James Taylor's released another sad and tired CD (one of the 'five for $5 at' at iTunes! this past week) and the talent appears to recede further than what was once his hairline. However, the scope of the CD is cover songs and we thought we'd pick ten of the best covers you may not be familiar with or may have forgotten.
1) "If You Could Read My Mind," Barbra Streisand.
This Gordon Lightfoot song appears on Streisand's Richard Perry produced Stoney End. Rebecca recently turned Marcia on to Streisand and Dona told her she had to either purchase Stoney End right away or purchase this track off iTunes. Marcia loved it and Dona was the topic of an e-mail last here from a reader who felt she didn't share enough so we'll turn it over to Dona.
Dona: I love this song and grew up with Gordon Lightfoot's version. When we moved here [C.I.'s], Ty was already established here and had his room just perfect, and Ava and Jess had been out here almost as long so their room reflected them. Jim didn't give a damn about decorating our room and I just forgot about it until I had a late night freak out over the blank walls and the lack of any personal detail. At which point, I was whining to Ava and C.I. about how I wished Jim and I could pull together something pop-culture and blah, blah, blah, whine, whine. At the end of my long rant, C.I. said I could pull out photos from X number of photo albums and frame and hang those, plus there were vintage posters rolled up and not being used, etc. Ava said, "We'll make it 'funky'." She rushed off to the music room and came back with multiple vinyl albums she judged 'funky' to play on Jim's turntable while we worked on the room and two of them were Stoney End and Barbra Joan Streisand. At some point, C.I.'s putting Stoney End on the turntable and asks, "You want to hang up these posters too?" C.I. had the original posters for Stoney End and Barbara Joan Streisand and I said, "YES!" So that's what our room is -- Jim and mine -- some vintage photos and posters -- including an Airplane [Jefferson Airplane] concert poster, the Streisands and a lot of posters and photos of the [San Francisco] Giants. And those who feel the flip to CD and then MP3s is wonderful, you really need to know about the sort of things that used to come inside the vinyl albums. The Barbara Joan poster is almost as tall as I am and it is wider than I am. The song itself is three minutes and fifty-eight seconds of perfection. And if you've never heard it, you can click here for a YouTube video of it which features rare footage from Up The Sandbox and the filming of Up The Sandbox. The track has become one of my all time favorites by Streisand or by anyone and I felt that way the moment it came over the speakers of Jim's turntable. I was hollering, "Play that again!" When I go on the road with Kat, Wally, Ava and C.I., I always make sure I have this track in some format. And if that was enough 'sharing,' let me know and I'll try to do better.
2) "Dedicated To The One I Love," the Mamas and the Papas.
This huge hit, number two on the charts, first appears on the album Deliver and is a remake of a hit single by the Shirelles though the two versions have very little in common other than the lyrics and basic melody. John Phillips worked overtime on this arrangement, creating new time signatures and one of the most intricate vocal arrangements the group did. Michelle Phillips does the softly sung opening and there's magic from that first note. She and Cass Elliot cook on sections like "There's on thing I want you to do, especially for me" with Cass owning "And it's something that everything needs."
3) "All Along The Watchtower," Jimi Hendrix.
There's a song in there, who the hell knew? And all the pale and preening Dylan cover artists can forget trying to 'explore' the 'meaning' in this song via their own interpretations, Hendrix revolutionized it and made it so damn much more than it ever was. YouTube it here.
4) "Here Comes The Sun," Nina Simone.
The title track to Simone's 1971 album found her in tackling the George Harrison-penned Beatles classic and making it all her own. (On the same album, you have to hear her versions of "O-O-H Child" and "Angel of the Morning.) Long considered an immediate classic, it got a bump in the nineties via the Bridget Fonda starring Point of No Return soundtrack. Here for video.
5) "Just My Imagination," Rolling Stones.
A hidden treasure on Some Girls that still stands as one of the best covers the Stones ever did.
Click here to catch it performed live via YouTube.
6) "Sweet Jane," Cowboy Junkies.
Many strong vocals have been done on this Lou Reed song over the years including a blistering duet by Maria McKee and Bono; however, Canada's Cowboy Junkies didn't add heat, they added ice to create a sound that was fresh and convincing. To hear it is to think this is how the song should have always been performed. Video click here.
7) "What A Fool Believes," Aretha Franklin.
In 1980, the Queen of Soul was recovering from the Atlantic years and more than anything else off her Aretha album, this track -- with its intricate interplay of vocals -- demonstrated there was only one Aretha and she was still unchallenged. It remains one of the strongest vocals she did at Arista. Click here for video.
8) "Spanish Harlem," Laura Nyro and Labelle.
1971's Gonna Take a Miracle found Laura and Labelle (Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash) teaming up for an album of cover songs. Among the ones covered was this one that it seemed Aretha had already nailed. Click here for video.
9) "You Know I'm No Good," Artic Monkeys.
Amy Winehouse's Back To Black masterpiece may be only two years old but already Artic Monkeys have successfully re-interpreted one of the gems. Click here for live video. And because we love Amy, here's her performing the song live and acoustic.
10) "I'm No Angel," Cher.
The song was written for Gregg Allman but no one performed it better than Cher -- click here for the living proof on YouTube.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Bedtime stories for the Cult of Barack
It was a bad week for the Cult of Barack what with all the realities emerge about Dear Leader indicating he not only had feet of clay -- which Michelle's already informed the world stink -- he also had no character or integrity. To them we offer Bette Davis' All About Eve greeting: "Happy birthday, welcome home, and we who are about to die salute you."
Though the Cult appears impenetrable to de-programming, let's at least attempt to harsh their mellow about the Christ-child they insist the whole world loves, their 'rock star.' Barack's far from the first American of color to be a rock star and those 'reigns' appear to be short-lived. Travel back with us to December of 2005 when Joel Brinkley reported the following for The New York Times:
Despite the time-worn diplomatic formula of quiet airport greetings by often-dour foreign ministers, for Ms. Rice the more telegenic receptions in Bishkek and Tokyo were not anomalies. Among the diplomats, politicians and journalists of the world, there is no argument that she has ascended to rock star status.
In her office, her aides say that has been one result of a deliberate strategy.
"We think it is very important that she connects with the ordinary citizens of the countries she visits," said Jim Wilkinson, a senior aide to Ms. Rice. An important part of his job is to set up her image-making events.
One high point came last summer, when Forbes magazine put her at the top of its list of the 100 most powerful women in the world. The New York Post hailed the selection with the headline "Condi Rules the World!"
The airport "greeters" are important part of Mr. Wilkinson's strategy. Most of a secretary's work during a foreign visit, aides noted, is boring to a majority of the population, so "she always tries to meet people and do events that an average person can relate to," he said.
"Condi Rules the World!"? Yes, boys and girls, three years ago there was another 'rock star' who was 'rocking' the world. And we all know how that turned out, don't we?
Whatever happened to the Condi Cultists? They vanished quicker than all the swooning Donald Rumsfeld groupies -- and, yes, they existed once upon a time too.
Joan Didion on the Cult of the Christ-child
Joan Didion discussing the hype and hoopla around Barack Obama:
What troubled had nothing to do with the candidate himself.
Joan Didion was speaking on a panel which included Andrew Delbanco, Jeff Madrick, Darryl Pinckney, Robert Silvers, Michael Tomasky and Garry Wills at New York Public Library's Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers. The New York Review of Books has the podcast of the event (scroll down to November 17, 2008, What Happens Now? A Conversation on the 2008 Election)
The above remarks are approximately 10:40 into the podcast and last till 16:30 into the podcast.
What troubled had nothing to do with the candidate himself.
It had to do instead with the reaction he evoked.
Close to the heart of it was the way in which only the very young were decreed of capable of truly appreciating the candidate. Again and again, perfectly sentient adults cited the clinching of arguments made on the candidate's behalf by their children -- by quite small children. Again and again, we were told that this was a generational thing, we couldn't understand. In a flash we were sent back to high school, and we couldn't sit with the popular kids, we didn't get it. The "Style" section of The New York Times yesterday morning mentioned the Obama t-shirts that "makes irony look old."
Irony was now out.
Naivete translated into "hope" was now in.
Innocence, even when it looked like ignorance, was now prized.
Partisanship could now be appropriately expressed by consumerism.
I could not count the number of snapshots I got emailed showing people's babies in Obama gear.
Now I couldn't count the number of terms I heard the terms "transformational" or "inspirational." The whole of election night I kind of kept dozing on and off and the same people were on always on television and every time I woke up
to them they were saying "transformational."
I couldn't count the number of times I heard the sixties evoked by people with no apparent memory that what drove the social revolution of the sixties was not babies in cute t-shirts but the kind of resistance to that decade's war that in the case of our current wars, unmotivated by a draft, we have yet to see.
It became increasingly clear that we were gearing up for another close encounter with militant idealism by which I mean the convenient redefinition of political or pragmatic questions as moral questions -- which makes those questions seem easier to answer at a time when the nation is least prepared to afford easy answers.
Some who were troubled in this way referred to those who remained untroubled by a code phrase. This phrase which referred back to a previous encounter with militant idealism the one that ended at the Jonestown encampment in Guyana in 1978 was "drinking the Kool-Aid."
No one ever suggested that the candidate himself was drinking the Kool-Aid. If there was any doubt about this, his initial appointments would lay them to rest.
In fact, it seemed increasingly clear that not only would he welcome healthy realism but that its absence had become for him a source of worry. "The exuberance of Tuesday night's victory," The New York Times reported on November 6th, "was tempered by concerns over the public's high expectations for a party in control of both Congress and the White House amid economic turmoil, two wars overseas and a yawning budget gap. " A headline in the same day's paper, "With Victory At Hand, Obama Aides Now Say Task Is To Temper Expectations."
to them they were saying "transformational."
I couldn't count the number of times I heard the sixties evoked by people with no apparent memory that what drove the social revolution of the sixties was not babies in cute t-shirts but the kind of resistance to that decade's war that in the case of our current wars, unmotivated by a draft, we have yet to see.
It became increasingly clear that we were gearing up for another close encounter with militant idealism by which I mean the convenient redefinition of political or pragmatic questions as moral questions -- which makes those questions seem easier to answer at a time when the nation is least prepared to afford easy answers.
Some who were troubled in this way referred to those who remained untroubled by a code phrase. This phrase which referred back to a previous encounter with militant idealism the one that ended at the Jonestown encampment in Guyana in 1978 was "drinking the Kool-Aid."
No one ever suggested that the candidate himself was drinking the Kool-Aid. If there was any doubt about this, his initial appointments would lay them to rest.
In fact, it seemed increasingly clear that not only would he welcome healthy realism but that its absence had become for him a source of worry. "The exuberance of Tuesday night's victory," The New York Times reported on November 6th, "was tempered by concerns over the public's high expectations for a party in control of both Congress and the White House amid economic turmoil, two wars overseas and a yawning budget gap. " A headline in the same day's paper, "With Victory At Hand, Obama Aides Now Say Task Is To Temper Expectations."
Yet, the expectations got fueled, the spirit of a cargo cult was loose . I heard it said breathlessly on one channel that the United States on the basis of having carried off its presidential election now had "the congratulations of all the nations." "They want to be with us," another commentator said. Imagining in 2008 that all the world's people want to be with us may not be entirely different in kind from imagining in 2003 that we would be greeted with flowers when we invaded Iraq. But in the irony-free zone that the nation had chosen to become this was not the preferred way of looking at it.
Joan Didion was speaking on a panel which included Andrew Delbanco, Jeff Madrick, Darryl Pinckney, Robert Silvers, Michael Tomasky and Garry Wills at New York Public Library's Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers. The New York Review of Books has the podcast of the event (scroll down to November 17, 2008, What Happens Now? A Conversation on the 2008 Election)
The above remarks are approximately 10:40 into the podcast and last till 16:30 into the podcast.
Yes, let's stop kidding ourselves (Ava and C.I.)
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
Music Access
Forget Ballot Access, the big issue of 2008 was Music Access.
A musician -- pay attention those who fancy themselves that -- wants their songs heard by a wide audience. Otherwise, s/he would never hit the road, let alone the recording studio.
So one of 2008's biggest embarrassments came from rockers.
Time and again, they rushed forward to say, "Oh, no, you don't!" to the McCain - Palin campaign. It was really embarrassing.
Take Heart (and we love the Wilson sisters). "Barracuda" is not a song utilized on one of the many CSIs (though we would love it if it and "Crazy On You" were). "Barracuda" was used for Governor Sarah Palin at the GOP convention and Ann and Nancy Wilson wanted to make it clear that they would never, ever vote for Palin and/or McCain. Fine. No problem. But they also wanted the campaign to never, ever use the song again.
With regards to McCain, that's pretty damn insulting and we'll come back to that.
But did the Wilson sisters check to see if Barack Obama carried all fifty states? No, he didn't. And looking at what he didn't carry, we're seeing states that kept Heart alive when no one in the rest of the country gave a damn. That was before they resurfaced on Capitol and after.
So what message are they sending to the people in those states?
It's something they might want to think about.
But Heart, to their credit, has never been used in any national political campaign and maybe the message is: We don't want to be used ever. And maybe their message is we don't want to be part of the political process?
If that's the message, fine.
But if the message is only some people can use our songs, we have a problem.
Which brings us to Jackson Brown who didn't drink the Kool-Aid, he damn well snorted lines of it and, in the process, disgraced himself.
"Running On Empty" was used in a web ad and used under Fair Use guidelines (by the McCain campaign, of course). Jackson Browne had a meltdown.
We went back and forth over this one throughout the campaign. In the end, we couldn't find any way to support Jackson's view.
Mainbly because, though Jackson doesn't like to publicize this and most Americans who agree with his politics have no idea, he's raked in the royalties over the years -- at a time when no one would play his songs on radio -- through his songs being bumper music on a variety of right-wing talk shows. "Lives In The Balance,"via its use on right-wing radio (during the Clinton years) has become his best known hit since "Tender Is The Night."
Now he had no problem with it being used on right-wing talking shows, he had no problem if the demented hosts were preaching that the Clintons wanted one-world government, to take away your guns, and to kill you like they 'did' Vince Foster. Jackson Browne never said a damn word complaining about that.
So it was a little embarrassing to see him making a spectacle of himself over the McCain campaign using a snippet of "Running On Empty."
Let's break it down a little bit further.
Jackson can insist (as he does) that he phoned the cops that night when they arrived at his home for a disturbance call. He can insist that until he's blue in the face. No one's believing it and they wouldn't even if Joni Mitchell hadn't used him as an inspiration for "Not To Blame" (Turbulent Indigo). Right or wrong, the voyeurs of pop culture spoke long ago and they sided with Darryl Hannah. That's the main reason Jackson can't get his new stuff played on the radio today.
True or false, he's seen as the man who physically abused Darryl Hannah. It's killed his career. The bulk of his peer group doesn't want to hear a too-sensitive-for-words love/observational song from Jackson Browne as a result.
To put it bluntly, Jackson Browne's songs can use all the exposure they can get.
We said we'd come back to McCain. We are on record long before 2007 stating we would not vote for John McCain, that we do not agree with his politics, etc. We don't have to 'prove' our disagreement with John McCain because it can be found throughout the archives. That said, musicians need to remember one important point: When Congress held hearings on radio consolidation, McCain was the one on record opposing the censorship of the Dixie Chicks for their political statements.
There's not an adult alive in this country that doesn't know John McCain supports the illegal war and supported it from the start, from before the start. He defended the Dixie Chicks not because he agreed with their opinion but because he believed in their right to say it. It's called free speech and once upon a time rockers grasped it.
Ronald Reagan couldn't stop attempting to harness Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA work in 1984. Bruce and Reagan agreed on nothing. Bruce made that clear nicely. He wondered if anyone with Reagan's campaign had paid attention to the verses of "Born In The USA"? But he never threw a hissy fit and whined, "Don't you use my song at your rallies! Don't you use my song!"
Ralph Nader and Cynthia McKinney were two worthy candidates that All Things Media Big and Small shut out. And when all the rockers were embarrassing themselves during the last months of the campaigns, we started thinking about them and other independent and third party candidates. What are they going to be able to play at their rallies?
If Heart and Jackson Browne is a sign of what's to come, where does it end?
The reality is that thirty years after the songs were releases, Heart and Jackson Browne should be thrilled to death that a national campaign was interested in them. That's what you live for when you write a song, that it will live on for years long after it falls off the charts.
Van Halen (who ever's left in that group at this late date) and the Foo Fighters had to object to.
What really is the point?
Is your music only for certain people?
In 1984, Springsteen had enough sense not to throw a public tantrum and insist that his song couldn't be used in a campaign. Twenty-four years later, common sense is in short supply.
And if songs are only allowed for candidates you approve (or a quorum of the band?) rallies just got a lot harder for third party and independent candidates.
A musician -- pay attention those who fancy themselves that -- wants their songs heard by a wide audience. Otherwise, s/he would never hit the road, let alone the recording studio.
So one of 2008's biggest embarrassments came from rockers.
Time and again, they rushed forward to say, "Oh, no, you don't!" to the McCain - Palin campaign. It was really embarrassing.
Take Heart (and we love the Wilson sisters). "Barracuda" is not a song utilized on one of the many CSIs (though we would love it if it and "Crazy On You" were). "Barracuda" was used for Governor Sarah Palin at the GOP convention and Ann and Nancy Wilson wanted to make it clear that they would never, ever vote for Palin and/or McCain. Fine. No problem. But they also wanted the campaign to never, ever use the song again.
With regards to McCain, that's pretty damn insulting and we'll come back to that.
But did the Wilson sisters check to see if Barack Obama carried all fifty states? No, he didn't. And looking at what he didn't carry, we're seeing states that kept Heart alive when no one in the rest of the country gave a damn. That was before they resurfaced on Capitol and after.
So what message are they sending to the people in those states?
It's something they might want to think about.
But Heart, to their credit, has never been used in any national political campaign and maybe the message is: We don't want to be used ever. And maybe their message is we don't want to be part of the political process?
If that's the message, fine.
But if the message is only some people can use our songs, we have a problem.
Which brings us to Jackson Brown who didn't drink the Kool-Aid, he damn well snorted lines of it and, in the process, disgraced himself.
"Running On Empty" was used in a web ad and used under Fair Use guidelines (by the McCain campaign, of course). Jackson Browne had a meltdown.
We went back and forth over this one throughout the campaign. In the end, we couldn't find any way to support Jackson's view.
Mainbly because, though Jackson doesn't like to publicize this and most Americans who agree with his politics have no idea, he's raked in the royalties over the years -- at a time when no one would play his songs on radio -- through his songs being bumper music on a variety of right-wing talk shows. "Lives In The Balance,"via its use on right-wing radio (during the Clinton years) has become his best known hit since "Tender Is The Night."
Now he had no problem with it being used on right-wing talking shows, he had no problem if the demented hosts were preaching that the Clintons wanted one-world government, to take away your guns, and to kill you like they 'did' Vince Foster. Jackson Browne never said a damn word complaining about that.
So it was a little embarrassing to see him making a spectacle of himself over the McCain campaign using a snippet of "Running On Empty."
Let's break it down a little bit further.
Jackson can insist (as he does) that he phoned the cops that night when they arrived at his home for a disturbance call. He can insist that until he's blue in the face. No one's believing it and they wouldn't even if Joni Mitchell hadn't used him as an inspiration for "Not To Blame" (Turbulent Indigo). Right or wrong, the voyeurs of pop culture spoke long ago and they sided with Darryl Hannah. That's the main reason Jackson can't get his new stuff played on the radio today.
True or false, he's seen as the man who physically abused Darryl Hannah. It's killed his career. The bulk of his peer group doesn't want to hear a too-sensitive-for-words love/observational song from Jackson Browne as a result.
To put it bluntly, Jackson Browne's songs can use all the exposure they can get.
We said we'd come back to McCain. We are on record long before 2007 stating we would not vote for John McCain, that we do not agree with his politics, etc. We don't have to 'prove' our disagreement with John McCain because it can be found throughout the archives. That said, musicians need to remember one important point: When Congress held hearings on radio consolidation, McCain was the one on record opposing the censorship of the Dixie Chicks for their political statements.
There's not an adult alive in this country that doesn't know John McCain supports the illegal war and supported it from the start, from before the start. He defended the Dixie Chicks not because he agreed with their opinion but because he believed in their right to say it. It's called free speech and once upon a time rockers grasped it.
Ronald Reagan couldn't stop attempting to harness Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA work in 1984. Bruce and Reagan agreed on nothing. Bruce made that clear nicely. He wondered if anyone with Reagan's campaign had paid attention to the verses of "Born In The USA"? But he never threw a hissy fit and whined, "Don't you use my song at your rallies! Don't you use my song!"
Ralph Nader and Cynthia McKinney were two worthy candidates that All Things Media Big and Small shut out. And when all the rockers were embarrassing themselves during the last months of the campaigns, we started thinking about them and other independent and third party candidates. What are they going to be able to play at their rallies?
If Heart and Jackson Browne is a sign of what's to come, where does it end?
The reality is that thirty years after the songs were releases, Heart and Jackson Browne should be thrilled to death that a national campaign was interested in them. That's what you live for when you write a song, that it will live on for years long after it falls off the charts.
Van Halen (who ever's left in that group at this late date) and the Foo Fighters had to object to.
What really is the point?
Is your music only for certain people?
In 1984, Springsteen had enough sense not to throw a public tantrum and insist that his song couldn't be used in a campaign. Twenty-four years later, common sense is in short supply.
And if songs are only allowed for candidates you approve (or a quorum of the band?) rallies just got a lot harder for third party and independent candidates.
Ike Skelton reminds Death Of Free TV Is Coming
With a click, with a shock,
Phone'll jingle, door'll knock
Open the latch!
Something's comin', don't know when,
But it's soon --
Catch the moon,
One-handed catch!
Around the corner,
Or whistling down the river,
Come on -- deliver
To me!
-- "Something's Coming," West Side Story, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein.
Ava and C.I. have warned you repeatedly what's coming around the bend (starting in December of 2005). For those who missed what ____ editorialized as "The Death Of Free TV" (their finest editorial and they vanish it?), it starts next year.
US House Rep Ike Skelton issued the following last week:
TV Viewers Should Prepare Now for Digital Television Transition
Today, television stations air programming in analog and digital formats and will continue to do so through February 17, 2009. On that date, however, full-power television stations, such as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS affiliates, will stop broadcasting in analog and continue broadcasting in digital format only. The switch from analog to digital broadcasting is referred to as the digital television transition or the DTV transition.
The digital television transition will provide many advantages for consumers: it will free up frequencies for use by police, fire, and other public safety officials; will allow broadcasting networks to offer improved picture and sound quality, as well as more programming choices; and will provide more robust wireless service offerings.
To prepare for the digital television transition, some consumers will need to take steps to continue to enjoy television. Cable and satellite subscribers should not be impacted by the transition, but if they have questions they should contact their service provider. Consumers who enjoy free over-the-air television should determine if they own a digital or analog television. Families who own a digital television will be able to continue to watch free programming after the transition. Analog televisions receiving free programming through an antenna, including outside antennas and “rabbit ears”, will not work after February 17, 2009. Consumers who rely on analog televisions to enjoy free programming must purchase a digital-to-analog converter box. A converter box is a product that will keep an analog television working after February 17, 2009.
Fortunately, Congress established a coupon program to offset the cost of acquiring a converter box. Until March 2009, all households will be eligible to receive two $40 coupons to be used toward the purchase of two converter boxes, which typically cost between $40 and $70 each. Coupons will expire after 90 days and will come with a list of retailers that are selling converter boxes in their neighborhood, as well as through the telephone and the Internet.
For more information about the coupon program or to obtain a $40 coupon, please visit the Converter Box Coupon Program website or call the Program’s toll-free number at 1-888-388-2009. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call their toll-free number at 1-877-530-2634.
February 2009 will arrive sooner than we think. Now is the time to prepare for the digital television transition. For more information about the transition visit the Federal Communications Commission's Digital TV Transition website or call them toll-free at 1-888-225-5322 or toll-free through TTY at 1-888-835-5322.
The switch could leave an estimated 20 million Americans behind. The groups most effected are the elderly and the poor. One of our readers is a ninth grade science teacher and she's made this a lesson module for her class for a number of reasons including the opportunity to teach that the digital to analog shift provides as well as the fact that those most in need of help with the shift will be the elderly and grandchildren should be prepared to help out.
She cautions that people are thinking the antennas can be tossed and that's not so. The converter boxes will need to be hooked up to both the TV and any antenna.
Phone'll jingle, door'll knock
Open the latch!
Something's comin', don't know when,
But it's soon --
Catch the moon,
One-handed catch!
Around the corner,
Or whistling down the river,
Come on -- deliver
To me!
-- "Something's Coming," West Side Story, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein.
Ava and C.I. have warned you repeatedly what's coming around the bend (starting in December of 2005). For those who missed what ____ editorialized as "The Death Of Free TV" (their finest editorial and they vanish it?), it starts next year.
US House Rep Ike Skelton issued the following last week:
TV Viewers Should Prepare Now for Digital Television Transition
Today, television stations air programming in analog and digital formats and will continue to do so through February 17, 2009. On that date, however, full-power television stations, such as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS affiliates, will stop broadcasting in analog and continue broadcasting in digital format only. The switch from analog to digital broadcasting is referred to as the digital television transition or the DTV transition.
The digital television transition will provide many advantages for consumers: it will free up frequencies for use by police, fire, and other public safety officials; will allow broadcasting networks to offer improved picture and sound quality, as well as more programming choices; and will provide more robust wireless service offerings.
To prepare for the digital television transition, some consumers will need to take steps to continue to enjoy television. Cable and satellite subscribers should not be impacted by the transition, but if they have questions they should contact their service provider. Consumers who enjoy free over-the-air television should determine if they own a digital or analog television. Families who own a digital television will be able to continue to watch free programming after the transition. Analog televisions receiving free programming through an antenna, including outside antennas and “rabbit ears”, will not work after February 17, 2009. Consumers who rely on analog televisions to enjoy free programming must purchase a digital-to-analog converter box. A converter box is a product that will keep an analog television working after February 17, 2009.
Fortunately, Congress established a coupon program to offset the cost of acquiring a converter box. Until March 2009, all households will be eligible to receive two $40 coupons to be used toward the purchase of two converter boxes, which typically cost between $40 and $70 each. Coupons will expire after 90 days and will come with a list of retailers that are selling converter boxes in their neighborhood, as well as through the telephone and the Internet.
For more information about the coupon program or to obtain a $40 coupon, please visit the Converter Box Coupon Program website or call the Program’s toll-free number at 1-888-388-2009. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call their toll-free number at 1-877-530-2634.
February 2009 will arrive sooner than we think. Now is the time to prepare for the digital television transition. For more information about the transition visit the Federal Communications Commission's Digital TV Transition website or call them toll-free at 1-888-225-5322 or toll-free through TTY at 1-888-835-5322.
The switch could leave an estimated 20 million Americans behind. The groups most effected are the elderly and the poor. One of our readers is a ninth grade science teacher and she's made this a lesson module for her class for a number of reasons including the opportunity to teach that the digital to analog shift provides as well as the fact that those most in need of help with the shift will be the elderly and grandchildren should be prepared to help out.
She cautions that people are thinking the antennas can be tossed and that's not so. The converter boxes will need to be hooked up to both the TV and any antenna.
The War Drags On
"And the war drags on" is a regular entry at The Common Ills each Sunday night and has been since 2005. Syreeta found a video on YouTube featuring Donovan's "The War Drags On" and e-mailed to note it.
Along with the song (written by Mick Softly and available on Donovan's Fairytale) that we love it also features some wonderful animation so check it out.
Along with the song (written by Mick Softly and available on Donovan's Fairytale) that we love it also features some wonderful animation so check it out.
Highlights
This piece is written by Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Kat of Kat's Korner, Betty of Thomas Friedman is a Great Man, Mike of Mikey Likes It!, Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Ruth of Ruth's Report, Marcia of SICKOFITRADLZ, Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends and Wally of The Daily Jot. Unless otherwise noted, we picked all highlights.
"I Hate The War" -- most requested highlight. C.I. breaks it down on the contract proposed between the White House and the puppet government in Baghdad plus finds a way to work in Rick Springfield (we're not joking). A big treat.
"Deal with it" -- Betty's got so many ideas on what to do with her site and "When it was time to blog, I end up writing about fashion!" :) That's cool it was a pleasure to read.
"Easy in the Kitchen" -- Trina was going to offer some last minute recipes but decided that went against the point she wanted to make leading into Thanksgiving: Easy, relax. Thanksgiving's no fun if you're exhuasted by the time the food hits the table.
"who do you write like?" and "delilah, you gender-bender!" -- Rebecca plays around online with devices/instruments that allegedly measure something. In the former, she finds who everyone supposedly matches up with in terms of writing. While we love the findings of similarities between Ava and C.I.'s TV commentaries and the writings of Oscar Wilde, we don't take it very seriously. Rebecca notes re: Edgar Allen Poe, she's sure C.I. found that insulting "if she gave a thought." But at least Elaine got compared favorably to her favorite writer from childhood. That's one device/instrument and the second listed post focuses on another. According to that one, we're all men. Women, men, we're all writing like men! and the most masculine among us? Stan, Ruth and C.I. all scored at least 80%. (And the National Lawyers Guild's Marjorie Cohn scored over 80% as a man.) We don't take the devices/instruments too seriously but they were a fun topic to read on.
"Regarding Seth" -- Marcia's immensely popular post on a liar. and fraud Make a point to check it out.
"How the press ignores women" -- Ruth is really something to read these days, isn't she? You never know what topic she's grabbing but you always know you're going to be rivited. Here she's noting a woman not known for doing much of anything for women and explaining how that repuation might or might not be deserved.
"Cabinet?" -- A big whiner e-mailed the public account of The Common Ills about his politic crash Janet of Arizona. Kat read it and thought, "What the hell is he snorting?" We're ignoring his woman who may make the cabinet! We're not really covering the cabinet. Kat explains this but we want to go over it to make sure it's really clear and while we can all comment on the record in this entry. The most covered appointment or possible appointment by Barack has been Rahm Emanuel. The reason for that is C.I. knows (and likes) Rahm. So not to be accused of favoritism, at The Common Ills, C.I. has repeatedly noted negative criticsm of Rahm in the last few weeks. That's really the only reason Rahm's been covered. At this site (Third), Jim asked C.I. to comment on Rahm specifically and we were all encouraged to comment on the names being tossed around for the cabinet in "Roundtable." That was prompted by a post of Elaine's where she noted the names being thrown around were mainly male ["The cabinet, Robert Fisk"]. Wally and Cedric's joint-posts are humorous ones on what's in the news that day and if it's a big day for cabinet chatter, they may grab that as a topic but they're not "overly interested." Mike has blogged twice on Hillary as Secretary of State. The first time noting it was her decision and he'd hold his opinion. The second time to note an idiot who was allegedly writing on Tom Daschle but ended up with three paragraphs on him and eight screaming about the Clintons. Wally, Cedric and Mike have loudly called out Tom Daschle. C.I. has noted that and joined it in terms of noting how Hillary's being skewered and the frightful and frightening Tommy D is getting a pass. Ruth's not sure she's written a word on the cabinet and Marcia only remembers writing about Eric Holder (and in passing on that). Stan's not focused on the cabinet, Elaine's not focused on it, Kat isn't focused on it, Betty's not focused on it and Rebecca says if she covers it at all, she's doing it in passing thus far. Point: Janet is not being slighted. We don't care for her. She's very fortunate we're not writing about her or we'd be talking about that infamous speech this year where she attacked Mexican immigrants. We went on at length, yes, but we hope we made our point.
"Mantan Moreland" & "Movies, Lauren Bacall, and more" -- Staci spoke for a lot of people when she e-mailed Saturday to say that she loves all the work Stan does but she really does enjoy it when he discusses movies. We do too. He's planning to make Friday's a movie post of some sort each week.
"The failure of 'leadership'" -- Jim's reaction to this post by Elaine? "I begged and begged C.I. not to write about this topic during the week so we could have it for this weekend and then Elaine goes and writes on it! Highlight it please."
"Iraq and NYT's tabloidish ways" -- This was a hugely requested highlight. C.I.'s tackling NYT and doing so forcefully. Angelina Jolie is slimed and front paged by the paper on the day they bury CIA lies about a plane crash? They're exploring the People magazine 'scandal' at length and on the front page and brushing aside the CIA crimes? How typical.
"Missy Comley Beattie, F**k the Hell Off" -- Hate to say it, but we agree with Mike. We usually do agree with him but on this we wish we didn't. Missy Comley Beattie once appeared to have something to say. Barack lovers better learn to grow up or leave the left because maturity and ending the illegal war requires truth telling. If it's too much for you, f**k the hell off.
"Daschle, Chuck and more," "Tom Daschle the Disgrace" and "THIS JUST IN! CRAP YOU SMELL THE STINK OF!" & "More cronies for Barack"- And here's Mike, Wally and Cedric covering Tommy D.
"THIS JUST IN! CHRIST CHILD CLIMBS ON THE CROSS OF HIS OWN MAKING!" & "Christ-child mounts his cross" -- Wally and Cedric cover how Christ-child Barack built his own prison.
Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Ghosts of Network Bombs Past and Present" -- Isaiah's latest in his three-part series on the stink that is Tina Fey's 30 Rock.
"Gerry Ford 2009 and the treaty" and "The Imperial Presidency With Cavity Fighting Fluoride Protection!" -- Elaine and C.I. on Barack the White washer.
"A Man Named Joe" -- Elaine 'Twaine' writes a short story. Elaine carried a short story over to Betty's site this week. The 'Twaine' remark is in ref to a 'device' or 'instrument' that found Elaine's writing in this to be over 80% like the writing style of Mark Twaine.
"Equality" and "Boycott the losers" -- Ruth and Marcia's very important posts on LGBT rights.
"Iraq snapshot" and "As C.I. said, it's a treaty" -- C.I. and Kat cover the Congressional hearing last week that they, Wally and Ava attended. Boston Globe's Jenny Paul was the only reporter at a major daily to cover the hearing.
"Disclosure II?" & "THIS JUST IN! WAS IT WORTH IT?" -- No means NO!, Barack.
"I Hate The War" -- most requested highlight. C.I. breaks it down on the contract proposed between the White House and the puppet government in Baghdad plus finds a way to work in Rick Springfield (we're not joking). A big treat.
"Deal with it" -- Betty's got so many ideas on what to do with her site and "When it was time to blog, I end up writing about fashion!" :) That's cool it was a pleasure to read.
"Easy in the Kitchen" -- Trina was going to offer some last minute recipes but decided that went against the point she wanted to make leading into Thanksgiving: Easy, relax. Thanksgiving's no fun if you're exhuasted by the time the food hits the table.
"who do you write like?" and "delilah, you gender-bender!" -- Rebecca plays around online with devices/instruments that allegedly measure something. In the former, she finds who everyone supposedly matches up with in terms of writing. While we love the findings of similarities between Ava and C.I.'s TV commentaries and the writings of Oscar Wilde, we don't take it very seriously. Rebecca notes re: Edgar Allen Poe, she's sure C.I. found that insulting "if she gave a thought." But at least Elaine got compared favorably to her favorite writer from childhood. That's one device/instrument and the second listed post focuses on another. According to that one, we're all men. Women, men, we're all writing like men! and the most masculine among us? Stan, Ruth and C.I. all scored at least 80%. (And the National Lawyers Guild's Marjorie Cohn scored over 80% as a man.) We don't take the devices/instruments too seriously but they were a fun topic to read on.
"Regarding Seth" -- Marcia's immensely popular post on a liar. and fraud Make a point to check it out.
"How the press ignores women" -- Ruth is really something to read these days, isn't she? You never know what topic she's grabbing but you always know you're going to be rivited. Here she's noting a woman not known for doing much of anything for women and explaining how that repuation might or might not be deserved.
"Cabinet?" -- A big whiner e-mailed the public account of The Common Ills about his politic crash Janet of Arizona. Kat read it and thought, "What the hell is he snorting?" We're ignoring his woman who may make the cabinet! We're not really covering the cabinet. Kat explains this but we want to go over it to make sure it's really clear and while we can all comment on the record in this entry. The most covered appointment or possible appointment by Barack has been Rahm Emanuel. The reason for that is C.I. knows (and likes) Rahm. So not to be accused of favoritism, at The Common Ills, C.I. has repeatedly noted negative criticsm of Rahm in the last few weeks. That's really the only reason Rahm's been covered. At this site (Third), Jim asked C.I. to comment on Rahm specifically and we were all encouraged to comment on the names being tossed around for the cabinet in "Roundtable." That was prompted by a post of Elaine's where she noted the names being thrown around were mainly male ["The cabinet, Robert Fisk"]. Wally and Cedric's joint-posts are humorous ones on what's in the news that day and if it's a big day for cabinet chatter, they may grab that as a topic but they're not "overly interested." Mike has blogged twice on Hillary as Secretary of State. The first time noting it was her decision and he'd hold his opinion. The second time to note an idiot who was allegedly writing on Tom Daschle but ended up with three paragraphs on him and eight screaming about the Clintons. Wally, Cedric and Mike have loudly called out Tom Daschle. C.I. has noted that and joined it in terms of noting how Hillary's being skewered and the frightful and frightening Tommy D is getting a pass. Ruth's not sure she's written a word on the cabinet and Marcia only remembers writing about Eric Holder (and in passing on that). Stan's not focused on the cabinet, Elaine's not focused on it, Kat isn't focused on it, Betty's not focused on it and Rebecca says if she covers it at all, she's doing it in passing thus far. Point: Janet is not being slighted. We don't care for her. She's very fortunate we're not writing about her or we'd be talking about that infamous speech this year where she attacked Mexican immigrants. We went on at length, yes, but we hope we made our point.
"Mantan Moreland" & "Movies, Lauren Bacall, and more" -- Staci spoke for a lot of people when she e-mailed Saturday to say that she loves all the work Stan does but she really does enjoy it when he discusses movies. We do too. He's planning to make Friday's a movie post of some sort each week.
"The failure of 'leadership'" -- Jim's reaction to this post by Elaine? "I begged and begged C.I. not to write about this topic during the week so we could have it for this weekend and then Elaine goes and writes on it! Highlight it please."
"Iraq and NYT's tabloidish ways" -- This was a hugely requested highlight. C.I.'s tackling NYT and doing so forcefully. Angelina Jolie is slimed and front paged by the paper on the day they bury CIA lies about a plane crash? They're exploring the People magazine 'scandal' at length and on the front page and brushing aside the CIA crimes? How typical.
"Missy Comley Beattie, F**k the Hell Off" -- Hate to say it, but we agree with Mike. We usually do agree with him but on this we wish we didn't. Missy Comley Beattie once appeared to have something to say. Barack lovers better learn to grow up or leave the left because maturity and ending the illegal war requires truth telling. If it's too much for you, f**k the hell off.
"Daschle, Chuck and more," "Tom Daschle the Disgrace" and "THIS JUST IN! CRAP YOU SMELL THE STINK OF!" & "More cronies for Barack"- And here's Mike, Wally and Cedric covering Tommy D.
"THIS JUST IN! CHRIST CHILD CLIMBS ON THE CROSS OF HIS OWN MAKING!" & "Christ-child mounts his cross" -- Wally and Cedric cover how Christ-child Barack built his own prison.
Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Ghosts of Network Bombs Past and Present" -- Isaiah's latest in his three-part series on the stink that is Tina Fey's 30 Rock.
"Gerry Ford 2009 and the treaty" and "The Imperial Presidency With Cavity Fighting Fluoride Protection!" -- Elaine and C.I. on Barack the White washer.
"A Man Named Joe" -- Elaine 'Twaine' writes a short story. Elaine carried a short story over to Betty's site this week. The 'Twaine' remark is in ref to a 'device' or 'instrument' that found Elaine's writing in this to be over 80% like the writing style of Mark Twaine.
"Equality" and "Boycott the losers" -- Ruth and Marcia's very important posts on LGBT rights.
"Iraq snapshot" and "As C.I. said, it's a treaty" -- C.I. and Kat cover the Congressional hearing last week that they, Wally and Ava attended. Boston Globe's Jenny Paul was the only reporter at a major daily to cover the hearing.
"Disclosure II?" & "THIS JUST IN! WAS IT WORTH IT?" -- No means NO!, Barack.
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