This cover entered the world as a clay sculpture circa 1984...

France's Zidane Headbutts his way to Infamy at World Cup Finals

Watch the video clip and ask yourself if you'd let this man prepare your croissant...

I personally was pulling for France until I saw this egregious act, at which point my allegiance went entirely toward Italy. I suspect Zidane lost France a good deal more than just my vote...

Mais pourquoi?

Congratulations Italy! Well fought!

You make Minervas

Ken Lay is Dead from Heart Attack

Ken "Mr. Enron" Lay still dead

Progression

Nous sommes du soleil

Frank Gehry Melon Balls

Get them while they're hot!

Right-wing pundits in Internet ratings freefall

Ce n'est pas un drapeau brûlant

Many well-known right-wing media figures -- including Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly -- are losing their Internet audiences, according to an analysis of Web site ratings by IPD Group and U.S. Politics Today.
On the other hand, traffic for Moveon.org has risen.
On Thursday, Shakespeare's Sister checked other sites from the right and left at the same tracking service, Alexa.com, used in the analysis.
According to the blogger, Free Republic, Hugh Hewitt, World Net Daily, and Pajamas Media have all suffered at least a 19 percent decline, while the traffic at Raw Story, Crooks and Liars, and Think Progress has risen.

READ ON

MADE IN THE WAR ZONE - the weirdest CD ever!

NOW AVAILABLE ON EBAY FOR $9.00
(larger view)

Soundtrack for the soon-to-be-released film:
POWWOWIRAQSI:
Music in the Age of George the Unready

"MADE IN THE WAR ZONE"

This new CD from composer anonyMoses Dave Beckwith may well be, as some have said, "the weirdest CD ever!" Not sure. Haven't checked them all. But it is sufficiently weird, and spans a vast range of styles...from classical to industrial to rock to progressive to opera and more.

This is a one-of-a-kind CD that pays tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives for the war and current occupation of Iraq.

The CD opens with a piquant prayer (Prayer 1), then is followed by an astonishing piano rendition of the tragedy of 9/11...which happened to be witnessed by the composer. The piece, called "Prelude to September 11" starts out depicting the evening and wee hours of 9/10. As the night wears on, there are glimmerings of Gershwin and the decadence that was all to change in a few horrible hours. Then, as morning arrives, the piano takes on a determined relentlessness that ends in a fiery, explosive conclusion.

After a few moments of silence, comes the banging of the drums of war. "Banging the Drums", a powerful song with the first hints of war, signals the reorientation of America toward revenge, retaliation and war.

"Ululations and Warnings" represents the cries, ululations and warnings that also rally the warring parties.

This is followed by "Iraqalypse", a musical rendition of the march on Baghdad. Bombs and gunshots are heard in the distance...and foreground. And this is followed by "Drums of War" also known as "Mission Accomplished". It is a bombastic piece with orchestra, tympani and other percussives.

"First battle" is the first battle after the mission was accomplished, and the war became an occupation. The composer makes use of the "rock" format to convey the drive and almost rote mechanicality of this first taste of battle. But things get out of hand, and before long things are "Out of Control". Better buckle your seatbelts for this one!

As the storm passes, we hear the chanting of "Jihad". As a student of Indo-European languages, the composer was able to contruct an original language to convey some of the emotional aspects of the Iraqalypse. It is songs like this which have given rise to the notion that the composer and singer is "the male Lisa Gerrard". (I guess someone had to be!) Very strange! Play it sped up and you will laugh your arse off!

"O God!" represents the inner life of the soldiers. Thoughts of home, loved ones, girls...intermingle with the sound of guns and bombs and fear.

"Weenie" is a bit of comic relief featuring a guest singer who wishes to remain anonymous.

"Take THIS out" is the first rap/hiphop song and has some great rhythms and syncopations. A great dance tune!

"Nightmare 9" is the "Revolution #9" of the CD, and represents the dreamlife of the soldiers. Very very strange indeed!

This is followed by "Heaven", "a symphonic soothing". Music is indeed the great healer.

"Desert Nights" or "Desert Knights" is a representation of a battle that shatters the dreams and the peace, fought under the blanket of night.

"Angels in the Machinery". After a brief respite, the battles continue on...

"Admonition": The drowned-out voices of admonition.

"Tolling of the Bells" is a funereal lamentation and tolling of the bells for all those who have fallen. Beginning with piano, it tranforms into harp, strings, choir then the tolling bells.

The CD ends with a reprise of the prayer.

BUY IT NOW!

Israel to change named to Goliathland

Nukes aren't slingshots.

Letterman Classic Latenight: Anne Hathaway, Jim Gaffigan, Dashboard Confessional

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway (actress) (born 1982), American actress
Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare) (1556-1623), wife of the playwright

Hathaway was born in Brooklyn, New York to what she has described as a "solidly upper-class family".[1] Her father, Gerard Hathaway, is a lawyer, and her mother, Kate McCauley, is an actress who inspired Hathaway to follow in her footsteps;[1] her maternal grandfather was Joe McCauley, a Philadelphia radio pioneer. Hathaway, who has Irish ancestry on her father's side, grew up in the Catholic religion with what she describes as "really strong values",[1] and wanted to be a nun during her childhood.[2] She shares her name with Anne Hathaway, the wife of playwright William Shakespeare.
Hathaway grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Millburn High School, and also spent several semesters studying at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, before transferring to New York University.

Methinks Mr. Letterman has a crush on the young princess...

Jim Gaffigan

Gaffigan Quotes:

"I watch a lot of TV, I drink a lot of coffee, but you know what's really addictive? Heroin."
"You ever read a book that changed your life? Me neither."
"My wife's gotten really lazy, or as she calls it, 'pregnant.'"
"It's good to be back in New York. I have lived here ten years. I'm originally from Indiana. I know what most of you are thinking: Indiana: Mafia. But the fact of the matter is where I grew up there was something very similar to the Mafia: 4-H."
"There's a different kind of pride where I'm from. It's not like, 'We're from New York; we're tough,' or, 'We're from Texas; we like things big.' It's more like, 'We're from Indiana and... we're gonna move!'"
"I love how New York is so multicultural. I wish I was ethnic, I'm nothing. Because if you're Hispanic and you get angry, people are like, 'He's got a Latin temper!' If you're a white guy and you get angry, people are like, 'That guy's a jerk.'"
"Actually, the reason I look like this is because my father was from Sweden, and my mother was Elton John. He was a very good mommy!"
"Isn't it strange, when you're single, all you see is couples, and when you're in a couple, all you see is hookers?"
"I was looking at a box of hot pockets and they have a warning on the side. It's like 'Warning! You just bought Hot Pockets! Hope you're drunk or heading home to a trailer! You hillbilly, enjoy the next NASCAR event!'"
"I only dated one Asian girl, but she was very Asian. She was a panda."
"It would have been hard to get Jesus presents back then. 'Cause whatever you got him he'd be like'Oh, pair of socks , thanks. You know I'm dying for your sins right? Yeah, but thanks for the SOCKS. They'll go great with my sandals, what am I , German?'"
"Lean Pockets, I don't even wanna know what's in those. I wonder what the directions are on a box of Lean Pockets: 'Remove from box, place directly in toilet.' Flush Pocket!"
"I'm not a strict vegetarian. I do eat beef and pork. And chicken. But not fish 'cause that's disgusting! How do you know when fish goes bad? It smells like fish either way! 'Hey this smells like a dumpster, lets eat it!'"
"There is the vegetarian Hot Pocket for those of us who don't want to eat meat, but would still like diarrhea."
"What was the idea behind Hot Pockets? Was there a marketing meeting somewhere, 'Hey I got an idea: How about we take a Pop-Tart and fill it with really nasty meat? You could cook it in a sleeve thing, and you could dunk it in the toilet.'"
"My wife always wants me to go to confession - don't get me wrong, it's not as if I don't enjoy lying to a holy man."
"How'd we come up with the robe? Was some guy just like, 'Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't we make a coat out of a towel? You can have a little belt that goes around. You could dunk the belt in the toilet! Have a toilet belt.'"
"Ever eat so much you feel sick? Isn't that the best?"
"I'm blind, bald, and pale. I'm like a gigantic recessive gene."
"Ever go to IHOP? I don't know why they call it IHOP. When I leave there I don't ever feel like hopping. They should call it, 'I barely move.' 'I need a wheelchair.'"
"I have trouble even remembering the prayers...Our Father, Who Art in Heaven without the approved written consent of Major League Baseball."

Bush is Over...(if you want it!)

Huffington Post has a new and useful service.

With one click, you can print out a nice poster based on the words of John Lennon and the deeds of George W.

(Thanks to Rabatuban for the alert.)

Pigboy hates queers

Pigboy

Manly Man for Jaezus, the knucklehead Hagee, is one of the busiest politicians in Jesusland. I frankly think God hates his guts for lying so goddam much.

And who is Pigboy spouting hate about now? The Supreme Court, Democrats and Homosexuals.

I'm sorry but this politician's brain died many years ago, and all he can do is replay the same old tapes.

Why do Christians lie so much? Hell, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus and the other major religious types rarely ever lie. But Christians like on cue, and for the goofiest of reasons.
And do it day in and day out, or at least every Sunday.
I suspect Christians are just as ashamed of me as I am of them. Fact is, the Presbyterian Church I attend is not eaten up with the Mammonism, politics and bigotry...thank God. If you suspect you are being handed a plate of politics disguised as religion, you may want to take a Sabattical and think with your own head for a while. There is a lot of BS out there, mostly on TV and radio. Don't settle for this. Your mind is your own.

When will Christians demand more truth and integrity, and less spouting of the Republican talking points? Granted, when you are getting all that "faith-based initiatives" moolah to spout the points, it must be hard to turn down...that is if you really do serve Mammon...which they do.

Tarheel Tavern 70 is up at My Blue Puzzle Piece

...and it is most excellent indeed! Check her out!

People who think flag-burning is an important issue have low IQs

There is no greater proof of a lack of ideas and vision than bringing up the tired and worn-out antiquated non-idea of banning flag-burning.

Ask these low IQs what they think of map-burning, and you will see their vacuousness race to the surface.

Shun these buffoons.

Net Neutrality discussion this morning

9:00 AM
Net Neutrality discussion.
WFAE - 90.7 FM
Mike Collins Show
Guest: Scott Huffman, President/CEO WebKorner Internet Services

Listen HERE.

You may email your questions to:
charlottetalks@wfae.org

Life: It's quality not quantity

"Who wants to live forever?" - Queen

The British philosopher, Queen, once asked the age old question, "Who wants to live forever?", and the answer, as it turns out, is a fellah from Fuquay-Varina named Larry. But after seeing "An Inconvenient Truth", even Larry is beginning to have his doubts.

It is not good to live forever, and do not attempt to try it at home, especially if you live in a trailer. Hell, look at Aaron Spelling! He has some pretty nice digs, and yet he died. Unless the whole thing was a media stunt cooked up by NASA or PETA in order to bring The Love Boat back. But fact is...the Love Boat IS back, and we are on it. It is the Peace Train we are not on. And this is troubling, at least to Cat Stevens. Dog Stevens, however, is ebullient, but he is one of the famous Dogs of War we read about on the backs of cereal boxes. There are no Dogs of Peace, only Cats of Peace...and they are napping.

So don't go and try to live forever. After a few centuries you will begin to smell.
Instead, be content to live NOW, which is, of course, a show created by Bill Moyers, who knows how to live in the brief time he has been given.

Until the Supreme Court reverses the decision, it is still Quality, not Quantity...so seek quality in the life you have. I have, and can report that I am well on my way to having one hundred dollars. American!

Life is good. Well, at least I can pretend it is. In reality it is no bowl of cherries; no walk in the park. Perhaps realizing this helps us to let go when loved ones do leave us. Until then...

Love everything that breathes.


Back to you, Dan.

John Edwards, "The Real Deal", lays out his vision at National Press Club

My conscience and intuition tells me there are only two people who deserve to be at the top of the Democratic Ticket, and indeed, the United States of America. One of them is Al Gore, the other is John Edwards.

Here is one reason why Senator Edwards should be our leader. He is one of the ones we've been waiting for.

The Deadly Lies of the Bush Administration : The Smoking Guns

Dick Cheney: The Dark Side
"Darkening of the Light"

If you happened to miss this important documentary, there is still a chance.
FRONTLINE can be seen and discussed by following THIS LINK.

Living Systems (Paperback) - Now only 275.00!

Book Description
This book has some of the characteristics of an encyclopedia. It presents and analyzes many diverse facts about cells, organs, organisms, groups, organizations, societies, and supranational systems, but it integrates all this knowledge into a single conceptual system. The book is a presentation of the state of current knowledge in all of the sciences relevant to these seven levels of living systems. It also provides a theoretical integration and a methodological approach to quantitative basic research, and how applied research and development can arise from this.

LINK

"It is one of the most important books of the 20th century and, if attention is paid, will be an important guidebook to the 21st."

On Net Neutrality

Tell Congress to Support the Internet Neutrality Act of 2006

The Next Big Fight Over Media Ownership

Salon.com Exclusive: AT&T may be hiding a second NSA domestic spying operation in St. Louis

NYC

Central Park


2nd Avenue


The Dairy, Central Park


View from the Dairy

What Is Conservatism and What Is Wrong with It?

Q: What is conservatism?
A: Conservatism is the domination of society by an aristocracy.
Q: What is wrong with conservatism?
A: Conservatism is incompatible with democracy, prosperity, and civilization in general. It is a destructive system of inequality and prejudice that is founded on deception and has no place in the modern world.
MORE

New York City

Park Avenue, NYC


Plaza Hotel, From Central Park


"Grow Life"


Anonymoses (detail)

Dick Cheney: The Dark Side : FRONTLINE tonight!

On September 11, 2001, deep inside a White House bunker, Vice President Dick Cheney was ordering U.S. fighter planes to shoot down any commercial airliner still in the air above America. At that moment, CIA Director George Tenet was meeting with his counter-terrorism team in Langley, Virginia. Both leaders acted fast, to prepare their country for a new kind of war. But soon a debate would grow over the goals of the war on terror, and the decision to go to war in Iraq. Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and others saw Iraq as an important part of a broader plan to remake the Middle East and project American power worldwide. Meanwhile Tenet, facing division in his own organization, saw non-state actors such as Al Qaeda as the highest priority. FRONTLINE's investigation of the ensuing conflict includes more than forty interviews, thousands of pages of documentary evidence, and a substantial photographic archive. It is the third documentary about the war on terror from the team that produced Rumsfeld's War and The Torture Question.

Tamara Beckwith








Detail from "Creation" by anonyMoses

POWWOWIRAQSI - War Music in the Age of George the Unready

Click to enlarge

PREMIERE: "Free Speech": Jim Lehrer with Ben Bradlee

Tonight at 10 PM on PBS!

The Death of News - Mark Crispin Miller

In short, our very lives and liberty are at unprecedented risk because our press has long since disappeared into "the media"--a mammoth antidemocratic oligopoly that is far more responsive to its owners, big shareholders and good buddies in the government than it is to the rest of us, the people of this country.

Donations by corporations shift from right to left

What if we only made left turns?

A number of large companies are shifting campaign contributions to Democrats, an indication that business leaders feel the minority party is poised to make gains in the November election today's issue of the WALL STREET JOURNAL reports...

Reynolds Price delights on Terry Gross' Fresh Air

Wonderful interview on Fresh Air with Reynolds Price...
(Another treasure you'll never hear on Rush Limbaugh)

Did Ford Motor Co. (not American voters) Pick Taylor Hicks?

Imagine this scenerio:

Ford Motor Company, a major sponsor of American Idol, "test drives" the American Idol contestants by creating commercials with Taylor, Katharine, Elliott, Chris, Kellie and so on.
(They actually did do this, but whether they were test-driving the candidates is questiionable.)

It comes down to two. Katharine and Taylor. But is Katharine really a Ford kinda person? Not really. She is Prius kinda person. Ford is tough. Not girly. They need Taylor to win, so he can become their new face...which he is indeed becoming.

But the votes are close. Too close. Better pressure the judges to talk down Katharine and talk up Taylor....which the judges actually do. Surely you remember the negative talk toward Katharine in the final days. "It wasn't my favorite."...and so on...

There was a clear bias against Katharine by the judges.

Did Ford have anything to do with this? Did the judges get pressure from Ford to make sure Taylor Hicks won, and thus become the new face of Ford? Were American votes thwarted, influenced, thrown out? (It would be nothing new.)

This is my question.

In those final days of the show, I sensed that there was something untoward going on. I think, frankly, it was one of the sources of anxiety on the part of the judges. At the time, I couldn't figure who may have been the source of bias, but now that the outcome is playing out, and Taylor has become the new face of Ford...the source emerges.

This is just a hunch. I have no proof. But there is plenty of precedent...with Bush 2000, Bush 2004, Salt Lake City Olympics...

I never called in a vote, but it may even be the case that these calls had a cost. Either way, the American People would be quite cross, I think, if it turned out that Ford's vote had more weight than theirs.

Any insider dope on this matter?

What Would The Antichrist Do?

Beatitudes of the Antichrist

Blessed are the arrogant: for theirs is the Kingdom of Selfishness.
Blessed are the strong, for they will dominate the earth.
Blessed are they who cause mourning: for they shall spread discomfort.
Blessed are they who thwart justice: for they shall get away with it.
Blessed are the merciless: for they shall obtain money.
Blessed are the mean: for they shall ignore God.
Blessed are the warmakers: for they shall be called the children of Satan.
Blessed are they that persecute for injustice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Hell.

What would the Antichrist do?
He would start wars, kill people, be haughty and arrogant, ignore the poor, send the poor and downtrodden off to die in his war for Mammon and self-aggrandizement.
He would lie, cheat and steal to get his way.
He would pollute and denigrate the environment, and the people who depend on it.
He would bury the truth, and spin, spin, spin.
He would not walk among but poor, but rather wall himself away from them.

Washington is full of candidates for the position of Antichrist-in-Chief,
and many are willing lackeys for sub-positions.

Too bad God is dead, because he or she would have had a field day throwing these mousy little antichrists out on their ass.

And yet there they sit. Asses as wide as Texas.

Don't bring our killing machines home

Maybe the Republicans are on to something...
Maybe we SHOULD leave our killing machines...over there!
The homeland is violent enough, and growing more violent.
Do we need more killing machines?

Make them stay in Iraq. Forever!
Hell, they volunteered!
Send ALL warmongers there too.
Maybe then America will witness peace.

Don't bring our killing machines home.
We have enough already.

Now you claim I am using reverse psychology?
Does it make you uncomfortable
to hit you from the Right?
When you are the one who really wants them gone...

Bring our children home.
We have broken them enough already.
And they grow tired of being pawns.

A few thoughts on gifts, the gifted, gift-economies, and the psychosociopathology of gifting

A few thoughts on gifts, the gifted, gift-economies, and the psychosociopathology of gifting

Gifts is ossum. I like 'em. Everyone likes gifts. Even the Eskimos.
Why not give them. Like head. Like Hell. La quelle.
Give me some gifts.
Make them expensive.
Maybe then I will put out.

The Light.
The Light is a gift.
No dog is a gift. Dogs are curses.
I yelled at one today.

Artists are gifted. Well some.
This poetry is hard.
Like the presidency.
Something about words.
Knowing them. Not knowing them.
Language is a virus.
The oncology of invisible touch.

It has been said:
"Give a man a gift and he will love you
two and he will like you
three and he will resent you
and four he will wish you dead
for not giving enough."

Things, things and more things.
The accumulation of things.
A multiplicity of It.

What is important is what is between.
Relationships.
Me and you.
I and Thou.
Not the one. Not the other.
The AND. The Gift.
The breath flowing in and out.
We are breathed.

Philosophy takes two.

There is no I without You or It.
And that I changes along with the Other.
The I-You more full than the I-It.
Relationship versus Experience.
Intimacy versus Isolation.
The I alone but Ego's delusion.
Maya, Samara, Hootenzee Schnooten...

Therefore consider outside yourself only,
and always put your neighbor's welfare
above your own.

Everything we've ever learned
is wrong.
To stay the course would be disastrous.

Time to start all over.
Rejecting the humbug. Inventing afresh.
Sorry.

Religions are superstitions, and economies
Pyramid schemes.

The hole you are digging is your grave.
And a sucker is born every second.

I've an eight-track mind.
And philosophy takes five.

Bindlestiff Cirkus comes to Charlotte, Sunday, June 25th

Fellow bloggers. Put this on your calendar!
I'll let my friend Darryl describe what is coming...

I am putting together a group to go see the Bindlestiff Cirkus
(www.bindlestiff.org) at the Visulite Theater in
Elizabeth (www.visulite.com). Keith Nelson, the
“father” of Bindlestiff, and I went to high school together. He has been
doing this show up in Manhattan for a number of years and is taking it on the
road this summer. I’ve never seen the show, but it has received some great
coverage (http://www.bindlestiff.org/press.html ).

Sunday, June 25th is the date. Doors open at 8pm, show
is at 9pm. The show is rated 18+, so its adult night.

** Please talk to or email your friends and see if anyone else
is interested in attending. **

I am buying tickets for Kris and me today. Please go
ahead and purchase your tickets through Visulite if you are interested. If
you like, email us back that you have purchased your tickets and we will see if
there is any interest in coordinating some type of pre-show food &
drinks.

Charlie Rose is back!

The Edward R. Murrow of Today has returned to his show tonight, and I cannot be happier. His guests include Bill Moyers, Tom Friedman and producer, Yvette Vega. Check it out! He looks great. Better than ever, actually!

Long live this fellow son of Henderson and North Carolina!

News & Views

Alberto Now Predicted To Become Hurricane

Track Map

NYT columnist: Kerry 'almost certainly' won Ohio in '04

Seniors 'flexing' muscle online

David Beckham family lampooned by German tabloid

Rob Reiner Says His Political Death Greatly Exaggerated

HILLARY SECOND PLACE IN DES MOINES POLL BEHIND JOHN EDWARDS

NYT MONDAY: Coulter 'is one of the leading political writers of our age...thus proving the lowering of standards of Bush's America

Da Vinci is Bigger than Jesus

DAILYKOS CONVENTIONEERS WEAR TINFOIL HATS WHILE RIGHTWING BLOGGERS WEAR HOODWINKS

NOVAK: Bloomberg for President?

There have been 41 suicide attempts in American Concentration Camp

Is Condoleeza Bush's Monica?

Rumors abound regarding a tryst between George W. Bush and Condoleeza Rice, and the story has actually made its way into the traditional press, but the death of Zarqawi sucked all the oxygen out of it. Coincidence? Diversion?

The storyline goes something like this:

Laura Bush, upon finding out that George had an affair with Ms. Rice, got miffed and checked herself into the Mayflower Hotel.

Here are some of the headlines from the blogosphere:

Crazy Talk We Can’t Ignore: The Bush-Condi Rumors - Wonkette
Informed sources Inside the Beltway report that First Lady Laura Bush has established temporary residence in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington,
The Love That Dare Not Speak It's Name
by Schlomo
According to sources, and this is strictly a rumor, George W. Bush has been tapping Condie Rice and Laura has left the building and is staying at the Mayflower Hotel in DC OMIGOD! PAYDIRT!
Rocky shoals for Bush marriage?
by Lord Cerne Abbas
Lady Laura Bush has established temporary residence in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC as a result of a tiff with President Bush over an extramarital ... Mr. Bush's tryst is said to involve Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Devil With a Blue Dress
by urizon
WMR can report that a Mayflower Hotel staffer has confirmed that First Lady Laura Bush spent at least one night this past week at the hotel, ... As far as the affair is concerned, Rice herself offered some confirmation .
Laura Catches George With Condi - Moves To Hotel?
by Milton Mr. Bush's tryst is said to involve Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It is not known how long Mrs. Bush plans to remain at the Mayflower, however, her security detail has been present at the hotel during hours when the First Lady
Mayflower Hotel Staffer Confirms Laura Bush Stay
The Wayne Madsen Report investigates further into the alleged affair between ... Bush over his on-going affair with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. ... loyal to Bush since she signed on as his chief foreign policy adviser in 2000.
State Department Source Confirms Bush-Rice “Relationship”
by Michael Paladin Mayflower Hotel sources in Washington, DC have gone from “neither confirm nor deny” the presence of Laura Bush there last week to conceding that if she stayed there “she would have been registered under a different name.
George W. Bush and His Secretary of State...an Office Romance?
by Newsguy In case you hadn't caught up on this story, Wayne Madsen reports online that Laura moved out of the White House for at least one night, and into the Mayflower Hotel, after confronting Dubya about his ongoing affair with Condi Rice.

The 68th Edition of the Tar Heel Tavern is up!

...and Ron did a stunning job.

Don't miss the beautiful shots of the earth, submitted by the great Ogre.

Longing, Belonging & Shortening

Tarheel Tavern - Ron Hudson Edition

'Belonging'
When have people made you feel loved unconditionally, a part of the crowd, one of the crew, a family member and so on and when have they not. Isn't belonging what we all seek on so many levels? Perhaps if we all felt more like we belonged, we wouldn't need so many divisions in this world right now. Idealistic of me? Yes, but we have to strive for better or life won't be much to brag about, eh? If anyone just wants to submit out of theme, though, let them come. I am an all-inclusive, equal-opportunity provider!..."
- Ron Hudson

Leave it to my dear blogpal, Ron, to come up with a most timely and important subject...belonging. And leave it to me to start deconstructing the word...

LONGING
I remember taking a literature class under Arthur Holmberg called "Intimacy and Isolation", which looked at the myriad ways in which these opposing themes played out in literature since the time of the Sumerians...who portrayed in their poetry a natural sense of love, in poems such as "My Honey Man", wherein the details of their love, as expressed toward their beloved, was redolent with terms such as honey, nectar, flower and the like.

But words of longing were not present, at least until the Egyptians began to express it in their poetry. As civilizations and cultures arose, each bore a distinctive stamp, and some added to the evolution of love, for lack of better words. Courtly Love, for example, didn't come until much later, and Courtney Love much later still, with the invention of the "Hole".

Do I hear thunder? Am I going to have to disconnect?

BELONGING
My own dear folks are chiefly responsible for inculcating in me a sense of helping others feel they belong, and in the process, I rarely felt that I didn't belong, even while sporting the most ostracisable sartorial contraptions. I feel as if I have had implanted within me an organ of perception, laced with empathy, such that another's discomfort is my discomfort. And when I see other's bearing the brunt and bruises of insensitive others, my Davidic nature, no fan of the Overdog, bites at my ear, a myktysen of conscience, blood and deed flowing to where the need.

My first other-worldly friend was probably Manuel, who had moved to Charlotte from Nantucket when I was in the sixth grade. He and I gravitated to one another, as we saw each other as sufficiently strange and knowledgeable. The word, "yankee" never issued from my folks mouths, and the same acceptance was shown when I brought home Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, African-American, gay, atheistic, or any other persuasion -- except those of similar background who nevertheless seemed to be up to no good. In retrospect, I appreciate their good judgement.

I have found bloggers, in general, to share this quality of acceptance and belongingness.

When I think back on times and places where I was made to feel I didn't belong, in most instances, I am glad I was forewarned.


SHORTENING
Shortening is a type of grease you use in cooking. It is also what happens to your original post when thunderstorms cause you to have to unplug your computer and wait for the turbulence to clear.

Zarqawi's Last Words

Before taking two bombs and going to sleep, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi spoke the following words:

Ibm aq abu musta jahisc moblab suwami qal sniti, barumbi tanaji ikn kinh zaflamid ouches
boumboum carash yawi zawi pudinanpawi, haoduz yir gahdin growe.
Gitt thufuk oudam ifaz, lim ba pygboi sukon midik u peesa shite.

Translation:
Laying here looking at the ceiling, someone lays a sheet across my chest
Something warm is flowing down my fingers, pain is flowing all through my back.
Life is flowing out my body, pain is flowing out with my blood
The sheets are red and moist where I am lying, God in heaven teach me how to die


Moments after having breathed his last, a crowd of exuberant Iraqis gathered in the streets and began to chant:

"Abu Musab al-Zarqawi"
(to the tune of "My Favorite Things")

Bombdrops on Moses and whisky and kittens,
bright copper cattle and war's wooden shippins,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Cream-coated yonies and crisp penile strudels,
Gore bails and slay hells and schnitzels on poodles.
Bombers that fly with "Rev. Moon" on their wings.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin burkas
snowflakes that stay in my nose and mind circus,
silver white weapons that melt anything,
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

When the Bush bites, when Cheney stings,
when I'm feeling bad,
I simply remember Musab Zarqawi,
and then I don't feel so mad.

Bombdrops on Moses who whispers to kittens,
bright copper cattle and war's wooden shippins,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

All this while doing their latest dance craze, "The Twist".

Help welcome Coturnix at his new blog, "A blog around the clock"

It may be easier, at this hour anyway, to simply repost Bora's message...

So, the day has finally arrived - my Big Move to SEED scienceblogs. Go check out the brand new front page and all the old and new bloggers there. With 24 great new bloggers (including Carl Zimmer, Matt Nesbit, Effect Measure and Mike The Mad Biologist) joining PZ Myers, Chris Mooney and the rest of the gang, this will be The Big Hub of Science blogging in the nearest future. Thus, tomorrow (Friday) at noon, when the new site launches, will be a big event in blogging history.

My new blog, a fusion of all three of my blogs, will be a new brand, with a new name - A Blog Around The Clock, reflecting my age and musical taste, my usual blogging frequency and the area of my scienific expertise, all in one title.The Banner was designed by Carel Pieter Brest Van Kempen who also runs a delightful science/art blog Rigor Vitae (http://rigorvitae.blogspot.com).

The new URL is: http://scienceblogs.com/clock/, the new Atom feed is: http://scienceblogs.com/clock/atom.xml, and the new RSS feed is: http://scienceblogs.com/clock/index.xml.

Please change your bookmarks, blogrolls and newsfeeds to reflect this move. It would be really nice if you could ask your readers to do the same, as well as point them to the scienceblogs.com new front page. Just try to do it at noon if possible.

Morningwood, Nouvelle Vague, Tatu, Pussycat Dolls

Morningwood blog
Amersterdam concert video
Nouvelle Vague
Nouvelle Vague - Blue Monday video

Tatu
Pussycat Dolls

Galbraith remembered as giant

After the service for John Kenneth Galbraith, Kitty Galbraith exits with the Rev. Professor Peter Gomes.
(Staff photo Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard News Office)


People came from near and far to Harvard May 31 to pay tribute to a man who was probably the most famous as well as the tallest economist of the second half of the 20th century, John Kenneth Galbraith, who died April 29 at the age of 97.

Harvard Commencement Webcasts

Please note that these videos will not be active until the time of the event. If you are unable to tune in, you can find the archived videos online at the Harvard Commencement Web no later than June 9.

Class Day: Wednesday, June 7, 2-4 pm EST
Speaker: Comedian Seth MacFarlane

Commencement Morning Exercises: Thursday, June 8, 9-11:30 am EST

Commencement Afternoon Exercises: Thursday, June 8, 1:45-4:15 pm EST
Speaker: Commencement address by President Lawrence Summers, followed by Jim Lehrer, noted news anchor and novelist

Al Gore on Jay Leno TONIGHT!

AND

North Carolina's Ryan Adams and Tift Merritt on Austin City Limits.

Decisions, decisions...

"The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit" by Lois Beckwith

"The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit"

Happy 2nd Anniversary Scrutiny Hooligans!

Scrutiny Hooligans turned 2 yesterday, and I somehow missed it. So here I am, a day late and a dollar short, with my wish that their next two years are as fruitful and wondrous as the last two. They are one of the wonders of the blogworld, and I, for one, am proud to call them my footmen...which is Tocharian B for "friends". (See: futmin)

I raise a glass!

-Dave

CD WATCH: Drive-by Media (in concert) "Why Rush Sucks"

In order to promote local talent, we at Anonymoses Bloggerifics Corporation will be highlighting some, but not all, although surely more than one, of the the great bands in the area. Yesterday, we through the spotlight on The Activist Judges. Today we are highlighting Drive-by Media and their new CD, "Why Rush Sucks", and are waiting for the art for The Trial Lawyers.

"Why Rush Sucks" features the songs:
- Lying For Dollars
- It's the Dope Speaking
- I can hear but I still can't listen
- I'm glad I'm not black
- Yourn Kampf
- I'm your Fat Fuhrer
- I just like the shape of cigars
- Keeping the Rabble Ignorant
- Sure I'm a dropout, isn't Chomsky?
- Arrogance Squared

The Band Bush Loves to Hate: The Activist Judges

"Marriage is the most fundamental institution of civilization, and it should not be redefined by (The) Activist Judges."
- George W. Bush (hominid)

The Activist Judges are an eclectic band of musicians from The American Street.

ALSO:
Stephen Colbert's 2006 Commencement Address at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois

G.O.P.: Always the Last to Know

College Republicans still blind to Global Warming

Mickey Rourke Pledges support for Bush

Tarheel Tavern: Anniversaries, Marriage and Acts of Love

"Morning" by Anonymoses Hyperlincoln

I love anniversaries. Eat them for breakfast. Probably why I'm so skinny.
And the skinny on recent anniversaries is that The Cheap Seats Is One Year Old!
AND BlogAsheville is also One Year Old. Let me explain the seeming impossibility.
After this picture.



AshVegas
Brainshrub
THe Hangover Journals
Modern Peasant
Syntax of Things
Edgy Mama
Bird on the Moon

Blogger time is different from normal time. The year may, for example, have seemed like 10 years, say, or two weeks. Blogs bend time, but in different, and often opposing, ways. It is what is called "unintelligent design", or more correctly, "intuitive design". This is not to be confused with "Body by Fisher", which refers to the Fisher King himself, Bobby Fisher. Or was it Jesus?
One of those guys. Maybe. You're the car person.

At any rate, it is important that we celebrate these anniversaries, as it marks us as cultured beings, with cultured pearls of wisdom and other goofiness.

Everyone who's coming can contact Egdy Mama for directions.
Bring your family and fans if you like. If everyone could choose an unmet
blogger from the blogroll and contact them about the
extravablogiversapaloozathon, that'd be great. There are too many of you who
haven't come out of the cybershadows into our BlogAsheville extravirtual
gatherings, and I'm as curious as can be.
Date: Saturday, June 17

Time: 6:30 ish until the beer runs out, or someone starts dancing nekkid
in the treehouse, whichever comes first

Place: Pnavistan, home of just a
few high-minded North Asheville liberals and two cats (if you've never been
here, e-mail me for directions at janusatannefittenglenndotcom)

Who's invited: You. BA bloggers, Asheville bloggers, NC bloggers, their family
members, blogger groupies, male strippers.

Dress: The less, the better.

Bring: Food to share. Alcohol, if you don't want beer. Prizes (wrapped).
A sleeping bag if you plan on being overserved.

The Extravablogiversapaloozathon is a chance to celebrate our achievements, our
friendships, our creativity, and our future. I can't wait to see everybody
there.

Well, I, for one, will be there. And I want to nudge other Taverners to try and make it as well. We could, alas, prove, once and for all, to the aching world, that we are, indeed, the Andy Gryphons we've been waiting for. And toward that end, let me now readjust your screen, and bifocals, back onto Justin Thibault's bloggerly year in the Cheap Seats.

Lots of fun things here too. For example, Justin proffers:

So, since I'm having the birthday party at the Tavern - I
figured it would be fun to play a little game. In the archives for the following
months, I used (or modified) a popular song title. See if you can't find one or
two. Use the comments section with your answer.
July 2005
August 2005
October 2005
March 2006
May 2006

There are a lot of cool stats he has compiled regarding his year of blogging dangerously. But what I found particularly pregnant was this:

A lot of you may not know it; but this area has many
bloggers...even though most of them are in Charlotte, Asheville, and up in the
Triangle. They've set the standard for me in terms of design and content. I
can't say that I meet the highest standard in any area - but I imagine I'm
somewhere within a few standard deviations of the top of the bell curve. I check
out the Tavern most times it comes out and, agree or disagree with the authors,
you can tell that we have people who are passionate about their community and
our democracy. So, I just wanted to thank y'all for everything that you do and
your example has helped me this first year.

"Night" by Anonymoses Hyperlincoln

"All men are my brothers, and all women my lovers and sisters."
- Gandhi

Maybe the Mahatma didn't have a father and mother, I don't know. But, in general, I'd have to agree with his sentiment. In fact, that's one reason why I enjoy the Tarheel Tavern. Even with disparate notions about what may, or may not, be true and good, we still seem to respect each other enough to realize that we are all at different stages of development, and that there is probably not one of us who has a monopoly on the truth.

Take, for example, the "God's Patriotic American Family Marriage Amendment" that is, for some odd reason, impeding Washington from thinking about more important matters. Is there a pandemic of Gay Marriages? And if there is...so what? We still haven't caught Osama. We are in a downward spiral with respect to the environment. We are paying out the ass for gasoline while greedy CEOs sneer their way to the bank. Soldiers are being slaughtered, and some appear to be slaughtering others. They are not sufficiently protected, and they are in an unnecessary war, with only a bad end in sight.



We should not let politicians get away with diverting our attention from truly pressing matters...especially if it involves writing bigotry into the constitution. Our politicians are doing what Osama could never do: Disenfranchising millions of Americans.

Ron Hudson is urging every caring soul to say no to the bigotry, distraction and wrongheadedness, which Jude Nagurney-Camwell calls "An Unwise Use of the U.S. Constitution", in a recent BlogCritics column.

Discrimination and injustice should never be the result of a
proposal for any amendment to our U.S. Constitution. It's not a play-document to
be used by political panderers at will. It is sacred to the heart of American
freedom, justice, and democracy.

I'm old enough to remember when a majority of whites would ban so-called "miscegenation" or interracial marriage. The daftness, I suppose wasn't immediately apparent to some, I suppose. But people still have blind-spots, and many will not stand for it being pointed out. But the math is simple:

The amendment does not spread freedom.
If anything, it takes it away.
And I thought we were about spreading freedom...

As Ron says:

It took the US Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation,
several Amendments to the Constitution and the Civil Rights legislation of the
1960s to overwrite the bigotry of our founding fathers who saw African American
slaves as only three-fifths human. It has been in my lifetime that the majority
has continued to support laws that denied multi-racial marriages. Luckily, these
laws have come off the books and are viewed as archaic.

Cheryl at the Last Nerve... chimes in:

This whole gay marriage debacle is a waste of time and taxpayer money. If two men or women or two of anything in this world can stand each other's morning breath enough to want to
smell it every morning, let 'em have each other!

Over at Sarx, Raphael adds:

ONCE AGAIN, the left and the right of my social circle are
saying the same thing. No messing with the
Constitution over marriage. It's not the area of the feds. Period.

And yet, as Pam at Pam's House Blend warns, the anti-gay Article 8 Alliance, and other clots of atavism, other "Bizarre Bay State homobigots " seem hellbent on seeing it otherwise.

But you know what? I think I heard our President make a genuine Freudian Slip during one of his addresses. Maybe it was a Jungian petticoat. Will consult the scientists at Liberty University. They have double-digit IQs!

Are we offended yet? Do we take issue with someone regarding mediocrity as mediocre? Never. Not us. We are beyond all that. We all have, yes, triple-digit IQs. I checked.

Anyway...Bush talked about "spreading feareedom". A new word, I suspect. A combination of Fear and Freedom. Spreadable, like mayonnaise. Only with bigger, sharper knives. And sure enough, The Age of Exuberance has devolved into The Age of Fear. As it turns out, where there is no evolution...there is devolution. Devolution. Devil+Pollution. Note. Change to Devilution.
Have Cal slip it into American Heritage.


"Evening" by Anonymoses Hyperlincoln

The Coturnixes Do New York
A. Fear of Flying
B. Bryant Park
C. SEED

There is so much I can relate to in this adventurous trio. Post 9/11 fear of flying, the vicissitudes of New York airports, Bryant Park, the importance of bloggers, enjoyment of family and travel...
and his aside on Tesla is most interesting. I wonder if he knows how much he resembles the genius of a different age?

It is clear from reading The Travels of Coturnix that here is a man very much in love with his family and friends. This is also clear in reading Erin's heart-warming account of the Charlotte Metro Heart Walk 2006 in which she is participating a raising funds. Please contribute what you can...and read about the reasons she is offering her time and services.

In fact, if any American Idols are out there...you too can pony up to the bar. Kellie Pickler? Bucky Covington? Chris Daughtry? You out there?
I've heard that at least one of you made a recent visit, and that you were actually a pretty nice guy. And that ZhaK had pictures to prove it! Zhak does offer up A Fine Dish!

But apparently he is not the only one in the fine dish department.

Look what washed up in Charleston!
And this.
And this!

But there are different kinds of dishes, as Nicomachus knows only too well.
Here is a dish called Daryl.

And a future dish or two from another Darryl. This one with two "r's".

And if I wasn't hungry enough, Billy the Blogging Poet has to come along and pen a tour de force on what else? Food!
Fast Crimes In Fast Food

Scrutiny Hooligans wants to know why Rep. Taylor can't see the forest for the fees.
Maybe he needs a little nudging...

The Bull City Bully Pulpit share an act of love for his hometown, Durham. The diamond in the rough of the Triangle is actually the jewel in the crown. Any dissenting views?
I, for one, like Durham...and have recently found myself researching its English namesake...as well as the English Chapel Hill -- a much smaller place.

Lots going on in Caroline this weekend.
But she doesn't mind. She's a taverner at heart.
Just like John. The composer. The whale.

Or was that Hovhaness?

I'm hosting Tarheel Tavern this weekend. Come on over!

The Tar Heel Tavern will see yours truly gathering souls, slinging drinks.

I also have to work this weekend, and will have constraints on my time, so if there is anything in particular you'd like to contribute, please get it to me by tomorrow night at midnight. You can put it in this comment section if you want. Otherwise, I will peruse Carolina blogs, and seek out interesting posts.

For a theme...how about Visions of the Future. They can be utopian or dystopian, warm and fuzzy or dark and dire.

Have fun...and bring your thirst!

Al Gore on Terry Gross (NPR) now

Osama or Jesus?

Who is this?

See where Iddybud saw this mystery man.

Does your life grow corn?

We are the ones we've been waiting for.

Message from the Hopi Elders
Cherokee elder Will Rockingbear visited a group of people at Whistling Women in Winston-Salem, N.C. in May, 2002. At that meeting, Robin Lynne handed us the following urgent message, which she said had come from the Hopi elders.

All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

MORE

(thanks to Patty Ann Smith)

Will Andrea Bocelli and Katharine McPhee tour together?

Andrea Bocelli/Katharine McPhee

From Las Vegas Review Journal:
Meantime, my spy says Andrea Bocelli was so smitten with runner-up Katharine McPhee's voice that he's made it known he wants to take her on his upcoming tour, if the "Idol" producers OK it.

I feel partly responsible for this development, since I suggested she sing with Andrea even before Andrea appeared on American Idol, following in the footsteps of the great Sarah Brightman, rather than the lesser singers who occupied most of the other American Idol contestants. And let it be known that I, for one, think that this would be a tremendous opportunity for Ms. McPhee. And while we all love Taylor Hicks, bless his heart, he could never do the same sort of gig with Sarah Brightman. In other words, America has, once again, allowed personality to trump talent...and instead of an Olympian, we have a swaggering, though goodly-hearted Southern white guy in the top slot. Thank God it doesn't mean anything! If only we could have Taylor and Dubya change places! So much nicer to have a Rhett Butler than a Dukey Hazard, I should think. And do you really think George Junior could or would ever sing "Do I make you proud?" to his own father, whose advice he has ignored to the nation's peril?

Elect Taylor Hicks! Send Kath off with Andrea!

And keep Michael Sandecki away from Clay Aiken. Clay is a Carolinian, like Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler and Buckminster Covington III. Not just some talentless schlump.

Where are your manners?

It's a whole new world! Get on with it!

The Healing Grass: Marijuana Found to Prevent Cancer

"The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer."
"We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use," he said. "What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect."
"...marijuana also contains the chemical THC, which he said may kill aging cells and keep them from becoming cancerous."


I guess the message is:
If you smoke...smoke!

Bush & The Republicans: Americans don't trust them

According to Zogby:
Only 3 percent believe Congress is trustworthy; 7 percent think business leaders are; 24 percent say President George W. Bush can be trusted; and 29 percent trust the courts. Three out of four respondents said they trust politicians less than they did five years ago.

OAB Headline Animator

Final American Idol Assessment, May 23, 2006

At round two, it is a tie, slightly favoring Katharine though, as I think people sense that his range is nowhere near that of Katharine's. Twice, Katharine has gone against my prescription, but alas, her performance on "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was so stunningly beautiful, it worked as a "Soft Goodbye", as I had suggested.
Taylor was awfully good on his first song. He really knows how to work a crowd.

Sad to see that Kat did yet another repeat song. While she looked great, her voice was a little worn. She could have chosen an amazing new song, and knocked it out of the park. She didn't. But as Simon generously suggested...remember her second song.

Indeed, I will. It was my first favorite song, and I am delighted that she sang it twice, and beautifully. It was certainly the high point of the entire competition.

For his third song, Taylor did a repeat performance of "Do I make you proud". Very moving. Probably will serve him well.

Katharine could have pulled out the stops and won the competition. Instead, Taylor pulled out the stops, somewhat, and will probably win the competition. In retrospect, I am glad these two made it to the top. They are both the entire package. Stars. And the world will be better for having promoted them.

Looking back over the months, the two songs that were the most beautiful were both performed by Kat. "Rainbow" and "Who wants to live forever?". And as far as looks go...I wonder if anyone in Hollywood has seem Kat's resemblance to the original "It-girl", Clara Bow. Imagine, Hollywood! Clara Bow with a voice! Right in your own backyard!


Clara Bow in your backyard. The Original Kat.

Network of Spiritual Progressives Meet in D.C.

Ray McGovern holds an umbrella for Colleen Ashworth, while I hold an umbrella for him.

The Network of Spiritual Progressives held Washington hostile last week, and began charting a new course for America. Speakers ranged from rabbis, sheikhs, pastors, Buddhists, Sufis, and people from all over the spiritual spectrum. Being there, I was reminded of what the great Sufi leader, Idries Shah once said about the phenomenon and metaphor of mistletoe...

Mistletoe is green year-round, even while the trees wherein it resides has lost its sap. Mistletoe feeds off the tops branches of all the great traditions, and thus stays alive and green. The Network of Spiritual Progressives also feed off the top branches of all the great traditions, and as such will grow and remain green...even while the individual traditions lose much of their sap or life...perhaps too focused on the roots instead of what is highest...


Spiritual Progressives dancing in Lafayette Park

Dancing is not just permitted...it is encouraged by Spiritual Progressives. Indeed...David danced before the Lord with all his might. Why shouldn't we?


Rabbi Michael Lerner talks to Peter Gabel, President of New College

Michael and Peter are two of the leading lights of both Tikkun and the Network of Spiritual Progressives...and I personally would like to thank them again for their Herculean efforts, as well as the wondrous outcomes.


Jim Wallis speaking at All Souls Unitarian Church

The Reverend Wallis was among the highlights of the week. He is perhaps the leading voice in the Evangelical tradition to have seen the light, and is now carving a new path.


Cindy Sheehan shares her sentiments, which were also shared by the crowd

While hanging out with Cindy Sheehan, Ray McGovern, and other voices of hope and dissent, it was easy to feel like their bodyguards...knowing how passionate some people are against them. These are good people whose voices need to be heard. They are well worth defending. Strange that some would have the mother of a slain soldier silenced.

Photos by Jude Nagurney-Camwell

Advice for Katharine McPhee on her final performances

I like both of the finalists, and regard this year's finalists as among the best so far. I do, however, think that Katharine is the superior musician, and as such, am favoring her.

Taylor, for his part, is an adept entertainer and soulful singer. When it comes down to abilities, though, I honestly think Katharine could perform songs that Taylor simply could not do. And if she did at least one or two songs that fly clearly over the head of Taylor, Taylor may well defer to Katharine, and subtly signal his own preference for her. I think he is gentleman enough to do that.

The key to Katharine's victory may well be found in the short snippet of her singing duet, in Italian, with Andrea Bocelli. Here, she was clearly superior to everyone else on the show. Sadly, they only showed a few seconds of it.

What if Katharine sang Bocelli's "Con te Partiro" (Time to Say Goodbye) a la Sarah Brightman? That would certainly qualify as "pulling out the stops" -- which she needs to do to win. Taylor probably could not do that song.

Or what if Katharine sang Brubeck's "Blue Rondo a la Turk" a la Al Jarreau? Or Gorecki's Third a la Dawn Upshaw? Or any Lisa Gerrard?

Maybe she should bring the house to tears with "Soft Goodbye" from the "Celtic Woman" concert.

Any of these would put her over the top.

As far as non-verbal communication...she needs to focus more on her sexiness, and forget that her grandfather is watching. It makes one clam up.

At first, I thought it would come down to Kellie Pickler and Katharine, then later, Chris and Katharine. Now I'm going to stick with Katharine...and hope that, if she wins, she will bring a wider variety of music to her fans. Imagine your young daughter singing songs in many tongues! This would be a good thing. Kath brings much to the table. I hope she shows her full abilities...and shares them.

Best of luck to Kath and Taylor!

Bloodline of The DaVinci Code

"I ache in the places I used to play." - Leonard Cohen


Dan Brown gets it wrong. Sophie is not the only living descendant of Jesus and Mary the Magdalene; Maudlin Mary; Madeleine; Mary of Magdala. These folks are more wily than Brown or Ron Howard portray. Audrey Toutou was excellently casted though.

It's nice to live at a time where one can say such things and not be locked up or worse. Sadly though, there will be people who will manifest their inner Silas, and take their protest beyond the verbal plane, where more polite people work out differences. Some may be Catholic, but I suspect more will come from the wacky wing of Protestantism. Probably not Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Unitarians, Lutherans and the more cerebral cults.

It's nice to live at a time where one can call these venerable institutions "cults", without fear of beheading, or being marched into the town square in your underwear.

But about the movie...

The book and the movie touch upon matters that are far deeper than can be conveyed in such a short form. I was have wished that Brown would have used Laurence Gardner's "Bloodline of the Holy Grail", which is rich in genealogies, and casts a far wider and deeper net than "Holy Blood, Holy Grail".

I would rather have seen the evolution of the bloodline as it passes through the fascinating lines throughout history. Alas, harder the do product placement. Must keep it present.

But the movie actually does provide flashes back the Crusades, Templars, the early days of the Priory of Sion, and such, and yet, genealogically, there are only about three points of focus: Jesus (then), Sophie (now), and Isaac Newton (in between). And yet Isaac is not shown to be in the line, but rather in the line of protectors of the line; the Rose Line. Roslyn. As head of the Priory of Sion...it was his job.

Regardless of what one thinks of the subject of the movie, one will come away from the experience with some great scenes from Paris, The Louvre, Roslyn Chapel and other intriguing places on the globe. One also gets to look at the lovely new Audrey, whom some will hate just because she is French, and will doubly hate because a French person is depicted as being related to Jesus. There is a roving bigotry in America that lights upon, or rather darkens, in strangely expedient ways. Another story.

For Christianity to keep from devolving into mere Churchianity, it needs to seek out and not shy away from more and more information, knowledge, wisdom. And should it be found that whoops! Jesus had kids, and some are among us today...I should think that their thoughts on the matter might be of at least a passing interest. I think it makes the story more human, and thus easier to relate to. I guess the notion that a hominid could evolve into a more divine being, since it involves evolution, is, anathema.

Were the Essenes descendants of Jesus? Was King Arthur? Robert the Bruce? Seems to me that one would wish that there were indeed descendants, as it could only enrich the world. As such, I see the movie as ultimately hopeful.



in progress...

Al Gore on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in Landslide Performance

The great Al Gore was on SNL playing the President, and you know what? He could just show this to everyone, and be shoehorned into the presidency in a landslide.

Bravo!

But Al...you should have chosen John Edwards!!!

Still time!