The Case of The Missing Trigger

Willie Nelson performed at the 2004 Democratic Convention tonight WITHOUT TRIGGER! Since May, Willie has been battling carpul tunnel syndrome and has been sparingly doing shows post surgery. He recently performed at Ray Charles' memorial ceremony sans guitar. I had seen a photo in Rolling Stone doing "Georgia", but I had thought he was doing a guitarless arrangement. But tonight he had a Trigger proxy; a guy that looked like Lonnie Mack (but probably wasn't) doing signature Willie riffs on "Living In The Promised Land" while standing behind a Trigger-less Willie.

This is a national crisis of a gravity somewhere between missing plutonium and Austin Powers' missing Mojo. But ostensibly Willie's recuperation was suposed to have taken place in June. He started booking tour dates and had a big weekend for his annual July 4th picnic. There have been a smattering of cancelled and postponed dates since and now his tour with Dylan is iffy. Obviously, if he cannot perform one song at an appearance with Trigger, then a full concert appearance is going to be tough.

Can we imagine an America without the BRANG of Willie's nylon-string burping out in front of The Family Band? It is unconscionable. This is dire. Almost as dire as another Bush presidency.

John Kerry is building his speech to a rousing big finish. Good speech. U2's "Beautiful Day" springs forth into the hall. Kerry and Edwards are trying to deliver the goods. The 100% biodegradable balloons are drifting down. I remember the 2000 GOP Convention; an overestimation of confetti resulted in a near whiteout on TV. They were the party of confetti.

I hope that it may be firmly resolved to have Willie at the inaugrural ball with Trigger in hand doing Whiskey River. That is an American ideal as good as some and better than most.

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We Need A Change

Well, the band was hep; Patti LaBelle was dynomite; the Clintons were very Clintonian. It took a while to get there, but at about 10 minutes until benediction the room took on that special glow. The sixteen year old fiddler fiddled a fine version of "Amazing Grace". There was a nice version of "Blowin' In The Wind" with a sweet soul groove. The GOP cannot possibly top the music at this convention with their Vegas show band on retainer and Wayne Newton and Lee Greenwood. They will have to dig deep and con some hipness from somewhere. Oh God, what if they get P. Diddy?

Perhaps missing in action is the band itself. The media kit from the DNC will tell you all about the 4,000 miles of wiring in the Fleet Center, the 53 tons of recyclable structural steel added to support the massive rigging, and all the gizmos in the souped-up podium. It won't tell you where they hid the band or who the band is. But I will. Turns out the band is being led by Steve Jordan. It was actually during Patti LaBelle's Sam Cooke number that I got intensely curious as to who the drummer was and where they were hiding the band. After Googling around awhile, it turns out the drummer is the bandleader. Not only has he been a member of The Blues Brothers, but also he was the original drummer for The Late Night with David Letterman Band , Keith Richard's The Expensive Winos, and he recently was the bandleader for Celebrating The Blues a live show produced in conjunction with Martin Scorceces documentary The History of The Blues. Danny "Hootch" Kortmar is on guitar. He is the co-writer of "Boys of Summer" and "Dirty Laundry" among other songs with Don Henley. I wish I knew the name of the fantastic keyboardist, but trying to find out anything regarding the band is a bit of a challenge. I cannot even figure out where they have them set up. Maybe they are under the podium preserved in lucite.

Yes, there is lots of love going on. However, the Dems don't need to be the party of the beige bear hug; we need to be the party of GAME OVER. Attempts to make lite, fluffy rhetoric need to be balanced with swinging haymakers that land right on the nose of conservative misdeeds. The Deaniacs proved that you could get the non-involved involved if they believe that Democrats are willing to slam their fists down on the bar and stand and fight.

I dunno, it seemed like everyone was awkwardly nervous like during the first few songs the band plays at the prom when Clinton came out and started cutting a rug. Yeah, that's how it is done folks. This is how you keep the energy flowing in a room until it starts to build and mean something. You keep preaching the sermon until the sermon starts to physically levitate in the room like an object and you wave your hands and it all turns to confetti and a warm rush of good feeling. It doesn't execute policy or create legislation , but as Bob Marley once said, "you need to lively up yourself". Dean had it, Edwards has it whenever he is not invoking his life as a shoeless millhand, Obama's getting it, Kerry needs it.

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I Just Saw "The Corporation"

The Corporation - A film by Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, and Joel Bakan

Fahrenheit/911, Orwell Rolls In His Grave, The Hunting of The President, and "The Corporation"...it is like back in 1975 when "disaster movies" were terrorising audiences, only this time it is pissed-off documentarians. For the 2nd time in a month, my wife and I attended a screening of a documentary in a packed theater. The last time we went for an evening of non-fiction cinema prior to this summer was for Microcosmos back in 1997. We still talk about the two mating snails and the Little Dung Beetle Who Could — very engaging stars who must have lost their SAG cards, because they were never seen again.

My first impression of "The Corporation" occurred prior to the opening shot when the opening title said the movie was from "Zeitgeist Films"; good name for a distribution company considering the SRO crowd waiting to see the film. There appears to be a significant segment of the population ready to see films, buy books, and otherwise engage in commercialized forms of dissent. Apparently, we are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore.

But overall is this the case? Concurrently, there is another segment of the population that loves nothing more than to slap liberals about the head and face until they fall down. This summer is the summer of "Who's Side Are You On?", and perhaps like 1968 it is turning into a possibly ugly standoff.

If a corporation is an "artificial human being", than what kind of human being is it? Would you let him date your daughter? The movie opens with the premise that corporate personhood may be psychologically analyzed to determine its overall mental state. The diagnosis: corporations exhibit psychopathic behaviors — run for your lives! Is this some sort of propaganda that excites people to rise up and storm the gates of industry! Are we to commandeer and liberate the tools of production for a just society? Afterwards, I asked Laura if she thought the movie was propaganda. "My idea of propaganda..." she noted, "is not something that makes you think, it is something that gives you the impression that you don't need to think." Her thoughts were she was going to be more vigilant about keeping our 5 year old away from mass media (we try, believe me) and she is going to be adament about keeping hormone-free milk in the fridge, not an impossible task.

The movie makes a good case that transnational corporations ultimately seek loosely regulated ownership of virtually every aspect of the commonwealth. In their quest for usurpation, they are reliant on the police powers of nation states to secure their property, and they must be vigilant in their public relations so that We The People are perpetually marketed the idea that our best interests are being inexorably served. But pick up a can of spray paint and point it at a corporate logo and police will show up in riot gear, club you in the back, take your spray paint away, and shuffle you off for processing. The ugly night of Fascism has descended from the high-rise office towers and is prowling the streets — very dramatic.

What struck me sitting in the movie, was the memory of the police presence at last year's Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue Conference here in Chicago. The police outnumbered the protesters. I remember businesses closing early to allow workers a chance to get out of the loop before the CPD imposed the lockdown. It was an impressive show of force to protect a small band of conference goers at the Sheraton. Perhaps unfairly, I contrast this with when the LAPD abandoned whole swaths of South Central LA during the Rodney King riots. They were later criticized for not doing enough to protect private property. I wonder if South Central had been an enclave of sprawling corporate headquarters and an ugly mob was descending on it, what kind of force would be present? This, to me, is less looney paranoia than it is a simple acknowledgement of where the priorities possibly lie in today's society.

Ultimately, the movie shows some CEOs working to show virtues of environmental stewardship and engaging in dialogue with their detractors. It shows a clearly appalled Kathy Lee Gifford finding out that clothing bearing her name is being made by 13 year olds being paid $0.17 an hour. It also notes that production shifted to another continent subsequently and clothing bearing her likeness is still being manufactured in a sweatshop by Wal-Mart after all the hub-bub died down. McDonald's is your kind of place; they feed you rattlesnakes ; they throw them in your face... etc. Yes, the rhetoric is of the blue-in-the-face variety at times and the choir is certainly preached to — but as I heard Bill Moyers say recently about the small churches he knew back in the day in Texas, "on some Sundays if it was too cold or too hot, the choir were the only ones who would show up. We need the choir!"

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Yahoo! News - Physicist Rethinks Theory on Black Holes

Steven Hawking now admits that his theory of black holes is all wrong, which as many know is what I have been saying all along...

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UPI Reports: Missiles With "Nuclear Heads" Found In Iraq

Well, this certainly looks interesting. It also looks to be very much unconfirmed. In a thorougly unrelated matter, here is a headline asserting that Bush promises that Berger will be "fully probed". I think it is an unfortunate choice of words myself considering...
There is a good bit of intrigue going on in Washington these days. I think the summer heat in that swamp must be getting to everybody; either that or folks are kinda worried about that report being released tomorrow.

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And That Concludes Another Tuesday Night At the Abbey Pub Open Mic

For years now on Tuesdays I go to The Abbey Pub. I started going there a short time after Mark Zeus had relocated the open mic from the Clearwater Tap back in '94. After he moved to Houston in 2001, Erin O'Toole started hosting. She and Jeff Sachs make up the duo Home Kookin' and around them has coalesced a steady bunch of regulars that has resulted over time in a rousing slew of all star jams.

Last night I was bereft of transportation. The wife and kid were out of town and it was starting to rain. I mulled over the idea of skipping the whole thing but the phone rang and Kris Nichols offered to swing by and tote me over. I knew I would have gotten into hot water if I didn't show up. Leisha Fawn had called earlier in the week to let me know she was coming in to celebrate her husband's birthday and needed an accompanyist. She was there readying party favors when Kris and I strolled in and was in a mood to party. We spoke briefly of her health problems, but after pausing to show off some healing IV marks and reciting what good drugs are really like, she let it be known that she was there to have fun. And we proceeded to.

The regulars were aplenty. Greg Steele, John T, Rockin' Rick Wells, Fred, Craig, Seth, Brett, and others. There were some lively new comers and a rowdy table smack in the middle that, apparently high as a kite, absolutely loved everything that was being played.

Erin and Jeff were doing an opening set. Typically, back in the "Green Room" there is a tendancy for discussion to turn political. Tonight was no different. The friends and folks gathered at the Abbey on Tuesdays are bent on revolution...and so am I. Some really good songs are coming out of it and it is good to have a live venue with real people to vent the everpresent frustration and anger. As motivating and worthwhile as blogs are, there is no substitute for good old face to face ranting; even if beers occasionally get spilled.

But tonight, I retreated from what to do with all the money getting sucked to the top of the food chain and the clear evidence of a breakdown in supply side theory to go out, lean against a table and listen to that voice that still gives me shivers. Erin sings like Elvis, Loretta Lynn, Ray Charles, and Janis. Like if she couldn't she'd go crazy. Too few people sing like their life depends on it and with a total absense of pretense.

When this list swung into action I hopped around rather busy. I joined Kris' set first off. Our nine week residency at the Abbey has given us an ease to not spend a moment thinking of what comes next; it all stays in the moment and is quite fun. We wrapped Kris' three song set with his original "Criminals From Texas." A tune that is begging to be recorded. In it, he outlines the outrages that gets discussed back in the Green Room so often. The song is taut and powerful on its good nights. Last night was a good night. However, my D1 needed strings and was not at all fun to play and proving to be a distraction. Finding Greg Steele offstage, I asked to borrow his beautiful Taylor 6-string cutaway. I played it the rest of the night, deeply grateful for Greg.

After the success of "Criminals" with the audience, I decided to kick my set off with "Things Upside Down" an older political song of mine written back during the Bush I years. The duplicity that inspired the song originally now seem rather tame, everday stuff. It couldn't connect with the crowd perhaps with the same potency as Kris' song because rising unemployment and deterioration of the economy in the heartland is something we all are used to at this point. War, criminality, and venal class warfare is much more visceral lyric content.

I followed up with another oldie "Every Waking Hour" which I haven't done in a while, then Leisha wanted to come up before some of her gang had to take off, so she came up and we did "Happy Birthday" for Scott (her husband), Bobby Apollo (who got beeped moments earlier and had to take off), and Kris. They were all celebrating birthdays. Then we did "Crazy". She wanted to try to do stuff in a lower register because she said the meds were messing with her high end. "Crazy" sounded nice.

Shortly thereafter, I was asked to join Rockin' Rick Wells and we did "Tupelo Honey", "Johnny B. Goode", and the Otis Redding version of "Satisfaction" with Kevin Miller on sax and Jeff Sachs on fretless. That kicked things up a notch. Recently, on a night when I was guest hosting two bands insisted on signing up on the list and trying to set up on the small stage. The first band hauls in a couple LARGE amps and a kit that basically takes up the whole stage. We somehow get them wired up and they go into a thrash style metal frenzy that is supposed to get people rocking, but merely leaves them stunned. The second band used sequencers to drop samples into a crowded guitar/drums mix that had some originality going for it, but fit awkwardly in the room. It never ceases to amaze me how these sturdy, old rockers work their magic time after time with the simplest elements. The lyrics punch and sway, the beat bops, the breaks sing. 2:30 of expression distilled to it's core. I wish some of the new stuff with its anguished lyrics and impotent furiousness that seeks to be profound, was profound. But it isn't usually. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" was relevatory danger unleashed nearly 50 years ago. And that kind of material still gets people up. Maybe there is a fundamental difference in music that gets you up and music that gets you down. Who the hell knows...

At this point the night is getting a sweaty patina to it and the room is getting louder. The night is drizzling lightly and I step outside to breathe. Being unemployed sucks. Being unemployed in Chicago in the summer when the music is floating out like big psychodelic balloons is somewhat bearable. I get by with a little help...

Leisha was getting ready to go up and had a fairly big table cheering her on. She wanted to do "Landslide", but I'll be damned if I've ever played it. We ducked outside and started humming the melody until we could get it worked out seconds before we were up. She wanted to do "Pink Houses", but I thought it would be too high and she would blow her pipes on the first song, so I suggested Warren Zevon's "Poor Pitiful Me". Zevon's stuff is so fun to play that it is a shame the wicked soul is dead and can't write more. "I Was In The House When The House Burn't Down" is a favorite of mine that I played there shortly after he shuffled off. It's a fine, fine tune. Anyway...we got through "Landslide" and did a blues in E and called it quits. She had had fun, I had fun and I was happy to be a part.


Kevin Miller, a saxaphonist, was orchestrating an all star jam for his spot on the list. The last time I believe we wound up doing a 20-minute version of "All Along The Watchtower" that may have run outta gas after the first four minutes and had to be pushed into the station by four panting guys. You never know what will happen unless you try it. This time, we did "Moondance" followed by "Stormy Monday" and ended with some still left in the tank.

It is only occasionally that covers are so predominant at the open mic. Last week, it was virtually all original material and the place is a great, warm room to debut new material. But last night something in the summer air was calling for a night of oldies. Jeff and Erin brought the night to a finish with a brand-new original "Poor Old Upchucking Mule". Now, once you have a mental image of a retching mule you have a rather precise idea of how the song sounds. It was a suitable "big finish".

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On The Proposals To Let The Free Market Handle Everything

OK, so let me see if I got all this...

The government will mandate that I give some of my money to securities firms to manage for retirement and health costs. They will have deposits in turn secured by the Treasury and they can speculate at will in free and deregulated markets.

Schools will be run by corporations, presumably with a board of directors that can mandate an all non-union workforce. Schools may choose then to invest their resources where it does the most good and, let's face it, some kids are more cost effective to educate than others.

If I am unemployed I can use all the funds in my individual account, provided there are any. If employers make a habit of laying off thousands while their accountants with their freshly-minted MBAs tackle tough learning curves, there is no deterance to encumber them.

If I am poor I will get a housing voucher that I may use to apply for a portion of a bloc grant that flucuates according to the political winds. If the grant has run out, the voucher can be used along with others to create paper mache housing.

I can get "soap, soup and salvation" (thank you Lone Justice) through the good folks at the local house of worship if I am properly God fearing. If I am not, than I may go to hell.

After spending five years working in the commodity houses shouting and waving hand signals, I do not particularly relish my rights as a citizen being subordinate to the will of the market in most every aspect. The market can be a loony old coot that suffers spells on some days and talks perfect sense on others. Smart money says you always treat him with a certain respect, like you do a slightly batty old uncle. You don't let him drive to church on Sundays, but you let him complain about your driving from the back seat with a certain amount of toleration.

There are certain things that the Corporatists excel in and certain things they do not. It is truly amazing that there is a privately funded and fabricated spaceship that is shooting to the stars. If we would have waited until it was feasible for the private sector to take on the challenge, we would have lost the missile race and the technology race and forfeited our leadership in the new age. In 1910 most paved roads were toll roads built by private consortiums. It was decided that to increase the flow of goods and commerce this could be a public concern. Earlier, the American Whig Party (remember them?) were behind the ideal of the common infrastructure, in formation at the time, being best administered by the broadest range of citizens possible. Lincoln, of course, prior to becoming the first elected Republican president was a Whig during the time he served in the House.

Everyone who has ever lived in a condominium knows that there are certain common amenities to be shared and it is necessary to have some say as to how they are managed. Many who have served on a condo board cease to ever contemplate running for public office because they have terrible night sweats and sudden screaming fits. Still it is necessary.

I believe the neocons wish to employ as much control as possible over the public sector while all the while extolling the common man striving for a finer tomorrow.

The small individual farmer, the small business owner, the one-man-shop, none of these play on an even field with the Corporatists and their powerful lobbies. They are more revered for their mythic status than their status in the economy. They deserve representation on par with large corporate interests who practically have bought seats in the Legislature. Italy in the 30s actually let corporate interests have seats in their parliament. It was called fascism and it begged to be destroyed.

The Third Way is to balance the corporate, the private (as separate from corporate), and public sectors so that the interests of the people are best served. The people, represented not by corporate lobbies or even political parties necessarily but by our direct involvement, have a say in our common assets.

Instead of employers controlling an individuals access to health care and retirement accounts while forbidding access to collective bargaining, we can collectively bargain via our vote with our public servants to exercise the full weight of our authority--unhindered by corporate control that hides behind the mask of the individual while displaying the powers relative to a nation/state. If 80% percent of the public desire a single-payer health care plan, then they should get it.

The Third Way is not the end of private property or a socialist utopia. It seeks to define where capitalism has a predominant interest and where common interest, or stakeholder interest shall carry porportionate weight. There are some things to precious to be left to the will of the market.

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The Brave Little Tailor

By The Brothers Grimm

http://www.fln.vcu.edu/grimm/schneider_e.html

"...The little tailor went onwards, always following his own pointed nose. After he had walked for a long time, he came to the courtyard of a royal palace, and as he felt weary, he lay down on the grass and fell asleep. Whilst he lay there, the people came and inspected him on all sides, and read on his girdle, "Seven at one stroke."

"Ah," said they, "what does the great warrior here in the midst of peace? He must be a mighty lord."

They went and announced him to the king, and gave it as their opinion that if war should break out, this would be a weighty and useful man who ought on no account to be allowed to depart. The counsel pleased the king, and he sent one of his courtiers to the little tailor to offer him military service when he awoke. The ambassador remained standing by the sleeper, waited until he stretched his limbs and opened his eyes, and then conveyed to him this proposal.

"For this reason have I come here," the tailor replied, "I am ready to enter the king's service." He was therefore honorably received and a special dwelling was assigned him.

The soldiers, however, were set against the little tailor, and wished him a thousand miles away. "What is to be the end of this?" they said among themselves. "If we quarrel with him, and he strikes about him, seven of us will fall at every blow, not one of us can stand against him." They came therefore to a decision, betook themselves in a body to the king, and begged for their dismissal. "We are not prepared," said they, "to stay with a man who kills seven at one stroke."

The king was sorry that for the sake of one he should lose all his faithful servants, wished that he had never set eyes on the tailor, and would willingly have been rid of him again. But he did not venture to give him his dismissal, for he dreaded lest he should strike him and all his people dead, and place himself on the royal throne. He thought about it for a long time, and at last found good counsel. He sent to the little tailor and caused him to be informed that as he was such a great warrior, he had one request to make of him. In a forest of his country lived two giants who caused great mischief with their robbing, murdering, ravaging, and burning, and no one could approach them without putting himself in danger of death. If the tailor conquered and killed these two giants, he would give him his only daughter to wife, and half of his kingdom as a dowry, likewise one hundred horsemen should go with him to assist him.

"That would indeed be a fine thing for a man like me," thought the little tailor. "One is not offered a beautiful princess and half a kingdom every day of one's life."

"Oh, yes," he replied, "I will soon subdue the giants, and do not require the help of the hundred horsemen to do it; he who can hit seven with one blow has no need to be afraid of two."

The little tailor went forth, and the hundred horsemen followed him. When he came to the outskirts of the forest, he said to his followers, "Just stay waiting here, I alone will soon finish off the giants."

Then he bounded into the forest and looked about right and left. After a while he perceived both giants. They lay sleeping under a tree, and snored so that the branches waved up and down. The little tailor, not idle, gathered two pocketsful of stones, and with these climbed up the tree. When he was half-way up, he slipped down by a branch, until he sat just above the sleepers, and then let one stone after another fall on the breast of one of the giants.

For a long time the giant felt nothing, but at last he awoke, pushed his comrade, and said, "Why are you knocking me?"

"You must be dreaming," said the other, "I am not knocking you."

They laid themselves down to sleep again, and then the tailor threw a stone down on the second.

"What is the meaning of this?" cried the other. "Why are you pelting me?"

"I am not pelting you," answered the first, growling.

They disputed about it for a time, but as they were weary they let the matter rest, and their eyes closed once more. The little tailor began his game again, picked out the biggest stone, and threw it with all his might on the breast of the first giant.

"That is too bad!" cried he, and sprang up like a madman, and pushed his companion against the tree until it shook. The other paid him back in the same coin, and they got into such a rage that they tore up trees and belabored each other so long, that at last they both fell down dead on the ground at the same time. Then the little tailor leapt down.

"It is a lucky thing," said he, "that they did not tear up the tree on which I was sitting, or I should have had to spring on to another like a squirrel, but we tailors are nimble." He drew out his sword and gave each of them a couple of thrusts in the breast, and then went out to the horsemen and said, "The work is done, I have finished both of them off, but it was hard work. They tore up trees in their sore need, and defended themselves with them, but all that is to no purpose when a man like myself comes, who can kill seven at one blow."

"But you are not wounded?" asked the horsemen.

"You need not concern yourself about that," answered the tailor, "they have not bent one hair of mine."

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Why Being A Super Power Is Not Such A Good Idea

The reason that we should think twice about broadly asserting our superpower stutus is twofold. One: it is a thankless task. The friends we create may not be stronger than than the enemies we create. Two: it is terribly expensive. Our 2004 deficit is projected to be over $455 billion. That is roughly our defense budget. So wonderful, we could balance the budget if we do away with our military——not something useful to consider. Is it true that this is only money that "we owe ourselves" as Reagan once suggested? No, three quarters of the money borrowed is owned by outside interests; a large majority of that Saudi and European interests. If, for political reasons, a cabal of financiers ever wanted to strike back at our hegemony, they could work in concert to repatriate funds that exist in our markets and make things very dire for us. Our economy would collapse.

We spend as much for our military power as the next 25 countries combined. Per capita, it costs each and everyone of us $953 to field such strength. Only Sinapore and Israel pay more on a per capita basis. We borrow money to do this and, ultimately, this could prove to be as destabilizing as certain threats to our security.

With a sound budget, a sound economy, and a strengthened infrastructure that provides resources to citizens, along with a capable military, we are in a better position to argue our initiatives in a world community. But it may well be that in channeling 3 - 5% of our GDP towards defense year after year we will forfeit the game of economic supremacy. If you are compelled by the force of high interest rates and dimished economic conditions, it can feel like an imposed dictatorship. As someone once said, "It isn't undignified being poor, but it may as well be."

So Iraq held chemical weapons--now what?

What are realistic scenarios for what may be anticipated during a chemical attack affecting the domestic U.S.? Last fall I began asking myself that question and attempted to research available data. Since I live in a large urban area that was of known interest to terrorists (Chicago) and I was managing a high rise downtown and responsible for drafting evacuation and preparedness procedures, I felt it important to acquaint myself as best as I could with some facts.

The wide range of casualty estimates and the highly speculative scenarios I uncovered in mainstream literature gave me the impression that very little is known for sure about what would really happen in an attack. The most informative piece that I read was from an Army master gunner who created a handbook for how to respond to an actual attack. LINK.

Worst case scenario is a chemical attack such as what happened in the Tokyo subway (nerve gas). Less than 1% of those injured and exposed died.
One principal reason blister agents, nerve gas, and bio weapons use has not been more prevalent in violent conflicts (some of these bastards have been around a good, long time) is that these weapons have not proved effective or decisive enough and are extremely difficult to deploy.

If WMDs are the foremost emerging threat our country has to deal with in the modern world, everyone is going to require a lot of training and awareness of what to do. I may sound naive in saying this, but I think the threat is managable. After doing some reading (from multiple sources, including War College assessments), I fear these weapons far less than I once did. And while I wish they were not around, I think that if first responders are trained and municipalities are informed we have a good chance of surviving a substantial attack should one come.

The nature of the perceived threat that Iraq posed prior to the invasion is still not fully substantiated, however. Without long range missiles, how were warheads going to deploy to do damage on foreign soil? I simply have never seen a realistic scenario presented.

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How 'Bout Them Yankees

With their 57-33 record and recent 5 solo home runs in a win against the Tigers, the Yankees are nonetheless thoroughly demoralized after their loss to Detroit in a subsequent matchup and with Giambi fighting a parasite.They are in a two game duel with Tampa Bay that will further sap their eroding strength and decisely prove that without better pitching and better management there is no way they are going to get the job done in '04.

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You Are A Lovely Audience

Being a lovely audience is more vital to music than being a musician. There are always more musicians and songwriters than there are audiences. Rock-n-roll, which I believe changed the course of world history, would not have lasted three years if audiences would have paid any attention to critics. Instead, they got up in mass and started boppin' to the beat. Jazz is still around 100 years after it's birth because a small, dedicated bunch of listeners keep it alive. Folk, bluegrass, blues, and country-western looked at various times like they would be swept into the nostalgia bins, but audiences kept providing vitality to unknowns who could advance each style little by little so they all remain contemporary.

As a small time, local musician, there have been hundreds of times when I have shown up in a lounge or tavern where no one knew me and had the pleasure of an audience giving me their attention and appreciation. The mechanics of such a thing is that the musician tries to sense out where the room is and play to it. Good performers try to give expression to what is the inexpressed consensus of a particular time and place. There are thousands of ways to utterly miss the mark, but when a tune nails the mood you know it, and it feels equally good to the player and the listener.

Thanks for being a lovely audience. Support local music. Demand from them to be entertained and make them give you something new and original. They are the better for it and so is the music.

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