TURNCOATS
The Morning Brief, Vol. IV, #9 (February 27, 2001) -- Traitors among us.
CONTENTS
Foist On His Own
Petard
Totally Petarded
Buffaloed
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The Grammies Still Suck (Pt. 35)
Favorite New Ad
Judy Garland Bio-pic
New Drug Ads
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PLANE FLICKAGE: "Almost Famous"
PLANE FLICKAGE: "Pay It Forward"
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NEW MUSIC
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UPCOMING
CONCERTS
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CONTRIBUTIONS
NOW WHO SUCKS? >>> Would it have killed Bill Clinton to leave the White House without totally wrecking the Democratic Party??? Did he really think that the party that nearly lynched him over a blow job wouldn't gut and skewer him over all those pardons? It's bad enough that after eight years of excellence as Chief Executive we're left with a recession and the second George Bush. The former President is making the party that brought us Watergate and Iran-scam appear to be taking the high road on the morality superfreeway. No mean feat.
It's like waking up with the knowledge that last night's killer party is today's paralyzing hangover. Sucky, sucky, suckyness.
AND FURTHERMORE >>> The Democrats are even more screwed because President Bush's budget plan is politically unassailable and will surely pass in one form or another. The tax cut is the one thing most voters will either want or accept, even if many believe it's irresponsible or wrongheaded. And while there is no earthly reason to increase the defense budget, giving education higher billing is going to resonate and appeal, at least short-term. Beaten at their own populist game.
True, the market sucks, trickle-down doesn't work, tax breaks will only make the wealthy wealthier, growing the military hurts the U.S. and the world because it's separatist, and the education money will go to the parochial, not the poor. The media will herald its successful passage, and that will buy Bush's posse time to figure out how to de-fuse their critics next.
So now looking forward to 4 years of President Puppet, we can at least rest assured that the Democratic Party may well be screwed up enough to have lost to that guy for real - Florida re-count or no. It's certainly in need of evolution beyond what Al Gore and the equally uncharming Dick Gephardt can accomplish. Nader is still a selfish demagogue, though seeming less so every day, and the conservative Republican majority still blows chunks.
Man, are the Democrats in deep doo-doo now. No leaders, no majorities, no legacy. Four long years, and counting.
Retreating into my dreamworld now...
SECRET'S OUT >>> Leave it to a new co-marketing deal between Jack-in-the-Box and Reckitt Benckiser Foods to tell the entire world my super-secret special buffalo wing recipe that I adapted and modified significantly from Culpepper's in St. Louis. Sure, they can serve their nasty, old fried chicken chunks with the sauce us pros use: Frank's Red Hot. But they'll never match the golden goodness of my crispy, BBQ virtuosity. NEVER!!!
THE GRAMMY'S STILL SUCK (Part XXXV) >>> As far back as I can remember, the Grammies have always sucked. And while this year's model may have been interesting, exciting, provocative, entertaining, even with a happy ending, they still sucked.
Because while they spread around the wealth, honored the previously overlooked, and picked a decent (though not brilliant) album to bestow the biggest award, the show is about everything but the music. And so how can anyone care? The pander to fans of rap's Eminem almost worked...the "Real Slim Shady" only said 'bitch' three times, hugged Elton John, and gave the world, and himself, a big, warm fuzzy.
But you can't be redeemed without owning up to your sins, and Marshall Mathers aka Slim Shady aka Eminem, preaches violence to kids. This year's Grammies placed him center stage as the shining example of what the music business represents. Not Steely Dan, not Santana, not Erykah Badu, or one of the many great musical artists recording and touring the world in 2000. They used the artist they felt would generate the most controversy, and it worked. It's also whorish, and that is - as it ever was - the state of the art in the pop music business.
Creating and selling controversial art has its own rewards. Tolerate it, ignore it, listen to it if you wish, but don't honor it unless it's truly worthwhile. There are so many who have earned a place in the sun. Let it shine on the brilliant, not the merely attention-starved.
LOVE THAT NEW AD >>> Where the babe dumps a bag of Doritoes into a tennis ball machine and gets smacked in the head with a new, nacho cheesier chip. She goes flying, and then she's just lying there with a big, orange triangle on her forehead. Cracks me up everytime.
MADE FOR TV MOVIE >>> Really enjoyed the Judy Garland bio-pic Sunday and Monday nights on ABC. "Life With Judy Garland" is one of the better TV movies ever made, with a superb, sure-fire Emmy-winning performance by Judy Davis, and a story (based on Lorna Luft's book) that generally avoided submerging into melodrama, despite occasionally veering close.
In addition to the obvious interest of Ms. Garland's (nee Baby Frances Gumm) life and times, the under-pinnings of her storied addiction, numerous relationships, up and down career and the shadow it all cast on her talented, troubled progeny made it truly a first rate bio. Bonus was insight on the occasional desperation, dependency and cruelty bred in the environs of Hollywood.
NEW AD TRENDS >>> Have you noticed the proliferation of commercials touting new, miracle drugs for everything from obesity to shyness to parentally induced guilt (just kidding; no cure for that one yet ;).
You simply need to get comfortable with the side effects: itching, dryness, chronic tiredness, projectile vomiting, chronic awakeness, liver damage, internal bleeding, external bleeding, green blood, fuzzy math, chronic body stench, chronic erection, and certain personality disorders including but not limited to obesity, shyness, and guilt.
PLANE FLICKAGE: "Almost Famous" >>> As much as I liked this movie the first time around, I was also somewhat disappointed. My disenchantment had nothing to do with the film's entertainment value -- it is fun to watch. I felt that screenwriter and director Cameron Crowe put too fine a gloss on rock journalism, one symptom of the dreadful disease inflicting modern pop music.
On second blush, I was wrong. Like his autobiographical antagonist, William Miller, Mr. Crowe's screenplay walks a fine line between loving the world of its topic, and slamming it. It's a very balanced piece of work, all the more impressive because 1) it's autobiographical, and yet it lives and breathes, and 2) it is so darn fun to watch.
Best of all are the performances: Billy Crudup as the self-centered guitar hero, Jason Lee (always good) as the dippy lead singer, Frances McDormand - maybe the best actor around - as the freakishly over-protective mother, and Kate Hudson, channeling her mother Goldie Hawn's loveliness, as the ethereal Penny Lane. And as usual, Philip Seymour-Hoffman is a riot.
It's a crowd-pleaser, a valentine to innocence and its loss, and a very insightful bit of journalism from a guy who knows because he's been doing it since he was a kid.
PLANE FLICKAGE: "Pay it Forward" >>> This was a great idea, a very good film, and about the only bad thing about it was that more people didn't see it. Hard to get folks to see a film that doesn't revolve around something sensational, prurient, or headline-ripping. This one, based on a very fine ideal, is infinitely worthwhile. Highest recommendations.
@ @ @
MUSIC PICK >>> Keep an ear out for Romina Johnson, whose new album, "Superbad..." is climbing the charts in the Europe and Japan. The sound is clean, danceable soul, a new form called "2 Step." The single is "Movin' Too Fast," which has a very cool video that would be quite popular here if any of the music channels actually played music anymore. Good stuff.
@ @ @
So there is no hope. But they can't take away our music. Or can they? That's why I'm hording CDs.
Have a great week, free of fear and slavish dependencies!
Your pal,
David.
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I am not a Republican, but have played one on TV.
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Notable shows in and around Southern
California.
Highly
recommended shows this color.
Red
alert; must see!
3.01.01 - B.B. King @ Wiltern
Theatre
3.02.01 - Roni Size Reprazent @ House of Blues
3.02.01 - String Cheese Incident @ Wiltern Theatre
3.03.01 - String Cheese Incident @ Wiltern Theatre
3.04.01 -
Superchunk @ Knitting Factory Hollywood
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3.06.01 - Lee "Scratch" Perry @ House of Blues
3.06.01 -
Lords of Acid @ The Palace
3.06.01 -
Mojave 3 @ The Troubadour
3.06.01 - Doves @ El Rey Theatre
3.07.01 - Mojave 3 @ The Troubadour
3.09.01 - Erykah Badu @
Universal Amphitheatre
3.10.01 - Erykah Badu @ Universal Amphitheatre
3.10.01 - Doc Martin @ Club Giant
3.10.01 -
Brideprimer @ The Gig Hollywood
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3.13.01 - Ralph Nader @ Pasadena Civic
3.15.01 - Fishbone @ The Key Club
3.15.01 -
Funky Meters @ House of Blues
3.16.01 - Yahoo Outloud
w/Weezer @ Hollywood Palladium
3.18.01 -
Mogwai @ El Rey Theatre
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3.19.01 - Pepe Deluxe @ El Rey Theatre
3.23.01 - Suzanne Vega @ Knitting Factory Hollywood
3.24.01 - Sven Vath @ Club Giant
3.25.01 - Nick Cave @ Wiltern Theatre
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3.28.01 - Shawn Colvin @ Roxy Theatre
3.29.01 - Shawn Colvin @ Roxy Theatre
3.29.01 - Darren Emerson @ Vynyl
3.29.01 -
Fantastic Plastic Machine @ El Rey Theatre
3.30.01 - Jonatha Brooke @ El
Rey Theatre
3.31.01 - Guster @ House of Blues
3.31.01 - Seb Fontaine @ Club Giant
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4.04.01 - Waterboys @ House of Blues
4.05.01 - Waterboys @ House of Blues
4.06.01 - Bela Fleck & the Flecktones @ Wiltern Theatre
4.06.01 - Guided by Voices @ House of Blues
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4.19.01 - Low @ El Rey Theatre
4.20.01 - Poi
Dog Pondering @ House of Blues
4.23.01 - U2 @ Arrowhead
Pond
4.27.01 - Ira Glass @ UCLA Royce Hall
5.05.01 - Natalie MacMaster @ UCLA Royce Hall
5.12.01 - Stanley Jordan @ The Key Club
5.18.01 -
David Gray @ Universal Amphitheatre
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HAVE YOU ever reconsidered? HAVE YOU done something on the spur of a moment? HAVE YOU eaten anything extra yummy? HAVE YOU found a haven? HAVE YOU considered moving to a new climate? HAVE YOU got an axe to grind? HAVE YOU taken a deep breath lately?
RE: BACK TO THE 80S >>> Re that bad déjà vu feeling that has come with the return to 80's Republican zeitgeist and Bush League II, here is a quote from that famous political philosopher, Dwight D. Eisenhower:
"Things are more like they are now than they ever were before."
-- Lauri Maerov.
RE: BUSH AND BOMBS >>> How interesting that you take issue with President Bush's recent authorized attack on Iraqi anti-aircraft facilities. I assume that your are inferring that the British just kind of role over and do whatever the United States wants considering that they too participated in the bombing exercises. What I also find interested is the facts that you selectively omitted.
I assume you are aware that former President Clinton is responsible for bombing more countries in his 8 year term than George H.W. and George W. combined, including Iraq (Yugoslavia - Chinese embassy and all, Sudan, and Afghanistan come to mind as well)? I assume you were outraged equally when Mr. Clinton's "itchy trigger finger" missile attacks on a Sudanese pharmaceutical manufacturing plant came on the same day that Ms. Lewinsky was testifying regarding her stained blue dress.
I guess if a Democrat bombs a country it is only to serve the best interests of the United States of America, but if a Republican bombs a country it is only done for political purposes, including increased military spending. Double-speak in this era of extremely partisan politics. It has been less than 100 days since President Bush took office and yet you make it seem like he flipped a switch and immediately killed the environment, activated an ABM system, cut all taxes to the bone.
What is ironic is that even the Democrats are surprised that Bush actually pays them any attention, that he actually is for better schools, that he is actually more aligned with the African American community regarding school vouchers than the party they voted for 9 to 1.
-- Rick Gianvecchio.
RE: WHAT COMES AFTER THE NINETIES? >>> I have heard that this decade is supposed to be called the oots, pronounced aah ' t 's. Let's try it out...livin in the oots. Hey it's the oots, not the 80's. I don't know. Isn't there a certain name for the numbers 1 - 10 that can be applied to this decade?
-- Alice Zorthian.
RE: NEW KIND OF SEGREGATION >>> Tokyo Takes Care of Groping Problem with Women-Only Trains - The Japan
Times Online Female train riders in Tokyo no longer have to worry about being sexually harassed or groped while in transit. After a successful trial, the Keio Electric Railway Company has decided to permanently provide women-only trains for late night rides. The move is in response to the increasing frequency of sexual harassment against female passengers, reports the Japan Times.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20010223a6.htm
-- forwarded by Maria Salomao.
RE: SNACK TECH >>> "Targeting women with a sweet tooth McCormick Distilling's key lime pie-flavored cream liqueur KeKe Beach will launch next month with a $1.5 million push....KeKe can be mixed with soda, hot chocolate and other liquids and is said to have a graham cracker aftertaste."
Mmmmm, can't wait for this new green liqueur! Just in time for St. Patrick's Day!
-- forwarded by Marian Merritt.