Does anyone else...

...think that this might be symbolic of his term and campaign?

Cloe! Say it aint so...

Ahhhh! Here's a photo Dceiver didn't show you. Mary Lynn Rajskub getting the "lip action" from none other than America's Deafist Drug Addict...Rush Limbaugh. Rumors abound that the two are "dating." Just another Right Wing fantasy from Joel Surnow.

Just to set Dceiver's mind at ease, I tend to think she was bitten on the lip by Chertoff and Rush is sucking out the poison.

Militant Thoughts

So it seems General Casey and the Senate Democrats have the same idea about how to proceed in Iraq. But this isn't how it's going to play out is it? If this were a perfect world wouldn’t all 44 have supported the "redeployment" instead of 13? Then couldn't that have been the basis for a "Senate Republicans are not just out of step with the American people, but playing politics with military lives," campaign? I tend to think so.

Some think that campaigns should be about ideas, good; this would make it clear that the Democrats have ideas - in fact the same ideas as the military that we are suppose to know nothing about. Has anyone else noticed that the only vets in congress are Democrats? So when do the Republicans loose the right to be the military party? I say now.

I have some experience with the military - not service, but I work with them in my day job. It seems that in the officer class the loyalty stems from two places. 1) Democrats sent them to Vietnam, and they will never forgive them for that - to this I can only hope that the next generation feels the same about the Republicans and Iraq, whether it is short sighted or not, I can understand that kind of thinking. 2) Money. Republicans never met a defense spending bill they didn't like. They will try and cut all social services and instead of reducing the deficit with that they will just send that money to the military. The military has a lot of very worth while programs and justified expenses, however I can witness that the throw money away too, but the millions on stupid little stuff. Given what they pay their enlisted personnel they should be wrapped on the knuckles with a 5 billion $ reinforced ruler. But they believe that it is necessary to defend America and I don't know if their opinions can be altered or changed.

The enlisted are a different story. Their's is a values based loyalty. The same values that the Republicans have been exploiting since 1994. I believe that these beliefs combined with a freeze in R and D spending but a pay raise for the enlisted corps could change minds. This might be seen as bribery, but these soldiers make less than all of us. Some of them are on food stamps, they are suffering (and that includes their families) as much or more than the rest of the country financially.

There is more to "supporting the troops" than buying big weapon systems and blindly backing the decisions of there commander and chief. Frankly, they didn't make the decision, so any critics of any war must be leveled at those who decided that it was necessary, not those who's duty is to execute it. And if the Old Left has a problem with that, they can bite me.

On a lighter note, I got a recording of the Webster Hall Gomez show and it's excellent (lucky you SAS.)

Son of a Bitch

As I was looking for posts on the Gomez blog about the show last night I wandered into the gigs section to find that they are playing tonight in my place of birth, down 95 in Richmond, VA - on Brown's Island for FREE! Personally $25 isn't too much for a 20 song two hour concert of music I love, but I can't believe that I missed that update. I guess when you figure in gas it cost the same. Damn, dman, dammitty, damn, damn.

Just so you know, I would leave right now, but I have a wedding to go to tomorrow in the Western Hills of said state. Guess I'll jsut have to listent o last nights show again.

My ears are still ringing

Gomez, Gomez, Gomez. I can not stress enough how great the band is live. It's been almost two years since the last show, and I was very ready. I arrives at the 9:30 at 8:30, interestingly enough, to procure tickets and have a drink. I ran into bass playing friend Glenn who informed me that opening act was great too (which usually isn't the case with Gomez.) He was right, The Bad Plus is a kick ass trio (piano, bass, and drum) all three of which are the accoustic versions. That is not to say that they wern't miced to the guills, but all the same pretty impressive. More impressive was the thumping and vibrations in the chest and (in my case clothing) that their sound produced. Real "interactive." What I caught of their set was instramental, and I imagine thats what they do - kind of trance, kind of rock, kind of awesome. All three have some serious talent and skill and it was great to be impressed by the opening act for once.

I saw a lot of the usuall faces between the sets. Scott Burgess, Scot McKenzie, Mike Geske, Eileen Daily, Kimberly Gilbert... if you were there and I didn't see you - you suck.

The show was pretty good, but I have to say - a lot of technicall problems. I must preface this by saying that the first time I saw Gomez was on the "In Our Gun" tour and they were spot on perfect on every song, no lag between, no missed note, and no improvisation. Over the past 5 show I've seen they have been loosening up and improving more, which I really like, but sometimes there is a price to pay for that. Last night that price seemed to be technical.

Opening with "Bring it On," it was decent but seemed like they were having tuning issues, or at least Ian did - I'm not sure but I think Ben was already drunk - evidenced later when I believe he slipped and dropped his guitar on "Fill My Cup," funny stuff, but he was missing for the end of the tune which is a great 3 part harmony in concert. There was a 3 minute improve while they changed a mic stand on the drum kit too - those are rare so I really didn't mind - although I would have though they could have just done "Caravan" to fill the time. Late on "Devil Will Ride" Tom took 5 tries to get the talk box to work with his accoustic - again funny, but think I might have started to see some frustration in there faces. That said, the show was still great. It's was probably number three on my list behind 2003 at 9:30 and Atlanta in 2004. They are really experimenting with the music more now, not just effects.

Highlights well you can judge for youself, the show is available here.

The race is on..;.

A fond fairwell to Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan. He has done a lot of great stuff for Montgomery County over the last 12 years, but I'm glad he's out of the race. Now Democrats have a chance to get behind their guy early and focus on bringing down a Governor that is woefully out of step with the rest of the State. Plus this makes it a Baltimore style race, so it's gonna get loud and ugly - which translate into fun. I've lived in Maryland since 1992, but the politics is always boring; hopefully this year MD will be producing some races to watch (and laugh and laugh.)

I got an email form Joe Trippi yesterday too asking me to support Kweisi Mfume over Ben Cardin. Ok, it's not really Joe Trippi, it's a staffer with a joetrippi@gmail.com email address, but the real issue is that Mfume might want to take a hint from Duncan. Cardin can beat Steele, but I'm not sure about Mfume - he has a lot of "values" problems which I believe will drive people who are on the fence to Steele. To be honest, I would vote for either Cardin or Mfume in the general, but I'm a party hack.

Back in Action

So I've just finished the anual exercise in futility that is affectionatly know as Leagues. I have a big general question though. WHO DECIDED IT WAS OK TO DO SHAKESPEARE!?!?!?!?! I can say honestly that it did not help anyone, except for a Wolrd Bank employee who was rather good; but he was English and like 40. Listening to that much shakespeare ( and I'm sorry for this) and it being done so poorly made this years auditions particuarly painful. A word to the wise, never do anything that isn't funny and NEVER do shakespeare. Andrew Long would flop with shakespeare at the Leagues, it's just not the right environment. And if it's ok, could people stop doing the same monologue from Autobahn, Boy's Life, and Shape of Things? Oh, and just so all you other people know, there are no monolouges in A Bright Room Called Day that are under 2 minutes...and thats why all of you went over time. And the "i" in "Zillah" is short.

ON a less frustrated note, GOMEZ TONIGHT at the the 9:30 club. I shall have a full report tomorrow.

Peaches

A June suprize?

Congratulations to the U.S. military. A long time coming, they deserve a victory.

So does the country - but you can bet that this will be used against Democrats intead of for the country as we inch closer to the fall.

Ok, so we're screwed.

So the Californina 50th goes right back into the hands of a GOP lobbist. And democrats want to celebrate because it was closer than it should have been? The time for moral victories was last year when a sane man in Virginina bested a raving lunitic by a narrow margin. This country can't afford to live on moral victories any more. Unless this country reverses it's path from the ineffectiveness of conservative policy, then we will be doomed to the same fate as Geramny.

We will get too big for our britches, and the world will unite to bring us down. Friends will become foes, etc. Then aour markets will crash and there will be no saftey net. In that case it will not be the poor that suffer, it will be the newly poor. Come on, everybody saw Seabuscuit right? Now, I'm not opposed to stock brokers and investor class folk jumping out of windows; but the double edged sword of middle class exploitation and hubris is driving me crazy.

People will say the the California 50th is a solidly Republican district that hasn't had a real challenge in decades. Be that as it may, these San Diegoins...San Diegeans....San Diegoites? whatever, went and put the same kind of guy in Duke Cunninghams seat; and further more, he doesn't even live there. This guy lives in Alexandria!

Social Concervative Week on the Hill!

For those of you who reside in states, not districts, I have an idea, letters to your Senators. Letters that chastise them for wasting the countries time and money debating a Gay Marriage Amendment to the US Constitution (that they all now won't pass," Flag Burning, and I would toss that English as the National Language business in there too. How can the Republicans in the Senate (who claim to be conservative) justify the enormous waste of time and money that these election engineering type issues when we are trillions of dollars in debt?

You know how much these ladies and gentlemen make? As of 2005, $162,100. So far they have worked 70 days this year. Based on an 8hr day, they are making $289.46 an hour! So maybe we as people who pay this outrageous fee should take a greater interest in what they are doing. As a matter of fact, even if you are on the pro side of these issues, it is cheaper to have it done through your state legislature since those poor folk don't get paid jack squat.

Democrats came out on this today for much the same reason, but I think they get the letters too. Too often when I write to my Senators they give me a song and dance about being out of power, as if that gives them the right to no respond to those who pay their salary. I can't tell you how many times my supposed "powder keg" of a Junior Senator has told me she can't do anything because of the Republican control. Well one thing to do is inform the public that the Republicans are the obstructionists, and I haven't seen that at all.

I write my Senators al lot, probably too much. But it is my experience that they enjoy getting letter/email from their continuance, even when they are angry. This is one way to let your voices be heard, and it doesn't matter if you voted for them or not; they work for you. So I suggest that we all start their employee eval’s early.

Just What Actors Need

Now this is something to behold. Ironic that over at the home theatre blog there is a post about John Wilkes Booth. This kid must be really untalented, she poisoned a girl three years younger than her to get a part in a collection of one act comedies? Ah Texas. Stranger is the charge of tampering with consumer products? I didn't know that was a crime, seems like it should be attempted murder, assault, or POISONING. Moreover; if tampering with consumer products is a crime, why isn't interfering with an audition? That’s corporate America for you. This is just the kind of thing that the right will use as justification for the elimination of arts programs in schools, with no mention of all those cheerleading fiascos that were so popular in the 90's. These kids need to understand that those of us who are actors don't need the negative press; people hate us anyway - unless we're on Lost. I say this because I saw this report on MSNBC originally and it was reported as "...Actor poisons fellow Actress..." in the crawl. Is there any wonder that we have an information problem in this country?

Thanks

Thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday!

A Birthday Wish

So for my birthday I got a guity plea. I know it's bad, but it makes me happy that overprivalaged people like Noe and Ken Lay are begining to get what has been coming tothem for such a long time.

Today is my birthday and I wanted to take the time to toss a couple of wishes into the ether.

1) An impeechment hearing - I don't care about the outcome, just some historical blight on the worst executive this country has seen since Hoover.
2) A big change in November - come on concervatives, stay home for me - really, it's the least you can do.
3) Gore 2008.
4) Chris Matthew's head on a platter, pike, manhole cover, intertube, easy bake oven, whatever works. Traitor.
5) That these guys aren't serious.
6) A entertainment revolution that brings the theatre back into the game as a player in the hearts and mids of the American people. I imagine it will be necessary to figure out a way to do explosions, but that can't be but so hard right?
7) Oh yeah, and I still want to play Iago.

Have a great June, take care of yourselves and those around you.