What you should know about John McCain

Ed. note: This post is part of a conspiracy to link to articles critical of Sen. McCain. The more people link to these articles, the higher will be their Google rankings. Thus when folks Google McCain regarding these issues, they will be more likely to see these critical articles at the top of the list. It's not often I have the opportunity to be part of a conspiracy. I love a good conspiracy!

1--John McCain Votes to Filibuster Minimum Wage Hike - AOL News is highly ranked on John McCain, and the minimum wage increase was incredibly popular. 2--McCain housing policy shaped by lobbyist - This article emphasizes how corporate special interests have formed McCain's economic policy. If it becomes the top ranked MSNBC article, it will appear in the top ten searches for McCain nationwide. 3--Bush, McCain plug Social Security - Seniors are going to be the key swing vote in this election, and they hate Bush's plan to privatize Social Security. This is the best polling message against McCain of all, which isn't surprising since our victory on Social Security is how began to turn the tide against Republicans and conservatives three years ago. The headline alone ties McCain to Bush, and this article already ranks very high on searches for McCain Social Security. 4--McCain blasts Obama's and Clinton's attacks on NAFTA - This is a great article because it not only ties McCain to NAFTA, which is quite unpopular, but it also draws a contrast between McCain and Democrats on the issue. The LA Times is also in the top twenty searches for John McCain. 5--McCain in NH: Would Be "Fine" To Keep Troops in Iraq for "A Hundred Years" - McCain's "100 years" statement ha damaged him already, and this article has already been significantly optimized on Google. While Mother Jones is not an ideal news source, it is the top article for this quote, and appears in the top thirty searches for John McCain already. 6--McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion - This is my personal favorite. The headline just makes McCain look like an asshole, and ties him to Bush. Who is opposed to health insurance for kids? CNN also is in the top ten searches for McCain and John McCain A lot of people will see this one. 7--Senate passes expanded GI bill despite Bush, McCain opposition - While I am not thrilled about using Salon, since it isn't as well known, and since there is an advertising wall that hides the story, the title is damaging enough. McCain's opposition to the GI Bill really hurts him, and tying him to Bush is just as bad. This title does both in a clear, straightforward manner. 8--McCain says overturn the law that legalized abortion - Pretty straightforward, and extremely important. More than half of all women voters think that McCain is pro-choice. This will quickly change their minds. 9--McCain Defends Bush's Iraq Strategy - The classic McCain SEO, that still appears in top thirty searches for McCain and John McCain. It is also proof positive that this campaign will work, because it appears as the second CBS news article, but still on the front page in Google searches just below the CBS election center information on John McCain. That is all we need to do to get it on the front page of searches about McCain--optimize it against other CBS articles. Also, even though this SEO campaign was abandoned fifteen months ago, it still ranks in the top forty in McCain searches. If a fifteen month old campaign is still that effective, imagine what we can do with enough participation in this campaign.

Chop Shop - the movie

Saw Chop Shop opening at Real Art Ways in Hartford. A well crafted movie set at Willett's Point in Queens NY in the shadows of Shea Stadium. It is an area known for seedy auto repair shops, and the home of an underground culture, economy and lifestyle. It is that lifestyle that is portrayed using young non-professional actors playing themselves and filmed entirely on location that gives this film a raw authentic look of a street smart kid's survival and hope for a better life. Even in this most bleak set of circumstances and surroundings this parent-less 12 Year old boy and his sister make some sort of life for themselves, find small pleasures, and have dreams for a better future. Director Rahmin Bahrani's in this, his second film (Man Push Cart) succeeds once more in bringing the viewer intimately into this world. The lack of trained actors is more than compensated by well crafted camera work, film editing and direction which draws you into this culture and makes you hope and care for these children.

Of course I am extremly proud of my son David Laster, involved in a big way as a film editor in this full length motion picture. Surely his editing contribution played an important part in the success of this film.

Please, Hillary...

Just go away, and take your husband with you. The pathetic pandering to your last best hope, white redneck middle america conservative leaning democrats won't get you elected. Watching you throw back shots and a beer, telling hunting stories about shooting of rifles with your Pa, or proposing silly gas tax holidays just makes you look phony and foolish. It's over. Bow out gracefully. Let the real games begin.

Stevie D's birthday jam

I've said this dozens of times now, but it keeps getting better. Hartford is getting to be an incredible Jazz town. Monday night jazz jam at Black Eyed Sallys is a wonderful thing to behold. This week, in celebration of Trombone wizard Steve Davis (Hartford's mentor for aspiring young jazz musicians) birthday, all the great jazz cats turned out. Many coming all the way from NYC. Dig this:

Steve Davis - trombone

Kris Jensen - Tenor (little know outside of Hartford, but as good as any NYC session man)

Mike DiRubo - Alto

Warren Byrd - Piano

Nat Reeves - Bass

Eric McPhereson - Drums

Man, I spend hundreds of dollars each time I go to New York to the jazz clubs to see cats of this caliber play. But its all in Hartford Connecticut... and no cover charge. Plus, these cats jammed for over three hours, joined on the stage by maybe a dozen more local musicians, mostly seriously good students from the Jackie McLean Institute for Jazz (Hartt School of Music). 

How much fun is that? And for the cost of a couple of drinks at the bar. Damn, it just doesn't get any better. If you live near Hartford Connecticut, check out Black Eyed Sallys on Monday nights. I promise you will not regret it.

Nader '08

I got a text message today 10:00AM from David. It simply said "Nader 08". Woa, he's doin' it again. My first reaction... Unless Obama turns out to be a real dope, I don't think I'll be voting for Nader this time around. Then I happen to watch Meet The Press, and there he was speaking to Russert. Single payer healthcare, fighting corporate ownership of American politics, increasing tax rates for speculative investing and tax cuts for working Americans, breaking the stranglehold of our healthcare system, a pollution tax... These are issues that need to be heard, issues that are not being spoken by this crop of presidential candidates.

How will the Dems react. Will they simply try to shut Nader up and denigrate his candidacy as they have done in the past, or will they embrace his message and inject these stands into their own platforms. If they do the former... I might just get on the Nader bandwagon. These are issues that need to be part of the presidential debate.

So right now, this is how I stand (and I reserve the right to change my mind). If Clinton becomes the nominee, it's Go Nader, baby! If it is Obama, we'll have to see where he stands in relation to Nader's Issues and how the Dems treat Naders candidacy.

Right now, it looks like the Dems have a true liberal candidate in Barak Obama. But I have to say, Nader is THE MAN.

Late night Jazz in NYC, with Bob Reynolds

Nothing is more fun then hitting the jazz clubs in the Big Apple. Here is how it went down this Friday evening.
4:00 PM book out of work a little early
5:30PM Board Train from New Haven to Grand Central Station
7:00PM Dinner with Dave
9:00PM Take cab to Greenwich Village.
10:00PM catch 2 late sets with great sax player and friend Bob Reynolds at 55Bar
1:00AM catch cab back to Grand Central Station, and train to Connecticut
3:00AM train arrives in New Haven, stumble into our car to drive home
4:00AM Arrive home
How's that! I can still party all night long like a college kid! Here's the YouTubes, shot by Claire to prove it.

Yes We Can

Yeah, this is cool. I'm not voting based on this, but it is cool.

Like heroin

75%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Can the Clinton's sink any lower?

Have the Clinton's no shame? Bill's role as Hillary's hatchet man is surely unbecoming of an Ex-President. Obviously the strategy goes like this. Obama tends to be the beneficiary of unifying the racial divide of public opinion and has proven his ability to do so by trying hard to keep race out of the campaign. Therefore, Hillary can only gain from injecting race into the campaign and fomenting peoples anxiety over racial fears. However, it would a political disaster for Hillary to overtly do that herself. So, who is the perfect proxy to do this devilish deed? Hubby, Bill!

My friend Ken Blanchard from South Dakota Politics blog made this astute observation:

Obama did try, very hard, to minimize race as a factor in the campaign. And for a while he succeeded. It was the Clintons who, just at the moment their campaign looked to be in crisis, put it back in. Are the Clintons cynically, if very cleverly, using race as a wedge issue to split the Democratic party in their favor? I don't know that for sure. Would the Clintons do so, if they thought they had to to win? About that, there can be no doubt.

And this:

First: the Clintons have succeeded in splitting the Black and White portions of the Democratic party. If Ms. Clinton can hang on to the latter, she will be the nominee. Second, however, is that the Clintons have managed to make themselves look dirtier even than they were before. Mr. Bill explained away the South Carolina results by explicitly linking the Obama victory to those of Jesse Jackson. Everyone now assumes that everything a Clinton says is part of a well considered strategy. White voters may well be hesitant to back a Jackson-like candidate of Black America, but won't they be equally offended to know that they are being played? The Clintons are counting on winning the White vote n a lot of states on Feb. 5th. But by being so transparent, they are running a terrible risk.

Now with the recent endorsement of Democratic party icon Senator Edward Kennedy, it appears that risk has taken a terrible turn for Hillary's chances for the nomination. What goes around comes around.

Study: Bush, aides made 935 false statements in run-up to war

Except from today's CNN:

"In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003,"

The quotes in the study include an August 26, 2002, statement by Cheney to the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction," Cheney said. "There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us."

Entire article here.

Jazz night NYC Jan 08

Another great night of Jazz in NYC:

Curtis Fuller Septet at Iridium:

shown: Curtis Fuller tbn, Randy Brecker tr, Javon Jackson ts,

not shown: Rufus Reed b, Jacey Falk tr, Carl Allen dr, Luke O'Reilly p.

Early show at Jazz Standard, caught Aaron Goldberg Trio with Mark Turner at Jazz Standard.

Aaron Goldberg p, Rueben Rogers b, Eric Harland d, Mark Turner ts.

Obama had it right in 2002

**Begin quote**
... But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history.

I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda.

I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.
**End Quote**

Obama's Iraq speech is worth reading in its entirety.

A jazzy holiday

A memorable Winter Solstice holiday to be sure. Went to NYC to catch Chick Corea with an amazing lineup at the Blue Note. Yeah, long hike to the Village, followed by standing and waiting for an hour for the show to begin, followed by standing room only, watching the show by the bar... still it was worth it. Chick p, Victor b, Wekyl d, Gambale g, Marienthal s.

Followed by discovering a great new Trumpet artist in Ingrid Jensen at my favorite NYC club 55bar.

Than on to Boston a couple days later to see the great legendary pianist McCoy Tyner (yes, of the John Coltrane Quartet) with young trumpeter Christian Scott.

Does it get any better than that. Thanks Dave, for having us over at your pad in NYC, and following us around the big Apple all night. It was a blast.

We've been Simpsonized

Cool! You can get Simpsonized too.

iPhone Envy-Treo appreciation

Sure I have iPhone Envy! That gorgeous screen, real web page rendering, best ipod ever, slickest user interface, WiFi. No doubt, the iPhone is groundbreaking technology that pushes wireless mobile devices to a new level.

But wait! I realy dig my Palm Treo 700p. There are many functions I can do that iPhoners can't, like load some great 3rd party apps... IM anyone? You can't configure keyboard shortcuts without a keyboard! I have an SD expansion card, a removable replaceable battery, threaded SMS client, customizable menu screens, cut copy paste, view PDF's and edit MS Office files. I can sync and transfer files via bluetooth. And just like an iPhone, I can surf the web, check email. I have Google Maps, mp3 player, movie player and YouTube. Its not always as slick and well integrated, but the Treo can do it (and with fast 3G, not slow as molases EDGE). Too bad no WiFi like iPhone. Of great importance, I can do almost any function with one hand, even while driving (not recommended... but let's face it, we all do it). I bet it's not so easy to do that on the iPhone.

The palm treo is awsome (BTW, before this I had a blackberry... it sucks). Palm should be more proactive in hyping its great smartphone features versus the iPhone (and Blackberry). But still... when I hold that iPhone, it is like having the future in my hands. Apple innovation has done it once again.

New (Old) way to buy tunes

For the last few years I have been buying virtually all my music digitally. I've been doing it mostly through eMusic a great alternative source with a unique and wonderful jazz collection. Sure, it's a great service at a great price, but one thing has been missing with digital music. Liner Notes, with groovy cover art, complete personell listing, date recorded, and often inciteful commentary and background into the musicians and the recording session. Maybe a better way is to buy used over the Internet. I just scored this Blue Note classic, Hank Mobley, Workout. $6.75 plus $3 for shipping (from Amazon, used-like new condition). For less then $10, under what you would pay on iTunes, you get the tunes, extensive liner notes, rip it DRM-free in whatever format and compression rate you choose, and you have the CD as hard backup. You can't beat that at any digital storefront.



As for the album, Hank Mobley is playing a hard driving tenor sax with a rock solid rhythm section of Paul Chambers-b, Wynton Kelly-p, Philly Joe Jones-d. Grant Green rounds out the sound on guitar. A winning combination for sure. Driving, straight up classic jazz with a soulful, bluesy influence as well.

Prince of BeBop - Greg Abate

Greg Abate is one of the finest alto sax players on the Jazz scene today. With more than 10 albums as a leader, Greg began his career touring with Ray Charles and the Artie Shaw band. His music is deeply rooted in the Bebop tradition of Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt and Cannonball Adderly, though he has his own unique modern voice. As a jazz educator, composer and performer, he has traveled the world spreading the joy and artistry of bebop jazz.

I first heard of Greg when he emailed me about a year ago and asked if my radio station had any of his CD's for airplay. They had about 4 of them, but not any of his recent work. He updated our library with 4 of his newer releases. I dug his playing from the start, and I play him constantly on my radio show. We emailed back and forth a few times. He invited me to a gig he was playing in Connecticut, and I went down to New London CT to see and hear him. When he walked into the jazz club, I could see he was upset and agitated. I walked over to him and introduced myself and asked what was wrong. He said the club owner couldn't pay him and he might just leave. I convinced him to stay and play, which he did, and blew the house down, although there were only about 10-20 patrons at the club. In between sets, he hung out with me and my wife. It was a great night. We continued an email correspondence since then.

Then a couple of weeks ago, I was emailed an invitation to his 60th birthday party at his home. Even though it was on a Saturday night, when I do my show, I couldn't resist the invite. I lined up a fill-in DJ for my show, and we drove to Rhode Island (about 1 1/2 hour drive) to Greg's home, a small modest condo. I expected that he was going to have all his musician friends there and they would be jammin' all night, but when we got there it was just some family members and a few friends. He was surprised we actually came, but said he was glad we did. At first it was awkward, but everyone was so friendly, they made us feel like family. He said he wasn't going to play, but a few of us kept bugging him to. At some point in the evening he called us all down to his basement and broke out his baritone sax, and jammed solo. I had my digital camera and snapped a few shots. Then he took out the tenor sax. I realized I had a movie feature to my camera and caught about 30 seconds as video. Then he pulled out the Alto and played an incredible improvisation on 'Round Midnight. I caught the whole thing as a movie clip on the camera. A little later his girlfriend, Kerry brought out the birthday cake. After that, Greg asked for his flute, and another great solo performance was captured on my digital camera. One of his friends suggested I put it up on YouTube. I've never uploaded video to YouTube before, but it seemed to be a great idea. I asked Greg's permission which he gave me, so I prepped the video files and uploaded them the next morning.

And that's the whole story of those video's taken at Greg Abate's house at his birthday party. Quite an experience! I think I captured how cool it was in those clips.

Change is good...

yes it is.

Jazz in NYC

We have re-discovered the jazz clubs in New York. Been doing this about once a month for the last 3. Last week we caught a couple acts in one evening, finishing off the night at the Mecca of Jazz clubs, the Village Vanguard. Man, all the greats have graced this stage. I shot a little movie with my new digi camera.

Steve does it again!

In a brilliantly stated essay in the form of an open posting entitled Thoughts on Music, Steve Jobs states that if the four big record companies (Universal, EMI, Sony BMG and Warner) would agree to license DRM-free music, Apple would agree to sell all its music without its FairPlay copy protection in a heartbeat.

Steve makes a compelling case that DRM is unnecessary and does not prevent illegal copying of music anyway. Afterall, 90 percent of all music distributed legally by these same record companies is unprotected in the form of CD's which contain no protection whatsoever. In fact, Jobs says that only 3 percent of music on iPods is purchased from iTunes and has the dreaded DRM. The rest of the music on iPods is obtained from other sources, like files ripped from the owners CD collection.

These statements were made against a backdrop of several European countries pressuring Apple to open up its FairPlay DRM systems to its competitors, in an effort to increase inter-operability between music bought from iTunes and a wide variety of playback devices (other than iPods). Apple says... "Perhaps those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free."

Will Steve Jobs now go on a crusade to pressure the Big Four to drop its requirement for DRM? How will the record companies react to this. In 2003, Apple changed the face of the music business by offering leagally downloading digital music that played on a great music player, the iPod. Once again, Apple Inc. is poised to change the face of Industry and FREE THE MUSIC.

Check out the full essay here.

WTF, George Bush?

Didn't we just get through an election that was considered to be a referendum on the Iraq war; one that resulted in an overwhelming defeat for Republicans and a repudiation of the war in Iraq? Doesn't every poll show that this country is no longer behind the continuation of this war? Didn't this President form a bi-partisan committee on Iraq, that put forth recommendations to begin a timetable of troop withdrawal and transfer of responsibilities to the Iraqi army? Has not the last three years proven that our military occupation of Iraq has had the exact opposite effect of what was intended? This colossal miscalculation has resulted in more terror, more torture, more killing, more violence and lawlessness, more hatred of the US, more destabilization in the region, than before we overthrew Saddam Hussein. In fact, it would be difficult to refute the notion that this war is an illegal action, justified by misrepresentations about weapons of mass destruction and trumped up charges that Iraq was an imminent threat to the US.

So what is the justification for escalating this conflict by adding another 20,000 US troops. Mark my words; we are only headed for the slippery slope of more casualties, more destabilization, greater terrorist activity, more hatred and distrust of US policy. Hearing the term escalation reminds me all too much of Vietnam, and that is very disturbing. 20,000 troops is just enough to escalate the violence, and most likely not enough to squelch the insurgency. That would probably take 200,000 troops, and without a draft, and without a just cause, that simply won't happen.

George, what gives you the right to take this action? It is so clearly contrary to the will of the US people, your own bi-partisan advisory committee, and our newly elected representatives in Congress. The Bush oligarchy has reached new heights of incompetency and arrogance. Democracy has been stomped on, smothered, and stifled by none other than our own King George for the last 6 years, and this troop surge is the latest and greatest example. It is a sad day for America.

Damn, I really wanted to blog about the Apple iPhone... that will have to wait for another day.

James Brown, Godfather of Soul.

James Brown died on Christmas Day 2006. The Hardest Working Man in Show Business; he single handedly created the musical genre of funk and soul. Undoubtably one of the most influential musical artists of all time. IMHO, he ranks right up there with Parker, Trane, Hendrix, Dylan, et al. Read about him here.

SNL: Dick In A Box

Just too funny! Best SNL skit in a long time.

After the elections

Well, the elections are over, and it is a coup for the Democratic Party, as they essentially take over the legislative branch of government. I am pleased to see the Republicans being dealt a big blow, and the country is better off with this change in power. America spoke out, loud and clear that they were tired of the Republican administration's corruption, hypocracy and most of all this unjustified and mishandled war in Iraq.

The Dems are touting a 6 point plan as their agenda for the next two years. Its a great agenda that promotes ending the Republican culture of corruption and dishonesty, energy independence, affordable college education, fixing the prescription drug plan and retirement security. A great plan indeed. Now its time to see if the Dems can put words into action.

As for Lamont. Unfortunately he lost, but his candidacy helped to bring the anti-Iraq war movement into the forefront of American politics and the elections.

As the election draws near...

the importance of the Iraq conflict as a basis for your vote cannot be overstated. Thousands of Americans have lost their lives, tens of thousands seriously wounded, hundreds of thousand Iraqi's, mostly non-combatants, have been killed. It is clear that this illegitimate military occupation was based on lies, misrepresentations and miscalculations. If our mission was to rid the country of tyrants and terrorists, only the opposite effect has been achieved. It is clear to me, that when we eventually leave Iraq, it will not be with a secure US friendly democracy ruling the country, but in the midst of a brutal civil war, that we cannot, nor should not play a role. Therefore, why should we prolong this occupation, lose more of our sons and daughters to death and mutilation. What is to be gained by continuing this flawed policy?

If this election offers a choice in your state, as it does in mine, of electing a representative that supports 'staying the coarse' versus one that advocates a timetable for withdrawal, vote for the candidate most likely to put a swift end to this unjustifiable, illegal war. Here in the state of Connecticut, we have a choice between Lieberman, and Lamont. Lieberman is no less than Bush's lap dog. He has been an opportunist throughout his Senate tenure, skipping votes when they may be a political liability. His pockets are bulging with corporate contributions from which he will be forever owing favors. Lamont takes a strong stand against this war, and for universal healthcare. If you live in Connecticut, I urge you to VOTE LAMONT! If you don't live in Connecticut, it is likely that a similar choice is before you. Vote to end the war in Iraq.

A Jazz scene in Hartford

Yes, it is true. Hartford does have a thriving jazz scene. I thought Hartford and Jazz was on its last legs, but all of a sudden, the Hartford International Jazz Festival comes along and kicks it up. We had a GREAT weekend. Jazz every night, club hoppin' after the shows, eating in the Hartford restaurants, meeting great jazz fans and musicians. The best time I have had in Hartford in about 20 years. The main concerts were awesome. Lou Donaldson w/Dr. Lonnie Smith on Saturday put on a helluva show. On Sunday evening, we heard Cyrus Chestnut with Eric Alexander doing a Coltrane tribute. It may have been THE best jazz performance I have ever seen. These incredible musicians playing Coltrane classics in a small NYC type club, was the perfect atmosphere. They blew the doors off the house with hard-driving renditions of Cousin Mary and Mr. PC, and brought the crowd to tears with beautiful ballads like Naima. A memorable weekend.

Another year in radioland

My jazz radio show has been renewed for another semester. Thus begins year three of In The Groove, Jazz and Beyond at WHUS radio.

Five Years Later

and how the world has changed. Five years ago I chronicled the events of 9/11 and the days following. It is interesting to go back and read these posts. Five years later, I just don't feel that any attempts to bring justice to the evil perpetrators has succeeded. Sadly, Taliban, Hezbohlah, Islamic terrorism, has not been defeated or even held in check. I don't have the answers, but what we have done and are doing is not working.

Dylan, the legend

Bob Dylan, a legend of Folk and Rock, a pioneer of the protest song, poet extraordinaire, founder of folk-rock music, truly a legend like Hendrix, Miles, Trane, Bach and Beethoven. So, even though I haven't liked anything the man has written or sung since 1975, I had to see him live in concert when my buddy Gordon offered up the tix. Man, it was a great concert and great party. Yeah, his 65 year old voice is old and raspy, but it's Bob Dylan not Andrea Bocelli! His band was tight and smokin' and Dylan played lots of old tunes. Standing out in the rain, hearing Dylan sing 'Like a Rolling Stone' sent chills down my spine. A great night.


In The Groove Podcast on iTunes

Finally, after several attempts, In The Groove, Jazz and Beyond has been listed in iTunes. The holy grail of podcasting directories... achieving podcast nirvana! Imagine, In the Groove is now distributed right along side NPR, CNN, KCRW and many other media sources. As you see I am pretty excited. Check it out AND SUBSCRIBE!

Brand spankin' new Domain

<start geek alert> What is more fun than buying a new Domain on the World Wide Web? Woohoo!! Just claimed jazzandbeyond.com for use with my way cool podcast. jazzandbeyond.com is so much more hipper than refering to it as a 'lasternet dot com slash in the groove'. </end geek alert>

The Mid-East today

The situation looks even bleaker than before this war began. On August 6, I wrote in this blog:

Any further incursion into Lebanon, such as attacks on Beirut, or other densely populated areas, will not help the Israeli cause, but will only embolden its enemies (which includes Syria and Iran). Continued bombing by Israel, only intensifies that support, and encourages legions of misguided youth to join in Hezbollah's terrorist cause. The reality is that continued violence will only make it more difficult to disarm the terrorists.

It is sad to say, but my prediction was right on the mark. Now, not only does Hezbollah hold a heroic status throughout the Arab community, but has also gained political strength to the point where heads of state are lining up to sing their praises and extol their 'victory'. Prior to Israel's miscalculation, many of those same Arab aristocracy may have been willing to even help disarm Hezbollah. Now any hope that that will happen is remote indeed.

Meanwhile, the situation in Lebabnon, Iran, even Afghanistan are far scarier than Iraq. Even today, Iran put on display a defiant show of its military might, and proclaimed it will not give up its nuclear program. Still, we are wasting all our military capital in this senseless war. Yet, Bush refuses to concede to this unjustified and mistaken foreign policy. Question is, where does it all end.

Vacation

I just can't take enough vacation time, but this one at Cape Cod was just great. Pics came out great. An incredible whale watch, and ending the week at Fenway Park was perfect.

The People Speak, The Country Listens

Ned Lamont has defeated Senator Lieberman in the Democratic Primary for the Senate. For the first time in many years, I feel good about the Democratic Party. At least in Connecticut, grassroots Democrats have stood up against the party hierarchy to proclaim that they will not support this unjust, illegal senseless war in Iraq. This race has, incredibly gotten national attention. The majority of Americans no longer support this war, and its time for our legislators to take notice. These results speak volumes. Lieberman has backed this administration for this war despite the lies and deception that was used to justify this illegal action. It has cost this country thousands of deaths, and 10's of thousands of lives lost in Iraq. Lieberman has also supported bogus Republican policies like the energy bill giving millions of dollars in tax breaks to the energy companies. No surprise as Joe Lieberman has collected more corporate contributions than any other Senator or Congressman.

Ned Lamont stands for an end to the illegal war in Iraq, he is for universal health care, and an energy policy that does not give more money to oil companies already lining their pockets with unprecedented profits. I can only hope that Ned Lamont represents a new beginning for the Democratic party, one not afraid to stand up to George W. Bush. How refreshing is that!

And guess what! Republicans are already courting Joe Blow Lieberman, pledging support and money if he will run as an Independent. You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. Good riddance Joe.

Now is the time...

to let the seeds of peace in the Middle East take root. It is not often that I find this administration 'getting it right', but listening to Condeleeza Rice express US policy regarding the Israel/Lebanon conflict, I am heartened to see us pursue an aggressive and balanced approach towards a cease fire. Thus far we have held fast to the primary objectives in agreeing to a cease fire. First and foremost, Hezbollah, clearly a terrorist organization, must be disarmed before a cease fire can be agreed to.

It is now up to Israel to make a move to halt the escalation of violence and killing. Why must Israel make such a move? Because Israel, as the western style democracy represents what is good and just. Israel says they do not wish harm to come to civilians. Israel holds the overwhelming military might to cause death and destruction, and with such power to destroy, comes the responsibility not to use it.

A severe blow has been given to Hezbollah, and a lesson has been taught to the Lebanese government. Israel has accomplished all they can by military means. Any further incursion into Lebanon, such as attacks on Beirut, or other densely populated areas, will not help the Israeli cause, but will only embolden its enemies (which includes Syria and Iran). Continued bombing by Israel, only intensifies that support, and encourages legions of misguided youth to join in Hezbollah's terrorist cause. The reality is that continued violence will only make it more difficult to disarm the terrorists.

Yes, the world owes Israel a debt of gratitude for killing Hezbollah terrorists and destroying their weapons. They have done what the US and other peace loving countries have been unable or unwilling to accomplish. This is why I say that it is in Israel's best interest at this juncture to begin to de-escalate its attacks in Lebanon, and use this draft resolution as a stepping stone to a cease fire and some measure of security for Israel.

Let us not delude ourselves...

The Bush administration must take on much of the blame for the current situation in the mid-east. The misrepresentation and deception that brought us into a military occupation in the region has only increased the mistrust and heightened the adversary relationship between the US and the Muslim world. This has resulted in more violence, more terrorism, and heightened aggression throughout the region that has spiraled out of control. Now it appears, god forbid, we are on the brink of world war. Should Syria and Iran engage their troops in this conflict, will the US be able to stand back and watch? Can the US effectively broker a diplomatic solution when it is reviled and distrusted throughout the Arab world? It is not easy to see any way that the situation can come to an end game without all out war. I hope and pray that I am wrong. (and it is not often you will here me use the word 'pray').

Perhaps Israel has done what the US should have done. Israel went directly after the terrorist organization that threatened their security. They did it swiftly and directly against those that threatened them. Contrast that to the US action in Iraq. If we had been sincere in our actions, we would have gone after the terrorist infrastructure in Saudi and Syria, rather than the deception and ulterior motives that led us to a war in Iraq.

Who Killed the Electric Car
GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!! A great, great flick. One of the best documentaries I have seen. Quite different than the Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth. While that was more or less a classroom lecture, Electric Car is an engaging look, not only into this important technology that was tragically squashed by corporate interests, but it is also a look into how government and commerce works. It shows the importance of government regulation in the protection of the environment AND the advancement of technology. When the government abdicates its responsibility and gives in to corporate bullying, citizens will suffer. The automakers realized that Electric Vehicles not only will cut into sales of expensive, profitable combustion engine cars (like SUV;s), it will devastate aftermarket industries for repairs parts, oil filters, mufflers, spark plugs, fueling stations.... A typical maintenance on an electric car is rotate the tires and top off the windshield washer fluid.

What made the movie great in my opinion was (unlike the Gore flick), this movie ended in such enthusiastic optimism. The technology exists and is improving with newer and better batteries. Gas prices are getting ridiculously higher, evidence of global warming is becoming evident. The growing success of hybrid vehicles has proven the demand is there. Given these conditions, and the human spirit to embrace new technology, the demand for Plug-In Electric cars is bound to grow, and some entrepreneur within or beyond the auto industry will step up and prevail. It just makes too much sense.

Fantasy Baseball Heaven

A sure sign that spring is here. Not only is the weather getting nice... great, last night was Fantasy Baseball (FBB) Draft night. Look forward to this night all winter long. 4 hours of hanging at Rookies Bar & Grill, drinkin' suds and talkin' baseball. Pretty damn pleased with my picks. Got some power (Helton), speed (Juan Pierre), and pitching (Santana). Now the excrutiating wait till opening day. Hey, we get to watch our favorite players in World Baseball Classic action. Whoopie... we get to see our FBB players pull hamstrings, tear shoulder muscles and get hit by pitches... oye.

I've played FBB for a decade now. How it has changed since the Internet took hold of it. Now its huge, its interactive, its a blast. THIS IS WHAT THE INTERNET WAS INVENTED FOR.

Hilarious article in the Onion.

back from paradise

sucks to be back. rather be here.

Stupid is as Stupid does.

Dick Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter. How stupid is this. Stupid people engaged in a stupid sport (shooting birds), get into a stupid accident and shoot each other. This couldn't happen to more deserving people.

From CNN: "The vice president didn't see him," she continued. "The covey (of birds) flushed and the vice president picked out a bird and was following it and shot. And by God, Harry was in the line of fire and got peppered pretty good."

This sounds like they are talking about some stupid trailer trash hicks.. and these are people that we entrust to protect our country. How pathetic!

And the Press... As Lou Dobbs pointed out, at today's press briefing 65 questions from the media were about this accidental shooting, and only 17 on other subjects. We are in the midst of a War based on lies and deception, we have a huge trade deficit, we have incompetence at highest levels of our intelligence agencies, and FEMA. We are surrounded by hatred and terror in the world... and our press is preoccupied by a STUPID HUNTING ACCIDENT! How stupid is that.

Still Blogging after all these years

Woa! This month marks the Fifth Year of the Brain Drain Blog. Been at it since February 2001. Blogger was a lot different then, and this blog shows it. Different archiving system, no built in commenting, just a couple simple templates. But Blogger started a revolution in personal publishing, and I feel like I was in it on the ground floor. Its fun to go back and read those early posts.

My most favorite project, In The Groove Podcast now also runs off of Blogger. I see even Roger has gotten into the act.

Damn Sudoku

Got hooked. Wasted most of this weekend.

On the other hand, my powers of deductive reasoning should be greater than most mortal men!

A Big Day for us Apple geeks

Its like Xmass, New Years, birthday all rolled up into one, when Steve makes his MacWorld Keynote speech. Us cult members are frothing at the bit when Jobs takes the stage. This years big announcement was Intel chips in the iMac and Powerbook... er... MacBook Pro. Way cool. Probably the only thing I will open the wallet for at this point in time is iLife 06. Upgrades to iPhoto, Garage Band (podcast features) and the new iWeb look droolworthy.

Maybe the coolest thing on stage was that jazzy iPod ad featuring Wynton.

New Years Blahs

The holidays are over with and I feel like crap. Too much eating, drinking, late nights, and a big fall on my head, so now I look like this. Don't ask.


Gotta heal my wounds, diet and clean up my act.

Duke Ellington on Acid

The Sun Ra Arkestra performed at UCONN last Friday, hosted by WHUS. Amazing and outrageous concert. Orchestrated chaos, 18 piece band, jazz, voice, strange instrumentation, costumes, acrobatics, interplanetary travel. Sun Ra passed away over a decade ago, but the music lives on under the direction of Marshall Allen.

From the Sun Ra website:
Eclectic, outrageous, sometimes mystifying but always imbued with a powerful jazz consciousness, the music of Sun Ra has withstood its skeptics and detractors for nearly three generations. Sun Ra was the first jazz musician to perform on electronic keyboards (56), the first to pursue full-scale collective improvisation in a big band setting, and his preoccupation with space travel as a compositional subject predated bands like Weather Report by about 15 years.All this from someone who refuses to even cite the earth as his home planet and prefers to have arrived from Saturn. As Sun Ra once explained it, "I never wanted to be a part of planet Earth, but I am compelled to be here, so anything I do for this planet is because the Master-Creator of the Universe is making me do it. I am of another dimension. I am on this planet because people need me".
Catch the Sun Ra Arkestra, but you gotta see them live.

Bad, Bad Blogger

I just gotta make more entries into this thing. How can I expect anyone to read this if I don't post. duh!! In reality, why would anyone read it even if I posted... well, strangely, R's freinds at college actually do... more reasons to post. Hey Ali and Julia... nice meetin' up with you at NEU.

Actually, Lasternet.com has seen mad traffic this month due to Thanksgiving Turducken. Nov 11 brought 1100 visitors and 1400 page views!

Kids home for TG day. Nice couple of days, great to have them around. Our lives seem to revolve around the success and failures (haven't really been any) of our kids. This must mean, I have no life of my own.

That fact is evident by the way too much time and energy spent on my radio show and podcast. CHECK IT OUT!! I think its way cool. But DAMN Apple computer for not listing it in the iTunes directory. Still workin' on it, though. It's in about every other podcast directory, including Yahoo's podcast listings. I think it's a blast.

!!!GO RED SOX!!!

Gotta love this game when it comes down to Sox v Yanks in the last weekend of the baseball season.

Bad Blogger

Not good to ignore your blog for so long. Sooo much has been happening that the blog has been put on the back burner, I guess.

Fam - So much has been goin' on. Big transitions for whole family. Wife and i work situation was, to put it delicately, very tenuous. Turns out both of us have brand new positions, and everything is working out well (links for K and C). Dave is working and living in NYC. Making a good life for himself, diving head first into new situations and every time meeting the challenges and being successful at whatever he does (not that I ever doubted his considerable abilities). NYC, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. As for Rach... she graduated HS with top honors, and fulfilled her ambition of going to Northeastern in Boston. She worked sooooo very hard and put it all together including winning many scholarships and making all the arrangements for college on her own. Now she has gone off to school, showing her independence, maturity and all her smarts. What an impressive young lady she is. Now me and C are home alone. WOW, its been a momentous and stressful couple of months for sure, but everything as fallen into place as well as one could hope for. Ain't life grand.

Radio - My jazz radio show, In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond, has been renewed for another semester (Saturday evening 7-9PM). That makes it one full year. Also, got the Podcast thing goin' on. It's probably the one activity in my life that gives me the most pleasure, and I look forward to it all week long. CHECK IT OUT!

Ella!

Just when you think there is no hope for Hartford, you find something new and great goin' on. Theaterworks is a tiny playhouse just like those cool off-broadway stages in NYC. From a non-descript doorway, you decend a small stairwell to a tiny dark theater with a small stage, no curtains surrounded by at most a couple of hundred seats. We saw a GREAT performance called Ella! Off the Record about Ella Fitzgerald. Mostly a jazz concert; An actress playing Ella with 4 backup musicians. But it was theater also with two sets (recording studio and a concert setting), clever lighting, and her story interjected between some great swingin' tunes. A great production and a fine night out in Hartford.

The Jeep saga

Dave's jeep has passed on. It was a fine vehicle when purchased in August of 2001. Since then it has been hacked up, crashed, vandalized, violated and now it just died. First its interior was hacked as a ridiculous boomin' stereo was installed. It had been in several crashes (I even backed into it in the driveway). It had been victimized by thievery a couple of times, wrecking the door locks, windows and other body parts. In the end, just sitting unused in the driveway, lacking any human contact it began to deteriorate. It seemed to loose its will to live. Windshield cracked, tires deflated, battery ran dry. It died of old age. All we could do is have it carted away, donated to the Diabetes Foundation... finally being chopped up for reselling its parts. It has died but perhaps lives on as an organ donor (auto parts donor?). Good bye Jeep.

My Podcast

I have spent way too many hours this Fourth of July weekend, setting up my radio show, In The Groove, Jazz and Beyond to be an official Podcast. I have made my show available as .mp3 downloads for a while, but with the all the talk of Podcasts and the ability post them in iTunes, I completly geeked out and learned the XML code necessary to publish my show as an RSS news feed. Then I played around with various RSS Newsreaders and Podcast programs for a few more hours... like till 2 AM. I am totally geeking out. Its getting too freaking wierd.

Geek News Flash!

Apple to Use Intel Microprocessors Beginning in 2006 - Incredible news. I was stunned when the rumors started to fly... and now, they are all true. At first, it was a heartfelt disapointment. The IBM PPC with its RISC architecture was one of those things that made the mac Different. That is part of the allure of the platform. It is counter-culture. It goes against the grain. Intel has always been half of that un-holy alliance with the evil Microsoft Windows (WinTel). However, there is no denying that over the last couple of years IBM has been unable to keep up with the processor advances of the Intel world. In order to compete with WinTel's speedy 3+ GHz processors, Apple has needed to ship dual processors in their pro models. They have been unable to ship G5 laptops because of the heavy power requirements and excessive heat from G5 PPC chips. There have been constant delays in Mac shipments because of IBM's inability to produce an ample supply of G5 processor chips... and they are more costly. So, if moving to Intel means better price/performance and access to all the technology advancements that Intel brings to the table, so be it. Bring on the Macs with 'Intel Inside'.

If you still have that uncomfortable feeling about this... I URGE you to view Steve Jobs address to the WWDC. This will set your mind at ease. He has his act together as usual with a transition strategy that is very painless, with tools to compile Universal Binaries that run on both platforms, and Rosetta code that allows for fast dynamic translation of existing software to the Intel processor that is transparent to the user.

The only question that remains, is how will they continue to sell PPC Macs during the next couple of years until this transition to Intel is complete. Will Mac sales be in the dumper until the Intel Macs are released?

Gotta have at least 1 post...

for the month of May. Yes, I have been slacking off in the Blogosphere, but a lot has been going on. Here are the highlights.

Job - Took a little while to get into the swing of things, but after a year or so of my old company in a downward spiral, and a month unemployed, it took a bit to get on track, understand my role as owner of this product line, know what needs to be done, and formulate a plan on how to do it. It all sounds a little cryptic, but I am feeling great about this opportunity and my new company.

Family - Dave Graduates College. Tremendous job, son! Got the degree in 3 years, already secured a luxury apartment in NYC (hope you're not in too deep), and has several job opportunities. I have absolute faith that Dave will succeed big time in whatever he pursues. Congratulations. (one down, one to go).

Radio - Still groovin' on WHUS FM with my radio show. It was renewed at the same time slot for the Summer semester. Nice routine on Saturday eve. Play Jazz DJ from 7-9 PM, then meet my honey for eats and drinks at Margueritas. Doesn't get any better than that.

Mac stuff - Installed Tiger on my PowerBook. Way cool. I like how they handled the Sync'ing function, as I need to sync info on Palm, multiple Macs, iPod, Internet, .Mac account... way too many toys! More on Tiger on a future post.

Back to work.

I have accepted a job offer with Merritt Graphics as Director of Digital Printing Operations. An exciting new adventure with a progressive digital printing firm, well managed, financially healthy. Its an environment unlike any I have worked for in the past. Imagine this: No Offset Printing! Pure Digital! With a state of the art new Xerox iGen Digital printer.

SWP seemed like a good gig at the start, but it went south in a heartbeat. Looks like I have landed back on my feet. Its going to be a real challenge, but its one that I look forward to with great anticipation.

April Fools... not so funny

Cruel day, this April 1. Sweet Waverly Printing shuts its doors. Let's just say, I'm between jobs.

Draft night 2005

Last Thursday night at Rookies Sports bar, I conducted my 7th annual Fantasy Basebal Draft. One helluva night. Four solid hours of drinking beer, talking baseball with a bunch of baseball geek friends and drafting a team of MLB players. Some of these guys I see but once a year, but by October, after 4 or 5 hundred postings on the Yahoo Fantasy Baseball bulletin board, they are like your best buddies. An incredibly cool and addicting pastime. Fantasy Baseball IS what the Internet was invented for. My Team... the Jazzters. Baseball is almost here, and that's the best sign that Spring has Sprung.

Typoglycemia

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg – the phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid! Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? Yaeh, and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt.

Pretty cool, huh?

Totally psyched! Initial discussions went real well. 2nd round to come early next week. Sounds like great opportunity. Even has ties to my favorite company. More info to come as this develops.

Why Does Windows Still Suck? / Why do PC users put up with so many viruses and worms? Why isn't everyone on a Mac?

Great article - A must read. Soooooo true. I spend all my time at work mopping up malware off other's computers. I listen to sob stories nearly daily from home computer users about their computers being rendered useless by viruses and spyware. Yet my incantations of... Get a Mac... just get a strange look. The overwhelming masses are such fools.

Deja vu all over again? Maybe change will be good.

'In The Groove' goes Prime Time

Begining February 12, my radio show In The Groove moves to a prime time slot on WHUS. Tune in Saturday evenings from 7-9 PM EST for the best in Jazz radio.

Straight Life

The autobiography of Art Pepper. A tremendous read. This is the brutally honest story of the self-destructive life of one of jazz music's greatest players. Art holds nothing back as he tells his life story of obsessive sex, drug use, prison time and thievery, while pursuing the art of jazz and the alto saxophone. Art's career spanned over four decades, though his playing was interupted time and again for long harsh prison terms in hard-core facilities like San Quenton. Yet each time he gets released from prison, he returns to his life of getting wasted on drugs and alcohol. Finally, in a desperate moment, after being thrown out by his girlfreind and rejected by his mother, Pepper checks into Synanon, a rehab center with an unorthodox cult-like method of therapy. Finally he kicks his addictions (though continues using drugs), and enters the most productive and artistic stage of his career till an early death at age 56.

This gut wrenching story really gets you into the mind of Art Pepper. If you can't relate to his life at some level, you at least get an understanding of how the mind of a self-destructive artist thinks. Although you may despise his addictions, criminality and seemingly racist attitudes, on some level you admire his independent 'I don't give a fuck about anyone, i am going to do, say, feel, play whatever I want, and I will deal with the consequences'.

The book was written by wife Laurie Pepper, from transcripts of Art Pepper's telling his life story on tape. It is augmented by interviews from friends and musicians. Throughtout the book, you read the story as told by Art, and then read the same account from a different perspective by those who were there at the time. It is one of the most compelling and addictive (no pun) books I have read.

For the past week, I have been doing nothing but seeking out and listening to the music of Art Pepper (a great collection is at eMusic, a great music download service especially for jazz-heads). This cat consistantly created great recordings no matter what drugs he was using or how loaded he was at the time. My next radio show, Jan 31, will be an Art Pepper special.

Best of Jazz 2004

I created an iMix of Best Of Jazz 2004 (link requires iTunes). The iMix playlist goes with my radio show that airs Sunday afternoons. Click on the following link for more info on my show-In the Groove,Jazz and Beyond.

MacWorld Announcements and BIG Prediction

Another great MacWorld Expo San Fran. Very cool new products announced by Steve Jobs at the Keynote address. The iPod Shuffle, and the Mac-mini. I hope to hell that they are both successful. But for me, I don't have that drooling desire to own either one. These products are really aimed at the first time Mac User. I have never seen Apple release such low-end budget hardware. I prefer to see Apple in that high end BMW, Power, Elegence, Stylin' mode. But make no mistake about it...there is a huge market for budget Mac's and an opportunity to expand market share with these products.

My BIG Prediction for Apple in 2005
I predict that Apple will license Mac OS X to IBM to produce Business and Enterprise computer products, while Apple will concentrate on the Home Consumer market. Here is what leads me to such a conclusion.
1. Apple's success with home products like iPod, and iMac (and lack of success in the business market).
2. IBM's recently selling off its Windows/Intel based computer business to a Chinese company.
3. IBM is a major producer of the PowerPC G5 processor that is the heart of all Mac's.
4. IBM's long history and relationships with corporate America and Enterprise computing can make great strides getting Mac OS X servers and desktops into the business world. IBM may be able to expand the Mac Market beyond its current niche in graphics, music, and movie-making.
5. Apples announcements at the MacWorld of low-end consumer products. No mention of PowerMacs, Servers or even laptops in the Keynote address.

So mark my words... you heard it first here on Ken's Brain Drain. Apple and IBM will enter into an alliance to gain market share and compete seriously with the Micro$oft Hegemony.

A New Year

Can't help but think of the disasterous events that brought in 2005 with the Tsunami that hit the islands and coastal regions of the Indian Ocean. Don't mean to be a bummer on the New Year, but this event has put a grave shadow on what is usually a celebratory time. The pictures and stories from that part of the world have been mind-blowing. It is humbling to think, that all the weapons, wars and oppression that man bestows upon his fellow man; it doesn't hold a candle to the power and destruction that Mother Nature can inflict with one wave of water coming down on those poor souls.

Earlier this week, we spent a couple of days in NYC. Stayed in a cheap hotel room with shared bath for one night. Spent most of the time hanging in Greenwich Village, and caught a great jazz show with Mike Stern at Bar55 on St Christopher Street. Real small intimate setting, and the band ROCKED! For New Years eve, did a fill-in at the radio station with my buddies (gord, kirk, stephen) which was a blast. Then joined the rest of the crew for the Midnight thing.

Merry Christmas?

All I can say is Bah-Humbug. Really, I am totally not in the mood this holiday. Not a christian, hate shopping, don't want to give nor receive anything. I am completely turned off by the glutony of upscale shoping malls and advertising and gift catalogs that we are bombarded with this time of year. I'm on edge because it seems that so many areas of my life are uncertain and unsettled. Prospects of Peace on Earth or Goodwill are dim. So, please allow me to opt out.

Rant: Automombile Hell

Yep! Been going through Automobile Hell lately. One little annoying noise results in taking my car in for repair no less than 6 freakin' times. Damn that Bolles Motors. You know the story. One little problem grows into another and another... and I am still not done.

To make matters worse, just as I am dropping off the car, and calling the wife on the cell, she gets a flat tire in some remote industrial area a few towns away in the dark of night. She has to wait in the car for a couple hours till daughter can pick me up and take me to her car to change the tire. Thank god for cell phones. I can't imagine how we could have communicated and made all the logistical arrangements without it. A bitch of a night to be sure.

Mandala Construction

Watched these Buddhist monks that came from a monastary in Ithaca NY, construct this Mandala, a sand painting, which they will deconstruct in a couple of weeks. The one I witnessed took place at UCONN's Benton museum. INCREDIBLE.

The Onion : Nation's Poor Win Election For Nation's Rich

Gotta love The Onion. They just always put everything into perspective.

"'The Republican party—the party of industrial mega-capitalists, corporate financiers, power brokers, and the moneyed elite—would like to thank the undereducated rural poor, the struggling blue-collar workers in Middle America, and the God-fearing underpriviledged minorities who voted George W. Bush back into office,' Karl Rove, senior advisor to Bush, told reporters at a press conference Monday. 'You have selflessly sacrificed your well-being and voted against your own economic interest. For this, we humbly thank you.'"
link to full article

Is this what we have become?

from Ken Layne blog with good commentary.
VERY insightful commentary on the election from kottke.org blog.

The Great Divide

The results are in, and IMHO they are NOT good for the future of our country. Looking at the electoral map it is clear that there is a great divide in the way we Americans believe we should be governed. The North East, the Great Lake States and West coast vote Kerry, and the Southern, Plain, and Midwest are Bush country. Bush wins by 51% of the popular vote. Some call that a mandate, I think it is pretty damn close to an even split.

Listnening to all the so-called experts, all we are hearing are how the Democrats lost on the Values issue. I think they are correct. However, the last thing the Democrats need to do is to give-in and become more like the Republicans. The Repubs will always out-trump the Dems on so-called Family Values as they are defined by Bush and the Religious Right. What the Dems need to do now, is to define Family Values in terms of livable wages, racial and ethnic tolerance, fair taxation, and affordable healthcare. Basically, the Dems have to recapture their traditional base of the common working man/woman and appeal to the Real Family Values that we all struggle with everyday.

BTW, after listening to all the talk shows, and all the right wing talking heads speaking of how Bush must translate this mandate into an agenda of the Religious Right... the Christian Evangalist movement is beginning to sound alot like Islamic Fundamentalist... just with a different leader.

What I haven't heard, and what the Democrats refuse to admit is that the demise of the Democratic party began with the Clinton scandal. The Dems pooh-poohed Clinton's relations with Monica Lewinski. That set the tone for what was percieved to be corrupt Democratic values. It cost Gore the election and the Dems never addressed the problem. Now, in 2004, the Dems even flaunted the issue by holding up Bill Clinton as a saint and savior of the Party. Big mistake.

A Day of Decision for the World

For the sake of this country and indeed the world, it is my sincere desire to see George Bush defeated today. Regardless of who prevails, I can only hope that the election has a decisive finish so we are not dragged through weeks of accusations and legal battles that diminish the democratic process. With emotions running at a fever pitch, I can only imagine what may happen post election. Will there be riots in the streets? What will be the World reaction? Will the terrorists strike at this crucial moment in history? My own anxiety, concern and stress are at levels higher than I can remember over political issues.

Why haven't we learned a lesson from the 2000 elections, and made some serious strides towards election reform? The "Winner take all" electoral college system is obscenly outdated and should be removed immediatly. The fact that a candidate can be elected without the majority of the popular vote is obviously counter to all Democratic principles. And that means run-off elections if no candidate gets a majority of votes. It is a travesty that the Supreme Court Justices decided who became president in 2000. Unfortunately, with the polls and predictions as they are we could very well see a repeat of 2000. I do not discount the possibility that this administration may use its power and influence to undermine and obstruct this election. I sincerely hope that does not occur.

My own prediction and my fervent hope, is that John Kerry will win. I think the large number of new voters and cell phone users that have not been accurately polled, lean heavily toward Kerry. Inclement weather predictions in the key states of Ohio and PA may keep more non-committed people at home and I think that favors Kerry. In fact, I agree with the pundits that this election rides on getting the vote out, and I feel that the more committed citizens, those likely to vote despite long lines, bad weather, and voter intimidation (if it exists) are those that seek a change in this countries leadership.

You CAN vote for Ralph Nader in 2004 (maybe...)

I am tiring of Dems and some liberals trashing Ralph Nader's candidacy. Let's face it, Kerry and the Dems have forsaken their liberal roots. Kerry would rather get that photo-op stomping around the woods in camouflage with a 12 gauge shotgun, than take a strong stand against the War in Iraq, or advocate Universal Health Care, or propose a livable minimum wage. The Dems would rather slander this great American activist's name, and subvert Nader's right to appear on ballots in all 50 states, than win over his supporters by promoting a liberal agenda for the Kerry presidency.

However, I do NOT want 4 more disastrous years of a George Bush administration. Yet there is a very good chance that this may happen. Our outdated and corruptible election system allows for the election of a president without a majority of the popular vote. The mathematics of the Electoral College may favor Bush if he is not defeated in a few key states. It finally struck me that there is indeed an answer to this dilemma. I found it in a petition that advocates Nader supporters to vote for Kerry "IN ALL SWING STATES". Therefore if you live in one of the 40 or so NON-Swing states, whether it is a Red or a Blue state, you are free to vote your conscience. This petition was signed by many of the great progressive minds of our time. Here in Connecticut, the polls show a 9-15 percent edge in Kerry's favor. Here, we have the luxury of voting our conscience.

A presidential election comes along only once every 4 years. I view this not only as the selection of a president, but a referendum for the policies and agenda for the next term. If you vote for John Kerry OR George Bush, you are voting for the following agenda:

• Continuation of a military occupation of Iraq
• Increased troop strength and military spending
• A health care system run by Insurance companies focused more on executive salaries and profits for the shareholders than the patients.
• No change in our system of Corporate funded elections resulting in 'Government by the Corporations, For the Corporations and for the benefit of the shareholders'.

If you feel strongly that you do not agree with these positions, I would urge you to vote for Ralph Nader, UNLESS you live in one of the Swing-States like Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa and about 10 others (you know who you are). In that case, I would urge you to vote against another George Bush presidency by voting for John Kerry.

If you live in a non-swing state, and you believe in reforming the two party system, restoring Democracy and moving the Democratic party towards one that values labor, world peace, the oppressed, and a progressive liberal agenda, than let your voice be heard. Vote for Ralph Nader.

(BTW, if your convictions are so strong that you feel in your heart that you must vote for Nader despite living in a swing state... I promise not to harass you for it. Vote your conscience.)

The Curse... Reversed

Now, I am not a superstitious guy, but I gotta say, there WAS something to this Curse of the Bambino stuff. The Red Sox always lose in such dramatic fashion. I have watched in amazement, the Bucky Dent homer in the one game playoff against the Yankees, the ball dribbling through Bill Buckner's leg against the Mets in the 1986 World Series, and the Aaron Boone 11th inning HR in the 7th game of the American League championships just last year.

This year's post season was so strange. For the first time ever a team comes back from a 0-3 game deficit in MLB post season play (not to mention football and basketball); two overturned umpire decisions in one game (both favoring the Sox); police called onto field in full riot gear to prevent violence; first time a team has won a game in post season after committing 4 errors... and they did that in 2 consecutive games; rediculously bad base running error by the Cardinals stopped potential game tying rally.

To cap it all off, Red Sox win the World Championship for the first time since 1918 on the evening of a full moon with a total lunar eclipse... DAMN! TALK ABOUT HAVING THE PLANETS ALIGNED!

I wasn't going to vote for Nader...

... Until They Told Me I Couldn't

If Bush Wins, Blame Me

Excerpts from an article by DAVID VEST from Counterpunch. click on link to read entire article

I hate the Bush ads that make Kerry seem unpatriotic for even daring to oppose the incumbent. Bush and Cheney have consistently suggested that for Kerry to point out the obvious, that Iraq is a mess, somehow "hurts the troops." Even worse, he is "helping the terrorists," who are doing everything in their power to help Kerry win.

I thought these were the vilest political arguments, until I looked at the thrust of Kerry's argument against Nader. Kerry has done to Nader precisely what Bush tried to do to Kerry, suggesting that it is somehow unpatriotic of Ralph that he would even consider running for president when Kerry is running. He is "helping the Republicans," who are doing everything in their power to help Ralph run. He is on an "ego trip," he is "damaging his legacy," and a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush.

The character attacks on Nader launched by the Kerry camp have been, if anything, even harsher than the Bush campaign's attacks on Kerry. Their anti-Nader "talking points" have successfully permeated political discourse, and not just on TV. I hear them coming out of the mouths of good people, folks who passionately love their country and who seem to have no idea they are helping to slander a good man who believes himself to be working on their behalf.

They have almost managed to convince me that it will be not only Ralph Nader's fault but mine as well if Bush wins. For all I know, they may be right.

Since it's all my fault, feel free to vote for Nader if you want to, the damage is already done.

It proves Ralph's point about how corrupt our two-party system is. (ed.- refering to Democrats efforts to deny Nader's name on state ballots)
(end of excerpt)

Ultimately, you should make your decision based on the issues. Ralph Nader's (RN) position versus John Kerry (JK):

IRAQ
RN: Set a six month timeline for the withdraw of troops from Iraq. Replace troops with International Peace-keepers from neutral countries to conduct free elections (not US sponsored elections to prop up a puppet regime).
JK: Increase troop strength, "Win the war"
------
MILITARY SPENDING
RN: Decrease military spending
JK: Increase military spending
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HEALTH CARE
RN: Single-payer government sponsored health insurance, available to every citizen.
JK: Continue with current Corporate owned and operated health plans, but subsidize health insurance with tax dollars to those who cannot afford it.
-------
ELECTION REFORM
RN: Promotes electoral reform, refuses Corporate and PAC money. Endorses Run-off Election voting.
JK: Has said little about election reform, accepts big contributions from Corporate and special interest groups (including money from the same sources that fund the Bush campaign).

I just heard a Nader interview. He closed by saying... (approx. quote), 'If you are not prepared to fight and lose, fight and lose, fight and lose... you will just lose, and your agenda will be lost forever.'

I guess I am back in the ranks of the undecided.

Update: Red Sox win American League Pennant. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

The best month of the year

October is the best part of the year. Crisp cool air, gorgeous fall foliage, fresh apples... and of course, Baseball Playoffs and the World Series. Once again, the Boston Red Sox are trying to shake the ghost of Babe Ruth with an incredible series against those arrogant, $$deep-pocket$$, Yankees. It just doesn't get any better than last nights Red Sox win. This game had everything. Two critical plays overturned by the Umpires (a double changed to a Sox HR, and A-Rod slapping the ball out of the 1st basemen's glove turns a run into an out), gutsy pitching by the crippled Curt Schilling and to top it off, dozens of police in riot gear to protect the players from angry mobs in the stands!!! Sox scratch and claw their way back from a 3-0 game deficit to force the final 7th game. Just the way it should be when the Sox meet the Yanks in post-season.

Oh yeah, and there is that other great contest going on. Bush versus Kerry. That one could go into extra innings... just like in 2000. We can only hope that the Massachusetts team wins that one too. ;-)

John Kerry is the right choice

Till now, I have been one of those undecided voters. Of course the choice has not been Bush v. Kerry. That choice is clear. In four short years, G. W. Bush has done an incredible amount of damage to this country, both in foreign and domestic affairs. He has gotten us into an unjustifiable, senseless and costly war in Iraq. The majority of nations all over the world have turned against us. The economy and jobs situation is in shambles, and he has sold out the middle class time and time again, to the benefit of corporate interests and the wealthy. This administration has been a disaster.

For me, the choice has been between Nader or Kerry. My disdain for what the American political system has become has, in the past few elections, dominated my decision to support 3rd party candidates. Democrats are only slightly less guilty than Republicans for what has transpired in recent decades with Corporate welfare, the healthcare crisis, and even this war. None of this administrations calamities could have been possible without consenting votes from the Democrats in congress. Furthermore, IMHO, the Dems have failed to nominate a candidate that really distinguished himself as a moral leader and champion of the middle class working men and women and the oppressed.

Initially I was not impressed with the choice of Kerry for president. But the more I learn about this man, the more respect I have gained for him. The essence of his character is rooted in his experience in Vietnam, and the actions that he took to protest the war when he returned. Oddly, it seems that the evil Republicans have seized upon this very thing as his greatest weakness! However, I feel that he demonstrated extreme courage and moral conviction in risking his future by condemning (rightly so) America's involvement in that war. By urging an end to the war in Vietnam, Kerry helped to save many lives that would have been lost had we continued.

Those actions have convinced me that John Kerry will bring a swift end to the war in Iraq. I also believe that John Kerry's post Vietnam actions demonstrate that he is a man with strong moral convictions that will guide his decision making in the White House. I am also convinced that John Kerry will steer this country in a direction that will benefit the lives of average working men and women in this country. George Bush makes decisions that promote a conservative agenda that we have seen will benefit the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.

So, sorry Ralph, I very much dig what you stand for, and I would love to see a viable 3rd party that is not beholden to corporate interests... But this time, I think the Dems have picked an honorable and competent leader in John Kerry (and John Edwards), that will get us out of this military occupation of Iraq, and fight for the working men and women here at home.

Oh yeah... John Kerry IS a Mac user. see photo below


credit: Time Magazine photo by Diane Walker

What happened to real journalism?

Attended a great presentation by Amy Goodman from Democracy Now!, a great independent news organization. She showed her documentary on the media in Iraq, and promoted her book "Exception to the Rulers". This administration's system of embeded journalism (or more accurately, government in-bed with the journalists) has re-defined the news media's role. Gone are the days of a media that raised questions of our governements actions, that dared to present a dissenting viewpoint as we saw during the Viet Nam years. Why have we not seen coverage of Iraqi civilian casualties, the destruction of homes, bodies of soldiers returning in coffins? During the Iraqi invasion, network news dutifully renamed their programs to coincide with the official US title, they hired retired US generals, they spoke of surgical strikes (a myth), and minimal civilian casualties (un-truths). Even the most conservative estimates by independent agencies show nearly 10,000 civilian casualties.

Amy's film showed the horrible images of war; children burned and dismembered. Mothers holding dead babies, villages destroyed. She showed CNN's sanitized coverage for US audiences, while CNN International showed the same event covered without deleting the scenes of carnage and destruction. She showed films of American tanks rolling up to the news bureaus of Abu Dabi News and Al-Jazerah and blasting thier headquarters killing several journalists (you may not like Al-Jazerah, but these were news reporters, not combatants). Why wasn't the protests during the Republican National Convention covered by the news media? These were the largest political protests ever in NYC, and the most arrests during a single event (2000 protesters), yet it failed to get any significant news coverage.

Amy Goodman's most significant point during the evening was; and I will quote to the best of my memory, "It is hard to imagine that if this was a government controlled news media, would the coverage of the Iraq war would be any different?". Maybe if the press had played the role of real journalists, and doggedly asked the probing questions that should have been asked about WMD's, the supposed threat that Iraq posed, the motivating factors that would bring us to war and occupation... maybe this war would have been avoided.

This presentation was sponsored by WHUS. Proud to say, its the station that airs my jazz radio program Sunday 2-4 PM (Ha... snuck a promo in there!)

Rather blather

What is all this crap about so-called RatherGate? The fact of the matter is, Rather's point was correct. Yeah, CBS F*ed up by using a document that likely had been forged (though not yet conclusively proven). But even the secretary that would have typed it admitted that such a document existed, and it accuratly reflects what occurred. Add this to missed National Guard meetings, physicals, flight training, etc., and it speaks volumes about this man's lack of character... especially in light of Kerry's honorable service during that time.

But, you know what? Its all bullshit. Just like the Swift-Boat crap. I am getting increasingly disgusted with the whole political scene. The central issue should be how this President has dragged us into the quagmire of Iraq. We are mistrusted around the world, have fomented terrorism where there was none before, and sacrificed many thousands of lives for a war justified by lies and misrepresentations.

Yet Kerry finds himself constantly on the defensive. What is wrong with this picture? Kerry should be attacking the President like a bull-dog, not backed in a corner trying to defend himself! God knows between Iraq, the economy, taxation policies, the environment, and social issues, there is plenty to attack on. Once again the Dems choose a candidate with no backbone. It sure makes Nader look like an alternative to consider. Maybe a decent showing by Nader could make the Dems wake up and take notice!

It's yer berfday!. Yeah, numero five one. Ouch... it's all good though. Feel like I'm on the top of my game.
• The Maiden Voyage of In The Groove went damn well, if I may say so. Still have lots of room for improvement, but I am pleased with the effort.
• Back into running. Doing pretty good. Need to keep it up and drop 'bout 10 pounds I've gained back.
• Great evening dinner out with whole Fam to celebrate bday.
• Great stylin' bday gifts... Leather.
• Encouraging signs that things are picking up at work.
• Even Fantasy Baseball is going my way. MetSox in 3rd place.

My radio show

Yeah, man!! Its official. I got me a radio gig. Now you can catch my jazz show; In The Groove...Jazz and Beyond on 91.7 FM WHUS Storrs CT, and anywhere in the world via Internet streaming; Sundays from 2:00 to 4:00 PM EST.

Damn nice time slot for a newbie. I was spared the overnight early AM shift. Not sure how that happened, but I am sincerely grateful to get a Sunday afternoon show. Thanks Kris Z. Your the best.

On the Radio

Finally, did my first radio show. Been workin' on it all summer. classes, labs, tests, demo's, mentoring... It all leads up to gettin' on the air. WHUS 91.7 FM from Storrs CT, home of University of CT; Radio for the People. Did a fill-in at the ungodly time slot of 2-5 AM. The show went well, and I get to do another fill-in Monday Sep 6 at a primo time slot of 8-10 PM. Of course I am doing a Jazz Show... 'In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond'. Will find out in a couple of week if I get my very own weekly show.

The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?

I suspect that many people actually believe that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are just a bunch of Vietnam Vets that feel betrayed by Jim Kerry's anti-war activities. It takes millions of dollars to produce and air these ads, and this group is backed by a cast of wealthy Washington (and Texas) insiders deeply entrenched in the George Bush inner circle. This graphic from the NY Times shows some of those connections, as well as debunks the Vets that appear in these ads. Just more lies and deceptions designed to deflect the public from the real issues that this administration would rather not see debated in this campaign.

It don't mean a thing...

if it ain't got that swing. Caught the Count Basie Orchestra last night at the Summerwind concert series. Man, they did swing. This music is timeless. These arrangements could have been penned yesterday. Great musicianship, flawless execution, incredible timing makes for good music in any era. These cats played with power, sensitivity, swing, improvisation. Drummer Butch Miles kicked the whole thing ahead with a Buddy Rich-like performance. The band played extremely tight as they belted out the old Count Basie Orchestra arrangements. Soloists marched one by one from their positions on the grandstand to front-stage to blow some incredible solos. Just great music.

Sadly, the concert was very poorly attended, partly due to the severe weather forcasts (actually the rain held off, and it was a nice cool evening), and mostly because of a lack of popularity for this genre. Too bad. This music deserves to be heard.

Summer Vacation Blues!

One week vacation in the summer is just not enough. Did a lot this week, though. Went to a minor league baseball game, picked up Dave in NYC, fulfilled a couple of requirements towards getting my radio gig at WHUS. Went to Rockport MA for 3 days and stayed at a really nice B&B. As a bonus, at the Inn, I was able to hijack one of their neighbors wireless Internet access! Good for keepin' up on the geek news and fantasy baseball.

But... DAMN, now its back to work. The summer has just slipped away. I gotta start taking more vacation time.

Democratic National Convention free audio

Want to listen again to those great speeches from the DNC? Now you can give another listen to Barak Obama, Jimmy Carter, Howard Dean, John and Theresa Kerry and more. They are all available as Audible.com content, on this page from the iTunes Music Store for free! Listen to them on your computer or take them with you on your iPod. cool.

John Kerry is a Mac user!

From the pic below, it appears that John Kerry uses a 15" Titanium Powerbook... just like the one I am using to write this blog entry! Kerry must be one smart dude. Just might get my vote after all!

credit: Time Magazine photo by Diane Walker

Gary Burton/Makoto Ozone concert

Went to this incredible Gary Burton, Makoto Ozone concert last night. A beautiful night to see a show in an outdoor venue. The music was spectacular. Probably the best musicianship I have ever seen live, in concert... and I have seen some of the best jazz musicians around. These cats had just incredible chops. Just a duet; Gary Burton, probably the worlds best vibe player, and Makoto Ozone, whom I had never seen nor heard of before last night, blew me away with his virtuosity on piano. For just two players, these guys had a fullness of sound that at times sounded like a full orchestra. They displayed an intensity in their solos, as well as great empathy for each other's playing. They played classical, swing, and ballads with incredible skill. Here is a sampling.

MacWorld Boston 2004

Macworld Conference & Expo was once one of those events that I most looked forward to every year. In its hay-day, it was the largest expo in the city of Boston, often occupying 3 different buildings simultaneously. Fast forward to circa 1999. Apple's market share dropped from around 20% to below 5%; they had lost a foothold in big business and are now a niche player in the creative markets and home computing and a few other niches. MacWorld Boston moved to NYC, the Media and Advertising capitol, in order to re-invigorate excitement for the Mac platform. It worked for a couple of years, but after 9/11, and because of the competitive market and economy, the show continued to decline.

As I understand the rumors, after the 2003 show IDG, the company that produces the Expo, got an offer from Boston that was too good to pass up to move the show back to that city. They signed up to be the first Exposition in the spankin' new Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Apple got pissed off because they wished to keep the show in NYC. IDG was committed to Boston and refused to change plans. Sooooo.... Apple pulled out of MacWorld Expo, and furthermore stated that they would no longer participate in a MacWorld on the East Coast, though they would continue to have the San Francisco Exposition.

What kind of Expo was MacWorld Boston without Apple Computer???. It was rather small and pathetic in this big new Expo center. There were only a couple of big players (e.g. Quark, Xerox). But it was actually pretty fun. The big cool new applications being shown were mostly Music. A niche that suits my tastes just fine. iPods and accessories were everywhere. Berkley College of Music put on some great presentations on how to set up a music studio, Logic Audio digital sound editing apps were amazing, and Guitar Rigg is an incredible program to add special EFX to your guitar. There were other innovative new applications and hardware being shown. Telephony, animation, 3D modeling and Graphics... Remember when MacWorld was almost entirely Printing and Graphics?

After all is said and done, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the last MacWorld Expo to be held on the east coast. Too bad. It will be the end of an era.

But don't worry about Apple Computer. they just released their Quarterly results, and its all good. $61 million in profits, 30% increase in revenues, and the stock price at its highest point in many years. Some great new products will be announced later this year including a new line of G5 iMacs. iPod sales increased 163% and the iTunes Music store has sold over 100 million songs and made a profit. Best of all, Apple still leads the industry in innovation and has the coolest and best computer hardware and OS that money can buy. Apple iRocks!