99 Problems

Light blogging the next couple of days due to travel.

The people who run my home state are the stupidest fucks on the planet.

Rove's petri dish.

Fox News, Alabama Attorney General team up against ‘voter fraud’:

"Today, Alabama Attorney General Troy King and Fox News’ Eric Shawn collaborated on live television to combat the scourge of vote-buying in King’s home state, and nationwide.

In the exchange, King observes, on questioning from Shawn, that investigations have revealed that fraud and “systemic corruption” are occurring in Democratic counties in Alabama, but at the same time can’t be pinpointed to one particular political party."

________

But 'there's a lot of good folk down there' and Black Warrior River Keeper is one of them.

Check out this badass PSA from BWRK featuring the Flaming Lips.

Flaming Lips and RIVERKEEPER

_______

Kristol: ‘Republicans are much more open to strong women.’

Yeah, because when the mule kicks over they'll need a strong woman to hitch the plow to.

Laura Bush is a beacon of strength.

Kristo the Moron.

_______

But as Jay-Z says "99 Problems but a bitch ain't one"

Crazy Jay-Z from Glastonbury. First he leads the audience in sing-a-long to Wonderwall then bust into '99 Problems' with some Aerosmith mixed in. (OK, Anon in the comments corrected my 5:30 a.m. blogging brain. AC/DC. Thanks for the catch, Anon! I need some Red Bull)

Worth a watch:

_______
_____
___

DBT Week in Review - 6/27/08

This article reminds us how important it is to support local and live music acts and support them by putting cash directly into their pockets.

High fuel prices put brakes on indie band tours:

"On the grass-roots level, cost has always been a concern for touring bands. But the nearly $2,500 in gas Garcia and his two bandmates would have had to pay just to make it to Vancouver, Canada, and back was too much to overcome."

Per Mr. Hood:

The Media Equation - Live Music Thrives as CDs Fade - NYTimes.com:

"“This is by far our best record, if you ask me, so the tickets for shows are doing really well,” said Mr. Hood, sounding very much like an old label hand. “But then, the gas prices are killing us.”"

_______

Ms. Jenn done gone and put up some new tour dates.

Drive-By Truckers - Tour Dates

_______

dbts : Message: DBT Sactown: A Great (but long) Story:

"A bit less than two months ago I lost my younger brother....just 26 years old.

We saw a bunch of DBT shows together, including my personal favorite: a raucous DBT-only Kansas City show in the middle of the Black Crowes tour a couple years ago. We both though '72' was the best song on Southern Rock opera....probably b/c we understood it from making the drive from Memphis to Huntsville on Hwy 72 innumerable times over the years to visit family. Once we got turned on to DBT that tune became an integral part of the drive and a powerful connection between us."

_______

DBT and the Pie Man.

________

YouTube - "Ronnie and Neil" Drive-By Truckers cover/slideshow:

"The Harmony Motel interprets 'Ronnie and Neil' by the Drive-By Truckers. Hope y'all enjoy it."

_______

The begining of Goddamned loneliness is high hilarity.

YouTube - Goddamned loneliness

More from the Rev.

YouTube - Wifebeater

_______

The Drams

For Jess Bar. His family holds a controlling interest in the tiny equine market. Such revolution may drastically effect his lucrative pony trust fund.

Remember to poke some breathing holes, Jess!

Tiny Shetland island declares independence

_______

Sons of Roswell

Check out the new tune with Dylan if you haven't already.

MySpace.com - Sons of Roswell - Muscle Shoals, Alabama - Rock / Indie / Psychedelic - www.myspace.com/sonsofroswell

Shows:

Tonight: Tuscaloosa, AL - Egan's - It's probably FREE again, it's Ashfest... Good times, definitely

Saturday: Birmingham, AL - The Nick - w/ Rockets to Ruin

Next week we are playing the Freedom of Spirit Celebration at McFarland Park in Florence, AL. Skid Row is also playing. It will be interesting for sure. USA! USA!

Other than those annoucements, there's really not a lot going on at the moment, we're just working out some more new songs. We will be hitting the studio very soon and hopefully releasing an album or two by the end of the year. Things are still scattered about, but as soon as we get everything in order, you'll know.

Just Do It,

SoR

_______

Centro-Matic

Southern Shelter: Out-Of-Towners: Centro-Matic @ 40 Watt 6/21/08

________

Marah

Myspace.com Blogs - Yo Yo Marah! - Marah MySpace Blog:

"Someone said MARAH RIP (good album title BTW) He said he wanted to be the first one to say it...I honestly can't blame him, i didn't give him any reason to think otherwise until now i guess.

( & here is where it might get a little touchy for you over-protective superfans) MARAH RIP is a term reserved for only me to say, not me with my brothers permission, not managers, ex-managers, record labels, horn sections, the IRS (who are after me), the EasyPass Police (after me) I will kill this bad bitch when I am ready and not before (next Tuesday, 8 records from now) It's my call… Cool? Cool.

If you love or have ever loved this band then I assure you you are in good hands with me as captain because I am a junkie for it. I have proven over & over again that I can swing very low to keep it alive. The junkie will get high. It's a fact."

________

Music

I wore out at least 3 License to Ill cassettes.

An Interview with Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys

Already a hip-hop pioneer, rock and roll hall of famer, punk bassist, music video producer, Tibet activist and prolific MC, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys can now add sports documentarian to his long list of titles. This Friday, Yauch releases his new film, 'Gunnin' for That #1 Spot', a glimpse into the world of elite high school basketball against the backdrop of Rucker Park, Harlem's historic streetball homecourt. Back in September 2006, the country's best 24 high school players competed in the first ever 'Elite 24' all-star game."

_________
_____
___

Mile 'Really High' Club

He's at it again. This time... Tacos.

Inhuman Eating Machine: IEM Session #3- �Este Pinche Judio No Puede Comer Cincuenta Tacos en Un Dia!:

"You’re about to read a very long description of a man eating a lot of tacos. Some of you may be impressed by the sheer amount of tortillas and pork I ingested. I appreciate your awe. However, it must be said that this session should be considered a failure."

_______

Obama likes it all.

Barack Obama's iPod: Bob Dylan, Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow, Jay-Z :

"Several musicians on Obama's iPod support his bid for the White House, including Bruce Springsteen. Earlier this month, Dylan told a British newspaper that he believes Obama is redefining politics in the United States and could deliver change to a nation in upheaval.

'I've got to say, having both Dylan and Bruce Springsteen say kind words about you is pretty remarkable,' Obama said. 'Those guys are icons.'

Obama said he hasn't met Springsteen, but the two have talked over the phone.

'Not only do I love Bruce's music, but I just love him as a person,' Obama said. 'He is a guy who has never lost track of his roots, who knows who he is, who has never put on a front.'

And did he address him as the Boss?

'You've got to,' the candidate said."

_______

Here, here! My buzz usually wears off in the 'spread 'em' line.

Group: Allow pot in airports to reduce anxiety:

This guy talks the sense.

"“We’re simply saying,” Tvert went on, “that if we allow adults to get drunk before getting on a flight, maybe we’d be better off if we let some of those adults make the safer, rational choice to use marijuana instead when they fly.”

This guy... is an idiot.

Dude, my hook up is the barista at a freakin' Starbucks.

“Look,” said Richardson, “it’s never going to happen. If you think the Federal Government is going to allow the Denver airport to turn their Starbucks, or something like it, into drug traffickers–basically allow them to sell pot, or bring pot into a federally regulated public place, you’re nuts. You’re basically inviting drug dealers–criminals–into federally regulated places.”

Aaaand he finishes it off with this nugget.

Is there a difference between a Garcia fan and a drug dealer?

“If everybody’s sitting in the same pot smoke-filled room,” Richardson pondered, “how do you tell the difference between a Jerry Garcia fan and a drug dealer?”"

_______

Get your game on.

Play 1,000's Of Nintendo Games In Firefox

_______
_____
___

Murder They Wrote

Folks in 'Bama go to great lengths (or barrier reefs) to creatively murder their spouses.

American scuba diver charged with killing wife:

"SYDNEY, Australia - Eleven days after getting married in 2003, an Alabama woman put on diving gear and slipped into the water off Australia's coast for what was supposed to be a romantic exploration of a shipwreck with her new husband."

_______

Job security.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Journalist 'reported own murders':

"Police in Macedonia have arrested a journalist on suspicion that he is behind three murders he reported on."

_______

No sense in being in just a little bit of trouble. Check out how the cop got him to stop.

Drunk driver takes traffic cop for a ride:

"VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - A Russian drunk driver knocked over a traffic policeman then drove for about 1 km (0.6 miles) with the officer clinging to the roof of his car, local police said on Friday."

_______

Just because I couldn't wait until Friday:

_______
_____
___

Picky-Wiki

Crazy week. Moving shite from one location to another location. Pardon if the next few blog posts are terse.

I prohibit my students from using Wikipedia as a cited work in their academic essays. Still, I'm amazed at how many I have to bust for copying and pasting entire swaths of Wiki entries. You figure they would at least remove all of the Wiki links.

Stupid is as stupid does.

Falling exam passes blamed on Wikipedia 'littered with inaccuracies' - Scotsman.com News

________

Teachers can be morons too. Homie needs to go to jail.

Report: Ohio science teacher burned cross on kids' arms:

"An outside investigation has found that an Ohio public school teacher taught creationism in his science class and used a device to burn the image of a cross on students' arms."

_______

Really? Kind of hard to write something sarcastic when you're purposely trying to.

Thanks for the inspiration, science article. Ah, there we go.

Sarcasm Seen as Evolutionary Survival Skill :

"Neurophysiologist Katherine Rankin at the University of California, San Francisco, has also recently discovered that sarcasm, which is both positively funny and negatively nasty, plays an important part in human social interaction."

_______

I got 25/30.

I disagree with 'the man's' answer to the question regarding the Pilgrims. But I still got it right.

Reminds of the Simpson's episode when Apu is taking the citizenship ship.

Proctor: All right, here's your last question.  What was the cause of
        the Civil War? 
   Apu: Actually, there were numerous causes.  Aside from the obvious
        schism between the abolitionists and the anti-abolitionists,
        there were economic factors, both domestic and inter--
Proctor: Wait, wait... just say slavery.
   Apu: Slavery it is, sir.

Independence Day Quiz:

"Our quiz is made up of 20 questions found on the actual citizenship test with a few curveballs in the mix. The last ten questions may be a bit harder, but a score of around 24 out of 30 is considered a passing grade."

_______

No further comment needed.

God accused of selling cocaine near Tampa church

_______
_____
___

Champions

Florence, Alabama native and my fellow Florence Golf and Country Club alumn Stewart Cink won the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship yesterday. Stew pocketed 1.08 million. Not bad for 4 days work. He's currently ranked 3rd in the FedEx Cup race and 3rd on the money list right behind Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Stewart Cink wins Travelers Championship - Golf - Yahoo! Sports:

"“I mean, guys like Tiger (Woods) and Phil (Mickelson), when they are in contention, they let it all out,” Cink said Sunday after winning the Travelers Championship, just the second tournament he has captured after leading through 54 holes."

Check out this interview with Stewie where he discusses his first car, his first job. I had the same first job a year or two before Stewart did.

Congrats to Stewart. Much deserved.

_______

In more news of friends who are kicking ass...

My buddy Steve sent an email this morning. Y'all be sure to tune in and watch.

"Dear Family and Friends:

Sorry for the mass email, but I need your help! FIGHT OR DIE, the television show that I have spent the last year producing, will premiere on the Discovery Channel on Thursday, June 26 at 10pm EDT/PDT.

You can watch the preview for the show by clicking this link to YouTube.

Based on the viewer response to this broadcast, Discovery will decide whether the show will become a weekly series. So please tune in (or TiVo it) and please forward this email on to those you think might also be interested. And if you like the show, please email feedback to: FEEDBACK@WHEELHOUSEENTERTAINMENT.COM

FIGHT OR DIE
Discovery Channel (in HD)
Thursday, June 26 at 10pm ET/PT

Thanks for watching!

Best,
Stephen"

Here's the preview on Youtube:

_______

Dammit. We lost another important one:

George Carlin mourned as a counterculture hero

"LOS ANGELES - George Carlin, the frenzied performer whose routine 'Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television' led to a key Supreme Court ruling on obscenity, has died."

_______
_____
___

DBT Week in Review - 6/20/08

DBT!

Great news! Congrats Wes!!

PIR Teams with Rock and Roll Artist Wes Freed to Promote NASCAR's Semi-Final Showdown - Phoenix Raceway:

"Richmond-based artist/musician Wes Freed – best known for his album cover art for alt-country rockers The Drive-By Truckers (including 2008's Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, which peaked in the Billboard Top 40) – was commissioned by PIR President Bryan R. Sperber and has produced a limited edition promotional poster for Phoenix’s upcoming race in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.

'Many NASCAR fans have come to enjoy the artwork of Wes Freed after being exposed to his work through the Drive-by Truckers,' Sperber said. “We reached out to Wes and also discovered he was a huge NASCAR fan - becoming thoroughly excited when he agreed to develop a special project with us that presents his unique perspective on the excitement of NASCAR racing at Phoenix. Wes’s work of art will commemorate the Checker Auto Parts 500 in a special way and make this November’s race even more memorable.”"

_______

Backstage at Bonnaroo: Drive-By Truckers:

"Thanks to the band's fans, we received a ton of fan-generated questions for Drive-By Truckers, and our William Goodman asked a few to Drive-By Truckers' Pattersoon Hood."

_______

PopMatters | Columns | Andrew Gilstrap | Field Studies | Righteous Paths:

"This column’s regular readers have probably noticed that I usually find a way to mention the Drive-by Truckers. What can I say? They’re one of my favorite bands. Their best songs contain the best kind of lyrics—the sort that kickstart your noggin on some creative path of its own. And then there’s that three-guitar attack of theirs: the last time I saw them live, it was after a day of sitting through a 401(k) meeting, and those road-caked chords washed over me like summer rain on a parched landscape. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be that dramatic. Sometimes after listening to CD after CD of brittle indie rock, it’s just time for an epic guitar solo."

_______

Bonnaroo: Southern Stories from Drive-by Truckers - ArtsBeat - Arts - Music - Theater - TV - Movies - New York Times Blog

_______

My friend Kimtucky recently visited Vietnam and had the following to report:

"I forgot to tell you that when I was flying on Cathay Pacific to Vietnam, one of their in-flight radio channels was playing songs with days of the week in the title...and guess what song was on there....Wednesday by DBT!! Pretty funny."

_______

Drams!

Ms. Jenn B. went and had herself and rock and roll adventure recently with The Drams and Glossary.

BBQ and Pond AIDS Tour � Pointy Pointy

MySpace.com Photos - Jenn - The Drams: BBQ and Pond Aids Tour, June 2008

_______

Music

Mike Ragogna: The Saga Of The Protest Song - Entertainment on The Huffington Post: "

About a month ago, while running some errands in the car with my nephew, we were listening to one of several interchangeable Clear Channel stations and by about the fifth song, I was amazed at how much this 'rock' did not. Whatever, I remained smiley and quiet so the young'un could enjoy his ride but predictably, by the next guitar-driven slice of angst, I could no longer contain myself and proceeded to abuse it with fervor"

_______

Enough already. It'll never meet the expectation of over a decade wait.

SFGate: Daily Dish : Guns N' Roses Hit Back at Internet Leaks:

"Rockers Guns N' Roses have moved to halt a series of Internet leaks, which threatened to disrupt the launch of their new album, 'Chinese Democracy.'"

_______

I dig M.I.A..... or, I dug M.I.A.

Bonnaroo: M.I.As Last Gig Ever?

YouTube - Sunshowers by M.I.A.

_______

Biafra celebrates 50th with pair of concerts:

"Angry and articulate, Jello Biafra has made as many enemies as influential records. Next week, the former singer of the Dead Kennedys turns 50, and he celebrates with a pair of concerts at the Great American Music Hall. He also celebrates a career that has seen the singer/raconteur/spoken-word artist lead the West Coast punk charge, run for political office and get beat down on more than one occasion."

_______

Bama News

Tuskegee Airmen to be subject of George Lucas film:

"MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The black airmen whose lives will be the basis of a George Lucas movie know the picture will highlight their record of successfully escorting thousands of U.S. bombers in World War II"

_______

Mussel vs. Muscle gets feedback | TimesDaily.com | Times Daily | Florence, AL:

"I've gotten a lot of good responses from last week's question about the origin of the name Muscle Shoals.

If you recall, someone had asked why the spelling is 'Muscle' instead of 'Mussel,' if the city were named after the mussels in these parts of the Tennessee River."

_______
_____
___

Offensive and Creative.... Peanut butter and Chocolate

I'm really late to the party for this guy apparently. He's got million + views on several of his 'tubes.

This shit is hilarious. Probably not safe for work but screw your boss. Play it anyway. Chances are he/she will not be cool enough to catch the references.

Kid is 17.

.....

Damn the 'Tubes! YouTube must be having issues this morning. Check back later, though 'cause it so worth the watch.

Such classic lines as.....

" That's right, consider yourself warned
Im offensive and creative like handicapped porn"

"Rosa Parks didn't call "shotgun"!"



More Stuff from Bo' that is definitely worth a watch.

Another rap:

YouTube - Bo Fo' Sho'

Bo's ode to Helen Keller

YouTube - The Perfect Woman

Bo's apparent ode to Eddie Hinton's '300 pound of Hongry'

YouTube - My Better Half

_______

This is ridiculously well done.

The Great Office Wars

_______

I'm a fan of golf. I grew up playing pretty seriously before a car and girls became viable alternatives to spending sun up to sun down at the golf course.

What Tiger Wood's did last week at the U.S. Open should drop the jaws of those who could give a shit about the game. Screw Jordan's Flu game against Utah in the 70s. The one where he was deathly ill yet scored 38 points.

Obama and Woods are the two baddest assess in the U.S. They are also of mixed race parents. Coincidence? Oh, I'm down with the swirl.

Tiger Woods Out For Season, Requires Knee Surgery::

"Woods revealed Wednesday he has been playing for at least 10 months with a torn ligament in his left knee, and that he suffered a double stress fracture in his left leg two weeks before the U.S. Open. He said he will have season-ending surgery, knocking him out of the final two majors and the Ryder Cup."

_______
_____
___

Corp-Speak Kills....

The past weekend kicked much ass. Went to see Stanley Clark, had lunch at my favorite Roman Restaurant, was taken to dinner at a fancy steakhouse, took a beautiful drive along the Valley of the Moon, another lunch at a Mexican joint who wood smoke their meats in the beautiful town of Sonoma, and finally a Picasso Ceramics exhibit. Thanks to my two dear friends for taking me along on the journey.

Life is a bitch, but she can be a really cool bitch sometimes.

_______

When you get that Obama smear email forwarded to you by a toothless cousin below is your ammo for response:

Fight the Smears | Fight the Smears Home

_______

Speaking of racist smears....

If You Lose the White House Do the Rest of Us Have to Allow you to Stay in our Country?:

"At the Republican state convention, a booth hosted by Republicanmarket was selling a pin Saturday that says: If Obama is President will we still call it the White House."

________

Jon Stewart kills the traditional media, or as I like to call them 'merchants of smear', on their fecal wiping. Must see TV:

Jon Stewart Mocks Media For Peddling Insane Obama Rumors

_______

We battle the smears while Obama kicks Republican ass.

Obama: Bin Laden still free because of GOP tactics:

"WASHINGTON - Democrat Barack Obama says he'll take no lectures from Republicans on who will keep America safer. GOP rival John McCain's campaign criticized Obama Tuesday for speaking approvingly of the successful prosecution of terrorists."

_______

Blame teh gays.

Hilarious.

________

I hate the word 'synergy' with a white hot passion.

50 office-speak phrases you love to hate:

33. 'I once had a boss who said, 'You can't have your cake and eat it, so you have to step up to the plate and face the music.' It was in that moment I knew I had to resign before somebody got badly hurt by a pencil.'"

_______
_____
___

Chug! Chug! Chug!

Mrs. McSame likes to steal shit.

Cooking up Scandal: Cindy McCain Allegedly Lifts Another Recipe

No, really, she likes to steal shit.

Salon News | How Cindy McCain was outed for drug addiction:

"GOP presidential candidate John McCain's wife Cindy took to the airwaves last week, recounting for Jane Pauley (on 'Dateline') and Diane Sawyer (on 'Good Morning America') the tale of her onetime addiction to Percocet and Vicodin, and the fact that she stole the drugs from her own nonprofit medical relief organization."

_______

Can't decide if I'm going to download today or wait a week or so for the kinks to be ironed out. Tres excited about the new browser, though.

Mozilla Ready to Launch Firefox 3 into Browser Wars:

"On June 17, Mozilla will release Firefox 3. After more than 34 months of active development and the contributions of thousands of people, Firefox 3 will be downloadable free from the Mozilla Web site. Mozilla is promising this is the best browser -- period."

Hmmm. Just check Mozilla's website and they still offer 2.0 with a sneak peak at 3.0. Maybe its not available today.

Firefox web browser | Faster, more secure, & customizable

_______

Too bad Detroit didn't have the foresight.

Toyota's hybrid output can't meet demand:

"“Hybrids are selling so well we are doing all we can to increase production,” he told The Associated Press. “We need new lines.”"

_______

Just because.

Chug 2 Beers In 2 Seconds With The Bierstick

_______
_____
___