31 August 2009

The Dead Walk

Get Out of the House, Aging Rock Guy

Wed., Sept. 2- Thee Parkside- Davila 666, Nobunny


Thurs., Sept 17- Uptown- Paul Collins' Beat, The Avenger


Mon., Oct. 5- The Warfield- Motorhead, Nashville Pussy


Tues., Oct. 13- The Warfield- The Pogues


Fri., Oct. 16- Uptown- NomeansNo


Sat., Oct 17- The Fillmore- Jesus Lizard


Thurs., Oct. 22- Fox Theater- Echo and the Bunnymen (performing Ocean Rain in its entirety with an orchestra)

20 August 2009

It's 1984 All Over Again

Former Bush aide cites politics in 'terror alert'

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Former US homeland security chief Tom Ridge charges in a new book that top aides to then-president George W. Bush pressured him to raise the "terror alert" level on the eve of the November 2004 US election.

Then defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and attorney general John Ashcroft pushed him to elevate the color-coded threat level, but Ridge refused, according to a summary from his publisher, Thomas Dunne Books.

"After that episode, I knew I had to follow through with my plans to leave the federal government for the private sector," Ridge is quoting as writing in "The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege... And How We Can Be Safe Again."

Some of Bush's critics had repeatedly questioned whether the administration was using warnings of a possible attack to blunt the political damage from the unpopular Iraq war by shifting the debate to the broader "war on terrorism," which had wide popular appeal.

Ridge, a former governor of Pennsylvania, was the first secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security that the US Congress created in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes.

17 August 2009

Must-See TV???


There are no limits to the weirdness of this country.

06 August 2009

Return of the Cossacks

Defender of the motherland...

05 August 2009

The Grand Grey One

So the Giants pound 40 hits and score 21 runs in a series they should have swept against the Astros in Dinky Dink Park. They even came back from three runs down today to do it, getting a grand slam from the grey one, Eli Whiteside. Freddy Sanchez had another couple hits; Mr. Garko looks more comfortable at the plate, and the indubitable Panda cranked out a routine three knocks before they gave up and plugged him. The team comes back to face the fading Reds Friday night at PacBell with the Freak on the mound. Can you smell momentum, or is that the effluvium of my uncommonly foul flatulence?

The air was certainly spoiled Monday night, when the G-failure to get the big hit left Matt Cain in a position to lose, which he did, punctuated by an impotent Molina grounder with Pablo in scoring position to end it. It was clearly a game they should have won, and rising fan expectations lead to greater anger after ugly losses like this, leading to half-drunk muttering and late-night raids on the cold chicken.

But the Giants didn't fold, coming right back last night to rough up a rookie pitch in a laugher. Falling behind 3-0 today behind their own rookie starter, the crumble seemed inevitable. Except it didn't happen, as the lineup looked improved with professional hitters replacing embarrassing not-ready-for-primetime whiffers. Whiteside's blast aside, the team still has no power, but at least now you're not certain that Spots 4, 6 & 7 will hack at slop nightly. After a horrible game Monday, Aaron Roward smacked the ball around for two days. Velez continues to spray shots across the field. If they could just keep Molina off the field, I might feel something like, gulp, hope.

03 August 2009

Kinski Uber Alles


01 August 2009

The Summer of Love


makes the rest of the bush league crap just fade away, if only for a few hours...