Lookout Below!

Friday night, still riding high from my interview the night before with Opio and Tajai, I pack off to the city and meet up with Topher, Marc and Jang to pre-party in the Marina. After a few drinks and rounds of Liar's Dice, we give Maurod a call and he picks us up and takes us to WW's, where she's celebrating her birthday (and I think she's younger than us, so it was a young birthday).

When we get there, the apartment is sweltering, on account of its size and the number of people in it. I'm pleasantly surprised to see not one but two of my old friends married (although one of them has stashed her husband at home for the evening so I don't get to meet him.) WW has got a new boyfriend, and he shows us all how devastatingly cool he is by breaking open the Jose Cuervo and passing it around after chugging straight from the bottle. Yum.

Marc and Topher are ready quick and call Maurod for the quick turnaround. We get out to the curb and Marc has already started trying to make a power play for Maurod's services, despite the fact that I was nice enough to set them up to begin with. When we get curbside, there's three of them heading back to the Marina, and me, heading elsewhere, so I send them off and take to ground.

I walk from Geary and Larkin to Castro and Market, which really doesn't take too long at the pace I'm moving. When I get there, Marge is outside the Bar, and we end up waiting there for 10-15 minutes while Bini, Nah and Za finish their drinks so we can avoid paying the $5 cover. When we're all assembled in the street, the cold and the walk from downtown have me halfway back to sober so we agree to find the first bar with dancing and get down. It is close to 12 at this point, so we've gotten a late start on our 11pm dancing start time.

The first place we come to is the Lookout which boasts a balcony overlooking Market Street, which is incidentally perfect for smoking. Aside from that, there's much dancing going on, and at some point I get handed one of the shots someone is carrying around on trays. Whatever sobriety I had gained from the walk and the dancing was now gone. After the bar shuts down, we're out in the street and Za and I decide we're going to take a walk back to her place. We get a burrito on the way (tell me what about "Nothing but steak, sour cream and cilantro" translates to "steak, beans, rice, tomatoes, and everything else you can fit in there"?) I manage to eat only half of it before getting back to her place and passing out on the couch, full of disgusting rice, but not, of course, before we succeed in waking up McButter...

10 Things to Think About on a Friday (and the Hiero Interview)

This week, by any standard, was nuts. I started Monday with a Coaches' meeting for the end of the XC season. It wasn't fun or particularly exciting, but we got some good business done. Wednesday night I got in a stellar game of dominoes. And then there's last night. After working relentlessly to finish the team movie in time for our team potluck last night, I got it done and went over there around 6:00. Following the movie, I picked up Hessica and we headed over to Oakland where I had an in-person interview with Opio and Tajai of Souls of Mischief/Hieroglyphics.

This was amazing. I've been listening to Hiero for probably 10 years or a bit more now, and to all of a sudden, through my work on a blog, get the chance to meet two members in person and pick their brain about the music industry was unreal. They've got a huge compound that had an office or two, a studio and numerous rooms full of friends playing video games, shooting the shit and smoking. We got to talk and toke for about an hour and a half. Be on the lookout for that interview, should be up in a week or so. But now, 10 things to think about...

1) I don't get why the NFL fines players and coaches over their comments. Are they afraid the fans might actually recognize the fact that the refs make mistakes or some of the league policies are ridiculous? If the ref is bad or a mistake is made, shouldn't they be allowed to say so?

2) How about Eminem in M&Ms?

3) If you've got an iPhone, it's time to update your software.

4) I wasn't sure if I was reading this interview with Jean-Claude Van Damme correctly...I thought it was a joke. But how about some dancing Van Damme?

5) Eminem may have done it, but you won't find Trick Trick rapping with Elton John anytime soon...not after he said he didn't want homosexuals buying his album...

6) A friend of mine sent this over...seems that no matter what, the bureaucracy is unwilling to leave smokers alone.

7) In the scary news story of the week....how depressed would you need to be to not only think about, but to actually commit suicide in front of an online audience?

8) The Warriors are trading Al Harrington for Jamal Crawford...what do you think?

9) I was trying to get Hessica to do Princess Leia for Halloween...It didn't happen, but this Princess Leia slave outfit isn't half bad...in fact, it isn't any bad.

10) And finally, for all you SF natives (or people that wish you were), you can go here and vote for the "doucheiest bar in SF."

That's it folks...go forth and multiply. Up next, Zion-i, and a week of Thanksgiving dinners...

John McCain Steals Music (pt. 2)

{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}

Several weeks ago at the height of the election race, I posted concerning McCain and Palin's unauthorized campaign use of songs by several different artists. Well, the campaign is over, McCain has lost, but that doesn't mean he's ready to throw in the towel on the lawsuit brought against him by Jackson Browne. McCain (or, as McCain claims the Ohio Republican Party) used a 30 second clip of the Browne song "Running on Empty" in a commercial televised in Ohio. While a majority of McCain's usage of music by groups that are Democrats and in other ways don't support this aging war-hawk isn't eligible for trial as it was broadcast live and publicly at venues that traditionally have rights to use songs, Browne's lawsuit is the exception because it did it in a nationally televised with without asking for rights to use the song.

To read this post in its entirety, click here.

An Interview with Illa J

{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}

Illa J, the younger brother of hip-hop legend J Dilla, has stepped out on his own into the world of music with last week's release of his debut album on Delicious Vinyl, Yancey Boys. I had a chance to catch up with Illa J last week and discuss his musical influences, working with Delicious Vinyl, making a recording studio from J Dilla's equipment, and the importance of originality in music. Here's what he had to say.

AC: What were you initial musical influences and where do you find most of the inspiration for your work?

IJ: Growing up, the first music I ever listened to was jazz. My Dad would always be playing the Manhattan Transfers and the Four Freshmen, so I got into it early. My early influences were Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder and a lot of Soul early on.

AC: Is it true your parents were in a jazz a cappella group?

IJ: Yea, they had their own group. They used to practice in our living room at home for hours and hours, and that’s how I got my musical ear, because they sang so much I had no choice but to learn all the jazz chords.

AC: Talk about growing up the younger brother of one of hip-hop’s most well known producers. How did this hurt you and how did it help you?

IJ: I don’t think it hurt me in anyway. If anything, people because of that, the first thing they want to do is compare me to my brother. Honestly, I don’t even think about that. When I’m in the studio, I’m in the zone, it’s all about the music. At the end of the day, I was brought up around nothing but music and that’s in my blood lines. In my immediate family, pretty much everyone sings and everybody writes songs and are musicians, so it’s pretty normal in my household that someone can sing or play an instrument. So it’s really no pressure to me, I’m just doing my thing, having fun.

AC: So when did you first start formally performing in front of audiences and when did you actually make the decision that music was going to be your career?

IJ: I always knew from a young age that I was going to do music. I’d be in front of the TV, a video or something would be on and I’d act like I was singing, and I’d always be singing around the house. I always knew I was going to do music, I just didn’t know when. And after my brother passed, when you have a big loss like that, a lot of people when they have big losses, in a sense it gives them a whole new perspective on life. That’s what happened with me. To lose my bigger brother that soon, cause I didn’t expect to lose him at 32, that definitely changed my life from that day on. I knew before that, even midway through college, I kinda knew I was going to work in music, but after he passed, that’s when I dedicated my life to music, just do what’s in my blood, do my craft, and that’s pretty much how it started.

AC: I read in another interview you did that you liked Los Angeles because people were always getting stuff done. Do you still feel that way about the city and what in your mind stands out as the brightest part about LA?

IJ: Not necessarily getting things done…people get stuff done in Detroit too, but right now, Detroit is kinda crazy, especially with how the economy is. Out here, I feel that it’s a whole new city for me, and I feel a lot more relaxed. When I’m in Detroit, I feel that there’s a lot going on and so many distractions, but when I’m out here, I’m free to just stick to my craft.

AC: In terms of music that you created in Detroit vs. music that you created in Los Angeles, do you feel that there’s a big difference there in terms of what you’ve done with the different atmospheres?

To see what else Illa had to say about the music industry and his new album Yancey Boys, click here.

Weekender

In comparison to previous weekenders, this one was a mild one. It started Friday night when Hessica, Chaz and I met up with Andy, my old roommate from SC, and his new girlfriend. We head out and take them to Bourbon and Branch which is, without a question, incredibly different from the bar scene in Los Angeles. But it's not a late night, as I've got an early morning, so after we hit the Crepe stand it's off home.

Saturday, I wake up early and head out to Toro Park in Salinas for CCS. The team runs well in a 12:15 race, after which I turn around, drive back to the Peninsula and head to Stanford. I park aways from the stadium and walk over, js blazing and ipod playing as I take in the sights of a tailgating stadium that seems like an SC home game. Walking to the will call booth to put Za's ticket in for her as she's going to be late, I walk smack into one of the girls from my dorm floor freshmen year, Hillary. It's amazing and random.

After watching SC beat up on Stanford, which is a dicey game at halftime but blown wide open in the second half, I jump in the car and head home where I shower and get ready to head up to the city. I get over to Topher and ChengJ's place where Gies, Foster, Marc, Paol and others are congregating playing Liar's Dice and Wii. Erin from City shows up and we head out among the throngs in town for the Weekender.

And, of course, every bar is packed. We're talking long lines to see the bouncer and even longer lines to get a drink once you're inside. With this kind of crowd and wait, and the fact that it's already 11, we head over to City where the side window bouncer (Dave Chappelle) and the owner are standing outside and let us in through the window where we step immediately to the bar. This is the perk of being a local and a regular. Inside, the place is jammed up with a ton of very nice looking ladies and even more ridiculously obnoxious LA douchebags. I'm not sure what it is about LA, but the percentage of frosted-tip, overly buff, intensely loud and extremely rude guys to come out of there is off the charts. When you can pick out the LA guy in the crowd, there's something wrong with LA.

At one point, a girl walking past us for the second time says, "Excuse me," as she moves Foster out of the way. In a joking manner I say, "She wants to get by, again," and she turns on me. "You don't know me, what gives you any right to be rude to me? I'm just walking here." I attempt to calm her, explain to her that I'm not being rude at all, that I was joking. She's not buying and continues to talk shit for no good reason. I'm confused. Then Foster mentions and she goes, "Yeaaaa, Trojans! I go to SC." We then tell her that the two guys she's been making nice with are not Trojans and the one guy she's been yelling at for no apparent reason is. She's skeptical, and thinks about making peace with me, but before she can I'm back on the sidewalk with another j. Stupid LA.

Next up...the week of Thanksgivings!

10 Things to Think About on a Friday

I couldn't think of a better way to get to Friday than for it to just be Friday already. It wasn't a tough week, other than seeing the Niners hand a game over to the Cardinals on Monday night, which, I'll admit, was quite painful. Hopefully, that will all be washed away tomorrow as I watch my team head down to XC CCS and then get over to the Farm to watch SC annihilate Stanford with Andy. But until that all happens, some of you poor schmucks still have almost 8 hours to go until your work day ends, so here's a few things you can consider while waiting on that clock.

1) I wasn't quite sure that Bush could be considered a sentient human being. I mean, the guy's made more mental, verbal and foreign policy blunders than you'd expect from a 3rd trimester fetus was running the White House as well as possessing the lowest approval rating in approval rating poll history. And what's worse is that he's never appeared particularly worried by anything he's done. Well, I am pleased to tell you that he realizes he's made some mistakes, and now he's talking about them. I particularly love it when he says that he's going to write a book about what it was like to be in some of those historic moments...you wonder if he'll focus more on what Cheney said or what he had for breakfast on those momentous days.

2) I never ceased to be amazed at lawsuits that people file. Like the city of Batman suing the movie franchise Batman for damages.

3) I don't think there's a single sports fan in this country who doesn't think college football needs a playoff system. Whether you're the fan of the team that just won the mockery that is the BCS Championship game, or a fan of one of the many 1 loss teams that got left out of the hunt, I think it's widely accepted by all fans that the only proper way to crown a champion is a playoff system. Even Barack Obama agrees. Tell me then why the Presidents of this BCS system continue to claim that everything is fine and we don't need playoffs? Are they watching a different season or sport than we are? WAKE UP AND GIVE US THE PLAYOFFS WE WANT!

4) You know those times when you feel like all reasonable hope is lost and you just need to do something over the top? Well, this guy didn't feel like getting arrested for drunk driving was enough, so he decided to piss on the cop too.

5) In case you missed it yesterday, you can now buy a vibrator that hooks up to your iPod, runs off its battery and moves in time to the music you're listening to. Single girls can now pretend they're actually with Jack Johnson, T-Pain, Amy Winehouse, Cher or any other artist of their choice.

6) I've heard of celebrities binging on coke or booze. Then you have the celebrities who can't shake their addiction to sex or heroin. But here's a story you don't hear too often...a celebrity addicted to breast feeding.

7) Once a week, the President of our country gets on the radio to talk about things. Of course, for the past 8 years, most people would rather attempt a self-performed frontal lobotomy with a screwdriver than listen to what that guy passes off as "talking." But now, things have changed, and not only can you listen to our new President on the radio, but you can go check him out on YouTube as well.

8) Once again, the controversy and absurdity of Prop 8 continues to dominate the news weeks after the election. Thankfully, I don't see this Proposition standing up very long before the courts get a hold of it....they are there to make sure people stay equal, after all. But, it never hurts to have more star power like George Clooney speaking out against it...And here's something that most people didn't talk about when attempting to pass Prop 8...the economic repercussions.

9) By the way...anyone remember that Osama bin Laden guy? How's the hunt for him going?

10) We'll end this on a sleazy note...how about the 10 worst places to have sex?

That's it folks, be good to each other...

Illa J - Yancey Boys

{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}

When some of the most influential hip-hop over the past 15 years has been created by your older brother, it can sometimes be hard to get out from under that shadow and create on your own. But that's exactly what Illa J has accomplished on his recently released debut album, Yancey Boys. Active in the hip-hop scene from 1992 to his untimely death arising from medical complications in 2006, Jay Dee, also known as J Dilla, was a mastermind at production, creating music for the likes of Slum Village, Pharcyde, Busta Rhymes, Common, Madlib and Janet Jackson among others. Starting as a DIYer making beats with a tape deck, J Dilla quickly rose among the hip-hop ranks and infused the genre with the soul based inflections that have become so big today, especially in the most recent Common releases.

But most overlooked about J Dilla and his career is the fact that he comes from an extremely talented and musically well educated family. It is this depth of familial music that comes out in vibrant colors on younger brother Illa J's new release from Delicious Vinyl. Having moved to LA from Detroit and constructing a studio out of his older brother's equipment, Illa J met Mike Ross who provided him with a CD of unused Dilla beats, which this album draws heavily from. Produced by J Dilla and the legendary Mike Ross, Yancey Boys, while brief (14 tracks, 47 minutes) is one of the most consistent hip-hop albums of the year from start to finish, and succeeds because it never tries to do too much or be more than what it is.

The album starts with "Timeless," taking lazy piano flourishes into a laid back beat with Illa meandering vocally like D'Angelo. Indeed, the neo-soul and hip-hop hybrid comes through continually on the album, producing the smooth and effortless sound that makes listening to it as easy as bobbing your head. The first single, "We Here" comes next, and immediately steps up the tempo and introduces you to Illa as a rapper. His rhymes are simple in content but complex in rhyme scheme, never sounding forced, but at the same time coming off skillfully crafted. At times however, this is a weakness in the album as it seems that the mellow melodies sometimes leave Illa feeling content and therefore failing to challenge himself to stretch for something a little harder to reach.

For the rest of this album review, click here.

10 Things to Think About on a Friday

What a week, eh? We see history made by electing the first black President of the US, the new Futurama movie comes out, Domino Night is in full force and Wendi celebrated her birthday. Pretty impressive list of things there. But really, I have to say that Tuesday felt both wonderful and horrendous. On one hand, it was the first time in about 7 years that I've felt hopeful about the direction our government and country is heading in. Watching Obama give his acceptance speech felt historic and monumental, like one of those crucial moments that changes everything. It gave me goosebumps like some of Kennedy's speeches and I couldn't help but feel a sense that things are about to change for the better.

Then, a good portion of all of that was made bittersweet when unintelligent, prejudiced and bigoted voters of California passed Prop. 8. It made me feel like all the steps away from discrimination we had taken with Obama's election were tossed out the window as the latest casualty of the culture wars started by Bush's campaigns to the religious right prior to his elections.

It seems like the more progressive we are in general as a people, the more the religious people of this country, who are given the freedom to practice their religion of choice, are interested in taking away the freedoms and rights and beliefs of people who disagree with their views. The separation between church and state is becoming increasingly blurred as the Mormon church, a non-profit organization, poured buckets of money into the Yes campaign, using their non-profit status and deep coffers to interfere with general public law. More on Prop 8 later, before I get too out of hand here....You didn't come to hear me rant, you came for 10 things to think about before your work week ends. Well, here they are...

1) In a case of the pot calling the kettle and every other black thing in the kitchen black, China has told the rest of the world that it needs to clean up its act in regards to climate change. Wasn't there worry during the Beijing Olympics that the air wouldn't even be clean enough for athletes to compete? Air pollution what?

2) Most people don't like running. But what if, while out jogging, you had to run a mile to your car with a fox gnawing on your arm?

3) I didn't like living in LA, but I sure love visiting there...seeing SC, going to football games, eating Zankou...but I can tell you that I absolutely hate the drive. Luckily for us, California voters approved a high speed train to connect SD to SF.

4) Radiohead, masters of the remix and opponents of Bush, have released a free remix for download of a Thom Yorke song to celebrate Obama's election. Yea, it's tight.

5) We all have the bars and clubs that we prefer to avoid...but what do you think is the bar with the biggest percentage of douchebags?

6) The Italian Prime Minister this week called Obama "tanned." Do you think it's a cute joke, as he says he intended it, or do you find it offensive?

7) I was curious today and thought you all might be interested in where Pumpernickel bread gets its name.

8) As in Prop 8. As in Prop H8. Turns out that a large portion of Prop 8's success was in reaching out to poorer, more uneducated, but more importantly, staunchly religious groups. Turns out that Latino voters, entrenched in the religion that European settlers forced on them hundreds of years ago, are against equal rights for such petty fears as husbands leaving wives to "become gay." Here's a great commentary discussing how Latinos, who are still fighting for civil rights in the face of immigration policy, are foolish for not recognizing the marginalization of another minority group. To be fighting for your rights, and then actively take rights of another minority group is hypocritical and short-sighted. Also, big ups to Jeff Lieber who so adequately states one of my previous points regarding church and state, and examines the absurdity of religions and their attempt to impose their viewpoints on others.

9) Try imagining growing up in the White House...

10) If you could be one author in history, living or dead, who would you want to be and why?

That's it folks, be good to each other!

From Trick or Freak to 406

On Halloween, after I've abandoned the idea of being Kriss Kross in part because I have no Kross (or Kriss, if I were Kross), and in part because if you've ever actually attempted to put on a pair of pants backwards, you would realize they need to be 10 sizes bigger than the pants you actually wear, I've decided to be a pro-Beirut player. Not a very crazy costume, but one that was both super comfortable and easy to sell.

I leave the house around 6 and head over to Moon Bay to trick or treat at my Mom/P's place. I stay with them for a little bit before heading up the coast and stopping in at my Dad's Halloween party where everyone seems to be having a pretty good time. My Dad, obsessed at the moment with TrueBlood, has vampire teeth in, and they've got dry ice everywhere giving the house a nice festive feel. I kill a rodka there and continue on to the city. I get to Za's house and she as Matt Hasselbeck, myself as a better pro and Marge as Kung Fu Panda have a few before having Maurod pick us up.

He drives us over to the Lollipop party at Kelly's Mission Rock. The last Lollipop party I went to, before Pride, was a blast, and this one is no exception. Thankfully, we got there early enough to avoid the huge lines and wait that killed us before, and we get right in and up to a bar. If you haven't been out to this place and have a chance to get there for a party, do it. The venue is perfect, with multiple dance floors and bars so it never gets too hard to get a drink, plenty of outdoor space for smoking and hanging out. As the evening progresses, T, Arl, Wend and others show up in various forms of dress, and I'm treated to such outfits as Waldo twins, and my personal favorite of the evening, Mario, Luigi and the Princess.

After we leave, Maurod gets us and drops most of us off at the Lex before driving me on to pick up Marc and Jean to head back to the Marina. Once there, they offer me a place on their couch, which I graciously decline. The next morning, I enjoy an outstanding walk in the rain from the Marina to the Mission before hitting the club and heading home.

Sunday is Xena's birthday party in combination with her and T's housewarming party, and the gang's all there. Their new place is tight, basically a larger version of their old place with something even better...the deck has been replaced by a roof with panoramic views of the bay and GGBridge. Too. Sweet. The party is complete with a ton of booze (like any of Xena's parties are ever short on that), and an immense amount of food, which is good, because I didn't eat anything before my first drink of the day on my way to the city.

What's funny is that the time change has everyone fucked up, and on top of having been drinking all day, it feels like 11 o'clock when it's only 7:30. People start filing out faded, and I have Hessica who has been a champion to step up and DD for me, to take me home.

An Interview with eLZhi

{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}

In September's version of "What I'm Hearing," I reviewed the solo debut album from eLZhi, The Preface. Late last month, I had a chance to sit down and chat with the up and coming Detroit rapper who has been in the game since the '90s about the state of hip-hop, his progression as an artist, remix culture and politics. Enjoy!

AC: How are you doing? Where you at today?
EL: I’m over at my friend Phat Kat‘s house. Chillin over here, writing rhymes.
AC: Up in Detroit?
EL: Yea, we’re in Detroit right now.
AC: Start off easy…what’s the meaning of your name, and you have stressed capitalization in it. What’s the importance of that?
EL: The L and the Z are capitalized in my name because that’s what I used to go by before eLZhi, LZ. How I even got eLZhi was trying to spend out LZ, spelling it out wrong and it was elzhi and I was like, “Yea, I like that, I’m going to keep that.” At first there wasn’t a meaning to it, I didn’t know what it meant. Then I got into Slum Village and my boy Batan was really big on Hebrew and was learning the Hebrew language and actually broke my name down to me and said my name means “God’s Spirit.” So the “el” is God and the “zhi” is 7 and 7 is a spiritual number.

AC: Talk a bit about growing up in terms of your relationship with music. What were some of your early influences?
EL: Before I started writing rhymes, my influences were things my Mom used to play. She used to play a lot of Motown records from Marvin Gaye to Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, things of that nature. My auntie used to play Planet Rock, stuff like Jack the Ripper, LL. I got my first cassette tape from my Grandfather. He bought me a walkman and a cassette tape and it was like Fat Boys. So from there I was in love with the art form and started hearing a little Rakim, hearing a little Special Ed, a little Ice Cube and I was just gone after that, I knew it was something I wanted to pursue and be a part of.

AC: When did you first start officially rapping and writing rhymes and what were your initial experiences like both live and in the studio?
EL: I started writing rhymes at the age of 8. Things like “I figga like a nigga/pop the gun and hold the trigger/the gun is loaded 12 gauge I hold it/the bomb exploded one sucker corroded/and I just won’t stop til my lyrics pop/making sure that you weak and my opponent gets dropped.” That’s something I wrote when I was 8. My first rhyme that I wrote was actually off the top of my head. Another thing that kept me going on and on was one of my family members, she used to always want me to freestyle in front of people she brought around the house. By her pumping me up like that, it really made me want to keep going with it.

The first time I got in the studio it was kinda weird. Usually you’re just rapping on the streets, rapping in the hallways, lunchrooms, whatever, but when you put your voice to that mic, sometimes you don’t sound exactly how you sound to yourself when you’re just talking. I had to really learn how to control my voice, my breath control when I was in the booth, I was out of breath a lot of times, it’s just a whole different world. That’s really the test to see if you want to be an MC is mastering that booth, and mastering how you sound on the mic and then from there mastering how you sound on the stage. When I finally got it down pat, I was definitely satisfied with the outcome.

For the rest of eLZhi's interview, click here.

Movies of October (8)

Another slow movie month, but I really think that just means I'm doing a great job of keeping entertained otherwise. At least the movies we are watching are quality! Tomorrow marks the release of the new Futurama movie (Bender's Game), and of course some Donnie Darko for Halloween...

2: Event Horizon
5: Bowling for Columbine
8: Iron Man, The Beast with a Billion Backs
25: Chocolat
27: Snatch
28: Legends of the Fall
30: Donnie Darko

10 Things to Think About on a Friday

Happy Halloween! The holiday that I hate most because I'm not a creative costume person like some and I don't really enjoy dressing up all that much like others has arrived. But it's not all bad...I've managed to salvage a complete lack of ideas with two or three that I think will work for me, and it can't be all bad when I'm going to get to go to a huge party and dance my ass off all night. I think I can handle a costume for a few hours for that. At any rate, regardless of whether you're a ghost or a goblin, Obama or Palin, living or dead, I hope you have a fantastic fright night. Without further ado, here's a few things to think about on this night of lost souls.

1) Before witches were a cool Halloween costume, they were arrested, tried and burned, usually alive. Fun stuff! Well, at least in England, they're recognizing the error of their witch persecuting ways and pardoning people from hundreds of years ago accused of witchcraft. Huzzah!

2) Who would have thought that motorcycles are more dangerous to a Marine's health than Iraq? Not I.

3) With election day right around the corner, it's not surprising that McCain has increased his negativity. But who listens to preposterous Robo-calls past the first 5 seconds of realizing what it is?

4) Thankfully, polls show that Prop. 8 will fail. Unfortunately, it does appear that its margin of victory is slipping, and that means who knows what could happen on Tuesday. So if you love people and hate prejudice and wish to be involved in dealing a blow to the religious right who seek to control civil rights in our country with their religious doctrine, don't wait for the rest of California to do it, go out on Tuesday and VOTE NO ON PROP. 8.

5) Michael Jackson has decided not to join the Jackson 5 reunion. I'm just curious...after the pedophile charges, and following years without any significant input to the music world, what exactly does Michael Jackson have to do that is more important or lucrative?

6) While I've never considered any of my Halloween costumes that cool or original (I've recently been a priest and a Mormon), here are 5 that I'm glad I didn't consider.

7) iTunes, Rock Band and the Beatles song catalog...together at last?

8) Here's an interesting look at the comparison between what McCain and Palin have been touting as Obama's socialism, and a similar route that Palin herself has taken in governing Alaska.

9) For all you Spider-Man fans out there, good news...Spider-Man 4 AND 5 are getting ready to go...

10) While we all love Sookie Stackhouse (and I'd try some V if I could get my hands on it), on Halloween we also love vampires and hot women. How about the 6 hottest movie vampires?

That's it folks, be safe tonight!

Not Another Camera!

I swear. After almost a full year of damage free camera owning, I have now had two people break two cameras on me in the last two months. First, it was at the Vallejo housewarming party that SG's GF's cousin slapped my camera out of ChengJ's hand while he was taking a picture of her. After being told that it would be taken care of , I was offered $50 dollars as proper compensation for my 18 month old $300 dollar digital camera. A great many friendly yet sarcastic thanks go out to that offer.

Friday night we got out to the Presidio to bowl for ChengJ's birthday. Afterwards we head to City Tavern and when I ask some girl to take a picture of ChengJ and I, she does, and then promptly drops my camera on the floor. She was extremely apologetic and gave me her email address to send her a bill for the repairs. It went to Best Buy yesterday for said repairs, so it remains to be seen what the damage will be, and if she'll actually follow through on paying for the repairs, or if I'll get to repeat my previous camera incident. I think the moral of the story is that I need to stop asking people to take pictures of me with my camera. From now on, any picture of me with someone will be taken by me at arm's length.

Sunday is the annual Love Shack party. Held at the Skylark, the minute you enter you're handed a joint. Then, as the night wears on, you're passed many more joints with orders to "spark it and pass it around." Not a bad way to spend an evening. They also have a huge vaporizer balloon that goes around, but a bit wary of sucking on something that everyone else in the room has had their mouth on, I pass. What I don't pass on, however, is winning a raffle prize...I walk out with a free 1/4 of OGKush.

So I leave the weekend with a busted camera (again) and a free bag of OG. In other words, smashed and smashed. Up next, Halloween (and yes, I still need costume ideas.)

October iPod Update

{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}

Did you miss last month's tasty audio? Never fear, click here.

October's iPod update is a fantastic affair featuring 79 songs. It had a few older singles that I was recently turned on to, as well as some excellent new music from various genres. As we head towards the end of the year, keep your ears on for some of the huge and blockbuster album that are sure to be coming at us as the holidays approach.

Apollo Sunshine, Shall Noise Upon: This is the 3rd offering from Apollo Sunshine, a northeast trio that has made a habit of infusing new indie and rock music with retro themes. The light melodies and easy vocals go hand in hand with melodic and uplifting musical flourishes. Steely guitar in places, harmonized singing, use of woodwinds and basic drum beats can range in style here from unapologetic roadhouse rock songs ("Brotherhood of Death") to melancholy drifters that border on an old Western soundtrack ("Fog and Shadow.") But regardless of the style they employ, from top to bottom Apollo Sunshine has crafted an album that feels right on all levels. Don't Sleep On: "The Funky Chamberlain (Who Begot Who)," "Money," and "The Mermaid Angeline" which should find its way to a Wes Anderson film at some point.

Black Milk, Tronic: Rather than repeat anything about this album here, click this link for the album review.

Devin the Dude, Landing Gear: On his 5th album, Devin the Dude takes his recognizable laid back flow and infuses his beats with a bit more pop and energy than in previous outings. Never one to take himself too seriously, though, Devin slides through these tracks with ease, his voice consistently feeling like warm tea to a sore throat. Where other rappers yell, the Dude whispers, and where others bark, he glides. The best parts of this album are where DD doesn't stray too far from this ideal, keeping mellow beats and silky smooth vocals on tracks you can kick your feet up to. His lyrics are simple and easy to understand, and the delivery makes you feel like DD is rapping right in your living room. Don't Sleep On: "I Can't Make it Home," "Highway," and "I Need a Song."

For the rest of what I've been listening to this month, click here.

Wii Music

It's no secret that over at Evolving Music, and our backers at MixMatchMusic are all about the creation of new music and ideas. From artists collaborating to new musicians picking up their first instrument, any musical creation is generally regarded as good musical creation (and no, I'm obviously not talking about Soulja Boy...). With that in mind, the newest form of video game music has come out, and as is typical of Nintendo, the platform is more than just the idea of playing along to songs someone else has already wrote.

Last week, Nintendo launched their newest interactive game, Wii Music. While the heavy hitters of the video game music genre, like Rock Band and Guitar Hero are focused on letting you copy what someone else has already done to see if you can do it with accuracy and flair, Wii Music is innovative in that it focuses on allowing players to create music and explore various means of musical genesis. More importantly to MixMatchers everywhere is that the game allows you to collaborate with friends, compare songs and bring them together. One of the things I have found most detrimental about games like Rock Band is that even though they are entertaining and educational, they stop striving when it comes to user interaction and creativity. With the ability to try new instruments and learn how to put together different musical instruments and parts into a coherent whole, Wii Music could very well be the basic learning tool for an entirely new generation of musicians.

While I could go into more detail here, I have no problem letting the creator of most high profile Nintendo games and Wii Music, Shigeru Miyamoto, speak about it in his own words in this CNET interview.

Black Milk's Tronic

{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}

While traditional record labels and the overall state of radio hip-hop is in a sad state of decline, there continue to be a rash of good underground coming from the Midwest. A little while back we caught up with Minnesota's DoomTree, and last month I spoke about the stellar album from Detroit's eLZhi. eLZhi's The Preface, with a large amount of production provided by Black Milk has been on repeat on my iPod for a while, so I was excited to hear word of Black Milk's solo effort, Tronic, hitting shelves tomorrow. But you don't have to wait til then to read about it...we got a sneak peak this weekend.

Black Milk's work displays a feel for both the progressively electronic side of hip-hop, as well as nods to the nostalgic feel of using old samples. Both work to great effect on Tronic, and while some cuts are much stronger than others, the album's diversity of sound and style provide something for any hip-hop listener. On "Long Story Short," the album opens with a simple piano rift that is then covered up by a pulsing beat and heavy melody pieces to form the backdrop of Milk's rhyme describing his ascension in hip-hop. As the song ends, horns come in to help transition the piece back to the easy piano of the beginning, almost as if he doesn't want you to forget that he appreciates both the gentle and heavy-hitting aspects of the genre. This gives way to "Bounce," a darker song using heavy synths that sound like they could have come out of the Blade Runner soundtrack. Black Milk's style lyrically on this song uses quick starts and stops, breaking his lines up and sometimes rearranging words to emphasize points. How he feels he fits in is obvious when, lamenting the current state of hip-hop he states, "that's when I clock in as an option when you need a breath of fresh oxygen."

"Give the Drummer Sum" mixes bass and snare drums with some traditional horn pieces and a sped up sample with "it makes no sense." While the song is solid, it exhibits one of Milk's traits in that at times he seems to try to do a little too much. The heavy rapping and funky drums fit nicely over the melody of the song, but the sample seems like one piece too many. This moves into "Without You," a fantastic inversion of the usual hip-hop love song. Here, rather than taking the time to rap about a special woman in his life, he takes the opposite tact by rapping about how much better he is on his own. What's special about this song is that he puts it over a playful and bouncy track, helping this break-up song to avoid any bitterness or darkness so commonly associated with them. It's a welcome twist to a common theme.

To read the rest of this review, click here.

10 Things to Think About on a Friday

The last Friday before Halloween brings us a great many things, some of which aren't even particularly that great. The line-up at Bridge School this year wasn't even enough to entice me to buy a ticket, but I think that's trumped by the fact that the annual Love Shack Anniversary party is going down on Sunday night. In the meantime, here are some things to help you get through the rest of your day, no matter how sad, pathetic, lonely, ecstatic, awesome or friend filled it happens to be...

1) Tigers are awesome. Girls in bikinis are fantastic. Why not have both in one place?

2) It's good to know that a McCain/Palin presidency won't be reckless with our money. But then why was Palin already recklessly using Alaska's money to fund her kids' travel arrangements? But hey, at least Sarah Palin knows what being a Vice President is all about, right? Um, wrong. Oh well. At least you can still make her say what you want her to say.

3) So I thought online role playing games were going a bit too far when people actually started spending money in virtual universes. But a woman getting arrested for killing her virtual husband's avatar after he divorced her online? Are we serious?

4) Another high profile case of blunt smoking. An excellent use of tax dollars, I'm sure.

5) It's good to know what "good Christian guys" look like these days...I'm not sure I would have picked him out otherwise.

6) If only George Bush would actually endorse John McCain, it might look something like this.

7) With all the corporate fraud and political bullshit we're dealing with, I'm glad to know that a large corporation like Apple is still willing to stand up and publicly declare for equal rights for everyone by voting NO ON PROP 8.

8) Put down your Parliament Lights, bitches....smoking the reefer provides a lower cancer risk. And this of all places from FoxNews!

9) I eat like a 400lbs man, yet I'm relaxed and my blood pressure is normal. Must have something to do with my gas.

10) Should be interesting to see how the Niners do this weekend under new coach Mike Singletary. I'm just glad that Mike Martz doesn't hold any grudge about being passed over.

11) And I just saw this, but thought it definitely deserved some attention...a dance floor in a club that helps power the club. In other words, a closer to sustainable night club experience.

It's weekend time folks...Be good to each other.

Happy Birthday ChengJ!

The former tennis almost-pro and life long Butts Up player, ChengJ, celebrates his birthday today. He turns 26. For the past 25 years, ChengJ has succeeded in being the whitest guy I know, while violently maintaining his stranglehold on the sport of ping pong. When drinking, he turns bright red, and he has made friends with almost every bouncer that City Tavern has to offer.

Often shirtless at home, ChengJ never shies away from the opportunity to be both incredibly cool and half naked when he can do both at the same time. With skills ranging from Beirut to Guitar Hero to a really cool indoor wooden surfboard that I haven't seen since he changed apartments, ChengJ has clearly made the most of his time here on Earth, and one can only expect more expertise, debauchery and daring dos in years to come.

So raise your glass folks, with a big cheers to ChengJ, the ultimate Marina Man.

Land of Pumpkins

Saturday morning starts around 10 am with Bloody Marys. I have one of my Mom's, which is excellent, and follow it up with a version made by Hessica that tastes faintly reminiscent of rubbing alcohol. Myself, Sis, Jarles, Damie, Yates and her fiancé Wes, Bini, Za and Nah begin escalating the drinking by tapping into the kegs and playing some Beirut. About 12:30 or so, it's time for the legendary walk into town, so we fill our glasses, pick up Miles on the way and head towards Cameron's.

Once at Cameron's, we pick up pitchers and retreat to the double decker smoking bus where we proceed to swelter, smoke and drink. It's a welcome moment of respite before heading on to the festival itself. We finish the pitchers and move on down Main Street.

Once at Main Street, the crowd is overwhelming. It's hard to move in general, but trying to keep our very large pack together is a different task entirely. The goal is to find restrooms and beer cups. We get both, some people get in line for food, and we continue on our way. Sis at this point has found a party for us to check out, so we take it a block off Main and find a very large backyard party that the cops don't seem to have any interest in breaking up. Of course, Sis and Hessica start running into everyone they ever went to school with, and as our luck would have it, the kegs are tapped. We make a quick Cunha's run where the festival tradition is to buy 2 dollar 22s and pour them into the Festival cups. This generally saves a very large amount of money, given that festival beers are around 8 bucks a pop.

We head back to the party, only Sis has disappeared. She's gone down to San Benito house and left us at the party she brought us to. Hessica tells us that she's going to go get Sis so we can start the procession back, or at least reassemble and decide what's next. But when she gets there, Sis isn't ready to leave and so we wait outside the party, throwing a frisbee in the street, waiting for Hessica to come back. When she returns, we're all pretty much done, and we start making a straggling attempt to walk back to Cameron's. Bini, Nah and myself throw the frisbee the entire way (making it quite a bit longer of a walk), and when we get to Cameron's, we're in perfect time for the two Sandies (y and ie) who have come to pick us up and drive us back to the house.

When we get back, Topher and Marc show up, the grill is going the food is everywhere. I, however, having been drinking for nearly 8 hours (and beer, not my usual Rodka for days like these), manage to eat a bit of steak, a helping of the Caesar salad, and then, upon seeing people watching the baseball game, and feeling generally fatigued, I crawl upstairs and fall asleep. It was a bit earlier than I had intended to go to bed, but given that I heard about some various conversations and moments following my departure that it's maybe better I wasn't around for, I'm not too displeased.

I wake up at 5 in the morning, almost completely sober, and unable to sleep. Sis and I solve this by spending about an hour outside smoking bowls before we head back upstairs and sleep until around 10.

Another successful Pfest, and happy to say that all the new comers enjoyed the time and are already looking ahead to next year.

10 Things to Think About on a Friday

Not a bad week, was it folks? I had cocktails and oysters at Kingfish on Monday, followed by a Skylark trip, said goodbye to 425 on Tuesday night, enjoyed the couch on Wednesday night and had pho on Thursday. What better way to get to Friday, PFest and an entire weekend off? None I say, none! While you're limping along like a limp puppy towards 5pm, here's a few things to ponder, and of course, given the time of year and the year itself, quite a few election related things here...

1) Radiohead has finally released figures on what it made from its famous In Rainbows online release. What I find interesting is that even though most people downloaded it for free, it still made more money than 2003's Hail to the Thief.

2) I mentioned a few weeks ago that we had the new and widely anticipated Dr. Dre album to look forward to in the next few months. Turns out Eminem's Relapse isn't far behind...

3) I love eating. But how many of you could realistically even dream of eating a 15 POUND burger?

4) It's good to see that even in the midst of this election, McCain and Obama can joke around with each other. I especially like Obama's comment about being able to see the Russian Tea Room...

5) So let me get this straight...McCain and Obama mention Joe the Plumber like 40 times in the debate on Wednesday. Joe the Plumber can't buy his business under the Barack Obama tax plan. But wait a second...he isn't a licensed plumber, and he owes the state of Ohio back taxes? Did McCain actually even meet this guy?

6) McCain, run a negative ad? No way! He wouldn't do that. He told us in the debate that he was not running an negative campaign. He wouldn't lie to us. Of course, no one ever said that automated calls attempting to tie Obama to a terrorist were negative!

7) McCain to YouTube: "You need to treat politicians, especially my campaign, different from your other users. After all, I could be President one day." YouTube to McCain: "Go fuck yourself."

8) Note to strip club patrons...watch out for flying shoes.

9) At first I thought this was just a picture...then I realized that different things happen when you click on items...nothing like playing around in Sarah Palin's oval office...

10) A word to the wise...if you're going to break up with someone and change your relationship status on Facebook, make sure you haven't been dating a murderous maniac.

That's it. PFest here we come.

John McCain: Music Thief

{for all music related posts, see .Evolving.Music}

We've been told at numerous points over the past couple months that John McCain and Sarah Palin are the correct people to run our country for the next four years. While I usually try to keep my political leanings out of the EvolvingMusic blog (I mean, we're here for music, right? There's enough politics already), I find it absolutely shocking that the McCain campaign continues a practice that is both disrespectful and illegal.

We hear them talk about "shaking up Washington," bringing the idea of ethics back to politics, and a chance for change. We hear Palin all the time tell us that she's going to "talk straight to the American people." Basically, they've run their campaign on the idea of honesty, transparency and a return to basics. If that's the case, then why are they blatantly, without permission and regardless of the wishes of the musicians, using songs they have no right to use throughout their campaign?

For those of you unaware, an artist with a copyright on a song has to give permission for the song to be used. McCain's camp has now used, without permission and frequently with strenuous objections by the performers, songs by Heart, Foo Fighters, Jackson Browne, John Mellencamp and most recently, Survivor. What's worse is that they aren't limiting this illegal use to just playing the songs on campaign stops...they've gone so far as to include a few in television ads.

For the rest of the story dealing with McCain and Palin's musical theft, click here.

Good-bye, 425

Last night, on a random Tuesday, some of us had the opportunity to bid farewell to Xena's apartment, a source of fun and excitement now for several years. I hear that they're going to be moving to the Russian Hill area, which should prove for an interesting change of pace. It was odd though, being in an apartment that had had so many insanely large parties, with it all boxed up and ready to move. I felt bad for the neighbors having to listen to the music at that volume on a Tuesday, but I figure if they knew it was the last hurrah, they'd be ok with it. I figure rather than try to recap here the evening, which was standard drinking and dancing before people left for the BOC, I'd give you 3 memorable evenings (in chronological order) that either started or ended with the apartment at 425 14th. It will be sorely missed.

1) Don't Drink Pear Vodka
2) Trolls de Mayo
3) Pride: The Kick-Off BBQ

10 Things to Think About on a Friday

This year is like a roller coaster that already hit its high mark and now can't wait to get to the bottom of the hill. I got to try out Iron Gate on Monday night, a traditional and upscale restaurant in Belmont of all places. Talk about old time Peninsula. I had escargot and peppercorn steak. Tuesday I went out and spoke a bit of French at French Tuesdays...not often I get to dust the tux off. Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to get out around a Saturday XC meet and a Sunday open house in the now brutal pumpkin traffic. As for the rest of you, you have until 5 to soak in the doldrums of work, so there's 10 things to think about...

1) McCain likes to talk alot about change, and how consistent he is, and how trustworthy and honest and perfect and heroic and intelligent and wonderful he is. So then why can you read a good 10 pages on why he isn't really any of those things?

2) For years, those of us interested in and willing to be friends with benefits hid in the closet of shame society made for us by calling us promiscuous or not BF/GF...looks like it's finally going mainstream...check out CNN's advice for being good friends with benefits.

3) It's a good thing we've sent troops overseas to fight for our freedom. That way, as they're fighting for our rights, we can eavesdrop on their private conversations!

4) If the Virgin Mary was any indication, we might be on our road to worshiping Jesus in shark form.

5) How would you like it if your significant other poured boiling water on your crotch as you slept?

6) With California set to vote on same-sex marriages, and Connecticut ruling to allow them, it appears some of the country is finally waking up to the idea that we can't talk about spreading freedom if we don't have it for our own citizens.

7) So Hugh Hefner is moving on. His long time girlfriend, interested in having children that due to low sperm count he can't provide, is moving out. What better way to bounce back than to find 19 year old twins to be your next girlfriends? How about 19 year old twins with records of assault and battery?

8) I don't know about you, but if living to 105 requires not having sex, I think I'll pass.

9) In the presidential debate the other day, McCain accused Obama of pork barrel spending for a "$3 million overhead projector." I guess at his age it's easy to confuse an overhead projector with a planetarium projector.

10) Finally, you should always have a DD. But what if your DD is drunk? Well, if he gets you home safe, that's fantastic, but if he gets pulled over and booked for DUI, you should definitely get in the driver's seat and try to drive away from the cops.

That's it for me today people. Take care of yourselves.

Welcome to Monday

This weekend was a blast...dominoes and Beirut were played by all, and I even got in a trip to Benihana's.

I don't know why the writers' strike, which lasted forever and took off an entire season of shows, meant that they had to come back and put every tv show on at the same time...Here's a list of TV shows and how they're messing with my Tivo....
Sundays: American Dad, Family Guy, Simpsons, The Unit, True Blood, Entourage, Life and Times of Tim, Little Britain USA, Dexter, Californication.
Tuesdays: Shield
Wednesdays: Sons of Anarchy, America's Next Top Model
Thurdays: Office, Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Now, without the strike, they could have neatly put all of these at different times and so on and so forth, but nooooooo, everything is on at the same time. The only real problem is Sunday when three different shows start at 9. You'd think that people would know Sunday night is HBO and reschedule their shows accordingly.

In other news, new Presidential debate coming up tomorrow night. Is it just me, or is McCain on a repeat loop right now, running the same type of crap against Obama day in and day out? Does the American public get this, or are they too wrapped up in the fact that they still think Obama is Muslim? You wonder if he realizes how pathetic he looks, or if, as a great American war hero, he just thinks he can do and say whatever he wants.

But you can get Sarah Palin to do and say whatever you want...

We're now less than two weeks away from PFest....I hope you have your drinking shoes on.

SC for National Champion. Obama for President. Financial Bailout plan for "least likely to succeed."

10 Things to Think About on a Friday

Here we are...just as I promised last Friday, in October. And, quite frankly, I'm torn today on how to handle the 10 things as I was seriously considering just looking at last night's Vice Presidential debate, as I have a lot to say about that as well. I decided to do the 10 things for those that love them, and then rant about the debate for anyone who has the time and patience to read it. Bansai!

1) As if our National financial crisis wasn't enough, now we have a California crisis. And if we're asking for 7 billion dollars from the National Treasury, there goes any hope we had of detaching ourselves from the union.

2) Just when I was concerned about getting an infectious disease from a public toilet seat, I find out I have nothing to fear, except, of course, the rest of the bathroom.

3) I get a little nervous in elevators that go up 100 floors in a building, so how would you feel in an elevator going up 100,000 floors into space?

4) Flying has gotten very bad since 9/11. What's worse is the idea that by not allowing water bottles, hair gel, Jell-o and large bottles of shampoo, we're helping to make the skies we fly safer. This artist in his provocative anti-TSA art has the right idea about civil disobedience.

5) I love The Thomas Crown Affair, and I'm a big fan of Craigslist. So what's better than a man using Craigslist to hire decoys to help him rob a bank and escape in an innertube?!

6) Both myself and my students were shocked on Wednesday night when Clark became the latest girl to get the boot on America's Next Top Model. Here's what she had to say about getting dropped the week after being number 1, and of course, kissing Elina.

7) I'm pretty sure I speak for almost everyone outside of the Bible thumpers when I say sex is a great thing. But I can honestly say that I would never shoot myself in the arm just because I didn't get it.

8) While DRM music and iTunes may not be safe from royalty rate hikes forever, they appear to be in the clear for now.

9) The professional demeanor, the power suits, the glasses. While I don't think she has what it takes to be Vice President, that doesn't mean I'm not attracted. I think this is partially what Larry Flynt was betting on when he made a porn with a Sarah Palin lookalike. What about a movie about Sarah Palin? Here's 10 celebrities that could play her.

10) And now for the debate...I'm getting real sick, real fast hearing that Sarah Palin and her "down-to-earth" and from her own mouth, "Joe Six-Pack" approach is what our government needs right now. She's attempting to appeal to the broadest base of Americans, and what makes me even more scared is that I bet a lot of "average" Americans, particularly those in the fly-over states still living in 1950, are buying into it. In terms of international reputation, economic status, and the multiple wars we've managed to engage our country in, a common and average vice president who could become president is exactly what we don't need. In case people have forgotten, we voted for the guy you could have a beer with back in 2000 and look where we are now.

The crisis that we're in throughout our government and country at this moment is going to take more than just a promise of change from a long time Republican Senator. It's going to take more than "Main Street," close-minded thinking from an Alaskan Governor. Hell, it'll probably take more than the energetic and experienced team of Obama/Biden can provide, but at least it's closer to the realm of possibilities. Sarah Palin talks about family values, but has a pregnant out of wedlock teenage daughter. McCain likes to talk about being the voice for change, but what about his record, especially recently, demonstrates that?

But are they willing to debate the facts? Not likely. During the debate last night, as Biden was speaking about McCain's record and laying out fact after fact about prior history, Palin's only response was to not look at the past, and when that didn't work, she fell comfortably into one of several soundbites the Republican party has adopted for this campaign. I've noticed a few of these more than others...

A) They love talking about Obama not supporting a troop funding bill, and continue to throw that out there without wanting to talk about the reason for the rejection (lack of a timetable), or comparing it to McCain's similarly negative vote on a bill with a timetable. Neither of them voted against funding the troops, they just voted against what they saw as detrimental timelines or lack thereof.

B) If I hear the "we're mavericks coming to Washington" line one more time, I'm going to scream. The only maverick I know was in Top Gun in the 80s and he was played by Tom Cruise. I think Biden said it right last night when he pointed out all the Bush issues that McCain absolutely was not a maverick on. Something about a 70 year old white man that has been in Washington as long as McCain has just doesn't say maverick to me.

C) Palin last night outright refused to answer a debate question, saying basically that she was a maverick and didn't do what Washington wanted and didn't care if they didn't like the way she was answering (or not answering) the questions. Um, you're in a debate to be vice president of the United States, and you won't answer the questions? What would she do as President if asked the tough questions? What's worse is that every time she avoided a question, she simply fell back on another soundbite. That's not a debate, that's evasion, and what's sad is that I have to wonder just how many people watching the debate actually realized what she was doing, and how many of them heard a party line come out and went, "Yea, you tell him Sarah!"

D) Sarah has one personality trait that annoys me more than most. If you've watched the debate, you've no doubt become accustomed to her shit-eating smile as she tackles a difficult question in a less than satisfactory manner. It's almost like saying, "I'm smiling America, and I'm going to straight talk you, even if I'm not actually straight talking, but by God, we're both Americans, so check me out!" That smile is unfortunately very crowd friendly, and makes her seem quite accessible, if you happen to be among the people who can watch her without hearing a single thing she says.

E) I think Obama/Biden missed a golden opportunity yesterday to attack Palin's lack of experience. I think a significant amount of time on Biden's part should have been dedicated to emphasizing his experience and her lack. It should have gone to talking about what the country would face if he were to become President, and how that would differ from her taking over. Instead, he spent most of his time attacking McCain, which I think let her slide a bit on the fact that when she opens her mouth, she's simply not ready to be President.

F) Hockey moms and Joe Six-Packs may be the majority of our country, as she pointed out last night, but that doesn't mean we need them running our government. We've seen where that's gotten us with, as one commentator last night called him, "George 12 pack," and it should serve as a wake-up call to all Americans, regardless of party affiliation...It shouldn't matter if the candidate is Republican or Democrat if there's a clear and distinct different in intelligence and ability. When looking at McCain vs. Bush, there's no question that McCain is a big step up. But when you compare McCain with Obama, the choice is far less clear. Throw into that mixture the contrast between Biden and Palin, and I think that anyone who votes for the McCain/Palin ticket is failing, as their party wants you to believe, to put "Country First," and is focusing too much on party first. When compared side by side, the idea that McCain and someone as inexperienced as Palin are a suitable choice for our country at the moment is absurdly sad.

G) Pundits today are saying that while Biden was the victor in last night's debate, Palin raised her stock in the eyes of many. Um, when the expectation is 0, even a 1 is a substantial raise. People came in expecting her to flounder and crack in front of Biden. When she didn't, it was viewed as a huge coup, despite the fact that she dodged questions, took cheap shots with inaccurate facts at opponents and lauded Dick Cheney for his interpretation of the office of Vice President. Are we asleep at the wheel here America, or is this type of behavior not exactly what we've been trying to get away from? Just because she didn't come off as an ignorant "whiteneck" out of the hills of Alaska doesn't mean that she is capable and competent to run our country. Can you imagine where we would be if we handed the entire government over to hockey and soccer moms? I find the idea fantastically depressing.

But, as my friend Melissa has told me, "there's nothing more uncommon than common sense," and if 2004 is any indication, Republicans are going to vote Republican even if the candidate is a sad disgrace to our country. I guess, with a month to the election, you can only hold your breath and hope. Or, you can go here and make her say what you want her to say!