Since reading a May New Yorker article about Barack Obama my ears perk up whenever I see or hear his name. I was excited when I heard he’d be speaking at the Democratic Convention. Last night he delivered a speech that he wrote. The speech is a stirring narrative that weaves together elements from the bedrock of our nation. Elements from the Declaration of Independence and the stories of people doing the best the can. He pushes aside the Blue State/Red State cynicism and talks about one United States of America. He even mentions God and faith in a sincere and direct way that most Democrats, and Republicans, trip over. People are already talking about him “being our first black president.” It’s people like him that have me excited about this country’s political future.
Went to Birmingham with a new friend, D. I had lots of questions for her and she answered them all. I’ve never known anyone with her experiences before. It’s made me re-evaluate my ideas about good and evil. Also, I feel like I lost any credibility about complaining about my life. I ran into stumbling blocks today.
Details about myself that I wanted to mention but concerned the very mention of them would be a PDK (potential deal killer). I suppose everyone does that. “Is this person worth the effort it will take to put some part of myself out there and have it rejected? Nope. Not yet. I’ll wait until I know them better.” Of course when you reach that point it has become even more important to avoid the mention of a PDK. :) Hmm…I just realized it would be easier if I could touch her as I mentioned something personal. As if holding her hand would give me more insight into her reaction than just her body language and verbal response. I’d feel safer. Never realized that before. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard for me to say things to guy friends. I can’t touch them and read their response.
Here is the track listing for Take What You Like: June 2004. As always if anyone is interested in a copy, and doesn’t already receive one, email me your address and I’ll mail one.
1. [Trailer Audio][Trailer Audio] - Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus1. Get Me Away From Here, I’m DyingGet Me Away From Here, I’m Dying - Belle & Sebastian1. 88 Ways88 Ways - Mia Doi Todd1. SpoiledSpoiled - Sebadoh1. March of the Fire AntsMarch of the Fire Ants - Mastodon1. RuinRuin - Three Mile Pilot1. Victorious DVictorious D - Pinback1. The TruthThe Truth - Handsome Boy Modeling School1. The Last Three MinutesThe Last Three Minutes - Ten Seconds1. Part 8Part 8 - Yume Bitsu1. UnspokenUnspoken - Four Tet1. RobotRobot - t.A.T.u.1. Move to the GrooveMove to the Groove - Lolita Ritmanis1. LoomLoom - Trlok Gurtu & Robert Miles1. Boys, You Won’tBoys, You Won’t - The Wrens1. UnknownUnknown - Tortoise
I am trying something really off the wall with a couple of these. The first “song” isn’t even a song. It’s just the audio off a movie trailer that I really liked. I’ve got a lot of instrumental stuff on here. It’s funny because this month’s started out with a lot more alt.pop stuff. The t.A.T.u. is cribbed from a mix I was sent by kiad. They are a manufactured Russian girlband but I can’t seem to resist their poppy charms.
I still struggle with my relationship with the American South. I was born in Memphis and grew up in Huntsville, Alabama. I lived in Birmingham for a few years too. Most of that time has been a mixture of awe and revulsion at what happens here. I’ve railed against the megachurches hawking their monopoly on the keys to Heaven. I’ve sung the praises of Southern writers.
I’ve lamented the lack of a Southern voice in movies. David Gordon Green is the only modern example I can really think of. Although if you have just one voice his is a pretty good one to have. I finally saw a trailer for a movie that actually has me incredibly excited. Searching For the Wrong Eyed Jesus is the first trailer I’ve seen this year that has me chomping at the bit to see this movie. It looks like it might be something outside the indie/foreign/Hollywood hit parade.
During the 1980s I grew from 6 to 16. Remembering them now I felt oppressed by the world around me. I followed presidential politics but did not go much beyond that for many of those years. I remember my shock at the S&L scandals, Iran-Contra, Libya bombing, the assassination attempt, book burnings, the fantasy of SDI, Pat Roberts presidential bid, and the stock market crash. I remember excitement about the Berlin Wall coming down but disappointment at Gorbachev being ejected and Yeltsin taking over. It was deeper than just domestic/foreign policy. I felt like American culture took a big hit as movies, music and books were recycled pabulum for the most part. As a result of that I’ve felt lost in the Reagan hagiography of the past week.
A girl came bouncing out of her house with a cigarette in her hand as Emily and I walked by yesterday. Emily quietly informed me that “I think people who smoke have bad instincts.” She tried wrapping her brain around why anyone would do something that would eventually kill them. I tried reminding her that it’s not that simple for smokers and that we all do things that aren’t good for us. She settled on being happy that nobody in her family smokes. I was happy with that too.
Here is the track listing for Take What You Like: May 2004. As always if anyone is interested in a copy, and doesn’t already receive one, email me your address and I’ll mail one. I must get started on June’s immediately since I don’t want to get any further behind.
1. No Need to ArgueNo Need to Argue - The Cranberries1. Each Coming NightEach Coming Night - Iron and Wine1. Alone in KyotoAlone in Kyoto - Air1. Tiny VesselsTiny Vessels - Death Cab for Cutie1. JacquelineJacqueline - Franz Ferdinand1. HysteriaHysteria - Muse1. TarfurTarfur - Quarashi1. DuendeDuende - Bozzio Levin Stevens1. Pretty Close to the EdgePretty Close to the Edge - Trans Am1. HighHigh - Skalpel1. Trying to Find a BalanceTrying to Find a Balance - Atmosphere1. ExcursionsExcursions - A Tribe Called Quest1. Women’s PrisonWomen’s Prison - Loretta Lynn1. Movie Song - Trailer ThemeMovie Song - Trailer Theme - Halley1. BineBine - Autechre
My personal favorites are Atmosphere, Skalpel and Iron and Wine. The Quarashi is of dubious quality but since the lyrics aren’t in English I don’t have to listen to their silly pretentiousness which brought this song up a notch. The Autechre song is from their album confield which is uhm, different. It’s not like the stuff you may have heard on the Pi soundtrack.
Now here’s a blog with refreshing honesty about why they’re drawn to public service. I have a "glamour job" on the Hill. That is, I could not care less about gov or politics, but working for a Senator looks good on my resume. She is, or rather was till today, an aide for Republican Senator Mike DeWine from Ohio.
It’s mostly about all the sex she had or wanted to have. This includes apparently getting $400 for a “long lunch.” I thought this entry was a gem:
After a particularly pusillanimous, groveling letter from the leadership of Atlanta to stop destroying their city Sherman sent back what must have been a devastating reply. His response to the people of Atlanta seems to capture a much more complex person than I ever came to understand in my US History classes.
You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. I know I had no hand in making this, and I know I will make more sacrifices to-day than any of you to secure peace. But you cannot have peace and a division of our country…You deprecate [war’s] horrors, but did not feel them when you sent car-loads of soldiers and ammunition, and moulded shells and shot, to carry war into Kentucky and Tennessee, to desolate the homes of hundreds of thousands of good people who only asked to live in peace at their old homes, and under the Governor of their inheritance. But these comparisons are idle. I want peace, and believe it can only be reached through union and war, and I will ever conduct war with a view to perfect an early success.
