If only he could serve again.
This morning on Fox News Sunday, President Bill Clinton handed it to Chris Wallace of Fox and it's about damn time. Why didn't John Kerry do this? Why doesn't Hillary do this? When will the democratic party understand that 50% of the country detests the conservative right and all that goes with it. W, Cheney, Frist, Santorum and the rest of those sickos are the most corrupt and yes, EVIL, leaders that this country has ever seen. SOMEONE NEEDS TO SPEAK UP ABOUT THIS!!!!
Sure, maybe Clinton went a bit overboard for a president. But there are millions out there who feel the same anger towards these crooked, narrow-minded, greedy bastards.
Tangent: Singer-songwriter Tim Easton sums up my feelings about how the conservative right has co-opted religion and turned it into a political tool. That's all it is folks. George W. and his cohorts contradict the teachings of the bible nearly every minute of every day. They're thirty for war. They abandon the poor without blinking an eye. They discrimate against millions. They pad their wallets. These are not altruistic people. They are sick freaks. Tim Easton says it best:
"J.P.M.F.Y.F" by Tim Easton
Jesus, protect me
Jesus, protect me
From your followers
Not all of them
Just the ones
Who turn love into fear and hatred
And the ones who say they are above me
And then point their fingers down at me
And the ones who judge me when I'm troubled
And they tell me on the street that I am lost
And they tell me on my doorstep that I will burn in hell
Jesus, protect me
Jesus, protect me
From your followers
Like the ones who only speak with anger
They're screaming from my television
While stealing from the hand that feeds them
And demanding that you are the only way
While spitting in the face of love
With the one hand on the bible and the other in the purse
Jesus, protect me
Jesus, protect me
From your followers
Like the ones who turn their back on the dying
And laugh in the face of pain and suffering
They would kill in the name of freedom
Or the ones who would manipulate the Constitution
And try to make laws of their opinions
While walking shoulder-to-shoulder with greed and violence
To the ones who would start wars in your name
To the ones who would attack me for this song
I sing
Jesus, protect me
Jesus, protect me
From your followers
Not all of them
Just the ones
Who turn love into fear and hatred
Yes, they turn love into fear and hatred
20,000 Songs Later
And here's the tally of the artists I've listened to most since June of 2005.
1 Bob Dylan 600
2 Wilco 585
3 Bruce Springsteen 575
4 Josh Rouse 494
5 Elliott Smith 472
6 Eels 451
7 M. Ward 450
8 Damien Jurado 391
9 Centro-Matic 341
10 Richard Buckner 302
11 Uncle Tupelo 291
12 Iron & Wine 284
13 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy 283
14 Aimee Mann 274
15 The Jayhawks 253
16 Neil Young 240
17 Son Volt 227
18 Kenny Roby 225
19 The Wrens 222
20 Nick Drake 218
21 The Gourds 216
22 Sufjan Stevens 203
23 The New Pornographers 188
24 Beck 183
25 Tim Easton 171
26 The Decemberists 166
27 Okkervil River 165
27 Townes Van Zandt 165
29 Spoon 158
30 Richmond Fontaine 157
1 Bob Dylan 600
2 Wilco 585
3 Bruce Springsteen 575
4 Josh Rouse 494
5 Elliott Smith 472
6 Eels 451
7 M. Ward 450
8 Damien Jurado 391
9 Centro-Matic 341
10 Richard Buckner 302
11 Uncle Tupelo 291
12 Iron & Wine 284
13 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy 283
14 Aimee Mann 274
15 The Jayhawks 253
16 Neil Young 240
17 Son Volt 227
18 Kenny Roby 225
19 The Wrens 222
20 Nick Drake 218
21 The Gourds 216
22 Sufjan Stevens 203
23 The New Pornographers 188
24 Beck 183
25 Tim Easton 171
26 The Decemberists 166
27 Okkervil River 165
27 Townes Van Zandt 165
29 Spoon 158
30 Richmond Fontaine 157
Records of the Month
I've had a minor resurgence in my listening. Here's what's been hitting me the past month:
RICHARD BUCKNER - MEADOW
STEVE EARLE - GUITAR TOWN
THE FORMAT - DOG PROBLEMS
VETIVER - TO FIND ME GONE
BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY - THE LETTING GO
THE ROLLING STONES - THE SINGLES COLLECTION, VOL. 1-3
OKKERVIL RIVER - BLACK SHEEP BOY
RAY CHARLES - MODERN SOUNDS IN COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC
CENTRO-MATIC - LOVE YOU JUST THE SAME
THE BAND - MUSIC FROM BIG PINK
BAND OF HORSES - EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME
ELLIOTT SMITH - FROM A BASEMENT ON A HILL
RICHARD BUCKNER - MEADOW
STEVE EARLE - GUITAR TOWN
THE FORMAT - DOG PROBLEMS
VETIVER - TO FIND ME GONE
BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY - THE LETTING GO
THE ROLLING STONES - THE SINGLES COLLECTION, VOL. 1-3
OKKERVIL RIVER - BLACK SHEEP BOY
RAY CHARLES - MODERN SOUNDS IN COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC
CENTRO-MATIC - LOVE YOU JUST THE SAME
THE BAND - MUSIC FROM BIG PINK
BAND OF HORSES - EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME
ELLIOTT SMITH - FROM A BASEMENT ON A HILL
Childlike and Evergreen
In January of 2005 I departed the East for the West while simultaneously labelling myself as single for the first time in close to three years. I left behind quite possibly the most wonderful person I'd ever met, but something drove me to break ties. Freedom? Uncertainty? I still don't know. And neither does she. It still stands as the greatest relationship of my life and provided memories that I will reflect on until the day I die.
Since supplanting myself in the Bay Area, my romantic life has been quite possibly worthy of a weekly column. I've had one sort-of relationship that lasted about two months. Ironically, she was in New York. I knew from the outset that it wouldn't last, but there was a passion to it that kept me around for a while. Right before Christmas of last year that came to a close.
There have been a smattering of dates throughout 2006, but none seemed destined for anything beyond a few good nights out.
However, there were two. The first I met one night in Los Angeles and was immediately floored. And I mean floored. We spent the entire night laughing, drinking, talking, and after endless hours of talking, finally dozed off around 7am. I awoke the following morning and couldn't believe what'd happened. We went on to speak everyday on the phone for two months - usually multiple times a day. I finally made it back to LA for a business trip and the plan was to extend the trip through the weekend and spend a few days with her. I couldn't wait. It appeared as if she couldn't either. When I arrived in LA I called her and invited her out for drinks with a few colleagues. I sensed a distance. Something had changed. And it had. I was never given a reason, but the extension of the weekend was nixed and I returned to SF broken. Sure, it was only one night with her. But man was this one night (and I don't mean the way you're thinking).
The second likely came to a close today. I met her the first day I landed in the Bay Area. She had a boyfriend at the time. And she still does. However, over the course of the past 20 months or so we've kept in close touch. Nothing has ever happened aside from growing closer through conversation. We've both admitted that there was more. But we left it at that. Until today. She'd made a few trips up to SF to visit me over the past few months and we both realized that things were coming to a head. It had to. Last week she said she wanted to come visit and finally decide what we should do. As always is the case with us, we spent an amazing day together. We had lunch in Sausalito, drank a few bloody mary's, stopped for coffee and the conversation flowed. I could sense the decision was coming. As has happened every time that she's visited, she missed her train home. With an hour to kill, we stopped into a local pub. I knew that this was it.
"I came here with the intention of saying that we have to stop", she said.
"And is that what you want?"
As she looked away, I had no clue what to expect.
Next came a very slight nod.
"It's ok", I sheepishly replied.
We sat in silence for what seemed to be ten hours.
I then walked her to her train. As the conductor was prodding her to step through the gates, she grabbed me. "Good luck to you", she said. She then wrapped her arms around me. She looked me in the eyes and kissed me. The embrace got tigther. We couldn't let go. "Now", said the conductor. We ignored. I finally let go. We kept looking at each other. I finally turned to walk away. With each step, I wondered if we were walking away for good.
Since supplanting myself in the Bay Area, my romantic life has been quite possibly worthy of a weekly column. I've had one sort-of relationship that lasted about two months. Ironically, she was in New York. I knew from the outset that it wouldn't last, but there was a passion to it that kept me around for a while. Right before Christmas of last year that came to a close.
There have been a smattering of dates throughout 2006, but none seemed destined for anything beyond a few good nights out.
However, there were two. The first I met one night in Los Angeles and was immediately floored. And I mean floored. We spent the entire night laughing, drinking, talking, and after endless hours of talking, finally dozed off around 7am. I awoke the following morning and couldn't believe what'd happened. We went on to speak everyday on the phone for two months - usually multiple times a day. I finally made it back to LA for a business trip and the plan was to extend the trip through the weekend and spend a few days with her. I couldn't wait. It appeared as if she couldn't either. When I arrived in LA I called her and invited her out for drinks with a few colleagues. I sensed a distance. Something had changed. And it had. I was never given a reason, but the extension of the weekend was nixed and I returned to SF broken. Sure, it was only one night with her. But man was this one night (and I don't mean the way you're thinking).
The second likely came to a close today. I met her the first day I landed in the Bay Area. She had a boyfriend at the time. And she still does. However, over the course of the past 20 months or so we've kept in close touch. Nothing has ever happened aside from growing closer through conversation. We've both admitted that there was more. But we left it at that. Until today. She'd made a few trips up to SF to visit me over the past few months and we both realized that things were coming to a head. It had to. Last week she said she wanted to come visit and finally decide what we should do. As always is the case with us, we spent an amazing day together. We had lunch in Sausalito, drank a few bloody mary's, stopped for coffee and the conversation flowed. I could sense the decision was coming. As has happened every time that she's visited, she missed her train home. With an hour to kill, we stopped into a local pub. I knew that this was it.
"I came here with the intention of saying that we have to stop", she said.
"And is that what you want?"
As she looked away, I had no clue what to expect.
Next came a very slight nod.
"It's ok", I sheepishly replied.
We sat in silence for what seemed to be ten hours.
I then walked her to her train. As the conductor was prodding her to step through the gates, she grabbed me. "Good luck to you", she said. She then wrapped her arms around me. She looked me in the eyes and kissed me. The embrace got tigther. We couldn't let go. "Now", said the conductor. We ignored. I finally let go. We kept looking at each other. I finally turned to walk away. With each step, I wondered if we were walking away for good.
Brooklyn To San Francisco
Where is the San Francisco that I thought I'd find? I've now lived in the Bay Area for close to two years, and I must admit, this is not the city I thought it would be.I lived in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn for six years prior to moving to SF. After just six months of living there, I felt at home. I knew the owners of the local shops. I had stumbled upon the local bars that played the right music and served the right drinks. I found the parks. I met the right people. Brooklyn became home. There was the Italian Ice shop on 7th Avenue. There was Holy Cow Records (RIP) on 7th. There were great shows at Southpaw on 5th. There was that classic tavern beside Southpaw. There was the classic Polish family at the local laundromat.
Here in SF, I've yet to find much. I have yet to locate a bar that feels like home. The neighborhoods leave much to be desired. The people are, well, just not that welcoming.
Sure, the weather and scenery is absolutely stunning. But it feels like a city lost in its cliques.
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