly?

The Raw Story | Creationist actor's porno past:

In a video shown at a new museum purporting to demonstrate how God created the universe, actor Eric Linden portrays Adam breathing life's first breath.

A jaunt around the Internet shows Linden posing alongside a drag queen on an explicit Web site he owned called Bedroom Acrobat, the Associated Press reports. The Web site allows its network of members to post explicit stories and photos, AP reports.

"A native of Columbus, Ohio, Linden now lives in Los Angeles and told AP that he handed off control of the Bedroom Acrobat site. He told AP he has great respect for the founders of the Creation Museum.

Yeah, he has great respect for the big ass check they cut him.

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The final frontier......

Trickle of Planet Discoveries Becomes a Flood:

"Alien worlds, once hidden from knowledge, are now being discovered in droves, stunning astronomers with their unique features and sheer numbers. The discoveries are so common that more and more don't even get reported outside scientific circles."

...And we better figure out toot-sweet how the hell to quickly get to one of these new planets because we are letting this one go to shit.

Hey, but at least corporate profits and CEO pay are at all time highs. I mean, hell, we could have taxed some of that money and had the vision to repair or replace this satellite but, pfffft, the market will save us from the hurricanes, right? Right?!?

Hurricane satellite could fail anytime:

"MIAMI - An aging weather satellite crucial to accurate predictions on the intensity and path of hurricanes could fail at any moment and plans to launch a replacement have been pushed back seven years to 2016.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's chief said the failure of the QuikScat satellite could bring more uncertainty to forecasts and widen the areas that are placed under hurricane watches and warnings.

If the satellite faltered, experts estimate that the accuracy of two-day forecasts would suffer by 10 percent and three-day forecasts by 16 percent, which could translate into miles of coastline and the difference between a city being evacuated or not.

'We would go blind. It would be significantly hazardous,' said Wayne Sallade, emergency manager in Charlotte County, which was hit hard by Hurricane Charley in 2004."

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At least we can take solace that China seems to be embracing our same commitment to excellence.

Two jailed after bridge built by blind man collapses:

"BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese court has jailed two officials after they let a blind contractor build a bridge which collapsed during construction and injured 12 people, the official Xinhua news agency said Monday."

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After re-reading the post I noticed that I didn't use the word "fuck" anywhere and that makes me uncomfortable, so....

Fuck, fuckity fuck-fuck.

There, much better.

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The Angry Yoga

Here's an update on the Genarlow Wilson case I blogged about yesterday:

Judge: No 10-year sentence for teen sex :

"ATLANTA - A Georgia judge ordered the release Monday of a man sentenced to 10 years in prison for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17.

I can't help but to think that, in this fucked-up universe we live in, Paris Hilton somehow helped Genarlow. Her early released certainly generated national attention to Genarlow's plight.

Maybe some serious class injustice is occasionally needed to point out where the real fuck-ups are.

The judge did make a fair observation in his ruling. Good on him.

'If this court or any court cannot recognize the injustice of what has occurred here, then our court system has lost sight of the goal our judicial system has always strived to accomplish ... justice being served in a fair and equal manner,' the judge wrote."

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Speaking of 'justice'....

Shrub has been packing the Justice Department with two bit lawyers from Pat Robertson's Regent "University". This is a 4th tier law school. These ' christian lawyers' are the very definition of hacks. These are the people entrusted with protecting the constitution; yours and my rights defined under that constitution.

So one would figure that if Shrub has so much confidence in these 4th tier, hardly-a-real-law-school graduates, hacktacular JD's, that he would employ them for his own legal defense, right? Put your money where your mouth is, right? Good for the goose, good for the gander, right?

Wrong.

The American Prospect:

SO HELP ME IVY. The Post reports that President Bush is beefing up his besieged White House legal team with some crack lawyers to defend the administration against a variety of congressional inquiries. As the Post's Peter Baker notes, all eight [of the newly-hired attorneys] received degrees from Ivy League schools or from West Point.

So, when it comes to policy-making over at the so-called Justice Department, a Regent University law degree, like the one held by Monica 'I may have crossed the line' Goodling and a battalion of other fundies, suffices. But when it comes to protecting the president's backside, apparently a divine legal degree is no substitute for an East Coast elite Ivy School pedigree."

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Stupid is as stupid does.

Gallup: Majority of Republicans doubt evolution

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I've practiced yoga and I agree with this pronouncement:

Yoga May Help Treat Depression, Anxiety Disorders:

"THURSDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- Yoga's postures, controlled breathing and meditation may work together to help ease brains plagued by anxiety or depression, a new study shows.

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I practice anger and I agree with this pronouncement:

Anger Fuels Better Decisions:

"The next time you are plagued with indecision and need a clear way out, it might help to get angry, according to a surprising new study.

Despite its reputation as an impetus to rash behavior, anger actually seems to help people make better choices—even aiding those who are usually very poor at thinking rationally. This could be because angry people base their decisions on the cues that 'really matter' rather than things that can be called irrelevant or a distraction."

If I ever open a bar I'll call it The Angry Yoga... or maybe The Angry Stretch.

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Dirty, Dirty Words

This came across MySpace bulletins this morning. Even if you didn't know Chris I'm sure you can agree that this is a ridiculous ruling by this management company. How they have the gall to tell you or I how we can memorialize, celebrate and/or grieve someone is outrageous.

The phone number and email are in the post below. Be nice but direct in your opposition to this stupid fucking rule.

But, do call or email where ever you may live:

Hi Everyone,

Those of you who knew Chris and have visited his gravesite over the years are aware that there have always been mementos left there for him: pictures, notes, guitar picks, drum sticks, purple daisies, handmade jewelry, and everything in-between. The list goes on…

Apparently, the Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens has passed some rule that you can only leave things in a vase. As of June 1, they have every intention of picking up and throwing away anything and everything that "isn't in a vase.”

If we do nothing, everything will be gone. Worse yet, we won’t be able to share those things which embody love or spirit or comfort with Chris, who was so wonderful and giving when it came to sharing all of those things with us.

And don't forget that if we stand by quietly and let that happen, we may see nothing of each other to remind ourselves of why we are there in the first place.

I called, and they promised me that Chris's things could be held for a few days until one of his parents could pick them up. That was all I could negotiate for the short-term situation, and yet it's still a better deal than those who are going there today, only to find the place bare and all of their treasured keepsakes in barrels and on their way to the dump.

The manager's name is Brian Sparks. He works for a company called SCI. They bought the place circa 2000. The e-mail addy they gave me for him is:
Bryansparks@sci-us.com

Please e-mail him and tell him how you find this policy ridiculous, or take a moment to explain what compassion is, or maybe just tell him how Chris made a difference in your life and ask what, exactly, is the problem with a guitar pick and a daisy sitting side-by-side at a grave. And then please call them and do the same. Make sure your voice is heard. If enough of us call to object, it could make a difference. Call them at 256-764-7542.

Do whatever's right for you, but please do it. No matter what, please do something...anything. If we fill the manager's e-mail box and ring their phone off the hook, we have a good chance of making that difference. There are enough of us.

You know it’s worth it.
Best to all of you , the Fiddleworms

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This news is a few days old now, but the video is PRICELESS!

A true Alabama Ass Whuppin caught on tape...

Why are republicans so damn angry?

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That the name "Paris Hilton" would ever shit stain this blog has always been something I've tried to avoid. But, this recent bat shit looniness of the MSM covering Paris' little jail sentence has pissed me the fuck off..... even more than usual:

Check this out:

VIDEO COMPILATION: The Assault On Reason, Paris Hilton Edition:

"The media’s latest “serial obsession” focuses on Paris Hilton’s jail sentence. On Friday, MSNBC abruptly cut away from coverage of Gen. Peter Pace’s replacement (with producers screaming in the background) to return to Paris Hilton. A CNN anchor proudly called the station “the most trusted name in Paris news,” and during Friday’s broadcast of Katie Couric’s CBS Evening News, “the Paris Hilton ‘news’ got more coverage on CBS than a roadside bomb killing a U.S. soldier, the immigration legislation, and passage of the stem-cell bill combined — times two.”"

oy fucking vay.

But, hey, at least Paris can take solace in the fact that she doesn't live in Georgia.... or is a black male.... who, when he was 17 had consensual oral sex with a 15 y.o. girl.... then received 10 yearsin prison.....

Daily Kos: Paris Hilton VS Genarlow Wilson:

Wilson was an honor student & standout football player at Douglas County High and was being recruited by colleges like Brown & Columbia, but all of that was taken away. Under Georgia law this was considered aggravated child molestation & was subject to a ten year mandatory sentence, since the girl was one year away from the age of consent
......

There is a website, WilsonAppeal.com, which has contact info & information on how to help Genarlo Wilson.

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How does a dirty word get that way?

They were born that way, for the most part. Fuck has always been an offensive word, though its exact origin is unclear. It's related to words in Dutch, German, and Swedish, and the etymological meaning has to do with moving back and forth. The first known evidence of the term is found in an English and Latin poem from before 1500 that satirized the Carmelite friars of Cambridge, England. In the line "Non sunt in coeli, quia gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk," the author replaced each letter of the unprintable words with the succeeding letter in the alphabet: "They [the friars] are not in heaven, since they fuck wives of Ely."* (Remember that the alphabet at the time was different, and that i was also j, v was also u, and vv was w. Thus gxddbov produces fvccant, a fake Latin word taken to mean "fuck.")

Since then, fuck has remained consistently offensive, though it has lost some of its original punch. The word only developed its nonsexual meanings in the late 19^th century. (You can find that usage in Civil War court-martial records, for instance.) The word became much more widely used after World War I and now, along with shit, accounts for half the swearing that goes on in public. At this point, even our president and vice president will use it casually in its nonsexual sense. In March 2002, Bush interrupted a meeting Condoleezza Rice was holding and yelled, ""Fuck Saddam. We're taking him out!" And Dick Cheney famously said "Go fuck yourself" to Patrick Leahy on the floor of the Senate.

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