Congratulations Jason & Amy!

...on their engagement this weekend. By all accounts (well, Jason's anyway), the proposal was a huge success. Many, many thanks to him for sharing all of the romantic details with my wife of nine years -- who, by the way, has to divorce my ass to get another romantic marriage proposal. But in all seriousness, Jason did a hell of a job (it made me grateful that I was butt-poor when I proposed to my wife).

Amy and Jason are targeting a May/June or Sep/Oct wedding date. However, I've encouraged Jason to consider a "Jedi wedding" at the Star Wars Celebration in Indianapolis in April. Indy is pretty close to his hometown, and everyone could hold lightsabers. Seems to me like it would be pretty awesome. But that's just me (and Jason), I suppose.

A Monopoly on God

It might surprise some to know that I regularly read the National Review online. It's always good to hear opposing viewpoints, and there are few places that provide them for me in such abundance. This article from Jonah Goldberg is interesting, and he almost makes his argument stick. However, it falls apart around this point in the article:

"I say you shouldn't pick and choose, but I understand that sometimes you have to — but in completely the opposite way John Kerry picks and chooses. Kerry invokes God's guidance on the little stuff, the easy stuff, the boilerplate. He turns his back to God on the big issue, abortion (and, with a wink, gay marriage).

It seems to me this is exactly backwards. God doesn't have a position on the minimum wage or Superfund, so politicians shouldn't feel the need to consult Him about that stuff. It's only on the grave fundamental questions in politics that God should speak to one's conscience. Thomas More didn't put his life on the line about how Henry VIII handled crop rotation."

Actually, Jonah, God said little about homosexuality; Jesus said nothing about it. Naturally, the Bible has nothing to say about abortion; various religious positions have been formulated, like it or not, by people, not God.

On the other hand, Jesus had plenty to say about how we treat the less fortunate. This could extend not just to the minimum wage but to any number of Republican positions that arguably favor the rich and further oppress the poor. It's fascinating to me how Republicans presume that they've cornered the market on God (much like national security), simply by declaring that they have. There are plenty of religious leaders who have spoken loudly against many of Bush's positions on so-called moral issues, ranging from the war in Iraq to the death penalty.

So I guess I somewhat buy Goldberg's argument. However, I think the accusation of "picking and choosing" better applies to Bush, not Kerry.

Ashamed? They should be.

"We strongly support President Bush’s call for a Constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage, and we believe that neither federal nor state judges nor bureaucrats should force states to recognize other living arrangements as equivalent to marriage. We believe, and the social science confirms, that the well-being of children is best accomplished in the environment of the home, nurtured by their mother and father anchored by the bonds of marriage. We further believe that legal recognition and the accompanying benefits afforded couples should be preserved for that unique and special union of one man and one woman which has historically been called marriage."

-from the Republican Party Platform (emphasis added)

Notice how that last sentence neatly ties into the previous statements to acknowledge that the Republican Party not only rejects gay marriage (as a majority of Americans seem to) but also fully rejects any marriage-like benefits that might be made available to legal civil unions (the marriage-friendly Kerry alternative). Bush has mastered the language of "respect" for all individuals, but clearly the Republican Party has serious issues, not just with gay marriage, but with gays in general. Is it any wonder that the campaign is pissed about the mention of Mary Cheney? I'm sure Dick Cheney doesn't like to be reminded about the dissonance between his personal life and the beliefs of his political party (not to mention his President). No one forced Bush's hand in proposing his constitutional amendment, except maybe his ultra-conservative constituency. Should we be talking about Mary Cheney? No. Should we be talking about the politics of hate and hypocrisy in the Republican Party? Bring it on.

The "L" Word

That was the headline on the hard-hitting Today show this morning. Just as I stupidly began to believe that maybe, just maybe, the media was becoming focused on concrete issues in this campaign, the Bush campaign has decided to make a stink about John Kerry's compliment about the Cheneys' family.

I think the general reaction speaks volumes about where the respective parties and candidates stand on the issue of gay rights and their general view of homosexuality in general. Let's get this straight -- the reason conservatives are lashing out at Kerry is that they feel he was drawing attention to some Cheney family shame (as if Mary Cheney was a drug addict).

If you doubt this, read some of the letters on Andrew Sullivan's site. As usual, Andrew brings the most lucid (and as a gay conservative, authoritative) response to this nonsense. Furthermore, isn't it odd to see all the Cheneys (sister Liz was on Larry King yesterday) defending Mary's honor? Wouldn't you think that Mary, as her father's campaign manager, could defend herself if she is indeed so offended? However, as we've seen, Karl Rove prefers not to have Mary do any talking (or appear onstage with her family at the RNC).

Richard Buckner - 'Dents & Shells'

Richard Buckner has a new record out tomorrow called Dents & Shells. He's moved over to Merge Records for this release, and I think the results split the difference between his more recent work (Impasse, The Hill) and the excellent Since. It's his first album in a while that sounds like he is backed by an actual band, which includes former members of the Butthole Surfers and some other Austin musicians. D&S feels a bit more accessible than Buckner's recent work -- probably a good thing since his brand of estoteric alt-folk can be a little inpenetrable at times. But Buckner's music is consistently worth the effort, and this album is a worthy addition to an impressive body of work.

By the way, he'll be touring with Damien Jurado for a little while, including a stop in Houston on October 23 at Fat Cat's. His full tour itinerary is posted at Merge's website:
http://www.mergerecords.com/tour.php

Presidential World Series?

From King Kaufman's daily sports column on Salon:

"Reader Ben Zoll of Virginia -- cradle of democracy and birthplace of presidents -- writes with an intriguing question. Probably only intriguing to me. If the Astros and Red Sox make the World Series, he wonders, "Would this be the first time the World Series has mirrored the presidential race?" John Kerry is from Massachusetts and President Bush from Texas, as you may have heard.

This is the kind of pointless trivia I can really get into, and after a little research I think the answer is: Yes, that would be a first.

The closest we've ever come -- and to say it wasn't even remotely close is to grossly exaggerate how close we came -- was in the 1912 and 1916 elections.

In 1916 the Brooklyn Robins -- the once and future Dodgers -- played the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. In the election, President Woodrow Wilson ran against Charles Evans Hughes. Wilson was from New Jersey, in the way that Ronald Reagan was from California. He wasn't born there but he lived much of his adult life there and was elected governor. Hughes was from New York.

Now, New Jersey isn't New York, but if the Yankees had managed to win the American League that year, I'd have been willing to count a New York-New Jersey presidential election as mirroring a New York-Brooklyn World Series. It'd be a stretch, but stretching's good for you. The Yankees had a good year, for them. They went 80-74, their first winning season since 1910 and only their fourth in 16 years of existence. But that was only good enough for fourth place, 11 games out. They wouldn't win a pennant until 1921.

In 1912 Wilson had run against former President Teddy Roosevelt, a New Yorker, and incumbent William Howard Taft of Ohio. The Giants won the National League Pennant, so I'd have considered it a presidential mirror if either the Yankees, then still known as the Highlanders, or the Cleveland Indians, known at the time as the Naps, had won the American League. But the Highlanders lost 102 games and finished 55 games out of first. The Naps were 24 and a half games better, but still in a somnambulent fifth place.

Eugene V. Debs also ran as a Socialist, as was his habit in those days. He was from Indiana but he spent enough time in Chicago that I'd have been willing to count it if the White Sox had won the pennant. They finished fourth.

I'm stretching like mad, but history doesn't want to cooperate. Astros-Red Sox would be the first World Series ever to involve teams from the same states as two major presidential candidates.

What this means is exactly the same as what it means that the Red Sox haven't won a championship since 1918: Nothing. But it's fun to think about and hasn't been beaten into the ground.

Prediction: If the Astros and Red Sox make the World Series, this subject will be beaten into the ground. My God, just think about Jeanne Zelasko's script for the opening of the Game 1 broadcast! But you read about it here first. Unless there's some other writer out there who's interested in meaningless drivel."

Substance over stupidity

"America saw two very different versions of our country and two different hairdos. I didn't pick my vice presidential candidate for his hairdo, I picked him for his judgment, his experience."
-George W. Bush, today

Is this really a talking point that Bush wants to run with? I realize it's a joke, and I'm sure it's still kinda funny when Cheney uses it on the stump (even if it's for the 1,018th time), but it's just sorta pathetic for the President to trot it out at this point.

I didn't really say anything about last week's debate. I actually thought it was closer than anyone gave it credit for. It seemed to me the media made too much of Bush's mannerisms (much like Gore's more egregious sighs of 2000). I thought Kerry's real victory was getting the media focused on issues for a few days - no more Rathergate and Swift Boat bullshit. I was surprised by the bump Kerry got in the polls, and since it was based on a real glimpse of the issues, Bush should be a little worried.

Anyway, I thought last night was mostly a draw. Obviously, John Edwards is more appealing as a person, what with not being an evil fucker and all (oh yeah, and better hair). But Cheney punched back adequately. He was his usual lying self all over the place, of course. To claim he's never said there was a Saddam/Al Queda connection? Really? Seriously? What a joke. If you've ever seen him on Meet The Press (multiple times), he's not exaggerating, he's lying.

And the comment about never meeting John Edwards? How weird. Obviously, it was a small comment, but it was also obviously planned. And outright (and provably) false. Which a lot of outlets jumped on. It's a silly thing to lie about, which makes it stupid to even say. Oh, and Tricky Dick got fisked on multiple sites today -- the Congressional Record shows Cheney presided over TWO Senate sessions in four years (he claimed almost every Tuesday).

Oh well. There were many victory claims from the conservative punditry today, and I think if you solidly back one side or the other, it was easy to see a victory. But of course, those votes are set already. Ask yourself which debater was talking to the swing voter.

Neko Case at ACL Festival

Since I'm on the subject, here's a shot of Neko Case and Jon Rauhouse at ACL. Unfortunately, you can't quite make out that swell white stallion tank top, but be assured - it was groovy. As was their set.

More Neko Case

Anti Records has updated its website, and it looks pretty groovy. Neko Case's area has been updated with a free MP3 from the new record. No surprise, it's awesome:
http://www.anti.com/catalog.php?id=23

Neko Case: badass superchick

Who's the baddest-assed singer, country or otherwise, on the planet? Yeah, it's Neko Case. And she's got a new record out on November 9 called The Tigers Have Spoken. Not just your typical live record, by the way -- it's got two new songs, plus a slew of covers and hard-to-find nuggets.

We caught her set at the ACL Festival, and everyone in my company was thoroughly impressed. Her blend of bizzaro country-noir really works better in a club, but she was awesome nonetheless. A few years back I caught her at Rudyard's here in Houston on the second date promoting Furnace Room Lullaby, and she played something like 15 dates in 16 days on that tour, going from Texas to Toronto.

Anyway, check out any of her records and you will not be disappointed:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/75316/ref=pd_ap_sr/002-5086043-3654411

Random trivia: Neko was apparently in Carlsbad, NM the same week that I visited my sister there, and she was sporting a pretty smart-looking white stallion tank top at ACL that she bought at The Caverns.

Midori Mojito

It's been a SLOW week at work this week, and I ended up "working" at home most of the day today. But not before I picked up some fresh bar supplies at Spec's downtown. In my attempt to make a mojito, I invented by own variation -- the Midori Mojito:

1) Pour 1 tsp superfine sugar into the bottom of a tall glass.
2) Place one bunch of mint leaves into the glass and pour 2cl of fresh lime juice over it.
3) Muddle the mixture with a muddler (or the handle of a wooden spoon) until the sugar is dissoved.
4) Pour 5cl of light run into the glass.
5) Fill the glass to the top with ice and top it off with club soda (leaving a bit of room at the top).
6) Pour 2cl of midori over the top and one more small squeeze of lime.
7) Serve with a stirrer (or a fresh stick of sugar cane!).

The small amount of mojito in no way overpowers the simplicity of the drink, but it does give a pleasant light green color and just a hint of melon. Crate & Barrel sells a tin of mojito "lime sugar" that makes a nice substitute for the regular sugar and you can coat the rim of the glass (now we're lurching toward panty-remover drink status). Cheers!