Jim (Con't): We're going to cover -- or try to -- music, the political races and more. Ty?
Ty: Multiple e-mails ask, "What's up with no 'A note to our readers'?"
Jim: Lack of time. We have been really slammed of late. I will do one this time. Last weekend, for example, we published Monday morning and Dona said, "Jim, there is no note. We're tired."
Dona: And we have been. It's been crazy. We need to be done at a decent hour. Remember, at some point on Sunday night, C.I. has to do an Iraq entry. There was one night when Mike and others had to work here and then go do a Sunday post.
Mike: Which is murder when you're tired.
Jim: So that's what's gone on there.
Ty: Lesley e-mails to say thanks for the playlists but wishes there was more music. So Elaine, Betty any music news to share?
Elaine: Okay, Well I love Aretha Franklin's Aretha Sings The Great Diva Classics. I think it's one of her classic albums and that she's on real career resurgence. And if you doubt it, Vintage Vinyl News reports she wowed everyone last night:
Aretha Franklin proved on Saturday night that, at the age of 73, there still may be no one greater.
Franklin wowed the crowd at the Syracuse Jazz Festival with an hour-and-a-half of hits, mostly from her 60's catalog. Out of the twelve songs performed, she did all six of her breakout singles from 1967 (I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You), Do Right Woman Do Right Man, Respect, Baby I Love You, (You Make Me Feel Like (A Natural Woman), Chain of Fools).
Elaine (Con't): I really think she has so much more to offer. And I'm really excited thinking what her follow up to the Diva album will be.
Betty: I'm excited about that as well. Aretha's a great artist. She had a string of classics early on which, for me, end with Sparkle. Then she came back with some strong singles and finally the classic album Who's Zoomin' Who but not another classic one until A Rose Is Still A Rose. I'm really hopeful there will be another great classic album from her -- the diva album certainly is an Aretha classic. Ty told us we would be discussing something -- "anything," he said, on music -- so I grabbed someone and Elaine did and it's funny how it worked out because I didn't know she was grabbing Aretha. I grabbed someone who had a number one hit duet with Aretha, George Michael. For me, Older and Patience are two classic soul albums and before he did those soulful and solo albums, long before, he was starting out in the British band Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley. Now there are reports that to mark the 30th anniversary, George and Andrew and back up singers Shirley Holliman and Pepsi DeMacque -- the two ladies, as Pepsi and Shirley, had two hit singles in 1987: "Heartache" and "Goodbye Stranger." Wham, of course, had three albums proper and something like 14 worldwide hits including "Careless Whisper," "Everything She Wants" and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." I'm a huge George Michael solo fan but I am excited by the thought of Wham! doing something to note the anniversary. Elaine, of Aretha's early run of classic albums on Atlantic, what's your favorite one?
Elaine: That's difficult but I think I would pick either Young, Gifted and Black because of the incredible performances -- including her original songs that she wrote as well as her covers of Elton John and others. So it would either be that or Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky) which, my opinion, is highly underrated. The album was trashed by many in real time but I still love it. I love the title track -- which she wrote -- and "So Swell When You're Well" -- which she co-wrote with James Booker, "Master of Eyes (The Deepness of Your Eyes)" which she co-wrote with -- I'm blanking --
C.I. Bernice Hart.
Elaine (Con't): Thank you. And "Just Right Tonight" which she co-wrote with Quincy Jones. I love "Angel" which her sister Carolyn co-wrote with Sonny Sanders. But the greatest song on the album, for me, is the one Aretha wrote entitled "Sister from Texas." In terms of George Michael, Older is my favorite of his albums.
Ty: Alright, thank you both. Eric e-mailed to complain that Kat had only written 3 album reviews this year "and August is staring down at us." Kat?
Kat: I have two that went up today. In addition, I had two that were not listed at my site because I hadn't put on my permalinks. Here's what I have:
Kat (Con't): So that's seven, not three. And thank you to C.I. who went in today and put the two new ones and the two old ones into my links. I would love to write more reviews. But it is a time issue primarily. In addition, it's does the album speak to me? If I love an album, I can write about it. If I hate it intensely, I can write about it but only do so if I feel like I need to do a review because I haven't done one in a while. Then there's the albums that I'm like -- eh. Neil Young. I love Neil. I listened to the new album that came out a few weeks ago thinking I would review it. I found it only "okay" for my tastes. I was also troubled by the attack on Wal-Mart. First off, they are doing better now than some big stores -- in terms of paying employees and healthcare. Second of all, why be a f**king idiot? I thought Sheryl Crow was an idiot in the 90s when she had her war with Wal-Mart. All it did was slow down her career. Wal-Mart refused to carry her second album and her career really never recovered. That was in the 90s. Today, Wal-Mart is one of the largest sellers of music. James Taylor's hideous new album only hit the top of the charts because of Wal-Mart -- and many stores had displays of the album. Neil Young's attack on Wal-Mart means his new CD will not be available at Wal-Mart though many of his fans shop there. If the weak-ass James Taylor could hit number one, Neil Young could have hit it and stayed there if he'd been at Wal-Mart. I love Neil. I'm glad he's political but this was a stupid battle and, again, Wal-Mart today has made efforts. But whether it had or not, Neil has fans who shop there and he ensured that they wouldn't know he had a new album out.
Donna: Thank you, Kat. On politics, Evan e-mailed outraged that we didn't support Jill Stein, Lucille is angry that we're not supporting Bernie Sanders and Trish feels we've been too harsh on Hillary Clinton.
Jim: And note that none of these people bothered to do anything except write these single sentence e-mails. We've noted before, if you're supporting someone, write up why you're supporting them and e-mail us and we'll put your endorsement up here. So, Trish, for example, argue why you're supporting Hillary and it can go up here. You might influence or sway others.
Jess: Jill Stein is a hideous candidate. As Ava and C.I. noted in November 2012's "Let The Fun Begin," they did not slam the ridiculous Jill Stein in their 2012 coverage and that was partly because I asked them not to. My argument was that she was worthless but she was on the ballot and we, the Green Party, need ballot access. For that reason, they held their tongues. They also noted in that 2012 piece that there would be no pass in 2016 for anyone. Not only does there not need to be a pass but the Green Party does not need Jill Stein making a public embarrassment of herself -- and therefore the party -- in 2016. She was a lousy candidate, she remains one. She has no proposals, she has no ideas, she's already fawned over Bernie Sanders. If the bitch wants to f**k Bernie, have at it. But she can't run against him because she's a cheap ass whore who refuses to draw a line between herself and other candidates.
Ann: And talk about White entitlement. People have rightly criticized Hillary for thinking she's entitled to the Democratic Party's presidential nomination and noting that it's less like a primary race and more like a coronation. Well what the hell is Jill Stein but White entitlement? She was lousy in 2012 and now she's acting like she's the nominee. She's a worthless piece of trash. In 2006, our party -- the Green Party -- took a pledge to never support a candidate who didn't call for all US troops out of Iraq. Yet in her announcement speech this year, she didn't even note Iraq. Nor has Ms. Entitled come out since and demanded all US troops leave Iraq. She's a liar, she's a fake ass and as a woman of color I am damn sick of White people who insult us and, yes, her acceptance speech was insulting to people of color.
Rebecca: On Jill, her raving over Bernie Fake Ass Sanders failed to note Bernie's War Hawk ways or his failure to support the Palestinian people. And unless I'm missing something -- I'm not a Green -- I thought Palestinian statehood was a major position for the Green Party.
Jess: It is. But Jill Stein isn't interested in promoting the Green Party and our positions. She's just a self-promoter who did a lousy job in 2012 and wants attention.
Ann: Not just in 2012. She was part of that ridiculous 'shadow government,' remember? They were going to hold the administration accountable. But they never did. They're just cheap whores for the Democratic Party. In 2008, Cynthia McKinney ran on real positions. That is not the case with Jill Stein. She's not worthy of the nomination and she doesn't run on the beliefs that our party is supposed to stand for.
Stan: And just to clarify a point, Jill does attack. In 2012, she made it her goal to attack Mitt Romney so that she could scare up votes for Barack Obama. In 2015, she's fawning over Bernie Sanders while attacking Hillary Clinton.
C.I.: Stan, you're done?
Stan: Yeah.
C.I.: Okay, I need to jump in for a second here. The media lies. That includes whores like Amy Goodman who's devoted how much attention to Jill Stein? Jill is not the Green Party presidential candidate for 2016 and who is won't be decided until 2016. Most importantly, Kent Mesplay and Bill Kreml are running for the nomination and Darryl Cherney is considering it. Point: The Goody Whore has failed to provide Kent or Bill -- two declared candidates -- time on her hideous program. She has promoted Jill Stein as the Hillary of the Green Party, the anointed one who will be the candidate. That is not reality and that is not journalism. We don't accept from the mainstream we shouldn't accept from Amy Goodman's whorish beggar media.
Ava: And for the record, Jill announced in June. Kent and Bill who are not getting coverage from whores like Amy Goodman or so-called Green bloggers? Kent announced in January that he was seeking the nomination and Bill announced in May. But Goody Whore left them out while fawning over the ridiculous Jill Stein. Democracy Now? No, Amy Whore, democracy when? She's such a whore.
C.I.: And though Kent declared in January, Goody Whore has not noted him once this year -- and only noted him twice in 2008 when he was seeking the nomination -- and she's never noted Bill.
Ruth: Okay, I am sorry, I had no idea. I bet many people do not know there are two other declared candidates running for the Green Party nomination. I want the Iraq snapshot on Monday to lead with that, please. I try to stay up to date and I had not heard of that and I am sure many others are also unaware of it. I also think this is further evidence that it is time Amy Goodman packed it in. She is not a journalist, she is not fair, and we all know she is not accurate. Maybe she and her buddy CIA contractor Juan Cole can find a way to get the CIA to fund them in their own morning program -- if the CIA is not already funding Ms. Goodman, that is.
Jim: Alright. Marcia's "Racist Bernie Sanders" and Cedric's "Bernie Sanders misses 'the good old days'" and Wally's "THIS JUST IN! BERNIE SANDERS ASKS THAT YOU KNOW YOUR PLACE!" address Senator Bernie Sanders' Saturday appearance at Netroots Nation. In discussions, both Sanders and former Governor Martin O'Malley used the phrase "all lives matter" which angered a vocal segment in attendance who insist the phrase that must be used is "Black lives matter." O'Mally isn't our focus here because, as Marcia notes, he's already addressed the issue. And did so in an appropriate forum. Such is not the case for Bernie. Marcia, Cedric and Wally, you're up.
Marcia: Bernie Sanders is a fake ass. He's this year's Dennis Kucinich. He's supposed to stand for something but, if you paid attention, all he's stood for is xenophobia -- his employment 'concerns' are always expressed in xenophobic terms. He has no history of working with people of color. He's an elderly White man that a lot of White people have glommed onto. And it happens every time.
Cedric: I'll start by agreeing with Marcia. These Daily Kossak Kooks and DC blogger on Corrente never ask themselves, "Is this candidate someone who works on issues effecting people of color or not?" They just rush to high five and head butt with the White man. And when you point that out, you're raining on their parade. I'm not asking that he 'cater' to those of us who are people of color. I am saying that in a decades long membership in Congress -- first in the House, then in the Senate -- he should have something in his record that shows he's worked on issues that effect communities of color but he doesn't.
Wally: And when he's confronted by what some see as racial insensitivity or racial blindness or racism, he runs. He just dodges the issue and runs.
Trina: If I can jump in --
Jim: That would be great because we're running out of time and you haven't spoken nor has Isaiah.
Trina: Okay. Well this is just like the rape issue. He wrote a hideous piece of writing endorsing rape -- that's what it did, stop lying -- and he wants to say it was years ago and it was like 50 Shades of Grey and, I don't give a damn. You endorsed rape. You need to publicly reject your writing and your previous stance. That is not asking too much. You made a point to endorse it and when that endorsement surfaced you acted like people were being picky for objecting to your endorsement.
Isaiah: He takes no responsibility. Bernie's a fake ass. He's got to exit quickly because if he ever faces real and serious questions, the whole myth of Bernie dissolves in the wind.
Jim: And on that, we're going to have to end. This is a rush transcript.
