More LOLs

A Good Night in South Carolina

Let's just ignore New Hampshire and Nevada, shall we?

Last night in South Carolina, Barack Obama pulled ahead in the race for delegates. He won by more than a 2-1 margin. There will be much said about the divisions of the electorate by race, but 1 in 4 total isn't so bad, and his percentage among white males was quite high. Anyway, he won, and that's what matters.

Tsunami Tuesday will be very interesting.

But what about Bill? As far as Hillary's candidacy is concerned, I can't imagine that this last two weeks of venom and half-truths won't have a negative effect. They are both getting shredded in the press for the attack dog posture and win at all costs execution, and the public has to have noticed as well. As Maureen Dowd said this morning on Meet the Press, and I paraphrase, the only way the Clintons can win is to beat down Obama's message of hope, and that won't play well in the long run.

And the racial code words and off the cuff dissing of Obama looks mean and petty. A kid? You don't call a grown man and senator a kid. Saying that, well, Jesse Jackson won here in 84 and 88, so this means nothing? WTF Bill? Whatever race he's involved in right now, Obama in many ways is the future of the Democratic party, and to tear him down and belittle him and outright disrespect him this way is not smart or productive.

Really, this pulls the glow off the memories of the Clinton years and reminds me of just how frustratingly contradictory, self-interested, and sleazy they could be. It's too bad. But it's good to see that Obama can not only weather it but work through it and win.

Poor Henry

Back to the Present

We're back home. Mexico was great, but seems already a distant memory, buried under piles of work and medical bills.

Henry's had his leg surgery, and at this moment is catatonic in a crate in the living room, an Elizabethan collar round his neck, one leg shaved and Frankenstein-scarred, and one eye scarred and weeping. I'll try to get a picture up soon.

Other than that, I'm so busy I haven't had a moment to pull my head out of my job and write anything about the trip. As I'll be doing some close dog-sitting for the next couple weeks, I hope to have some time on my hands.

And We're Off!

This evening Cathy and I take off for LAX, where we'll pass a few hours before boarding Mexicana Airlines for Leon, Mexico. From there we'll head to San Miguel de Allende, where we'll stay until next Sunday.

We'll eat. We'll drink. We'll visit Guanajuato and maybe even Mexico City. We'll eat and drink some more. We'll walk around the gorgeous city of San Miguel, hear some music, meet some people, and do a whole lot of relaxing.

Kick on over to the travel blog if you want to follow along. I'm guessing I'll have plenty of internet access and will be able to post as we go.

Barack, Henry, and San Miguel

The lack of posts at such an exciting time is due to the fact that I'm horrifically busy getting ready for a trip to Mexico. But a couple quick comments.

Barack Obama came up second best in the New Hampshire primary. Forgive the flippancy, but Hillary's tears brought the sympathetic support out of the woodwork and totally changed the numbers of who voted for whom. Still, Obama is positioned pretty well.

But this brings up a problem: I'd have no trouble throwing my support behind John Edwards or Bill Richardson, or Joe Biden or Christopher Dodd, were they still in the race. But I have to say I'll have a real dilemma on my hands if Hillary gets the nod. I'll try to lay out why this is in the coming weeks--though I honestly hope I don't have to think too much more about it. The way she plays on fear is too Bushy, the cadence and pitch of her voice when she speaks makes me crazy, and this campaign has stripped the time-inspired glow off my high opinion of Bill, too. I forgot just how sleazy these people are.

Now on to more pressing matters: Henry the hound has completely torn his cranial cruciate ligament, the equivalent of our ACL. That means surgery. And since Cathy and I are headed to San Miguel de Allende this Friday for a 10-day vacation, we're in sort of a tough spot.

I've scheduled the surgery for when we get back and made arrangements for the hound while we're gone, but I don't feel so good about going now. I'm still looking into options, so these plans could change. Poor guy hardly puts any weight on it and limps around all the time, and I can tell the inactivity is starting to get to him.

But if we do make it off to San Miguel, I'll try to blog it over at the travel blog. So check in if you get a minute. If I can't swing it remotely, I'll put something together when we get back.

One Giant Leap

The Iowa caucuses last night brought a big boost to the campaigns of Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee.

For the Republicans, this suggests that the cynicism and outright meanness of the leading candidates (Romney, Giuliani, Thompson) is not playing well, at least in calm little whitebread Iowa. McCain had a decent showing, proving that he's back on the upswing and not nearly as dead as most pundits would have had you believe months ago. Considering the lack of depth in Huckabee's funds and organization, this might be as far as his phenomena goes. It'll be interesting to see.

On the Democratic side, these results would seem to indicate that Obama's message of change and unity appeals to people. If you saw his victory speech, you might understand why. Dude's an inspiration. Even though his hoarseness and his cadence suggested something of a preacher, this speech will still give you goosebumps, especially coming as it does after such a momentous occasion.

From the American Prospect:

"Obama's finest speeches do not excite. They do not inform. They don't even really inspire. They elevate. They enmesh you in a grander moment, as if history has stopped flowing passively by, and, just for an instant, contracted around you, made you aware of its presence, and your role in it. He is not the Word made flesh, but the triumph of word over flesh, over color, over despair. The other great leaders I've heard guide us towards a better politics, but Obama is, at his best, able to call us back to our highest selves, to the place where America exists as a glittering ideal, and where we, its honored inhabitants, seem capable of achieving it, and thus of sharing in its meaning and transcendence."

Even David Brooks is affected. As he says, "Barack Obama has won the Iowa caucuses. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to feel moved by this. An African-American man wins a closely fought campaign in a pivotal state. He beats two strong opponents, including the mighty Clinton machine. He does it in a system that favors rural voters. He does it by getting young voters to come out to the caucuses.

"This is a huge moment... Whatever their political affiliations, Americans are going to feel good about the Obama victory, which is a story of youth, possibility and unity through diversity — the primordial themes of the American experience.

"And Americans are not going to want to see this stopped. When an African-American man is leading a juggernaut to the White House, do you want to be the one to stand up and say No?"

Something's happening. It's early, too early to put a name on it or to hope too hard, but the ground is definitely shifting under our feet. We've trudged along in the political darkness for too long, and if you don't think politics affects you or your daily life, think hard about what the past 8 years have been like. Change has to come, and it's got to be big. We're due.

The Iowa Caucuses

So, it's showtime.

Tonight the Iowa caucuses will mark the first big landmark on the long journey to a new POTUS. Could mean everything, could mean nothing. Caucuses are funny that way.

Here in Idaho we'll have our own caucus on February 5th. Bet you know who I'll be caucusing for.

Hint:

Happy 2008

May your year start off well, however you choose to spend your days.

Santa Rampage

On Saturday night, Cathy and I joined in what I expect will become a new tradition for us: The Santa Rampage.

A whole mess of people get dressed up in Santa-inspired costumes and do an organized bar crawl, getting free cover and drink specials all over town.

The getups ranged from sexy to creepy to silly and back to sexy again.

Funny how a costume strips away inhibition.

Big fun.

Top Ten Albums of 2007

This is always hard, but this year's crop has proven especially difficult to cull. But, at long last, I've made the tough decisions and whittled the 20 down to 10. So, here they are, plus lots of extra categories so that I didn't have to completely leave these things off.

Please send me yours as well. Happy 2007.

Top Ten Albums of 2007

1. The National ~ Boxer
2. Radiohead ~ In Rainbows
3. LCD Soundsystem ~ Sound of Silver
4. The Octopus Project ~ Hello Avalanche
5. Blonde Redhead ~ 23
6. Matthew Dear ~ Asa Breed
7. The Twilight Sad ~ Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters
8. Spoon ~ Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
9. MIA ~ Kala
10. Les Savy Fav ~ Let’s Stay Friends

Indie Greats That Should Have Made It But Didn’t
Arcade Fire ~ Neon Bible
The Ponys ~ Turn the Lights Out
The Shins ~ Wincing the Night Away
Band of Horses ~ Cease to Begin
Menomena ~ Friend and Foe
Earlimart ~ Mentor Tormentor
Dinosaur Jr. ~ Beyond
Okkervil River ~ The Stage Names*

Other Great Stuff That Would Have Made a Top 20 List
Manu Chao ~ La Radiolina
The Gourds ~ Noble Creatures
Feist ~ The Reminder

Experimental / Electronic Music and Other Slightly Odd Stuff That I Love
Burial ~ Untrue
Fridge ~ The Sun
Subtle ~ Yell & Ice
Deerhoof ~ Friend Opportunity
Artanker Convoy ~ Cozy Endings
Trans Am ~ Sex Change

Records From Fave Bands That Were Really Good But Not Great
Cloud Cult ~ The Meaning of 8
Iron & Wine ~ The Shepherd’s Dog
We Are Wolves ~ Total Magique
Art Brut ~ It’s a Bit Complicated
Caribou ~ Andorra
Wilco ~ Sky Blue Sky
The Sea and Cake ~ Everybody
New Pornographers ~ Challengers
!!! ~ Myth Takes

New Stuff That Turned My Head
Yeasayer ~ All Hour Cymbals
Kevin Drew ~ Spirit If…
St. Vincent ~ Marry Me
Shout Out Louds ~ Our Ill Wills

Big New To Me Discoveries
Apparat ~ Walls
Blitzen Trapper ~ Wild Mountain Nation
Manu Chao ~ La Radiolina

Soundtracks That Stood Out
Once
Into the Wild

Albums That I Looked Forward To But Didn’t Much Care For
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah ~ Some Loud Thunder
Bloc Party ~ A Weekend In the City

Huge Phenomena About Which I Remain Ignorant
Amy Winehouse
Gorillaz

*(UPDATE: After being called on it no less than 4 times, I admit that I totally forgot about Okkervil River's new one. I feel shame. So I've added it. Sorry.)

LOL President

Ever seen this site?

http://lolpresident.com/

Some weird and funny shit. Photos captioned out of context and in horrible weird grammar.

Got Your Top Ten Yet?

Mine's coming end of this week. Lots to choose from this year. An embarrassment of riches.

Let's compare, shall we?

A Conservative's Case for Obama

I can't help but wonder lately what rational Republicans and conservatives are thinking about their options in the upcoming Republican primaries. I mean, being of the more liberal bent myself, of course I view the slate of candidates as a godawful collection of mean spirited liars and warmongers--with a couple exceptions. Ron Paul is a lunatic but he's antiwar. And Mike Huckabee--well, I'm not really sure what to make of him.

At the same time, I wonder whether those on the American right are able to look across the divide and give any of the Democratic candidates an honest and objective look. Recently, I've gained hope. Cathy's cousin Tim has come to the hard-gained, thoughtful, and difficult conclusion that Obama deserves his support and assistance. And while I applaud his objectivity and willingness to set partisanship aside, I hold no illusions that this will happen with any significant number of US conservatives.

But a leading conservative thinker and journalist has inspired a little bit of hope.

This blog post by Andrew Sullivan links to this article, also by Sullivan, and both go a long way in revealing how Barack Obama appeals to the conservative voter. And while I'm biased to start with, it all makes perfect sense to me. Rather than try to summarize Sullivan's points, I'll let you read the article and see what you think for yourself. But I will offer my own perspective.

For me a large part of my decision to support Obama lies simply in the sense of hope I feel around what an Obama presidency could foster. The hope is similar to what I felt in 92 during Clinton's campaign, but it's not the same. Clinton, while a charismatic person and a brilliant politician, was as much a part of the Us v. Them political system as his predecessor. He brought the Democratic party closer to the center, but it was still purely a D v. R thing.

I don't pretend to think that Obama can cure partisan politics. To a certain extent, we need partisan politics. But the fact is that the partisanship of the Boomer generation has crippled our government and our country and has left us unable not only to have any substantial political discourse, but unable to really do anything of significance at home or abroad (launching a pre-emptive strike against a sovereign nation notwithstanding...).

Boomer politics are poisonous, plain and simple, and it's time for them to give up the reins. Obama is not of those politics. He is also not of the Civil Rights movement or the Vietnam era. His politics and viewpoints and education are largely post- these things, which gives him a freedom we need in a leader. (Dude's got a MySpace page, for pete's sake.) Newness is possible with Obama, both in thinking and acting on domestic issues and in how the world perceives the USA.

Check out the article above. There are many great points, from the simplicity of what Obama's face can accomplish to the importance of his complicated but thoroughly modern-America life story. He offers what no other candidate on either side of the aisle can really offer: A chance to start again, and to get it right.

Frozen Singletrack

Went for a great ride this morning up through the Reserve and around Shane's Loop. The trail was still frozen solid at 9:30, and the sun made the cold temps not so cold.

Come On Snow

It's started, but we're not quite there yet. Here's an image from the webcam looking down the line of the Pine Creek Chair up at Bogus Basin. It's sunny up there, above the ocean of clouds blanketing the city. Gorgeous. Can't wait to hit that mountain.

Practice New Year's Eve Party

To all-a-y'all out here in the BID, there's a big party this weekend that you should not miss. It's a fundraiser for Boise Community Radio, and this time the funds are for something very specific: To get us on the air!

That's right. We've filed out application, and all that stands between us and turning this internet-only affair into a full-blown presence on your FM dial is the technicality of an approval from the FCC and a pile of dough.

This is a Practice New Year's Eve Party. We'll have live music from locals The Universal, The Invasion, and more, as well as DJs spinning between sets. I'll likely have a set later in the evening, around 11-12ish, of seminal 90s indie rock, techno, and IDM. Plus, every hour on the hour, we'll do a countdown and ball drop, closing another decade and moving to the next, all the way up to the Oughts.

Come on down and rock out or get yr dance on with us. It was a blast last year, and it should be even better this year.

Burial ~ Untrue

The second full-length release from Burial, called Untrue, is an intriguing and affecting affair. Dark, somewhat hyper and frantic, and infused with a foreboding and dread that is hard to put a finger on, this is the stuff of creepy lucid dreams or long half-awake subway rides.

In "Near Dark," an altered female voice intones over and over "I can't take my eyes off you," spread and filtered over a quick and skittery beat, surrounded by echoing tones and shifting reverbs, creating more a feeling than a reaction, more a sense than an understanding.

This is common to the whole record: Burial creates fleeting sounds that leave lasting impressions. There are few to no identifiable melodies in these songs, and not many decipherable lyrics, but none of these are necessary to adequately internalize the music. You can't dance to it, you can't sing it in your car, but you can walk around with this stuff echoing in your head, slightly disturbed and put off, anxious to give it another spin.

Thankgivings

It's been some years since I've cooked Thanksgiving dinner, and I wasn't about to start up again this year. Instead, Cathy and I made the rounds, stopping in at friends' and family's houses, hopping from dinner table to dinner table.



We started out at Richard and Allison's place, where we had a glass of fortified and fizzy cranberry apple cider while watching them get the first steps of dinner preparation underway.



Then we drove out Hill Road to my brother John's place for dinner #1. He's perfected his brining method, and along with some pumpkin gnocchi, two kinds of stuffing, steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, and the mandatory baker hat biscuits, this could have been his best holiday dinner yet.



At Sara's parents' house, we had some lovely wine from the Duoro valley as we stood around the kitchen island watching them go through the final prep for the meal, thickening gravy, carving the bird, filling glasses.



Then on to Chuck and Chris' place, where we spent our 5th Thanksgiving dinner with a dozen or so friends. Dueling turkeys were both fantastic, the gravy was divine, and the wine flowed freely. A great meal and a great time that lasted well into the night. So long, in fact, that Pong became a spectator sport.



Happy Thanksgiving.

Band of Horses

This five-piece, formerly three-piece, played the Neurolux on Sunday night to a sold-out house. In fact, the tickets sold out some time ago, an odd thing if you consider that the last couple times the band played here they played to a receptive and even enthusiastic but only half to two-thirds filled room.

But there's no doubt they deserved it. The new record, Cease to Begin, while not as immediately captivating as their debut, is a grower. The songs are solid, the melodies memorable, and the performances admirable, singer Ben Bridwell's voice as clear and ringing and powerful as on plastic. Still, there's something different in them, which could be traced to the departure of one founding member and the band's subsequent move to South Carolina from Seattle. There's a different feel, as if the country-infused indie rock of the debut has been turned on its head.

Anyway, the show rocked. They trounced their way through tracks off both albums about equally, shredding Is There A Ghost? as thoroughly as Funeral, The Great Salt Lake as gorgeous and fresh as Ode to the LRC. And the crowd responded. Fists raised, singing along, swaying and grasping themselves in an ecstatic musical state that usually doesn't come around on Sunday nights.

I worry that we'll see these guys less now that they're true Southern gentlemen, but if that's the cost to get shows like these, so be it.