Añejo Mockingbird

Duke Adopted!

2011-04-06T21:55:00.000-04:00

Sir Duke and his happy-go-lucky personality will now be residing in the Bethesda/D.C. area with his new family after a whirlwind foster experience. Duke is great little hound and should fit in nicely in his new forever home. Good luck, Duke!

Sir Duke!

2011-03-30T15:27:00.002-04:00

That handsome brindle boy pictured above is Duke. Duke is very curious, very playful, and is slightly mischievous - meaning he likes to get into things. Laundry baskets, toys, plates from an open dishwasher, they're all fair game. Consequently, a weather eye needs to be kept on him while he learns his surroundings, boundaries, and rules of the home. Duke is not crazy about being kenneled though he tolerates it well enough. This boy is still a pup and will act as such for another six months or so. Potential adopters will have to keep him engaged with a steady diet of activities until he settles into adulthood. On that note, Duke would do well with an active family that does lots of walking, jogging, running, etc. Duke gets along nicely with our kids (and the resident hound, too), ages 10 and 13, and should do the same with other well-mannered kids, also. Duke walks nicely on the leash, has done some steps and is progressing really well into retirement living. We've not formally cat-tested him yet, but he's extremely interested in the resident feline, so we'll see that goes at a later date.
Update: Duke is NOT cat-safe! Those of you with cats or other small, furry critters running around should look at one of the other hounds available, 'cuz Duke thinks small animals are chew toys. Just sayin'.

Puck Adopted!

2011-03-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

Puck was adopted on Saturday and will be enjoying his retirement with a very nice family in the Baltimore area. Puck was one of the nicest hounds we've had the privilege to foster, and he leaves us with smiles on our faces and many fond memories of his stay. Good luck, Puck!

More Puck - Cat Safe Version

2011-03-02T20:13:00.000-05:00

Please forgive the lack of updates on Puck (Rico's Green Go), we had an adopter back out at the last minute after several weeks of planning - so we neglected to blog, thinking it was a done deal. Silly us - anyhow, Puck is available and ready to go.
In short, Puck's a great dog that should fit into almost any home, and as an added bonus, he's cool with the kitties. Yep, in addition to being a sweetheart with people, he's also cat-safe. Puck will sit and lay down on command, especially for treats.

Puck - The Cockroach King

2011-02-09T20:24:00.000-05:00

As per the title of this post and the photos above, Puck (formerly Rico's Green Go), funny boy that he is, likes to assume the cockroach position.
Puck is doing very well in his acclimation to retirement and will certainly make a fine, fine companion animal for somebody's home. This boy is a happy and loving soul with a great temperament and easygoing attitude. A quick list of his accomplishments so far:

Walks well on the leash.
Kennels up well.
Can do stairs.
Has learned to sit on command. Is currently learning how to lay down on command.
Housebroken.
Responds to his new name - and will learn a new name easily should someone want to change it.
Gets along well with the resident hound.
Loves attention and his very affectionate.
May (stressing MAY) be cat safe. Will know more after further interaction with household feline.
Has the softest coat of any greyhound that's ever passed trough our home. Makes ya wanna hug him every time he's close by :-)

In short, he's a great dog and should fit into almost any situation with no problems. Puck is a curious sort - he likes to roam into unattended rooms and grab things to play with - and will have to be monitored closely his first few days in his new forever home as he learns the boundaries. I suspect Puck would make a good jogging companion, fair-weather runner that I am, I haven't had a chance to take him out for a run due to the continuing miserable conditions the last 2 weeks, nonetheless he should readily adapt to a jogging routine.
If you're interested in this awesome hound get in touch with Denise ASAP, as he's destined to go quickly. If you meet him, you'll want him!

Here's Puck!

2011-01-31T20:21:00.000-05:00

Some quick pics and an early update on Rico's Green Go - and yeah, that's a mouthful. Ya know, there just wasn't anything there that we felt like working with, and since we're big NHL hockey fans in this house, we're changing his name to "Puck." Here's Puck!

Puck is white with fawn patches on his face and fawn ticking elsewhere. Puck is a very friendly, very loving big boy who will probably top out in the high eighties to low nineties once he fills out a bit more. He's a curious soul and has shown a penchant for counter-surfing which has led to him quickly becoming familiar with No! and Down! Puck is a fast learner and is also very playful - our stuffies are currently getting quite the workout! Puck has already grasped the concept of the "sit" command and he should have it down in a few days. Housebreaking is going well with zero accidents in a day-and-a-half. Haven't done leash walking yet because the roads and sidewalks are still covered in ice, snow and/or salt. Puck is getting along splendidly with his foster brother, Coastal, and has been eating and sleeping well so far. We'll have more info in a few days, so stay tuned.

Stan gets adopted!

2010-10-02T16:30:00.000-04:00

We're happy to report that happy-go-lucky personality, Stan, has been adopted! Stan will be batting those crazy eyelashes at folks in the Harrisburg, PA area. We're very glad for Stan. He was such a happy soul while he was here, that even when he got into mischief, we just had to smile at his antics. Stan, counter-surfing pro that he was, decided to eat 16, count 'em, 16, potato rolls one day while we were gone. How that boy could eat that much at once is beyond us, but he did. We could only laugh at the mystery of how such a skinny dog could wolf down enough bread to give a professional wrestler pause. And no, he didn't eat it in dribs and drabs, 'cuz Stan doesn't know the meaning of slowly savoring food. With Stan, you put the food in front of him and just stood back and watched as he inhaled the kibble down like a Shop-Vac on steroids :-) Anyhow, we enjoyed our time with Stan and are sure that he'll be making people smile for years to come. Good luck in your forever-home, Stan!

Stan: He's Got A Plan

2010-09-01T20:12:00.000-04:00

Stan's been following a simple plan: acclimate to a normal household schedule, including regular breakfast and dinner feeding times, with strict portioning of kibble. And whattaya know? Success! In his previous home, Stan was allowed to eat whenever and however much he wanted to - never a good idea, especially with fur-covered eating machines like greyhounds - what goes in, must come out. Consequently, Stan was a pooping machine as much as he was an eating machine. Icky subject matter perhaps, but true nonetheless. I'm happy to report that Stan is back to normal with all gastrointestinal issues. In addition, Stan has put on a few pounds and is well on his way to a normal greyhound physique.Yay, Stan!
Stan remains a happy, chipper soul who enjoys lots of attention. Stan is one of those greyhounds who wants to be involved with everything going on and is always in the thick of things. He would do well in an active household with no toddlers. Stan likes kids but can get a little rambunctious when playing and roughhousing. He absolutely loves going for walks and does well on the leash. Steps are no problem for Stan. He's enjoying the household stuffies and dog beds. Stan is very good at direction, though he does have a mischievous side - he will counter-surf occasionally when food is left out. He seems to like potato bread :-)
Those you with cats take note: Stan is cat-safe!
Now that Stan has had some structure, he's doing very well and is ready for his forever home. If you're looking for a companion animal who's got a happy personality, is cat-safe, and likes to engage in activity, Stan's your man, just stick to the plan...

Stan The Man!

2010-08-19T18:00:00.000-04:00

Take a close look at that face. See something different? Yeah, Stan has a set of eyelashes - not really eyelashes, but that's the easiest descriptor - under his eyes. They're like little furry angel wings for his eyeballs... they help tremendously when he's after a snack. After all, who can resist angel wings!?
Anyhow, Stan's been with us since Monday and here's what we've learned about him so far:
Stan needs to bulk up and fill out a little. He's really skinny right now. Due to some poor feeding habits in his former home, Stan developed some gastrointestinal issues which led to him being returned. We are currently stabilizing his feeding schedule and giving him some antibiotics. Stan has responded very well to his new regimen and is making good progress already. He probably needs to put on 10 to 15 pounds to fill out. He's got a beautiful brindle coat that will draw plenty of comments from those passing bye.
Stan is a sweetheart and in typical hound behavior is a real shadow, constantly following whomever around to see what's going on. He gets along well with our girls, ages twelve and nine, but is probably a little too boisterous for those with toddlers.
Stan walks well on the leash and has no problems going potty while tethered. Stan did some steps last night and had no problems going up or down. Stan also listens really well - he already knows "No!" and comes when called. He's been sleeping well and gets along fine with Coastal, our resident hound. He's seen the resident feline and while intensely curious about her, hasn't made any aggressive moves towards her. We'll be monitoring the situation a little more before we declare him cat-safe.
Stan's enjoying playing with our assorted stuffies and is generally not destructive with them - no ripping them apart pulling out the stuffing as of yet, but the hounds usually discover that trick sooner rather than later and we suspect that Stan will probably enjoy tearing up stuffies once he discovers how :-)
We believe that Stan would do better in a home with another canine companion, and on that note, would make a fine addition to a home that is looking to add another greyhound to their menagerie.
If you'd like to meet the handsome boy with the angel wings and fine personality, please give Denise a shout.

A Firecracker Fourth For Bella!

2010-07-04T10:15:00.000-04:00

Miss Bella has good reason to celebrate this holiday weekend; she's found her forever-home! Bella will now be enjoying retirement in the Hedgesville, WV area with her new family.

The Bella update

2010-06-28T16:16:00.007-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates on Bella. A few technical issues with my Blogger account caused the delay. I wanted to post some video, but my Blogger account keeps hosing the upload. Grrrrr! Anyhow, Bella is ready to go to her forever home. She's been a wonderful dog and has integrated herself into retirement living easily and with much gusto. She's housebroken, does stairs, has learned to play with stuffies, walks well on the leash, gets along well with kids and also other canines. We think she will be cat-trainable if perhaps not entirely cat-safe. She's never gone after the house feline, but she is extremely interested in her. Bella understands NO! and is usually eager to please. She's a tail wagging dynamo and is extremely friendly.
In short, she's a wonderful dog and should adapt readily to most home situations.

Say Hello To Bella!

2010-06-15T22:52:00.000-04:00

That beautifully marked hound laying on our porch used to be called Hallo Blue Hill, but we're calling her Bella. You can call her fantastic, or perhaps awesome, 'cuz she's both. Bella is a 60lb, very calm and happy 3 and a half-year-old who is adjusting to home life very easily. Bella has unusually good bathroom habits - she's not had one accident in the house since she's been here and she's gone to the door and barked several times to let us know it was potty time for her. She's been eating well, sleeping well and getting along with Coastal, the resident hound. Bella is quick to lay down and we've been so impressed with her manners that we haven't even bothered to use the kennel. That's right, she's earned our trust so quickly that we've allowed her free reign of the house while we're at work. Bella likes the kids and hasn't responded negatively towards any other dogs she's seen so far. She's yet to bother the resident feline, so she may be cat safe. We'll do more testing on that front later and post the results in a few days. Bella has done some steps, and while a bit hesitant at first, she managed to go up and down fairly well, even if the whole episode was a bit gawky. She'll get the hang of them as she gets some more practice. She's also done pretty well on the leash, but hasn't shown an inclination to go potty while tethered as of yet.
She's also pretty good at wagging that tail of hers - which she keeps curled up in the air while she walks - which'll give ya a pretty good thwack if you're not ready for it :-) She's also an affectionate soul with a penchant for wanting to have her belly rubbed. This girl is a charmer and should readily adapt into almost any household. If you'd like to be on the receiving end of some affectionate tail wagging and are easily induced to giving belly rubs, Bella may be your girl. Give Denise a shout if you'd like to meet this gorgeous, happy girl.

Quatro Finds His Home!

2010-05-03T14:07:00.000-04:00

Social butterfly and all around greyt dog, Quatro, has flown the foster coop! Quatro will be residing in the Richmond, VA area in a home with a fenced-in yard and some canine companions to hang with. We're positive he'll be charming the socks off everyone he meets. We are quite happy for Quatro and his new-found family!
Before he left us he did provide us with one more amusing story to tell. Always one to step up to new challenges, Quatro became the first hound to ever take a dip in the pool while the cover was still on :-) (see above pic)

Quatro = Gregarious

2010-04-25T11:27:00.000-04:00

The Dictionary defines gregarious as: Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. It's a perfect description of Quatro. This handsome boy goes out of his way to be a social butterfly - there's no one Quatro doesn't like. Quatro treats life like one big adventure; nothing phases him and every new place to go and every new situation is looked upon as a chance for excitement. Quatro has no fear of anything as far as we can tell. Be it noises, storms, horns, loud trucks, car rides, other dogs, whatever, he takes it all in stride. Quatro was with us yesterday for Greyhounds In Gettysburg and was an absolute hit with everyone whom he had contact with. He's a constant tail-wagger and an unflinching leaner which means he's a perfect Meet -n- Greet dog. Quatro has had no problems with changing environments, indeed, he just shrugs it off and looks forward to newer and possibly greater adventures.
So, with all that acclaim, you're probably asking yourself why he's still available, right? Well, Quatro has been through a long patch of bad luck due to things not in his control. Folks, this is one of the nicest greyhounds you'll ever come across and will absolutely make a fabulous companion animal for a lucky family that can meet his two needs.
1. No small animals in the home - no cats, rabbits, or any other furry creatures that run loose. Quatro has an extremely high prey drive and will go after anything small and furry that crosses his path.
2. Quatro really should go into a home with another dog to pal around with during the day. Alternately, he should go to a home where someone will home most of the time. Quatro can be very vocal when bored and alone. We've not seen any indications of destructive behavior, but he will bark loudly when bored. Loudly. Did we mention loudly? There you have it, loudly.

Quatro loves to go for walks on the leash and he also likes to jog, so anyone looking for a running/walking companion should give him some consideration if you can meet the above requirements. Quatro also does well with kids and likes to play with our collection of stuffies.
In short, a great dog and the very definition of Gregarious!

Hello Quatro!

2010-04-13T20:21:00.000-04:00

After a short hound hiatus, we're back, and we've engineered a trade! In NFL parlance (and in honor of the upcoming NFL draft), Quatro was traded for 2 first round picks and a hound to be named later :-) You know how it is, the star player with an expiring contract and lots of competition for the job decides he has an itch that can't quite be scratched in his current clubhouse and demands a huge salary increase or a trade elsewhere... So after approval from the league office, we've made a trade with Halfway Home Hounds for the irrepressible Quatro! Here he is lounging in his new clubhouse:

Ahhhh... the pampered life of a superstar athlete.

All kidding aside, Quatro really is a superstar dog. He's super friendly, super easy-going, and is a real love bug. Seriously, he's one of the most engaging hounds we've had the pleasure to come across in our long time being around these great dogs. He wants nothing more than hang out with his people - be that on the couch with you while watching TV or sleeping with you in bed, if you'll let him. Quatro listens really well, is totally housebroken, loves to go for walks on the leash, amuses himself (and you) while playing with stuffies and other toys. Quatro would be great as a running companion. I've jogged with him on the leash and he had no issues during a 2 mile run. So if you're wondering why a great dog like this remains un-adopted, well, sometimes even the best players go through slumps where things just don't seem to go their way no matter how hard they try. Quatro has simply had some bad luck and the stars have not been willing to align themselves for him. We're trying to change that and kick those stars back into alignment on his behalf.
Quatro's need are simple - he needs to find a forever-home that has another canine companion to hang out with, or a forever-home where a member of the family is home with him most of the time. Quatro tends to get vocal when left alone with no one to pal around with, so he can't really be placed where he'll be home alone all day. Also, and this is very important: Quatro cannot go to a home with small animals! He is simply not small-animal safe! If you can meet those requirements and would like to welcome a greyt, greyt hound into your home, give Denise a shout and make arrangements to meet this very happy, very friendly hound. If you can give give him the superstar treatment in your clubhouse, we'll give him his unconditional release - no trades, no draft picks, no players to be named later :-)

A New Year, A New Home For Nellie!

2010-01-02T12:40:00.001-05:00

I'm happy to report that 2010 is off to a rollicking good start with our Miss Nellie finding herself her forever home today! Nellie will be living in the Baltimore area with several other canine companions to cavort with. So, yay for 2010 and yay for Nellie discovering her forever home!
If you missed out on adopting Nellie and are still in the market for a greyhound, Denise has dogs available, so give another hound something to shout about by giving Denise a shout.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

2009-12-26T20:30:00.005-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and here's hoping everyone also has a great New Year! Nellie had a very good Christmas and her New Year is hopefully going to go splendidly as well. She had an absolute blast playing in the snowfall we got last weekend, although she did spend a few minutes barking at that crazy white stuff falling all over the place and covering up her favorite places to pee ;-)
Nellie remains ready to go her forever home. She's learned about all she can here; she does steps, knows the "go potty" command, walks pretty well on the leash, has learned to play with toys, will accept treats from our hands (most of the time - she relapses into skittishness occasionally), has no issues with routine doggie maintenance such as toenail clipping, grooming/brushing etc.
As noted in previous posts, Nellie is always going to have some shyness issues, although they will fade somewhat into the background as time passes and she settles in and learns the daily routine. Nellie is particularly happy in the morning when the family gets up. She's quite the tail-wagger in the a.m. and will come up to the bed and stick her cold, wet nose right into your face to let you know that it's time to get up and have breakfast!
For those who like having a dog that's aware of its domain and surrounding area, Nellie will bark when strangers approach/walk by the house. This is not to say that she's a watchdog by any means, but she will let you know when someone is close by when she spots them.
A brand new year is just around the corner and Nellie would like nothing more than to start 2010 by finding a forever home with a loving family, a fenced-in yard, and another hound to another to hang around with. If you can make that happen for this sweetheart of a girl, please give Denise a call and get the ball rolling.

Nellie, Nellie!

2009-12-09T14:39:00.002-05:00

Hey all!
Once again, my apologies for the lack of updates (and pics). We recently purchased a laptop to supplement our aging pc, and due to some issues with our old DSL modem not playing nicely with our router, we were occasioned by some access outages.... Anyhow, all those issues have been fixed and we're now back to our old internet surfing selves. Pictures of Miss Nellie will be forthcoming, I promise.
Nellie is doing absolutely great! She's become very, very comfortable here at home. In fact, she's turning into a "regular" dog, a far cry from the skittish hound who first walked into our house a little over a month ago. Nellie now happily greets us at the door, barks at strangers, plays with toys (she's even been spotted chewing on sticks outdoors), takes treats from our hands, eats her kibble all at once instead of meandering around, enjoys leashed walks, etc, etc. She's still shy around strangers and has a tendency to turn away from other people when out for walks, but all in all, she's made some serious progress.
We still think she'd do best in a home with another hound or other medium-to-larger size dog. Nellie doesn't care much for small dogs, so those with dogs under 20 pounds or so will want to look elsewhere. Nellie would probably be fine as an only dog for someone with previous greyhound experience, but as noted in an earlier post, she takes her cues from the presence of other dogs, which considerably cuts down on acclimating to a new environment.
Nellie is straddling the border between being cat-safe and cat-trainable. She generally leaves the house feline alone unless they inadvertently cross paths, in which case she'll sometimes chase after her a bit, but we haven't noticed any seriously aggressive behavior towards the cat. YMMV, and as always, all initial interactions between even those hounds who are/were previously cat-safe, should be closely monitored.
We're very happy with her progress and we think she'll make an outstanding companion for a family that understands how to address those few needs related to her shy personality and are patient enough to allow her to bloom on her own as she's done with us.

Not-quite-so-nervous-Nellie

2009-11-17T13:47:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates on Nellie. I was going to update on Sunday, but the stunning surprise victory of the Redskins over the Broncos left me at a loss for words, and that doesn't happen often :-) So kudos to the 'Skins for managing to win a game everyone expected them to lose. On to Nellie:

Nellie's doing very well and has really started to come out of her shell. She will now stand still for some petting and other types of attention and has really started to get that tail going a mile-a-minute when she's happy. Nellie's house manners are good - no crawling on furniture, no counter surfing, etc. She likes to go for walks and generally does very well on the leash, but sudden noises still scare her and she hesitates to do her business on the leash. She can go potty on the leash, but she rarely does, so those with unfenced yards may want to look at a different hound. Nellie does NOT like small dogs as they scare her for whatever reason. As of now, for potential adopters that already have hounds, Nellie would make a perfect addition to those looking to add another greyhound to their pack. She loves other hounds and really follows their lead. She could be an only dog in the right situation, but potential adopters would probably need some previous greyhound experience to make it work.
As noted previously, Nellie is always going to be on the shy side. That doesn't mean that she won't make a fine companion, however. After a few weeks here she's settled in and made herself an adorable, happy part of her temporary family and she's sure to do the same in her forever home. Nellie is a sweet, sweet dog and she's pretty much ready to go, so give Denise a shout is you think she's suitable for your household.

Nellie update

2009-11-05T19:46:00.002-05:00

Nellie's been with us for almost two weeks and is gradually becoming more and more confident in her new surroundings. She's still shy and still startles easily, but she gets over it quickly. Nellie is comfortable enough now to come and hang out/lay down in the living room with the family, something she didn't do at all during her first week here. Nellie is trying to actively seek out attention but her natural shyness only allows it in fits and starts. Even so, she's making good progress and has even rewarded a lucky few of us with several doggie kisses, and has even started greeting us at the door with her tail a-waggin'. At this point, and for those with no greyhound experience, we're thinking she'll do better in a household with another dog or dogs present. She's much more relaxed when she's part of a pack versus when she's by herself. For those with previous greyhound experience, however, she'd do well as an only dog given time, patience, and a gentle hand - she's really a sweet dog and the shyness will start to dissipate gradually over time.
As noted in the last post, Nellie likes to go for walks and is pretty good on the leash. I took her for a jog of approximately 2 miles last weekend and she did well and she should make a nice running companion if that's your thing. Nellie also did steps last weekend and didn't have any issues there. At this point we can also say that she's 100% housebroken, so yay for that! :-)
All in all, we're very happy with her progress and if you think that Nellie would be a good fit for your household please give Denise a shout. If you've got questions, feel free to submit them in the comments section here on the blog.

Whoa Nellie!

2009-10-29T18:51:00.006-04:00

This is Nellie (track name, Regall Sit -n- Spin), and the picture just doesn't do her beauty very much justice. Nellie is a sweet, sweet girl and a strikingly beautiful 4 year-old brindle hound in surprisingly good physical condition for an ex-track dog - full coat, good weight, no fleas, ticks or other nasty bugs that some hounds come in with. Nellie is, however, a bit on the shy side. She's not a spook by any means but she can be a bit skittish sometimes. As is usually the case with most of the shy hounds, time and patience will lead to the emergence of a bolder and more confident dog. Nellie is no exception. In the five days she's been with us, she's made good progress towards being comfortable in new surroundings. She's started taking steps towards us for some petting and ear skritches, although she waits 'til her foster brother Coastal is getting some attention before she decides to inch her way towards us rather than us going to her, as we did the first two days she was here. Nellie is a very quiet dog - she hasn't barked once and she hasn't done any whining, either. She kennels up well and is doing great with the housebreaking. Nellie has done well on the leash so far and seems to be small animal safe (she's not taken notice of the household feline as of yet, that we know of, but we'll do a face-to-face with both of them in the future to see how she reacts). She's eating and sleeping well and is starting to get the hang of general household living. I expect her personality to really blossom over the next week or so as she gets into a regular rhythm. Nellie does not seem to be overly dependent on her foster brother - though she does follow his lead on potty breaks and such - so she might be suitable as an only dog, if the right circumstances present themselves. Patience and steady gentleness will be the key in her successful transfer to her eventual forever home. I think she's going to make a really nice companion for the right person(s). Though she's never going to be a gregarious, life-of-the-party hound, she will still be a real sweetheart in her happy, quiet way. Nellie has not done steps yet, but we'll be addressing that over the weekend. I have a hunch that she might make a nice jogging companion, so I'll take her for a run this weekend and she how she does with that. As always, drop Denise a line if you think this is the hound for you.

The Decline And Continuing Fall Of The Washington Redskins

2009-10-20T11:40:00.004-04:00

Pity Jim Zorn, he's a dead man walking but hasn't quite realized it yet. The Washington Redskins are the worst team in the NFL, bar none. Forget for a moment that they actually won two games. One against perennial doormat St Louis and one against doormat wannabe Tampa Bay. They were lucky to get out of both of those games with a win and they've allowed 3 previously winless teams to beat 'em like an old rug. Why, though, that's the 64,000 dollar question on everyone's mind.
While there's a myriad of reasons, from under-performing players, to questionable coaching and time-management decisions, the real blame lies strictly at the feet of the Redskins' ownership. Daniel Snyder and his personal bootlicker/racquetball partner/Vice President of Fantasy Football Operations, Vinny Cerrato, have meddled and mismanaged their way to the NFL basement. Neither one knows the first thing about running an NFL franchise, nor does either one have the ability to evaluate talent. Throwing uncountable millions at every big free-agent available just means that you have deep pockets. It doesn't mean that you have a clue about what you're actually doing. Perhaps it's time to mention that selling a lot of jerseys with recognizable names embroidered on them doesn't equate to a winning season. This undynamic duo have been screwing things up for a decade now. That's right, ten years have passed by and what do 'Skins' fans have to show for it? A large bowl of mediocrity with a heaping helping of losing sprinkled on top, that's what. Snyder and Cerrato haven't the slightest idea on how to go about creating a football team that can win in the NFL. Snyder, despite having no knowledge about anything related to football, fails to realize this is somehow a hindrance and continues to inject his egomaniacal football fantasies upon Zorn just as he did with the last gazillion or so coaches that have come and gone during his reign or terror. Cerrato, meanwhile, is such a poor evaluator of talent, that he couldn't find a widescreen TV at BestBuy, let alone land a good player by researching his merits in concordance with the 'Skins actual needs.
At the end of last season it was well known inside the front office that the team's most pressing need was the Offensive line. Coach Zorn even went so far as to admit they couldn't call deep strikes because they were afraid Jason Campbell would get hurt waiting for the play to develop. When your Offensive line couldn't collectively stop your grandma from crossing the street last season, how are they magically supposed stop hungry Defenses this year when your management team ignored the problem completely. It's inexcusable and indefensible. The NFL is an Offensive league. You cannot win in this league without pass protection or run-blocking. You. Just. Can't. Getting to the end zone means having an Offensive line that can do their jobs. They're unsung and mostly unrecognized, and I'm sure that they don't sell a lot of jerseys, but they're the the underlying reason a team's able to score points. That "The Beast With Two Heads," Snyderrato, fails to understand this is why the 'Skins are now the laughingstock of the NFL. Any idiot could've - and did -
sign Albert Haynesworth and re-sign DeAngelo Hall to big contracts, but only a special breed of idiot would do so while completely ignoring their most pressing needs; revamping the decimated Offensive line. Forget the arguments over JC -vs- TC at QB. Forget the lack of depth at WR that allows defenses to concentrate on Cooley and Moss. Forget the fact that FB Mike Sellers has apparently forgotten how to block for Portis, or has just given up on it this year for some reason. Forget the fact that Mr. Fair Catch himself, Antwaan Randle-El is still, mysteriously, pretending to return punts. Forget the fact that last decent kick-off return for this team probably happened before Rock Cartwright was even born. All of those problems would be severely lessened if the 'Skins had been paying attention to the Offensive line. They'd still be issues of course, but the 'Skins wouldn't be watching NFL doormats come in and wipe their boots on the Burgundy and Gold like has been happening the past few weeks.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out where the fault lies. Jim Zorn ultimately got stuck with the Head Coaching last year job because nobody else would work for the meddlesome two-headed monster that runs this organization. Think about that for a moment. The front office rejected the best person for the job, former assistant head coach and defensive genius, G Williams, because he wouldn't have quietly acquiesced to their interference. Here was someone the players were passionate about and after the passing of Sean Taylor would've played their hearts out for, but the Beast With Two Heads wanted no part of that. Instead they wined and dined everyone else available to no good end because all of the candidates realized their Head Coaching duties would largely be a sham under Snyderrato. Now it's even worse. Things have righteously blown up in their faces this year. All the unfavorable media coverage of the decline and continuing fall of the 'Skins has most people wondering why any coach would want to come to DC and work for these meddling buffoons. Anyone really think that J. Gruden or B. Cowher would come to an organization that is known for hamstringing anyone wearing the headphones? One look at soon-to-be-gone Coach Zorn in the linked pic above (credit: the Washington Post) should be enough to scare any right-thinking person away from taking this job. Zorn is too nice of a guy to be hung out to dry the way he's been.

Dan Snyder has always claimed to want to be part of a winning team. Well, actions speak louder than words, and if Snyder truly wants to be part of a winning team, he needs to do what every successful owner in the NFL does: hire a real General Manager/Head Coach and get the hell out of his way. If Snyder truly wants to muck around with a football team, there are plenty of leagues on Yahoo and ESPN to allow that kind of yearning to happen.

RJ gets comfy

2009-10-08T13:57:00.003-04:00

RJ has transitioned into home life like a champ! Simply put; RJ is a sweetheart of a dog and someone is going to be extremely lucky to have him in their home. RJ is completely housebroken and has no issues with anything. He walks well on the leash - and is excited to go for walks when the time comes to do so - does stairs, is cat-safe, is friendly, happy, sociable, and loves people. As noted in the last post, RJ is a leaner. If you're standing there and RJ happens by and you reach out to give him an ear skritch or a quick petting, well, be prepared for him to close the gap and snuggle up to you. Visitors are just as likely to receive this attention as family members are - RJ doesn't care who you are, he just wants some lovin'!
RJ is finally putting on some much-needed weight and his fur is starting to fill in nicely, though his rear-end and back legs are still mostly bare. RJ will be done with his medications in a few days and will be soon going in for his dental, and boy does he ever need one. He has the stinkiest breath - and the worst tartar/plaque build-up - of any hound we've ever had here in the house, so the teeth cleaning will provide benefits for both RJ and his future adopters! For those who like to trim their dog's nails at home, we clipped RJ's nails this week and he didn't put up a fuss at all, so no worries about that aspect of hound upkeep.
And yes, RJ still likes the chair and the sofa, but is also sleeping more and more on the floor or dog beds. Anyhow, to say we're happy with RJ's progress would be a severe understatement :-)

RJ's 2nd chance

2009-09-30T14:19:00.004-04:00

The adorable hound all curled up on our chair is RJ. Through no fault of his own, 9 year-old RJ had a long and rough patch of bad luck that saw him relegated to a basement for a period of several years. That's right, RJ was stuck in a basement for an excruciatingly long period of time. He committed no crime, yet he was held like a prisoner. RJ was malnourished and had flea dermatitis so bad that he lost a significant portion of his otherwise beautiful brindle coat. Why? Because sometimes people just suck. All this bad news is now in the past, however, and we won't be dwelling on it any longer. Suffice to say, RJ now has a 2nd chance at retirement and finding his forever home.
RJ is a very, very nice older dog - he's an absolute sweetheart, in fact - and is remarkably quiet, pleasant, happy, and social considering his past confinement. RJ is currently 15 or so pounds underweight and is in the process of regaining his coat. He's currently on medications to alleviate the conditions forced upon him by his previous situation. RJ is eating well, sleeping well and looks to be well on the road to a full recovery. RJ is definitely a couch potato and will crawl up on any piece of soft furniture available if you let him. RJ walks well on the leash, is housebroken, is cat-safe, gets along with his foster brother Coastal, and is very smart. RJ has not shown an inclination for toys as of yet, though he has taken a blue washcloth out of the laundry basket several times to bring to his bed like a favorite "woobie", also, he's a leaner!
RJ is going to be with us for a while before he's able to go to his forever home, but if you think RJ would make a good addition to your home, don't hesitate to contact Denise. He needs to put on some weight, finish his current run of medicines, and get a dental. While all that's going on, we're going to be giving him some much-deserved TLC and constantly evaluating his progress. We really, really like this old boy, and considering what he's been through, we'll be looking for a special forever home for this distinguished older gentleman to spend his twilight years in.

Dude reaches the beach!

2009-09-22T12:55:00.003-04:00

Dude, handsome, laid-back hound that he is, found himself a home where his name fits right in: Rehoboth Beach. Duuuuuuude! :-)
Keep your toes in the sand, Dude.
Oh, a quick shout-out and special thanks to Charlie for providing transportation so Dude could make the picnic on Sunday. High five!

Duuuuuuude!

2009-09-15T14:50:00.003-04:00

The handsome hound at left is Dude. Yes, Dude. Hard name to live up too? Nah. Dude is, as you'd expect from the name, laid-back and cool. Dude's only been with us since Sunday morning, so I'll just give a quick rundown. He's a friendly sort and is unafraid of new situations, whether jumping up into my truck or climbing down the steps into our pool. Yes, Dude is the first hound here that's ever voluntarily gotten into our in-ground pool! He decided to cool his feet off after a long walk on Sunday afternoon by stepping down into the pool and just chilling out for a few minutes. Quite funny as most of the hounds avoid the water like the plague.
Dude walks well on the leash and has done some steps w/out any difficulty. Dude also kennels up well and hasn't needed bribing to enter the crate. He's been sleeping just fine at night in our bedroom with his foster brother Coastal close by. Housebreaking has been going well, so far, and his appetite is good. In short, he's a really nice hound and I expect his personality to really blossom in the next few days as he settles in.

Bubba finds his home!

2009-06-02T14:24:00.003-04:00

Good ol' Bubba and his winning personality found a home over the weekend! Bubba will be providing the Baltimore area with good humor and good looks aplenty.
Our shoe closets and stuffed animal boxes are currently breathing sighs of relief now that the "threat level indicators" are back in the normal zones :-)

Bubba part 2

2009-05-16T15:20:00.002-04:00

Bubba's been with us for almost a week now and is progressing nicely into home life. He's doing very well with his bathroom etiquette - only a few minor accidents so far. He's also been doing nicely on stairs and I don't think he'll have any problems navigating up and down floors when he gets to his forever home. He's learned how to sit and we're just starting to teach him "lay down" - and I think he'll pick it up quickly. He's also learned "NO!" over the past week as his curiosity has sometimes gotten the better of his manners. At two years old he's still coming out of his puppy phase, which has shown up mostly with him wanting to chew on things and steal dirty clothes and laundry. We've been giving him rawhides and such to chew on and toys to play with (and he loves both), but potential adopters will have to keep a close eye on him the first week home and I'm strongly suggesting the use of a crate whilst he's home alone 'til he learns all of the house rules - he's crated here at home while we're at work and he's not had any problems with it at all. Don't let all that talk about mischief scare you away though, because Bubba's a quick learner and is an absolute sweetheart.
Bubba's been doing well on the leash. We've been confining him to walking him on the right hand side since he'll zig-zag in front of you relentlessly if you let him out ahead of you. He's also been for a jog for a distance of approx 2 miles and did fine. He'll make a pretty good jogging companion for those that like to run. And along that line, he'd do well in an active household. Those who have fenced-in yards for games of fetch and the like, or those who like to do a lot of walking or jogging will find Bubba to be an eager participant in those activities.
We've not formally cat-tested him yet, but I'm thinking he may be cat-trainable, if not completely cat-safe. So far he's been intensely curious about our cat, but hasn't yet gone after her. Drop Denise a line if you'd like to meet Bubba or leave a comment if you've got any questions about this very nice and very strikingly beautiful hound who is deserving of a nice forever home. All in all, he's really doing well and will make someone a fine companion.

Bubba Blue

2009-05-12T14:32:00.005-04:00

This is Bubba, who's anything but Blue. In fact, he's a hoot and a half! This playful, friendly boy has been keeping us entertained since he arrived Sunday afternoon. Bubba Blue loves his toys and stuffies - he grabs as many as he can and brings 'em all into whatever room suits his fashion. He then proceeds to toss 'em into the air and catch them and throw them up again, and again, and again, although sometimes he takes a break and wanders off to grab a piece of dirty laundry, or sometimes a shoe - because he likes a little mischief to break up the drudgery and monotony of playtime, don'tcha know :-)
When he's not charming the socks off of you (or stealing your shoes!), this intelligent boy is busy quickly learning the ropes of what's expected of him post-racing career. He's learned the basics of the "Sit" command, he's not had an accident in the house since his arrival (high five!), and he's been up and down steps a few times with good results. Going down is easy for him - going up he's needed a little encouragement, but he should easily pick that up after a couple of more times at it. Bubba is getting along fine with his big foster brother Coastal, and loves the kids as well.
As noted earlier, Bubba is inquisitive and occasionally mischievious, which shows up with him grabbing clothes, shoes, and other interesting things, and counter-surfing here and there. It's all minor stuff and he's learning "No!" rather quickly, and we don't anticipate any real problems with any of the above.
In short, Bubba's been doing fine so far. Coming up, we'll be doing some more leashed walks this week to get him acclimated to that. We'll also cat-test him later this week, so check back for an update in a couple of days.

Jack Gets Adopted!

2009-03-23T15:01:00.002-04:00

Handsome Jack found himself a forever-home over the weekend and will be making the Northern Virginia area a little more beautiful by his mere presence alone! High-fives all around!
We'll miss your expressive ears, Jack :-)

Handsome Jack!

2009-03-16T14:15:00.004-04:00

Jack's been with us for a week and we've got nothing but good things to say about him! Jack has had no accidents in the house for over a week, so we're gonna say the he's housebroken. Jack's had no problem with steps and is very nimble and adaptable in new situations. Loud noises don't seem to bother him, though he is curious about where they come from. Curious and adaptable seem to be the words that best describe Jack. He's not afraid of doing new things and going new places and he just loves people. He's a bit of a shadow sometimes and will follow you around just to see if anything new and exciting is going on in, say, the laundry room - while nothing exciting EVER goes on in the laundry room, Jack doesn't mind one bit! If you're there, that's good enough for him! All this curiosity does come with a small price tag: vigilance. Jack will try anything once (maybe twice if it was fun!) and seems to like the taste of small, rubber toys like those Polly Pockets and Littlest Petshop things, so families with kids will need to keep those things out of reach 'til Jack learns that they're not his (unless ya like sifting through dog poop to recover them, though why you'd want to do that is anybody's guess). Speaking of toys, Jack has learned to play with dog toys over the past few days and really, really likes the one's that SQUEAK!
Jack is doing well on the leash and has no problems going potty while leashed. I've also had him for a jog of approximately 2 miles with no problems, so he should make a good running/jogging companion.
Those with cats would probably be better off with another hound as Jack is NOT cat-safe. Seriously, he'll go to great lengths to get a hold of them...
Other than not being suitable for homes with felines, Jack should do well in most environments. He's quiet, loving, friendly, adventurous, and likes people of all ages. We've not seen any separation anxiety issues and Jack has been crated for several hours at a time without any problems. He could go into a home as an only hound or he could go into a home with other dogs.
Curious, adaptable, and handsome - that's Jack! Drop a line to Denise if you think that Jack is the one for you.

Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Learning Quick!

2009-03-11T13:36:00.004-04:00

So here's Heart Attack Jack....
Heart Attack Jack? Yep, that was his racing name, but we're just calling him Jack - no heart attacks involved here! Jack was welcomed into the house for fostering on Monday afternoon and has been doing really, really well. Jack will be 4-years-old in April, and is a very handsome brindle boy who currently weighs in the neighborhood of 71 pounds. He's a little on the skinny side now and will probably be around 82 pounds (give or take a pound) when he fills out a bit.
Jack is curious, intelligent, loving, and has proven a quick learner so far. Housebreaking is going very well and he's already been up and down several sets of stairs without a hitch. He's fairly good on the leash already, and we expect him to improve even more with more practice.
Jack is getting along well with his foster brother, Coastal, and should be fine in a household with other dogs. How well he'll do with cats is still up in the air. He got excited and aggressive with a neighborhood cat while on a walk, and we've yet to introduce him to the household cat, so the jury's still out on this aspect. Obviously we'll update after some more interaction has occurred .
Jack has settled into an easy routine here already and is sleeping, eating and behaving very well. He's very fond of our daughters (ages 8 and 11) and should be fine in a household with kids in this age range.
Jack kennels up with no problem when needed, and hasn't shown any separation anxiety issues when left alone.
Between Jack's mellow and inquisitive nature, and his loving and easygoing personality, all of the early indications suggest that he's going to make a very fine companion.

Best Albums of 2008

2008-12-28T10:32:00.002-05:00

Don't call it a comeback, even if for some artists it certainly was. '08 saw the return to form of several acts that had been battling mediocrity for a wee bit longer than necessary. Below is the list of albums that I listened to most this year - there are a lot of really good albums out there that I can't list because I just didn't get the chance to hear/buy them all...

25. Switches - Lay Down The Law Super fun garage rawk from the UK, catchy and loud with the amps turned up to eleven.

24. Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line Indie band that both mines and updates late '80s, early '90s Cure and The Smiths.

23. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple Heady mix of many musical styles condensed into a funky R&B stew. Nothing here is as catchy as "Crazy" from their previous album, but the album is better because of its consistency across all tracks.

22. The Explorers Club - Freedom Wind If you didn't know any better, upon listening to this disc, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was a lost Beach Boys album. Amazingly good album that fans of the Beach Boys should pick up immediately. It's not aping Brian Wilson and Co. it's a lovingly crafted homage.

21. Smash Palace - Everybody Comes and Goes A blend of Beatle-esque power-pop, and Britrock with bits of Americana squeezed in from time to time.

20. Gojira - The Way Of All Flesh Death metal with many twists. The band's French; their name's Japanese (Godzilla); they're all about saving the environment via the warnings in their songs. This disc isn't for the faint of heart; those willing to listen with open minds will hear a lot of melody under the thunderous riffage. Although the vocals are firmly in the "growly" category, they do change them up a bit throughout the album. A great album that fans of Mastodon should dig.

19. REM - Accelerate Yep, it's a comeback. Yep, it's vintage REM. Yep, it's about damn time. My review here.

18. Roger Clyne And The Peacemakers - Turbo Ocho One of the best bands going rebounds from last year's disappointing album with a new batch of tunes built via a musical experiment. The band went to Mexico for eight days with the goal of writing and recording a song each day for this album's release - thus the name of the album. A remarkably cohesive set of songs that are simple, energized, catchy, and enthusiastic. The band threw in 3 extra songs that are fan favorites that have been around in one form or another but hadn't yet seen a proper release 'til now.

17. Panic At The Disco - Pretty. Odd. Band ditches their previous emo sound for a poptastic piece of psychedelia. A surprisingly good album.

16. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins A companion piece of sorts to last year's The Stage Names, which was fantastic. Will Sheff can always be counted on to make great, cinematic rock and roll albums in which stories are always unfolding.

15. Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul Yep, it's a comeback. Yep, it's vintage Oasis. Yep, it's about damn time. My review here.

14. Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God More death metal in the best-of? Yeah man. This is an album full of hooks and melody, filled with songs about Norse battle Gods and such that sails the seas of what followers term Viking/Battle metal. Big fun to be found here.

13. Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak Whatever you think of Kanye as a rapper, he certainly knows his way around melodies and all of those things that make for interesting pop music. The vocals here are Autotuned and vocodered but they fit in wonderfully with the music. A pop experiment that works much better in real life than it does on paper. Worth checking out.

12. Why? - Alopecia This is a difficult album to categorize. It's kinda indie rock ("Fatalist Palmistry"), kinda alt/experimental hip-hop ("By Torpedo Or Crohns") and it has some very serious hooks. Whatever you call it, it's very good. Be warned: the lyrics are dark and sometimes head-scratchingly explicit ("Good Friday"). If you're feeling adventurous, this should be a considered purchase.

11. Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher Flat out fantastic mix of folk, bluegrass, and countrified rock. This album was crafted, not made.

10. AC/DC - Black Ice Yep, it's a comeback. Yep, it's vintage AC/DC. Yep, it's about damn time. My review here.

9. Coldplay - Viva La Vida Forget the haters, they're brain-damaged. This disc is chock full of hooky, hooky goodness. Anthems that stick with you wherever you go. Yeah, Chris Martin's not the world's greatest lyricist, you'll be too busy singing along to notice.

8. Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts Bubbly, electro/pyschedelic pop in the manner of the Flaming Lips. Craig Minowa plays most of the instruments here, even though it's under the band's name. Cloud Cult albums always deal with spirits and spirituality and the search for answers and/or peace. This band does everything it can to help with the environment, from planting trees to make up for the paper used in the CD liner, to buying carbon credits for their album's carbon footprint. A great album from many angles.

7. The Favorites - Bright Nights, Bright Lights 2nd best power-pop album of the year. Those bemoaning the fact that Fountains Of Wayne didn't put out an album this year can find happiness with this one.

6. Michael Franti and Spearhead - All Rebel Rockers Best reggae album I heard this year. Very hooky melodies and a lot of fun to listen to. Mixes some contemporary sounds in, but maintains an old-school feel. Not as overtly political as past Spearhead albums, consequently it's more fun.

5. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound A throwback rock album that shows its debt to early Bruce Springsteen. This album came out of nowhere - I just downloaded it a few weeks back and fell in love with it immediately. Well worth your time if you like Springsteen, Petty, et al.

4. Nada Surf - Lucky The best power-pop album of the year hands down. Ebola level catchiness - 'Nuff said.

3. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes Fantastic album that absolutely lived up to all the blog hype. Great music, great voices and harmonies. There are no weak spots on this album. It's jangly. It's folky. It's a gorgeous sounding album that deservedly captured the top spot on many year end lists.

2. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive Another incredible album from the best band in America. There's currently nobody that can match the songwriting and storytelling that comes from Craig Finn and bandmates. These guys just keep churning out album after album of well-crafted rock songs that stick in your ears like they were glued there.

1. Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull
Best album of the year by far and a somewhat surprising choice for me. This album is an instrumental album that flies its freak flag under the drone/doom metal category. I like catchy, melodious stuff, and at first glance you wouldn't think this disc would be anything approaching catchy and melodious. You'd be wrong for thinking that, though. I reviewed this album at the beginning of the year and loved it then - I love it just as much now. A brilliant album that is always revealing new layers of gorgeous sound every time it plays. Read my review at Trees And Things, download the MP3 linked in the review and then listen to Earth on Pandora or wherever. You may find yourself as surprisingly enthralled as I've been. If you are, please pick up this superb disc; my favorite release of 2008

Serena update - adoption pending

2008-08-01T21:35:00.006-04:00

From the Good News department:
Word on the street is that the lovely Serena is in the process of finding her forever home! Those who've followed Serena's progress will be happy to know that she's a much more outgoing hound than the one we picked up. She's still shy, as that seems to be part of her nature, but she's well on her way to being a more confident dog. And she's such a happy camper in the morning! Just flashes a million-watt smile at you after she's done with her doggie stretches and stuff. We will miss having her around, that's for sure.
Serena thanks everyone who's wished her well and sent prayers and other positive thoughts in her general direction.
Thanks, all.

Serena part 3

2008-07-21T11:26:00.004-04:00

Hey, all!
That sweet-faced girl you see here is becoming a different hound than the one who first graced the pages of this blog! Serena is becoming bolder and more confident everyday - though we think she'll always be somewhat of a cautious dog, especially in new surroundings and situations - and has started doing things of her own accord, rather than just following her foster brother's lead. She is definitely a morning girl! She gets that tail wagging in big circles like a helicopter blade, and runs around the living room and comes up and gives quick doggie kisses before being left out for the morning's bathroom break. This girl is a real sweetheart and has been allowing us to rub her belly and has also been quick to give us appreciative licks and kisses. It's taken 2 and a half weeks to build enough trust for her to let out her "inner dog" and it's been worth every minute. She has also started to come when called, not every time, but a vast improvement over her usual routine of skittering away to her bed. Serena took her first solo walk on the leash last week and did pretty well without the comfort and presence of her foster brother, who usually walks beside of her.
Loud sounds, new people, and new situations still cause her to shy away and head for her comfort zone in the bedroom. You can see her wanting to engage in new experiences, but she's still battling that part of her brain that brings out the caution flag, but even so, she's getting better about it every day.
On a different note, we may have to re-evaluate her cat-safe status: she tangled with our cat this morning and has a 2 inch claw mark on her shoulder to prove it... We were sleeping at the time, so we don't know all the circumstances, but we'll be keeping an eye on that aspect of her behavior.
All-in-all, Serena is doing very well and is going to make a fine companion animal for the right person/persons. We're still recommending that she be placed in a home with another dog, one who has confidence and experience, as she really leans on, and learns from that.

Serena part 2

2008-07-10T15:48:00.003-04:00

Hey, all. Serena's been with us for a little over week now and her personality continues to emerge as her shy nature is slowly loosening its grip upon her actions. She's starting to show some playfulness, especially when she first gets up in the morning. Lots more tail wagging and happy faces from her than in days previous and she's even handed out a few doggie kisses to a select few! Serena may turn out to be a stuffy collector - she's knicked a few stuffed animals from our daughter's rooms and brought them back to her favorite resting place, Coastal's bed! No chewing on them so far, just likes having them around...
She's been out for several walks and has done very well on the leash, though getting her out the door and started requires some patient coaxing and cajoling. She did several sets of steps while on the leash and had absolutely no problems navigating inclines or declines, as she's very nimble. At this point, we still think that she'll do best in a home with another dog - preferably a greyhound - as she really does draw comfort from the presence of another hound whose lead she can follow.
Oh, and she's got a healthy appetite as shown in the pictures. No problems wolfing down a bowl of kibble and she's starting to accept treats from our hands as well.
All in all, she's a real sweetheart who continues to allow more and more of her personality to shine through and will make a nice companion for the right person or family.

An intro to Serena

2008-07-06T13:56:00.003-04:00

Hey all! This is Serena, formerly known as "Slam Around" - she's a bit on the shy side so she's asked me to speak on her behalf. Serena is a shy, quiet girl who likes the comfort of a private spot to hang out in. Be it a large dog bed in a back room or a kennel where she can meditate on life after racing. Serena (who is 2 yrs old today!) weighs in the neighborhood of 55 lbs and is settling into retirement slow and easy. She's a bit of a timid soul and really likes to have a another hound around to show her what's up with all the new things retirement life brings. She's looking for a patient soul who recognizes that good things come to those who wait, as she's probably going to come into her own and blossom like a gorgeous rose after a little bit of TLC! She's eating well and hasn't had any accidents in the house - she's got a good grasp so far on how the "go out to potty" thing works and has done number 1 and number 2 on the leash, so no problems there. Speaking of leashes, yesterday she took her first walk on a leash after some coaxing and cajoling on our part. Her initial fright at venturing out was replaced by some delighted looks on her face as we ventured around the neighborhood. Serena was, I think, more comforted by the presence of her big foster brother Coastal and his confidence at being out and about than she was by either of her foster parents, furthering my assumption that she'll do better in an environment with another dog(s).
So far, Serena has shown that she'll probably be cat-safe, as she hasn't paid much attention to our little feline prowling about the house.
Since we picked her up, Serena has gained a little more confidence each day, meandering about the house and yard, though she often goes about it in the manner of two steps forward and one step back.
As of now Serena would do best in a quieter home environment with another canine to hang out with. As noted above, any potential adopters will need patience and a gentle touch to help her transition into new surroundings. We will update this page every few days and report on any new gains of confidence. We're going to see how she does with stairs soon, also, so stay tuned for news on that and whatever else the week brings, and contact Denise (or leave a comment here on the blog) if Serena sounds like the one for you!

Dash's Diary

2008-05-20T17:25:00.003-04:00

Hey, folks!
I'm Dash, and this'll be the start of my blog - a kinda diary of sorts.
I'm currently being fostered in Pennsylvania and have had an exciting time with all the cool, new things (mirrors are so awesome!) in my foster's house.
Yesterday I went swimming! Not on purpose, of course. I was playing and running around the back yard with my new foster brother, Coastal,(he's a greyhound, too!) and figured I'd show him a thing or two, maybe even something he'd never seen before. With my name being Dash, and me being a greyhound, I just figured that I could run right over the top of the water and never look back and Coastal would have to eat my dust! Didn't quite work out that way, although foster dad said he's never seen any dog jump that far out into the pool before.... made quite a big splash, too! Heh, was I ever embarrassed, foster dad had to help me doggie paddle to the shallow end of the pool and show me where the steps were so I could get out. Brrrrr... the water's still pretty cold, but I was right about one thing - Coastal had definitely never seen anything like that!
Anyhow, I'm settling in nicely - kissing the foster dad's daughters, and eating treats, and sleeping on Coastal's big ol' bed. I even went for a walk last night and had several people tell me how pretty I was. Cool! I'll admit to being a tiny bit nervous here and there, I even was nervous of Coastal's stuffies and squeak toys but after awhile I started playing with them myself. There's so many new things to do I can't explain all of it, but I'll log in every few days and blog about myself a bit.
Cheers,
Dash.

Best Albums Of 2007

2007-12-09T10:51:00.000-05:00

Once again, there was a wharehouse full of good tunes released this year (and a few disappointments as well), so let's get to it.

Biggest let-downs and other musical failures:
No More Beautiful World - Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers. A punch in the gut, this album was. Musically great, but lyrically suspect; the
storytelling that's the strength of this band was damningly absent and the album suffered for it.
Washington Square Serenade - Steve Earle. A likeable but utterly inessential album (see my review here). Couple of great songs and a lot of okay stuff present, but NOT at all representative of Earle's talent.
S/T - The Good, The Bad & The Queen. The bad, the boring, and the monotonous.
Kala - MIA. Most overrated and over-hyped album of '07 (see my review here). Every song that features a guest rapper(s) ends up blowing goats. The rest of the album consists of several awesome tracks (Paper Planes being supremely excellent) and a bunch of songs that never reach their potential. This album is the posterchild for being able to buy singles instead of whole albums. Like the Steve Earle album, a handful of great tracks don't make up for the rest of the disc smelling like an overfull outhouse...

The top 25:

25. Infinity On High - Fallout Boy. Stadium ready emo-punk full of fist-pumping songs just begging to be played loudly.

24. Rites Of Uncovering - Arbouretum. Psychedelic, jammy blues. Smolderingly consistent tunes.
23. Strawberry Jam - Animal Collective. Experimental pop hoohah succeeds because it layers catchy melodies within its everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to recording. Consistently approachable experimentation.
22. Reggae Hit LA - The Aggrolites. Retro-sounding, funk-laden reggae at it's best.
21. We All Belong - Dr. Dog. Philadelphia band throws out an album that mixes classic rock and psych rock in equal measures. Catchy stuff.
20. New Magnetic Wonder - The Apples In Stereo. Instantly catchy, sing-along pop from the band that always sounds like they're having a ball. Album gets docked points for including a bunch of blippy/bloopy/noisey "songs" that are supposedly some new chord/key/whatever variations that frontman Rob Schneider invented...
19. Bolts Of Melody - Adam Franklin. Ex-Swervedriver leader puts out a nice, meandering disc that mixes shoegaze and indie pop to nice effect. A charming record.
18. Person Pitch - Panda Bear. Brian Wilson. Brian Wilson. Brian Wilson. On acid. After his breakdown... A gorgeous disc of psychedelic tricks and treats.
17. We Live Now - Dora Flood. Space rock meets shoegaze and boy does it sound good. A terrific album for fans of the previously mentioned genres. Most of their back catalog is available to download for free. This album is 3 bucks cheaper at the band's site versus Amazon's price.
16. Sound Of Silver - LCD Soundsystem. An electronica album that anyone can (and should) like. A surprisingly cohesive dance/rock/whatever album. Lotta people commented that this would make their year-end lists just after it came out way back in the Spring, and with good reason. As of this posting the whole album's available at Amazon for download at $5.99. Well worth it, imho.
15. Atlantis, Hymns For Disco - K-Os. Canadian rapper tosses out a disc that pays homage to Purple Rain era Prince, whether that was the intention or not. A really nice mixture that combines rapping, singing, beats, and rock in equal measures. Seriously, if Prince had released this very same album, the critics would've fallen all over it, gushing praise to the high heavens.
14. Boxer - The National. A terrific album that will undoubtedly top many critic's polls. It's got that dark, rootsy feel that appeals to so many folks across the Web. I like this album a lot, but it's in dire need of a few carefully placed rockers to shake thing up a bit. As is, its total focus on slower pacing, inward-looking dirges keeps it out of the top ten. Still, a fantastic album regardless.
13. The Shepherd's Dog - Iron And Wine. Sam Beam releases another of his quality lo-fi indie albums. This time there's some focus on world beat sounds, although they're not obtrusive to the point that they overwhelm Beam's traditionally understated voice. Indeed, the newer sounds mostly hover underneath the lyrics, providing an undercurrent of experimentalism without sounding forced or tacked-on as an afterthought.
12. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire. Montreal collective find all the right musical pieces and put them together in fascinating ways. An album that holds up well and constantly offers up new things to your ears with every listen. This is a much better album than Arcade was.
11. Living With The Living - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists. Another album that finds Ted doing what he does best: Mixing politics, pop, and punk with tuneful aplomb. Also, there's great guitar playing aplenty on this disc. While it's not quite as good as Shake The Sheets or Hearts of Oak, it's still a wonderful disc that's well worth purchasing.

10. Alright, Still - Lily Allen. The musical surprise of the year for me. This album is full of choice samples from ska greats Duke Reid, Jackie Mittoo, and Earl King among others. The samples provide a great foundation for Allen's vocal and lyrics, which are razor-sharp and cheeky at the same time. Pop music rarely sounds as good as it does here.

9. Traffic And Weather - Fountains Of Wayne. Power pop kings do what they do best: combine clever storytelling with hooky, hooky goodness (my review here). Just a solid, solid disc of ear-catching goodness.

8. Andorra - Caribou. Ear-pleasing dream-pop/electronica that comes across like a warm day in the middle of Winter. It's a poptastic piece of music that pays tribute to Brian Wilson - though in a much different way than Panda Bear did on Person Pitch - with engaging melodies and sumptuous hooks that are consistently engaging. A great disc.

7. None Shall Pass - Aesop Rock. Best rap album of the year. Lotta folks don't like Aesop's rapid-fire delivery, but it's not a problem for me. Cool beats, great lyrics,
and all around fine production leave us with a sonically interesting and hook-filled album. Sounds great on headphones, too.

6. A Poet's Life - Tim Armstrong. Rancid frontman drops a ferociously fun album that utilizes the retro-reggae skills of The Aggrolites with grand results. This is what old school, 2-Tone reggae would sound like if were to have a sudden resurgence in popularity today; urgent, infectious, throw-your-arms-in-the-air skank that wouldn't stop people from moving if threatened with violence... A fun, fun party album and completely up front in its intentions.

5. I Can't Go On, I'll Go On - The Broken West. A fantastic album of power pop steeped in West coast Americana. A jangliscious album full of hooks and harmonies, with just enough of an undercurrent of darkness to provide a nice counterpoint to the prettiness that first shows itself when played. A great album that could've very easily taken the top spot on this list.

4. Icky Thump - The White Stripes. Jack White comes through with a set of Zeppelin-esque rockers that are consistently catchy and inventive (my review here). This disc also contains some of the best guitar sounds released this year. A glorious album, this is.

3. The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse - The Besnard Lakes. Utterly engaging disc of dreamy space rock that mixes indie sensibilities with ethereal guitar/harmony arrangements. In an alternate reality, Pink Floyd Meets the Beach Boys for dinner in Canada and this is the album that results. Get this album.

2. The Stage Names - Okkervil River. A tragically clever album that hits all the right notes in all of the right places at all the right times. A concept album of sorts about fame and entertainment, it's not as dark as earlier releases from Will Sheff and co. Gritty yet catchy, clever but not specious, knowledgeable yet innocent sounding, this is the most cinematic album released this year. This disc incorporates more pop history in one disc than most bands manage in their entire careers. Do not miss this album.

1. Ga Ga Ga GA GA - Spoon. Hands down the best album of the year. An indie rock extravaganza with nary a bad song or misplaced note to be found. Best overall production of any disc that I heard this year. The songs are all meticulously crafted and attach themselves to your lobes with the intensity of a rabid bottle of Super Glue. If you purchase no other album this year, let this be the one. You need this album in your collection

A Warrior Leaves Us - Goodbye, Sean Taylor

2007-11-27T20:06:00.000-05:00

A warrior whom had undergone a transformation into something that was more than the sum of his parts, left us today. He was that rare combination of genes; from a whisper to a scream, an evolutionary construct that could run like a greyhound and hit like a freight train.
The NFL, and the city of Washington will both shine a little less brightly from now on. Journey on in peace, bro.... You will be missed!

Traffic And Weather: Spinning The New Fountains Of Wayne Disc

2007-04-07T15:15:00.000-04:00

Finally, after a four year wait, Fountains Of Wayne have seen fit to drop their latest Power-Pop confection upon an unsuspecting public. And I'm happy to say that Traffic And Weather has been well worth the wait. While they did release an odds and sods collection in the meantime, made up of B-sides, bonus tracks, and other previously unavailable tunes on the 2-disc Out Of State Plates, there's been nothing brand new from the band since Welcome Interstate Managers. As fast as things move and tastes change in the constantly shifting equation between music and music fans, especially in these days of Internet hype for the Next! Big! Thing! four years is almost an eternity. I often wondered if the band would be able to sustain the forward momentum they gathered when "Stacy's Mom" - their big hit single from Welcome Interstate Managers - and its corresponding video, featuring the vivacious Rachael Hunter, turned on thousands of new fans to the pleasures of the best band currently plying the Power-Pop waters. New fans and older fans alike, will surely be pleased with the continuing quality of the tuneage. Whether or not any of the songs will hit it huge is largely a matter of luck. Honestly, three quarters of the new songs are more than good enough for radio airplay. Hell, let's be honest here: with the exception of one or two songs, this album's assembled songs easily surpass most singles now playing on the radio - a fact that has little to do with quality and lots to do with payola, marketing, PR, and a host of industry-related shenanigans that often means that quality music will take a back seat to flavor-of-the-moment mediocrity.
After spinning the new disc continuously since it arrived via DHL a day after its release, my ears and my head have once again become solidly entranced in the always clever songwriting of Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood. Their formula has always been pretty much the same (to the apparent dismay of the doofusses [doofii?] at Pitchfork and Stylus): combine everyday characters like those found in any town or city, and put them in a quirky, ironic situation while telling a clever story about their exploits regarding life's little curveballs, strike-outs and occasional home-runs. Now anyone can tell a story, but few people have the talent to marry said tales with such insanely catchy music. Their latest forays into storytelling feature immensely satisfying little vignettes that retain all of the clever wordplay that longtime fans have come to expect. Also expected (and happily present) are all of the hooky choruses intermingling with guitars and synths to reach out and Super Glue themselves to any and all ears that are open in the slightest. Consisting of 14 tracks (see below) and clocking in at a little over 47 minutes this is a well-sequenced and favorably-paced disc that has a lot to love and little to dismiss.

1. Someone To Love
2. '92 Subaru
3. Yolanda Hayes
4. Traffic And Weather
5. Fire In The Canyon
6. This Better Be Good
7. Revolving Dora
8. Michael And Heather At The Baggage Claim
9. Strapped For Cash
10. I-95
11. Hotel Majestic
12. Planet Of Weed
13. New Routine
14. Seatbacks And Traytables

The lots to love section:
"Someone To Love" starts things off in typical FOW style: uptempo synths and guitars and lyrics with those appealing choruses that you can sing along with almost immediately. The two protagonists in the song are looking for love - the fates conspire against them. Instant fave.
In "Yolanda Hayes" love slowly blossoms between a customer and a DMV clerk. Sweet, clever, and nicely done. Another fave.
"Traffic And Weather" has a harder-edged sound with the guitars slowly recycling the same melodic loop as an anchorman looks to seduce his on-air partner. This one's a bit of a grower.
"Fire In The Canyon" continues the band's flirtation with Country-fied pop that cropped up most noticeably on WIM's "Hung Up On You" and also shows that their recent stint helping out on America's comeback album Here And Now has been influential to some degree.
"This Better Be Good," "Revolving Dora," and "Michael And Heather At The Baggage Claim" are all fine mid-tempo FOW songs featuring those that are lonesome, and those that are in love. They're all good and hummable, but clearly a step down from the album's stronger cuts.
"Strapped For Cash" finds a character on the run from the bookie he owes money to. Horns, synths, and ultra-hooky goodness abound. Quality song.
"I-95" is one of those mellow, poignant slice-of-life songs that these guys do so well. "It's a nine hour drive from me to you/South on I-95 and I'll do it 'til the day I die/If I need to/ Just to see you." Good stuff.
"The Hotel Majestic" opens with swirling synths and seems to find a house band stuck in a dreary, never-ending gig at the Hotel Majestic. Excellent lyrics and vocals, plus some cool piano parts really sell this one. Earworm city and another fave.
"New Routine" finds a group of interconnected characters traipsing around the globe in search of something new. This is an absolutely sublime song and is my favorite tune here. This one ranks right up there with any of their classics. Clever, clever lyrics and the hooks just reach out and slam you again and again. Power-Pop nirvana!
"Seatbacks And Traytables Up" is another beautiful Americana-influenced song regarding the endless travels life sends folks on. Very nice.

Little to dismiss section:
Thought they could've cut "Planet Of Weed" and nobody would've missed it. It's a half-baked :-) paean to the wonders of Mary Jane that just comes off as a novelty track which ends up going nowhere.

The only other track to give me pause was "'92 Subaru" and after hearing it dozens of times, I've come around on it a bit - probably because it attaches itself with relentless abandon in your brain despite any misgivings about it sounding a bit forced together.

All in all, this an excellent album and should please any and all fans of both FOW in specific and Power-Pop in general. Highly recommended.

No More Beautiful World - The Latest Roger Clyne Joint Gets A Listen

2007-03-22T15:05:00.000-04:00

Pity the music lover and his expectations. Just when you think an artist is gonna reliably release another quality joint, a curve-ball of mediocrity gets thrown your way. Sigh... happened last year with The Flaming Lips and this year the fates apparently decided to do the same to No More Beautiful World, by Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers
Count me as a pretty huge Roger Clyne fan. Count me as someone whose got everything Roger's done; from the Refreshments right up through the latest disc w/the Peacemakers. Count me as someone who remains underwhelmed at the quality of this record. I had an inkling that the songs weren't up to snuff when I listened to a few tracks that were featured in an ecard over at the band's site a few weeks back. I pre-ordered the disc from Amazon anyway, figuring that it'd be better than it sounded once the disc was securely in hand. It arrived yesterday and after several spins through the headphones and a test drive in my pick-up's CD player, I'm somewhat baffled at the middling quality of the tuneage. The Peacemaker's previous releases have always featured passion and righteousness mixed in equal amounts with hooky, melodic storytelling that targeted Rock -n- Roll's heartland. Mixing Country twang, Tex-Mex spice, and a few dashes of the Caribbean, with a solid Rock -n- Roll foundation, Clyne created a very tasty concoction that served his smartly clever lyrics very well.
On the new record, part of that formula is m.i.a. - the music is as strong as ever, though it's taken a slow turn towards Jamaica with several songs featuring the lilting, skanking vibes that are easily recognized as the progeny of Ska and Reggae. Seeing as how I'm into music that skanks, the more prominent Reggae vibe goes down easily for me. What's a little harder to swallow is the lack of any real storytelling - always a hallmark for Roger. Oh, there's hints of storytelling. Snatches and snips of words that appear to outline a path, only to have said path disappear right before
your eyes (and more importantly, your ears). The lack of storycraft on this disc may turn out to be somewhat of a blessing in disguise, as it's harder to focus on the lyrics without a story driving them. And here's where this disc really hurts: the lyrics. Man, the lyrics are just this side of embarrassing at many points (and that's a really hard thing for me to write). They're easily summed up like this: all platitudes without even a hint of attitude. And therein lies the major fault with this disc. It sounds pretty and it sounds bouncy and it sounds like there's something going on, but with all the glittering generalities in the lyrics, nothing hooks you deeply - there's nothing to see or feel when you listen with an attentive ear. It's a startling failure when compared with Roger's back catalog and a hard one to overlook.
Now that I've covered all the negative stuff, let's move on to the positive, shall we?
No More Beautiful World contains plenty of hooks and sing-along choruses within its very tasty musical grooves. This is also a very happy-sounding album; it's positively giddy in some passages and will most likely have you humming along with a smile on your face if you're willing to allow the tunes to carry you around. And aside from a one or two clunkers - I'm looking in your direction "Lemons' and "Junebug In July" - most of the songs are relatively good if you don't listen too hard for lyrical revelations. Standouts include:
"Goon Squad"
"Wake Up Call"
"Andale"
"Plenty"
The rest of the tunes are agreeable enough, but not especially remarkable or memorable. While I may be damning this album with faint praise to say it makes feel-good background music, so be it. This is a fine album to throw on and groove along with, and should be treated as such.
At the end of the day we're left with an album that, considering the Peacemaker's quality back catalog, is pleasant and sunny, but still remains an underwhelming endeavor in comparison. Those looking for a bit more substance, weight, and/or passion to go with along with sharp storytelling should pass on this disc and instead take a look at "Boys And Girls In America" by The Hold Steady.

It's All Kinda Hazy, Isn't It?

2007-03-16T15:13:00.000-04:00

Step right up, folks, we're once again being granted the honor of watching the Bush administration pull one of their favorite tactics out of their bag o' tricks: the Hazy Memory™ defense.

The White House retreated today from its claim that former counsel Harriet E. Miers first came up with the idea of firing U.S. attorneys, another apparent shift in the Bush administration's evolving version of events behind the controversy.

White House press secretary Tony Snow told reporters that it was no longer clear who first initiated the idea of dismissing a large number of the 93 federal prosecutors following the 2004 elections.

"It has been described as her idea but . . . I don't want to try to vouch for origination," Snow said, referring to Miers. "At this juncture, people have hazy memories."

This is of course, just another tactic designed to stall the ever-swelling wave of incredulity over yet another bungled response to yet another bungled, mis-managed, and totally inappropriate - and quite possibly illegal - political ploy born out of the collectively corrupt group-mind of the White House. Last year, 8 federal prosecutors were fired for "performance reasons" or so the Bushies would've liked us to believe. That story never held water from the get-go, although it did take the MSM a little while to investigate the story behind the story. And now that they have, the water's draining out of that basin as fast as the Bushies can replenish it. They were fired for that most basic of reasons in D.C.: politics. The fired 8 weren't licking enough boots to satisfy Alberto Gonzales and his beady-eyed chief-of-staff, Kyle Sampson:

"One email exchange in particular is quite damning. It took place in late December--less than a month before Gonzales' testimony--between Gonzales' chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, and Christopher Oprison of the White House Counsel's office. In the exchange, Oprison asks Sampson about the Attorney General's strategy for installing Tim Griffin, a protege of Karl Rove, as the new U.S. Attorney in Arkansas. Oprison notes that Griffin's appointment is encountering resistance from Arkansas' Senate delegation but wonders why, in light of Section 546 [of the Patriot Act], Griffin is being referred to as the 'interim' U.S. Attorney:

" If this is a Section 546 AG appointment for unlimited duration, Tim [Griffin] can call himself 'US Attorney' rather than 'interim' or 'acting' and our talkers should avoid referring to him as 'interim.' What are your thoughts ?

Sampson's response perfectly encapsulates everything that is wrong with how the Bush administration operates. He writes:

" I think we should gum this to death: ask the Senators to give Tim a chance, meet with him, give him some time in office to see how he performs, etc. If they ultimately say 'no never' (and the longer we can forestall that the better), then we can tell them we'll look for other candidates, ask them for recommendations, evaluate the recommendations, interview their candidates, and otherwise run out the clock. All of this should be done in 'good faith,' of course.

"Translation: we're going to invoke Section 546 and make Tim Griffin the U.S. Attorney, but we're not going to tell anyone that's what we're doing."

Well, Sampson was forced to fall on his metaphorical sword in light of all the incriminating evidence being brought forth. Which bring us back to the Hazy Memory™ defense mentioned earlier. This whole sordid affair only became this intriguing due to the Bush administration's almost pathological need to lie, lie, lie when confronted with evidence of Administrative misdeeds. Sadly, 6 years on, the White House still refuses to tell the truth even when they surely know that the truth will eventually surface and bite 'em in the ass, much like the Great White shark feeding on those reckless enough to swim in its territory.
The flunkies are warming up their excuses even as we speak:

Gonzales has "no recollection"
Snow also said that "it's not even clear"
"Anything's possible," he said, "but I don't think so."
He said Bush "certainly has no recollection of any such thing. . . . I want you to be clear here: don't be dropping it at the president's door."
"It is not clear when the idea first originates, but the bottom line is, the idea is never pursued," Perino said.
At the Justice Department, spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos said Gonzales "has no recollection of any plan or discussion to replace U.S. attorneys while he was still White House counsel."

Incompetence surely steers this administration's ship, but to understand that, you have to understand what powers this lumbering, lurching beast of incompetent burden. What could possibly drive so much bumbling idiocy, you ask? Easy, an engine fashioned to strictly partisans specs. The Bush White House has always advanced those who are willing to hold up partisan ideals as more important than people who have the actual background and ability to get things done. Parroting the conservative line is of the utmost importance. Or to put it another way, "partisan hacks rule - everyone else drools!"

Preach the Gospel, Brother Clyburn!

House Democratic Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina said the controversies reflected poorly on administration officials generally.
"They don't know anything about running government. They're just political hacks," Clyburn said at a news conference in Columbia, S.C. "Gonzales is just a political hack."

That may be the most succinct and sadly accurate little truism offered up by a politician in quite some time.

John McCain: World's Biggest Flip Flopper

2007-02-20T20:20:00.000-05:00

It's been a dizzying fall for the once-semi-credible John McCain. In his quest for for the Republican nomination in '08, he's reached new lows in pandering and boot-licking and has now become the nation's biggest flip flop. At one point in time McCain was seen as a maverick, an outsider, someone who wasn't afraid of taking on many aspects of the knuckle-dragging tendencies of GOP doctrine. Well, that's all changed (if it ever was true to begin with, anyway):

So it’s truly disheartening to watch McCain jettison the principled independence that used to make him a transcendent figure. Jerry Fallwell, formerly an “agent of intolerance” in McCain’s estimation is now a chum, who no doubt smiled when McCain decided to deliver the keynote address at a creationist convention.

Abortion used to be a woman’s choice. Now it’s time to overturn Roe v. Wade, says McCain. McCain says he doesn’t believe in building a border fence, but then, suddenly, in the same sentence, he offers to build the “damn fence” if the GOP base demands it. Same goes for gay marriage, which he recently said “should be allowed”, until an adviser whispered in his ear, prompting him to clarify, “I do not think that gay marriages should be legal.”

The Flop meter:
Abortion rights? Flop.
Rev. Falwell and his band of merry mischief-makers? Flop.
Soft money campaign donations? Flop.
Gay marriage? Flop.
Swift-Boat electioneering tactics? Flop.
Supported Rumsfeld's agenda? Flop.
Straight Talk Express? Flop.
Flip? Flop.

McCain's recent public reaming of Donald Rumsfeld - however deserved - is just another nail in the coffin. To slightly paraphrase another pol once accused of the dreaded flip flop - didn't McCain vote for Rumsfeld's handling of the war before he voted against it:

At a campaign stop in South Carolina on Monday, Mr McCain lashed out at Donald Rumsfeld, the controversial former defence secretary, as "one of the worst secretaries of defence in history". The 70-year-old Vietnam war veteran added: "We are paying a very heavy price for the mismanagement – that's the kindest word I can give you – of Donald Rumsfeld of this war. The price is very, very heavy and I regret it enormously."

Sad, really. The man is so intent reaching the White House that he now values propaganda over principle. The abortion flop has provided the impetus for a host of folks to take a look at McCain's past statements, and boy howdy! are they ever revealing. The ugliest flop may be the hiring of the douchebags who created havoc for Kerry in '04 when they Swiftboated the truth right out from under Kerry's legs. At the time, McCain shouted something along the lines of "liar, liar pants on fire" at the concept and the weasels behind it; now however, he's apparently decided that weasels make plenty good company for the likes of him and his campaign. Sure, politicians are inherently untrustworthy, and yeah, they often change their tune on an issue or two to appease the base, but the glad-handing realignment with the lunatics on the religious right makes absolutely no sense. They don't pull enough weight in the electorate to actually elect anybody. Sure, they're often more motivated to vote in the primaries, but in a general election they're outnumbered by a wide margin even within their own party. Centrist, moderate Republicans despise them nearly as much as those of us on the left; the financial conservatives also push them away as their inflammatory rhetoric tends to push financial issues onto the backburner, whilst debate rages over some far-flung, high-strung social issue that has no real world value - abstinence education for example - and takes attention away from corporate wants and needs that the GOP depends on for cash, cash, cash! So it's come to this - McCain suckling at the neocon teat for his sustenance, as whatever vestiges of dignity and self-worth the man once had are swept out into the trash like so many used packing peanuts. Not that I'm crying over the self-destruction of a GOP candidate, that's always amusing, but there was a time when McCain almost (almost!) sounded like someone with a little common sense and a good idea or two somewhere up his sleeve. That John McCain is dead; replacing him is someone willing to blow goats in furtherance of a political career.
Want to see for yourself? Check out the video below. It's McCain -Vs-McCain:

Well, to do a little more paraphrasing as to John McCain's ambitions and intentions - I guess you go to the presidential primaries with the principles you now have, not the principles you wish you had...

Best Music Of 2006

2006-12-17T11:29:00.000-05:00

Pretty much any album in my top ten could be number one. There were a ton - and I mean a freakin' ton - of good albums released this year. Here's what I liked, loved, and couldn't live without. Oh, and this will be the only list on the Web that lists both Mastodon and Jimmy Buffett in its top 20, I guarantee it!

Honorable mention: I Will Write You Love Letters If You Tell Me To - The Envy Corps
An ep of finely structured, dense, atmospheric indie-rock. Many thanks to Nikki at Indie Don't Dance (see my sidebar links) for hooking me up with this.

Liked:

20. At War With The Mystics - The Flaming Lips
Probably the album that disappointed me the most, in addition to be the album that I was looking forward to the most. I thought this would get better the more I listened to it - I was wrong. This was a good album, but not a great album. I expect great albums from the Flaming Lips, not this scattershot mess of an album.

19. Take The Weather With You - Jimmy Buffett
Sunny, uncluttered storytelling with all the usual subject matter. Bonus points for some good cover choices including Crowded House's "Weather With You." A welcome return to form after some of the decidedly spotty releases of the past few years.

18. (tie)Wolfmother - Wolfmother
Passover - The Black Angels
Wolfmother's bombastic rock disc borrows from Led Zep, Black Sabbath, and even the White Stripes. The lyrics are the weakest point here, but it's still a fun listen.

The Black Angels disc is heavy on the '60s psychedelia. Droning, feedback-fueled guitars and fuzzy production rule the day. The songs deal out anti-war darkness by the handful, so be prepared for a certain kind of claustrophobia-shrouded take on things.

17. Taking The Long Way Home - The Dixie Chicks
Another well crafted album from the Chicks. It's a fine middle finger salute to the cheesedicks surrounding the country music radio establishment with its inherent bunker mentality, as well as being a fine disc of laid-back country rock. It evokes that '70s California sound: The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, etc.

16. Modern Times - Bob Dylan
This is a good album, but not so good as others have made it out to be. It's enjoyable, well-crafted and pleasant to listen to; certainly good enough to make my top 20, but, c'mon, it's not anywhere close to album of the year status.

15. The Life Pursuit - Belle And Sebastian
More typical popsmithery from the indie popsters. A good album that failed, for whatever reason, to hit me as strongly as their last disc did. Still, a charming little pop record anyway.

14. Highway Companion - Tom Petty
Yay for Tom Petty! I've passed on the last couple of discs from Petty 'cuz they were kinda "meh" - this one gets it right, however.
it is pure, classic Tom Petty. The mix is fantastic, with plenty of room for the well-placed instruments to live, breathe and spread out. Big acoustic guitars, harmonica, a touch of electric piano and a huge dose of Mike Campbell's slide guitar fill the songs with a familiar groove

Loved:

13. The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
An astoundingly, surprisingly good disc with huge hooks and choruses and plenty of sing-along theatricality. It's kind of a concept album in the vein of Green Day's American Idiot and even evokes bits and pieces of that album as it plays. Forget your preconceived ideas about this band being tagged as emo/screamo and grab this album. It'll shatter your preconceptions.

12. The Wee Hours Review - Roman Candle
Almost perfect jangle-pop from these North Carolina musicians. Fans of jangly, southern-sounding guitar-pop should give these guys a look. This stuff is catchy and vibrant as all get-out! Great music for driving, too.

11. (tie) Fox Confessor Brings The Flood - Neko Case
A Hundred Highways - Johnny Cash
Neko's gorgeous voice shines brightly on this album of well-crafted Americana.
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood is a rich, mature, and deeply satisfying piece of music that deserves and demands attention -- if this isn't Album of the Year material, it's hard to say what is.

In contrast, the Man In Black's voice on his posthumous disc is anything but gorgeous, and this record is all the better for it. Cash absolutely sells these tunes - almost all of which deal with death - with the knowledge that these would probably be his last offerings.

Couldn't live without:

10. Blood Mountain - Mastodon
Metal/hard rock album of the year. This album unleashes everything in the band's considerable arsenal. Hyper-fast playing meets prog-rock soundscapes, meets thunderous riffage.
Blood Mountain is, almost unequivocally, the greatest rock album this year will give birth to. Ingeniously complex yet satisfyingly direct and immediate, meticulously crafted yet wholly organic in feel and flow, this triumphant third LP from a band that successfully avoids precise pigeonholing is absolutely deserving of a maximum numerical score - there's simply no other possible conclusion to reach

9. The Rise And Fall Of... - Butch Walker & The Let's Go Out Tonites
A glam-rock, power-pop extravaganza. Seriously fun rock that doesn't take itself too seriously.
But this ain't some lo-fi independent alternative bullshit. This is major label arena rock with pretensions. Walker aims to bring everyone together under the big tent. He writes anthems, and when the song doesn't have a catchy chorus, he calls it "Song Without a Chorus". Who needs a chorus when the verses themselves contain hooks big enough to catch sharks?

8. (tie) [Roots And Crowns] - Califone
The Crane Wife - The Decemberists
The Califone album is quietly seductive and somewhat twisted Americana. It's a gorgeous, understated record that has many, many experimental things ambling around in its hazy background.
The Decemberists dig into their usual bag of literary-tweaked pop and come out with another keeper. Their last offering didn't sit well with me for some reason, but this one more than makes up for it.

7. Putting The Days To Bed - The Long Winters
Tight, catchy indie-rock from a gifted and witty songwriter. The tunes from this album all stick like glue.
A dazzling collection of songs, Putting The Days To Bed cements Roderick's reputation as one of the best songwriters working today. He's John Vanderslice, Britt Daniel and Jason Falkner all rolled into one humble pop architect, capable of magical choruses and radiant songcraft.

6. Return To Cookie Mountain - TV On The Radio
This was one of the best-reveiwed albums of the year, and with good reason; it's a great album. It's all over the place stylistically, but somehow manages to be as coherent a record as was released this year. Read the linked reviews at Metacritic for more info, as they perhaps can explain it better than I can. Any way you look at it, this is an excellent album from top to bottom.

5. Personality (One Was A Bird, One Was A Spider) - The Sleepy Jackson
Warm orchestral/indie pop that's addictively enthralling. Great melodies and sumptious choruses are the hallmark of this inviting disc of Wilsonian-referenced pop music. Seriously, if you like Wilson's Smile and other similar offerings, this'll be right up your alley.

4. Black Holes And Revelations - Muse
A sweeping, thundering melange of prog-rock genre hopping. Evokes everyone from Bowie to Queen to U2 and yet manages to sound apart from them (and there's a surprising undercurrent of funk just below the surface throughout this record). This is a huge-sounding album and one of the finest rock records released this year.

3. Food And Liquor - Lupe Fiasco
Best hip-hop album released this year. Proves that smarts will beat bling hands down. These songs are excellent and never devolve into the trappings of so many contemporary hip-hop records; namely thuggery, gangsta-induced pimpery and overt misogyny.
Fiasco has again expanded rap's reach with Food and Liquor, one of the most eclectic and profound rap albums of the 21st century...
...Ever since hip-hop emerged as a commercial genre, critics have derided its often-blatant violence, disrespect, and misogyny. Food and Liquor is a perfect counter to the argument that such themes are universal in rap.
An album not to be missed regardless of whether you like hip-hop or not.

2. Boys And Girls In America - The Hold Steady
Perfect melding of classic-rock with indie-rock. It's all about the stories and Craig Finn is quite the storyteller. Everyone says this is the greatest bar band in the world - I don't buy the bar band tag simply because these guys don't sound like any bar band that I've ever heard, and I've heard a ton of bar bands :-)
The Springsteen comparisons these guys get are more apt, as the songs usually involve stories and personalities unfolding as the songs and album move along. And what gloriously catchy songs they are! This band deserves to be huge, this album certainly is. Highly, highly recommended.

1. Dog Problems - The Format
A power-pop/indie-rock gem that that's contains an almost literal carnival of sounds. There's a lot of circus-like sounds and themes mixed in with the ear-candy tuneage.

Horns abound, sugary Beatlesesque harmonies lace the songs, swelling strings kick in. In other words, it sounds like Disney - on crack, and what's really surprising is that it doesn't crumble under all that feel-good weight. Ironically, it all sounds radio-ready in the most creative way imaginable.

This album made my number one spot mainly because it spent the most time my cd players. For those that are fond of packaging, well, this disc came in an interesting pak that was full of cut-out templates of multi-colored dogs that folded down to reveal bits of album credits - an interesting tidbit that makes one appreciate the differences between the physical -vs- digital apects of buying an album like this. Supremely catchy and always interesting, Dog Problems is my favorite album this year.

Xmas In November!

2006-11-08T14:57:00.000-05:00

My good buddy Lee, took the picture below, and for all intents and purposes, it highlights all that went wrong with the philosophy of the Prez and his hardcore supporters out there on the lunatic fringe... And the sad part is that Bush was echoing it's basic sentiments as late as Tuesday. It reads: AL-QAEDA VOTES DEMOCRAT

Apparently Americans vote "Democrat," too. So put that in your yard and smoke it! Bitch!
Washington awoke to a vastly reshaped political landscape today, as Republicans grappled with their losses and Democrats, who recaptured the House of Representatives after 12 years and still harbor hopes of taking back the Senate, laid plans to govern.
By early morning, Democrats had picked up at least 28 seats in the House, leaving them firmly in control. The balance of power in the Senate rested on a knife-edge, with one race in Virginia remained too close to call.

Bush now has to don the coat of rhetorical role-changer; stepping away from the image of a cowboy president and into something much different. Dan Froomkin characterizes the wordplay thusly "On a rhetorical level, it's a neck-snapping reversal from the savage smearing of Democrats as troop-hating terrorist-appeasing cowards that continued right up until last night, when the will of the voters became undeniable even by White House standards."

And just when you thought that it couldn't possibly get any better, well, it just did:
President Bush today announced he is replacing Donald H. Rumsfeld as secretary of defense, saying a "fresh perspective" is needed at the Pentagon to deal with the war in Iraq.

Woo! Mother! Fucking! Hoo!
And the icing on the cake is being spread in Virginia, where Jim Webb is poised to give Democrats the final spot they need to take control of the Senate. I will, however, give the bigots in Virginia a metaphorical slap up alongside their collective noggins for dragging their knuckles across the polling floors as they voted to ban same-sex marriages by a margin of 57% to 43&. Eat shit, crawl into a dark, dank hole and die a thousand horrible deaths you dumb fucks!
On the home front here in PA, we finally voted out one of the worst mouth breathers ever to hold a seat and tarnish our good state's reputation. Rick Santorum, kiss your Senate seat goodbye, you fucknut! Good riddance and don't let the door hit you on your Cro-Magnon ass on the way out! As someone who's been ideologically opposed to Santorum - one of the biggest sewer rats to ever draw a breath - since he appeared on the scene, his loss is especially sweet.
More pics. This one, which is truly worth a thousand words, is from the New York Daily News.

And closing out this post, in another election night shocker for all those family values voters, Britney has elected to ditch her wannabe-rap-star hubby, Kevin Federline - who is now apparently going to be forever known as, wait for it..... Fed-ex :-)

Crows Are Smarter Than Republicans...

2006-10-22T12:07:00.000-04:00

Ah, to be a member of the GOP, where change is a word to shunned with the white-hot intensity of a thousand burning suns. I've blogged before about the horrific record of the Do-Nothing, Rubber-Stamp-Anything-Bush-Comes-Up-With mentality of the GOP, but with sagging poll numbers and intense public scrutiny over the ever-growing scandals linked to and initiated by so many Republicans in so many stages of government, one would think that some change would be in order. One would be wrong, apparently. Seems like the GOP feels a-ok with our rapidly crumbling little corner of the planet:

““I don’t see the need for changes. We rise and fall with the president in this environment,” said Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee on the day before the Foley story broke. Davis said any significant loss would prompt an examination, but, “If we hold it together I don’t think you will see any change at all.”

Of course the GOP has been willing to led by its nose for so long now that even Pinocchio would be startled by its length. All of the lying doesn't do it any good either... Anyhoo, the Prez has declared a continuation of all things related to Iraq. In other words, No! Freakin'! Changes!

President Bush met with his top advisers and military commanders on Iraq yesterday in a White House session that, senior officials said, weighed options for forging a way forward amid the surging violence but did not contemplate any major shifts in strategy...
And in his Saturday radio address, Bush offered no indications on any major shift, even as he acknowledged the increasing violence in Iraq.

"Our goal is clear and unchanging: Our goal is victory,"

Victory, huh? I question whether the Decider and his entire administration could even collectively spell victory, let alone know how to best achieve it. But hey, change is like staring into a thousand burning suns, remember? Change'll blind ya. Change means driving on a two-lane highway instead of a narrow, one-way only alley. And unfortunately, no one in the administration has the necessary training or gumption to apply the brakes, turn the steering wheel and get the car moving in another direction. And following our driving metaphor, realizing that a bazillion years of GOP stewardship under our Do-Nothing congress and No-Changes-Ever Prez, has left our country on the verge of internal collapse and moral bankruptcy, and with huge potholes and road rage-enamored citizens everywhere, Karl Rove is out and about road-testing his usual scorched-earth, fearmongering to the few who still have the stomach to listen to the steaming pile of shit that passes for reasoning in the GOP's inner circles. He's trying hard to invoke all the GOP's token fear-spectres such as Nancy Pelosi, and, horror of horrors, the ACLU! Here's a taste:

"You can't say I want to win the war but not be willing to fight the war," said Rove, Bush's top political adviser. "And if leading Democrats have their way, our nation will be weaker and the enemies of our nation will be stronger. And that's a stark fact, and it's the reason that this fall election will turn very heavily on national security."
For instance, he needled congressional Democrats for voting against a GOP plan to try terrorist suspects at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. Many Democrats said the plan violated basic rights, but Rove rejected that. "You need to have the ability to try these people without worrying about the ACLU showing up saying, 'Wait a minute, did you Mirandize them when you found them on the battlefield,' " he said....
....He also went after the would-be House speaker for voting against renewing the USA Patriot Act, the warrantless wiretapping program and the war in Iraq. "With a record like that, you can see why Nancy Pelosi wouldn't want this election to be about national security," Rove said.

Now, there's enough strawmen hiding in Rove's statements that it'd take a company of firefighters a couple of days to put out, should they ever catch fire. Happily, they can all be blown over in a single breath with the word CHANGE forcefully mouthed.
Wanna see change in action? Wanna see smarts? Wanna see how crows are smarter than Republicans? Watch on my friends, watch on:

Here's to Crows! And here's to the GOP eating said bird come November!

Goin' To The Dogs Part 2

2006-09-24T12:17:00.000-04:00

One of the most overlooked aspects of Greyhound adoption, at least for potential adopters, is the placement of senior hounds. Hey, most everybody wants a young dog to pal around with who'll hopefully be a companion animal for many, many years. So it's quite understandable from an emotional commitment standpoint that adopters would choose a younger dog over an older dog. To be brutally honest, it takes a special kind of steely-willed reserve to take a senior hound into your home with the realization that the hands of time are against you. Perhaps this is sounding too negative - it's not supposed to. Senior hounds have many positive traits as they've been through all of the trials and tribulations of learning how to be a housepet that younger hounds have to learn from scratch. They're housebroken and have long ago mastered the art of climbing up and down stairs and navigating the innumerable obstacles found in a typical home, like sliding glass doors and large windows, not to mention that they're accustomed to the myriad of strange sounds emanating from the home environment - hello lawnmowers and vacumm cleaners! Plus they realize and appreciate companionship - indeed they crave it. Adopters looking for quietly dignified, and seriously grateful companion animals, could do themselves a favor and take in a senior hound. With that in mind, here's 2 to consider:

This is Donavan. He's 11 and he's darn good looking!

Donavan is a very sweet senior boy. He is cat safe and greyt with older kids. He would be a wonderful companion for another hound or would be a greyt only hound.

If Donavan seems like your cup of tea, and you live in the Four state area - PA, MD, VA, WV, or D.C. you can contact the good folks at Greyhound Rescue Inc.

This is Mary. She's also 11 years old and hoping for some love.

Red Female - 11 yrs - Cat friendly - Very low keyed, crate trained

If Mary steals your heart you can contact the fine folks at The National Greyhound Adoption Program.

Anyone wanting more information on the plight of the Greyhound can click any of my sidebar links under the header: Greyhounds: Fast dogs, faster friends...

Goin' To The Dogs

2006-09-17T11:41:00.000-04:00

Stealing an insanely simple idea from my buddy Ironicus, I'm gonna do a weekly Greyhound post, where I'll be featuring a few dogs that are up for adoption.

First up: Snoops.
Snoops has been returned twice because he's got some separation anxiety issues. He'd be fine as an addition to a home that already has another Greyhound for him to hang out with.
He loves to play and is a glutton for affection. Snoops has a high energy level and is always the life of the party. Snoops has acclimated well to his foster home and is getting along very well with the other greyhounds. Snoops does have separation anxiety issues and must be placed in a home with another greyhound(s).
If you think Snoops would be right for you and you live in the Four state area - PA, MD, VA, WV, or D.C. you can contact the good folks at Greyhound Rescue Inc.

Next up is Ani.
Looks like Ani should turn out to be a good all-around family dog!
Fawn Female - 2 yrs - Cat Friendly - Extremely outgoing - gets very intent when she plays, responds well when called, very sweet.
If Ani rings your bell, and you're able to drive to Philadelphia, PA, you can contact the fine folks at The National Greyhound Adoption Program.

Anyone wanting more information on the plight of the Greyhound can click any of my sidebar links under the header: Greyhounds: Fast dogs, faster friends...

Bush & The G.O.P. - Outta Ideas, Outta Gas, Into Mud-Slinging And Fearmongering

2006-09-10T12:31:00.000-04:00

In a move that comes as a surprise to no one who's still capable of drawing breath, after almost 6 years of being the party in control of a government that's lost its way in every way imaginable, Republicans, the very caricature of piss-poor, out-of-touch, scandal-ridden losers, have settled on an unsurprising re-election strategy: Mud-slinging negative ads!
Recognized as a rubber stamp for an unpopular president who tells bald-faced lies to the citizens of this country on an almost daily basis, and whom apparently takes issue with such niggling ideals as checks and balances and constitutional limitations on presidential power, that he performs end-runs around anything that would slow down his continuing White House fiefdom, Republicans are being forced to admit by this re-election strategy that they've been essentially worthless as a governing body for the past 6 years. I mean, where's the list of accomplishments? Bueller? Anyone, anyone?
Fact is, the G.O.P. has blindly followed the fatuous policies of W right down the rabbit hole of feeble, illogical, and, quite frankly, immoral ideology. From shameful decision making on national issues, to horrendous international policy that's left us as an international punching bag of epic proportions, there've been no accomplishments to speak of.
In short, the entire administration is a cadre of weasels. Whether the preceding statement unfairly libels weasels, is a matter for another time. Continuing the strategy laid out above, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and Bush The Almighty have been engaged in a week-long period of partisan propaganda, that, even for such worms as themselves, managed to reach new lows. Rumsfeld started things off with the "appeaser" meme, and then hit the nitrous button straight into Godwin-ville. Cheney, as is his wont, and playing into the foundation previously laid by Rumsfeld, aligns critics (or appeasers, if you so prefer) with the terrorists:

"Suggestions, for example, that we should withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq simply feed into that whole notion, validates the strategy of the terrorists".

Not to be outdone, the president used the anniversary of our national tragedy to club people over the head with more blundering inanity about how well-served we've been, and are going to be, if only we stand together and embrace his failed foreign policies. Again, the suggestion was that opponents of our spectacularly horrific, and horribly wrong war-time machinations, were, and are, somehow coddling terrorists:

"Whatever mistakes have been made in Iraq, the worst mistake would be to think that if we pulled out, the terrorists would leave us alone," Bush said from the Oval Office, with a photo of his twin daughters and the American flag behind him. "They will not leave us alone. They will follow us. The safety of America depends on the outcome of the battle in the streets of Baghdad."

Fearmongering with the ghosts of 9/11 - why are we not surprised? Shameful as it is, what's more shameful is the fact that it's not even remotely surprising, these words from the man who's supposed to be the leader of the greatest country on the face of the planet, these words which are typical of not only him, but those he surrounds himself with.
Keith Olbermann has said it better, and more eloquently then I ever could: "May this country forgive you."

Ashes To Ashes, Diamonds To Dust

2006-07-14T10:27:00.000-04:00

Syd Barrett, pioneering psychedelia artist, troubled genius, and Pied Piper for countless fans, passed away earlier this week due to complications from a multitude of illnesses, including diabetes and cancer. If you're any kind of Rock -n- Roll fan at all, you've been influenced by Barrett's contributions to music whether you realize it or not. There's more details - and more links - in my post over at Trees and Things.

Wish You Were Here, indeed....

Shop Talk About The Music Swap - Tunes, Tunes, And More Tunes

2006-06-13T15:43:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my tequila-fueled Mockingbird; it ain't Plastic, but it'll hafta do. Since most of y'all are familiar with the background of the swap and its history, we'll just fast-forward right to the good stuff: the tunes. What kinda tunes did you send out, and what kinda tunes did you receive? If you've got your tracklist(s) handy, please post 'em so everyone can do a little trendspotting and see what styles of tuneage were being lugged to mailboxes by the intrepid folks of the postal services on two continents. Perhaps we'll be able to discern the next big direction in music-dom whilst perusing our participating Plastician's musical offerings, or perhaps not. Eh, doesn't matter whether we're at the beginning or the end of any musical happenings - what matters is how the tunes you received affected you. Now's your chance to praise your swap partners for their incredible taste in music, or criticize (constructively) 'em for their selections from Zamfir's Greatest Hits as a proper choice for inclusion on a mix CD.
Oh, one last thing. I believe we should continue the music swap next year irregardless of Plastic's status. For future contact purposes, I'll keep the current database of participants in the Gmail account for next year's exchange in the event that the situation at Plastic deteriorates any further. Djerrid, (last year's host) and I will decide in what direction to steer this thing should Plastic hit the skids permanently. Anyone wishing their email status to be deleted from the Gmail account can drop me a note over there and I'll delete your contact info. Also, anyone wishing to helm this thing next year can say so in the commentary here or drop me a line at the Gmail account.
With that, it's all yours. Give us some raves about your tuneage faves!

Plastic Songs Vol. 2 Tracklist

2006-05-20T22:25:00.000-04:00

Here's the breakdown on my compilation for the 2nd annual Plastic music exchange. There's a couple of mp3s and a couple of links to pages where you can stream some of the individual tuneage.

1. Senegal Fast Food - Amadou & Mariam
Blind couple from Mali bring a catchy, multicultural mixture of sounds together for some tasty ear candy. Lyrics sung in French, English, and various African languages.
2. Something About You [MP3] - Fink's Constant
Central Pennsylvania's only Ska band. They do an updated version of the 2-Tone style of Ska. These guys are a great live act and I'm usually at their shows if they're playing anywhere close to home. I've become good friends with the band so I'm pimpin' 'em a little. This song's a crowd favorite.
3. The Little Black Egg - The Nightcrawlers
Garage band from the '60s lets loose with a single of jangly, Byrds-influenced psychedelia. Single taken from: Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 [BOX SET]
4. Get It Together - The Go! Team
Samples, whistles, cheerleading, TV and movie themes, and scratching all thrown together with more traditional instrumentation for a song that's greater than the sum of its parts
5. This Heart's On Fire - Wolf Parade
This is one of those songs that you just have to roll the windows down and crank it up when it plays. Slowly builds tension with the guitars and drums until the last minute and a half when it resolves itself with a fractured, fuzzed-out release.
6. People - Alfie
Now defunct U.K. band that worked the folky, dreampop side of the street. This song's a freshly polished convertible making its way to the coast - sunshine streaming down, a breeze blowing your hair around... Taken from a disc of songs compiled by the Flaming Lips, in the LateNightTales series
7. Maybe Sparrow - Neko Case
The Alt-Country chanteuse with the sweet, sweet voice brings her crystal-clear vocals to the party with soaring spirituality on this track.
8. I'm A Worried Man - Willie Nelson w/Toots Hibbert
The best track from Countryman, Willie's long-shelved experiment with mixing Reggae and Country that was finally released last year. It's a Johnny Cash cover and it features the one and only Toots Hibbert (of Toots And The Maytals fame). A great tune despite the seeming incongruencies involved.
9. Amazon - M.I.A.
Sri Lankan Hip-Hop artist and daughter of a Tamil Tiger who mixes pop and politics with gritty beats and a unique vocal style into a song that tells the tale of her being kidnapped...
10. Polyester Meets Acetate - The Brunettes
Twee-pop from New Zealand. This track has a definite Jonathan Richman feel to it. Yeah, it's a love song.
11. Morning Wonder - The Earlies
If you took Pink Floyd, The Flaming Lips, My Morning Jacket, and the Secret Machines and locked in 'em the studio, you'd probably get a song like this: spacey, dreamy, psychedelic, and with low-key harmonies throughout.
12. The Diner Song (Caesars) - State Radio
A fun, bouncy song about a diner that's packed with double entendres. If Ben Folds did skankin', Reggae influenced tunes they would sound like this.
13. Everyday - Rogue Wave
A cover of the Buddy Holly staple from the Indie-Poppers. Taken from the Stubbs The Zombie soundtrack.
14. (My Girl) Maryanne - The Spongetones
Released in '84, this track's a throwback to the Merseybeat era of the late '60s - an ultra-catchy boy-loves-girl deal. From the Children Of Nuggets Box Set
15. Off The Record - My Morning Jacket
Track finds the band - as it's been slowly doing for some time now - expanding the boundaries of its former Americana/Alt Country sound into something larger and more soulful.
16. Needle In A Haystack - The Velvelettes
Girl-group single from '64. It's all handclaps and harmonies - in other words, good stuff!
17. The Cute Band [MP3] - The Tah-Dahs
Savage Powerpop song with punk intensity. Relentless lyrics skewer indierockdom's self-inflicted stereotypes.
18. Bastardo - Charlotte Hatherley
Former guitarist for U.K. rockers, Ash, released a solo album in '04 entitled Grey Will Fade. The title character steals a blue guitar from a love-lorn girl (perhaps Charlotte?). Great pop song.
19. Cut Your Hair - Pavement
Slacker-rock from the Indie band that was more of a critical success than a commercial success. From the re-issue of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
20. I Chase The Devil - Madness
Cover of an old Ska chestnut from The Dangerman Sessions, an album full of mostly Ska and Reggae covers.
21. LUA - Bright Eyes
Absolutely heart-wrenching sadness from the young troubador in this tale of drug use, depression and break-up.

At War With The Mystics Mystifies The Critics

2006-04-05T16:04:00.000-04:00

Musical rave:
Pyschedelic/Electro-Organic/Experimentalist/Indie-Popsters (and quite possibly, my favorite band), The Flaming Lips, released their newest sonic juggernaut on Tuesday to some decidedly mixed reviews. I'm not sure if this is one of those times when Indie Rock's capacity for backlash is sprouting its ugly head, or if this disc is genuinely confounding people, 'cuz despite the relatively anemic (for them) Metacritic numbers, this disc is pretty damn good. But let's get one thing out of the way first: this album is not comparative to the last two brilliant albums from the mischievious popsters from the great state of Oklahoma. At War With The Mystics is a step or two down the evolutionary ladder from its predecessors, The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. It's just not as good. Period. End of sentence. And there's nothing wrong with that. It'd be nigh impossible to recreate another album's worth of the sonic majesties that that filled up those last two albums. And the thing is, this album doesn't attempt to fill its predecessor's shoes - those two were conceptual in form, this one's not. Oh, this is not a departure in form by any means. It's instantly recognizable as the progeny of The Flaming Lips when the first blast of music greets your ears. But whether by luck or design, there's no recurring conceptual themes, and there's a doggedly experimentalist bent to the proceedings, so the resulting songs can sometimes come off as sounding a bit scattershot, especially with some of the skronks and other electronic effects that feature prominent roles in a few songs. Even so, the Lips are still bringing to the table what they always bring: great melodies and pop hooks. Going back to their earliest days as fuzzy, psychedelic punkers, they always managed to marry elements of aural dissonance with memorable hooks. While At War With The Mystics has these moments of dissonance+hooks in spades, it's also lacking an editorial sword to slash through several moments of sonic overindulgence. The opening tune, "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" is a prime example of this. It's a song that overstays it's welcome and overplays its hand by running about a minute and a half longer than it should've. What would've been a pretty great 3 minute pop ditty (even with its with experimental leanings), meanders too long and loses steam by the song's end - and it's these moments of overindulgence that keep this album from reaching the next level. The next track, "Free Radicals" starts out great but suffers from being ultra-repetitive. The chorus is repeated ad nauseum and while it's annoyingly catchy, the subject matter's just plain dumb. Wayne's own words to describe the song:

I had a dream in which Devendra Banhart (the weird singer/songwriter) is pleading with a suicide bomber (who is about to go blow up something or somebody) to change his mind. And once he changes the deranged zealot's point of view, he (Devendra) immediately sympathizes with the frustration (mostly aimed at George W. Bush) that could make someone long for such exaggerated revenge... (Keep in mind that this is just a funny dream - these suicide bombers are clearly brainwashed religious fanaticals that are insane with their own agenda... they are beyond any pleads of reason and are not worthy of any sympathy.)

From here on out though, the album starts to find its groove and the essence of the Lips being themselves really shines through. The album gets mellower and darker from this point forward. While the requisite Lips' weirdness gets bandied about in fine form, there's nothing as stilted and as obvious as can be noticed in the first two tracks. So, what's it sound like? It sounds like this: hints of The Soft Bulletin and echoes of Yoshimi are mixed in with Bowie era moon-glam, while '70s style roller-disco boogie-oogie meets Pink Floyd for dinner over a bottle of wine as classic '70s instrumentals like "Frankenstein" play in the background... and so on. This is densely layered stuff that demands repeated listening, especially on headphones. It's a classic "grower" and an album that refuses to yield all its charm on the first listen. I fully expect to grade this up a notch or so by the end of the year, but time will ulimately tell.
As for all of the talk about this album being some sort of political statement, puh-lease... The few tidbits here that lean in a political direction are so skinny as to be anorexic. Yeah, there's a couple of barely there references to the political climate, but Steve Earle-style histrionics this ain't. Those reviewers crying "political statement" are apparently smoking something they shouldn't 'cuz this album's not gonna send the neocons into apoplectic fits over its political allegories. But enough about politics and the cracked actors who see a conspiracy of musical forfeiture every time they doff the foil, this is a damn good album regardless of whether it's viewed from the penumbra of previous works or as a stand-alone conceit. Look, once you get past the opening salvo, you see it for what it is - it's an album from the staggeringly wacked, cracked, and stacked brain of Wayne Coyne... which always means that the musical journey will be more important that the final destination - and so it is.
High marks - well worth picking up!

Tuneage presently turning: At War With The Mystics by The Flaming Lips

Fake Plastic Love: Lloyd Dobler -Vs- Jake Ryan

2006-02-19T10:53:00.000-05:00

Pop culture semi-rant:
Sometimes you can't see the forest, ya know. Somethin' to do with all of those damn trees bein' there and obscuring the view. I mention this because I ran across an article in the WaPo last week that tied-in somewhat with my last post on Sixteen Candles. For that post I managed to dig up an article which expounded on the fact that the character of Jake Ryan had a fairly significant influence on women and how they viewed potential suitors through Jake Ryan-colored lenses, as it were... It was all news to me, this Jake Ryan effect. Then I read in the Post that Lloyd Dobler - Lloyd. Friggin'. Dobler. - also causes women to do the whole compare and contrast thing, too. Again, color me surprised over this Lloyd Dobler effect! There's even a D.C. area band that somehow got named after this somewhat dubious sentimentality.

Because, it turns out, for every one woman with a residual Jake Ryan thing there are maybe 100 with a persistent Lloyd Dobler fetish. Those women wrote in, too, extolling the character played by John Cusack in the 1989 movie "Say Anything": "How oblivious can you be," went a typical harangue. "Jake is plastic. Lloyd Dobler is God."

Excuse me for re-linking to an article about Jake Ryan from my last post, but it's fitting for this discussion.

"You had to believe in him," says Amy Kramer, 34, a producer for "Good Morning America" based in Washington. "The world would have been a much better place if everybody had a Jake Ryan.

Excuse me while I pretend to drive the porcelain bus, but those two quotes make me wanna puke. How in the hell did these two figures become such love-fixtures for women? It's not that I can't see an attraction to the root characters, but, come on.
Velveeta sensitivity, manufactured by Hollywood instead of Kraft, but manufactured nonetheless, is what's putting these women's hearts all aflutter. These guys are two fairy tale characters, who, coming from polar opposite directions, both manage to slay the modern day dragon: unrequited love.
Trodding a rich kid's easy path we have Jake; Jake Ryan with his keen eyes (good looks, too), discerning mind, and sensitive spirit, decides to eschew his eye-candy girlfriend for the company of the girl who's yet-to-bloom. Lloyd, with his keen eyes (puppy dog good looks, too), discerning mind and sensitive spirit, travels the path of much resistance, and eschews his meager upbringing and background to go for the eye-candy valedictorian. But somehow, both men are imbued with that fake, processed Velveeta sensibility and sensitivity that only in the rarified air of Hollywood does it even exist.
So here we have two characters from the '80s still influencing women in the '00s. The problem here, is that while women profess to love these "sensitive to women's needs" guys, they really don't. Not in real life, anyway. Sensitive guys get dropped all the time - like David Letterman chucking watermelons off the rooftop of his studio, the streets are littered with the detritus of sensitive, sensible guys who've been smashed to bits by the hands of the very women who profess to love the likes of Jake Ryan and Lloyd Dobler. This whole premise is disturbing, it's fake plastic love to celluloid heroes that generally don't exist, from women with fake plastic hearts and fake plastic souls. While I certainly understand the fairy tale wishing and dreaming of this whole charade, I'm still somewhat taken aback by the ferocity (for lack of a better word) of this meme. Thankfully, there are those women who sit on the opposing sideline.

Lloyd Dobler is annoying. He’s pretentious, for starters — the kick-boxing? The “bought, sold, or processed” speech? He’s just trying way too hard, and speaking of that, the famous scene where he holds up the boom box and “In Your Eyes” is playing…I know we’re meant to find that adorably romantic, but I think it’s creepy. He’s…stalking her. I’d have given him a pen, too. In the eye. Back off, bub.

And anyhow, isn't Lloyd Dobler a character that men are supposed to like (if not love)? As opposed to Jake Ryan, my male friends have all been Dobler-esque at one time or another. Jake Ryan had scads of money, and a friggin' Porsche, fer chrissakes! We all had 4th-hand beaters that somehow managed to run, despite the abuse we heaped upon them. In this regard, we were a collective Lloyd Dobler - underachieving, Clash-worshipping, boombox-toting, girl-crazy teens - minus the sensitivity, though.

Mike Cameron: I don't know you very well, you know, but I wanted to ask you - how'd you get Diane Court to go out with you?
Lloyd Dobler: I called her up.
Mike Cameron: But how come it worked? I mean, like, what are you?
Lloyd Dobler: I'm Lloyd Dobler.
Mike Cameron: This is great. This gives me hope! Thanks!

Lloyd Dobler could've hung with us even though we'd have never been able to bag the valedictorian. Jake Ryan? We'd have let him buy us pizza and beer, after we were through trashing his house, of course :-)

As I mentioned last time, women certainly get a different headtrip from these flicks than men do. One group sees the forest, the other group sees the trees...

Tuneage presently turning: Catch Without Arms, by Dredg. And 1965, by The Afghan Whigs.

A Geek, A Girl, A Guy, And Gedde Watanabe - Looking Back At Sixteen Candles

2006-01-28T14:32:00.000-05:00

Clasic movie rave:

"I can't believe I gave my panties to a geek!" And so it goes for Molly Ringwald's character in Sixteen Candles. I've been revisiting this classic snapshot of '80s cinema from John Hughes, who, for a while, was the king of movies that centered on the daily frustrations, wiley scheming and oddities of life that are unique to the subgenre of humans known as teenagers.

Out of all of those films helmed by the inestimable John Hughes, I happen to like Sixteen Candles the best. The premise is simple: Samantha Baker's family forgets her 16th birthday during the hustle and bustle of preparing a wedding for her elder sister - doom, gloom, and high school hilarity ensue. Molly Ringwald is perfectly cast here as the frustrated and forgotten birthday girl. Samantha just wants a little recognition on her birthday. And hey, if she could just so happen to fall in love with Jake Ryan, the school's heartthrob, then all would be well in the world. Ringwald pouts, complains, cries, and generally gives a frustrated sheen to what could've been a very one dimensional persona. She's so good at being the forgotten-about misfit, that by films end you just have to cheer for her.
[Side note: It's strange how perfectly she embodied - almost eerily so - every character she played in a John Hughes film. It's even stranger how she hasn't really done anything worth a damn since then, either.]

Duh Duh Duhhhhh - Quippeth the Geek:
"Relax, would you? We have seventy dollars and a pair of girls underpants. We're safe as kittens."
Michael Anthony Hall practically steals the show with his larger than life portrayal of Farmer Ted/The Geek. He lambastes, admonishes, and finger-points at his friends, all the while oozing misplaced confidence in his abilities as a "dude." Farmer Ted seems to have a minor crush on Samantha but somewhere in between his awkward attemps to win her over he becomes her confidante and friend. He's very funny and engaging throughout the movie, but it's towards the end when Farmer Ted begins to shine. The latter third of the movie when Farmer Ted is assuming responsibility for taking a very drunk Caroline (a perfectly cliched prom queen) home is especially funny - whether he's wondering about the cost of the Rolls Royce he's driving (despite not knowing how to drive), the size of Jake's dad (owner of said Rolls Royce), spitting out birth control pills (fed to him by Caroline), or getting his picture taken with Caroline by his geeky buds (Darren Harris & a very comically subtle, John Cusack), he commands your attention and delivers the laughs.
[Side note: strangely, Michael Anthony Hall's fortunes have pretty much mirrored Molly Ringwald's history. After Weird Science and The Breakfast Club, Hall was mostly done as a big-time actor. There were other movies and a stint on SNL, but nothing's really panned out for him since the '80s.]

Enter The Dragon... or, Asian stereotyping for comedic effect:
"What's a happenin', hotstuff?" So sayeth Gedde Watanabe, otherwise known as Long Duck Dong, in his entrance into Samantha Baker's life. There's nothing subtle about Watanabe's performance here, it's an over-the-top pantomime of every Asian stereotype that's ever been played for laughs. Whether referring to himself in the third person as "The Donger" while hookin' up with Marlene in between start/stop "Engrish"-based (as the kids so charmingly refer to it these days) skits - Dong: "She getting mallied." Jake: "Married?" Dong: "Mallied, sheesh." - he's side-splittingly funny, even if it'd be considered a very un-politically correct performance by today's standards. Perhaps this one bit from Samantha's little brother pretty much sums it up: "What the hell are you bitchin' about? I gotta sleep under some Chinaman named after a duck's dork." Easy caricature for John Hughes? Sure. But considering that the film skewers and caricatures everybody else involved regardless of social status, it never comes across as mean-spirited. [Side note: Watanabe has since starred in various movies and TV shows, but mostly as a bit actor. Certainly nothing as memorable as his role of The Donger. Again, similar to the career arcs of Ringwald and Anthony Hall]

"I want a serious girlfriend. Somebody I can love, that's gonna love me back. Is that psycho?" And last but not least, we come to Jake Ryan. The handsome high school heartthrob who rejects the natural order of things and brings hope to semi-geeky, underdeveloped girls everywhere. Michael Schoeffling, was almost picture-perfect in a role that has spawned something of a fantasy standard for what the ideal boyfriend is supposed to be. Think I'm joking? Read on and think again:

Jake Ryan, Jake Ryan, Jake Ryan. Write his name in loopy cursive on a piece of loose-leaf notebook paper and pass it on. Even though it has been two decades since the release of John Hughes's high school comedy "Sixteen Candles," there are women out there in their late-twenties to mid-thirties (and even younger, including teenage girls today who weren't even around in that era) who to this day are still pining for a fictional character, the perfect high school crush.

"Jake Ryan? He's only the most popular boy in school," goes a line from the movie. The simple utterance of his name is enough to add salt to the wound of Valentine's Day.

"He's the whole package," says Andrea Danyo, 28, who does public relations work for National Public Radio. "Even just the name has become something. I swoon when I hear it. . . . For just about all of my friends, 'Jake Ryan' is a given moniker for the ideal boy, as in, 'Yeah, it was a good date, but he's clearly no Jake Ryan.' "
[snip]
Women who fell hard for Jake Ryan have for years secretly harbored the idea of the one true and perfect boyfriend who (through some Hollywood miracle we're never quite made to understand) notices the freckly, insecure wallflower Samantha Baker, played by Molly Ringwald, whose family has forgotten her 16th birthday. Ringwald stands in for Everygirl, who, on some subconscious level, hated being a teenager.

Who knew? I didn't. Girls did, and still do, pick up on a different set of vibes from this exercise in teen thermodynamics. This image of Jake being held up as an ideal mate twenty years after the film was released is a bit mind-boggling. [Side note: Also a bit mind-boggling is the fact that Schoeffling, like Ringwald, Anthony Hall, and Watanabe, never really capitalized on the sucess of his character or of the popularity of the movie. According to the blockquote above, he's now making furniture in Pennsylvania].
I don't know what hand of fate that the cast of this movie offended, but for whatever reason, long-term stardom apparently wasn't part of fate's game plan for them. But that's okay, the movie remains a stone-cold classic. And in the end that's all that really matters.

Sound, picture and other misc. DVD specs:
1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. DTS 5.1 Surround.
The film looks good, no question about it. Not as sharp as today's releases but overall it's fine. While it's good to have this film redone in 5.1 Surround, the results are less than impressive. While the clarity of the dialogue is fine and the musical soundtrack is beefy, the back surrounds rarely come into play. Granted, this isn't an action flick with tons of whiz bang special effects to run rings around your home theatre set-up, but still, a little life in the back speakers would've been nice. Those are minor quibbles, though. This flick can picked up for about ten bucks almost anywhere and it's ten dollars well spent for a look at one of the most enduring genre flicks to emerge from the '80s.

Hoping for more candles on the birthday cake?
Well, you may be in luck, there's talk from Ringwald that there may be a sequel.

Roots, Radics, Rockers.

2006-01-14T10:22:00.000-05:00

Apologies for the lack o' postings, recently. Too much to do and too little time to do it in and all that...
Cult classic/Movie rave:

There are several cult classics of '70s era Jamaican cinema, and Rockers happens to be one of them. Along with the seminal Jimmy Cliff vehicle, The Harder They Come, and the more obscure Countryman, Rockers showcases, and shares many traits with its then-comtemporary counterparts. All three movies are lauded as much for their soundtracks as they are for their cinematic components. They're also much-noted for their gritty, slice-of-life looks at Jamaica's downtrodden and repressed, many who live in cobbled together shacks that often form villages referred to as shantytowns. Also of note, these movies dispense with traditional Hollywood formatting. The plots are (arguably) B grade at best, and largely exist to showcase the intertwining correlation between Reggae music and its undeniable effect on Jamaican life and culture. In an extension of that relationship, the actors mostly aren't actors at all; they're real-life Reggae musicians. Musicians of note, too, if you're at all familiar with '70s era Reggae. Rockers certainly doesn't deviate from this formula at all, highlighting the charisma of Robbie Shakespeare, Gregory Isaacs, Burning Spear, and Jacob Miller among others. The "star" of Rockers, happens to be real-life drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace who's day-in-the-life activities provide the plot of the film. As plots go, it's a thinly veiled version of Robin Hood, albeit with a masquerading gaggle of Rastas instead of the usual suspects. In this setting the movie follows Horsemouth as he begs and borrows his way into finding enough cash to buy a motorcycle in which to deliver and sell records to the inimitable record shops that dot the Jamaican landscape. While out and about hustling records, Horsemouth's motorbike gets stolen by the local mafia who (inevitably) are in cahoots with the moguls of the Jamaican music industry. What comes after are the exploits of Horsemouth and his Rastafarian friends as they battle the mafia and both sides seek the upper hand in the war of the haves -vs- the have-nots. None of this adds up to an earthshaking movie experience in the typical sense. The plotting, while paper-thin, allows the viewer to experience what a typical shantytown resident goes through on a daily basis. It rightly presents the music of the times as a common thread that unites the inhabitants' focus on music as a way to temporarily allay their concerns about food, money, and shelter. And no bones about it, this is a soundtrack-driven flick, featuring many live performances by the above-mentioned musicians at the peak of their careers. Here's a snippet from a Popmatters review:

Written and directed by a first-time filmmaker, Ted Bafaloukos, the film is musical vérité, a vibrant, effortless capsule of a synthesis of music and life: musicians. The title refers to the subjects' bread and butter, "Rockers" (the current reggae, the latest sound), and the film bulges at the seams with performances, parties and a soundtrack of the cream of Island Records' Jamaican crop (Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Burning Spear, Inner Circle, et al.). While songs fill the heart of Rockers, Bafaloukos keeps music rooted in daily life by shooting mostly in the streets of Kingston and the hills of Montego Bay.

There you have it. Despite its ostensible (and grand) Robin Hood allusions, it's really a vehicle for the tuneage. If you have any interest at all in Jamaican music, be it Ska, Rock-Steady, classic Reggae, or even the more modern leanings and evolvings of Dancehall, this is a disc that's worth checking out. From the lively club scenes (particularly amusing is a scene where Horsemouth's friend, Dirty Harry, takes over a DJ booth) to the scene where Burning Spear sings a moving, acapella version of Jah No Dead, the culture of Jamaican music is put front and center. So, it's a must-see for Dread-Heads and those who have an adventurous taste for music and cinema. More info on the film can be found here. Please note: the preceding link contains a spoiler or two in regard to the plot of the film.

As for the quality of the DVD, it's about as good as you'd expect from a film made on the cheap in the '70s. In other words, it's A-Ok, but it ain't a demonstration disc by any means. That said, the music tracks definitely have some muscle and sound pretty good, all things considered. You can get more info of the DVD specs over at Amazon if interested. One performance-related note: you will need to use the subtitles while watching this flick. The dialogue is almost entirely in patois, and is as thick as the ganja smoke that constantly envelopes the Rastafarians featured in the film. Consequently, unless you're an islander, you're probably not going to understand what's being said without engaging the subtitles...

Break-Ups, Bouffants, Boy-Drama - Vintage Girl Groups

2005-12-29T12:29:00.000-05:00

Musical rave:
One of the Christmas presents I received this year was a boxed set compilation of girl group songs from the '60s, entitled: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found.
This one's from the folks over at Rhino Records, who at this point, know the boxed set genre better than almost anyone else in the music industry.
Now, I'm a sucker for this sort of deal, 'cuz I'm lazy, and this makes for a convenient way to gather up a bunch of great songs in one fell swoop. And gathering up a bunch of great songs is what this compilation's all about. I'm about three quarters through the set (for those following along at home, this means I've heard 3 out of the 4 discs included in this set) and I've been aggressively using the repeat button on the remote. Formerly dismissed by some as inconsequential pop fluff from an era that's better off forgotten, this set contains high quality music throughout and should give pause to any naysayers who've poo-pooed the genre. The production, songwriting, and the vocal performances here are all top notch. Seriously, the quality of the tunes speak for themselves and as a long-time music geek that's about the highest compliment I can pay.
Rhino, as is their wont, does a uniformly excellent job across the board on this set. The liner notes serve as a history lesson for those who are unfamiliar with the story behind the rise and subsequent fall of the girl group sound. The remastering of the source material is first rate, also. Given that many of these songs are/were obscure 45's and are therefor somewhat hard-too-find, this is no small accomplishment. The only thing missing from this set are the contributions from Wall Of Sound creator, and all around whack-ass, Phil Spector. The former girl group svengali is not one to issue licensing rights for any of his biggest hits to anything or anybody that doesn't put him on a pedestal and worship at his feet, consequently there's no Spector stuff here. Rhino gets the last laugh though, 'cuz his presence (or lack thereof) isn't an issue due to the high level of non-Spector-affiliated material the producers of this set dug up. In other words, Spector gets to take the piss while the rest of us enjoy revisiting the '60s without him.
Interesting to note who some of these performers are; for instance, Cher, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, and even Connie Francis, all recorded songs that rocket way off their chosen musical paths to perform tunes that fall well within the confines of girl groupdom. If you peruse the tracklist, you'll find plenty of recognizable names (Little Eva, The Shangri-Las, The Shirelles, The Ronettes) to go along with the obscurities (The Fabulettes, Goldie & The Gingerbreads, The Whyte Boots, etc) and what holds them all together thematically (and qualitatively) are the storylines, Boy drama (loving, longing, hoping, wishing for, etc, etc) being first and foremost, followed by family drama at home and hearth over said boys... There's also the spectre of death hanging over a lot of these songs. Car crashes, motorcycle crashes, gang fights and things of that nature all take their toll on the inhabitants of many of these recordings. Musically speaking, you've got doo-wop styled pop taken to many different places; psychedelia, R&B, and countrypolitan are just some of the influences that appear. And the glue that holds it all together? I think it's the 3 H's - hooks, harmonies, and handclaps - those three things bind all of the diversity together and somehow structure the songs into the easily recognizable format that we know as vintage girl group tunes.
When all is said and done, what you have here is a truly terrific set of tunes that are as eminently listenable as they are historically fascinating. And for you kitsch freaks out there, it comes in a hatbox, too!

Tuneage presently turning: see above :-)

Kool-Aid Drinkers & The Fake War On Xmas

2005-12-25T09:52:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and joyous greetings to whatever spiritual-laden freak-flag you happen to fly.
The Christmas rant:
Did you know that there's a War On Christmas™ being waged? Yeah, me neither, but the folks over at Faux News (especially, longtime blowhard and all around gas bag, Bill O'Reilly - whoops, that's Fox News. Ya know, the network that's fair & balanced [cough, cough...]- would like you to think that Christmas has been targeted for annihilation by the ACLU and other dirty, rotten, liberal-leaning, atheist hippies. Problem is, like so much of everything propagated by the neocons, it's all so much bullshit. Apparently, when they're too busy to check facts, they just make up stuff wholesale. Look, it's all just a big bait -n- switch designed to distract people from the realities of the day - namely the disingenuous effluvia emanating from the White House on a daily basis. With all the revelations of illegal behavior by the White House being uncovered on an almost daily basis during the past several weeks, it's no wonder that the Kool-Aid-drinking, neocon apology machine is kicking it into overdrive with an aggressive propaganda campaign designed to distract the populace with something, anything other then the reality of the situation.

Thankfully, the ACLU hasn't lost its sense of humor despite being targeted by all the usual suspects. Check out their satirical take on all the hoo-haw, below.

Christmas raves:

Thanks to FOX News and highly credible voices like StoptheACLU.org, the news is out that ACLU has declared War on Christmas.

It's true. In fact, I have just returned from our War Room where ACLU's brightest minds are spending this final weekend before the holiday plotting to kill Christmas. Atop every mountain we've secretly placed an army of green grinches prepared to sled down on Christmas morning into towns across America to steal presents from toddlers.

Don't believe it? I tell you I've seen the secret grinch training facilities.

The War Room for Operation Kill Christmas lies in a bunker deep underground. That's also where we keep all our Communists. I know most of you thought Communism was dead after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It's not true. They're all huddled deep underground in our secret ACLU bunker.

It was the Communists, in fact, perhaps predictably, who came up with the idea of taking the War on Christmas to the next level involving actual armed struggle.

You heard it here first: ACLU plans to assassinate Santa Claus.

Here's an amusing little rant from Philly's CityPaper that I'm including in the rave section.

Apparently the GOP, busy fighting its Global War on Terror and its concomitant War on the Geneva Conventions as well as the ancillary War on Organized Labor, is making time to fight a rearguard battle against the War on Christmas. Michelle Malkin and like-minded nativity-worshippers everywhere are said to be besieged on all sides by the encroaching forces of secularism, Judaism, Muhammadism and assorted other malign "isms" seeking to overthrow the rightful hegemony of the American consumerist celebration of Christ's birth.

The biggest pitched battle of this war, the Christian Stalingrad if you will, is over the two magical words "Merry Christmas." Angry Republicans, not content with controlling all three branches of government, as well as a majority of state governorships, are cowering in fear that their beloved December blessing will be expunged in favor of the anodyne "Happy Holidays," which, translated into radical conservative, means "Abort the babies, marry the gays, empower the feminazis and replace Charlie Brown's Christmas with Harry Potter and the Satanic Paganist's Stone."

I regret to report the failure of this left-wing plot to install Maoist holiday values in place of those traditions derived from Christ's valiant fight for expanded department store hours on the eve of his birth. Just this past Sunday afternoon, at a Jesus Day gathering on my block, local left-wing agitators masquerading as residents of Philadelphia wished me a "Merry Christmas." I stared them down to draw out the obvious hipster irony with which they delivered this besieged holiday bromide, but found only deadpan seriousness.

Merry Christmas, folks. And please, drink all the egg nog you'd like, just stay away from the Kool-Aid...

Photographic fooforaw

2005-12-23T14:20:00.000-05:00

1fastdog with 2 fast dogs! Yeah, that's me with some canine accompaniment... Mostly for this post I'm just messin' around with the photo capabilities of Blogger and trying to see how all this crapola works or doesn't work. I'd like to add this photo to my profile, but Blogger says it's too big.

I'll have some rants & raves to post tomorrow, I believe.

Tuneage presently turning - The Futureheads by The Futureheads & Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan

Best Music Of 2005

2005-12-21T14:06:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I'm a few days late. I submitted a "best of" music story over at Plastic and didn't have enough time to do it here, 'til now. And in another time-saving gesture, I'm copying my post from the thread. Ah, the virtue of laziness!
My top 25 picks:
25. Doves - Some Cities. Another solid album of dreamy Britpop.
24. The Shout Out Louds - Howl, Howl, Gaff, Gaff. Good, solid, unpretentious rock-n-roll from Sweden (I think)
23. The Decemberists - Picaresque. A good album, but one that left me slightly underwhelmed. Seemed like they were trying just a bit too hard...
22. Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak. Less southern and more soulful than its predecessor - a surprisingly entertaining & coherent album considering that you can barely understand the lyrics.
21. Kaiser Chiefs - Employment. Lotta fun, this album is. Very bouncy.
20. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema. This one made my list mostly because there are a handful of awesome singles on it, but I was very disappointed by it, overall. For me, their first two albums are much better.
19. The Russian Futurists - Our Thickness. Catchy, electro-pop by the one-man-band that can, and does, move you.
18. Tall Grass Captains - She Moved Through. Throwback guitar pop a la Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe.
17. Ash - Meltdown. Released in '04 in the UK, this was finally released this year with little fanfare. Too bad, 'cuz it's a great album. Catchy rock with the guitars getting a metal-esque sheen. Big-time sounding arena rock - the Foo fighters wish they could make an album this good.
16. The Click Five - Greetings From Imrie House. My guiltiest pleasure of the last year. Pure power-pop sugar. Ridiculously catchy. If you liked The Knack's debut album (from way back when), you oughtta like this.
15. The A-Sides - Hello, Hello. Beatle-esque pop from Philadelpia. Pays tribute to '60's pop without sounding derivative. Very solid album.
14. The Orange Peels - Circling The Sun. Summery pop music from the folks at Parasol. Played this one a lot at poolside this Summer.
13. Black Mountain - S/T. Sexed up stoner rock. Kinda/sorta. Sabbath, Zep, and various others from the '70s are referenced on this disc.
12. The Happy Bullets - The Vice And Virtue Ministry. Giddy lit-pop that outdoes the Decemberists. Seriously, this is the record that the Decemberists should've released.
11. System of a Down - Mezmerize. Truly a bizarro, kinetic, frenetic, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink fusion of metal and Armenian folk music that goes all over the map, yet still manages to stay focused and slay everything in its twisted path! Best metal/hard rock disc of the year.
10. Stubbs The Zombie - V/A (Soundtrack). Various alt-rockers take on tunes from the '50's (mostly) for this soundtrack for a video game. Endlessly fun!
9. M.I.A. - Arular. Sri Lankan hip-hop extravaganza! Best hip-hop/electronic/whatever album of the year. She's got a very unique vocal style that almost sounds perfect for the beats on this album. Well worth checking out if you're into adventurous music.
8. Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary. Much-hyped Canadian band lives up to all the glowing accolades with a great mix of Modest Mouse-inspired rock. And indeed, Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock was at the helm or the recording of this album.
7. Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy. Black-hearted, alt-countryish album of dark, engaging tunes. This is one of those albums that grows better with each listen.
6. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. Forget the haters that dismiss Conor Oberst - the man can, and does, write some amazing songs. This is a great album that features Emmylou Harris guesting on vocals with the man-child who gets all the Dylan comparisons. There are some absolutely gorgeous songs on this album of gothic Americana. Ignore it at your own peril.
5. The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers. Pure pop bliss. Hooks and harmonies galore. This is timeless, classic stuff.
4. Spoon - Gimme Fiction. Perfect, highly textured, indie-pop. Layer upon layer of interesting sonics. There's some killer singles on this album, too.
3. The Tah-Dahs - Le Fun. Witty, clever pop that sometimes blisters your ears with its ferocity. Killer fucking hooks are all over this album. I took a flyer on this after reading the Coke Machine Glow review and downloading the available track, and I'm damned glad that I did. If you like Ted Leo, The Pixies, and Husker Du/Bob Mould then this disc should be right up your alley.
2. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois. This album deserves every freakin' good word written about it. A terrific, terrific album.
1. The Earlies - These Were The Earlies. Dreamy, psychedelic indie-pop. Originally released last year in the UK, it got its proper U.S. release earlier this year, which is a good thing for those not willing to shell out for the import price. Anyhow, there is a ton of stuff going on and swirling around on this album. This album touches on everything from the Beach Boys to the Flaming Lips, yet doesn't really sound like any of them. There is no filler on this disc, which mangaes the neat trick of being instantly accessible, while revealing new layers and growing deeper every time you listen to it. As you might expect, it's a super headphone album, too. My absolute favorite album this year! If you like the Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Grandaddy, Spiritualized, or My Morning Jacket* you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

*Haven't heard their latest yet if you're wondering why it didn't make this list. Also haven't heard latest discs from The White Stripes, Clap your Hands Say Yeah, The Mountain Goats and several others who may or may not've made the list...
In this day and age, anyone who says that there's no good music out there isn't trying very hard. It was a fine year for tuneage, and I'm looking forward to next year's albums already!

Civil liberties? Pish! That's so quaint.

2005-12-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

Political rant:
Once again, King George has made a mockery of the Constitution. Apparently, it's been determined by our addle-brained president (and his coterie of "yes" men) that spying on our citizens without judicial oversight is just A-O-Fucking-Kay. This, of course, is not ok. We have a system of judicial safeguards in place for very good reason: so the government doesn't overstep its authority and engage in witch hunts against the American people. The government may very well have information or intelligence that leads them to suspect American citizens of fomenting terrorism or having ties to terror organizations - if they do, they need to follow the law and operate in a manner that befits a nation with democratic principles. Sadly, the ethically-challenged GOP leadership in Congress is so busy whoring themselves to any lobbyist with a dollar to spare, that they're just beginning notice that they've lost their power to reign in the Executive office.

Lawmakers have been caught by surprise by several recent reports, including the existence of secret U.S. prisons abroad, the CIA's detention overseas of innocent foreign nationals, and, last week, the discovery that the military has been engaged in domestic spying. After five years in which the GOP-controlled House and Senate undertook few investigations into the administration's activities, the legislative branch has begun to complain about being in the dark.

Political rave:
Props to Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), and Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) for telling the White House to, in effect, talk to the hand. Also, a minor shout out to PA's own independent-minded Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) for promising to investigate the president's latest flouting of the law. Specter is the only apparent member of the GOP that refuses to drink the administration's Kool-Aid. He's also the only Republican who's got anything mildly resembling a backbone...

Hopefully, I'll be able to start my "Best of '05" music list very soon. If not later today, then definitely tomorrow. In the meantime, here's Metacritic's highest rated discs of the year to tide you over.

Tuneage presently turning - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
by Bright Eyes.

The weather is here, wish it was beautiful...

2005-12-17T15:20:00.000-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year, or so the song says. I guess that all depends on how you react to the weather. Here in Pennsylvania we're recovering from several days of snow, ice, and freezing rain. Christmas-y? Yes. Welcome? No. Scraping a quarter inch of ice off the windshield is, to put it mildly, a major pain in the back-end. On the other hand, this is the only period of the year when I'm able to quaff down the Nog! Pre-made egg nog is available in the local grocery stores for about a month or so before the we welcome in the new year by shoving the old one ass-first out the door, so it's within this limited time frame that we get to enjoy the deliciousness that results from our good friend, King Rum, shaking hands with the Nog. This is the one time of the year in my household that Tequila takes a back seat to any other spirit, though it does make me feel like a bit of an añejo heretic...

Sometime during the next week of rum-powered seasonal bliss, I'll be putting up my list of the best music of 2005. Lots'a good stuff was released during the year and hopefully I'll be able to whittle my list into something approaching a semblance of value for y'all.