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.