The G-Man Ranteth

Return of the Blog

2007-03-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

That's right-- I have a blog! One reason I haven't been doing much blogging myself is because I enjoy reading so many other blogs. My two favorite bloggers right now are David Sirota and Joe Bageant...two very astute political observers, to say the least.

Once again, college basketball-- I'm hoping my Stanford Cardinal can pull off a regular season-ending win against Arizona. Most commentators think the Cardinal is already assured of a berth in the NCAA tournament, but a 19-10 record with an 11-7 record in the ultra-competitive Pac-10 should seal the deal. Hopefully, Anthony Goods will return for the Pac-1o tourney and the NCAAs. I'd also like to see Carlton Weatherby, a seldom-used senior, sink a three-pointer or two in his final college home game. Maybe Chris Bobel, a senior walk-on, could even get a shot, but this matchup today should be a tough one...we'll know soon.

I'm anticipating (and working toward) some major changes in my musical existence...stay tuned, and I promise to blog more frequently than every few months.

The love of my life, Jolene, turns 33 next Friday and then takes off for a vacation in Argentina that she's been planning for more than a year. I'm glad she'll have the time off, but it will be hard to be without her. We both became profoundly aware of how much we missed each other when I was in Athens, Greece over New Year's with Jellyroll. As much as I'm happy to see her make the journey, I'll be eagerly awaiting her return...

By the way, you can catch Jolene playing with the Paper Dolls tomorrow (Sunday, March 4th) at Amnesia (on Valencia St. between 19th and 20th Streets in S.F.) between 7:30 and 8:30. This trio is most definitely worth seeing and hearing...

It's only a game, but...

2006-11-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

...I'm glad that Stanford won't go 0-12 in football this year.

About the whole Oakland/Fremont A's fiasco, I must admit that I'm rather indifferent. I really like the A's-- they're by far my favorite American League team, and since my favorite National League team, the Rockies (showing some love to my hometown), are usually out of contention by August, I rarely if ever have to worry about split loyalties...

I've read a lot of comments on the SFGate's blog about the impending A's move and the possible move of the 49ers to Santa Clara. Most of the comments, quite frankly, are inane-- either the politicians are all a bunch of "pussy's" for not shelling out more than $500 million of taxpayer money to billionaire owners, or it's all the fault of San Francisco and Oakland drug addicts, flamboyantly gay men, homeless people, and street criminals who have made the franchise owners flee in terror to the suburbs...

I get the impression (reinforced by many of the blog comments) that many of the same people who piss and moan about tax dollars being spent on education, health care, and affordable housing (things that generally contribute to the stability of society at large) have no problem whatsoever coughing up hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize privately-held, for-profit entities owned by multi-millionaires and billionaires. And for what, ultimately? An inflated sense of self-worth if your team is a winner?

On a purely emotional level, I can understand the desire to keep a team in town...I grew up in Denver, which lives and breathes Bronco football. Even though my family left Denver at the beginning of 1982, I remember how happy I was when the Broncos won their first Super Bowl in January of 1998. My brother and I talked on the phone immediately after the game-- the Broncos' first trip to the Super Bowl twenty years earlier had ended in a 27-10 loss to the Cowboys, and we were relieved to the have the curse of four blowout Bronco Super Bowl losses lifted.

It's easy to forget, though, that in 1997 and 1998, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen was making threats to move the team if local taxpayers didn't pay up for a new stadium. Admittedly, Mile High Stadium was an aging facility, but we're talking about a team that routinely packs 75,000-plus into the stands for every home game, and that has been the case for years...I remember that after flying into Denver for a weekend of gigs with the New Morty Show in 1997, I talked with a baggage handler at the airport who said that the new Bronco logo was a sign that Pat Bowlen was serious about moving the team if he didn't get a publicly-funded stadium. His reasoning? For the first time, there was no "D" on the Bronco helmets (the Broncos have the same "D"-less logo now)...I must admit, the man had a point. His concern was an indication of the anxiety that Bronco fans had to deal with. Oh, and Pat Bowlen got his new stadium: Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium.

Having played sports myself as a child, there was an appeal to growing up following a team. It is amazing how a sports franchise can bring people together who otherwise would be separated by race, class, income, political views, et cetera. I've exchanged many a high-five with individuals with whom I probably have absolutely nothing in common other than the team we like. I also wonder what it would have been like to have grown up in Chicago in the days of Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo (or Early Wynn, Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio if you followed the White Sox), or in New York in the 1940's and '50's, or in Pittsburgh in 1960, just to name a few examples. But the money wasn't as much of an issue then: the salaries weren't astronomical, and most of the ballparks weren't decked out like new Vegas casinos...

Let's face it: most owners of professional sports franchises are corporate executives. In general, corporate execs have no qualms about playing one locale against another to build a factory or what have you-- looking for the lowest wage scale, the most preferable tax abatement plan, the least unionized population, et cetera...so why do we expect them to be any different when it comes to the sports teams they own? In addition, most corporate executives don't become corporate executives without finding ways to foist a large percentage of their costs onto others-- in this case, the local taxpayers. If it's not Lew Wolff looking for a better deal for the A's, it's the Maloof brothers threatening to move the Sacramento Kings if the voters don't pony up the dough for a new arena (the voters voted "no" on that one, by the way), or the new ownership of the Seattle Sonics threatening to do the same.

So as you find out more about how the sports world works, the illusions fall by the wayside. There is no genuine attachment between owners and the areas in which their teams play, in most cases. There probably never has been...

As for what to call the A's, I think the "Fremont A's" would be a huge mistake. The first five years would be taken up with, "Where the f--- is Fremont?" After all, we don't have the Irving Cowboys in the NFL, or the Arlington Rangers in baseball, or the Auburn Hills Pistons in the NBA. Or the East Rutherford Jets, or the Foxboro Patriots, or the Landover Redskins. And the "Silicon Valley A's?" Yecch! I'm convinced that the A's ownership would have chosen San Jose, except for that a large percentage of Giants fans live in the South Bay. The whole territorial rights issue is a moot point now that the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, D.C., less than an hour away from Baltimore...so should they remain the "Oakland A's?" There are sticky issues with that as well...

Fortunately, there are some instances of teams financing their ballparks primarily through private means, though that can saddle a team with debts. But at least it's not leaving taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars. I think the idea of publicly-owned teams (like the Green Bay Packers in the NFL) shows a lot of promise, but the leadership of major league baseball has never allowed for that (even franchises that claim to do poorly financially increase significantly in value)...

Finally, there's the issue of whether new stadia bring benefits to the surrounding areas-- many people argue, "Yeah, it may cost $500 million to build the stadium, but look at all the money that will be spent in the city at bars and restaurants and shops!" Andrew Zimbalist, a Smith College economics professor, is one of the foremost experts on this area of economic analysis, and his research shows that in most cases, the costs outweigh the benefits. Ultimately, it might not be such a bad thing for the A's to move down to Fremont-- as pointed out by Patrick Hoge in today's Chronicle, the city of Oakland itself doesn't gain much at all financially from having the A's play there.

In other words, stay tuned...

Election Day Part III

2006-11-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most exciting days of the year for me, checking out election returns the morning after Election Day. Not only have the Democrats gained control of the House of Representatives, they're also on the verge of grabbing a 51-49 majority in the Senate. Jon Tester has a razor-thin margin over Conrad "Montgomery" Burns in the Montana Senate race with 99 percent of precincts counted, and Jim Webb has an 8,000-vote lead over George "Starts and Bars" Allen in the Virginia race. A cursory search of political insider blogs and news sites suggests that Tester and Webb will probably prevail...

Of course, We the People have to stay on these Demos-- the victories won't mean much if we're plagued with a bunch of DINOs (Democrats in Name Only), but with Senators like Sherrod Brown and (probably) Jon Tester, I'm optimistic...

If nothing else, though, I think the election shows that most Americans, even if they're fairly conservative, don't want a government that's unaccountable and corrupt (a la Abramoff, Safavian, etc.).

Anyone else out there happy that Richard Pombo got served?

Election Day, Part II

2006-11-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

I'm about to go to my polling place and cast my votes...probably voting the straight Bay Guardian ticket, though I'm REALLY holding my nose as I vote for Jerry Brown for Attorney General. The former Governor Moonbeam now reeks of a termed-out politician looking for a new place to squat. If I felt that Brown was a slam-dunk candidate in this race, I'd probably just vote for the Green Party candidate, but I'm not sure. I am profoundly disappointed, I must admit, in Brown's tenure as Oakland mayor, for a variety of reasons... mostly, he's always seemed way out-of-touch with the needs of most of the city's residents, particularly as the violent crime rate has shot up dramatically...

Go, Ned Lamont, Jon Tester, Eliot Spitzer, Sherrod Brown, Bernie Sanders, and Ted Strickland! And that's just for starters...

We'll see about voting machines, caging lists, and polling stations that are mysteriously closed...stay tuned.

Election Day

2006-11-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

November 7th-- should be interesting...

I only have one thing to do say about this election: I have absolutely no sympathy for people who complain about how hard it is to have to pick from all those candidates and initiatives on the ballot. It's not as if a voter has to write a dissertation on each initiative before going into the booth...

Here's what I do: I look at a few websites I trust (such as the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights -- www.ftcr.org) and read some of the weekly papers (the Bay Guardian, for instance) and check their recommendations. What I'm most concerned about is who is backing the initiatives-- hey, people have the right to contribute to an issue they support, but voters have the right to know who's backing what. And they do-- the free election handbook you receive in the mail before every election. I don't always agree with other people's recommendations, and what I often do is a quick online check of big campaign funders to see what THEIR agendas are. If a main backer of an initiative is something like "Citizens for Wise Economic Policy," I'm immediately suspicious. Most people or corporations who pony up large sums for an initiative or candidate are making an investment that they hope will bring them bigger rewards in the future (lower taxes, higher customer fees or surcharges, less regulation on their industries, etc.)...

So take a little time once a year to check out what's on the ballot...and keep paying attention. I'm fearing another "American Blackout" could take place this week (check out the film of the same name to see exactly I'm talking about).

Glad I didn't go to the Castro...

2006-11-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

10 people shot at the Halloween celebration in the Castro last night?! I remember going to the Castro for Halloween more than 10 years ago, and I felt completely safe then. It seems like more and more public events are becoming forums for people to act out their own real-life versions of Dave Chapelle's "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong" skits...I can't help but think how unhealthy it is to have a society with increasing numbers of people with absolutely nothing to lose, and how that has to figure into the equation when we talk about public violence...

Funny how the two representative cities in this year's World Series, St. Louis and Detroit, also finished 1-2 in a widely published survey of America's most violent cities. The first article I read about this survey mentioned that St. Louis's mayor is named Francis Slay. What an unfortunate coincidence...Oakland finished eighth in the survey-- it's not exactly Camden, New Jersey, but way too close for comfort...

I should be more excited about the upcoming election, given that the Democrats have a real shot at gaining a majority of the seats in the House of Reps, but somehow, I don't feel that fired up. I don't want a bunch of tepid DINOs (Democrats In Name Only) who apologize for holding a single progressive thought, but as long as people like Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Jon Tester of Montana, and Eliot Spitzer of New York do well at the polls (among others with real convictions), I will be more optimistic. Looks like Ken Blackwell is about to be served big-time in Ohio, but you never know...

What deflates me more than anything, though, is the California gubernatorial race-- after Arnold's special election debacle last year, the talk was that the Governator was done politically, but now, it looks like he will cruise to a second term. The only ads I've seen for Phil Angelides are ineffective at best...they're trying to portray Schwarzenegger as a right-wing extremist (Arnold is definitely conservative, but throws enough bones to the opposition, such as measures to combat global warming, to distance himself in the minds of many voters from the rightist of the right). The ads I've seen give no reason for why we should vote FOR Angelides. Voters are getting no insight about the Democratic candidate, and the schmucks behind the Angelides ad campaign need to be thrown overboard at the first opportunity. Plus, Schwarzenegger is viewed favorably by many Democrats, something I can't figure...more of that "Yeah, I may not agree with him, but he just seems like the kind of guy I could sit down and have a beer with" kind of thing. I'm in no mood to hear Democrats complain a year or two from now, "I dunno. I just felt more comfortable with Arnold at the time. I thought things would turn out better this time"...

Go Ned Lamont!

2006-08-09T11:44:00.001-07:00

Joe Lieberman got served. So many people are up in arms..."Oh, no! The BLOGOSPHERE is ruining America! These rabble-rousers are taking legitimate power away from the editorial boards of the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and Fox News, the very people we're supposed to trust because they're well-spoken, neatly-groomed, and they come from good homes and stuff! This is, well, just, like, you know, anarchy! Whatever shall we do?!"

The owning class is panicking, and it's a beautiful sight to see.

One reason I haven't been blogging much lately: I've had too much fun reading the writings of others. Shouts out to Media Matters, David Sirota, Greg Palast, and Daily Kos.

Right now, I'm listening to the Dave Scott Jazz Quartet. I really dig his new CD, "Why Must It Be." I've already listened to his tune "Dove's Dream" several times. Someday I'll get to the rest of the CD...check out Dave's site: www.davescott.org.

In other news, Maurice Clarett is at it again...what a sad story. A year ago, the Denver Broncos took a chance and drafted him after his controversial stint at Ohio State, but quickly decided he didn't figure into their plans. Less than four months later, Clarett allegedly robbed a guy at gunpoint outside of a bar in Columbus, and his latest feat of bravery (last night) was leading cops on a high-speed chase on Interstate 70. The end result: the former star running back was maced and subdued by cops, and several loaded automatic weapons were subsequently found in his SUV. All this while getting ready to play for the Mahoning Valley Hitmen of the Eastern Indoor Football League.

From now on, I will not eat at any San Francisco restaurant that doesn't have an inspection score well into the 90's. I've been going to this dim sum place at 6th and Clement for a while (score: 87), and I think my latest meal there is the most likely reason I've been consuming little other than Jell-O, crackers, Sprite, and Immodium for the past 36 hours. My willingness to go to this restaurant after seeing the posted score is indicative of a quandary I've had my whole life: my battle with perfectionism. I've certainly heard, "Gee, Tom, lighten up a little, willya?" in my life, particularly when it comes to safety (making sure I wait long enough after drinking before I drive, et cetera), and out of fear of being perceived as a spoil-sport, sometimes I internalize that message and let my guard down. "So they got an 87...that's still a B+...and their food is tasty!" Well, an "87" score is a clear indication that the health inspectors found tangible violations of sanitation standards...I think one risk of dim sum/buffet restaurants is that meat dishes can end up sitting out for a long time. Fortunately, I'm feeling a lot better, though not 100 percent.

What a country

2006-04-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

I just started reading "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins...yet another reason to be thrilled with the current state of our world. Years ago, I was in a distinctly anti-corporate mood; I didn't want to work in the corporate world, I didn't want to help the rich get richer, and I suspected that many major corporations wanted nothing more than to expand and perpetuate their dominance, regardless of what effect that had on the rest of the world. Then, eventually, I thought, "Maybe I've been too harsh. Maybe that was just some hipster-ish, angry young man pose I assumed to 'rebel' against my comfortable middle-class upbringing."

But as I learn more, I realized that nope, it wasn't a pose. The semi-permanent global government known as the "corporatocracy" has its tentacles all over just about every human endeavor, and with more sinister aims than I ever could have imagined.

I am encouraged, though, by the degree of opposition to the current state of the global economy, such as Latin American nations voting for leaders who oppose the typical World Bank-International Monetary Fund strategies that have bankrupted their countries and left virtually no money to take care of basic human services (which would be deemed as "meddling social programs" by many of our "leaders"). Hell, even Oprah Winfrey had a program addressing poverty in this country, and discussed the utter futility of trying to live on minimum wage. True, Wal-Mart is a major sponsor, and that's one heck of an asterisk, but she even had Morgan Spurlock ("Supersize Me!") on the show, which is something I would not have expected.

Meanwhile, I'm curious as to what it will actually take to throw Bush and Cheney out on their asses. So they authorized the leak of Valerie Plame-- just another day in Washington. And the Demos think that Russ Feingold is way out in left field for proposing censure? Time to get a spine, fellas, or else step down...please!

Moving on from March Madness...

2006-03-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

...except for the fact that the Stanford women are beating Oklahoma right now on the hardwood, but I'm afraid to speak too soon.

I don't have the time or resources to put together a serious political blog, but fortunately, there are many who do, and there are some top-notch sites out there. I am a regular visitor to SmirkingChimp.com, but I have also became a major follower of two more sites: Media Matters and David Sirota (the Sirotablog). Media Matters is largely a creation of David Brock, a former conservative who eventually became disenchanted with the right-- he has written two particularly well-received books in recent years, "Blinded by the Right" and "The Republican Noise Machine." I've only read the latter of the two, which detailed how the right wing has come to dominate the airwaves. The Media Matters site keeps a tab of media distortions by both the mainstream and the overtly right-wing press-- believe me, that's a full-time job. David Sirota is a long-time progressive activist who does an incredible job of monitoring political corruption and calling out what many refer to as DINOs ("Democrats In Name Only"). I'll also give a shout-out to Daily Kos as another great site. Fortunately, I know there are plenty more progressive sites and blogs out there, and I'll keep looking...

I've been reading "American Dynasty," a book about the Bush family written by former Republican activist Kevin Phillips (who has left the party and registered as an independent). All I can say right now is this: the amount of corruption and insider dealings in the current administration is beyond mind-boggling. And when you include the rising tide of worldwide religious extremism (particularly of the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim varieties) in the overall equation, the future looks quite, uh, contentious...

Further reading I plan on doing: "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins, "Fooled Again" by Mark Crispin Miller, "The Long Emergency" by James Howard Kunstler, and "The Cheating Culture" by David Callahan.

It wasn't supposed to end like this...

2006-03-20T00:41:00.000-08:00

A loss to Missouri State in the second round of the NIT...yes, I'm talkin' 'bout the Stanford Cardinal men's basketball team. Ranked 13th in preseason polls, finishing 16-14 overall. Barely over .500 after 11 straight NCAA tournament appearances. At least the team had some great moments, especially in the middle of the season when everything seemed to click. Too bad Chris Hernandez, Dan Grunfeld, Matt Haryasz, and Jason Haas had to go out on a sour note. But the squad developed some younger players, and will add the 7-foot-tall Lopez twins from Fresno next year. Collins Twins Part II? Stay tuned...

Meanwhile, Tara VanDerveer continues her coaching wizardry for the Stanford women's team, which is on a mission toward the top again. Candice Wiggins led the Card in their latest tourney win. Once again, stay tuned...

As for the men's tourney, the team I'd like to see continue their run is Bradley. Why? My dad was born in Peoria, and the first house he lived in was located on what is now part of the Bradley campus. Plus, a 13 seed getting to the Sweet Sixteen is always a compelling story...

In other realms, I'm going to follow Russ Feingold a lot more closely-- at last, a Democrat with conviction (as opposed to a Democrat being convicted, like Jim Traficant or Dan Rostenkowski). Bush is at his lowest approval rating ever, and now national polls show that a majority of Americans (not San Franciscans, not Californians, but Americans as a whole) think that Bush lied about the reasons we invaded Iraq. This is not the time for the tepid, centrist Democrats to lead the way...we've, uh, had that problem before...

I'm absolutely addicted to YouTube.com. I've found almost everything I've looked for: Bill Hicks, the Dead Kennedys, Lewis Black, Lenny Bruce...you can view "Thank You, Mask Man," the animated version of Lenny Bruce's comedy routine. I first saw it when I was fifteen-- I was up late one night after a marching band competition, too amped to go to sleep, when I was flipping around the cable channels and found USA's "Night Flight." That cartoon blew my mind, even though I didn't get a lot of the references then and couldn't catch all the words of Lenny's rapid-fire delivery. It was just so bombastic and surreal, and the animation fit perfectly.

I just submitted my tax info to my accountant, and my room looks like it did in college after finishing a term paper...

Stuff

2006-02-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

Just listened to some Gary Smulyan at work today-- his Pepper Adams tribute album recorded in 1991. One great baritone saxophonist paying tribute to another...makes me want to practice for about a month straight.

Looks like Stanford men's basketball is on the ropes. 13-10 with four regular season games to play. Either they win three out of the last four and a couple of games in the Pac-10 Tournament, or the run of 11 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances is over. Hard to believe. This is a team that easily could be 16-7 right now, or possibly even better-- they almost beat 5th-ranked Gonzaga in Spokane, but the early-season losses (to UC Irvine, UC Davis, and Montana) loom large in the eyes of the selection committee. The Cardinal has had to deal with a lot of injuries: Fred Washington out for the year, Matt Haryasz not always at full strength, Chris Hernandez with back problems, and Dan Grunfeld on the mend from last year's season-ending knee injury. Of course, every team has to overcome injuries, so the only thing left to do is finish the year strongly, or else. And I will be tuning into either KNEW or KQKE (depending upon the schedule) to hear Bob Murphy call the play-by-play-- as I've said before, I love the way he conveys the tension in a close game. Besides, it's the people's medium: non-subscription radio.

Haven't read Jim Kunstler's weekly blog yet (he posts on Mondays)-- I always look forward to it, despite the grim subject matter: Life After Cheap Energy. Fortunately, he wants to prepare this nation for dealing with depleted resources, instead of living in La-La-La-Magic Land until the house of cards comes down. One of his most common recommendations is to restore the nation's passenger railway service, which I think would be a damn fine idea. For a while in the early '90's, when I didn't have a car, I would take Amtrak to visit my parents in Fresno-- it had its plusses (not having to drive, being able to read and relax, and not having to contend with congested roads) and its minuses (at times, a rather funky smell, and a rather indirect route). I do think the U.S. has to make a real transportation plan for when driving becomes too unaffordable for the great majority of the population (ever notice how all of a sudden, Peak Oil is getting serious attention in the mainstream press?)...

Not much to add about the whole Dick Cheney A-Hunting-We-Will-Go (sung like Elmer Fudd) debacle-- interesting to hear how many inconsistencies there are in the "official" story of what happened. Yet another case of political fixers and operatives hunkering down around our mystery leader, getting indignant over the simplest questions-- "ain't nothin' to see here 'round these parts, partnah." Imagine if Al Gore or Bill Clinton had make a similar miscue in '97 or '98-- I'm sure the media would have let them alone to get down to governing, gosh durnit! Heh-heh...

It ain't Jake

2006-01-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

What an ugly end to the Broncos' season...I thought that, at the very least, Denver would have made a game of it. Despite the great season that Jake Plummer had, he will be known once again as El Foldo, making blunders at crucial times. For all but two teams, next season has already begun-- Mike Shanahan will have to figure out how to build for the 2006-07 season, hoping to succeed not only during the regular season, but during the playoffs as well. One bad performance can undermine a year-long mission.

Even though I don't care about the ultimate outcome of this year's Super Bowl, there will still be some compelling story lines: Seattle's first trip there, Jerome Bettis returning to his hometown of Detroit to play in the big show, for what will likely be his last game, the Steelers being only the second team ever to get to the Super Bowl after three playoff wins on the road, the chance for Shaun Alexander or Ben Roethlisberger to win it all, et cetera...

I guess I'm always drawn to the stories behind the story of high-profile sports-- I get fascinated by improbable circumstances, underdog victories, great comebacks, and unlikely standouts as much as anybody. Yet another way great way to divert attention from what I need to be working on...

A bunch of words, some potentially relevant...

2006-01-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow would have been my grandmother's 100th birthday (she passed away in 1991). Among other things, I'm still getting used to the fact that I'm old enough to have a grandparent who was born a century ago...

I'm hoping my Broncos can pull it off tomorrow against the Steelers (and then against the NFC champs)...this is the farthest Denver has gone since the days of John Elway and Terrell Davis (it's pronounced Tuh-RELL). For me, it's hard to hate the Steelers, given that my family lived in Pittsburgh before we moved to Denver in 1973, but my Bronco fandom was firmly implanted by 1977 (the first year of those Orange Crush T-shirts).

Glad to see the Abramoff scandal getting so much coverage...it helps to check out www.mediamatters.org to see what's REALLY going on-- the usual suspects are perpetuating the usual lies, so it's nice to have some constant fact-checking going on. Also, more is coming out about how Dubya intervened (interfered) with a 2002 investigation of Abramoff's misdeeds. Ethics, anyone? Anyone?

I'll be more specific about my ER visit in October-- some people have expressed concern (thanks for asking). Here's what it was (no graphic photos): a thrombosed external hemorrhoid. I've never seen so much of my own blood in my life-- thankfully, my vital signs remained normal the whole time, but I had to go to the ER to get a small blood clot removed. I was a bit shaken psychologically afterward (it's a rather frightening way for your body to tell you to treat it better). My advice to everyone: more water, more dietary fiber, and keep some psyllium fiber on hand.

Man, I'm getting rusty

2005-12-06T00:19:00.000-08:00

Nothing profound, yet again...

Yes, yours truly is playing the saxophone on page 88 of the December 2005 issue of Fast Company. If you want to know what I do for my day gig, pick up a copy. You'll see that really cool '70's shirt that I have. As for our company's product, it's addictive, and it now comes in an advertising-supported free version. Check out www.pandora.com. When you subscribe, you'll be hooked, but in a good way, especially if you're a music aficionado...

I've realized that "Hey Nineteen" is one of my favorite songs of all time. I sang background vocals on that tune last Friday at a karaoke bar in El Cerrito ("No, we can't dance together...no we can't talk at all" and "The Cuervo Gold...the fine Colombian...make tonight a wonderful thing"). Fortunately, I had musical ace Kevin Seal at my side, nailing a perfect third above me, hitting notes I rarely attempt. As I continue in my musical existence, I realize that there are more and more things I enjoy doing besides playing reed instruments...

...which reminds me-- I'm about to unveil my newest musical project in early 2006. It'll be my first serious attempt as a songwriter (aside from penning "Ladies' Man" with the New Morty Show-- it's on the "Rigomorty" CD). I'll keep you posted.

My Stanford Cardinal is off to a dreadful start (the men, not the women). The men's team was ranked 13th in the preseason polls, but is now 2-3, with losses to UC Irvine, Montana, and UC Davis (why can't our teams beat UC Davis in major sports?!?). If nothing else, it's preseason, and the team is just trying to get its act together. But so is everyone else...in any case, Trent Johnson knows what he's doing. He turned Nevada (Reno, UNLV) into a major contender, and he turned the Cardinal around after a rough start last year. Film at eleven...

Festive? Not this year...

2005-10-31T19:45:00.000-08:00

Some years I'm up for Halloween...this year, I'm not. Not because I'm down, or in an anti-Halloween mood, but just because I'm tired. Fortunately, I'm tired because I've been busy. Also, I've been rather emotionally drained while recovering from the aftermath of a scary 30- minute period almost two weeks ago that required a trip to the emergency room. Luckily, despite initial appearances, nothing particularly serious happened-- no permanent damage, nothing chronic...just a reminder that my body doesn't tolerate quite as much as it used to. Most of the time, I eat fairly well (not too much meat, lots of salads, fruits and vegetables), but when I lapse for a week or two, my body rebels more than it used to. There was a time, years ago, when I could live off fried chicken, Mickey D's, burritos, pizza slices, and gallons of Coca-Cola without consequence...I couldn't imagine doing that now, even if I wanted to.

With Monday Night Football in the background right now, I'm reminded of how much more I would have enjoyed watching the World Series if Al Michaels were announcing. Or Bob Costas. Or Jon Miller. Sorry, but I'm not feeling the whole Joe Buck/Tim McCarver thing on Fox-- despite their experience and knowledge of the game, they just don't seem to convey the significance of the moment the way that Michaels, Costas or Miller do. When I'm watching baseball on Fox, every game seems like an inconsequential regular-season game between two teams long since eliminated from contention. And I'm no fan of interviews during the game, or the miked bases, or all the hidden cameras on the field-- I find it all too intrusive.

As a Stanford fan, the Cardinal's OT loss to UCLA on Saturday was excruciating...had Stanford won, it would have been a tremendous emotional boost for the football program, which is clawing back toward respectability after three consecutive losing seasons. If the Cardinal had beaten 8th-ranked and undefeated UCLA, Stanford would have been 5-2 with four consecutive Pac-10 wins; instead they're 4-3 and needing two more wins for bowl eligibility while having to face USC, Oregon State on the road, Cal and Notre Dame. But better to lose in OT than to have been blown out 56-3...

As a Bronco fan, I was ecstatic to see that Denver blew out Philadelphia 49-21. The final score gives no indication that at one point, the Broncos nearly blew a 28-point lead. I think the Broncos are finally seeing the Jake Plummer that they were hoping to see when they signed him three years ago. And in other news, offensive lineman Dwayne Carswell has been upgraded to fair condition after a serious auto accident at the end of last week...

Once again, way too many political matters to follow...glad that Libby got indicted, though I'm looking forward to more indictments. How much more do people need to see to be convinced that this administration is completely contaminated with corruption? And now, BushCo is banging the war drums for Syria and Iran. Nothing like a bankrupt nation digging itself even further into the hole and incurring the wrath of even more people...

If nothing else, the Governator is no longer seen as invincible, and his ballot propositions are in trouble. There is hope, after all...

Bill King, RIP; props to David Lazarus

2005-10-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

The Bay Area has lost one of the finest sports announcers around in Bill King, who just passed away at the age of 78. Since he came to San Francisco in 1958, he has called play-by-play for the Giants, the Warriors, the Raiders, and the A's, among others. I've never been able to go to as many A's games as I would like, and I rarely get to see the A's on TV since I don't have cable, but listening to Bill King's broadcasts on KFRC provided me more than adequate compensation. Admittedly, I knew little about Bill King as a person, but I always got the feeling while listening to him that he knew far more than just sports. He came across as someone you could talk to about Lenny Bruce at the Purple Onion in the 1960's, or a Sonny Rollins album, or about great writers. In fact, KRON showed an old interview yesterday in which Bill King briefly discussed his love of opera with sports anchor Gary Radnich.

Many commentators noted that Bill King was masterful about bringing passion to the game without being too flamboyant, boisterous, or cheerlead-y. Indeed, you could feel the tension in a close game, or the excitement of witnessing a spectacular play, when King was on the mike.

By contrast, a lot of other play-by-play announcers that I've heard in sports highlights sound slightly unhinged and/or boorish-- "Hit deep to left...yeah, baby...GET OUT OF HERE! GET OUT! GO! YEAH!!!" That type of announcer is known as a "homer"-- that is, unabashedly plugging his team. I prefer the Bill Kings and Jon Millers of the sports world...I've taped memorable radio broadcasts of both of them (King when the A's won 20 straight in 2002, Miller when the Giants clinched the NL West in 1997 and when they ended their time at Candlestick Park in 1999), and am still impressed with how well they captured the emotions of the moment while remaining in control.

Another announcer I really enjoy is Bob Murphy, who does play-by-play for Stanford football and basketball. He's another older veteran who brings both passion and decorum to the proceedings. I don't if anyone can do a better job of conveying the pressure of a close basketball game, down to a single free throw ("Stanford up 67-64 with 8 seconds to go, still a one-possession game with Hernandez at the line. He puts it up....SIXTY-EIGHT!").

Item #2 for today: I wanted to gave a big thumps-up to David Lazarus's article in the San Francisco Chronicle today (available online at www.sfgate.com). He addresses the catastrophic state of health insurance in the U.S. today, and his recommended solution is rather atypical for a business writer in a major metropolitan newspaper:

"I've written repeatedly how a single-payer health-care system could provide universal coverage for all Americans at a long-term cost to taxpayers well below what's now paid annually by employers and workers...Single-payer systems are the norm in virtually all other developed democracies. While far from perfect - long waits for treatment are a frequent complaint - such systems ensure that any citizen can receive care from any doctor in any hospital...There are no co-pays or deductibles, no private-sector premiums soaring year after year."

Spam, spam, spam, spam...

2005-10-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm ready for the spam...I'm sure those who are sending me hot stock tips and information about pool and spa supplies are reading my posts in depth.

I am glad that my Broncos won decisively today in Jacksonville. After Denver got trounced 34-10 in Miami on opening day, I never would have guessed they'd be 3-1 three weeks later. Here's hoping for something more than a first-round playoff loss this year...

Now, on to the real happy stuff:

Twenty years ago, I started my freshman year at Stanford, hoping that I might become a civil rights attorney, or a Democratic officeholder, or a public policy expert of some kind. I certainly didn't anticipate playing music for a living.

I thought that, barring freakish circumstances, my life would be like that of millions of others: go to school, pursue a career hopefully of my own choosing, continually adapt to new technologies, build satisfying personal and professional relationships...

What I didn't anticipate was the potential need to grow my own food, make my own clothing, and find my own water for drinking, cleaning, and bathing, as if I lived in rural Massachusetts in 1830.

Two years ago, anyone who talked about the End of Oil (that is, petroleum depletion) was either ignored or dismissed as some Luddite alarmist. Now, the End of Oil is in the mainstream press on a regular basis: how will cities survive, how will we cope without cars, how will suburbia fare, how will agriculture work, et cetera...

Having read James Howard Kunstler and a piece by Tim Holt in today's edition of www.sfgate.com, I'm politically restless, yet again. Look at what we're facing right now-- consumer confidence is dropping like a stone in anticipation of natural gas price hikes, and people are already cutting back on their driving with gas at $3.00 a gallon. Even Dubya is pushing for gas conservation! And the shit ain't even close to hitting the fan...

Of course, there have been those who have been pushing for conservation and renewal energy for decades, but again, most of them have been either dismissed or vehemently disparaged in the style of Eric Cartman: "No one wants to hear your commie fag tree-huggin' hippie crap! This is America, beeyatch!"

The whole propagated myth of American invincibility is the ultimate triumph of consumer culture: no limits, unbridled freedom of mobility, perpetual abundance of bigger and better goods...the culture of advertising, of course, is nothing other than the creation of Fantasy Magicland, and those who have never bothered to contrast reality with Fantasy Magicland will be the people likely to suffer the most emotional trauma from having to make the necessary adjustments to a world where Perpetual Abundance no longer exists.

Any politician who fails to sell the Fantasy Magicland vision to voters doesn't have a chance. We want our politicians to assure us that the future will be nothing but Onward and Upward, yet we despise politicians as liars and crooks.

Although many people are nervous about the immediate future, I think there's an underlying belief in most that it'll just be a temporary downturn-- you know, "business cycles" and all that. What isn't figured into the equation is the absence of one key resource on which our entire civilization depends...

You're not going to convince me that a nation of nearly 300 million people will be able to make a rapid adjustment (could be 5 years, could be 30) to life without adequate supplies of petroleum-- not only the supply of gas will be affected, of course: we're talking about fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and countless other necessities.

So you can either drink (or similarly abuse) yourself to death, or further indulge in Fantasy Magicland, or you can start to seriously consider other ways to exist. Even greater political vigilance is required: the overwhelming majority of politicians are fully bought and paid for by corporate interests, obviously, so the only solution is voter vigilance. I don't know what else to do about that.

On the plus side, I just signed up online to join the Solar Living Institute's e-mail list. I might make a visit up there soon (it's in Hopland, California, roughly 100 miles north of San Francisco). They have classes related to renewable energy (passive solar energy, food cultivation, and permaculture, for starters). Check out www.solarliving.org. We are going to have to prepare for life after car culture viability-- might as well prepare for some alternatives.

One down, countless more to go...

2005-09-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

I don't want Tom DeLay to die some horrible death, or anything like that. I want him to live long enough to fully experience the wrath of the American public once they learn the true extent of his thuggery and corruption. I want DeLay to be mentioned in the same breath as Theodore Bilbo, Joe McCarthy, Bull Connor, and every other illustrious reactionary who ultimately revealed himself to be a wickedly insecure self-hating tightly-coiled pile on the lawn.

Don't get me started on the "dress for success" contingent of the Democratic Party. Though I do give props to DiFi for voting against John Roberts as Chief Justice. Someone had a half-joking, half-serious theory that the fascist coup has already happened, and that Democrats who step too far out of line could get "Wellstoned"-- hence the timidity of the minority party. Believe me, I want to hear current theories about what really happened to Mel Carnahan and Paul Wellstone-- two Democrats running for Senate, both in tight races with Republicans, both going down in fatal plane crashes right before their respective elections...perhaps they were indeed accidents, but I put NOTHING past the current administration. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Like I said, the war is on, and it has BEEN on...I'm just glad that the Exterminator (DeLay) is one of the casualties. You're going to hear a lot more about "K" Street in Washington (another illustrious band of reprehensible thugs who are finally getting their collective comeuppance)...

The war is on...

2005-09-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

...and it's been on for years. That is, the war on the public sector, a.k.a. the government, a.k.a. anything that can hold the owning class accountable for grand malfeasance (you know, economic fraud, overt environmental degradation, etc.)...

The pointlessly tragic debacle of New Orleans is, ultimately, a logical outcome of the war on the public sector. True, there's much debate about the efficacy of the levee system in the first place, but it's clear that there were concrete steps (if you will) that could have been taken to minimize the amount of destruction caused by a Category 5 hurricane. We've already seen the utter folly of "we didn't anticipate the failure of the levees" spin-- there have been articles for years about the threat posed to New Orleans by a major hurricane, and state, local and regional officials made appeals for several years for flood control funding for southeastern Louisiana. Not surprisingly, the Bush administration continually cut funding for this region, which included shoring up levees and pumps. And then, there were loosened regulations on development on barrier islands, which in the past served as a natural buffer against tropical storms.

We all know by now, of course, the sham of a federal agency called FEMA-- Clinton's appointee, James Witt, was actually experienced in disaster management and routinely received high marks for his work. Then Dubya brought in his old campaign manager Joe Allbaugh to run the FEMA show; after Allbaugh left to become a lobbyist for, among others, Kellogg, Brown and Root, the Halliburton subsidiary, we got his crony successor, Michael Brown, who faked his resume to make it look like he had actual disaster management experience. And we all know by now how great of a job ol' Brownie did. So, to sum it up: under Clinton (who has a decidedly mixed legacy in my book), FEMA was in the hands of a true professional; under Bush, two cronies. And to top it all off, the Allbaugh-represented Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) just got a fat, no-bid contract to rebuild NOLA. Crony capitalism in action.

For the last three decades or so, we've been told that government is always the problem. Certain corporate interests figured that the best way to get rid of public-interest laws that could cut into their profits was to wage a public relations battle. Make the "little guy" feel a common bond with GM, Union Carbide, et al by pointing out some bureaucratic snafu that hurt a small business owner. I'm not about to argue that there aren't some absurd regulations in various agencies and various locales. But it's clear that corporate interests and their public relations firms would piggyback on a wronged small business owner or landowner to push their own initiatives to reduce public oversight of their own activities. "You see, poor Harry Q. Shopkeep of Sterling, Colorado is just trying to feed his family. And the employees of Blankety-Blank Corporation are just trying to feed their families. Excessive government regulation hurt Mr. Shopkeep, just as emission control regulation will hurt the families of the Blankety-Blank Corporation..." You hear this sort of argument all the time, and the PR effort has worked wonders...

So what happens? Government is viewed as nothing more than an arm of the Kremlin, or as a means to steal money from hardworking Americans and to give it to shiftless welfare recipients who have 16 children and who drive Cadillacs-- without having to work an honest day in their lives! The racial subtext is so obvious that I'll just leave it alone.

With the public's increasing hostility toward the government, the process is easy: decry ALL non-military government as inefficient, oppressive, confiscatory, irresponsible, and then do two specific things: (1) Dramatically cut government funding, so agencies can't perform well; (2) Appoint agency heads who vehemently dislike the agencies they're appointed to head-- such as James Watt, a strip-miner, being appointed to head the Environmental Protection Agency. The results are predictable: the government agencies are stripped of their power and efficacy, and the defunded agencies perform poorly. Then, when the public is asked whether they support further public funding, the response is usually, "Are you kidding? Government can't do anything right! Giving them more money would only be throwing good money after bad!"

Of course, while the public sector takes the hit, the private sector is touted as a cure-all: efficient, always to the benefit of the consumer (once again, the "little guy"), free of politics and bureaucracy. Never mind the Enron Death Star price gouging of California energy consumers, or the multimillion-dollar insider stock dumping by Bill Frist, or skyrocketing health insurance premiums with no accountability or relief in sight. Hey, a man's gotta feed his family, right? Bill Frist is just taking care of his family, like anyone else who has to get up to go to work in the morning. See, we're just like you!

And when weakened and/or corrupt government agencies don't get the job done, what's the recommended solution? Privitization! Translation: well-placed cronies get to cash in.

Case in point: the federal government continually denies funding to local public-sector agencies to shore up safeguards that would protect the city of New Orleans from catastrophic storm damage. FEMA, a weakened, crony-infested agency, not surprisingly botches crucial recovery and rescue efforts (turning away three 18-wheelers of emergency supplies from Wal-Mart, for starters). But who gets the big reward: a no-bid contract to a crony-infested Halliburton subsidiary with a rap sheet full of corruption, mismanagement, and billions of dollars disappeared.

Just another reminder to pay attention: when you hear about prospective appointees in the news, take a moment if and when you have the time to do so. If you can exert pressure in any way to thwart yet another wink-wink nudge-nudge appointment, like writing a local representative or senator, all the better. True, it's an uphill battle, but far better than doing nothing. A great source of information, by the way, is the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. HIGHLY recommended reading.

The G-Man Returneth

2005-08-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

Not that I ever went away...just had so much on my mind that I couldn't boil it all down into anything concise. Nevertheless, I'll try...

Went to my 20-year high school reunion last weekend (Redlands High Class of 1985), held at the Mission Inn in Riverside. Had a great time, but I really want to address another aspect of it all:

I've noticed that in many circles, it's uncool to admit that you had a good time in high school, as if you're validating a fascist system that mandates obedience, conformity, mindless consumerism, ungodly devotion to athletic conquest, et cetera et cetera. Sure, I could pretend that I showed up to school either drunk off my ass from a forty of King Cobra, or baked out of my mind from some sticky buds, wearing Ray-Bans and greeting every authority figure with a phlegm-addled, "Fuck you, pig!" Hey, that might aid my musical career prospects in some quarters...that I don't take SHIT from the MAN, understand?! Alas, I was not one of the "rebels" in high school-- first, I wasn't politically astute enough to spearhead any drive to confront any inequities that existed along racial or economic lines at RHS (and they DID exist), and second, being a "rebel" in Redlands usually meant smoking cloves on a two-and-a-half-foot-high cinderblock wall across the street from the campus (near the Kentucky Fried Chicken), or drinking screwdrivers in your car at lunch.

Politically, Redlands was (and still is) the antithesis of San Francisco/Oakland/Berkeley...my Mondale/Ferraro bumpersticker on my '68 Volvo 125S sedan lasted about a day. But I didn't get beaten up, I didn't get my tires slashed, and most people who cared about politics would jokingly give me a hard time (this was in 1984, when Reagan was still perceived as a virtual god), but no one called me "Commie Fag" or "Nigger Lover" or anything vile like that. And I did have a few friends here and there who were Democrats, but we were disconcertingly outnumbered.

The cool thing about RHS for me, though, was that it was big enough that you could find things to do and people to hang with. Also, there were a lot of veteran teachers who were tremendously dedicated and would take an interest in you if you were willing to work hard. I got to be on the newspaper staff, in jazz band, in marching band, on the track team. Fortunately, my family was supportive of my interests and financially well-off enough and that I didn't have to take a job during the school year, and I know that made things a lot easier for me, but I pretty much got to be who I wanted to be during that time.

Numerically, alumni from the marching band were well-represented at the reunion, and that's not surprising: we were a close-knit group, even though the overall band numbered around 150 back then. Here was an organization that was very top-down and very regimented, but the respect for authority was earned. When we finished our field show in competitions, we sat at attention in the stands-- no mucking around and throwing shit at each other. All business, but we were highly respected by our rivals, and one of the best in Southern California. On top of that, we were better integrated racially and socioeconomically than most other campus groups, and not just when we rehearsed or performed.

Band camp was two weeks in August, and it was brutal. Nothing like 100-degree-plus heat in an irrigated desert with wretched air quality. But the sense that we were all in this together made things infinitely easier. Our instructors were tough but fair-- as long as you came to WORK, they respected you. The one exercise that I thought I would never survive was marching in place for ten minutes straight, with our instruments, bringing our knees waist-high on every beat (about 120-130 beats per minute). But we always made it.

Fortunately, we had one of the hippest band directors imagineable-- the inimitable Patrick Winters (now at Eastern Washington University). With a full beard and Birkenstock sandals, he could have been drawn perfectly by Garry Trudeau. He expected a lot from us, but was someone you could talk to as well. The number of his former students at the reunion who are now teachers themselves is a testament to his influence. The fact that I'm still a musician speaks volumes about the influence he had on me.

It would be a compelling narrative (and a cloying, disingenious attempt to bolster my "cred") to tell you all that my reunion was torturous, that everyone was unhealthy looking and appallingly intolerant, and that I was ragged on for being in my late 30's without a wife or children and living in San Francisco ("how's Than Franthisco, Tom? Always knew you were a poof!"). But just the opposite was true--most people were disarmingly sincere, and genuinely interested in the fact that I stuck with music. My most common line was, "Needless to say, I find myself among the 84 percent of Californians who cannot afford a median-priced home." Those that I remembered then as good people seemed the same now, and I'm sure that most of my high school friends are now good parents as well.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading...I realize the nostalgia factor is high here, but it's based on what is, not on what was only imagined. All in all, my reunion was a good reminder of where I came from, as well as a reminder of the self-discipline and drive I used to have. A necessary recalibration is in order, as well as some e-mails to some old friends.

What Went Wrong?

2005-05-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

Just finished reading the 1992 masterpiece "America: What Went Wrong?" by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele, then both reporters at the Philadelphia Inquirer. What's most depressing about reading it now is how accurate their predictions were-- declining health benefits, declining pensions, declining wages, increasingly unequal tax burdens. The book does end on a hopeful note, though-- because so many of the factors in our falling standard of living were created (or at least significantly aided and abetted) by legislative action, then theoretically, legislative action can be used to ameliorate the conditions under which the great majority of Americans live today.

Of course, the prospects of Congress and state legislatures doing ANYTHING to improve the lot of perhaps 200 million+ Americans look bleak right now-- witness the shameful bankruptcy "reform" bill that just sped through Congress. Ultimately, though, I can't think of anything other than a full-court press by concerned citizens: paying attention to pending legislation, writing to representatives and senators about relevant issues, and getting the word out about who's funding what.

Sure, we can just wait for some kind of legislative compromise to bring about campaign finance reform, but there will always be ways to skirt the laws, like setting up foundations and committees to divert funds. We have to do like Greg Palast (www.gregpalast.com) and "follow the money." We have to find out who backs our leaders financially, and yes, it is our business-- we pay their salaries. If journalists and media outlets won't do the heavy lifting in this realm, we as citizens have to pick up the slack. That means asking, "Who the heck are Citizens for a Strong Economy, or Americans for Fairer Taxes, or the Alliance for Reform?" Are they really grass-roots groups, or are they "astroturf" lobbies (corporate interests disguised as concerned citizens)? If someone receives $20,000 from Mercury Insurance, or Wells Fargo, or General Motors, what do these corporations get in return for their investments? It's a fair question...

We as the American public need to be a whole lot more curious about what goes on in the legislative process...otherwise, it's more of the same: economic conditions continue to worsen amid periodic cries of, "Someone needs to do something!"

Rapture Nation

2005-04-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Why can't I just happy up and believe in magic, like millions of my fellow citizens? Just wish, and envision, and Star Magic will envelop you in a shroud of unlimited abundance! Come on, now, envision! Engender endless possibilities! "Critical thinking" and "factual analysis" are just euphemisms for "negativity," Pissy Missy!

Hey, I don't want to rule out the possibility of more technological magic bullets down the road to save us from a variety of difficulties...but the need for technical innovation will intensify, and soon.

I've long been interested in the work of James Howard Kunstler, who is an expert on American urban history. My friend Mike Monaco gave me his book "The Geography of Nowhere" more than ten years ago, and I still go back to it from time to time. Kunstler scathingly critiques suburban American culture-- primarily for its unsustainable dependence on a cheap energy economy.

I HIGHLY recommend his web site: www.kunstler.com. One of its best features, in my opinion, is his blog, known as the "Clusterfuck Nation Chronicle." SF Gate columnist Mark Morford (www.sfgate.com/columnists/morford/) provided a link in his column today to a Kunstler article in Rolling Stone which talks about America's future without a ready supply of cheap oil. It's sooner than you think.

As depressing as Kunstler's assessment is, it could serve as a massive wake-up call to plan for a future requiring a major reallocation of resources AWAY from the futility of a sprawl-based economy.

In other news, I'm happy about my Denver Nuggets winning 23 of their last 25 games and clinching a playoff spot. It was looking bleak three months ago. My vote for George Karl as NBA Coach of the Year, despite only coaching the Nuggets for half the season. The only team that scares me in the Western Conference is the Phoenix Suns. The Spurs will be tough as well, but I think the Nuggets could make a deep run in the playoffs.

For right now, I'm off to dream of transit villages, a revitalized passenger rail system, and a more community-based America.

Diversions, Part 395

2005-03-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

I've got little to say about the Terri Schiavo imbroglio, and probably nothing that hasn't been said already. I'm in the camp that sees the whole push to "save" her as odious (no, actually, make that "heinously offensive") political opportunism. The wholesale trashing of Michael Schiavo, with many baselessly portraying him as some kind of Floridian Josef Mengele, is particularly reprehensible. It is interesting to see, however, all the fallout-- Dubya's opposite stance on life support issues when he was a governor, Tom DeLay's handling of his own father's incapacity, the apparent GOP memo citing the Schiavo case as a way to "energize the base," the hardcore Christian right pissed at Jeb Bush for not going all the way with them...

I'm about 40 percent of the way through "Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker" by James Gavin...tremendously well-written. Gavin goes to great lengths to get a variety of viewpoints on Chet as a musician, as a husband, as a son, as a person. In particular, I enjoy the fact that the book is neither an altar of worship nor a slam piece. I will certainly follow Gavin's writing career with great interest.

I had a great time playing with the Frisky Frolics last night at Speisekammer last night in Alameda. I always do, but in addition to the great regular lineup of Rick Quisol on ukelele, vocals and kazoo, Steve Merritt on guitar, Pierre Laik on mandolin, and Chris Green on bass, we had Marty Eggers on piano (also the bassist with Bo Grumpus). I've always known Marty as a bassist, and man, have I been missing out. Marty's one of those guys that would be considered a "musician's musician"-- I heard Fats Waller, I heard James P. Johnson, I heard Earl Hines, I heard some 1927-era Duke when I heard him last night. I'm grateful that the Friskies give me a chance to air it out on clarinet...makes me want to work even harder.

During the break last night, a special guest, guitarist Garfield Kincross, came in to play and sing a rendition of the 1928 classic tune "Big Rock Candy Mountain." Halfway through the song, I realized that it's the same tune that the lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish (his name, by the way, is Darius Rucker, NOT "Hootie") does with different lyrics in that blasted "Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch" commercial for Burger King.

B-Ball Postmortem

2005-03-20T17:54:00.000-08:00

An utter implosion. The Stanford men were up 41-30 in the first half, only to lose 93-70 to Mississippi State. Stanford hoops fans have been spoiled for years now-- it was the first time the men had lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament in 11 years. And the Stanford women look like they'll make yet another deep run in the tournament, possibly taking it all (they're 30-2 now). Coach Tara VanDerveer is a master of the game-- not only does she keep the Card in the chase every year, but she relaxes from the rigors of coaching by practicing classical piano! Gotta like that...

Despite the Cardinal men exiting early from the "March to the Arch," I did find the character they exhibited in getting to the tournament in the first place inspiring: the adjustment to a new coach after the legendary Mike Montgomery left for the Warriors, the departure of two players who opted to focus on football, the academic ineligibility of redshirt freshman Tim Morris, the season-ending injury to leading scorer Dan Grunfeld...

In my other mental meanderings, Hunter S. Thompson's suicide is weighing more on my mind than I thought it would. My uncle David, a regular patron of the famed Woody Creek Tavern, sent me a whole pile of local Aspen-area press immediately following HST's death. True, the Good Doctor could get rather creative with certain facts, and his personal morality could be debated around the barn, but his political insights were on the money FAR more than most of the "insiders" and "voices of reason" in the hopelessly deracinated corporate media. In my book, I'd put HST in a class of creative icons such as Bill Hicks and Charles Mingus-- people who weren't content to just watch the world go on around them without calling out the endless parade of shit peddlers who aid and abet the degradation of our world in more ways than we can possibly imagine.

Yet another person who never got his due: Tadd Dameron. I've been listening all weekend to some Coleman Hawkins sides from December 1947, tunes arranged by Dameron. I've heard very few musicians whose writing could convey the concurrent optimism and darkness of that time so well.

Cheers and Jeers

2005-03-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

I've finally gotten around to listening to Air America, the progressive talk-radio network. Can't believe it finally exists! My current favorite is Mike Malloy (www.mikemalloy.com), the kind of no-holds-barred, can-the-bullshit the left desperately needs. He's passionate and tremendously well-informed, and utterly unafraid to call it as he sees it. You can hear Air America in the Bay Area on 960 AM, the Quake (don't have the web link-- sorry).

Steroids-- boy, NO ONE comes out looking good on this one. Where do we start? Sure, Mark McGwire's rep is in the tank now, cemented by his performance in front of Congress yesterday-- his trembling, tearful "for the children" opening statement quickly deteriorating into testy stonewalling. But there was absolutely no way he was going to admit steroid use (we already know that he used "andro" during his record-breaking 1998 season, before he publicly announced he would stop doing so under increasing public scrutiny). Let us not forget, however...

...that Major League Baseball didn't ban steroids until September of 2002. I'm not about to applaud steroid use among players, whether legal at the time or not, but baseball is paying and will continue to pay a huge price for not addressing the steroid issue. Everyone knows the narrative by now: after the World Series-canceling strike of 1994, baseball had to rebuild its profile among the fans-- in 1998, the epic home-run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa provided the feel-good story of the year, with both players breaking Roger Maris's 37-year-old record. Gods walked among us, once again. Seats were filled. And as Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine said in that shoe commercial, "Chicks dig the long ball."

Other sports have cracked down hard on steroids, particularly track and field. Two-year bans, lifetime suspensions-- THOSE are penalties. The proposed penalty for testing positive for 'roids in baseball: 10 games (the regular season is 162 games)...

...which brings me to my main point: the court of public opinion will be far more damaging than any Congressional "investigation" ever could be. Why is Congress spending any time on this (unless they're looking to revoke baseball's anti-trust exemption, in effect since 1922)? Other than the anti-trust issue, all the investigation does is make a bunch of politicians look like they're "tough" on cheaters. I have no problem with politicians commenting on the downside of steroid use, but all they can do is publicly urge Major League Baseball to clean up its own house. Fans have plenty of mental asterisks to put next to the offensive records (home runs, runs batted in, etc.) that have been set in the last decade, and that will only continue unless MLB passes strict rules on steroid use.

Meanwhile, Congress could actually do some real work: you know, like adequate health insurance, avoiding bankrupting the country, keeping the U.S. out of Perpetual War, and so forth. Hoo-hoo!

Airborne tablets, Ricola drops, Sudafed...

2005-03-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

This has not been a good year so far for my immune system...bug after bug after bug. I know that I'm not alone, by any stretch of the imagination, but that doesn't help. What's even worse is that in-between state of being, in which I'm not sick enough to completely collapse, but not healthy enough to do anything but blot my nose for 24 hours straight. Good times!

If nothing else, I've been cooped up watching a lot of Bill Hicks on DVD...watching Lewis Black commentaries online...listening to Mike Malloy on Air America. I'm feeling the fire again, even if my nose is running incessantly.

In addition to my day's choice of entertainment, I had the good fortune of recording a few days ago with one of my favorite composers, The Artist Currently Known as Admiral Ted Brinkley (Semi-Ret.). I'll keep you all posted on the impending release date of the CD. I've been a fan of the Admiral since about 1993, when I first met him, and the roster of musicians he has assembled is first-rate. Our show at the Community Music Center in San Francisco in January 2004 received glowing reviews.

I've almost finished reading "The Trouble With Cinderella: An Outline of Identity" by Artie Shaw. Yes, the clarinetist often at the top of the heap during the Swing Era. Definitely one of the best books I've read in a long time. I highly recommend it, particularly to anyone who wants to make a serious go of it as a professional performer. Artie was always someone who called it as he saw it, and his insights in "Cinderella" could save a lot of people a lot of grief. Going through it, I have to constantly remind myself that Shaw finished this book in 1952, at the height of McCarthy-ist, "Jell-O conformity" (in the words of Hunter S. Thompson) in this country.

Some musicians I want to listen to: Tony Scott, John Carter, Ben Goldberg, Chris Speed, Omer Simeon, Jimmy Hamilton, Ake "Stan" Hasselgaard, Mwata Bowden, and Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five. A clarinet theme here...

The Return of the "F" Word

2005-03-02T21:46:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's time to bring out the "F" word again: fascism. I realize that the word "fascist" has been used to death, mostly inappropriately. As a result, most people probably have absolutely no idea what fascism is, or if they do know, they most likely think that it was something that existed in a brief moment in time, back in the olden days, far far away. It can't happen here, right?

Mark Drolette of the Online Journal (www.onlinejournal.com) has done an extended analysis of Laurence W. Britt's article, "Fascism Anyone?", examining 14 key points of fascism (such as promotion of fierce nationalism, cracking down on unions, and demonizing intellectuals and artists, for starters) . And yes, he means fascism as it applies to America today, and more specifically, to our current administration. Eerie similarities, left and right. I'll let Mr. Drolette and Mr. Britt explain in further detail.

The scariest thing in all of this is that millions of Americans apparently could care less about the current administration's moves toward fascist principles. All I have left to say right now is an excerpt from someone else; I'll let you figure out who said it, if you don't know already:

"...Then they came for me-- and there was no one left to speak out for me."

The Times In Which We Live

2005-02-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

A lazy Sunday afternoon...a chance to relax after a week of work and gigs. Watching Stanford B-Ball (my Card currently up by 18 over UCLA with 13:26 to go in the game-- I'm hoping that Stanford doesn't turn it into a nail-biter); I think Trent Johnson, the new coach, is the real deal. This is a team that was 6-7 at one point, losing their first 3 games in Pac-10 play. Then, last week, leading scorer Dan Grunfeld went down for the year with a serious knee injury. So in steps Fred Washington, and Stanford's looking strong for third place in the Pac-10, and hopefully, an 11th consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. The reserves have come up big when they needed to.

I'm sure some people might find my continued Stanford fandom to be a waste of time, but I grew up playing baseball and basketball. My one year of high school track, immediately after a nasty bout with mono, was mainly to pad my college application, but I improved significantly in the course of the season. The back-of-my-mind fear of getting my jaw shattered by a 98 MPH fastball put the kabosh on my baseball dreams, and my two years of utter futility playing basketball at the Schlessman YMCA in Denver-- in the 4th grade, my team was 2-8, followed by an 0-10 season a year later-- was one of many factors that made me a spectator of basketball. But what attracts me to sports is the element of human possibility and all the intangible factors that figure into the outcome. Heck, following the Card is a low-cost addiction.

To top off my lazy afternoon, I'm listening to WKCR, Columbia University's radio station, online. To Eric Garland: thank your friend Tom for me, for letting me know about the station. WKCR has a tremendous amount and variety of jazz programming. My favorite show is their "Monday Morning in Mono" series-- it's on from 2-5 a.m. (Eastern time), and it features music from the '30's and '40's. Two weeks ago, they played WWII-era Ellington performances, such as the wartime "V-discs" and live recordings-- need I say more? No, but I will anyway. Last week, they played WWII-era Cab Calloway, including some live Cafe Zanzibar performances, and I was absolutely blown away-- Cab had an incredible orchestra. Anyone who dismisses Cab as some novelty clown is way off the mark.

The Bush administration is as contemptuous as ever of human rights, basic fairness, and integrity, but more and more people are starting to push back. And the thugs are fucking up left and right-- witness the whole Gannon/Guckert fiasco. Mr. Gay Porn Goebbels Sex Commando getting picked off of first base in front of millions. Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do.

One actor to watch: Peter Macon. Will look for web links for all y'all. He has performed with us (the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra) a number of times, reading Langston Hughes's poetry and on one occasion, painting an original work on stage with us.

Stuff

2005-02-06T22:37:00.000-08:00

Gotta give it up for the New England Patriots-- winning 3 out of the last 4 Super Bowls is an impressive feat. Funny how Bill Belichick was thought of as an utter flop as a head coach not so long ago; now he has the best playoff winning percentage in NFL history.

It looks like there is finally some tangible resistance to privatizing Social Security...there is more public discourse about the costs of establishing private accounts, and already, the administration is starting to change their language ("privatization" is giving away to "personal accounts").

You want to read about an organization that's truly fighting the good fight? Check out www.ftcr.org-- that's the site for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. It's a great group that focuses on a variety of issues: consumer protection, health care reform, corporate accountability. No tepid "centrist" bullshit here.

2005-01-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right...papaya enzymes. Chewable papaya enzymes. Letting one fully dissolve between your cheek and gum helps relieve congestion. Learned that from "The Sinus Cure," written by Dr. Murray Grossan and Debra Fulghum Bruce. Certainly don't feel like playing a horn while my ears are plugged up. Gotta remember to keep a reserve of "Airborne" tablets on hand-- those have worked remarkably well for me. Too bad they were sold out last Wednesday at the Long's near the office...

In the meantime, just started reading "The Trouble With Cinderella: An Outline of Identity," by Artie Shaw (1910-2004). I knew I had to read it when I saw Artie in the Ken Burns "Jazz" documentary.

If nothing else, knocking off the last vestiges of my cold is giving me a chance to work on putting together my two new musical projects. I don't want to give too many details-- until I've got the charts together and the rehearsals underway, I'll feel like the guy in that old Warner Bros. cartoon with the singing frog who never performs when he's supposed to. "Hello my baby, hello my darling, hello my ragtime gal!" You know which one I'm talking about, right? I think I might be dating myself here...

Hoping my Cardinal can make it six in a row in the Pac-10 tonight. No, there's no "s" missing in that last sentence...

Ooh, that sounds good! Pan-seared...pea snaps!

2005-01-23T10:26:00.000-08:00

More random shazizzle:

About the inauguration: nothing about the current administration surprises me. "Let them eat cake" is alive and well, and I'm surprised, honestly, that the festivities (aside from security costs) cost ONLY $40 million dollars. The administration and its allies wouldn't spend one iota of mental energy pondering whether it's appropriate to hold such lavish parties during the unabated chaos in Iraq and post-tsunami Southeast Asia. Their attitude seems to be, "Hey, when you get YOUR own country, we'll let YOU run it however you like. Deal?!"

Incidentally, the word is "NORMALITY," not "NORMALCY." I try to refrain from grammatical fundamentalism, but I have no interest in continuing a linguistic blunder initiated by the illustrious Warren G. Harding. And when Bush used the word "normalcy" after the Sept. 11th attacks, politicians, commentators, and countless others seemed to fall right in line, perhaps fearing that they'd be viewed as unpatriotic, or ever worse, as over-edumacated wine-sipping Niles Crane intelligentsia if they used the correct word.

But on to a real issue: climate change. Just read a great book: "Boiling Point" by Ross Gelbspan. Scary shit. Heating and desalinization of the oceans. Melting of glaciers. The average temperature in Alaska increasing 7 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 30 years (!). The degree of White House corruption in blocking environmental reforms. Fortunately, Gelbspan gives an even-handed account, putting the blame where it belongs (activists do NOT get a free ride here, by any means). He also cites many positive developments and possible solutions, so it's not all doom and gloom. Gelbspan's web site is www.heatisonline.org.

My favorite NBA player, 5'5" Earl Boykins, is doing it again. He set an NBA record last week, scoring 15 points in overtime in Denver's win at Seattle. And then he scored 25 against the Memphis Grizzlies. I shudder to think how far back in the standings the Nuggets would be without him.

Props for today

2005-01-13T14:37:00.000-08:00

(1) Tim Wise...anti-racism activist, as well as a compelling writer and speaker: www.timwise.org.
(2) I'll stop trying to explain George Lakoff's writing and tell you ways to get it:
"Don't Think of an Elephant," Chelsea Green Publishing, www.chelseagreen.com. Also available through www.amazon.com. Also, check out the Rockridge Institute (www.rockridgeinstitute.org) for more details about Lakoff, his writings, and the work he's doing to put his thoughts into action.
(3) Everyone who helped bring the election irregularities in Ohio (and elsewhere) to light.
(4) The Sirotas (don't know whether they're related): www.davidsirota.com and www.tedsirota.com. David is a writer and Center for American Progress fellow(www.americanprogress.org) who takes the Democratic Party to task for its mealy-mouthed "centrism." Ted is a drummer and composer who combines music and righteous politics beautifully on his recent album, "Breeding Resistance," with his group, Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls (Delmark Records-- www.delmark.com).
(5) The work of filmmaker Gordon Winiemko (www.enjoythesign.com) -- in the interest of full disclosure, I had a bit part in his 1998 film, "Enjoy" (I played the role of "Tom"). He's at UC Irivne now, but he has occasional screenings of his work in the Bay Area...most recently, at 21 Grand in Oakland.

Man, talkin' 'bout them dang ol' weapons, man, dang ol'...MISSIN', man!

2005-01-12T17:46:00.000-08:00

No WMD...they just ain't out there. Spectacular! Well done! But hey, we've shown the world that no one fucks with America! NO ONE! Get it? Got it? Good!

There is reason to be hopeful, though...

The Democratic Party is finally starting to wake up to the fact that their blind obedience to walking-on-eggshells/perpetual-test-marketing "centrism" is political suicide. George Lakoff, a cognitive scientist at UC Berkeley, has recently written what will probably be the new progressive manifesto, "Don't Think of an Elephant." His main point is that progressives must frame their issues in terms of moral values (and not just in response to the 2004 election outcome). In recent articles and interviews, I've seen and heard Ted Kennedy and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois speak in similar terms. Obama is already viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party, and doesn't come off as someone who will do the bidding of pharmaceutical companies, insurance firms, and predatory lenders.

Also, how about a big up to Barbara Boxer for standing with the Congressional Black Caucus to challenge the electoral college certification? Sure, it wasn't going to overturn the election results, but the point was to officially voice concerns about the alarming number of irregularities on the biggest political stage in America. Predictably, a group of reactionaries went haywire in response. I think Boxer's web site has the official report on Ohio's election-day shenanigans...the URL, I believe, is http://boxer.senate.gov, but if I'm wrong, just Google her.

If you think there's some fishiness behind the whole CBS spate of firings, you're not alone. Check out www.gregpalast.com to read Greg's commentary on this issue. He broke the story in 1999 of Dubya's preferential National Guard treatment during the Vietnam War-- the error that Mary Mapes and the others at CBS made in not verifying the authenticity of the "Killian" memo does not invalidate the larger story by any means. In any case, Greg Palast will give you the rundown. A great read, by the way, is Greg's "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy." My favorite investigative journalist...

R.I.P. Artie Shaw (1910-2004)...I found his commentary to be one of the most enjoyable and insightful aspects of the Ken Burns "Jazz" documentary.

Just what I need, and more important, what YOU need

2005-01-11T11:27:00.000-08:00

So, as Fats Waller would say, "Here 'tis!" My first foray into Blogland (can I legally use that term on this site-- I should have read the Terms of Service more closely!)...I have a few moments here before I have to move the car for street cleaning, so I'll unleash a few thoughts that I've had today upon all y'all.

(1) The Social Security battle will be ugly, and I only hope the Democrats will actually show up to debate the issue. Already, by saying that, I feel like Linus on Halloween, waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive.
(2) Haven't seen "Sideways" yet, but Paul Giamatti is already in my personal Hall of Fame for his portrayal of Harvey Pekar in "American Splendor," so I know what film I'm seeing next.
(3) I think George Lakoff is well on his way to getting a MacArthur (sp?) grant, if he hasn't gotten one already.
(4) Tadd Dameron is criminally underrated.
(5) What the f--- is up with the Denver Nuggets (pulling for my old hometown team-- habits die hard)? 'melo, K-Mart, Camby, Andre Miller, and 14-19 is all they have to show. Hopefully, Michael Cooper can turn it around. Earl Boykins, though, is my favorite player to watch-- in all of the NBA. 5'5", 133 lbs., and more hustle than several rosters combined.
(6) Don't ask me about the Broncos. I don't know...
(7) Patricia Barber at Yoshi's-- one of the best shows I've seen in a long, long time.

I'm Audi 5000...for now.