Barack Obama and Jethro Tull

I’m a big fan of the band Jethro Tull.

You are probably at least passingly familiar with Jethro Tull from their 1971 album Aqualung which includes the classic songs “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath”. If that’s all you know about them then at the very least listen to the whole Aqualung album. It’s fantastic.

Yet Aqualung was one of their first albums. They have created so much great music. Here’s a small sampling of my recommendations:

Stand Up (1969): “A New Day Yesterday,” “Back to the Family”

War Child (1974): “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of A New Day,” “Bungle in the Jungle.”

Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976) One of my favorite albums. Listen to all of it (and buy yourself a copy) but pay attention to the guitars in “Salamander.”

Storm Watch (1979) Unlike Too Old/Too Young, I’m not a fan of the album itself but the guitars in the song “Dun Ringill” are beautiful. This is one of my all-time favorite songs.

The Broadsword and the Beast (1982): Another great album. Especially worth checking out are “Fallen on Hard Times,” and “Watching Me Watching You.”

Lastly on my list of Jethro Tull must-hears is the album Crest of the Knave (1987). The whole album is great, from the opening track “Steel Monkey,” to the final track “Raising Steam.” Listen to the whole deal. Buy the album. It’s fantastic.

That being said, there’s a flaw with it which has nothing to do with Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, or anyone else in the band. The flaw is that the band won the 1988 Grammy award for “Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Performance,” beating out both Metallica and Jane’s Addiction.

The band had a sense of humor about it, even putting out the statement “the flute is a metal instrument!”

Even so, they should have won an award for the album – just not that award.

Which brings me to our President, Barack Obama. The Nobel Foundation has awarded the 2009 Nobel Peach Prize to President Barack Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Um.. What?

I am a big fan of the President but isn’t it a little early to be awarding him a peace prize?

It’s Jethro Tull all over again. Right guy, wrong award.

Leads a guy to do some “Wond’ring Aloud.”

Separated At Birth, the Spring Edition

as in, spring me from jail due to inept federal prosecutors.

In protest to his unfair prosecution, former Alaska State Representative Vic Kohring grew his hair in jail (really, what better time to get your hippie Jesus look on?).

The result is spectacular. As in... Dude.



I love the Big Lebowski.

check out a Vic Kohring news story at: www.adn.com

A little light humor

I apologize for not knowing the original source. I'll give credit when I find it.

Voters: Alaska Needs Sarah Back!

Sarah “Skinny G” Palin has created quite the media storm with her background, level of experience, and governing style. I know I just posted that there was nothing left to say about her but whether you like her or not, I want to make this simple plea:

DO NOT VOTE HER INTO FEDERAL OFFICE

The reason is simple.

She is the best Alaska has to offer and we cannot afford to let her go.

Her track record speaks for itself:

1. She’s a maverick who took on her own party and won the governorship based on her high level of ethics. While in office she has broken no ethics laws (rules violations, schmules violations, no laws were broken). See: Investigator: Palin abused power, Anchorage Daily News

2. She’s a master of foreign relations: Alaska has remained free from Russian attack for her entire administration, ostensibly because Vladimir Putin is afraid of rearing his head toward her.

3. Her husband is an influential member of an Alaskan Native tribe so this keeps her in the know on the special issues of Alaskan natives because (according to http://www.johnmccain.com/about/governorpalin.htm ) “Through Todd’s Yup'ik grandmother, Alaska’s Native heritage plays an important role in their family.” If she becomes vice president then there will be no Alaskan Native voice in the Governor’s mansion. See: Natives Claim Palin neglects issues, Anchorage Daily News

4. Also from johnmccain.com, “As the mother of a special-needs child, Governor Palin has pledged to all those families with special-needs children to be their advocate in the White House.” She already has a proven record of championing the cause of special-needs children in Alaska (if by championing you mean she has cut budgets of state agencies which help special-needs kids. Can’t very well coddle them, right?)

5. As Governor, her entire family has dedicated their time to conducting state business. This work by her husband and children was all done for free (except travel expenses which the state paid for) see: Palin office defends charging state for children's travel, Anchorage Daily News

She’s young, she has vast executive experience (just ask her, she’ll tell you), she just started that 40 Billion Dollar pipeline project thing. It’s clear that we still need her.

Please don’t take her away from us!!

Outrageous (and not in a good way)

I’m not even talking about the 700+ Billion Dollar bailout of very private enterprises with very public monies. Although that’s so outrageous I can’t even blog about it right now.

I’m talking about the political rhetoric these days. For instance:

1) Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings on Wednesday warned two minority groups to beware of Sarah Palin because “anybody toting guns and stripping moose don’t care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks.” (FoxNews)

What? Firstly, moose is kosher (albeit not without the proper slaughtering techniques and supervision). I’m not Jewish but I’m pretty sure the Jews and the moose have a reasonably decent relationship. I can’t find any evidence of blacks having moose difficulties either.

Leave the moose out of it Representative Hastings. Dumbass. *

2) During Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sara “Skinny G” Palin’s interview with Charlie Gibson “Gibson alluded to McCain's recent statement that Alaska's proximity to Russia lent Palin some expertise on that nation, asking Palin to explain.

’They're our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska -- from an island in Alaska,’” (LA Times)

Stop it. Here’s a map.

Here’s the Wikipedia entry. Nothing of significance is on either Little Diomede (USA, population 144) or Big Diomede (Russia, population ZERO). The only time Russian forces will storm across the Bering Strait from Kamchatka to Alaska is when you play RISK.

The distance between Magadan, Russia (the most significant city in Siberia and Anchorage’s Sister City) and Anchorage, Alaska is 1,958 miles (roughly calculated with Google Earth). Moscow to Juneau is 4,533 miles.

We are close to Russia like we are close to Japan, Korea, China, etc. In fact Wasilla, Alaska, to Singapore, China, is 4311 miles.

So except for wanting our natural gas pipeline to go through Canada, she has no experience with any foreign relations. To imply otherwise is disingenuous at best.

3) The Obama campaign ran an ad saying McCain is so out of touch technologically that he doesn’t even use the internet or send email.

Who the falafel cares?

Apparently, due to his POW related injuries, he gets shoulder aches when he uses a keyboard or does other repetitive tasks so he relies on his wife or his staff to do these things.

What President is sending his own emails anyway? Do you think George Bush types “OMG we need 700 Brazillian dollars? What’s the exchange rate anyway on those – LOL !”

Your staff does that sort of thing, that’s why you have them.

4) I want to give Skinny G’s folks the benefit of the doubt but they come off as aloof and inept. She won’t answer questions including whether she supports Don Young or Ted Stevens. (Politico)

From this Alaskan’s point of view she should have a public opinion on that. Either she’s a loyal Republican supporting two senior statesmen despite current controversy or she’s a maverick standing against her party for the good of Alaska. She has to pick a side on this.

She also won’t let her staff or her husband comply with subpoenas or aid the investigation surrounding a simple personnel issue. This begs the question why won’t she just say, look, here’s the deal” and get it over with.

~~

It’s clear we have a lot at stake with this election. So let’s cut the crap and make the candidates talk about real issues in a clear and calm way.

Is that too much to ask?

* This reminds me of Blood On The Snow, a true moose story. I crack myself up.

Photos:
Russia Alaska Map
Risk

Skinny G for VP… for real !

Thanks to Jen for asking about my view on the whole deal. Here it is:

Why, oh why, did John McCain pick Sarah Palin as his running mate?
It just makes no sense.

Sarah "Skinny White Chocolate Latte Gets It All Over Town" Palin (aka "Skinny G") a year ago was the queen of the world. She was elected because she was by far the most ethical candidate running for governor.

I even talked about her as a possible VP choice January 3rd of this year. Actually here's my whole Skinny G file (clickity doo) If it do say so myself some of the posts are pretty funny (even if you just look at the pictures).

Yet lately she’s been tarnished by two really stupid moves on her part:

1) She allegedly used her influence to get her ex-brother in law fired from his job as a state trooper. When that didn’t work she fired the commissioner of public safety, citing no real reason initially.

Her brother in law is likely a scumbag and there’s no secret Sarah and her husband Todd (who really needs to get a hobby and keep himself out of actual government business – he’s no Hilary Clinton that one) most definitely and admittedly did their best to get the guy fired. That shows great support of her sister but not all that good judgment as governor.

2) A few days before the election this week she “took off her governor hat” and endorsed voting against a proposition which was pro-clean water but anti-mining (or actually anti one proposed mine in particular). This might have actually violated the law. You can’t take off your “governor hat” and you can’t endorse any propositions as governor. The are laws about this sort of thing.

These are small beans compared to “Uncle Ted” Stevens who was just indicted on corruption charges involving receiving lavish gifts from oil service companies and not reporting them as contributions.

Then there is Representative Don Young who has spent nearly a million dollars on legal fees in anticipation of corruption charges of his own. He might not have even won his primary race this week (too close to call). Although I try not to speak ill of Don Young because he'll bite me like a mink.

I voted for Sarah Palin for governor. I tend to like her even though I’m not a Republican. But why would McCain pick a running mate with way less experience than Obama who has current troubles of her own? What is the McCain vetting process?

If Obama is not our next President then it’ll be final: Americans are idiots.

It’s your choice folks.

Why I Hate Politicians , example #1

I want to like John McCain, I really do.

War hero: undeniable

Not a Christian Conservative Zealot – also a plus

And yet… well, just read this quote:

Weaver is John Weaver, [McCain's] senior adviser
Brian is Mr. Jones, [McCain's] press secretary

Reporter: “Should U.S. taxpayer money go to places like Africa to fund contraception to prevent AIDS?”

Mr. McCain: “Well I think it’s a combination. The guy I really respect on this is Dr. Coburn. He believes – and I was just reading the thing he wrote– that you should do what you can to encourage abstinence where there is going to be sexual activity. Where that doesn’t succeed, than he thinks that we should employ contraceptives as well. But I agree with him that the first priority is on abstinence. I look to people like Dr. Coburn. I’m not very wise on it.”

(Mr. McCain turns to take a question on Iraq, but a moment later looks back to the reporter who asked him about AIDS.)

Mr. McCain: “I haven’t thought about it. Before I give you an answer, let me think about. Let me think about it a little bit because I never got a question about it before. I don’t know if I would use taxpayers’ money for it.”

Q: “What about grants for sex education in the United States? Should they include instructions about using contraceptives? Or should it be Bush’s policy, which is just abstinence?”

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “Ahhh. I think I support the president’s policy.”

Q: “So no contraception, no counseling on contraception. Just abstinence. Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?”

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “You’ve stumped me.”

Q: “I mean, I think you’d probably agree it probably does help stop it?”

Mr. McCain: (Laughs) “Are we on the Straight Talk express? I’m not informed enough on it. Let me find out. You know, I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception – I’m sure I’m opposed to government spending on it, I’m sure I support the president’s policies on it.”

Q: “But you would agree that condoms do stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Would you say: ‘No, we’re not going to distribute them,’ knowing that?”

Mr. McCain: (Twelve-second pause) “Get me Coburn’s thing, ask Weaver to get me Coburn’s paper that he just gave me in the last couple of days. I’ve never gotten into these issues before.”

Originally from Adam Nagourney at The Caucus, The New York Times Politics Blog
But I saw it first on First Door on the Left

What?

Firstly: "I've never gotten into these issues before?" This cannot be the first time he's been asked about abstinence-only sex education and contraception. So he's either daft or a liar.

Secondly: "I refuse to answer until I have LexisNexis and Google'd all of my prior known statements on the issue," should never be an acceptable answer. Would John McCain rather be known as daft or as a liar than be known as a flip-flopper? Can't we just let our politicians (our prospective commander in chief) change their minds over their career on issues?

In this case I'm blaming both the playah and the game.

Thank you, Senator, for being honest enough to tell us why you are not going to answer on this issue but shame on you for not answering at all.

Straight Talk Express, my ass.

Photo by: Media.washingtonpost.com