Okay, not totally, but it's close. I really shouldn't be surprised by this, but it seems the LA Times is reporting that Tom Delay, one of the primary supporters of the GOP's politically motivated "emergency" Terry Schiavo legislation, took exactly the opposite position with his own brain-damaged father in 1988. Delay joined with the rest of his family in deciding not to connect Charles Delay to a dialysis machine, but still has the gall to denounce the removal of Terry Schiavo's feeding tube as "an act of barbarism." Typical conservative hypocrisy, you might say, and you'd be right. But, it gets worse.
Yes, it seems that the conservative Delay family also opted to sue the manufacturer of a railroad coupling which they contended was defective and led to Charles Delay's death. Somehow, I suppose, this litigation was different that the "frivolous, parasitic lawsuits" that Delay now claims are undermining our legal system. And, as the LA Times reminds us, after the Delay family lawsuit was settled, Tom Delay cosponsored a bill specifically designed to override state laws on product liability such as the one cited in his family's lawsuit [which] provided sweeping exemptions for product sellers."
Hypocrisy and family values, GOP style.
(via Buzzflash)
3.27.2005
3.26.2005
Um . . . Governor Easley?????
Why is it acceptable to give $245.5 million dollars of state-financed incentives to Dell, Inc., but it is a waste of money to donate $5.2 million worth of downtown Charlotte to a university?
Just wondering.
Just wondering.
3.25.2005
He is not here
Twice in the last three years, I have had to look into the eyes of a loved one and realize the person I knew was no longer really there.
He is not here: for He is risen.
"He is not here" takes on a different meaning when you are looking into the eyes of your parent or grandparent, spouse or child, and you see nothing of the spark that used to animate them.
It is a terrifying experience to let go of someone you loved, and to hope and pray that whatever awaits us after life is better than the condition the person is leaving. That anxiety, though, is somewhat eased when suffering is ended by the process.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
In all the uproar over Terri Schiavo, I find it interesting that the most vociferous critics of Michael Schiavo and Judge Greer are those who refer to themselves as part of President Bush's "culture of life." They are those who profess a deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. If so, I wonder if they've bothered reading the end of that particular story lately.
I do not doubt the sincerity of the Schindlers' belief that no effort should be spared in keeping their daughter here with them. I look at my children and I know that I would run through walls to save them. I would move mountains to protect them. I cannot imagine the pain of a parent losing a child, and I won't judge them for their efforts (although I WILL judge them for the unconscionable attacks on their son-in-law and the integrity of the judicial system).
It is completely understandable that people would fight to keep a loved one here with them. We cannot imagine life without them. We assume, therefore, that they would fight to remain with us.
But whose interest is being served in that situation? The Christian faith tells us that, God willing, a better place awaits. I wonder why these aggressively in-your-face activists with their placards, proclaiming their faith with bullhorns, and standing on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men, don't seem to realize that. They fight this decision as if Terri Schiavo's soul was condemned to eternal damnation, and the only thing keeping her from hell is that feeding tube. I suspect that, to the extent she is still there, the opposite is true, and that feeding tube is the only thing keeping Terri Schiavo from escaping from hell.
Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil. For Thou art with me.
In this situation, who is it that is fearing death? Is it Terri? We cannot know that. But it is certainly those who she left behind 15 years ago, and who she would leave further behind at the end of her lingering. But God has a message for those left behind after parting -- we shall be together again soon in the presence of the Lord.
On the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene, like the rest of His disciples, was shattered. She could not imagine life without Him. Brother, friend, teacher, leader, confidant . . .all of those roles would now go unfilled in her life. She was rudderless and adrift. She went to the tomb to anoint Him and to mourn. She did not want to let go.
He is not here...
The triumph of Jesus Christ over death was not achieved through medical technology and feeding tubes. It was not achieved by fighting death to the last instant when life had long departed. It was achieved through love, and faith, and hope, and a message of peace to be carried to all the world. Might we not want to focus on that, instead of on how much longer we should pump Ensure into the stomachs of our loved ones?
There is a difference between killing and letting go.
He is not here: for He is risen.
"He is not here" takes on a different meaning when you are looking into the eyes of your parent or grandparent, spouse or child, and you see nothing of the spark that used to animate them.
It is a terrifying experience to let go of someone you loved, and to hope and pray that whatever awaits us after life is better than the condition the person is leaving. That anxiety, though, is somewhat eased when suffering is ended by the process.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
In all the uproar over Terri Schiavo, I find it interesting that the most vociferous critics of Michael Schiavo and Judge Greer are those who refer to themselves as part of President Bush's "culture of life." They are those who profess a deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. If so, I wonder if they've bothered reading the end of that particular story lately.
I do not doubt the sincerity of the Schindlers' belief that no effort should be spared in keeping their daughter here with them. I look at my children and I know that I would run through walls to save them. I would move mountains to protect them. I cannot imagine the pain of a parent losing a child, and I won't judge them for their efforts (although I WILL judge them for the unconscionable attacks on their son-in-law and the integrity of the judicial system).
It is completely understandable that people would fight to keep a loved one here with them. We cannot imagine life without them. We assume, therefore, that they would fight to remain with us.
But whose interest is being served in that situation? The Christian faith tells us that, God willing, a better place awaits. I wonder why these aggressively in-your-face activists with their placards, proclaiming their faith with bullhorns, and standing on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men, don't seem to realize that. They fight this decision as if Terri Schiavo's soul was condemned to eternal damnation, and the only thing keeping her from hell is that feeding tube. I suspect that, to the extent she is still there, the opposite is true, and that feeding tube is the only thing keeping Terri Schiavo from escaping from hell.
Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil. For Thou art with me.
In this situation, who is it that is fearing death? Is it Terri? We cannot know that. But it is certainly those who she left behind 15 years ago, and who she would leave further behind at the end of her lingering. But God has a message for those left behind after parting -- we shall be together again soon in the presence of the Lord.
On the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene, like the rest of His disciples, was shattered. She could not imagine life without Him. Brother, friend, teacher, leader, confidant . . .all of those roles would now go unfilled in her life. She was rudderless and adrift. She went to the tomb to anoint Him and to mourn. She did not want to let go.
He is not here...
The triumph of Jesus Christ over death was not achieved through medical technology and feeding tubes. It was not achieved by fighting death to the last instant when life had long departed. It was achieved through love, and faith, and hope, and a message of peace to be carried to all the world. Might we not want to focus on that, instead of on how much longer we should pump Ensure into the stomachs of our loved ones?
There is a difference between killing and letting go.
3.24.2005
Discovery Place....
From the frontiers of space to the depths of the sea, Discovery Place is an ever-changing ever-growing, cutting edge science center.
Yes. Discovery Place. A "cutting edge" science center, where your child can go to learn about all sorts of wonderful scientific things. Unless, of course, your child happens to be interested in biology or evolutionary science.
Yes, that's right, Discovery Place in Charlotte is among those IMAX centers which decided not to show "Volcanoes Under the Sea" because the film hypothesizes a link between the bizarre creatures that live on the phosphorous and other chemicals seeping from vents in the bottom of the ocean, and the first living things on earth. Because such a hypothesis does not include God reaching into the mud to fashion a guy with an extra rib, of course, it is deemed offensive and should not be shown.
Discovery Place President John Mackay, Jr. now says that "evolution was only one minor reason" why the film was rejected. and that the film was, well, not so good.
Of course, this new rationalization may have something to do with the furor the story has kicked up on the editorial page of the Charlotte Observer, where actual people are writing in to remind Discovery Place of the novel concept that a SCIENCE MUSEUM ACTUALLY SHOULD SUPPORT SCIENCE!!!
I am normally an unabashed patron of the Arts and Sciences, and believe that cities and states should not object to losing money on museums, arts projects or education facilities. They should be viewed as investments on a long-term return. Or even, perish the thought, an expenditure that need not have its results measured in dollars and cents, but as an altruistic good.
But in this case, I have to shut the door. The good people of Charlotte, who have built a fantastic city over the last 20 or so years, should look askance on any bond referendum or other public funds which might be used to finance expansion of a "Science Center" that has shown itself to be scared of science.
I do note that the Discovery IMAX is showing "Forces of Nature," which:
showcases the awesome spectacle of earthquakes, volcanoes, and severe storms as viewers follow scientists on their groundbreaking quests to understand what triggers these natural disasters.
I guess this film will include statements from leading experts in the field of meteorology, such as the Reverend Pat Robertson, who will tell us that severe storms only strike those who deserve it, and can be turned aside from Virginia Beach if we just pray harder than the people on Cape Hatteras.
3.22.2005
Nuts at the movies
I usually eat popcorn, but occasionally enjoy nuts at the movies. Now, I find out, according to this story in the Charlotte Observer (annoying free registration required), the theaters aren't deciding which nuts to serve. Instead, the nuts are deciding which movies to show.
The IMAX theater in Charleston and several others in the South have passed on showing a science film on volcanoes because of concerns it might offend those with fundamental religious beliefs.
"We've got to pick a film that's going to sell in our area. If it's not going to sell, we're not going to take it," said Lisa Buzzelli, director of the local IMAX theater. "Many people here believe in creationism, not evolution."
Buzzelli said while the Charleston theater doesn't rule out showing "Volcanoes of the Deep Sea" in the future, she considers people's religious views when showing films.
The film makes a connection between human DNA and microbes inside undersea volcanoes. Buzzelli said the handling of evolution was considered in her decision.
Are. You. Kidding. Me?
The IMAX Theatre in Myrtle Beach also decided against showing the film. The theater's director, Jerry Lennard, would not comment.
I guess people in Myrtle Beach will just have to take in more wholesome entertainment like this and this.
Science is now offensive. Welcome to the 16th Century. How would you like your bread and water, Mr. Galileo?
AAAUUUGHHH.
The IMAX theater in Charleston and several others in the South have passed on showing a science film on volcanoes because of concerns it might offend those with fundamental religious beliefs.
"We've got to pick a film that's going to sell in our area. If it's not going to sell, we're not going to take it," said Lisa Buzzelli, director of the local IMAX theater. "Many people here believe in creationism, not evolution."
Buzzelli said while the Charleston theater doesn't rule out showing "Volcanoes of the Deep Sea" in the future, she considers people's religious views when showing films.
The film makes a connection between human DNA and microbes inside undersea volcanoes. Buzzelli said the handling of evolution was considered in her decision.
Are. You. Kidding. Me?
The IMAX Theatre in Myrtle Beach also decided against showing the film. The theater's director, Jerry Lennard, would not comment.
I guess people in Myrtle Beach will just have to take in more wholesome entertainment like this and this.
Science is now offensive. Welcome to the 16th Century. How would you like your bread and water, Mr. Galileo?
AAAUUUGHHH.
Dahlia Lathwick is right
Slate's superb legal columnist Dahlia Lathwick hits the nail on the head in her column today concerning the "Palm Sunday Compromise" which led to the usurpation of state court authority by Congress. (Hey, why not, the Supremes usurped Florida State Court authority in Bush v. Gore. You expected Congress to sit idly by and miss the chance?):
Go read the whole thing.
Let's be clear: The piece of legislation passed late last night, the so-called "Palm Sunday Compromise," has nothing whatever to do with the rule of law. The rule of law in this country holds that this is a federalist system—in which private domestic matters are litigated in state, not federal courts. The rule of law has long provided that such domestic decisions are generally made by competent spouses, as opposed to parents, elected officials, popular referendum, or the demands of Randall Terry. The rule of law also requires a fundamental separation of powers—in which legislatures do not override final, binding court decisions solely because the outcome is not the one they like. The rule of law requires comity between state and federal courts—wherein each respects and upholds the jurisdiction and authority of the other. The rule of law requires that we look skeptically at legislation aimed at mucking around with just one life to the exclusion of any and all similarly situated individuals.
Go read the whole thing.
3.20.2005
Whatever you say about Elizabeth Dole...
... you can't say she's not on top of environmental issues. Two press releases on the environment, the latest in 2003.
Wow. What a worker. Anyone seen her in North Carolina lately?
Wow. What a worker. Anyone seen her in North Carolina lately?
An intriguing idea
Man, if only some of our readers were in the North Carolina General Assembly...
Maybe one of them would read this article about what's going on in Montana and introduce a similar bill in our legislature. Why, they could even find the actual text of the Bill right here.
What a great idea. If your store pays its workers so little that the State actually pays money out to your employees in welfare benefits, then, well, you have to ante up. Simple choice, really. Pay your employees a living wage or pay the State back for helping them live on the wage you pay them.
Maybe one of them would read this article about what's going on in Montana and introduce a similar bill in our legislature. Why, they could even find the actual text of the Bill right here.
What a great idea. If your store pays its workers so little that the State actually pays money out to your employees in welfare benefits, then, well, you have to ante up. Simple choice, really. Pay your employees a living wage or pay the State back for helping them live on the wage you pay them.
3.17.2005
Six Months
George W. Bush says that drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will strengthen both the economy and national security. George W. Bush says that expoliting the Alaskan wilderness is "a way to get some additional reserves here at home on the books. In terms of world supply ... demand is outracing supply, and supplies are getting tight. This project will make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, eventually by up to a million barrels of oil a day." George W. Bush is a damn liar.
According to the US Geological Survey, there are likely to be somewhere between "5.7 billion and 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil" in the Arctic Refuge, with the most likely amount being around 10.4 billion barrels. As America currently consumes about 20 million barrels of oil a day, the recovery of 10 billion barrels would equate to a supply of oil that the country would deplete in six months. And, with drilling projected to begin in 2007, with ten years of work necessary before production is maximized, we're talking 10 years work for a six month supply.
What were not talking about is a recovery that will in any way reduce our dependence on foreign oil. As the Atlanta Journal Constitution points out, "If Congress and the Bush administration were serious about making the nation more energy independent, they should raise fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. Increasing fuel economy by a mere 3 miles a gallon would save more oil in a decade than could be recovered from ANWR in a lifetime." But we know that's not going to happen, that would mean tighter profit margins for Bush's corporate supporters. No, we can't have that. Far better to drill in the wildlife refuge, screw those alarmist environmentalists, and cater to the oil industry, all while doing absolutely nothing to solve the underlying problem.
Six months. Doesn't sound like a benefit to national security to me. Doesn't sound like a significant reduction in our dependence on foreign oil. Sounds to me like another lie from an ignorant man with his head up the ass of corporate interests who have no qualms about destroying one of the last pristine wilderness areas in America.
According to the US Geological Survey, there are likely to be somewhere between "5.7 billion and 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil" in the Arctic Refuge, with the most likely amount being around 10.4 billion barrels. As America currently consumes about 20 million barrels of oil a day, the recovery of 10 billion barrels would equate to a supply of oil that the country would deplete in six months. And, with drilling projected to begin in 2007, with ten years of work necessary before production is maximized, we're talking 10 years work for a six month supply.
What were not talking about is a recovery that will in any way reduce our dependence on foreign oil. As the Atlanta Journal Constitution points out, "If Congress and the Bush administration were serious about making the nation more energy independent, they should raise fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. Increasing fuel economy by a mere 3 miles a gallon would save more oil in a decade than could be recovered from ANWR in a lifetime." But we know that's not going to happen, that would mean tighter profit margins for Bush's corporate supporters. No, we can't have that. Far better to drill in the wildlife refuge, screw those alarmist environmentalists, and cater to the oil industry, all while doing absolutely nothing to solve the underlying problem.
Six months. Doesn't sound like a benefit to national security to me. Doesn't sound like a significant reduction in our dependence on foreign oil. Sounds to me like another lie from an ignorant man with his head up the ass of corporate interests who have no qualms about destroying one of the last pristine wilderness areas in America.
3.16.2005
3.14.2005
Conversation For Dummies
Great. As Maru reminds us, five years of paid-off "journalists," propaganda outlets, and staged, carefully rehearsed "townhall meetings" and the Washington Post finally decides to write about it. As anyone with a brain knows, Bush's "conversations on Social Security" are anything but:
The White House follows a practiced formula for each of the meetings. First it picks a state in which generally it can pressure a lawmaker or two, and then it lines up panelists who will sing the praises of the president's plan. Finally, it loads the audience with Republicans and other supporters.
. . .
The night before the event, the chosen participants gathered for a rehearsal in the hall in which the president would appear the next day. An official dispatched by the White House played the president and asked questions. "We ran through it five times before the president got there," [a participant] said.
. . .
The few dissenting voices in the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts were quickly silenced or escorted out by security. One woman with a soft voice but firm opposition to Bush was asked to leave, even though her protests were barely audible beyond her section in the back corner of the auditorium. The carefully screened panelists spoke admiringly about Bush, his ideas, his "bold" leadership on Social Security.
Yeah, we know how "bold" he is.
(Link to the Washington Post, photos of the "smirking chickenshit," and damn near everything else in this post, shamelessly stolen from Maru.)
3.13.2005
Brendan Winters, Representin'
In an uprecedented recognition of a Davidson Wildcat basketball player, shooting guard Brendan Winters was named to the 2005 United States Basketball Writers Association All-District 3 team.
Winters, a junior, has already been named the first Wildcat to be Southern Conference Player of the Year since Mike Maloy in 1970. Maloy, some may recall graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated Basketball Preview for the 1968-69 season.
Winters is among elite company this year, too. District 3 contains all the schools in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland. Here's the team:
United States Basketball Writers Association 2005 All-District 3 Team
Raymond Felton, North Carolina
Sharrod Ford, Clemson
Justin Gray, Wake Forest
Julius Hodge, North Carolina State
Sean May, North Carolina
Rashad McCants, North Carolina
Chris Paul, Wake Forest
J.J. Redick, Duke
Eric Williams, Wake Forest
Shelden Williams, Duke
Brendan Winters, Davidson
Attaboy, Brendan.
Winters, a junior, has already been named the first Wildcat to be Southern Conference Player of the Year since Mike Maloy in 1970. Maloy, some may recall graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated Basketball Preview for the 1968-69 season.
Winters is among elite company this year, too. District 3 contains all the schools in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland. Here's the team:
United States Basketball Writers Association 2005 All-District 3 Team
Raymond Felton, North Carolina
Sharrod Ford, Clemson
Justin Gray, Wake Forest
Julius Hodge, North Carolina State
Sean May, North Carolina
Rashad McCants, North Carolina
Chris Paul, Wake Forest
J.J. Redick, Duke
Eric Williams, Wake Forest
Shelden Williams, Duke
Brendan Winters, Davidson
Attaboy, Brendan.
Attention: Deficit Disorder
No, not the budget deficit. We've all seen the commentary on Bush's shameful, irresponsible, immoral and deceptive federal budget. We all know how bad that deficit is; hell, it's so bad that not only did the democrats grow a spine and decry it, even confirmed Bush apologist Alan Greenspan says it's a "significant obstacle to long-term stability." Indeed, Robert Hormats, Vice-Chairman of Goldman Sachs International, even makes a compelling case that the current budget deficit makes us significantly more vulnerable to terrorism.
No, this post is devoted to yet another deficit, the ever-critical trade deficit, and the Bush policies that are pushing us to the brink of global economic suicide.
"It Takes a Pillage," by Avedon Carol is a good place to start. As she quite correctly points out, the corporate giveaways and budget priorites that encourage American outsourcing are as shortsighted as all the rest of Bush's policies, because "out-sourcing means more than just giving your job to some guy in China; it means that while the Chinese are learning to do your job, Americans are not."
Then, follow her link to Paul Craig Roberts' column, "Turning Chinese." Like his earlier writing on outsourcing, http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts02152005.html" Roberts pulls no punches:
"America's remaining job market is domestic nontradable services. While India and China develop first world job markets, the US labor market takes on the characteristics of a third world work force. Only jobs that cannot be outsourced are growing.
The Bush economy has seen a loss of 2.8 million manufacturing jobs, a rise in the unemployment rate of 1.2 percentage points, and a stagnation in real weekly earnings.
How bad will things have to get before economists realize that outsourced jobs are not being replaced? Indeed, many American companies are ceasing to have any presence in the US except for a sales force."
Roberts' case in point is Cisco, Inc., whose CEO, John Chambers, recently stated, "What we're trying to do is outline an entire strategy of becoming a Chinese company." More on that particular situation can be found through Avedon's update link to a post by Charles Dodgson.
Then consider Simon Bowers' March 7, 2005 article for The Guardian, based largely on the recent comments of Warren Buffet to the effect that our current administration seems intent on creating not an "ownership society," but a "sharecropper's society:" "In his annual letter to investors in Berkshire Hathaway, the fund he has run for more than 30 years, Mr Buffett painted a bleak picture of a future US in which ownership and wealth had continued to move overseas, leaving the economy in thrall to foreign interests and faced with financial turmoil and political unrest. He said his performance last year had been "lacklustre". He explained his mounting bet against the dollar in terms of a spiralling US trade deficit - which, he warned, may be approaching crisis point. . . . This force-feeding of American wealth to the rest of the world is now proceeding at the rate of $1.8bn daily."
Avedon Carol calls it "asset-stripping," others refer to it as outsourcing America, but how ever the current trend is described, the status of our trade deficit, and the percentage of America now owned by foreign interests is as least as much a concern as our fiscal deficit.
And for those who continue to trust in the global value of the dollar to save us, as if on cue, the New York Times just yesterday reported that "the U.S. dollar fell against the euro and the Japanese yen Friday after the United States reported its second-highest monthly trade deficit ever, reinforcing concerns about the health of the economy. . . .The soaring U.S. trade deficit must be financed by foreigners willing to hold U.S. dollars in exchange for the products they sell to the United States. The concern has been that has been that the trade deficit at some point could rise so far that foreigners become reluctant to hold dollar-denominated assets like stocks and bonds."
And when that happens, well, as Paul Craig Roberts stated earlier in the week, "the dollar's value and status as reserve currency cannot forever stand the trade and budget deficits that are now part and parcel of America's economic policy. Unless there are major changes soon, America's economic future is a third world work force with a banana democracy's worthless currency."
No, this post is devoted to yet another deficit, the ever-critical trade deficit, and the Bush policies that are pushing us to the brink of global economic suicide.
"It Takes a Pillage," by Avedon Carol is a good place to start. As she quite correctly points out, the corporate giveaways and budget priorites that encourage American outsourcing are as shortsighted as all the rest of Bush's policies, because "out-sourcing means more than just giving your job to some guy in China; it means that while the Chinese are learning to do your job, Americans are not."
Then, follow her link to Paul Craig Roberts' column, "Turning Chinese." Like his earlier writing on outsourcing, http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts02152005.html" Roberts pulls no punches:
"America's remaining job market is domestic nontradable services. While India and China develop first world job markets, the US labor market takes on the characteristics of a third world work force. Only jobs that cannot be outsourced are growing.
The Bush economy has seen a loss of 2.8 million manufacturing jobs, a rise in the unemployment rate of 1.2 percentage points, and a stagnation in real weekly earnings.
How bad will things have to get before economists realize that outsourced jobs are not being replaced? Indeed, many American companies are ceasing to have any presence in the US except for a sales force."
Roberts' case in point is Cisco, Inc., whose CEO, John Chambers, recently stated, "What we're trying to do is outline an entire strategy of becoming a Chinese company." More on that particular situation can be found through Avedon's update link to a post by Charles Dodgson.
Then consider Simon Bowers' March 7, 2005 article for The Guardian, based largely on the recent comments of Warren Buffet to the effect that our current administration seems intent on creating not an "ownership society," but a "sharecropper's society:" "In his annual letter to investors in Berkshire Hathaway, the fund he has run for more than 30 years, Mr Buffett painted a bleak picture of a future US in which ownership and wealth had continued to move overseas, leaving the economy in thrall to foreign interests and faced with financial turmoil and political unrest. He said his performance last year had been "lacklustre". He explained his mounting bet against the dollar in terms of a spiralling US trade deficit - which, he warned, may be approaching crisis point. . . . This force-feeding of American wealth to the rest of the world is now proceeding at the rate of $1.8bn daily."
Avedon Carol calls it "asset-stripping," others refer to it as outsourcing America, but how ever the current trend is described, the status of our trade deficit, and the percentage of America now owned by foreign interests is as least as much a concern as our fiscal deficit.
And for those who continue to trust in the global value of the dollar to save us, as if on cue, the New York Times just yesterday reported that "the U.S. dollar fell against the euro and the Japanese yen Friday after the United States reported its second-highest monthly trade deficit ever, reinforcing concerns about the health of the economy. . . .The soaring U.S. trade deficit must be financed by foreigners willing to hold U.S. dollars in exchange for the products they sell to the United States. The concern has been that has been that the trade deficit at some point could rise so far that foreigners become reluctant to hold dollar-denominated assets like stocks and bonds."
And when that happens, well, as Paul Craig Roberts stated earlier in the week, "the dollar's value and status as reserve currency cannot forever stand the trade and budget deficits that are now part and parcel of America's economic policy. Unless there are major changes soon, America's economic future is a third world work force with a banana democracy's worthless currency."
3.12.2005
74-25
The MBNA-penned, creditor-friendly Bankruptcy "Reform" bill passes in the Senate, and is expected to easily pass in the House of Representatives. Included in the 25 "Nay" votes was Joe Lieberman, who posted this comment on his website yesterday. Bull Moose buys it, Atrios doesn't. I'm with Atrios. You don't vote to limit debate on a bill, then say you did your part to prevent its passage.
3.11.2005
3.09.2005
The Kickoff
Via Ed Cone, a link to a powerful statement on landmines. If they were here, would you want them anywhere?
This ad puts it in perspective. Of course, we won't see it on our televisions. CSI: Miami stays on, but these ads are too "intense."
This ad puts it in perspective. Of course, we won't see it on our televisions. CSI: Miami stays on, but these ads are too "intense."
3.08.2005
Bankruptcy thoughts
They passed cloture on the Bankruptcy Bill, with 13 14 Democrats voting "Aye." These "Democrats" should for now on be known as the "Chapter 13." 14 asshats.
Biden
Carper
Kohl
Lieberman (surprise surprise)
Byrd (what the heck?)
Conrad
Johnson
Landrieu
Lincoln
Nelson (Ne)
Nelson (Fl)
Pryor
Salazar (what a mistake this guy has turned out to be)
Stabenow
A commenter on DailyKos rightly called this the KICK THEM WHILE THEY'RE DOWN ACT OF 2005.
Putting that aside for a moment, let's look at why the stated reason for this bill - discouraging deadbeats fromskimping on consumer debt - makes no sense.
Let's assume that credit card companies are rational actors in a reasonably free market. Let's assume that they have sophisticated databases of information which can, among other things, predict the default rate on their extensions of credit and thus the risk on their investments. Further, let's assume that they can also calculate what percentage of their customers file for bankruptcy and the return they get on those accounts in the bankruptcy process, even accounting for counsel fees and such.
Let's also assume that someone at these companies took Economics 101 and Business 101 and remembers that when lending money, interest is at least partially a representation of risk, such that a company, given a certain level of risk of nonpayment, will be willing to lend money at rate r, but given a higher level of risk, will only be willing to lend at rate r+1. But what do I know, I only represent creditors in bankruptcy.
Taking all that into account, is it not a reasonable conclusion that these companies are ALREADY accounting for the risk of bankruptcy in setting their rates as they currently are? And that by adjusting for this risk, these companies have managed to become the most profitable business segment in America?
So, you know, thanks to the passage of this act, which lowers the risk of deadbeat bankruptcy filers skipping out on noble credit card companies, I am looking forward to my credit card companies notifying me that my rate has decreased.
Right? Right? Hello? Anyone? Bueller?
Biden
Carper
Kohl
Lieberman (surprise surprise)
Byrd (what the heck?)
Conrad
Johnson
Landrieu
Lincoln
Nelson (Ne)
Nelson (Fl)
Pryor
Salazar (what a mistake this guy has turned out to be)
Stabenow
A commenter on DailyKos rightly called this the KICK THEM WHILE THEY'RE DOWN ACT OF 2005.
Putting that aside for a moment, let's look at why the stated reason for this bill - discouraging deadbeats fromskimping on consumer debt - makes no sense.
Let's assume that credit card companies are rational actors in a reasonably free market. Let's assume that they have sophisticated databases of information which can, among other things, predict the default rate on their extensions of credit and thus the risk on their investments. Further, let's assume that they can also calculate what percentage of their customers file for bankruptcy and the return they get on those accounts in the bankruptcy process, even accounting for counsel fees and such.
Let's also assume that someone at these companies took Economics 101 and Business 101 and remembers that when lending money, interest is at least partially a representation of risk, such that a company, given a certain level of risk of nonpayment, will be willing to lend money at rate r, but given a higher level of risk, will only be willing to lend at rate r+1. But what do I know, I only represent creditors in bankruptcy.
Taking all that into account, is it not a reasonable conclusion that these companies are ALREADY accounting for the risk of bankruptcy in setting their rates as they currently are? And that by adjusting for this risk, these companies have managed to become the most profitable business segment in America?
So, you know, thanks to the passage of this act, which lowers the risk of deadbeat bankruptcy filers skipping out on noble credit card companies, I am looking forward to my credit card companies notifying me that my rate has decreased.
Right? Right? Hello? Anyone? Bueller?
3.06.2005
Milltowns, R.I.P.
Todays news that Thomasville Furniture is laying off another 110 people in Davidson County brings into still-sharper focus the decline of the North Carolina mill town. There was a time in North Carolina's history when it was the vanguard of the "New South," where non-unionized workers could make furniture and textiles better and more cheaply than anywhere else in the world, and Northeastern manufacturers and some homegrown innovators flocked to open mills. Towns sprang up around those mills, with the houses often owned by the millowners, as workers followed the jobs - sharecroppers became lintheads, towns grew, and the North Carolina we know today was born.
Now, those jobs are gone, drawn by still cheaper labor and supplies in China and Southeast Asia, and a chapter is closing. Another N&O story reveals one of the less pleasant industries which has stepped in to employ the same sort of folks who once made our socks and t-shirts. It is time to think hard about North Carolina's next step.
Historians and politicians can debate whether being the nation's center for non-unionized textile and furniture manufacturing was ultimately good for North Carolina and her citizens, but there can be no doubt that the Carolina milltown was an icon, a way of life for millions of people for about a century. What is now the urban crescent from Charlotte to Raleigh, including many of its corporate citizens, owes its very existence to this pattern of development. Kannapolis, Greensboro, Thomasville, Henderson, Randleman, Gastonia, Burlington, Asheboro, and many other towns and cities, were built around the mills. What North Carolina is today - nonunion, heavily urbanized along that narrow strip, and struggling to overcome the loss of the textile and furniture industries - is owed primarily to those initial investors, people with names like Haynes, Cone, Cannon, Holt and Love. But we owe just as much to the unremarked thousands who toiled in the mills, eleven hours a day, six days a week, and whose names do not appear on the fine buildings of our college campuses and town squares.
Through Ed Cone and Paul Jones (via commenter Brendan Bailey), I was led to a wonderful site called Remember Cliffside, put together by Brendan's father, Reno. It is a beautiful compendium of photographs and reminiscenses about life in Cliffside, NC, a Rutherford County village and site of an enormous Cone mill, which has since been sold for scrap. The site has a particular focus on the 1920s, when the mills were booming at their peak, and before the widespread and violent strikes of the 1930s. Bailey's site is a great look at what North Carolina used to be, and a useful starting point for those who wonder what is next.
Now, those jobs are gone, drawn by still cheaper labor and supplies in China and Southeast Asia, and a chapter is closing. Another N&O story reveals one of the less pleasant industries which has stepped in to employ the same sort of folks who once made our socks and t-shirts. It is time to think hard about North Carolina's next step.
Historians and politicians can debate whether being the nation's center for non-unionized textile and furniture manufacturing was ultimately good for North Carolina and her citizens, but there can be no doubt that the Carolina milltown was an icon, a way of life for millions of people for about a century. What is now the urban crescent from Charlotte to Raleigh, including many of its corporate citizens, owes its very existence to this pattern of development. Kannapolis, Greensboro, Thomasville, Henderson, Randleman, Gastonia, Burlington, Asheboro, and many other towns and cities, were built around the mills. What North Carolina is today - nonunion, heavily urbanized along that narrow strip, and struggling to overcome the loss of the textile and furniture industries - is owed primarily to those initial investors, people with names like Haynes, Cone, Cannon, Holt and Love. But we owe just as much to the unremarked thousands who toiled in the mills, eleven hours a day, six days a week, and whose names do not appear on the fine buildings of our college campuses and town squares.
Through Ed Cone and Paul Jones (via commenter Brendan Bailey), I was led to a wonderful site called Remember Cliffside, put together by Brendan's father, Reno. It is a beautiful compendium of photographs and reminiscenses about life in Cliffside, NC, a Rutherford County village and site of an enormous Cone mill, which has since been sold for scrap. The site has a particular focus on the 1920s, when the mills were booming at their peak, and before the widespread and violent strikes of the 1930s. Bailey's site is a great look at what North Carolina used to be, and a useful starting point for those who wonder what is next.
3.04.2005
In February, Bet on the 'Cats!
In March, not so much.
Crap. Chokejob.
Lex was present in 1995 when the Wildcats, bearing a gaudy 25-4 record and an undefeated run through the SoCon, choked it away to Western Carolina in the finals. I was there too, and Lex sums up the feeling of losing in the tournament of a one-bid conference perfectly:
Nothing like leaving a basketball game with your rib cage ripped open and your heart dangling down around your belt buckle, hanging on only by the odd shred of blood vessel and pericardium.
Yep. That's about it. This time, though, I was spared the experience in real life. Instead, my poor son got an abject lesson in how immature his father can be, yelling at five kids running around on a TV screen, failing to defend the three-point shot. Again.
Arrrrrrrrggggggh!
Crap. Chokejob.
Lex was present in 1995 when the Wildcats, bearing a gaudy 25-4 record and an undefeated run through the SoCon, choked it away to Western Carolina in the finals. I was there too, and Lex sums up the feeling of losing in the tournament of a one-bid conference perfectly:
Nothing like leaving a basketball game with your rib cage ripped open and your heart dangling down around your belt buckle, hanging on only by the odd shred of blood vessel and pericardium.
Yep. That's about it. This time, though, I was spared the experience in real life. Instead, my poor son got an abject lesson in how immature his father can be, yelling at five kids running around on a TV screen, failing to defend the three-point shot. Again.
Arrrrrrrrggggggh!
"Get your paws off me, you damned dirty ape!"
If you want to know what would have happened to Charlton Heston on a real Planet of the Apes, read this story.
Here's a little taste:
A couple's plans for a birthday party for their former pet chimpanzee turned tragic when two other chimps at an animal sanctuary escaped from their cage and attacked. The man was critically injured with massive wounds to his face, body and limbs, and the attacking animals were shot dead.
***
St. James Davis had severe facial injuries and would require extensive surgery in an attempt to reattach his nose, Dr. Maureen Martin of Kern Medical Center told KGET-TV of Bakersfield.
It gets worse.
Here's a little taste:
A couple's plans for a birthday party for their former pet chimpanzee turned tragic when two other chimps at an animal sanctuary escaped from their cage and attacked. The man was critically injured with massive wounds to his face, body and limbs, and the attacking animals were shot dead.
***
St. James Davis had severe facial injuries and would require extensive surgery in an attempt to reattach his nose, Dr. Maureen Martin of Kern Medical Center told KGET-TV of Bakersfield.
It gets worse.
The Politics Of Music, Week 2
Hope you enjoy this latest edition of The Stinging Nettle's weekly break from politics. . .
Orange Juice: Blue Boy (1980)
The Nettle has a little OJ on tap this week in order to pay respects to vocalist/guitarist Edwyn Collins who is very ill after suffering a brain hemorrhage. For those who've never heard of this obscure Scottish New Wave pop group, Collins may be familiar from his 1995 solo hit single "A Girl Like You" (featured with other great music in the otherwise forgettable teen flick Empire Records).
Blue Boy / 128kbps MP3, 2.7MB- Buy A Casual Introduction from Amazon UK
- Orange Juice on allmusic.com
The Silos: The Only Love (2004)
The annunal South By Southwest (SXSW) Music & Media Conference begins in Austin, TX on March 16. One day I hope to be lucky enough to attend: over the course of just a few days, more than one thousand acts will perform at more than 50 venues in downtown Austin. It's America's biggest showcase of music and a lot of that music is absolutely phenomenal. I've linked to a sample below, straight from the SXSW web site. The Silos are a long-running alt-roots rock band from NYC. This track is from their latest record, When The Telephone Rings. Click here for a complete list of the mp3's available on the SXSW site (countless artists are represented).
The Only Love / 128Kbps MP3, 5.2MB- Buy When The Telephone Rings from Amazon
- The Silos on allmusic.com
Darren Hanlon: Hiccups (2002)
I'd never heard of this Australian singer-songwriter until I saw him open up for the Magnetic Fields at the Carolina Theater in Durham back in December. A clever lyricist who's capable of delivering pop hooks as well, Hanlon put on a very entertaining show. Another standout track from that performance was "Punk's Not Dead." Perhaps one day we'll see a US release of his 2002 full-length, Hello Stranger.
Hiccups / 128kbps MP3, 3.8MB- Buy Hello Stranger from Amazon (import only)
- Darren Hanlon on allmusic.com
NOTE: Most of these MP3's will be removed after a week or so as it is not our intent to violate any copyrights. Our hope is to perhaps introduce our readers to some music they haven't heard before. If you like what you hear, please buy the record! We will be happy to remove any file at the request of a copyright owner.
Bankruptcy Deform
The United States Congress this week took up the subject of the Bankruptcy Reform Act. Senator Schumer has valiantly fought this bill for the last five years, tying it up with amendments designed to split the anti-choice right from the corporate right. It has worked so far, but I don't expect it to work again.
I have some professional knowledge of the bankruptcy system, and I will have more to say about this atrocious bill over the next couple of days. For now, suffice it to say that, for the first time, the Bankruptcy Court will become a tool for collection of credit card debt, instead of a refuge of last resort for debtors overwhelmed by their debt and in need of a clean slate.
The clean slate and the automatic stay have been the centerpieces of bankruptcy law since the late 1800s. With this law, the Court will no longer be a place where a person can seek shelter and "call off the wolves," as my bankruptcy professor used to say.
We know there are abuses of the bankruptcy process. There is no doubt that certain debtors use the automatic stay and the order of discharge as a way to confound honest creditors. But those debtors are folks named Enron and Halliburton. They use the Bankruptcy process as a business tool, a way to shed unprofitable subsidiaries and remain in business. They are most decidedly not the little old ladies and working poor families who use Chapter 7.
This act will do nothing to prevent corporate debtors from escaping from pension fund obligations. No, instead it will force individual debtors to go into Chapter 13, to pay TWICE out of their own pocket for "debt counseling" and then will tie them to their credit card debt for an additional five years, using the Bankruptcy Court as a collection agency. Under the Act, consumer creditors are entitled to 100% payout on their debt. Credit Card debt, then, is placed on a par with child support obligations. There's fairness for you.
I have been in Bankruptcy Court on the day of the 341 hearings, when debtors have to sit in front of a room full of angry creditors and bare their financial soul. It's not a fun thing to watch a 55-year-old recently divorced woman have to explain why she fell so far behind on her ex-husband's credit card payments when he abandoned the family. It's not fun at all. As Brian Lund writes in the The Motley Fool: "Bankruptcy is humiliating, painful, and in most cases expensive. No one in his right mind chooses it. If some do, they need education, not punishment."
I might have supported these reforms if there was some parallel restriction on solicitation by credit card companies. There isn't. I might also have supported it if it made an exception for those forced into debt by medical emergencies. It doesn't. Alleged Democratic Senators Biden, Carper, and Nelson made sure of that.
This link (thanks, Shoveldog) contains further links to the study by Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren, which establishes that more than 50% of Chapter 7 filers filed due to medical debts - and most of those had health insurance. It also contains a link to an extremely enlightening article in The Motley Fool, which reveals the source of the money behind this bill. If you guessed MBNA, you won.
As currently constituted, this bill is a corporate welfare abomination. Any Democrat - THIS MEANS YOU JOE BIDEN - who votes for this bill needs to reevaluate what party she is in. (And yes, I realize that John Edwards voted for an earlier version in 2000 which was vetoed by Bill Clinton. For the life of me, I can't figure out why.) But that version was a piker compared to the hideous monster now lurching its way through the Senate.
Call your Senator. Mine are a lost cause.
(Note to Winston - an entire article, no attack on President Bush - happy now?)
UPDATES:
I have some professional knowledge of the bankruptcy system, and I will have more to say about this atrocious bill over the next couple of days. For now, suffice it to say that, for the first time, the Bankruptcy Court will become a tool for collection of credit card debt, instead of a refuge of last resort for debtors overwhelmed by their debt and in need of a clean slate.
The clean slate and the automatic stay have been the centerpieces of bankruptcy law since the late 1800s. With this law, the Court will no longer be a place where a person can seek shelter and "call off the wolves," as my bankruptcy professor used to say.
We know there are abuses of the bankruptcy process. There is no doubt that certain debtors use the automatic stay and the order of discharge as a way to confound honest creditors. But those debtors are folks named Enron and Halliburton. They use the Bankruptcy process as a business tool, a way to shed unprofitable subsidiaries and remain in business. They are most decidedly not the little old ladies and working poor families who use Chapter 7.
This act will do nothing to prevent corporate debtors from escaping from pension fund obligations. No, instead it will force individual debtors to go into Chapter 13, to pay TWICE out of their own pocket for "debt counseling" and then will tie them to their credit card debt for an additional five years, using the Bankruptcy Court as a collection agency. Under the Act, consumer creditors are entitled to 100% payout on their debt. Credit Card debt, then, is placed on a par with child support obligations. There's fairness for you.
I have been in Bankruptcy Court on the day of the 341 hearings, when debtors have to sit in front of a room full of angry creditors and bare their financial soul. It's not a fun thing to watch a 55-year-old recently divorced woman have to explain why she fell so far behind on her ex-husband's credit card payments when he abandoned the family. It's not fun at all. As Brian Lund writes in the The Motley Fool: "Bankruptcy is humiliating, painful, and in most cases expensive. No one in his right mind chooses it. If some do, they need education, not punishment."
I might have supported these reforms if there was some parallel restriction on solicitation by credit card companies. There isn't. I might also have supported it if it made an exception for those forced into debt by medical emergencies. It doesn't. Alleged Democratic Senators Biden, Carper, and Nelson made sure of that.
This link (thanks, Shoveldog) contains further links to the study by Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren, which establishes that more than 50% of Chapter 7 filers filed due to medical debts - and most of those had health insurance. It also contains a link to an extremely enlightening article in The Motley Fool, which reveals the source of the money behind this bill. If you guessed MBNA, you won.
As currently constituted, this bill is a corporate welfare abomination. Any Democrat - THIS MEANS YOU JOE BIDEN - who votes for this bill needs to reevaluate what party she is in. (And yes, I realize that John Edwards voted for an earlier version in 2000 which was vetoed by Bill Clinton. For the life of me, I can't figure out why.) But that version was a piker compared to the hideous monster now lurching its way through the Senate.
Call your Senator. Mine are a lost cause.
(Note to Winston - an entire article, no attack on President Bush - happy now?)
UPDATES:
1. Dailykos commenter Maryscott O'Connor has a righteous, profane, and dead-on rant about this issue here. Huzzah, Maryscott. We have our differences from time to time, but dang, this is a work of art.
2. I note with some satisfaction that this post has been up for four hours now, and not a single comment has been placed on it from those who have been criticizing this site's supposed lack of substance. If I put up a one sentence insult, we'd have had 35 comments by now. Interesting.
3.03.2005
Recycled rhetoric
Sidney Blumenthal has a nice article on Salon today about the President's (failing) rhetorical strategy on Social Security reform. Blumenthal notes some interesting parallels with the 1936 Republican Party platform:
""Society has an obligation to promote the security of the people, by affording some measure of protection against involuntary unemployment and dependency in old age. The New Deal policies, while purporting to provide social security, have, in fact, endangered it." The 1936 Republican platform claims that the federal government will not be able to meet its financial obligations to pay retirement benefits and two-thirds of the people will be deprived. It also insists that "the fund will contain nothing but the government's promise to pay" and is "unworkable.""
Republicans have been making the same arguments ever since. They're still wrong.
""Society has an obligation to promote the security of the people, by affording some measure of protection against involuntary unemployment and dependency in old age. The New Deal policies, while purporting to provide social security, have, in fact, endangered it." The 1936 Republican platform claims that the federal government will not be able to meet its financial obligations to pay retirement benefits and two-thirds of the people will be deprived. It also insists that "the fund will contain nothing but the government's promise to pay" and is "unworkable.""
Republicans have been making the same arguments ever since. They're still wrong.
Keep an eye on the RPI
The NCAA is using a new RPI scheme that is intended to boost underrated mid-majors schools and drop overrated major conference teams. The difference in results under new and old schemes is striking. One of the most negatively-affected majors? NC State.
According to the writer:
"The new formula over-corrected *way* too much, and now you have several mid-majors rising to unfair heights in the RPI while several deserving big-conference schools are lower than they should be."
Maybe so, but if State knocks off Wake at home Sunday night I think we're in anyway. Sweeps of Tech and Maryland + the Wake win and 18-11 overall, 8-8 and 4th in the conference should be enough.
According to the writer:
"The new formula over-corrected *way* too much, and now you have several mid-majors rising to unfair heights in the RPI while several deserving big-conference schools are lower than they should be."
Maybe so, but if State knocks off Wake at home Sunday night I think we're in anyway. Sweeps of Tech and Maryland + the Wake win and 18-11 overall, 8-8 and 4th in the conference should be enough.
The coming crackdown on blogging
Based on the ruling of a Federal judge, it seems that the 2002 Internet exception to certain campaign finance laws is about to end. The consequences could be surprising to bloggers:
"Bradley Smith [Federal Election Commission] says that the freewheeling days of political blogging and online punditry are over. In just a few months, he warns, bloggers and news organizations could risk the wrath of the federal government if they improperly link to a campaign's Web site. Even forwarding a political candidate's press release to a mailing list, depending on the details, could be punished by fines."
"Q: If Congress doesn't change the law, what kind of activities will the FEC have to target?
A: We're talking about any decision by an individual to put a link (to a political candidate) on their home page, set up a blog, send out mass e-mails, any kind of activity that can be done on the Internet."
Other questions raised include whether bloggers can get a press exemption and the value of a link. It will be interesting to see if/how Congress gets involved in this.
"Bradley Smith [Federal Election Commission] says that the freewheeling days of political blogging and online punditry are over. In just a few months, he warns, bloggers and news organizations could risk the wrath of the federal government if they improperly link to a campaign's Web site. Even forwarding a political candidate's press release to a mailing list, depending on the details, could be punished by fines."
"Q: If Congress doesn't change the law, what kind of activities will the FEC have to target?
A: We're talking about any decision by an individual to put a link (to a political candidate) on their home page, set up a blog, send out mass e-mails, any kind of activity that can be done on the Internet."
Other questions raised include whether bloggers can get a press exemption and the value of a link. It will be interesting to see if/how Congress gets involved in this.
3.02.2005
Turn It Up
I'm not sure how significant it is that Ken Layne's son was born the day before Hunter S. Thompson shot himself, but Brian Linse hopes there was a connection, in a cosmic continuity sort of way, and that was the comment that finally got me to check out "Fought Down," by Ken Layne and the Corvids.
To be sure, Layne's songs and recordings have gotten all manner of rave reviews. Ken's vocals have been compared to Steve Earle and Mick Jagger, and the recording itself has been hailed as a modern incarnation of "Exile on Main Street." But, as any self-respecting music snob knows, accolades like that are a dime a dozen in any number of music magazines, and any given band has some reviewer convinced that they're the only "real" rock-and-roll/roots rock/alternative/alt-country band out there. So I had previously just stifled a yawn and kept clicking. But, for whatever reason, the Hunter S. Thompson comment piqued my interest, so when Avedon Carol linked to Ken's cdbaby webpage, I clicked through and I bought the record.
And, well, it's good. It's really good. Actually, it's better than good. Great songs, great band, great production values, great music. No corporate agenda, no songs tailored for radio formats, just twangy, soul-deep rock that'll stick in your head from the first listen. If you're like me, you know you've got a great record when you're heading down the road, thinking about something else, and then you notice that you're unconsciously reaching for the CD player volume knob with a big grin on your face. This is that kind of record. Turn it up.
To be sure, Layne's songs and recordings have gotten all manner of rave reviews. Ken's vocals have been compared to Steve Earle and Mick Jagger, and the recording itself has been hailed as a modern incarnation of "Exile on Main Street." But, as any self-respecting music snob knows, accolades like that are a dime a dozen in any number of music magazines, and any given band has some reviewer convinced that they're the only "real" rock-and-roll/roots rock/alternative/alt-country band out there. So I had previously just stifled a yawn and kept clicking. But, for whatever reason, the Hunter S. Thompson comment piqued my interest, so when Avedon Carol linked to Ken's cdbaby webpage, I clicked through and I bought the record.
And, well, it's good. It's really good. Actually, it's better than good. Great songs, great band, great production values, great music. No corporate agenda, no songs tailored for radio formats, just twangy, soul-deep rock that'll stick in your head from the first listen. If you're like me, you know you've got a great record when you're heading down the road, thinking about something else, and then you notice that you're unconsciously reaching for the CD player volume knob with a big grin on your face. This is that kind of record. Turn it up.
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