Welcome change in the NC NAACP?

I have always been fascinated by the NAACP. My sweetie thinks they should change their name, but I find it quaint. Seriously though, I connect the name to its history as an organization of people of all races united behind the principles of Liberty and Justice For All, and I like that just fine.

Yes, the NAACP has lost its way several times over the decades, and yes, it has quite often displayed the worst tendencies of an old established organization which makes self-preservation its only agenda item, and yes, it has often been used as a platform for the worst sort of demagogues who need continued racial tensions to maintain their false claims to leadership.

But I have seen with my own eyes how the NAACP can make a positive difference. It is about the most decentralized organization I have ever joined. The real action is in the local chapters. Under the leadership of Curtis Gatewood, the Durham chapter tackled real issues and worked for real progress. I will always remember fondly how the Durham NAACP was the only organization besides the Durham Libertarian Party which stood up for Catherine Capps after she was the victim of an errant drug raid based on the lies of one confidential informant. People can say what they want about the NAACP furthering rather than solving racial tensions, all I know about that is how very warmly I, a white guy, was accepted by the group simply because I cared enough to get involved.

The leading black newspaper in NC, the Carolinian, still is kind enough to send me the occasional issue of their paper even though I haven't renewed my subscription in years. The July 21st issue sports a lead article on the upcoming election of a new NC state chapter President. The residents of Greensboro are already well aware of the corruption and race-baiting tactics of incumbent Skip Alston, who also serves as a Guilford County Commissioner. This time Alston has drawn an interesting challenger in Rev. William Barber of Goldsboro.

The quote from Barber's announcement speech that caught my attention was:

"Issues of advancement are not just white or black, but rather right or wrong. All people of good will...must be brought in. This is consistent with the history of the NAACP."

The NAACP still has a big job to do. We need people and organizations who are committed to Liberty and Justice For All, who recognize that none of us are free until all of us are and the minorities in any society are the ones who have to demand this equal treatment under the law. We need all people of good will to unite behind the spirit of Frederick Douglass when he said, "The limit of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."

If this quote from Rev. Barber is an indication of his intent and he wins election, that just might be what it takes to get me to rejoin the NAACP.

Does Congress Need Paper Ballots?

Whether you are for or against CAFTA, how that vote went down in Congress is still disturbing. Looks like the worst of the lying politicians on this one are Carolinians.

Sue Myrick admitted that she didn't read the agreement, and she didn't have to because her special interest buddies told her to vote for it. At least she was honest about that, her comments are well documented.

Joe Wilson of South Carolina said he would vote no all along, then voted yes at the moment of truth.

Robin Hayes said he would vote no, and actually did, but then later in the drawn out proceedings (a 15 minute voting period that lasted over an hour -- a problem in and of itself, holding the polls open until the vote comes out the way the administration likes it) switched his vote to yes. His explination is truly idiotic. The best possible face he can put on it is that he realized it really wasn't about free trade at all, at least where the textile industry is concerned, and that made it OK. The more obvious explination is that someone in the Bush adminstration got to him in that hour. I hope it was blackmail, not bribery, that moved him. That guy has always creeped me out.

But the wackiest adventures in selling out one's constituents belong to Charles Taylor, one of the strongest voices of opposition up until the vote. First he claimed his remote electronic voting card didn't work (although had been working fine all day up to that point). This morning's news brings word that he has changed his lame story. Now his aide says he was on the floor after all, voted early and just didn't notice it wasn't registered. If either of Taylor's stories are to be believed then the elctronic voting system used by the US Congress is about as accurate as the one used in Carteret County last year, where over 4400 votes were lost, throwing two close statewide elections into chaos.

The final vote was 217-215. These betrayals and snafus made the difference. Again, this post is not about CAFTA itself. It's about the lies and corruption our alleged representatives are willing to resort to during a close important vote.

Thanks to Jim Capo and Thomas Hill for information on this topic.

GAYSROK

I've hinted here before at my fascination with what people put on their license plates. Every once in awhile you read about a court case where the offensiveness of some combination of eight or fewer letters is debated. My favorite was the woman from California who had the vanity tag "PUSSY" since 1968, when pussy was still a cat most of the time, but they didn't think about trying to stop her until 20 years later. I forget if she won or lost.

Anyway, today there is another little victory for free speech. Utah resident Elizabeth Solomon won her case that her plate GAYSROK is indeed OK. "The narrow issue before us is whether a reasonable person would believe the terms 'gays are OK' and 'gay rights' are, themselves, offensive to good taste and decency. It is the conclusion of the commission that a reasonable person would not," quoth the judge.

Thank God it OK to say that other people are OK, at least in Utah. It is also true that gays ro(c)k. Well, at least lesbians rock (Butchies, Team Dresch, Bitch & Animal, Lesbians on Ecstasy -- I could go on). But that's another post.

There is no word in Newspeak for Cold Blooded Murder

In case you missed it, the War on Terror is over. This has been confirmed by the highest authorities, including Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs chief Gen. Richard Myers. Now we are engaged in "a global struggle against violent extremism". Whatever the heck that means. What they really mean is "perpetual war for perpetual peace." I'm afraid another way to read this is that Iran has always been our enemy.

I have yet to hear a Newspeak term for the cold blooded murder of Jean Charles de Menezes. You know, the totally innocent Brazilian guy who was shot five times in the head while being held down, right there in the subway train in front of God and everybody. I guess the reason why this hasn't been euphemized away yet is that everybody knows there is no possible justification for such a brutal act, so all those who would try are left with is stumbling bluster in plain English. Indeed, the crime bosses of this band of cold blooded murders, British senior policeman Ian Blair and Interior minister Charles Clarke, boast that they will kill again. But I guess since Brazilians look kinda like Arabs, it's OK.

But you don't need a war on terr -- ahem -- a global struggle against violent extremism to get your paranoia up. Here at home, it was revealed yesterday that Rowan County here in NC spent over $23,000 to investigate anonymous letters sent to their County Commissioners. Some claim the letters, sent from the "Department of Common Sense," had a "threatening tone." I guess the Commissioners felt threatened by violently extremist topics like the corporate welfare they were doling out to Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium, an auto racing track and a bear habitat. Funny thing is the letters stopped at the same time Arthur Chamberlain was elected to the board, so now they think he is the one who sent them. Chamberlain denies everything, but if he is the author, well he certainly found the best way to truly threaten his paranoid fellow commissioners.

WXDU Playlist 7/25/05

song- artist - album

Sitra Achra - Juez - Shemspeed Autschule
Coral Fingers - Feathers - Absolute Noon
May 26 - Saxon Shore - Luck Will Not Save Us from a Jackpot of Nothing
Bahia by Night - Speaks in Tones - Subaro
My Head is My Only House Unless It Rains - Nancy Falkow - Mama Kangaroos
We're Living in the Space Age - Magic City - The June Book
Just Briefly - Daedelus - Exquisite Corpse
What Would You Give in Exchange? - the Lilly Brothers with Don Stover - Bluegrass at the Roots
It Could Happen to You - Keith Jarrett - Tokyo '96
Sweet Little Kitten - Husky Rescue - Country Falls
Once Upon a Summertime - Blossom Dearie - Verve Jazz Masters vol. 51
The Itch - Common Ground - High Voltage
Lufuala Ndonga - Konono No. 1 - Congotronics
Pyjama - Tosca - J.A.C.
Stardust - Dave Brubeck - The Essential Dave Brubeck
Lucky That Way - Dwight Yoakam - Blame the Vain
The Breakfast Drama - Populous - Queue for Love
For All You Happy People - Jaga Jazzist - Why We Must
Leviathan - Enuma Elish - Leviathan
Pseudologia Fantastica - Chef Menteur - We Await Silent Tristero's Empire
Blue Nile - Alice Coltrane - Ptah, the El Daoud
nin com pop - Lali Puna - I Thought I Was Over That
Seeds Crossing the Interstellar Void - Radio Massacre International - Emissaries
Let Me Down Easy - Bettye Lavette - Some of Her Best Songs
I Am a Pilgrim - the Country Gentlemen - Classic Southern Gospel
Raanjhan - Midival Punditz - Midival Times
But Beautiful - Chick Corea - Solo Piano Standards
L'amour et la Mort - The Real Tuesday Weld - The Return of the Clerkenwell Kid
Cauldron Of Cerridwyn - Kay Gardner - Emerging
Where Do You Want To Go? - Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio - Live at the East River Center

Garage Rock tonight

When I started this blog, I didn't think it was going to be so dominated by my radio show. But that's OK. Tonight besides my usual 2-5am quiet time show, I'm also taking my turn on "Who's Got the Cuckoo?," the gargage rock show from 10.30-11.30pm. So get your low-fi rock'n'roll requests ready!

Since I'll be playing lots of 2-3 minute songs and trying to enjoy myself, I doubt I'll post the garage rock playlist, but I'll be able to keep up with the regular show in real time here. One reason I enjoy doing that is that way people in these bands can find me and know that their music is getting airplay. I received a very nice note from Adam at Hometapes records a couple weeks back thanking me for playing Feathers so much, which is cool because their "Absolute Noon" is such a great record, kinda like a less affected Stereolab, very pleasantly melodic stuff. It's the kind of feedback that makes it all worthwhile.

Lobbying Day

Sorry to be out of touch lately. Ballot access issues have been consuming a lot of my time lately, and it will only get worse for the next several months.

Thursday LPNC Chair Thomas Hill and I went to Raleigh to lobby House Finance Committee members for the Electoral Fairness Act. It's that crazy time of the session, well after the beginning of the state's fiscal year without a budget in place. They do this every two years and act like it's totally unexpected every time. We are trying to be a squeaky enough wheel that our bill is one of those loose ends they clean up in the one or two weeks after they finally pass a budget but before they close up shop until next year. Our bill will still be alive next year if not, but we can't wait that long.

Anyway, since this is not the political blog, I just wanted to share some impressions of some of the folks we met there. Of course I can only say nice things since I don't want to lose any votes for our bill. ;-)

One guy I really liked a lot is Rep. Dale Folwell of Forsyth County. We caught him in his office early in the morning. He looked like he had just gotten out of the shower and was still putting on his tie, and obviously didn't really give a damn what we might think about that. He had that kind of excited "boy legislator" vibe that you generally only see in movies. This day he was in a rush to get to the Governor's signing ceremony for his bill. He had worked so hard for it and was just so very proud. Not in the sanctimonious manner of some selfappointed professional do-gooder that is so common in public policy, but more like he was running home to show Mom and Dad the prize he won at the junior high school science fair. It's the kind of attitude that makes me look forward to "Legally Blonde 3." The bill itself is pretty neat, combining the annual vehicle registration fee with the county car property tax in the same mailing, which would save the county and state governments millions of dollars by eliminating the extra mailing. I hope a few more terms in office doesn't grind that sweet, affecting attitude out of him.

Being an unabashed North Carolina booster myself, I always enjoy meeting people who get their kicks from showing their love for this state and its people. Rep. Dewey Hill of Columbus County is just such a guy. I felt he didn't just respect me as someone who was lobbying for a bill, but a genuine appreciation because I cared so much to try to make this state better. He was wearing a shirt embroidered with the "Goodness Grows in North Carolina" agriculture logo, and the rest of his office was decorated with similar promotional images. Here again, the complete lack of cynicism I felt while in his office was most pleasant. He seems to derive a simple and pure joy from representing the people of this state the best way he knows how. We need a heck of a lot more of that attitude in Raleigh.

Rep. Jerry Dockham of Davidson County took the time for a nice long chat which ranged far afield from my purpose. We found common ground over our agreement that politics does not have to be taken so personally. One of the small yet great tragedies of politics, in my view, is the tendency so many people have to cash in personal friendships and collegial relations over political differences. It doesn't have to be that way, as long as we all accept that most all the time people only support the policies they do because they simply believe it's what's best for the people, or even for their own narrower interests. That's what you're supposed to do in politics, and it's very rare to find any actual malice in these motivations. We can go hammer and tongs at each other over one issue and that's fine, but we are well served if we always remember that we can still be friends as soon as the subject changes, and that we can be strong allies when the next issue arises.

I don't mean to neglect anybody by leaving them out. I'm especially grateful to Paul Luebke of Durham, Hugh Holliman of Davidson, Martha Alexander of Mecklenburg, and Deb Ross and Jennifer Weiss of Wake County, for their strong support of our bill and their willingness to give us the insider's perspective on how to most effectively lobby the legislature. I even ran against Paul myself last election, and I'm sure Jennifer remembers when I sent her the email a couple years ago referring her gun control bill as the "Rapist Protection Act." (If not, well then I probably shouldn't have reminded her!) All of them exemplify the principles I discussed with Jerry Dockham, that things work best when you don't let political differences get in the way of working together for a shared goal.

I'd highly recommend a trip to the legislature to meet with these elected officials. That's the best way to remind oneself that these are real people we're dealing with here and not just caricatures of the partisan politics we see in the news.

WXDU Playlist 7/18/05

song - artist - album

The People Skanking - The New Establishment - Studio One Scorcher
Lebanese Blonde - Theivery Corporation - The Mirror Conspiracy
W.A.S.T.E. - Chef Menteur - We Await Silent Tristero's Empire
nin com pop - Lali Puna - I Thought I Was Over That
Freedom Jazz Dance - Common Ground - High Voltage
The Watersample - Tarwater - Silur
Agua de Beber - Antonio Carlos Jobim - Composer
Seeds Crossing the Interstellar Void - Radio Massacre International - Emissaries
Sweet Little Kitten - Husky Rescue - Country Falls
Just Briefly - Daedelus - Exqisite Corpse
The Arrival - Enuma Elish - Leviathan
Poem for June Jordan - William Parker Quartet - Sound Unity
(track 3) - Red Sparrows - At the Soundless Dawn
Raanjahn - Midival Punditz - Midival Times
Summer Water - Colleen - The Golden Morning Breaks
What Would You Give in Exchange? - the Lilly Brothers w/ Don Stover - Bluegrass at the Roots
What is the Light? - Nobody - And Everything Else...
Baby - Bebel Gilberto - Bebel Gilberto
Let Me Down Easy - Bettye Lavette - Some of Her Best Songs
Dilemma - Vesna - Snow Sences
Rhodes Theme - Alexandroid - Datcha Studio 2
Bahia by Night - Subaro - Speak in Tones
Be Nude, Baby - Jaffa - Elevator
Sweet Grace from Devious - Fifths of Seven - Spry from Bitter Anise Folds
Vengeance in Dub - Yabby You - Dub it from the Top
Pyjama - Tosca - JAC
Pooka - Lars Horntveth - Pooka
May 26 - Saxon Shore - Luck Will Not Save Us from a Jackpot of Nothing
(track 4) - Kid Loco - The Graffiti Artist soundtrack
It's the Girl Who Goes to do Some Shopping - Slowly Minute - Tomorrow World
I Am a Pilgrim - the Country Gentlemen - Classic Southern Gospel
(track 5) - Ogurusu Norihide - Modern

Crepe Myrtle

I love North Carolina summer. There are many reasons why, and near the top of the list are crepe myrtle trees. They are all over this town, ramping up their gloriously full pink, purple or white blossoms. The color show started a couple weeks ago and will last until the end of summer. And once the blossoms are done and fall finally comes, the leaves put on their own show with their vibrant red and orange hues. Crepe Myrtle rules.

Today's Silly Law

Most laws are stupid and destructive, but some are just downright silly.

Presented to the Governor today, here's the list of new special interest vanity plates soon available to NC taxpayers:

Air Medal Recipient
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
ARC of North Carolina
Autism Society of North Carolina
Buddy Pelletier Surfing Foundation
Coastal Conservation Association
Cold War Veteran
Corvette Club
Guilford Battleground Company
Marine Corps League
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Wild Turkey Federation
NC Trout Unlimited
North Carolina Aquariums
North Carolina Libraries
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
North Carolina Wildlife Habitat Foundation
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Scuba
Shag Dancing
Share the Road
Tarheel Classic Thunderbird Club
Watermelon

Huh, cold war veteran, that's a good one. The watermelon is tempting, but I think I'll pass, thanks.

WXDU Playlist 7/11/05

Lots of great new music in the station! This set is almost entirely new music, or at least new to the station.

song - artist - album

Return of the Lost Tribe - Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio - Live at East River Art Center
Europa - Chef Menteur - We Await Silent Tristero's Empire
L'amour et la Mort - Real Tuesday Weld - The Return of the Clerkenwell Kid
nin com pop - Lali Puna - I Thought I Was Over That
Seeds Crossing the Interstellar Wind - Radio Massacre International - Emissaries
Floating in the Clearest Night - Colleen - The Golden Morning Breaks
Coral Fingers - Feathers - Absolute Noon
Aquele Frevo Axe - Gal Costa - Acoustic Brazil
Just Passin' Time - Dwight Yoakam - Blame the Vain
Nardis - Common Ground - High Voltage
Let Me Down Easy - Bettye Lavette - Some of Her Best Songs
Pyjama - Tosca - JAC
Thai Boxing - Jiraphand Ong-Ard - Thai Beat a Go-Go vol.3
For All You Happy People - Jaga Jazzist
What Would You Give in Exchange? - the Lilly Brothers with Don Stover - Bluegrass at the Roots
What is the Light? - Nobody - And Everything Else...
Quebra Mar - Luis Bonfa - Solo in Rio 1959
Dance Hall Nostalgia - Populous - Queue for Love
Overjaget - Eric Malmberg - Den Gatfulla Manniskan
Fine Haired Medusae - Scavenger Quartet - We Who Live On Land
Asleep Symphony - Junior Varsity - Style for Life
Sweet Little Kitten - Husky Rescue - Country Falls
Raanjahn - Midival Punditz - Midival Times
May 26 - Saxon Shore - Luck Will Not Save Us From a Jackpot of Nothing
A Living Prayer - Alison Kraus & Union Station - Lonely Runs Both Ways
Sweet Grace for Devious - Fifths of Seven - Spry from Bitter Anise Fields
Way Back When pt.3 - John Surman - Way Back When
Please Break My Heart - Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell - Begonias
Aguis Mahasnik Biman - Rasha - Rough Guide to the Music of the Sudan
The Rain - Eddie Gale - Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music
(track 4) - Kid Loco - The Graffiti Artist soundtrack
I Am a Pilgrim - the Country Gentlemen - Classic Southern Gospel
Umkathi - Speak in Tones - Subaro

colliething

Life imitates art. Just for a lark, I said "Everyone must post bad photos of their animals on the Internet! Truly it is the meaning of life." And walla! It manifests.

"a colliethings is nature's way of reminding us that we are slackers"

Well, I certainly can't take credit, I'm sure Susan already had this in mind. And I just couldn't write poetry like that.

The Legacy Cats

Part one of two, since we have eight cats. I used to hate cats, or rather living with other people's cats. But now I figure if you have one, you need to have at least three. Here I'll talk about the four cats remaining from when Pam moved in.


Mama-San is the Queen. All defer to Mama-San and try to attach themselves to her. Mama-San is a most benevolent dictator, a friend to all. She teaches the other cats to speak and that being touched by humans is desirable. She is the first to claim their is no food in her bowl, or maybe she just demands fresh, because after all she is the Queen. She is the first to jump up on the bed and the only creature in the house who has license to sleep on my side of the bed when I am in it. Mama-San likes the flat outside of the index finger rubbing along the side of her face and, very softly, under her chin.


Sammy is the daughter of Mama-San and will always be my favorite cat. I don't care what the other cats think about that. She knows, and that is enough. Not only is Sammy the first cat I genuinely loved, the first I actually thought of as mine, apparently she feels the same way about me and humans. She's not always looking askance, she's just drawn that way. She was very standoffish until she moved in here, but we quickly became total pals. I was always a sucker for loners. Sammy loves a steady stroke all the way down her back and up her tail.


Frankie is short, of course, for Frankenkitty. Pam nursed her back to health as a kitten from a badly infected eye. Wacky hijinks ensue as she compensates for her lack of depth perception. Probably because of her handicap, she has become the most adept, and daring, jumper. She was the only one who tried to claw through the glass to get at the birds feeding on the porch, but after many months she finally gave up, sparing us the constant skritch-skritch-skritch while we were trying to sleep. She is usually the first to greet us when we return from vacation. I used to think Frankie liked it rough, but then I learned she's just enthusiasticly trying to say exactly where she wants to be scratched in a seemingly random pattern.


CC, short for CC, is Frankie's sister. Which I guess explains why their's is the fiercest rivalry in the house, at least until Bella came along. CC is not standoffish at all but she is shy. She used to have this annoying habit of presenting herself for lovin' but staying just out of arms reach. She finally got over it, or maybe it's just that even greater fraidy cats have moved in since and now she just seems normal. Whatever passes for normal among cats, that is. Now CC comes close enough to enjoy a little open hand stroke down the back.

Politics ruins more lives

My favorite quote attributed to Ayn Rand -- which strangely enough the Rand scholars I know cannot place -- goes, "I am involved in politics so that someday I will no longer have to be involved in politics." Unfortunately, the politics of today's total state don't leave people much choice.

The link in the title takes you to a newswire article from earlier this week, "N.C. charter boat captains jump into politics." Charter boat captains have felt the intrusive idiot hand of government and find they must organize and lobby instead of spending their time doing what they love. The morons in Raleigh who know nothing of real life but think they are experts on everything have levied new taxes, licensces and fees on this group in the name of protecting the fisheries.

From the article: "Just going through the legislative process, we realized our legislators don't have a clue about what we contribute to the economy of this state," said Britton Shackelford of Manteo, a charter-boat captain who in April organized about 25 colleagues to form North Carolina Watermen United. "And they basically have passed another tax on a redundantly taxed business."

In the article, you'll find a lot of stupid blather about what so-called experts think the charter boat captains really want. I'll tell you what they really want -- to be free to just live their lives. Unfortunately, so many of the experts are so wrapped up in the idea that the state must have a law governing and limiting every little aspect of life that they just can't see the simple human desire to live their lives in peace.

Another fine example of how the law destroys productivity and is just a huge bummer for evryone who actually wants to do something decent and enjoyable with their lives.

Communists are really dumb

The link in the title will take you to an article in the World Tribune, "North Korean propaganda film backfires with hungry audiences." Just the latest example of how communists are really really dumb. It would be funny if it weren't so murderous.

North Korea made a movie about the repatriated Korean War spy Lee In-Mo who was released by the South after 42 years in prison. The dummies thought that a story of "faith in the socialist system, dedication for a cause (national unification), and four decades in prison and unflinching loyalty" was so good that everybody just had to see it. It backfired.

The reactions quoted in the article are priceless. The parts about Lee's hunger strikes must have been especially mysterious to his countrymen. "Refusing to eat was a form of resistance in the South? Boy, South Korea must be a paradise. That's what we said among ourselves." I'll bet a lot of viewers had to have the concept of "hunger strike" explained to them, and even then they just couldn't believe it.

That Lee even still lives was an indictment of the North Korean system. "Many North Korean defectors said their first reaction upon seeing the film was to ask how people could stay in prison for more than 10 years and remain alive? They say few people survive even three years in North Korean political prisons."

Wow, South Korea must truly be a paradise. You can survive more than three years in prison. Communists are so dumb.

Unless their plan all along was to incite millions of North Koreans to destroy the South's economy by moving over there and committing crimes so they can live in their prison paradise at the South's expense. That would at least be clever. But still dumb.

Comments on the Freedom Playlist

I just love doing the Independence Day show. I made the DJ after me cry, well not me really, Bob Marley and his "Redemption Song" which is indeed about the most beautiful and hopeful song ever. I'm just glad she didn't look in on me a couple songs earlier, because "A Dream Goes On Forever" always gets me right in the heart. I'm getting misty eyed now just thinking about it. That song should be the national anthem. Or at least we should commission Todd Rundgren to write us a new one, given his record of having written The Perfect Song several times.

The show must always begin with Richie Havens and end with "Redemption Song."

One big reason I love to do this show is the excuse to play all that civil rights gospel music. They speak directly to my soul. You bet I am on my way to freedom land and there is nothing you can do to stop me, your slavery won't stop me, your dogs and water hoses, your jail, your taxes, your eminent domain, I don't care, 99 and a half won't do, I won't stop until we all are there together. Oh Lord, Freedom Land! God bless those gospel singers! As far as I'm concerned, they saved America and I'll be forever grateful. I was bummed that the library had both copies of my favorite collection Sing for Freedom checked out already, but I did find plenty of great material on Voices of the Civil Rights Movement which is at the station.

"This Land is Your Land" has actually been renamed "This Land is Our Land" by order of the Supreme Court.

I really miss Phil Ochs. The They Might be Giants version of "One More Parade" on the "Rubaiyat" Elektra Records compilation is superb. When I first got the record I didn't think they had a serious bone in their bodies, but they play this one totally straight up and it works. I could just play Phil Ochs songs for three hours and be happy calling that my Independence Day show.

"Kick Out The Jams" got me at least one vote when I ran for US Senate in 2002. The Charlotte Observer sends the best questionnaire, full of favorite song and book kind of stuff, but they really get creative. One of the questions in 2002 was "In 25 words or less, describe the difference between eastern and western NC barbeque and tell us which you prefer." Brilliant. Anyway, I was talking to an editor there later who said I won his vote by picking this song as my favorite. Yes, absolutely, it will be played at my inaugural ball when I become Governor. Loud enough that the editorial staff of the Charlotte Observer can hear it.

Songs I probably shouldn't have played:

"Do Want You Wanna" - last year I used that song and we had different speakers in the station, which made the vocal track seem more prominent, but this time with better equipment all I could catch was someone saying the title at the end. I remember when I was 13 and at my first girlfriend's house and she pointed out her parents' Ramsey Lewis records as if to say this means they were cool and I thought, my word that's the uncoolest thing I've ever heard in my entire life. I am so glad he has become so hip since then. I didn't know he had it in him.

"Netsanet" - which means "Liberty" in Ethiopian, and it's a wonderful song, but still it's an instrumental. Still gotta plug the whole Ethiopiques series (they're up to Volume 19!), especially vol. 8 which contains two of the very most amazingly rockin' songs ever back to back in "Mar Teb Yelal Kafesh" by Mahmoud Ahmed and "Hasabe" by Ayalew Mesfin. When I worked on the Libertarian Party convention committee last year, I got in real good with mostly Ethiopian staff at the Atlanta Marriott due to my love for the Swingin' Addis sound. Except for one waitress in the hotel restaurant, in a classic bilingual faux pas I asked her what the word "Hasabe" meant. She told me it means "my thoughts," but the look on her face explained the rest, "you just told me that your thoughts are you want to get in my pants, and you can forget about it." Good thing I'm happily married or I'd be still be neurotically working on my Ethiopian pick up lines.

My favorite line in all these songs is from Atari Teenage Riot: "Don't tell me that I was raised for Armageddon."

Songs I really wanted to play but didn't for some reason:

"My Way" - imagine my surprise when I could not find this either in my own collection or the station's. How can you have so many Sinatra records all around you and not find "My Way" ??

"The Trees" - wanted to go with an angrier Rush song this year, but couldn't find it, so I went with the old chestnut "Free Will," a tip o' the hat to all my skeptic friends. I might play them both next year, hard not to choose "Free Will." Yes, Rush is cheesy. I don't care. I love Rush.

"La Marseillaise" - I'm so glad "Casablanca" has become the traditional Independence Day movie, works for me. Having seen it three times in the last week, of course I wanted to play this, and I did find plenty of versions but they were all so stilted, like it's some kind of national anthem or something.

"Won't Get Fooled Again" - the only versions I could find are over eight minutes long. Not that I object to playing long songs ("Monster" and "Move On Up" are both that long), but by the point I was ready to mix it in I didn't have eight minutes left to spare for it. It's Fela Kuti syndrome -- I want so much to play some Fela during this show, but that's an investment of more than 10% of my time in one song.

Other songs I need to look for well in advance of next year are "People Want to be Free" by the Young Rascals, "Sunshine" by Jonathan Edwards, and "War" by either Edwin Starr or DOA.

If you have any suggestions for next Independence Day, I'm taking requests all year.

Freedom Playlist 7/4/05

Happy Independence Day !!!

song - artist

Freedom - Richie Havens
River of Freedom - Deee-Lite
Whatever Gets You Thru the Night - John Lennon
I Fought the Law - Bobby Fuller 4
Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos - Public Enemy
The Mayor's New Law - Eugene Chadbourne
Woke Up This Morning with My Mind on Freedom - the SNCC Freedom Singers
Do What You Wanna - Ramsey Lewis
Letter to the Censors - Mano Negra
R I G H T S - the Fleshtones
Fight the Power - Isley Brothers
Pushin Too Hard - the Seeds
Get Up Stand Up - the Wailers
Don't Fence Me In - Roy Rogers
Store Bought Pot - Weird War
Statue of Liberty - XTC
Move on Up - Curtis Mayfield
Taxman - the Beatles
Guns of Brixton - the Clash
I'm on My Way - Alabama Christian Movement Choir
Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane
Totally Nude - Talking Heads
Free - Cat Power
Cops of the World - Phil Ochs
Nazi Punks F*** Off - Dead Kennedys
Monster/Suicide/America - Steppenwolf
This Land is Your Land - Woody Guthrie
If 6 Was 9 - Jimi Hendrix Experience
Ain't Got No Boss - Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper
Netsanet - Mulatu Astatqe
Which Side Are You On? - SNCC Freedom Singers
Kick Out the Jams - MC5
Freedom of Speech - Ice-T
Maggie's Farm - Bob Dylan
Man in Black - Johnny Cash
Freedom of Choice - Devo
Atari Teenage Riot II - Atari Teenage Riot
What's So Funny 'bout Peace Love and Understanding - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Rise Above - Black Flag
Think for Yourself - the Beatles
4th of July - Squatweiler
Free Will - Rush
One More Parade - They Might Be Giants
Someday We'll All Be Free - Donny Hathaway
Freedom Road - Josh White
A Dream Goes on Forever - Todd Rundgren
Ain' Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round - SNCC Freedom Singers
Redemption Song - Bob Marley & the Wailers

Radio Survey

A couple weeks ago I got polled. I get polled a lot, and I'm sure it's because I answer surveys. Makes me wonder about the validity of their sample. Same thing with jury duty, I always show up so I get called like clockwork every three years. But I love both polling and jury duty, so I ain't complaining.

The latest poll was from WDQR, the big country music station here in the Triangle. They are apparently thinking about changing their format, and I'm happy to help. But they asked a lot of bad questions. One long set of questions listed three songs and asked if I liked them a lot, a little or not at all. Problem is, there is very little music I like not at all, just musical comedy, metal where they are actually worshipping Satan by name, whiny liberals with guitars -- you know, only the truly egregious offenses against music. Another problem is among any three songs they would pick one or two that I liked and one that I just can't stand. In country music, that would be all those jingoist post-911 anthems.

Another long set was a list of names, asking would you listen to a station with that name and what kind of music do you think they would play? The last part yeilds useful information, but frankly I don't really care what their marketing gimmick is, I just care about the music. And besides, all the suggested names were really lame. All animal names, except for "the Thunder." The lamest was "the Gator." Unless it's Lynryd Skynryd and the Allman Brothers all the time. I might listen to a station that played the Allman Brothers at least once a day.

The biggest failure of the survey is that it only cared about competition with other radio stations, so I didn't have a chance to tell them that I get most of my C&W knowledge these days from Country Music Television. CMT, quite frankly, is the salvation of country music from corporate pap. They have shown the proper reverence to the old-timey sound. Anybody who tries to make Del McCoury a star is OK by me. It's the only place you can hear Loretta Lynn's latest record, which is one of her best ever. And by doing so, they have cultivated new stars making real country music like Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson, and influenced older acts to reconnect with their honky tonk roots.

Then today, I read about Jack, the latest cynical prepackaged radio format. It's Gen X nostalgia, you know, buy our mass marketed product because you are a rebel who does things their own way. It's a just another micromanaged corporate playlist "presenting itself as a voice of unfettered expression in an era where corporate radio serves up micromanaged playlists." I cannot think of anything to say in response that doesn't involve swearing, another avoidance I am trying to cultivate.

But I digress. If all of a sudden WQDR switches to honky tonk or classic country or Christian rock or a country version of Jack, remember you heard it here first.

Freedom Rocks July 4th

As the calendar would have it, I am playing the first full show on WXDU on Monday July 4th, 2-5am EDT. Three hours of freedom songs from all over, but mostly rockin'. I mean, you just can't stay still when you are singing about freedom. As always, I'll try to post the set list in real time here.