May 2008 Archives
On the way home, I read "The Faithful Spy" by Alex Berenson. Nice book, kept me intrigued. It's about a CIA agent who is a long term embed in al Queda, which is damn near impossible in real life, I think. Very current read, if you ask me. I had to keep reminding myself that this was novel.
Thanks, Jim, for recycling it my way. I'll pass it on to another.
236.com: Max Silvestri Gets Trapped in an Elevator
Dan Rather said, "Well, I'm a Texan; so I'd like one last bowlful of hot spicy chili." The leader nodded to an underling who left and returned with the chili. Rather ate it all and said, "Now I can die content."
Tom Brokaw said he would just like to hear his wife's voice one more time. The terrorists allowed him to make long distance call so that he could talk to his wife. Brokaw had a long conversation with his wife and when he was through, he said "Now I can die peacefully."
Katie Couric said, "I'm a reporter to the end. I want to take out my tape recorder and describe the scene here and what's about to happen. Maybe someday someone will hear it and know that I was on the job till the end."
The leader directed an aide to hand over the tape recorder and Couric dictated some comments. She then said, "Now I can die happy."
The leader turned and said, "And now, Mr. U.S. Marine, what is your final wish?" "Kick me in the behind," said the Marine. "What?" asked the leader? "Will you mock us in your last hour?" "No, I'm not kidding. I want you to kick me," insisted the Marine.
So the leader shoved him into the open, and kicked him.
The Marine went sprawling, but rolled to his knees, pulled a 9 mm pistol from inside his Cammies, and shot the leader dead. In the confusion, he leapt to his knapsack, pulled out his M4 carbine and sprayed the Iraqis with gunfire. In a flash, all the terrorists were either dead or fleeing for their lives.
As the Marine was untying Rather, Brokaw and Couric, they asked him, "Why didn't you just shoot them in the beginning? Why did you ask them to kick you first?"
"What!" replied the Marine, "And have you three jerks report that I was the aggressor?"
Crowded House, Upbeat and Unpredictable
Monday, May 5, 2008;
Crowded House lived up to its name literally on Friday night, as a wall-to-wall throng packed the 9:30 club to see the headlining group. And for good reason. Having reconvened last year after splitting up at the peak of its powers in 1996, it's got everything you could want in a band: an embarrassment of superb material, a charismatic frontman, a set list that's rewritten nightly, a tolerance for -- nay, encouragement of -- spontaneity and, most important, that palpable love of performing that can't be faked.
Led by underrated singer-guitarist Neil Finn -- who's revered as a songwriter of Lennonesque lyrical gifts and McCartneyesque melodic talent -- Crowded House has overcome every obstacle with grace: from the devastating (the 2005 suicide of drummer Paul Hester) to the merely annoying (the impudence of some of their own alleged fans, who welcomed the band to its first D.C. gig in more than a decade by yapping throughout the 130-minute concert). Fortunately, the reverent outnumbered the rude: "You're in very fine voice tonight, Washington," Finn gushed, deputizing 1,200 backup singers to fill out the soaring "World Where You Live."
The 23-song set was characteristically generous and unpredictable. Five new tunes ("Isolation" and "Twice if You're Lucky" were introduced by name) suggested a more upbeat direction after last year's "Time on Earth" album. Largely inspired by Hester's death, it was ignored save for "English Trees," a number every bit as exciting as it sounds. They apparently can't all be Finn-tastic.
The lengthy second encore brought an improvised composition, and a rarity ("Mansion in the Slums") that Finn declared they hadn't played in "at least 20 years." But naturally, the emphasis was on the group's brilliant 1986-96 back catalogue. "Locked Out" rocked out and "Don't Dream It's Over" had everyone clutching their better half a little tighter. And for the buoyant "Weather With You," Finn divided the audience and got it to sing two-part harmony. Leave it to this ever-affable Kiwi to bring order to a roomful of surly Yanks.
-- Chris Klimek
Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, California scientists dug to a depth of 20 yards, and shortly after, headlines in the LA Times newspaper read: 'California archaeologists have found traces of 200 year old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.
One week later, the 'Newnan Daily Independent', a local newspaper in Georgia, reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 yards in cotton fields near Newnan in Coweta County Bubba Johnson, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing."
Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, "Georgia had already gone wireless.''
They kicked butt. Really great show.
We went with our good friends Mike and Jackie. The show was sold out, which was cool to see. Crowded House recently rejoined. We got to see them in Philly in August, as they were touring for their newest CD, "Time On Earth" which is a great collection of songs. Definitely worth the listen.
Anyway, the show was great. 9:30 Club is pretty much a "stand and watch" club -- no tables or chairs to speak of, and so sold out means that there is not anywhere left to stand. We didn't care, as these guys are such great musicians with such great songs -- and they put on a terrific show. The house was full of fans -- Neil Finn would stop singing, and the songs just went on, everyone was singing so perfectly and loudly. It was very cool. I can't wait for us to see them again.
The played four songs off an upcoming new album/CD. Those songs were great, and we're looking forward to hearing the whole thing.
