Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Yoda the Bomb he is


Speak Like YODA

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 31, 2006

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 31, 2006

Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
If you were at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert right now, you might be racing your souped-up tricycle through a miniature golf course-style maze while dressed in a superhero costume, after which you'd enjoy a sushi dinner served on the naked belly of a good-looking clown. Or maybe you'd be exploring the benefits of a short duration marriage to a temporary soulmate selected for you by a seven-year-old girl deity sitting on a neon green plastic throne surrounded by a circle of flame. Since you're probably not at Burning Man, however, you've got to find other ways to carry out your astrological mandate, which is to enjoy semi-crazy acts of liberation you'd normally never try.

recovery in New Orleans not easy

year later, recovery in New Orleans not easy
POSTED: 8:10 p.m. EDT, August 29, 2006

One year after Katrina, Anderson Cooper is live in New Orleans with a look at what areas are still struggling and what still needs to be done. Tonight at 10 ET.
By Eliott C. McLaughlin

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- After months of rebuilding, Henry and Flora Hamilton's house doesn't look like it was sitting in 7 feet of water a year ago. The same can't be said for most of their neighbors' homes.

Shells of houses surround the Hamiltons' eastside residence, many missing patches of roofing and brick exteriors. Some of the Hamiltons' neighbors live in emergency trailers as they try to repair their houses; most have given up and abandoned them. The once-bustling Lake Kenilworth ballpark, still struggling to push up grass in the infield, has sat for months without a visit from its young sluggers.

In many ways, the Hamiltons' New Orleans East neighborhood looks like Hurricane Katrina struck last week. Call it a theme in a city still reeling a year after one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.

According to the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank, roughly a third of the city's schools, hospitals and libraries remain closed, as do half the city's public transportation routes.

Thousands remain displaced, either living in FEMA trailers or calling a new place home. But a sign in the Hamiltons' yard points to the perseverance of those who stayed or returned to build: "We're home."

After evacuating their home of 16 years in the wake of Katrina, the Hamiltons had to make a daunting decision during their monthlong refuge in Centerville, Mississippi.

"When we finally got back, we seen the devastation and at that time we had decided we'd tear the whole thing down and we probably wasn't gonna return. But each time we came back, we were leaning more toward rebuilding," Henry said.

After gutting the house, Henry realized the foundation was still sound. The 53-year-old sugar-plant worker decided, "This was home." With the help of friends and family -- including son Jamie, 28, and longtime pal Charlie Mills, a retired plumber -- Henry "just got on back and started working."

Jamie Hamilton and Mills have not been as fortunate. Jamie's nearby apartment was leveled. Mills' uptown home won't be habitable until March. Both are living in FEMA trailers -- Mills' in front of his house, Jamie's in his parents' front yard.

Cramped quarters is an understatement. Five paces in the trailer will take you from the master bedroom through the living area and kitchen to the bathroom. Everything -- stove, closet, beds, shower -- is miniaturized.

Jamie Hamilton's wife Lovey doesn't live in the trailer. She lives on the other side of the Mississippi River with family, but their kids, 3-year-old Elijah and 4-month-old Joshua, visit often and like sleeping in the bunk beds wedged snugly behind a bathroom wall.

"It's not what you're used to, but it's better than not having anything at all. It's a small sense of having a home and some place to lay your head," said Jamie, who is working in a downtown casino to scrape up the funds to reunite his family.
'Tale of two cities'

Parts of New Orleans scream recovery; others scream for it. On one side of the city, you can't find a gas station intact. On the other, all three of Larry Flynt's Hustler clubs are blinking on Bourbon Street.

"We are a tale of two cities," said Mary Beth Romig, spokeswoman for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We have a long way to go in those residential neighborhoods."
story.superdome.jpg

The Louisiana Superdome will host its first post-Katrina NFL game when it reopens in September.

However, much of uptown, downtown, the French Quarter, and the business, Garden and Warehouse districts -- all areas that draw out-of-towners -- was "spared from the flooding and they're all thriving now," Romig said.

The city lost about half of its convention business this year, but it should be up to about 75 percent next year, and "things are looking much better for 2008 and beyond," she said. "In many ways, we are back; we just need to get the word out."

Even the once-ravaged Louisiana Superdome advertises its September 25 reopening, just in time for the Saints' first home game -- an NFL Monday-nighter against the Atlanta Falcons.

Signs of Katrina are sparse in the salvaged areas, though the shops in the French Quarter peddle T-shirts showing the city still has a sense of humor. "Make levees, not war," read one. Another: "FEMA evacuation plan: Run, (expletive), run." And in a shot at the New Orleans police, some of whom were accused of abandoning their posts during the disaster: "NOPD: Not our problem dude."

The Quarter is not yet the draw it once was, though. Booze specials and strip shows are still ably promoted amid a cacophony of rap, rock, blues, jazz and zydeco, but to an audience that is a trickle of its former flow.

About $107 billion in federal recovery money has been poured into the Gulf Coast, but New Orleans is still floundering, according to the Brookings Institution.

Down 190,000 workers since the storm, New Orleans has restored gas and electricity to most of the city, but only a fraction of pre-Katrina customers are using it, according to a Brookings report examining recovery factors. Only 17 percent of city buses are running.

And 54 percent of the city's restaurants, many of them famed for their Cajun cuisine, are still closed, according to the Louisiana Restaurant Association.

On the positive side, permits for housing rehabilitation have doubled in the last six months, but rent has jumped 39 percent in the city and home prices in the suburbs have spiked, Brookings reports.

Natalie Wyeth, spokeswoman for the Louisiana Recovery Authority, said more than $7.5 billion has been earmarked for helping 120,000 families rebuild their homes.

Billions more have gone toward health care, transportation, rebuilding schools and economic development, including a $38 million program that taps high school dropouts and ex-cons for work-force training.

"We want to connect those people with the opportunity to be part of the recovery effort," Wyeth said.

There appear to be efforts to make recovery as indiscriminate as Katrina and the ensuing flooding, which devoured homes and businesses in neighborhoods ranging from the upscale areas along Lake Ponchartrain, to the middle-class Gentilly Terrace and New Orleans East neighborhoods, and down to the impoverished 9th Ward.
Slow road back

Still, some, like 46-year-old Ron Stump, note that recovery comes easier for the haves than the have nots. Stump, a St. Bernard Port employee, puts in 27 hours a week after work offering affordable home-gutting and property cleanup to needy families and his friends at the sheriff's office.

"I don't do it for people who have everything. They can pay to have everything done," Stump said.

But despite his generosity, Stump's bitterness over the torpid pace of rebuilding is evident.

"I think a lot of people aren't aware of what's happening because they're not here. How long is somebody supposed to live in one of these things?" he asked, pointing to one of the scores of FEMA trailers littering the Arabi neighborhood, east of the 9th Ward. "It's a year later, and we're still gutting houses. ... You hear what you hear. You don't see a whole lot."

There's not a grocery store near Arabi, Stump said, and while the Brookings report shows parts of the city on the rise, St. Bernard Parish is not one of them. According to the report, no hospitals or libraries are yet operational in the parish.

Only 7 percent of the public schools there have reopened, and the average price of a home as of June, according to the report, was a paltry $36,880, about a third of what it was in August 2004.

The devastation has not soured the spirits of Elbert Jourdan, a fellow port employee who earns extra cash helping Stump clean up homes in the parish.

"Quit all that cussing and fussing and carrying on. The Lord's saying, 'Work with me, so I can help you,' " said the 37-year-old. "We gotta pull together more than we've ever had to pull together in our lives. Otherwise, this house won't get done; that house won't get done."
A Crescent City comeback?

Pulling together is the only hope places like Arabi and the 9th Ward have. Though Katrina left her footprints all over the city, these areas saw the apex of her annihilation.

Cars were dismantled, and homes were regularly reduced to piles of board, pipe and insulation. A year later, some houses are still missing from their foundations, either razed and hauled off or swept away by Katrina and the flooding.

The decimation and its aftermath have left some longtime residents cynical about returning. Mike Barnett, now of Clearwater, Florida, who grew up in New Orleans and whose father is a Loyola University professor, thought he would stay when Katrina first hit.

A former Green Beret, Barnett holed up on the 10th and 11th floors of a downtown high-rise with pistols, bread, lunchmeat, a generator and hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel. His task was to keep watch over a friend's business, an Internet data center. Even though his fiancée left after 10 days, Barnett stuck it out for three weeks before deciding to relocate to Florida.

"The politicians were promising a comeback. I knew immediately they were dreaming, and as much as I love the city, I couldn't live there anymore, not the way it was. It was hideous, horrendous," said the 35-year-old freelance economic consultant. "I'll never come back to live in New Orleans. I don't have much hope for the city."

Others cannot shun their love for the Big Easy, and it is the only thing bringing them back. Charlie Mills, the Hamiltons' plumber friend, knew he was coming back even as he led an evacuation convoy of 24 friends and seven dogs to his father's home and deer camp in Woodville, Mississippi.

"I been here since 1956, so you come back. You say you're not going to come back, but you're in love with New Orleans," said the 68-year-old. "Ain't no sense in moaning and groaning. You come in this world with nothing. You gonna leave with nothing."

Jamie Hamilton agrees. Standing in his FEMA trailer as his mom's beans simmered on the tiny stove, the young casino worker said Katrina may have taken everything from some people, but it did not leave the hopeful helpless.

"It's a new beginning, and you make do with what you got," he said. "It's kind of given a lot of people a new attitude about things."

Tuesday, August 29, 2006


the wise one  Posted by Picasa

the weather in chicago

64º
"FRIENDLY"

Jo Dee Messina To Perform At CMA Songwriters Series Tuesday Night .... i prefer to call it Lori Mckenna plays joes pub as part of the CMA songwriters

Jo Dee Messina To Perform At CMA Songwriters Series Tuesday Night

Nashville, TN. (Jo Dee Messina Official Website) - Country sensation Jo Dee Messina is set to take on New York City as part of the CMA Songwriters Series at Joe's Pub August 29th. As part of the series, which features successful songwriters from Nashville, Jo Dee will tell the stories behind four of her biggest hits including 'It Gets Better,' 'Life is Good,' 'Love is Not Enough,' and 'Where Were You' as well as perform them.

What began as a way to introduce some of Nashville's finest songwriters to New York City in advance of the CMA Awards in 2005 has been extended into 2006 with the CMA Songwriters Series returning to Joe's Pub for four nights of concerts over a five month period. Jo Dee along with Lori McKenna and Jamie O'Neal will be a part of the second concert in this series August 29th starting at 6:30pm.

'It's an honor to be a part of this concert series,' said Jo Dee. 'It's a great feeling to be recognized for your songwriting abilities, which I take great pride in, and to be able to explain to a crowd a little bit more of what the song means to you as a writer is fantastic.'

Each night features three to four successful songwriters from Nashville in the style of the Bluebird Café – Nashville's famous songwriters' Mecca. Each night, the songwriters will line up on the stage with guitar-in-hand and take turns telling the stories behind their hits and then performing the song. Jo Dee will be showcasing her hits 'It Gets Better,' 'Life is Good,' 'Love is Not Enough,' and 'Where Were You.' Other performers

Jo Dee Messina is an award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist. Since her debut in 1996, Jo Dee has had 9 No 1 songs, 3 No 1 albums, has sold more then 5 million albums and has received critical acclaim for her explosive singing style and electrifying performances. She has won countless awards including the Academy of Country Music's Top Female Artist of the Year (1999), was the winner of the CMA's prestigious Horizon Award and was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week No 1 songs from the same album. Her latest album – Delicious Surprise debuted at No 1 on the Billboard Country Charts its week of release last year.
For more Jo Dee news, tour dates and information check out www.jodeemessina.com.

Monday, August 28, 2006

the emmy skits

Did anyone see Conan drop into LOST, the office, get in the southpark closet with Tom Cruise, talk to the dispatcher of 24 before he showed up at the emmys. he did a parody of Music man, burning his own NBC for dropping from 1st to 5th. It was a riot.

i was also doubled over when the writers of letterman appeared fighting like on Jerry Springer, When Bill Maher used members of congress, the presidents cabinet, Ann coulter, abramoff and dick cheney to represent the writers and Jon Stewart had the writers named held up by David Blaine under water in the Bubble. The rest of the show was pretty boring but CONAN did okay...

i need a vacation

will fetch for ice cream

the weather in chicago

64º
"COMFY"

dream

i had a series of dreams that involve a summer camp setting, a buffet of food and cats and dogs. Last night or early this morning, i dreamed that i was chasing a pet around the camp. it was a black dog with curly hair. I caught the dog and held on to it.

i also saw the cafeteria and i had the option for a nosering. I saw my nose pierced on both sides. In the dream, i took a chord, like a leather choker and twisted around the peg of the nose ring and had one on each side. I saw my brother in the dream
i saw this other guy with a disc that was stretching his nose and his earlobes.
and before i woke, i decided to keep the nose rings.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Thursday, August 24, 2006

dream

i dreamed about the song Cinnamon Road ( which is a new shawn colvin song)
in the dream, i was assured that everything would be okay and thing were on track
the songs sounds like Neil Youngs Cinnamon Girl, i knew in the dream that i had to blog the song..

i wish i was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

[Chorus]
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In 77 and 69 revolution was in the air
I was born too late and to a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

When the head of state didn't play guitar,
Not everybody drove a car,
When music really mattered and when radio was king,
When accountants didn't have control
And the media couldn't buy your soul
And computers were still scary and we didn�t know everything

[Chorus]

When popstars still remained a myth
And ignorance could still be bliss
And when God Saved the Queen she turned a whiter shade of pale
When my mom and dad were in their teens
and anarchy was still a dream
and the only way to stay in touch was a letter in the mail

[Chorus]

When record shops were on top
and vinyl was all that they stocked
and the super info highway was still drifting out in space
kids were wearing hand me downs,
and playing games meant kick arounds
and footballers still had long hair and dirt across their face

[Chorus]

I was born too late to a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

only in chicago.... now for their weather report

Sex-aid excuse bombs with airport security
Man traveling with mother says pump is a grenade

Thursday, August 24, 2006; Posted: 12:23 p.m. EDT (16:23 GMT)


CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Cook County prosecutors say a 29-year-old man traveling with his mother desperately didn't want her to know he'd packed a sexual aid for their trip to Turkey.

So he told security it was a bomb, officials said.

Madin Azad Amin, 29, of Skokie, Illinois, was stopped August 16 after guards found an object in his baggage that resembled a grenade, prosecutors said.

When officers asked him to identify it, Amin said it was a bomb, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto.

He later told officials he'd lied about the item because his mother was nearby and he didn't want her to hear that it was part of a penis pump, Scaduto said.

He's been charged with felony disorderly conduct, said Andrew Conklin, a spokesman with the Cook County state's attorney's office.

Amin's attorney told a Cook County judge Wednesday that Amin whispered that the component was a "pump." The guard misunderstood, and thought he said "bomb," according to defense attorney Eileen O'Neill-Burke.

"He told her it's a pump," O'Neill-Burke said. "He's standing with his mother. Of course he's not going to shout this out."

However, Judge Gerald Winiecki decided there was sufficient evidence for the case to move forward after the female security guard testified that she heard Amin "clearly" say the word bomb.

Amin is charged with felony disorderly conduct, which could bring a three-year prison sentence if he's convicted. Amin is due back in court September 13

He told the Chicago Sun-Times after the hearing that security officials did not give him a chance to explain the misunderstanding, that he would never use the word "bomb" while going through a security checkpoint, and does not consider a penis pump an unusual object to own.

"It's normal," he said. "Half of America they use it."

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

the weather in chicago

85º
"PLUCKY"

enough nerd to be cute

I am nerdier than 54% of all people. Are you nerdier? Click here to find out!

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 24, 2006

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 24, 2006

Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
It's Fake Smile Week. On the one hand, that means you should be on guard for people who are pretending to feel better than they actually do. I urge you to forgive them for their deception, but don't get derailed by it. On the other hand, you yourself should put on a happy face as a disguise when you're not sure what exactly is going on. In other words, it's best to act agreeable until you gather all the information necessary to make a sound decision. Is the advice I'm offering hypocritical? Only if you use it to serve your narrow self-interests. But if you're intent on doing what's best for all concerned, my counsel is ethically impeccable.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

the weather in chicago

79º
"PLUSH

CMT crossroads taping - Steve Earle -Rosanne Cash

it all started out at the John Hall Benefit where friends of MCC,
Jackson Browne, Nanci Griffith, Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal and
Steve Earle did a songwriters in the round to raise some cash for the
John Hall ( of Orleans) for Congress campaign. He is running in the
Hudson Valley..
Nancy, Lori and I were there on sunday night at town hall and i was
askin them about seeing rosanne cash this fall... well that led me to
respond to an email about the next CMT crossroads taping..

i got an invite yesterday and went to check it out and see if i could
get in. I made a new friend, Lou along the way and ended up at the
taping....

Bill Flanagan, who is the CBS sunday morning music reviewer( he was at
town hall on sunday too) asked the question... who do you pair with
Steve Earle .... is he a rocker or country ( CMT Crossroads pairs
"rockers with country artists") and who do pair with Rosanne Cash....(
is she country or a rocker)....
well CMT is pairing Steve with Rosanne....

Rosanne looked stunning... long long long white blazer with a satin
and lace Bustier, black pinstriped pants with wide stripes and cuffs
and new black boots.... Steve, a new demim shirt, pants that didnt fit
and bagged at the butt ( he has none) and boots...

the band, Shawn Pelton drums, Zev Katz (they had to hood his bald head
to get the sweat off) John Leventhal ..... the telecasters....

they shared vocals and had some do overs... so i was there for almost 2 hours
lots of hair and make up touch ups..... for rosanne...

the setlist...

Guitartown ( 2x)
Burn down this town
Someday (2x)
House on the Lake
western Wall 2x
Jerusalem 2x
Devils right hand
the world unseen
seven year ache
goodbye 2x
Big River restart

you will see shared vocals on every song.... steve told some Rosanne
stories and dropped the Fbomb a few times... you wont see that on
TV..... he told a sweet story about how Devils showed up on the Broke
Back Mountain soundtrack.....

they were two smart songwriters who are well read.... this should be a
great Crossroads...
there is some real chemisty between these two artists.... they were
having fun too..

i wont be hard to spot..... my new friend lou had on a suit......
they were gonna place us in the back, I explained how long lou had
been waiting and we got better seats....

Sally, you better tape this...... i totally understand why your back
goes out.....and i think i found the one for my list...

i then had to get downtown to catch RedMolly's set at the parkside
lounge.... it kinda felt like the days that i used to music hop all
over the east village.... had me missing the bottom line late
show.......

sharonG

mussel strength

Monday, August 21, 2006

a small circle of friends

Standing outside town hall last night, I saw John Hall enter the place, jackson browne arrive, the CBS sunday morning music reviewer show up and get his ticket. I met nancy and laurie and we went inside to be seated right behind Julie Gold. I opened up the conversation and she chatted with us for a good 15 minutes. I saw Karen from Newport
and then sat down for a night of music

Jon Pousette Dart- sang Impatience
Jackson Browne- Life in the Balance, crows on the cradle, I am a patriot
Nanci Griffith- Heart of Indochine, Five and Dime, Simple Life
Rosanne Cash- House on the Lake, Seven Year Ache, western wall
Steve Earle- Jerusalem, the mountain, poor boy fighting rich man's war
John Hall- dance with me, still the one,
all This land is your land

it was a great night of music

the only one missing was Dar who was in ottawa
nancy sobel says the harmony was missing between teh players
Town hall is one of my favorite venues and it was a great place
to see music

ones the brains, ones the mussel

the weather in chicago

62º
"CHEERY"

Friday, August 18, 2006

call it what you will

call it superstition or call it magical thinking

i asked for a sign about the Training Director Job.

i saw a teeshirt that said "live your life"

besides the usual pennies, i got an email from the person who interviewed me
informing me i was a finalist and they needed references

on my way home... i saw a macys sign that
said THISISIT...Macys
a sign that said "now its your time to get ahead"

and finally

" you didnt invent the system, You have to cheat by its rules"

wonder what signs the signmakers make?

celebrity sighting near Time Warner Bldg on 8-17




Akiko Katayama, Iron Chef America
akiko

With her sleek hair and a strong aversion to anything remotely oily, Akiko proves that you don't need to have a midwestern accent to be sexy. She probably appeals most to urbane city dwellers who furnish their apartments with stainless steel surfaces and various Koehler faucets.

trust the man -DONT or wait for the video

I saw this in a free screening where i waited for over 2 hours to get in. It wasnt worth it but it was to save the 10.00. I would have paid and been disappointed to see it in the theater and pay for it.

it shows many scenes of NYC, many restaurants, many neighborhoods so if you are a NYPhile then you would love to spot all the spots in the city
its a great love story with the city
___________________________________________


What aspires to be a sophisticated, unconventional romantic comedy turns out to be a contrivance-filled pretender to other, better films of its genre.



SYNOPSIS

A smart, sophisticated comedy about the challenges of love and marriage among modern day New Yorkers, TRUST THE MAN features the romantic escapades of two couples: a successful actress (Julianne Moore) and her stay at home husband (David Duchovny); and her slacker younger brother (Billy Crudup) and his aspiring novelist girlfriend (Maggie Gyllenhaal). The film follows these four on their pointed, often surprising and frequently hilarious search for love in the midst of careers, family, infidelity and the ever-daunting search for Manhattan street parking. -- © Fox Searchlight Pictures


First impressions count, even in film. That helps explain why an opening credit sequence that invokes Woody Allen’s “Manhattan,” though without the shimmering imagery (or the eventual payoff of midcareer Allen) is a bad idea. It also explains why opening a film with a small child straining on a toilet and talking about poop isn’t just a bad idea; it’s an invitation to unfortunate metaphor.


Thus “Trust the Man” is a strained, flatulent relationship comedy about two couples, only one of which proves of interest to its writer and director, Bart Freundlich, perhaps because the woman in that couple is played by his own wife, Julianne Moore. She’s Rebecca, a film actress about to take the theatrical plunge at Lincoln Center. Rebecca is married to Tom (David Duchovny), who has ditched a lucrative advertising gig to trundle their little girl around town and flirt with a single mother lurking at his son’s school. Rebecca and Tom live in a West Village townhouse filled with light and tasteful appointments. Every so often they have sex; once a year they visit a therapist (Garry Shandling, having fun). They’re vaguely dissatisfied and crushingly dull.

Rebecca and Tom need our love to work as characters, but their kind of self-love leaves no room for outsiders. What it does leave room for are her brother, Tobey (Billy Crudup), and his girlfriend, Elaine (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the couple’s unmarried best friends who are experiencing their own relationship pains partly because she seems to hear her biological clock ticking and partly because he’s a jerk. Elaine and Tobey are in meltdown because Mr. Freundlich subscribes to the theory that every Lucy-and-Ricky needs its Ethel-and-Fred, a cruder version of itself to mirror its ecstasies and agonies, no matter how banal. To that end, Elaine and Tobey ape their better-groomed pals while screeching and rattling the cage in which Mr. Freundlich has placed them. He also lights them badly.

Ms. Moore is nicely lighted, but she too is poorly served by Mr. Freundlich’s unfunny, unfocused screenplay, which basically stitches together a series of short scenes of four people whining in various combinations. Throughout the whining, Tom wears a small, amused smile that suggests he’s in on some cosmic joke, though it may just be that Mr. Duchovny knows that when you play what looks like the director’s surrogate you can’t help but come out ahead. Tom makes his wife weep, a little, and doesn’t share her limelight, but he turns out to be a great guy with hidden talents just waiting to be revealed. The final scene is meant to show those talents in full bloom, but everything that has come before suggests they died on the vine.

It makes you wonder why anyone bothered. Like a lot of American films made under the rubric of independence, “Trust the Man” lacks urgency and purpose; you never get a sense of why this story had to be made, much less shared. With its loud noises and costly effects, the typical Hollywood blockbuster at least tries to sell itself (and more films like it) to the audience.

“Trust the Man,” on the other hand, assumes that it has something the audience wants to buy. It’s an assumption that leaves a lot of talented actors hanging, the exception being James Le Gros, who makes a very funny, regrettably brief appearance as a would-be Lothario who turns a rueful caress of his mustache into an epic of smut.

“Trust the Man” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). The film has some adult language and suggestive scenes.

the weather in chicago

74º
"PRICKLY"

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

the weather in chicago

73º
"RESPLENDENT"

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 17, 2006

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 17, 2006

Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
Philosopher Robert Anton Wilson said that "the universe acts like a chess game in which the player on the other side remains invisible to us. By analyzing the moves, we can form an image of the intellect behind them." The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to gain insights into that other chess player, Capricorn. You will have an extraordinary capacity for setting aside your own subjective mind-chatter and seeing the objective truth. You'll also be more skilled than usual at understanding what's going on in the shadows and darkness. The hidden world is whispering secrets in codes you can crack.

Demeaning Democracy

Demeaning Democracy
Cheney Paints Lamont Victory As Helping Terrorists

August 13, 2006

By Edward M. Kennedy

Vice presidents are notorious for serving as an administration's chief
attack dog, and time and again Dick Cheney has been unleashed to accuse
anyone who is opposed to the Bush administration of aiding the terrorists.
But this time he has gone too far.

The comments he made on the result of the Connecticut Democratic primary -
that it might encourage "the al-Qaida types" who want to "break the will of
the American people in terms of our ability to stay in the fight and
complete the task" - are an attack not just on Democrats, but on democracy
itself.

What happened in Connecticut is in fact a model for democracies everywhere.
The people of the state heard a vigorous debate between two competing
visions of how to protect this country. Young citizens became deeply
involved, and turnout was high. The primary reminded us of the miracle of
our democracy, in which the nation is ruled by its people - not by any
entrenched set of leaders. There are few better messages we could send the
world in these troubled times.

Cheney's comments about the election were ugly and frightening. They show
once again that he and his party will stop at nothing to wrap Republicans in
the flag and to insinuate that anyone who votes against them is giving aid
and comfort to the terrorists. It's obvious that this administration lacks
basic respect for our fundamental freedoms.

Cheney and his crowd are all for free and open elections - as long as they
turn out their way. They are all for free speech - provided it supports the
administration. They are all for the rule of law - as long as the law does
not prevent them from doing whatever they want to do. When elections,
speeches or laws are inconvenient, he does not hesitate to declare that they
are helping the terrorists. I can think of no graver offense against our
democracy.

Ned Lamont's victory in Connecticut scares Cheney for one simple reason: It
demonstrates that a free and independent people can and do hold public
officials accountable for their words and deeds.

If the terrorists are indeed paying any attention to the Connecticut primary
results, they must be worried.

The people of Connecticut spoke out loud and clear in favor of change. Ned
Lamont will stand strong for the people of Connecticut, and put tough and
smart foreign policies ahead of the politics of fear and more "stay the
course" failures. Republicans will stop at nothing to make sure that the
November elections are not a referendum on their misguided policy in Iraq or
on the way they have run our country for the past six years. Unfortunately,
this time the facts are getting in their way.

The American people are ready to change an administration that let Osama bin
Laden escape. They are ready to change a Congress that let precious years go
by without demanding the implementation of the recommendations of the
bipartisan 9/11 Commission to keep us safe.

They are ready to change a policy on Iraq that has drained our resources,
weakened our security, stretched our troops and recruited new terrorists.

The November election will teach Dick Cheney and others of his ilk that they
cannot use fear to cling to power. As Will Rogers said, "It's no disgrace
not to be able to run a country nowadays, but it is a disgrace to keep on
trying when you know you can't."

Edward M. Kennedy is a U.S. senator from Massachusetts.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Monday, August 14, 2006

EVERYTHINGS TURNING INTO BEAUTIFUL

Everythings Turning Into Beautiful’: Tunesmiths in Love
Carol Rosegg

Daphne Rubin-Vega and Malik Yoba play musical collaborators in “Everythings Turning Into Beautiful.”

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By BEN BRANTLEY
Published: August 4, 2006

A quick thrill of nostalgia for a nearly forgotten season ripples through the opening moments of “Everythings Turning Into Beautiful,” the generally thrill-free demi-musical that opened last night at the Acorn Theater at Theater Row. You have to understand that Seth Zvi Rosenfeld’s play, with songs by Jimmie James, is set in the wintertime. When first seen, its two characters are wearing things like sweaters, knitted caps and heavy jackets and appear to be really cold, even though they’re indoors. Golly, remember what it was like to be cold? Wasn’t it bliss?
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With temperatures that turn human flesh into salt water, this has been one of those embarrassing weeks when the weather dominates and warps thought and conversation. So forgive me if, at the beginning of that nasty stretch called August in Manhattan, I find disproportionate merit in a show’s being set in this city in December (on Christmas Eve to be exact). And having arrived at the Acorn in a limp and dingy state, I can’t help getting misty about the exquisite state of the air conditioning there.

Otherwise the strongest feeling aroused by this story of a pair of musical collaborators (played by Daphne Rubin-Vega and Malik Yoba), scared of and hungry for love, is perplexity over the lack of an apostrophe in the word “Everythings” in its title. (Note to attentive grammar trolls among Times readers: Neither I nor my editors had anything to do with this whim of punctuation.)

Is it meant as an example of the rule-breaking freedom of creative folk? Is there perhaps a secret cabbalistic or numerological reason? Or was there just a typo at some point of no return in the printing? The script offers no obvious clues to this mystery.

Directed by Carl Forsman, “Everythings Turning Into Beautiful” is obviously intended to progress from the chill of wintry loneliness to the heat of eroticism and confrontation, as its characters shed illusions, inhibitions and clothes. But it remains stolidly at that tepid level that cookbooks mean by room temperature.

The show’s suspense, such as it is, hinges on these questions: Will Brenda (Ms. Rubin-Vega) and Sam (Mr. Yoba) extend the boundaries of their hitherto strictly professional relationship? If they do, will they be able to avoid talking their love to death? Given to serenading each other with their own compositions, will they ever come up with one that doesn’t sound just like the one before?

The play is set in Brenda’s Chelsea apartment (a big-windowed, divided studio designed by Beowulf Boritt, and I want it), where Sam drops in unannounced at 2 a.m. They are both skirting that shadowy territory that used to be called middle age, before 40 became the new 30, and are eager and reluctant to admit and follow through on their mutual attraction. Sam has been married twice; Brenda, never, which leads to conversation heavy with words like intimacy, commitment, authenticity and accountability.

Sometimes Sam and Brenda banter competitively. Sometimes they do more poetic things like look earnestly into each other’s eyes and say what they see therein. “I see a gentle soul,” Brenda tells Sam. “I see an eagle. I see lost time.” Sam confesses, “I got this hole inside of me that I wake up with every morning.” Such lyricism cannot be contained by mere speech, and Sam and Brenda regularly bring out the guitar, or slip an instrumental track on the CD player, to segue into folky pop songs that further define how they feel.

“Beautiful” is a production of the New Group, a troupe that has done splendidly by revivals of late-2oth-century plays like Wallace Shawn’s “Aunt Dan and Lemon” and David Rabe’s “Hurlyburly” but has had less luck with original work. Mr. Rosenfeld’s meditation on romantic comedy inevitably invokes, to its disadvantage, comparisons to Terrence McNally’s “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” another play set during a single night about two lonesome souls running toward and away from love.

Within a framework of seemingly banal post-coital conversation, Mr. McNally managed to create affectingly real and distinctive portraits of ordinary people who have always seen themselves as losers. Though Mr. Rosenfeld clearly sets out the biographical differences between Sam and Brenda, much of what they say is interchangeable, in a pattern of emotional attack and retreat that has the rhythmic redundancy of a two-chord guitar riff. When stalemate looms, one will say to the other, “Wanna hear my new song?”

The songs aren’t bad, just kind of flat. (The best, by far, is the concluding version of the title number, a rap ballad that at least exudes some energy.) Mr. Yoba has an agreeably mellow voice that matches his calm, natural stage presence, which certainly has its virtues but is not the stuff of romantic fireworks. Ms. Rubin-Vega, the original Mimi of “Rent,” sings with appealing wistfulness, looks very sexy and is occasionally pretty funny, especially when Brenda recoils in explosive disgust on hearing the name of the last person Sam slept with.

But for all the talk about honesty and (sigh) authenticity in achieving (sigh) intimacy, what these characters say usually sounds as if it comes not from the heart, or even the head, but the well-oiled tongue. “Sometimes I just say things,” Sam admits. “They sound good.” It is one of the few confessions in the play that feels unconditionally true.

EVERYTHINGS TURNING INTO BEAUTIFUL

By Seth Zvi Rosenfeld; directed by Carl Forsman; songs by Jimmie James; sets by Beowulf Boritt; costumes by Theresa Squire; lighting by Josh Bradford; sound by Daniel Baker; production supervisor, Peter R. Feuchtwanger; production stage manager, Erin Grenier; props supervisor, Jay Duckworth; associate producer, Jill Bowman; associate artistic director, Ian Morgan; general manager, Amanda Brandes. Presented by the New Group, Scott Elliott, artistic director; Geoff Rich, executive director. At the New Group @ Theater Row, Acorn Theater, 410 West 42nd Street; (212) 279-4200. Through Sept. 2. Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes.

WITH: Daphne Rubin-Vega (Brenda) and Malik Yoba (Sam).
More Articles in Theater »

the weather in chicago

75º
"SPOTTY"

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Wedding annoucement

TORNABENE, 37, AND RESE, 38
By KIRSTEN FLEMING
MAY 7 - AnnMarie Tornabene and Albert Rese planned a medieval-themed wedding in which to tie the knot - literally. At the the Riviera catering hall in Massapequa, L.I., "It was a hand-fasting ceremony where the reverend tied a cord around our wrists before we kissed," says Tornabene, who wore a Renaissance-inspired, ivory corset gown. The pair first met years ago when Tornabene, a fine arts photographer, was working at CompUSA and Rese came in to buy a laptop. "He just kept coming in, and he finally asked me out," says Tornabene of her beau, a New York City probation officer. Many of the 80 guests arrived dressed in period costume and watched the couple dance to "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" from the movie "A Mighty Wind." Later, Tornabene adds, instead of giving a speech, "my sister sang a love song and played the guitar."

dream

i dreamed that i saw Kate Okula in her car and she asked me how i was doing. I saw her unroll the window.
then i saw my car parked at a hydrant. it was facing the hydrant like someone pulled it in a space not parallel parking but head on. I had to explain to the traffic agent that i didnt leave my car that way. I was at an office building or a city building that was brick and there were other people there. I think one of the people was sally green in her crocs. I was talking to the traffic agent and promised to get her fried chicken if she didnt write a ticket. She didnt quite believe that i left my car in that position but i was afraid she would write the ticket anyway.
she got in the back of the car and i brought her to a court, city building...she was not going to write the ticket

Saturday, August 12, 2006

quinceañera

Teen Poignancy
by Sandie Angulo Chen
Quinceanera

What It's About
Similar to the bat mitzvah and "sweet 16," the quinceañera is a celebratory passage into womanhood for Latina girls. A few weeks after celebrating her cousin's blinged-out quinces -- complete with a Hummer limo and DJ'd reception -- 14-year-old Magdalena (Emily Rios) discovers she's with child, even though she's technically still a virgin. When her evangelical father throws her out, Magdalena moves in with her octogenarian great-uncle (Chalo Gonzalez) and her tough-talking gay cousin (Jesse Garcia). Together, the relatives create a tight-knit trio of outcasts.

Why You Should See It Part coming-of-age story, part ode to the vibrant churros-and-tamales neighborhood of L.A.'s Echo Park, 'Quinceañera' is a juicy slice of telenovela drama served up for indie lovers. Starring charming teen Emily Rios as the pregnant protagonist and up-and-coming hottie Jesse Garcia as her macho-gay cousin, this rainbow-colored drama provides a touching look at what it means to grow up "different" in a traditional community. And who ever thought there could be a Latino-AND-gay-friendly film that would appeal to moviegoers in the Castro AND in Little Havana?
Que bien.

Budget $400,000

Production Note Co-directors and real-life partners Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer actually live in the increasingly gentrified Echo Park, and many of their neighbors and friends, including their cleaning lady and her family, are in the film. The directors relied on the surrounding Latino community's support, and as they explain in their director's statement: "People let us into their homes … lent us quinceañera dresses, cooked food for us … and let us know when we were right on target, and more importantly, when we were not."

Breakout Star At 81, it must be nearly impossible to score a starring role, but as the saintly great-uncle Tomas, Chalo Gonzalez proves you're never too old to be discovered. Well, rediscovered -- the Chicano actor was a friend and frequent supporting player in the films of Sam Peckinpah. Gonzalez is the soul of the drama -- he makes Tomas' unconditional love for a gay grandnephew and pregnant grandniece completely evident with the touch of a hand or nod of the head.

Festival Buzz Sure, 'Little Miss Sunshine' may have snagged a record deal at 2006's Sundance Film Festival, but it was crowd-pleaser 'Quinceañera' that won both the prestigious Grand Jury prize and the Audience Award for feature film. 'Quinceañera' was also selected as the Centerpiece Premiere at this summer's Los Angeles Film Festival.

hail king crabby

i think therefore i crab says crabby

earl and mooch at the beach

Kitty o love

Shkinty protests

dream

i had a dream that i was looking for Mike Viseglia. I was trying to find him through Dar's management. I emailed and called and was trying to get to mike

two dreams

three nights and three dreams

1. the executive director from an agency i worked for was retiring or leaving where he worked and he was looking for me to make amends and to apologize for taking liberties.

2. the dream was an extension of dreams i have had with baby cats in the them. in this dream, i had MY Cat, but also adopted two more cats, One was a furry tabby cat in grey. I could not find the cat but found three or four newborn kittens. I went looking to see where the kittens had come and found the "mother Cat" the tabby in the closet covered with bugs but nursing more kittens. I was startled awake but knew the kittens were from other dreams

Fred the undercover cat dies

Fred Wheezy, an orphan with half a working lung who recovered to win fame as a detective, to star on Broadway and to contemplate a teaching career, was killed on Wednesday by a car outside his home in Queens. He was 15 months old, known nationwide as Fred the Undercover Cat.

“He was here and then gone in a moment,” said his caretaker, Carol Moran.

Fred was whiskery and black-striped, with darting eyes and no fear, sickly then rambunctious and not long for this world. In his time, he etched a parable of the city streets that hate you so blithely and without knowing, that hate us all. He was born to these streets, and what drew him back none could say.

Animal Care and Control pulled him nameless and rank from the Brooklyn alleys in September, estimating his age at 4 months. He had severe pneumonia, a collapsed lung and a second lung partly filled with fluid. He was cribbing like a lame horse, desperate to breathe. Treatment failed; his death was scheduled.

Then Ms. Moran, a Brooklyn deputy district attorney who oversees animal cruelty cases, adopted him and a litter mate from a shelter. She named them Fred and George for the Weasley twins, the practical jokers of the Harry Potter books. There were antibiotics, steam showers and chest poundings, and Fred thrived. He chased her other two cats. He chased her dogs, too.

“He was a live wire,” Ms. Moran said.

In February, Fred served as the come-on in a sting operation against an unlicensed veterinarian. Afterward he was the centerpiece of a news conference with the district attorney, Charles J. Hynes. Photographers coochied-cooed, people laughed, there was coffee. The whole thing was shown on TV.

Later, Mr. Hynes gave him a Law Enforcement Achievement Award. At a breakfast ceremony in Downtown Brooklyn, Fred was applauded alongside police officers who had been in gunfights. Last month, he appeared in Shubert Alley with Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore to promote animal adoption.

There was talk of taking him to city schools to demonstrate pet care.

At home in Howard Beach, Queens, Fred settled into an indoor life of chases and naps and sudden pounces. There was air-conditioning. There were sunbeams.

“He was my baby,” Ms. Moran said. “He was very, very sweet. He was very attentive to us. He was a pain in the neck to his sister; he chased her off the bed.”

On Wednesday morning, Ms. Moran and her husband opened the back door to carry their 14- and 16-year-old dogs downstairs. The cats chased one another outside. Only Fred circled the house and ran into the street. He was struck by a car and killed instantly.

“Usually we can catch them right in the yard, or somebody will go out under the deck and come out with cobwebs on his whiskers,” Ms. Moran said. “I don’t know what he saw, or what struck him, or what possessed him.”

the weather in chicago

66º
"PICTURESQUE"

Friday, August 11, 2006

the weather in chicago

76º
"LOVELY"

am i quirky or normal?




Your Quirk Factor: 67%



You're so quirky, it's hard for you to tell the difference between quirky and normal.

No doubt about it, there's little about you that's "normal" or "average."




thanks R. for the memes

maybe I was a bad buddhist

Siddhartha Gautama
You two would probably really get along!
Founder of Buddhism

"All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?"




My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on Intuitive
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on Structured
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on Mildness
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on Traditional
Link: The Religion Founder You Resemble Test written by Stinkbot on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

is it a surprise that i am a democrat but nazi and republican are the same

You scored as Democrat. <'Imunimaginative's Deviantart Page'>

Democrat

92%

Green

83%

Anarchism

50%

Communism

25%

Fascism

17%

Socialist

17%

Nazi

8%

Republican

8%

What Political Party Do Your Beliefs Put You In?
created with QuizFarm.com

Flying red horse





The flying red horse from the gasoline wars
Took off from her station in the sun
Turning her back on the pack at the pump
She jumped down from the sign to run

Full serve attendants were spilling their hoses
Self-serve was doing the same
The manager dialed the emergency numbers
Insurance man won't take the claim

The sight of a horse crossing highways is frightening
But not with the breed that can fly
She's risen up to the level of oak trees
Too low for the radar man's eye

I am not much of a joiner she says
That's not where I draw my strength
Some of them go for the depth of field
While most of them go for the length
Me I will go for the hard combination
'Cause I have some need to belong
But I'm leaving this unkind of sign life behind me
I'll take what is mine and be gone

If you see something red flash across the horizon
It's not that your eyes aren't right
She's taking her place with the red-tailed hawks
And the broadwinged birds in flight

The flying red horse from the Ruby Red North
Took off from her station to the south
And I swear to you that this story is true
I heard it right from her mouth

They think they can tame you, name you and frame you
Aim you where you don't belong
They know where you've been but not where you're going
And that is the source of the songs

auntie sharon and girls at play

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

little miss sunshine

Jessica Hayes, California, has served Moniteau County proudly for the last year as Miss Moniteau 2005.

She said upon hearing her named called as Miss Moniteau “I was so excited about the opportunity.”

Over the last year Hayes has made many appearances in parades and also took part in various other activities throughout the county. Other activities she took part in include the Pre-View Cattle Show, she sang at Double-X Speedway, she also sang the national anthem kicking off the Ham and Turkey Festival and attended several Cattlemen's Dinners.

Hayes will head to the State Fair Pageant on Wednesday, Aug. 9, to register and the competition will get under way on Thursday, Aug. 10, at 10 a.m., with the interview followed by the talent competition at 2 p.m., Thursday. The evening gown competition will begin at 2 p.m., on Friday, Aug. 11, followed by the crowning. “I am kind of nervous but excited at the same time. I think it will be fun,” she said. For the talent part of the competition she will be singing “Down at the Twist and Shout” by Mary Chapin-Carpenter.

Hayes said that one of the most memorable experiences she had as Miss Moniteau was singing the national anthem at the Ham and Turkey Festival. “I always take the opportunity to sing the national anthem,” she said. “It gives me a sense of patriotism. I have a lot of friends in the military and it makes me feel like I am giving back a little more.”

Hayes said that her reign as Miss Moniteau would not have run as well had it not been for the help of a few people in the area. “Thank you to Carol Rackers. She has been my eyes and ears; and thanks to my family for getting me to the places I needed to be; and to the dealerships for providing the cars I used in the parades.”

As for her advice to the next Miss Moniteau Hayes said, “Check yourself in everything that you do and stay on top of the events going on.”

Hayes will be attending North West Missouri State University, Maryville, this fall and will major in ag education and minor in ag business. She is the daughter of Abe and Sharon Rohrbach, California, and Darlene Hayes, Merriam, Kan.

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 10, 2006

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 10, 2006

Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
Recently my nine-year-old bike has developed an unfortunate glitch. When I ride up hills, and only when I ride up hills, the chain periodically gets lodged in the transmission mechanism. If I act quickly, taking action the instant I hear the incipient grinding noise, there's something I can do to fix the problem and keep from lurching to a halt: I have to temporarily pedal backwards; doing that frees the chain from its stuck place. So picture this scene: As I ascend, I'm able to push forward for long stretches, but now and then have to pedal in reverse, slipping backward a few feet. From what I can tell, Capricorn, this is similar to the rhythm your life has right now. It's OK to bitch about it, as I do during my travail, but you should also feel grateful for the way it's building your strength and character. P.S. I predict you will reach the top by September.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

the weather in chicago

73º
"PRECIOUS"

seven guitars at the signature theater

SEVEN GUITARS

July 31- September 23, 2006

By August Wilson

Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson

With Kevin Carroll, Cassandra Freeman, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Brenda Pressley, Lance Reddick, Roslyn Ruff, and Charles Weldon

Hope and heartbreak abound in Pittsburgh's Hill District as seven people share frustration, joy and loss in 1948. Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton, an aspiring blues musician, returns home to seek his fortune and reclaim his woman; a sick old man longs for an heir to carry on his name; and three single women cope with betrayal and lost dreams. Like seven musical instruments, each one strikes a singular note in a discordant world.

Performance Schedule:
Monday, Wednesday - Saturday at 8PM; Tuesday at 7PM;
Matinees Wednesday & Saturday at 2PM
No show 8/2 at 2PM, 8/17 at 8PM, added show 8/20 at 2PM
Open Caption performance 9/20 at 2PM

I had a 15.00 ticket for Monday night so i went to Manhattan to take in this interesting Play. I havent seen any august wilson before and will try to catch the next one too.. HIs imagery, use of black americans vs west indians and use of cultural items is interesting. the plot was good and acting suburb...
i loved seven guitars though it was a little long in parts

newport folk festival

LISTEN TO THE NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL HERE

http://mvyradio.com/music_info/newport_folk_festival_2006.php

Saturday, August 5, 11:30am - 7:00pm, Fort Adams State Park, Fort Adams Drive, Newport, RI

Dunkin' Donuts Stage:

David Gray
Rosanne Cash
Bettye Lavette
Chris Smither
The Duhks

Harbor Stage:

Sonya Kitchell
Mary Gauthier
Song Circle with Chris Smither, Darrell Scott & Jeffery Foucault
Darrell Scott
Rosalie Sorrels

Waterside Stage: Canadian Music, East Coast Style

Beolach
Hot Toddy
Blou

i saw the DUHKS, Rosalie Sorrels, Darrell Scott, Bettye Lavette, Darrell, Chris and Jeffrey and Rosanne Cash.

Getting to newport was easy. i followed my fathers directions and got there in record time. it was a smaller than usual festival due to the lineup. I parked close and walked to the main gate. Found the FUV booth and left my bags. I brought Cakes and cookies for my host and FUV to munch on. I put a chair at the mainstage where the Dukhs were taking their places and then decided to go see Rosalie Sorrells. I stayed for Darrell SCott.. I spied this guy that i recognized, smiled and watched the set.
i left for bettye lavette. I cant explain what this woman's sound did to my heart. iTs like going to church or a divine experience. A woman with 50 years in the music business being recognized for her talent.
then i went back to the Darrell Scott, Chris SMither, Jeffrey Foucault workshop. THere only seat was next to the man i had recogznied. the place was packed. I asked him if i could sit and then chatted wtih him. when i asked if i knew him. he said NO NO NO... i called him a Fan as we both were enjoying the set.
i then went over to Rosanne CAsh who put out a great set and then i headed home
...getting a passion slurpee on the way and wearing most of it.

i got dinner at bugaboo and then ate and went to bed

sunday i went to My sister for a cookout and swimming with the kids and playing in the yard.

Friday, August 04, 2006

dar at the rubin museum

Thank you Chris Chin for taking down the set list and thank you to the
Rubin Museum for honoring Dar Williams. The Museum is dedicated to the
art of the Himalayan civilization.
it actually is an old department store, Barneys women that has been
remodeled. Somehow i thought the show was 8pm so i stolled down the
block with the merch at 645 to find out the show was at 7pm.... Merch
was set up and Chris and I headed downstairs to find a sparce
excellent 250 at most seat theater. On the stage, a stool and
water....
Tom the excellent program director, introduced Dar for her travels to
Bhutan brought her to the museum. Dar was playing an acoustic set....
.NO MIC... no sound except the two mics hanging from the ceiling mid
way in the hall...

dar opened with the babysitter.... chuckles always mean new dar fans
sure enough.... new fans were made last night

1st set
babysitter
fishing in the morning
so close to my heart
you're aging well
rise and meet the day
what do you love more than love... or flub as dar screwed up the lyrics
blue light of the flame
after all

break

second set

two sides of the river
RAINY NIGHT HOUSE
Beauty of the rain
mercy of the fallen
February
the one who knows
comfortably numb
when i was a boy

encore we learned the sea
and she rocked to Christians and Pagans and Buddhists.

dar talked alot and joked about providing an evening of song and
spoken word, self indulgent spoken word

she spoke about her college years and being a bad buddhist and really
just being depressed... she told her bhutan stories and more than i
had heard before
while dar sang, there were different Hilly, mountainous, curevous
painting being flashed
about 6 total.... if she could have seen them, she would have
thought.... IOWA... for sure
but her talk of the monk of Bhutan and desire of Iowa couldnt go
together... maybe dar could make em fit...

she talked about her son, her finding the path in her life by letting
her life happen and contemplating it at certain points where she felt
that she needed to comtemplate it but generally Just gets a BUTT
KICKING to think about it....

Dar was at her best last night.... and just think NO MIC.... no
acoustics but her voice and the guitar, she said she had to adjust to
the space and lack of mics but she did fine...

________________

Thursday, August 03, 2006

the weather in chicago

76º
"BRRR . . ."
usic Review
Strong, Independent and Taking Their Own Advice


This was a concert that felt like a homecoming, which is odd, since the group is called the Dixie Chicks and the lead singer is from Lubbock, Tex., and the place was Madison Square Garden. But then, New York is always eager to adopt homeless out-of-towners, especially — which is to say, only — if those homeless out-of-towners happen to be rich and famous.

The Dixie Chicks have been homeless, in a sense, since 2003, when Natalie Maines, their lead singer and lead troublemaker, told a London audience she was “ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.” What followed was a strange and riveting spectacle: a feud between the Dixie Chicks and, it sometimes seemed, the entire Nashville establishment. (A word of advice to young country stars looking to remain country stars: Criticize the President if you must, but by all means leave Texas out of it.) The recent Dixie Chicks album, “Taking the Long Way” (Open Wide/Columbia/Sony BMG), has been marketed with hardly any help from country radio. As a result, one of the top-selling female groups of all time has to content itself with moving merely a million and a half (so far) copies of its new CD.

Which is still plenty. And during Tuesday’s concert, which drew a monumentally enthusiastic crowd, the controversy made it easier to hear old hits in new ways. Songs like “Wide Open Spaces” and “Ready to Run,” about women leaving home and striking out on their own, sounded more than ever like mission statements. “Long Time Gone,” with its criticism of country radio, all but predicted the current estrangement. Even the famous “Goodbye Earl,” about two women killing off an abusive husband, well, no doubt these three wouldn’t mind a little revenge.

If the controversy echoes across the old songs, it positively dominates many of the new ones. You could hear it in “Everybody Knows,” which achieved a gorgeous soft glow. “You say I’ll pay the price/That’s the chance I’ll take,” Ms. Maines sang. Her bandmates, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, locked into a harmony, and a pedal steel guitar commiserated. And “Not Ready to Make Nice,” the new album’s defiant lead single, earned an extraordinary ovation that only ended when the group started playing the next song.

But sometimes this overwhelming context was less welcome. The exuberant “White Trash Wedding,” which pokes fun at a ringless groom and a pregnant bride, sounded more mean-spirited than ever: it almost seemed as if the Dixie Chicks were sneering at the world they left behind.

And when Ms. Maines mentioned Mel Gibson, there was a loud roar because listeners knew something was coming. “You know how it is when you’re drunk,” she said, offering sarcastic sympathy for the actor, who is trying to live down his anti-Semitic rant. Then, noting that Mr. Gibson has reportedly entered rehab, she said, “All of our controversy would have been over if I had checked myself into rehab and said I was drunk and didn’t know what I was saying.” Another thunderous ovation.

There is something familiar, and quite discouraging, about this split. The liberal singers versus the conservative Catholic actor; New York versus Nashville; Kerry voters versus Bush voters; blue versus red. If there’s no room in country music for the Dixie Chicks, and no room in the Dixie Chicks’ music for country’s core audience, then each side loses something.

But you can hardly blame the Dixie Chicks for following the advice in their own songs and setting off on their own. Tuesday night offered a glimpse of a brilliant and stubborn pop group trying to figure out what’s next. And two of the best moments were quiet ballads from the new album, “Easy Silence” and “Lullaby,” in which the three murmured, “How long do you wanna be loved?/Is forever enough?/’Cause I’m never ever givin’ you up.” This is a song for a baby, but it was possible to imagine that the three were addressing their fans instead. If you’re going to split town, it helps to bring a few million friends along with you.

daily news on the chicks

MSG whistlin' Dixie!

In parts of this country, some people want to run the Dixie Chicks out of town on a rail. But in New York, the group could run for office and win in a landslide.

At their concert at Madison Square Garden last night, the Chicks' performance had the impact of a political rally. Yet the group has had to cancel dates in such twangy mainstays as Houston, Memphis and Oklahoma City - all as part of the continued fallout from singer Natalie Maines' famous line from 2003 about being ashamed to come from the same state as President Bush.

It didn't help matters that fiddle player Martie Maguire recently told Time magazine that the group would rather forgo your typical Toby Keith fan in favor of "a small following of cool people who get it."

Last night's crowd definitely got it. And the Chicks gave them many pointed chances to show it. They took the stage to the sarcastic strains of "Hail to the Chief," eliciting knowing giggles, then went straight into "Lubbock or Leave It," which addresses small-town intolerance.

Later, they announced, with full irony, that the new song "Taking the Long Way Around" describes "how we make the excellent career decisions we make."

As crowd-pleasing gestures go, these hit the mark squarely. While they could have seemed smug delivered in this, the bluest of blue states, instead they wound up giving the group an extra edge they could use.

In the past, some of the Chicks' slicker country-rock has had more decorative appeal than depth. But recent events seem to have given them more grounding and context, especially live. Last night's show combined both the fine craft of their best songs with an extra dash of purpose and consequence.

Maines' heavier vocal on Stevie Nicks' "Landslide" showed a new awareness of both the toll of time and the character it can bring. She imbued "Wide Open Spaces" with a more urgent sense of yearning.

While the concert, like the band's new CD, gives stingier play to Maguire's fiddle work, and Emily Robison's banjo, the two had a few choice showcases here, including several in "White Trash Wedding," which the group wryly dedicated to Mel Gibson.

That's typical of the humor that has helped make the group's amped-up politics go down easy.

Originally published on August 2, 2006

post on the dixie chicks

HICKS CLICK A
BIT, BUT TRIO LACKS BRIO

By DAN AQUILANTE
Dixie Chick Natalie Maines was just a tad stiff at the Garden show. Photo: N.Y. Post: Jim Alcorn Dixie Chick Natalie Maines was just a tad stiff at the Garden show.
Photo: N.Y. Post: Jim Alcorn
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August 3, 2006 --
COUNTRY REVIEW:
THE DIXIE CHICKS

THE Dixie Chicks don't like George Bush - they didn't back in 2003, when they told a London audience they were ashamed the president was from Texas, and they don't now.

At Madison Square Garden Monday, the trio's criticism hadn't ceased - it just went underground, into the music.

While that may irritate concertgoers in the South - where the trio had to cancel their big home-state show in Houston for lack of fan interest - here in New York City, the sarcastic "Hail to the Chief" with which they took the stage ignited wild cheers.

The Chicks concert was OK, not great - yet this one-night stand was anointed by the dominantly female audience with cheers and applause at every turn. The concert staging was subpar, the sound only passable and the band was stiffer than Al Gore.

Pint-size frontwoman Natalie Maines is a gifted vocalist, but she seemed to be trying way too hard. She forced her voice through many songs, which resulted in some very harsh tones and a look of constipation.

Fiddler Martie Maguire also appeared tense.

The only Chick who seemed to be having a good time was banjo-plucking Emily Robison (Maguire's sister). While it was probably just coincidence, in her tailored jacket and black slacks, Robison was the only Chick who displayed any fashion sense.

Politics and fashion aside, they made their best moves when their guitar-heavy seven-piece band turned down the amps and let the Chicks break out.

That happened during a cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic "Landslide," and in a few of their quieter originals, including their inspired rendition of "Lullaby" - easily the best love song of 2006.

They disappointed on the rollicking country/rock tunes - such as "Earl Must Die," about rubbing out an abusive spouse, and "White Trash Wedding," which they dedicated to Mel Gibson - where they were overpowered by the band.

As Maines put it, "You know how it is when you're drunk. Not that this song has anything to do with Mel, I just wanted to give him a shout-out." She added with amused, catty reflection, "The [Dixie Chicks] controversy would have been over if I said I was drunk and went into rehab."

But she wasn't drunk. Instead, she wrote a very good song called "I'm Not Ready to Make Nice." At this show, it proved to be an unrepentant, artful composition that voiced her and the band's feelings with so much more power and grace than the words she blurted out to garner cheap applause and please a foreign audience three years ago.

dan.aquilante@nypost.com

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 3, 2006

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 3, 2006

Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
Are you a force of nature right now, or are you a freak of nature? I think the truth is that you're a freaky force of nature. You're just about as anomalous as it's possible for a Capricorn to get, and yet you've also got the equivalent of a thunderstorm's energy at your command. The funny thing is, the two factors are related. Your eccentricity is feeding your power, and vice versa. My advice is to refrain from questioning and worrying about this unusual state of affairs, and instead just capitalize on the odd advantages you have at your disposal.

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last night at the dixie chick, kyan douglas were there looking fabulous. Rosie Odonnell and her wife Kelli and Cindy Berger, who also represents the Dixie Chicks. There was a CNN special on Ms Berger with such vocal and high profile clients, she is a busy busy woman.

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82º
"RUTHLESS"

Tuesday, August 01, 2006