I really don’t want to get political on my own website this year, but I’ll put it this way–
Anyone remember what the most prosperous part of the Clinton years were? When one party had the White House and the other had the Congress. Maybe now that we’ve got real power-sharing happening, half the country won’t feel like they’re getting screwed with their pants on.

Oh, and we really need a vote-by-mail system in TN like they’ve got in OR. Badly.

[tags]politics, elections, Bill Clinton, White House, Congress, Democrats, Republicans, absolute unfettered joy[/tags]

Or so sayeth [tag]Elton John[/tag]. Apparently, that’s a direct quote from the English knight who wrote some of the coolest damn [tag]piano rock[/tag] songs in history. He actually used those words from the stage:

Nobody would know the album has been out since September. My record label isn’t doing anything to help. F**k [tag]Universal[/tag]. Please drop me. I’m 58 and I don’t care anymore.

Hey Elton… ever consider going the podsafe route and sending your album cuts to [tag]podcasters[/tag]?

[tags]record labels, Universal Records, podsafe music, Yahoo! News[/tags]

What are YOU dressed up as this [tag]Halloween[/tag]?

A little gem of an article from The [tag]Macalope[/tag] makes me glad I do all this- music, podcasting, web design -on a Mac. Those of you still stuck using (rather, being used by) Windows have this to look forward to:

Which Vista Is the Right Vista?

Is it Vista Starter, which can only access 256 MB of RAM and run a maximum of three applications at a time…?

…Maybe it’s Vista Home Basic which isn’t crippled (other than it just being Windows – zing!). Oh, but it doesn’t include the [tag]Aero Glass[/tag] interface either. And it doesn’t work well in domain or Active Directory [tag]networks[/tag].

…Wait, wait, wait. Forget that. You know what should do? Instead of trying to figure this out, you should just buy Vista Ultimate. Have you got $400? And another $1,500? Because you’re going to need a new machine.

All in all, there’s six versions of suckage on the way from Microsoft. Six! I can’t imagine how this could be good for compatibility with audio hardware and software. Or, frankly, any hardware or software.

[tags]Windows Vista, Apple, Macintosh, OSX[/tags]

I get to go see [tag]Ben Folds[/tag] tonight at an in-studio performance. I think it’s at the Sony Tree studio where I helped cut a demo for a friend a couple years back, so I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a very intimate venue.

Ben’s one of those piano-rock icons that everybody’s heard, but not many people really recognize. And he’s arguably the best producer this town has ever seen. I can’t wait to finally see him in person, especially at a show without a huge noisy crowd or a giant ampitheatre PA system.

I just caught this off of [tag]Yahoo! Music News[/tag]:

[tag]Estonia[/tag]n classical composer [tag]Arvo Pärt[/tag] is dedicating all performances of his music during the 2006/7 concert season to the memory of recently slain [tag]Russia[/tag]n journalist [tag]Anna Politkovskaya[/tag].

I note this for two reasons, really. First, I’m quite impressed whenever an artist chooses to deflect attention from him- or herself to commemorate a worthy recipient. Second, I’m a little impressed with myself that I not only know an Estonian classical composer, I’ve actually sung one of his tunes with the [tag]Whitworth Choir[/tag].

Just a forethought- this has very little to do with the recent [tag]school shootings[/tag]. This is a thought that formulated last time I headed up to [tag]Fort Campbell[/tag] and saw the familiar buggy-crossing street signs.

I love the [tag]Amish[/tag]. I love the [tag]Mennonites[/tag], I love the [tag]Hutterites[/tag], and I love their way of life. I think these people live a simplicity that I am simply not capable of. I can write, produce, distribute, and promote a [tag]podcast[/tag] in my dining room, but I couldn’t build a barn or milk a cow. This isn’t about the mythical “simple life” either, though, it’s about car bombs and beheadings.
Read More…

A little info from [tag]Yahoo! News[/tag] this morning- The guy that shot [tag]Marc Cohn[/tag] pled guilty and just got sentenced to 36 years in prison. Marc Cohn, in case you haven’t been to any of my shows, has my utmost respect both for writing [tag]Walking In Memphis[/tag] and for taking a bullet to the head without dying.

The bullet grazed driver-tour manager [tag]Thomas Dube[/tag] before it lodged in Cohn’s temple. Both were treated and released from a hospital the next day.

Yes, you read that correctly, they were treated and released the next day. If I twist my ankle, I become a drama queen about it for at least a week, but Cohn? If he ain’t dead, he’s back on tour. More power to the guy, I hope I never have to prove my fortitude the way he did.

[tags]Joseph Yacteen, carjacking, crime, Denver, Colorado[/tags]

At least that’s the theory behind [tag]Microsoft[/tag]‘s promise to [tag]webcast[/tag] [tag]live performances[/tag]. Given Microsoft’s track record, I’m sure they’ll find some way to botch the delivery or ensure that only geeks with Christlike patience can watch. However, it gives me hope for the future of live music that someone other than myself wants to bring the spotlight back to the live show.

This is a [tag]performance art[/tag], after all, not just a series of tracks found on [tag]torrent[/tag] sites. Behind all this music, there are humans who put on some killer public displays.

Just a reminder, I’m still hoping to showcase some live performances myself. Check this post to find out how you can help.

[tags]Yahoo! News[/tags]

Maybe you’ve heard this one before:

I certainly hope that Hillary is the candidate because nothing will energize my [constituency] like [tag]Hillary Clinton[/tag]. If [tag]Lucifer[/tag] ran, he wouldn’t.
– Jerry Falwell

Honestly, I don’t fault [tag]Jerry Falwell[/tag] for saying what he said. Not one bit. And I don’t think Senator Clinton should be incensed one bit by the remarks.

It says a lot about Falwell and his constituency that they care more about fighting [tag]Democrats[/tag] than they do [tag]the devil[/tag] himself.

[tags]politics, satan, pompous windbags[/tags]