A weekly audio postcard from the wide musical world of America’s best-loved band!
From today’s Jon Carroll column: I have heard the arguments in favor of increased prisoner abuse. This is a new kind of war with an enemy that kills civilians without mercy. This enemy has bombed the World Trade Center; it bombed nightclubs in Indonesia when the discos were crowded; it bombed subways in London at … Read more
I’m in the SF Chronicle’s “Two Cents” reader-response column again today. The question was, “Ever say anything on the phone you don’t want the NSA to hear?” My favorite answer was from Jo-Anna Pippen: I’m sure in the last four years I’ve said: “Michael Moore, shotgun, Internet, ACLU, Berkeley, indicted, Hillary, drugs, cell, data, gay … Read more
Tonight is Wavy Gravy’s birthday party at the Berkeley Community Theater, as always a benefit for SEVA. C.W. Nevius writes about Wavy in today’s San Francisco Chronicle. Compassion comes easy to this clown A few excerpts: ….this has been a remarkable run, from making announcements atop the stage at Woodstock to having Ben & Jerry’s … Read more
This is from my friend and colleague Paul Stubblebine: Please join pianist Pete Sears (Hot Tuna, Starship, Flying Other Brothers, etc.) singer Spencer Day (Decca recording artist) Paul Stubblebine (Coast Recorders) for an opportunity to meet and mingle with Steve Thomas, candidate for Congress in the 11th Congressional District. This district is important to all … Read more
Check out this transcript of a phone interview between Godsmack frontman Sully Erna and Arthur magazine editor Jay Babcock! I don’t know anything about Godsmack, but I gather they sell a ton of records and they seem to have licensed a couple of their songs to the US Army for recruiting commercials. Babcock used a … Read more
Letter I sent to the San Francisco Chronicle: Editor – Regarding this letter in the 5/8 edition: Special privilege? Editor — Congress must immediately conduct a full investigation regarding Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s 2:30 a.m. automobile accident in the Capitol Thursday morning (“Rep. Kennedy denies he was drinking before crash,” May 5)! His driver’s license should … Read more
I spotted this in a coffee store here in Oakland, where family values actually have something to do with human values: MAY THE FETUS YOU SAVE BE GAY
My friend Eric Rawlins, quoted here with his permission: Although I’m not surprised that the right would claim it was “not funny” — they can hardly argue with Colbert’s suggestions on their merit — whether what he did was funny strikes me as completely irrelevant. It’s as if Welch’s “have you no shame” speech had … Read more
Email I sent to Richard Cohen of the Washington Post just now: Sorry, man, but you’re full of shit on this one. The only other time we know of when Bush had a chance to hear dissenting views was when he invited the former secretaries of state etc. for a visit. He gave ’em the … Read more
James Poniewozik in Time: Colbert wasn’t playing to the room, I suspect, but to the wide audience of people who would later watch on the Internet. If anything, he was playing against the room – part of the frisson of his performance was the discomfort he generated in the audience, akin to the cringe humor … Read more