Tim Russert 1950-2008

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge political junkie. From a very young age I was saturated with politics on the local and national level. During the 1988 election I was 9 years old and making signs to wave around in the living room while we watched the convention and subsequent election coverage. So yeah, big junkie. Throughout high school, college and beyond I was a dedicated viewer of Meet the Press. Between that and CBS Sunday Morning (first with Charles Kuralt and later with Charles Osgood) I always had my Sunday mornings covered. Friends in college were always confused as to why I voluntarily got up so early Sunday morning but it was never a question. I had to watch Meet the Press. In later life, at the end of a work week I found myself talking with my parents on the phone discussing who Russert was going to have on the show Sunday. I can say that I think over the past 15 years or so, I've probably missed a few dozen shows if that, most likely less. Tim Russert was a true journalistic hero of mine, up there with Cronkite and Edward R Murrow. Russert was not some windbag obsessed with his image and fame and his own opinions, he was passionate about politics and a masterful journalist. He very often asked the exact question you would ask had you been given the chance. He did his job so well and was a true class act. Hearing about his death was a very sad thing because I think as time goes on, we have less and less examples in the media of people who take it as seriously as Tim did, as focused and as dedicated. His work has had an impact on my life as a political junkie and as a father. Tim Russert was a transformative figure in american politics and its a truly sad thing that he has passed. Rest in peace.

new song - Glad

Glad

(verse 1)
I'm glad I introduced you to the ocean,
since I know you'd never met
she was so happy to have seen you,
someone she'll not soon forget.

And I'm glad I tried to make you dinner,
gettin fancy ingredients from AJs
those tart berries and strange lettuce,
but you loved it just the same.

(chorus)
From the great lakes
to the desert sky
back from Coronado,
time flew by

I want to tell you,
in my own way
that for all of it,
I'm still smiling.

(verse 2)
I'm glad your car battery gave out,
so you needed a ride
After ten minutes of cleaning,
you invited me inside.

I'm glad you had such good taste,
if what you listened to and read
Carl Hiaasen, Frank Zappa
and Bob Dylan filled your head.

(chorus)
From the great lakes
to the desert sky
back from Coronado,
time flew by

I want to tell you,
in my own way
that for all of it,
I'm still smiling.

(verse 3-ish)
I'm glad I helped you pack your things,
the moving van outside
you were bound to be with family,
not just leaving me behind.

Things are much different now,
with so much to plan and to do,
but when its sunset on the ocean,
I often think of you,

so I want to tell you,
in my own way,
that for all of it,
I'm still smiling
I'm still smiling
in my own way.

charlie, 2008

Weekly playlist

Here is my weekly playlist. If I have two seconds to spare - I will try to do the linking and the images and the hey hey hey, but until then - its all lo-fi baby:

Jim Lauderdale & Ralph Stanley – Lost in the lonesome pines
Drive-by Truckers – Perfect timing
Joe Henry – Time is a lion
Cat Power – Aretha, sing one for me
Nick Lowe – Rome wasn’t built in a day
Dan Hicks & Friends (live in SF) – Waitin’
Tom Paxton (live in CO) – Yuppies in the sky
Avett Brothers – Pretty girl from Annapolis
Mike Doughty – White lexus
Hot Tuna (live in SF) – San Francisco bay blues
North Mississippi All Stars – I’d love to be a hippy
Alela Diane – Pirate’s gospel
David Wilcox (doing his best Bruce Cockburn impersonation) – Falling for it
Eddie Vedder (from Into the Wild soundtrack) – Society
Robert Earl Keen (live in TX, of course)– Amarillo Highway
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (from Once soundtrack) – Falling slowly


½ Robert Earl Keen - live 88 & the Avett brothers – Emotionalism
Robert Earl Keen -
I wanna know
Front porch song
Goin’ down in style
If I were king
I would change my life
I’ll go on downtown
Bluegrass widow
Who’ll be lookin’ out for me

The Avett Brothers -
Paranoia in B-flat major
Weight of lies
Ballad of love & hate
Salina
All my mistakes
I would be sad
Pretty girl from San Diego
Go to sleep

My top shows of the year 2007

To borrow a page from Senior Catfishvegas, I thought I'd compile my favorite shows this year. Now, this is tricky, because they are all my favorite while I'm there. Its been so rarely that I've seen a show I didnt like or that wasnt good, you kind of get used to them all being good. In any event, I will attempt to break it down and give a link to each respective artists page.

12) Yard Dogs Road Show, May 12th, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA

11) Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, December 19th, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA

10)My Morning Jacket w/ Elvis Perkins, January 5th, Marquee Theatre, Tempe AZ

9) Asylum Street Spankers, July 20th, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA

8) David Wilcox, May 6th, Swedish American Hall, San Francisco, CA

7) Peacemakers (x2) April 13th, Slims, November 16th, Slims, San Francisco, CA

6) Klezmatics, October 27th, Jewish American Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA

5) Elvis Perkins, March 25th, Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco, CA

4) Josh Ritter, October 24th, Bimbos 365 Club, San Francisco, CA

3) Peter Mulvey, March 22nd, Freight & Salvage, Berkley, CA

2) Mike Doughty, November 28th, Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA

1) Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, October 5-7th, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA

So I will get back on this bad boy and put a couple of notes in, but for now its about the cleaning of the kitchen and the sleep.

top 10.5 movies of year

Here is my top 10 list for 2007. You will notice that there are a few very well regarded movies that arent here (Michael Clayton, Juno, Norbit) but I dont think its a good idea to rank things I've not seen, so there you go. Also, there is a three way tie for 10th because, well, I make the rules.

10. The Host - This was "Little Miss Sunshine" meets "Godzilla." Very interesting movie, very tense and very well done. Such a different way to do a giant monster movie.

10. Reign Over Me - Probably the best thing Adam Sandler has ever done. Dealt with the personal loss of 9/11 in a different sort of way.

10. Ratatouille - So so well done. Beautiful attention to detail, good message. Flawless movie.

9. 1408 - One of the better King adaptations. Changed a few things from the story, but done so well. Cusack was a perfect choice. Really unverving and a twist ending that didnt make you sick to your stomach like The Mist (which I liked, but for lordssake)

8. Meet the Robinsons - Such a classy, throwback type of Disney movie. Doesnt do a "reference a minute" type of kids movie, actually tells a story and actually emotionally involves the audience, I really enjoyed it.

7. Zodiac - Fincher did a great job with this movie. Focused on a theme that I thought was so strong, how killing can ruin lives even without taking them. Great performances from all the leads, just really well done all across the board.

6. Stardust - There is no earthly reason why this movie should have been so good. Oh wait, Gaiman as the source material, nevermind. All the performances are top notch, the story is a lovely fairy tale and with a healthy bit of dark humor, this is up there with Princess Bride.

5. Paris Je T'aime - I loved this movie so much, just made me happy. There are a couple of screwy shorts (its a collection of 16 short films about love in Paris), but on the whole is was pretty remarkable. I cant really single out just one, Alexander Paines short is pretty wonderful and the one starring Catalina Sandino Moreno is a beauty.

4. El Orfanato (The Orphanage) - This was, by my count, one of the best ghost stories I've seen in a long time. Kind of a Peter Pan-esque ghost story. Emotionally tough but worth it. Very artfully shot, no gore or stupid crap, just a straitforward, spoooooky story.

3. Into the Wild - There were a lot of well shot movies this year, this had to have been one of, if not the best. Sad but inspiring story and a great job from Emeile Hirch in the lead. Soundtrack is pretty darned amazing too.

2. 3:10 to Yuma - The term "epic" gets used a lot, but this film was an epic. The grit and toughness reminded me of the Clint Eastwood western, Unforgiven. Great acting and a wonderfully suspenseful lead up to literally the last minute of the film. Bale and Crowe do a masterful job.

1. No Country For Old Men - I dont know that I can say much more about this movie than has already been said, but it was, to me, the best movie of the year. There is something so incredible about the way the story is structured, the rising action, the flashes of brutal violence mixed with sharp and very timely observations about life. Such an incredible movie.