Another Monkey Mixxxxxxxxx!

Six Degrees of Monkey Love.
Splotchy and Coffey joined forces to let the monkeys toss musical feces at the wall and see what stuck.
Here's my choices and how I connected em.

07 - If William Shatner Can I Can Too - Jeff Daniels

Let's face it. Actors shouldn't be rock stars. (Throttle Back Sparky was my toe dip into that land. Although we rocked hard and fucked like monkeys) Who knew Daniels could pluck a little white man blues? Everything I've heard from him has been a treat and this one, well, it's all true. Too true.

08 - Common People - William Shatner
But just because Daniels was right doesn't mean he's also way wrong. Because this cover of Pulp's Common People is rip roaringly better than the 'riginal. It's got Joe Jackson caterwauling, Shatner overcoming himself and Ben Folds producing like a mutha. Get the album. you will NOT be disappointed.


09 - Heroes - David Bowie
Also featured on Shatner's album was Adrian Belew (Excuse me....ADRIAN BELEW!!!!!) Who composed the lead riff for this which is NOT an e-bow but four separate solos layered on top of each other.


10 - Vive Le Rock - Adam Ant
Tony Visconti produced Heroes. And many others. And Adam Ant's Vive Le Rock. An album which is as unheralded as it is great!



11 - Hello, I Love You - The Doors
Alas, when Adam went solo (Which meant nothing since he was the act all along) elektra convinced him to put a cover tune on "Friend or Foe". I was at the concert. He didn't play it. Maybe he did. I don't recall. I was high.



12 - Poor Girl - X
Which brings me to the only song I wish my band had covered that we didn't. I love the poetry, the sadness and the pure punkiness of this track. Which was produced by Ray Manzarek of The Doors.



There ya go. 6 degrees. Completely silly and 100% fun!

Brad Aldous. I knew him when.

My friend, Brad, directed this new video for The Weepies.
It's nice.
It's good.
Way to go Brad!

'Can't Go Back Now' by The Weepies

Transparant Government.

There is no new news over at Barackobama.com
Those days are over (kind of like newlulu.blogspot.com)
Welcome to the new transparency!

WWW.CHANGE.GOV

Gonna be a great 4, no?

Land of Hope (and Dreams)

I never really wrote anything about the actual election.
I've been so busy.
I've been imbued with a sense of hope. What can I say? I drank the Kool-Aid. I'm a believer.
I cried most of last night.
When Ohio came in I readied myself and left the phone bank. I didn't care much for the people who tried to take it over. (They were PISSED when I announced that Ohio was called. Why? Because they wanted to announce everything.
Here we are in a picture that was picked up by Time's Swampland blog.



I'm all the way to the left with the red shirt, right arm bent. Talking to one of the Zamboni people (read the last post).

When I got home I kissed my wife and hugged my daughter and turned on CNN just in time for the West to fall.
Then the calls and texts started to fly in.
It's over.
I am but a humble little servant who learned how to channel his better self by following Mr. Obama's teaching. And anyone who knows me can tell you that for me to spend an entire day (let alone 2 months!!) glad handing, thanking and hugging people means that a seismic change has occurred.
I'm so proud of this nation.
I'm so proud of myself and others.
I'm exhausted.
And I just want a big bowl of ice cream. And Quisp. I want Quisp, dammit!

Here's a little Boss and a great slideshow.
You guys all rock.

California's (and my) part of the election process

Barack Obama to his entire staff of paid and volunteers:
"This has been the best presidential election in the history of American Democracy."
I've seen it in action. I've been a part of it. I concur.
Eric Garcetti to the staff of the Obama HQ on Motor Ave:
"Rare are the times in life that you get to be a part of history."
Amen.
Here are the hard numbers:
Nationwide it was requested that phone banks make 1.5 million calls into the battlegrounds.
California made 1.439 million calls.
2.1 calls were made in total.
Resulting in 1 MILLION volunteers canvassing the streets on election day to GET OUT THE VOTE.
Holy crap. History indeed.

What started with a frustrated Allen wanting to be a part of something he believed in by attending the opening of that office months ago has ended with today. How many calls have I made? I can't even begin to count.
How many callers have I shepherded through their calls? Hundreds. How many times have people mistaken me for someone who has actual control over the work that they are doing beyond stapling? More times than I wish to count. How many egos have been bruised and battered and beat up? Including mine? 6. Okay, more like 6,000.
I am tired. My feet hurt. I've met some of the best people I will ever know. I have met some of the worst. I have fundamentally disagreed with some (like putting a self-described brain tumor recoverer who doesn't make saliva and can't speak for long periods of time in charge of a phone bank....) I have been shown the light on others.
I've probably been more petulant than I should have for my own good.
I've learned that if you work in an office there are two things I can say to you: 1. I'm sorry. And 2. I suggest offing yourself before going back to that job. (vote first, of course)
I've learned that, despite my abject dislike for many people, I am fairly gregarious and do best when I am in a position to teach or edify. Go figure.
I've also learned the hardest way that I can not, under any circumstances, suffer empty egos. By this I mean: If you know from whence you speak, it doesn't matter if you are fluid, soft spoken or authoritative; I will follow you at your word. But if you speak on things with authority and it turns out to be that you are full of blue smoke and piffle, then I have no time for you. Ever. And I wouldn't blink to hear that you had been run over by slow moving Zamboni. Seriously. As Michael O'Donoghue once wrote, "I would kick you in the cunt if I didn't think it would ruin the shine on my shoes." Never have truer words been spoken than about some of the crazed, power hungry, ego driven wannabes that end up volunteering for an election. Which is weird. Since we are all volunteers. (And the O'Donoghue quote goes for men OR women in this case).
I've also learned that I prefer the company of the bawdy and loud to the smarmy and snarky. Which is odd because I've often admired the likes of William F. Buckley though I don't agree with the politics. Trust me. The left has a ton of those, too. (Like the ass who wouldn't count volunteers because "I like to be in charge of things.....")
That's it.
I would document the entire affair but I probably should have created a day to day journal. I just didn't.
There were laughs.
There were tears.
Many of them, mine.
It's all over.
See you on the other side.
Allen
Deputy Field Officer
Phone Bank co-ordinator/trainer
Barack Obama for America.