Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Vacation.... Having to get away

Y'all: I'm on vacation this week. I hope to get some pictures up tomorrow with a few tales. (Unfortunately, not enough "tail" on this vacation, yet).

I'll discuss why rich white people are the only ones stupid enough to want to live in the desert.

Friday, July 21, 2006

DBT Week in Review - 7/21/06

The petition is doing well. It has been live for a week and we've collected close to 200 signatures. Thanks to all of the fans who took the time to have their voice heard. I'm going to let it marinate for another couple of weeks before sending off to the HEAD, HEAD honchos at New West.

Here are the various boards I've posted the petition to:

Ninebullets
Widespread
REM - Murmur.net
Craigslist
Pearl Jam
Max Lunger - Stones
Wilco - ViaChicago
Son Volt - Jay Farrar
Guitartown

I've also seen other postings on other boards by folks propagating the petition. Thanks to those.

Here's the petition. Sign it if you haven't!
....
Awesome news tha the Truckers will be playing the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 2006 in San Francisco. I've attended this festival several times while living in SF, and it is one hell of a time.

TybeeDawg from the Yahoo Group makes his "Must see" picks for the Hardly Strictly:

dbts : Message: Re: KICK FUCKING BUTT!!!!!

"I downloaded a SBG show from several yrs ago that was excellent. This is a killer lineup. Here's a list that will try to avoid the painfully obvious:

Iris DeMent, Kevin Welch, Kieran Kane, Chatham County Line, The Austin Lounge Lizards, The Lee Boys, Todd Snider, North Mississippi Allstars Hill Country Revue, Banjo Extravaganza with Bill Evans, Tony Trischka and Alan Munde, T Bone Burnett, Bob Weir & The Waybacks, Linda Ronstadt & Ann Savoy

ok, some ARE painfully obvious, but I couldn't narrow down that fine lineup too much. Lee Boys are sacred steel a la Robert Randolph and have a hot-shit white boy on lead, Tony Trischka taught Bela (i think?) T Bone Burnett's new CD is currently one of my favorites, The Waybacks are way-fun and with Weir? Interesting. Ann Savoy IS Louisiana music. Austin Lounge Lizards? They get my vote for writing a song based on Orwell's 1984 ('i met my baby in the ministry of love')and for 'Paint Me On Velvet.'"

....

A good, recent interview with Patterson discussing the label "Southern Rock". Notice the title of the article, then notice Patterson's first line of the article:

A peek under the Hood of Southern rock’s saviors

“I really hate the whole term ‘Southern rock,’” says Hood. “Unless it’s being attached to a small handful of bands from a very specific era between 1969 and 1977, post-[Martin Luther] King [Jr.] and pre-[Lynyrd Skynyrd] plane crash. Southern rock ceased to exist when that plane crashed. It’s a redundant and stupid term at best.”
But here's the money quote:

"He’s Alabama’s Lou Reed".

Dang, that's big time stuff!

This is going to be short and sweet this week. I'm off on vacation for the next 2 weeks. I'll still be blogging and posting some picks of my adventures so keep on dropping by!

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Literally Ironic

Is this irony? Not "Alanis Morissette" irony or George Bush's irony. But the real definition of irony? I'm so confused as to what "irony" truly means these days, 'cause so many people keep fucking it up and misusing it. Kinda like "literally".

Plea deal for ex-Village People cop:
"(07-19) 11:12 PDT REDWOOD CITY -- Former Village People lead singer Victor Willis pleaded no contest today to drug charges in San Mateo County Superior Court in a plea deal that could land him in state prison for up to two years or in a drug treatment program."
Go down rapping, baby, go down rapping. Meet your maker spitting fire, bitch!

Death row inmate Mauriceo Brown: His writings on CourtTV.com:
Dead man walking
I might look woke up but I'm sleeping
Dead man walking
Dead man walking"
REALLY! Shockingly ironic, literally! Religious organizations who should not be receiving federal funds (fuckers should be taxed, to boot) but who are thanks to Shrub, are using that money to discriminate? Hard to believe..... pffffft.

Report Faults Safeguards in Religion Program:
"WASHINGTON, July 18 — The Bush administration’s program of financing social service initiatives run by religiously affiliated groups lacks adequate safeguards against religious discrimination and has yet to measure the performance of the groups, a new Congressional report says.

The report, by the Government Accountability Office, did not find evidence of a widespread diversion of government money to religious activity from social services, which had been a concern of some critics of such religion-based initiatives."

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

You like it when I touch you like that...

Sign the Petition!!!

FREE 'OSCAR' AND 'SIRENS' or I WANT MY DBT (solo albums)


I don't care how freaky-deaky Germans are perceived to be... In the states, this here is called sexual harassment. Sexual harassment warning #2 for Georige. The first time he was caught licking Condi's black boots.



Condi usually doesn't mind Georgie licking her boots. Hell, she's even stopped charging him for the pleasure. (Georgie's BDSM safe word is "puddin'").

Who looks more "German" in these two pics? Condi or Merkel? I'm going with Condi. She's sporting her "SS" winter wear. Heil Condi, Heil!

The problem was that he was caught licking her boots during a cabinet meeting. They caught him under the big table as they were serving the Shasta (Georgie loves his Shasta). Poor Georgie has to attend another stupid, boring sensitivity training session.

Bush Gropes, Planet Cringes:
"So now we know.

I mean, we sort of thought we knew, before, what kind of guy George W. Bush is, essentially our very own inept, inarticulate ex-alcoholic ex-frat-guy failed-businessman pseudo-leader who famously appeals to the most God-fearin' and least educated and least attuned among us because he is, well, one of them."
Alabalawg asks the question, Coincidence? I think not! I ask the question, "Is our chillren learning?"
.......

Debi was later rushed to a hospital with a brain aneurysm. Doctors said the sudden usage of her brain caused the rupture.

Stem cells a vote breaker for some Americans:
"CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Debi Martin is a Christian, a Republican and opposes abortion but she is ready to vote against the party in November if President George W. Bush and congressional Republicans limit stem cell research.

'This is a vote breaker for me,' said the Cincinnati mother. 'I tell people I'm becoming a Republi-crat at this point -- because there are just things wrong in the Republican Party where people's voices are not being heard anymore.'"
...And even more brain aneurysm are forcasted for the coming months:

Conservative Anger Grows Over Bush's Foreign Policy:
"At a moment when his conservative coalition is already under strain over domestic policy, President Bush is facing a new and swiftly building backlash on the right over his handling of foreign affairs.

Conservative intellectuals and commentators who once lauded Bush for what they saw as a willingness to aggressively confront threats and advance U.S. interests said in interviews that they perceive timidity and confusion about long-standing problems including Iran and North Korea, as well as urgent new ones such as the latest crisis between Israel and Hezbollah."

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Atheists for God

Sign the Petition!!!

FREE 'OSCAR' AND 'SIRENS' or I WANT MY DBT (solo albums)

Thank you for acknowledging the importance of my people, Deepak.

Deepak Chopra: Atheists for God:
"I think if God has a chance to come back seriously, it will take atheists to rehabilitate him (or her). One synonym for atheist is free thinker. God needs a lot more free thinking if he is to escape the clutches of fundamentalism. The basis for that rehabilitation exists already. We have profound religious thinking from Einstein and other great scientists. We have sharp, mindful challenges to the old God from Sartre and other existentialists. We have humane theology from Paul Tillich and other non-literal theologians. We have the entire New Age, which has re-enlivened spiritual experience for millions of people. And of course we have the great traditions of wisdom from the East, all but unknown a generation ago but now extremely well publicized thanks to figures like the Dalai Lama.

A great deal of this wealth of new thought is atheist or close to it. Buddhists do not worship God. Einstein conceived of a God who would conform to the laws of nature, not override or rule them. The New Age replaces God, quite often, with the sense of 'I am' (a concept of the higher self that exists throughout Eastern spirituality). Some new thought, of course, remains within the bounds of religion and the Western tradition."
They'll let you drown when your city is flooded... they'll make you pay to be rescued from a foreign nation at war... they'll veto a stem cell bill that will save countless lives... they lie about science... so this isn't really a surprise. Compassionate Conservative, my ass. Slogans, slogans, slogans! We'll ruin the world with slogans!
Report: Women misled on abortion risks:
"WASHINGTON - Women who consult with pregnancy resource centers often get misleading information about the health risks associated with having an abortion, according to a report issued Monday by Democrats on the House Government Reform Committee."
Sign a petition! I'm petition happy these days

Media Matters for America:
"Hate has no place on the airwaves

Recently, the major television networks have given a platform to conservative hate merchants like Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck, and Melanie Morgan.

Coulter's column is distributed by Universal Press Syndicate, one of the country's largest syndicates. Beck was recently hired by CNN Headline News. Morgan broadcasts from a radio station owned by Disney. And all three -- and countless others like them -- are regularly given guest spots on cable-news networks.

The fact that these right-wing pundits -- who have called for the execution of public officials and others -- are given a platform in the major media is unprecedented.

We, the undersigned, urge the media to stop allowing these hate merchants to spread their venom and abuse. America deserves to hear honest, reasoned debate, not rants from professional hatemongers."

Monday, July 17, 2006

Please Drive Responsibly

Sign the Petition!!!

FREE 'OSCAR' AND 'SIRENS' or I WANT MY DBT (solo albums)

Uh, yeah, he's one of the biggest bank accounts for the Rethugs. Nice.

Pete Coors Faces DUI Charge:
"GOLDEN, Colo. -- Pete Coors, chairman one of the world's largest beer brewing companies and a former candidate for U.S. senate, was arrested in May on a drunken driving charge, 7NEWS learned Thursday.

Coors, 59, was driving a 2004 Jaguar when he was pulled over in Golden by a Colorado State Patrol trooper just before midnight on May 29, according to officials in the Jefferson County District Court clerk's office.

He faces charges of driving under influence after registering a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent. He also was cited with failure to obey a traffic control device."
Shit, smear, and repeat.

Stabbed in the Back!:
"Every state must have its enemies. Great powers must have especially monstrous foes. Above all, these foes must arise from within, for national pride does not admit that a great nation can be defeated by any outside force. That is why, though its origins are elsewhere, the stab in the back has become the sustaining myth of modern American nationalism. Since the end of World War II it has been the device by which the American right wing has both revitalized itself and repeatedly avoided responsibility for its own worst blunders. Indeed, the right has distilled its tale of betrayal into a formula: Advocate some momentarily popular but reckless policy. Deny culpability when that policy is exposed as disastrous. Blame the disaster on internal enemies who hate America. Repeat, always making sure to increase the number of internal enemies."
Go Valerie and Joe!

Former CIA officer sues Cheney over leak:
"The lawsuit alleges that Cheney, Libby and Rove used Plame to punish Wilson for his public statements about the administration's portrayal of the intelligence on Iraq.

'As their chief method of punishment, the White House officials destroyed (Plame's) cover by revealing her classified employment with the CIA to reporters,' the lawsuit said.

Instead of confronting Wilson on the issue, the lawsuit said, the White House officials 'embarked on an anonymous 'whispering campaign' designed to discredit ... (the Wilsons) and to deter other critics from speaking out.'"
I wish I was there:

Vanuatu is world's happiest country: study

WaPo DBT Review:

POP MUSIC:
"Rock-and-roll isn't a meritocracy. But sometimes, the deserving get what's due 'em. At a sold-out 9:30 club on Saturday, the Drive-By Truckers were treated as heroes, and performed in kind."

Letter to the Editor - Southern Style

Republican greed | TimesDaily.com | Florence, AL:

Published: July 17. 2006 3:30AM

To the editor:

One in four U.S. jobs pays less than poverty-level income. Since 2000, the number of Americans living below the poverty line has risen steadily. Now, 13 percent -- 37 million Americans -- are officially poor.

Bush's tax cuts (extended until 2010) save those earning between $20,000 and $30,000 an average of $10 a year, while those making $1 million are saved $42,700. Bush has diverted $750 million to 'healthy marriages' by shifting funds from social services, mostly childcare.

Bush has proposed cutting housing programs for low-income people with disabilities by 50 percent.

A series of related statistics -- starting with the news that two out of three new jobs are in the suburbs -- shows how the poor are further disadvantaged in the job hunt by lack of public or private transportation.

It seems that we've seen enough evidence over the years that the capitalist system is not going to be destroyed by an outside challenger like communism -- it will be destroyed by its own internal greed. Greed is the greatest danger as we develop an increasingly winner-take-all system. And voices like The Wall Street Journal's editorial page encourage this mentality by insisting that any form of regulation is bad. But for whom?

It is discouraging to watch this country become less and less fair. 'Justice for all' seems like an embarrassingly archaic tag. Republicans have rigged the 'lottery of life' in ways we don't even know about yet.

The new bankruptcy law is unfair, and the new college loan rules are worse. The system has been stacked so that large corporations have an inside track over small businesses in getting government contracts. We won't see the full consequences of this careless legislation for years, but it is starting to affect us already.

Alabamians who have to depend on minimum wage and college loans to go to school, and Alabamians who are just barely getting by from one paycheck to the next, I want to bring it to your attention that you need to register to vote. Hopefully, the Democrats will get someone to run against Senators Shelby and Sessions when their terms are up. Shelby and Sessions voted to keep you poor and the rich richer.

I hope and pray that our good Christian people will not fall for the propaganda that the Republicans are the God party again, and wake up to the fact that the Republicans only used God to get votes!

Rhonda B***

Tuscumbia

Friday, July 14, 2006

DBT Week in Review - 7/14/06

FREE 'OSCAR' AND 'SIRENS' or I WANT MY DBT (solo albums)

In an attempt to have our (the fans of DBT) voices heard by New West Records, folks on the Yahoo Group have brain stormed the idea of a petition asking New West to Free 'Oscar' and 'Sirens'.

Murdering Oscar and Other Love Songs and Sirens of the Ditch are Patterson and Jason's solo albums that are sitting on a shelf collecting dust "for no goddamn, good reason". (well, i'm sure they have their reasons and they may think their reasons are good). The suits at New West need to know that we'll buy both albums in droves and promote it, virally, better than they ever could (*cough* stupid video game *cough* *cough*) if they would just put it on the shelves.

In no way is the band or those who work for the band associated with this petition. This is purely a fan driven petition that speaks to the netroots and people powered activism that is budding in the political and corporate arenas across the U.S. of A. Yee-fucking-haw!

So, sign the petition and pass it around. Stength in numbers and all that. Get it to our European friends who love DBT. Have your infant child sign it as they are the future of DBT album purchases.

Once we've collected enough signatures I'll send the petition to New West electronically and via snail mail.

My goal is to collect 1000 signatures.

Sign it and let your voice be heard! FREE 'OSCAR' AND 'SIRENS'!

Below is the url for the petition if you'd like to copy and paste it into your own email. (check the number in the petition url. Notice anything?)

http://www.petitiononline.com/7235018/petition.html

Next topic:

I've been listening and watching Jason's video of Dress Blues, daily, for about a week. Each listen/watch cuts a little deeper into my heart and it makes me proud, mad and very sad all at the same time. I wanted to learn more about Matt Conley so I went to the web.

As I have expressed before I am not anti-war. I am, however, anti-this-war. I believe we had every right to go into Afganistan but Iraq should never of happened. I fault the President and his administration and I fault the members of both parties, Republican and Democrat, in Congress who enabled this unnecessary war. I will ALWAYS be supportive of our troops and I will viciously attack ANYONE who claims that my opposition to a war equals opposition to our troops.

Matthew Conley was a Marine, a son, a friend, a leader, an Alabamian, and an American. He embodies all that is good about the American spirit. Learn about him. Honor him. Honor all of our troops. Let's make sure from this point forward that our most precious resource is used wisely.

"He was a Marine".

CNN.com - Special Reports
Cpl. Matthew D. Conley

Age: 21

Killen, Alabama


Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force

Killed when his vehicle was attacked by a homemade device during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on February 18, 2006
Honor the fallen: Marine Cpl. Matthew D. Conley
Conley, 21, graduated from Rogers High School in 2002, where he was quarterback of the football team. He was a squad leader for the 37th Weaponry Division of the Marine Corps, stationed at Twentynine Palms, Calif., and had been in Iraq since September 2005.

He was a passenger in the Humvee, training the soldier who was to take his place when he returned home. Conley was killed when the vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.
Here is a video that includes some footage of this American hero.

"Nobody here could forget you. You showed us what we have to lose."

Sign the quest book to show your rememberance of Cpl. Matthew Conley

Guest Book - Cpl. Matthew D. Conley

Thank you, Cpl. Matthew D. Conley!

Jayne from the Yahoo Group has been on fire with finding DBT articles online. Here is a collection from the past week.

Jaynes Corner:

Not in Athens Anymore:
A Blessing and A Curse, indeed. The title of the latest Drive-By Truckers album is more prophetic than perhaps even they intended. The quintet snagged the opening slot on the Black Crowes’ summer amphitheater tour, a plum gig for a band that could use the exposure. "

The blessing? Opening for the Black Crowes, outgrowing the club circuit at last and finally reaching an audience beyond the “y’all-ternative” crowd that’s firmly embraced them.
....
So if the Black Crowes circa 2006 want to prove that they belong on any stage outside motorcycle rallies and state fairs, they need Drive-By Truckers way more than Drive-By Truckers need them.
Patterson talks about Prince in Paste Magazine.

Both Ernie and Jayne informed us of the online DBT show that will be hosted by NPR this weekend:

dbts : Message: NPR Interview Show:
"Hey folks, just swapped messages with a long time friend of mine that hosts a show called 'All Things Considered' on NPR. She is taping an interview program with the band on Friday up there in DC. It will air sometime over the weekend. She is supposed to be sending me the schedule for the broadcast time. I'll post it as soon as she does.
Check out The Day Jobs, a blog that Jayne contributes to, for more info on the NPR show:

DBT on NPR this weekend

Kyle from the Yahoo Group turned us on to a video of The Drams on YouTube:

YouTube - The Drams perform 'Unhinged' live at Stubb's in Austin, TX

Check out Tom Petty's new single:

Tom Petty -Saving Grace

.357 on Nine Bullets posted this quite a while back and I'm just getting around to highlighting on AAW. It is the official report on Skynyrd's plane crash. Interesting document. Check it out.

Till next week.

Sign the petition!
_______
_____
___

Thursday, July 13, 2006

You gotta fight, for your right, to Voooooote

When Mother Nature finally shakes us off her coat like a flea (and, eventually, she will) at least we know we'll get to see some spectacluar imagery before we're cast off.



Incredible pictures: the moment lightning shared the sky with a rainbow:
"When a rainbow formed in the sky people stopped and stared at the natural wonder.

But then lightning sparked across the evening panorama as two of nature's most spectacular phenomenon created an unusual alliance.

The clash of weather was seen above the affluent city of Fort Smith, in the Southern state Arkansas"
File this under "of course they did". Voting is a pesky gnat to the Republicans.

Republicans break deal with Democrats to Protect Voters' Rights:
"A previously agreed upon deal between Democrats and Republicans to renew the Voting Rights Act has been broken by GOP leaders, today's issue of ROLL CALL is reporting. Despite a prior agreement, leaders in the House have agreed to consideration of amendments, stepping away from a deal that had been arrived at during negotiation to renew the Voting Rights Act without any major changes."
These sick, fucking christian, bigoted, twisted mindless.... I'm spitting at my screen I'm so incensed by this. A goddamn Baptist pastor equating Ken Lay to James Byrd. Simply no shame in these fucktards. What a fucked up religion. He was a GODDAMN CROOK WHO RUINED THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF LIVES. Burn in Hell, Lay, burn in Hell. You too, Lawson, you false fucking prophet:

Lay praised by family and friends:
"Rev. William Lawson, pastor emeritus of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church."
...
Lawson likened Lay to James Byrd, a black man who was dragged to death in a racially motivated murder near Jasper eight years ago.

"Ken Lay was neither black nor poor, as James Byrd was, but I'm angry because Ken was the victim of a lynching," said Lawson, who predicted that history will vindicate Lay.

Today in history - July 13 :

"In 1985, 'Live Aid,' an international rock concert in London, Philadelphia, Moscow and Sydney, took place to raise money for Africa's starving people."

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

The Testicle Festival's Director of Lessons Learned

This is no joke. The White House has a Director of Lessons Learned. Can't... process... all of the snarks.... that are flooding my brain.... .

Here's a look at the most useless White House staffers:

The Four Most Overpaid White House Staffers:
"Deborah Nirmala Misir - Ethics Advisor $114,688
Erica M. Dornburg - Ethics Advisor $100,547
Stuart Baker - Director for Lessons Learned $106,641
Melissa M. Carson - Director of Fact Checking $46,500"
But, geez, golly, we bloggers shouldn't be linking to such information. We're such assholes wanting facts and accountability in our government. I, mean, really, who do we think we are? Americans?!

Blue Gal points to another stupid blogger blogging about how stupid we stupid, stupid head bloggers are. I'd thank you, Blue Gal, but you're a blogger, so....

Bloggers Are Mean and They Suck:
"Personally, I'm embarrassed by all of us liberal blogofascists insisting on a place in the national discourse simply because we happened to be, um, right about George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, Tom DeLay, Karl Rove, Iraq, the WMDs, the allegiances of the corporate media, the steady erosion of civil liberties, global warming, Republican incompetence, hypocrisy, greed and dishonesty, fiscal irresponsibility, the widening chasm between economic classes, and the evergrowing efforts to turn our country into a theocracy.

So we got lucky on a few things. But just because we were right doesn't mean we can't be gracious. And humble."
I mean, we're such dicks for pointing out the smoke and mirror show Shrub put on yesterday regarding the deficits. He so super, ya know. He's got more magic than Criss Angel. Why he can take one of his big, long turds and sculp it into an Academy Award. "We projected a 600 billion surplus by this point in my presidency. What we have is 300 billion deficit. Only a difference of just under a trillion. U.S.A.! U.S.A.!"

Another Mission ‘Accomplished’:
"This is proof, if anyone still needs it, that this administration is desperate for something to boast about. On Mr. Bush’s watch, triple-digit budget surpluses have turned into annual triple-digit budget deficits. There’s no information in the midsession report to alter that utterly dispiriting fact. Yes, the report is expected to project that this year’s deficit will be somewhat less gargantuan than last year’s — probably somewhere between $280 billion and $300 billion, versus a $318 billion shortfall in 2005. That’s not much to crow about.

But Mr. Bush is likely to gloat, anyway. Earlier this year, the administration conveniently projected a highly inflated deficit of $423 billion. With that as a starting point, the actual results can be spun to look as if they’re worth cheering.

The razzle-dazzle won’t end there. As he did in his remarks on Saturday, Mr. Bush is sure to use today’s event to credit tax cuts for a projected “surge” in tax revenue. The Treasury is expected to take in about $250 billion more in 2006 than in 2005, for a total take of $2.4 trillion. Devoid of context, the number looks impressive."
Bloggers may be mean, but 23% of the U.S. are mindless drones and they all vote Republican

23% of Us are Fucked!:
"Acording to his findings, a vast majority of Conservatives are drawn into the Leader/Follower archetype, where the Leaders are considered infallable, and the loyalty of the Followers is completely unshakable. About '23% of the populace falls into the follower category' said Dean. 'These people are impervious' to fact, rationality and reality. And their 'Numbers are growing'.

Let's just face it, 23% of us are basically fucked in the head."
Thank Janus that we've go Jesus looking after us. Not only is he the King of Jews, he's the King of Beers.

Because I refuse to ever grow up enough that fart sounds and nut jokes won't make me laugh, I bring you the following:

Say it really fast, Testicle Festival, Testicle Festival, Testicle Festival. Hehehe..

Testicle Festival


A bull testicle is just not the same as a calf testicle.''

"A fresh calf testicle tastes like lobster,'' said Zeier. "You never had anything like it.''

"Bull nuts taste like shoe leather,'' said Zeier. "You can have 'em.''

"The difference between eating calf nuts and bull nuts is the difference between eating a spring fryer and a stewing hen,'' Zeier said. "Try it, you'll see.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

My TV's dick is bigger than your dick

Oh, baby, 103 inches!

Matsushita to sell record 103-inch plasma TVs :
"TOKYO (Reuters) - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (6752.T), the maker of Panasonic brand electronics, said on Monday it hoped to start selling the world's largest plasma television by early next year.

Measuring 2.4 metres by 1.4 meters and weighing 215 kg, the 103-inch panel is bigger than a double-sized mattress and almost as heavy as an upright piano."
I'll stop bashing Christians when the good guys take over:

Religion Taking A Left Turn?, Conservative Christians Watch Out: There's A Big Churchgoing Group Seeking Political Power:
"Jesus never said one word about homosexuality, never said one word about civil marriage or abortion,' Edgar said.

He calls this movement the 'center-left' — and it's seeking the same political muscle as the conservative Christians, a group with a strong power base in the huge Evangelical churches of the South.

But the left has its own Evangelical leaders, such as the Rev. Tony Campolo.

'We are furious that the religious right has made Jesus into a Republican. That's idolatry,' Campolo said. 'To recreate Jesus in your own image rather than allowing yourself to be created in Jesus' image is what's wrong with politics.'

The Christian left is focusing on:
# Fighting poverty
# Protecting the environment
# Ending the war in Iraq "
We're just now getting around to "rethinking" this cluster fuck? Jeez.

Rethinking Embattled Tactics in Terror War:
"'The Bush doctrine of 'trust us' is being questioned by the courts, Congress and the country, which is insisting on changing and strengthening their involvement,' said former congressman Timothy J. Roemer (D-Ind.), a member of the independent commission that studied the Sept. 11 attacks."
In my book, he was justified.

Read my lips: the taunt that made Zidane snap:
"After an exhaustive study of the match video, and with the help of an Italian translator, Rees claimed that Materazzi called Zidane “the son of a terrorist whore” before adding “so just f*** off” for good measure, supporting the natural assumption that the Frenchman must have been grievously insulted"

Monday, July 10, 2006

Viva Italiano!

Excellent World Cup match yesterday between Italy and France. It's too bad that damn immigrants had to go ruin the day in San Francisco and large metropolitan areas across the nation with their celebrating, excellent food, colorful dress, contributions to the American fabric, hot women, contributions to the economy, giving dumbass white folk an opportunity to experience real culture, etc, etc. We should build a fence to keep them all out.

LA DOLCE VITA: ITALY TOPS FRANCE / Bay Area fans mob streets, cafes and parks to celebrate, commiserate

Bush is crying wolf in order to score political points. 2nd time in a couple of weeks Sickening and dangerous.

Sources say no serious plot for NYC, just hate chatter:
"One former intelligence field officer says, and two other CIA officials confirm, that the alleged plot by Muslim extremists to bomb the Holland Tunnel in New York City was nothing more than chatter by unaffiliated individuals with no financing or training in an open forum already monitored extensively by the United States Government, RAW STORY has learned.

“The so-called New York tunnel plot was a result of discussions held on an open Jihadi web site,” said Philip Giraldi, a former CIA officer and contributor to American Conservative magazine, in a late Friday afternoon conversation. Although Giraldi acknowledges that the persons involved – “three of whom have already been arrested in Lebanon and elsewhere - are indeed extremists,' their online chatter is considerably overblown by allegations of an actual plot."
Not surprising. The most secretive administration this side of the Kremlin. My tax dollars being spent to restrict information that I'm paying for and have a right to as a citizen. Thanks, Bush... you fucker.

Tax dollars to fund study on restricting public data:
"The federal government will pay a Texas law school $1 million to do research aimed at rolling back the amount of sensitive data available to the press and public through freedom-of-information requests."
It's almost like you get numb to it. Let's find the person with the exact opposite of the qualifications needed to run a government agency. Dudley-Do-No-Right.

Bush Nominates Anti-Regulatory Zealot To Head ‘Super-Powerful’ Public Safety Office:
"President Bush is expected to nominate Susan Dudley as the next head of an obscure but “super-powerful office that oversees many business regulations.” The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs holds sway over federal regulatory agencies like the EPA and helps set regulatory policy for a wide range of issues, from workplace safety to water quality.

The most recent head, John Graham, has “demonstrated consistent hostility to protections for public health, safety and the environment over his career.” And according to Frank O’Donnell of Clean Air Watch, Dudley “makes John Graham look like Ralph Nader.”
Worst...President...Ever!

Nation cringes as the worst president ever continues long, painful slog to the end:
"Indeed, countless Dems were disappointed with Clinton's behavior during Monicagate. Many were ashamed that he would cheapen the office so badly by such trashy moral behavior.

But that was just a cheap little affair (our allies never understood all the fuss anyway). This was never the attitude toward Clinton's politics, his capacity to understand complex issues, his astounding political savvy. No one anywhere doubted he made the country richer, more environmentally conscious, more stable, more respected and admired. Clinton was globally adored not only for his charisma but for his contributions to world peace. Plus he could actually point to Afghanistan on a map.

What a difference a handful of years makes. Now, overseas, we are a joke. A threat. A toxin. We are considered reckless and arrogant and ignorant, dangerous not just to the rest of the world but to the overall health of the planet. No one anywhere understands how a man like Bush can be the leader of the Free World, stolen election or no."

Friday, July 07, 2006

DBT Week in Review - 7/7/06

Steve from the DBT Yahoo Group found a video of Dress Blues linked on Neil Young's 'Living With War' website under "protest videos". Check out the video here. It is hosted on New West's site and it has run a little slow for me on occassion.

Jim Stacy, who created the cover art for Gangstabilly and Pizza Deliverance, is a man of many talents. A man with enough vision to produce a synthesis of two mighty forces: Star Wars and Rock 'n Roll. Jim once had a band called Grand Moff Tarkin. I'll let the pictures below and the aritcles here and here speak to the concept:



Unleash the dark side on your ass, indeed.



Oh, baby, that is one hot Leah. Anyway, you can see the genius of this conceptual art. Of course, born out of the artistic ooze that inhabits much of the South.

Such a brilliant idea won't stay pure for very long. Corporate America has a way of sniffing out great ideas, stealing them, then whoring them to ragged oblivion. Thus we have Gnarls Barkley (who stole then altered a native Alabamaians name) on the MTV Movie Awards. You must watch the video.

Jim should sue Gnarls! Then, after that, Lucas can sue them both... but that's not the point! Have you no shame, Corporate America? (Note: Tongue firmly planted in cheek)

Being a political junky, I love finding references to DBT in a political context. This was posted a while back on I speak dog: The Alabama Ass-Whuppin’, Juan Cole style:
if you listen to The Drive By Truckers live album, Alabama Ass Whuppin’, I believe it’s lead singer Patterson Hood that explains the origin of the term that is the title of this fine recording.

I don’t recall his definition exactly, but it’s something like “An Alabama Ass-whuppin’ is where not only do you get your ass beat, but the fella doing it makes you tell him when you’ve had enough AND apologize for having interrupted an otherwise fine and pleasant night of drinking. Example: ‘You had enough, goddamnit, or are you gonna get up again? Look what you did to my shirt, you sack of shit. Get up again, goddamnit…c’mon, shiteyes…’”

Jonah Goldberg has been learning that lesson all damn week. Juan Cole’s foot has to be getting sore from putting it up Jonah’s ass so early, so often, and so damn sincerely."
Chris from the Yahoo Group was first out of the gate with the news that Paste had selected DBT as on of the top 100 best living song writers.

If you haven't already, you need to check DBT taper extraordinaire Sloan Simpson's new site Southern Shelther. I go there once a day to at least listen to a version of Goat. Lot's of other great bands to check out too.

Here a great old review I found while I was digging on the web:

Jack Sparks - The Other Side of Country - Where were you?:
February 9, 2004 08:06 AM
"Shut your mouth and get your ass on the plane. Yes, just shut your mouth and get your ass on the plane.

The cocktail napkin in my back pocket contains the phrase, 'like an omelette that's too big.' There's a lot of onions, mushrooms, bacon, sausage, and cheese in The Drive By Truckers, and they're spread out all over the griddle. You find yourself repeating to yourself and out loud at their shows, 'you simply cannot make this shit up.' There aren't enough 3 guitar assaults with a shared whiskey bottle in the music world today. And, let me repeat that...The Drive By Truckers are a 3 guitar assault; there's no where in the club you can go without getting a melon full reverb.

Not only was the word 'fuck' used in all its forms--noun, verb, adverb, and adjective--during the evening, but the DBT's also played the album they've been recording in its entirety. Think about that; this little asshole of a club at Cedar and Riverside gets 3 hours of music featuring all your old DBT favorites, plus, the group has the guts to shotgun through about 12 new songs, without killing everybody's buzz. And, if you know anything, you know that Patterson Hood can't just write a song, he has to have a theme to go along with whatever he's doing, and we all love him for that. (Just read this and imagine heavy guitar chords being played 'softly' in the background) 'Back in the 70's in a small county in Southern Tennesee, Sheriff Buford Pusser fought a one-man battle against the Southern Mafia known as the 'Boys from Alabama' that was subsequently made into a shitty movie called 'Walking Tall,'....' Patterson, you had me at 'hello.' You simply cannot make this shit up."
Til next time!
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Thursday, July 06, 2006

Hippy Pussy

Someday we'll have a president who is as smart as the terrorist. Won't we? Someday??? Please, god, someday?

Former CIA and State Dep't terror official says bank spying already known to terrorists:
"If you still labor under the fantasy that the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal divulged 'classified information' that put U.S. lives at risk or hampered our ability to track terrorist financial assets, you are either willfully ignorant or have been living in a sensory isolation tank. (Word to Congressman Peter King--pull your fat, Irish Republican Army-supporting head out of your ass and stay awake during Congressional testimony.)"
More sucky MSM articles on Dear Leader. There is no "danger" that this will happen. It will happen. The next prez WILL inherit a world of hurt. The cluster-fucks of all cluster-fucks.

A (Dimwit) President Faces a World of Crises:
"'I am hard-pressed to think of any other moment in modern times where there have been so many challenges facing this country simultaneously,' said Richard N. Haass, a former senior Bush administration official who heads the Council on Foreign Relations. 'The danger is that Mr. Bush will hand over a White House to a successor that will face a far messier world, with far fewer resources left to cope with it.'
Alablawg tries to bring us together:

Conservatives Are Not Nice People:
"Lee, you are being unfair to conservatives. Sure, some of them do stuff like threaten six year old Jewish kids who complain about being called “Jew Boy” at school. Or say Supreme Court Justices who they do not like ought to be killed. Or urge torturous death for newspaper editors. Or advocate for the execution of homosexuals. Or rejoice at the prospect of terrorists destroying American cities. Or promote shooting illegal aliens as a solution to immigration problems. But that does not mean there are no conservatives who “uphold the qualities of courage, compassion, innovative leadership, public service, and ethical excellence.”
Tee-freakin'-hee! Blue Gal has got some new rules and, well, they rule!

Blue Gal: New Rules (with apologies to Bill Maher):
"New Rule #1:

You are not allowed to put an 'end the genocide in Darfur' bumper sticker on your late-model hybrid in order to 'raise consciousness in the Bay Area.' The consciousness of the Bay Area was raised up over the Santa Ana mountains in 1978. Those still lucky (?) enough to be alive in Darfur are interested in some peacekeeping troops, not a bunch of old long hairs who, admit it, are marching against genocide so they can meet some hippy pussy. "

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Put another log on the fire, boys....

Enron Founder Kenneth Lay Dies at 64 "... and he's in hell, now"
"Kenneth Lay, founder and vilified former chairman of scandal-ridden Enron Corp., died of a heart attack Wednesday morning. He was 64"
It is amazing how the worst news for this administration comes out on holidays or on Friday:

Bush Directed Cheney To Counter War Critic:
"President Bush told the special prosecutor in the CIA leak case that he directed Vice President Dick Cheney to personally lead an effort to counter allegations made by former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV that his administration had misrepresented intelligence information to make the case to go to war with Iraq, according to people familiar with the president's interview."
Another Shoals resident fighting the good fight.

I Was Attacked By The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC)!:
"Hey guys, let me introduce myself. My name is Chris D. Jackson. I am a 19 year old student at the University of North Alabama and just your average American teenager trying to make a difference in society.

From the time I was a small kid, I have been drawn to politics. And in recent years, I have harnessed that interest and put it to the test in the form of public service."

http://lawrencedemocrats.org/chrisjackson.html
Larry the Cable Jackass... Posing, fake, motherfucker. Damn, I hate a carpetbagger...

It's Official!:
"As for 'anti-intellectual pride', that is Larry The Cable Guy in spades. Let me quote you again (from an on-line interview, 'I consider my jokes to be very jeuvinille (sic). Stuff a 14 year old would laugh at because that's the ...sence (sic) of humor I have.'. Hmmm, okay. That was easy.

Well, I suppose I've already covered part of that in the above. But you also specifically dumb down your speech while making hundreds of purposefully grammatical errors. How do I know this? It's on page 17 of your book wherein you describe how you would 'Larry' up your commentaries for radio. What does it mean to 'Larry' something up? Take a wild guess. The reason you feel the need to 'Larry' something up? Because you are not that dumb. I mean you, Dan Whitney, the guy who's name the bank account is under. You were born and raised in Nebraska (hardly The South), went to private school and moved to Florida when you were 16. This is when you developed your accent?! Not exactly the developmental years are they? At age 16 that's the kind of thing you have to make a concerted effort to adopt."

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

And I feel so damn nostalgic…. DBT at The Fillmore Part 3

I've finally found the time/balls/"gotten off my ass" to post the final installment of this review/pics. It's been an albatrose around my neck for a few months. I'm a terrible writer and all that I've written for DBT @ The Fillmore III has not been to my liking so I've ignored it hoping that it would either go away or that I'd find the written inspiration to finish it. Neither has occurred so I just said "Fuck it", it must be posted. So, here it is in all of its (un)glory:

Time with Patterson
I don't get star struck. In a previous life I was an actor and I’ve dabbled in the film industry. I've experience in being exposed to varying levels of fame. Hell, I've slept in Randall Wallace's bed (he was out of town, and, no his wife wasn't there) and played with the sword Mel Gibson used in Braveheart. I ran around the set of We Were Soldiers and played in the cockpit of the helicopters. I’ve served a meal to the cast of Dawson’s Creek (Katie Holmes paid for the meal with her father’s credit card) and also appeared in an episode. I write this not to crow or to make you believe I’m “connected”. We all have stories of close encounters with celebrities and I’m no more special than anybody else. I’m just trying to make the case that celebrity is not something I get ga-ga over. With that being said, some people transcend celebrity and become a presence. You feel them in a room before you see them.




With this said, Patterson Hood has this type of presence in spades. I certainly don't want to put him on a pedestal (music historians will take care of that soon enough) because he is a down to earth, friendly MF'er but the tenacity which he has displayed in his quest for success for this band should awe the least of us. No golden child is he. He's applied the same grit, determination, roll-up-your-sleeves, grab-a-shovel-and-start-moving-dirt, sweat-blood, hard times be damned, no money having be damned, people tellin' him "NO" be damned, attitude that should inspire the masses to never quit, never give up. He's certainly influenced me.

Best seats in the house


He's a performer who cares about his craft, too. After the Friday night show I'm gasping for air in the balcony above the stage because I have been ROCKED so hard I thought I might have to go the hospital. It was the best I've ever seen the band perform. Patterson stepped out on the balcony and states that he wasn't as happy as he could be with the performance. I, physically, don't think I could have handled them being any better, but Patterson is always looking for that perfect show. Every single damn night. There ain't no "dialing one in" as far as he is concerned. That's why they are the best band going and that's why Patterson Hood and DBT are the force that they are. Good on ya, Patterson!



Time with Jenn
For a band to succeed, they need damn good people around supporting them. You could not find a better person in the galaxy to support you (whether you're a band or just a person) than Jenn Bryant. I don't care if you create a "Weird Science" computer and inserted all of the elements you thought that would create the best friend, fan manager, business manager, webmistress, hell, WOMAN, in the world. You still wouldn't come up with anything that would be half the person that Jenn Bryant is.

Tom Petty posters in DBT's dressing room


If you couldn't tell, I think the world of Jenn. Previous to the Fillmore shows I only knew Jenn as most of you know her. As the web temptress of DBT and as the Yahoo list dominatrix. And I’ve only spent less than 70 hours in her physical presence. But, I feel such a natural bond with that girl that the very best part of the DBT at the Fillmore weekend was getting to hang out with Jenn (and y’all know how much I love DBT). That’s no shit.

I love ya, Jenn!

The fine craft services table in the dressing room


The Crew
The Matador, Captain Kerr, Silky and the rest are as solid a crew as you could hope for. As Cooley once said they "..put gettin' the job done ahead of (their) job title".

Irony of ironies: The Black Crowes posters in DBT's dressing room


As far as a review of the show, Jambase wrote one that I won't even try to compete with. Read it here.
the night belonged to the Drive-By Truckers. Standing below a creepy fanged moon and flanked by undead vultures created by longtime album cover artist Wes Freed, they looked like trouble before they even opened their mouths. Like a heartbeat in the womb, bassist Shonna Tucker and drummer Brad Morgan cradled us before the vast smashing assault of opener "Feb 14" landed us in the curdled emotional muck in which they specialize




My buddy Rich and Silky in front of the bus


Mouthwash next to the sink in the bus


Aftermath, U.S.A. CSI would have a field day with whatever the fuck is on the camera lense.


It's great to be alive!....

I said, It's great to be alive!!!!


You're not listening. I said, It's motherfuckin' great to be alive......


...especially when your life has a soundtrack as sweet as this.

Hope y'all have enjoyed and I can't wait for the next rock show!