The Democratic Schism

It's looking like moderate is the new progressive, and the Left is having their biggest existential crisis since Sarah Palin.

We can criticize Blue Dog behavior all we want, but as long as we keep funneling their members millions of dollars every two years in small, online donations, then we will actually be ratifying, not criticizing their behavior. We will be supporting their efforts to push the party to the right, not working to push the party to the left.

If they are coasting that they can block or clear whatever legislation they want, the Blue Dogs consider themselves to be in charge of D.C., not Speaker Pelosi or President Obama. (...) The Blue Dogs are an overt obstacle to progressive governance. (...) They are overtly anti-progressive and anti-left wing.

The Democratic Schism

It's looking like moderate is the new progressive, and the Left is having their biggest existential crisis since Sarah Palin.

We can criticize Blue Dog behavior all we want, but as long as we keep funneling their members millions of dollars every two years in small, online donations, then we will actually be ratifying, not criticizing their behavior. We will be supporting their efforts to push the party to the right, not working to push the party to the left.

If they are coasting that they can block or clear whatever legislation they want, the Blue Dogs consider themselves to be in charge of D.C., not Speaker Pelosi or President Obama. (...) The Blue Dogs are an overt obstacle to progressive governance. (...) They are overtly anti-progressive and anti-left wing.

Starfish Prime

The music: Starfish Prime (6:09)

Starfish Prime

The music: Starfish Prime (6:09)

Fear of Guns, Part 648

Boortz caught onto this today, and it bears repeating. Illinois Rep. Annazette Collins made the mistake of suggesting that elementary-school aged children ought to be taught about gun safety, and now the harpies are circling.

Mayor Daley, who's always had a rather sloppy understanding of civil liberties, called the idea, "the silliest position I’ve ever heard taken."

According to "activist priest" Michael Pfleger:

That’s like saying we might as well sell drugs legally (...) We don’t want access to guns. We have children dying in this city. We’re talking about teaching kids in grammar school how to shoot guns? That’s crazy!

I guess I must have grown up in about the craziest environment imaginable, then. It's a wonder I turned out sane.

Fear of Guns, Part 648

Boortz caught onto this today, and it bears repeating. Illinois Rep. Annazette Collins made the mistake of suggesting that elementary-school aged children ought to be taught about gun safety, and now the harpies are circling.

Mayor Daley, who's always had a rather sloppy understanding of civil liberties, called the idea, "the silliest position I’ve ever heard taken."

According to "activist priest" Michael Pfleger:

That’s like saying we might as well sell drugs legally (...) We don’t want access to guns. We have children dying in this city. We’re talking about teaching kids in grammar school how to shoot guns? That’s crazy!

I guess I must have grown up in about the craziest environment imaginable, then. It's a wonder I turned out sane.

Dispersion Array #1

The music: Dispersion Array #1 (5:48)

Dispersion Array #1

The music: Dispersion Array #1 (5:48)

The Kevin Siebold Bass

This is a modified Twiggy by Kevin Siebold of Krappy Guitars. After playing it for the last two days, I can't bring myself to refer to it as a Krappy bass, so I'm going to call it a Siebold.

The Kevin Siebold Bass

This is a modified Twiggy by Kevin Siebold of Krappy Guitars. After playing it for the last two days, I can't bring myself to refer to it as a Krappy bass, so I'm going to call it a Siebold.

Until I'm blue in the face...

The following letter was sent to Attorney General Holder in response to his comments about a renewed Assault Weapons Ban. It was not sent by a gun-rights group. It was not sent by the NRA.

Nope; it was sent by 65 Democratic Congressmen. Read on.

Drawing I

Today's piece is a modest one. Fourteen notes in just under eight seconds. It's recorded to loop seamlessly when repeated, so it can run as long as the equipment (or listener) holds out.

Drawing I (0:08), basic loop.

Drawing I (02:23), looped with minor treatment.

I'd love to give a pretentious conceptual reason for the brevity or structure, but this one was just a product of chance.

Juvenalia, Part 1

The music: The Miss Enigma Firecracker Pageant (4:08).

The story: The drive from Atlanta to Jacksonville takes you through a long stretch of rural sprawl. The default route is to take I-75 down to the state line, then cut across on I-10. It's a lonely, dreary stretch, and the lack of scenery makes it feel far longer than the six hours or so it takes.

A more scenic route is to cut east from Tifton to Waycross along Highway 82, then south on US-23/19. Instead of a monotony of swamps and alligator farms, the landscape is varied and lively in a quiet sort of way. Highway 82 runs through cotton fields and National Forest reserves, low but hilly country dotted with small towns it would be unfair to call quaint.