Friday Fives

1. What was the first song you remember hearing and enjoying on the radio?

I don't remember, but that isn't what I want to talk about anyway. I want to know why the suffix 'gate' has not yet once been applied to this hurricane fiasco. Come on! I mean, FEMA gate? Michael Brown must be killed-gate. Hurricane-gate? Flood-gate? Levvy-gate? How about... water-gate?

2. If you could only listen to five CDs for a year, which five would they be?

Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffitti * Jimi Hendrix' Electric Ladyland * Metallica's Master of Puppets * Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream * Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks

3. What was your favorite year, music-wise?

something happened in 1977. the world of rock absolutely peaked like freakin' crazy. I was only 5 at the time, but look what happened:

Eagles Hotel California
Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon
Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville
Fleetwood Mac Rumours
Steely Dan Aja
Led Zeppelin's Destroyer Cleveland Bootleg
Grateful Dead's Barton Hall bootleg
Elvis died

4. If you could witness one historical music event through all time, what would you pick, and why?

Monterey Pop, California 1967. This was the true zenith of the California music scene. The show was much much smaller than Woodstock, so you got to see the bands and not the crowd. Oh, and the bands: Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix (his American solo debut), the Who, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Mamas & the Papas, CAnned Heat, Country Joe... I mean fugghettabout it!

5. Do you have a song that never fails to cheer you up? What is it and why does it do that for you?

Wot's the Deal by Pink Floyd off of Obscured by Clouds. The piano work is just the greatest melody lines in history. It is so beautiful.

Thanks as always go to Roy for this week's fives! ,br>

Time to heal

ok, this isn't a complaint piece. I really don't want it to be. I am working very hard to raise the level of social discourse... and that starts squarely with me. The disaster that is Hurrican Katrina has scarred and impacted everyone. Now is the time to help and heal and contribute. I am sure there will be plenty of reports and commisions convened to explain that the head of FEMA should be stoned to death quite publically. But that isn't my point here, nor is it my reason for posting.

We are starting to see some humanity and compassion finally, and it is supplanting the rage. There is someone though who has yet to answer. I am not sure if I want an apology, or just a simply admission of 'I dropped the ball, and accept some responsibility for the failures that occurred'. You know, the kind of thing we have been waiting desperately to hear from Mayor Nagey or the Governor. Only then can I start to see towards some healing. It is time to start naming names, America. I want some answers, and I want to know where he was when this hit. I want to know why his response came a full FIVE days after the hurricane hit.

I am not talking to America anymore, but the man who I feel is responsible for this... my neighbor Ray. Where was Ray when this hit? Not helping out, that's for sure. It was a full five days before Ray stuck his head over the fence to say 'Hey neighbor, can you believe that shit in New Orleans? Bummer, huh!"

So, did Ray rush out and drive his volkswagon down to New Orleans to help the rescue effort? Nope. Did he ship his crappy rusted out canoe to the relief effort? Not a chance. He didn't do a goddamn thing but get up and go to work everyday. I am certainly not saying that Ray caused the hurricane water damage, that would be absurdist and paranoid. Know what though? I can not say with any certainty that he didn't cause the tradgedy. I know his brother has a front loader at his construction business, and it looked awfully muddy last time I saw it. Those levvies didn't just break themselves, did they? At least the President of the United States interuppted his vacation (the longest vacation ever taken by a sitting president, not to mention a full third of his presidency has been on vacation) to hold a press conference congradulating the head of FEMA for being so responsive. He didn't mention Ray, did he? That's because Ray wasn't there to help. Know what else I hate about him? He parks that shitty oil leaking volkswagon the street, and it's a blight.

Very soon, there will be some pretty heavy consequences to the leadership who dropped the ball. Once the head of FEMA is beaten and dismemembered for not having a plan... people are going to look around. I am looking at you, Ray. Where were you when the shit hit the fan, and when can I get my drill back?

You know what, Ray? You are a total dick, and I am so not sorry for calling the cops on your last month for that party (that I wasn't even invited to).