the nexus of politics & terror...

i highly, highly recommend this keith olbermann piece* to anyone who is interested in how the bush administration has used fear & loathing to dominate the political landscape for the last seven years, especially given that the mccain campaign/ republicans in general are offering nothing so far but more of the same.



mark my words: every time you hear pejorative references to "president b. hussein osama," a "muslim sleeper" who "attended madrassas in indonesia," "wants to play basketball with the castro brothers," and "bomb pakistan"... everytime you pay it any mind, save for throwing up a little in your mouth, another piece of america dies.

*a head's- up: the piece is seventeen minutes long.

two things to wrap up yet another week of non- blogging...

please read this post from glenn greenwald in salon on rejecting the reptilian republican politics of fear. and then read this post about what i suddenly want more than anything i've ever wanted before in my life. and have a great weekend.

~lee.

if you see me, say hello...

i know i haven't been showing any you all any love here, and i apologize. i've been writing songs for an album i'm planning on recording in early summer in my free time and outside of that have been seeing a therapist, doing all my self- examination there [i am planning on writing more essays soon, however].

in the mean time here are two freelance reviews i've done for the music blog 4f. enjoy.

~lee.

happy valentine's day...

Word of the Day for Thursday, February 14, 2008

amative \AM-uh-tiv\, adjective:

Pertaining to or disposed to love, especially sexual love; full of love; amorous.

************

woolgathering...'s valentine's day mixed tape. [also a gift to my honey].

Be Your Husband (Live) :: Jeff Buckley :: Live At Sin-é
Brown Eyed Girl :: Van Morrison :: Van Morrison • The Early Years
No One's Gonna Love You :: Band Of Horses :: Cease To Begin
Woman :: John Lennon :: Lennon Legend: The Very Best Of John Lennon
My Girl :: Otis Redding :: The Definitive Collection
California Stars :: Billy Bragg and Wilco :: Mermaid Avenue
In My Life :: The Beatles :: Rubber Soul
Tomorrow Is a Long Time :: Bob Dylan :: Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
I Will :: The Beatles :: The Beatles [White Album]
Words of Love :: Buddy Holly :: The Buddy Holly Collection
Parachutes :: Pearl Jam :: Pearl Jam
I'm The Man Who Loves You :: Wilco :: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Nobody Does it Better :: Carly Simon :: Clouds In My Coffee
Where Is My Love :: Cat Power :: The Greatest
Going To California :: Led Zeppelin :: [Box Set]
What A Wonderful World :: Louis Armstrong :: What A Wonderful World
Lucky :: Radiohead :: OK Computer
Baby, I Love You :: The Ramones :: End Of The Century
Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits :: The Magnetic Fields :: 69 Love Songs, Vol. 1


happy valentine's day, everybody.

novus carmen...

it has been an incredibly fruitful last few days with regard to songwriting, i am happy to report-- i have almost finished three songs since saturday. here are the lyrics of one of them.

************

song for sarah.

she's the ceiling of the sistene chapel to me...
my sin, my soul, and my release.
i bring her flowers, and garnet rings...
all smooth silver and aqua marine.

i was on the outside looking in...
i was honest to god, i was broken.
now i swim in her symmetry.
she sings me solace... she brings me peace.

she brings me peace.
she brings me...

she brings me peace, she smiles and sees...
she settles the score softly and sweet.
her xmas drum, it's quiet when it's sounding.
it speaks the words of her creativity.

and she sings.
and she...

and it screams! and she's taking love to the streets!
all god's children behind her in solidarity.

she came back to me... and brought me peace.
she came back to me... she feeds me...
she came back to me... and brought me peace.

9 february 2008.

today's prayer...[temporary like democritus]...

i've been gearing up these last few days to write something really profound on apostasy as it relates to my ongoing series of self- examination. then i listened to this song and realized nothing i could write could say better what's already been said here.

************

New Test Leper.

I can't say that I love Jesus
That would be a hollow claim.
He did make some observations
And I'm quoting them today.
"Judge not lest ye be judged,"
What a beautiful refrain.
The studio audience disagrees.
Have his lambs all gone astray?

Call me a leper.

"You are lost and disillusioned!"
What an awful thing to say.
I know this show doesn't matter.
It means nothing to me.
I thought I might help them understand
But what an ugly thing to see
"I am not an animal"
Subtitled under the screen.

Call me a leper.

When I tried to tell my story
They cut me off to take a break.
I sat silent, five commercials
I had nothing left to say.
The studio host was index- carded,
All organized and blank.
The other guests were sad and hardened.
What a sad parade.

What a sad parade.
Call me a leper.

- Michael Stipe, R.E.M.
from the New Adventures in Hi- Fi album.

today's prayer...

In my craft or sullen art
Exercised in the still night
When only the moon rages
And the lovers lie abed
With all their griefs in their arms,
I labour by singing light
Not for ambition or bread
Or the strut and trade of charms
But for the common wages
Of the most secret heart.

Not for the proud man apart
From the raging moon I write
On these spindrift pages
Nor for the towering dead
With their nightingales and psalms
But for the lovers, their arms
Round the grief of the ages
Who pay no praise or wages
Nor heed my craft or art.

-Dylan Thomas

~lee.

the way i see it...

simple as that.

happy voting.

~lee.

ps. woolgathering...'s super tuesday mixed tape:

Know Your Rights :: The Clash :: Combat Rock
Gimme Shelter :: The Rolling Stones :: Let It Bleed
Machine Gun :: Band Of Gypsys :: Band Of Gypsys
Intervention :: The Arcade Fire :: Neon Bible
Suggestion :: Fugazi :: 13 Songs
Ain't No Right :: Jane's Addiction :: Kleptomaniac [Live 1991]
Exhuming McCarthy :: R.E.M. :: Document
Youth Against Facism :: Sonic Youth :: Dirty
Kill The Poor :: Dead Kennedys :: Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
My Generation (Live) :: Patti Smith :: Horses
All You Fascists :: Billy Bragg and Wilco :: Mermaid Avenue Volume 2
Viet Nam :: Minutemen :: Double Nickels On The Dime
Begin The Begin :: R.E.M. :: Lifes Rich Pageant
Gimme Some Truth :: John Lennon :: Imagine
Electioneering :: Radiohead :: OK Computer
War/No More Trouble :: Bob Marley & The Wailers :: Rebel Music
Day After Tomorrow :: Tom Waits :: Real Gone
Masters of War :: Bob Dylan :: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Eve Of Destruction :: Barry McGuire :: Misc.
(Nothing But) Flowers :: Talking Heads :: Naked
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding :: Elvis Costello :: Armed Forces
The New World (with Tim Robbins) :: Pearl Jam :: 10-11-2004 Washington VFC Finale
We Shall Overcome :: Bruce Springsteen :: We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions


there are no mp3s, mind you. this is just what i'm going to be listening to on the way to vote and then on to the obama headquarters to make get- out- the- vote phone calls. however if you want, drop me a comment with your address and i'll make you a copy.