Inuendo, Gypsy, Tramps and Thieves

My spring of live music continues!

Last night, I watch my coworker, the incomparable, Erick Burdette (Burdettte!) jam with his band, Inuendo, at -- of all places -- the Hard Rock Cafe at the Beverly Center. First of all, who knew they actually had live music?! Secondly, wow. Erick rocked. The amazingly tight band thrilled the crowd. Somebody sign them up. That good.

Now, tonight, my friend Steve just rang me and told me that he had an extra ticket to Cher's final performance (final final or just another semifinal final? time will tell.) at the Hollywood Bowl. Can't pass that up...I'd have to turn in my queer card and, frankly, it's not worth it.

So, reports on Cher tomorrow!

Bush and Abdullah

A mandate, indeed and in practice (via atrios).

Happy Passover

If you're like me and you live with an Irish Catholic boyfriend, you might find this amusing.

Special thanks to John for pointing it in my direction.

The Nuclear Option

Republicans are losing the publicity battle over their threat to end fillibusters in the Senate. If they end this 200+ year tradition of checks and balances, it will both be another sad day for democracy in this country and it will not poll well. They know it and are trying to change the language being used nationally to talk about. In fact, Josh Marshall has discovered that the republicans are saying that democrats are the ones who call it the "nuclear option".

Is this true? Well, in a word: no.

Josh has more about it here.

And still more about it here, here and here.

I think my favorite idea is to call it the "cry baby option." I think that summarizes their goals pretty fairly.

Microsoft Abandons Gay Community

Yes, Microsoft has withdrawn support for a Washington state gay rights bill.

Isn't it time you downloaded firefox?

Isn't it time you embraced open source?

The New Pope

Ugh.

Not a bad rap

Even though Hilary may be a senator from NY, it doesn't take a village in the city. It takes a minion.

Brawny

I guess this gives a whole new meaning to the "quicker picker upper"...

L.A. Rails

Atrios highlights an article in today's Times...and, I along with hundreds others, had to comment...

Adding light rail back to Los Angeles -- already happening -- is leading to redevelopment along the lines being developed. This is the only way Los Angeles will grow intelligently. Without it, L.A. will still grow into a massive headache-induced traffic jam.

And one other note, L.A., indeed, did have the most extensive light rail system in the country, if not the world. In the 40s and 50s, Rubber, Oil and Auto companies consipired to ruin the light rail in the city and, thus, citizens had no choice but to turn to cars. So, street cars weren't just "disappearing" at the time that interstate highways were being built, they were forced out.

It makes me sick to this day that L.A. once had this great system and it was destroyed. It will take billions of dollars to rebuild it, but it is the only way to make this second largest city in the country more livable.

Cell Phones and Telemarketing

Cell phone numbers will soon be made available to telemarketers. If you do not want to be getting pitched on your cell phone (unless it's a writer/producer with a killer idea), get on the DO NOT CALL LIST.

Darfur

Sixty years ago the concentration camp in Bergen-Belson was liberated.

Implored to never forget, we do not forget...but do we apply the lessons from the past to the here and now?

Sadly, only when convenient or when there is something to gain.

Somethings...

defy description.

Help

Read.

Feh

Sometimes you hope it's all a dream and that our government is again formed of the people, for the people, by the people. And, sometimes as Yuval says, you could just scream.

Throw the Jew Down the Well

Sometimes, in this country, it doesn't take a village. It takes a bar full of village idiots .

Go here and scroll down til you find the "Throw the Jew Down the Well" video.

It's both funny -- hilarious, really -- and scary -- really scary.

Starve the Beast

The starving continues unabated while the rich get richer.

Hope the people wake up before it's too late...

Tonight

What a fruitful night for me. I was going to pop out for a few libations at Akbar, but, instead, decided crabily to stay home alone.

I'm so glad. Mama needed a break!

Dying

There's a lot to be said for dying and the rituals that do and often do not follow. This new editorial in the NY Times claims that we've abandoned the rituals or replaced them with trivial new ones.

I don't think I agree. I think we just continue to evolve. However, that said, I do think it's critically important for those most griveing to see their loved one dead. Anyone who has can honestly say that they are no longer there.

Whatever happens when you die, whatever spirit - however you define it -- leaves. There's no other way to describe it really. It's weird, disturbing, sad and freeing. And more.

So, read this (if it links) and think about it.

Richard Perle

Architect of the failed war in Iraq said this:

"There is reason to believe that we were sucked into an ill-conceived initial attack aimed at Saddam himself by double agents planted by the regime. And as we now know the estimate of Saddam's stockpile of weapons of mass destruction was substantially wrong."

You can't make this shit up.

Steve Gilliard has the revolting details...or would that be the insurgent details.

Yes, insurgent. They -- the Iraqis fighting the invaders in Iraq are the insurgents. Yes.

Apparently, War is Peace. Who knew, other than Orwell?

Why I love Billmon

"I mean, what's the point of pouring a bottle of salad dressing on a rancid old ham like Pat Buchanan? You could dump a barrel of Roquefort on the guy, and he'd still taste like shit. And even a ton of vanilla custard and whipped cream wouldn't cover up the bitter aftertaste of a decaying old sectarian like Horowitz." Read it all.

And we never ate there...

Merely a few blocks away from our little atwater casa, Algemac's is now gone.

What's next? Astro? I don't know what I'd do without Astro.

The Republican Pope

Not quite. The Left Coaster has the eye-opening story and, surprise surprise, it's not really being covered by the so-called Liberal Media.

Concert Notes

Saw U2 on tuesday at the Staples Center. It was the fourth or fifth time I've seen ....2nd at Staples and it was truly magnificent. I got high off the people around me and what they were smokin'. Even still, the music and the show was magical. If you ever have the chance to see U2, you must go.

Monday, I'm off to see Garbage. There was a great article in the LA Times today about the band, but I'm too lazy to link to it. Suffice to say, I'm dying to get the new album and was asking around today for downloads, to no avail.

One non-concert note: damn, the Killers album just rocks. Almost every song off it is just really great. Add that to my list, too. And on that note, I freakin' love the Green Day album, too. It can do no wrong.

More LA Radio News

K-SURF, the ever-changing AM radio station based in Beverly Hills (of all places), is now trying all comedy on for style. It's been show tunes, it's been serial radio shows from the first half of the 20th century, it's been lite radio, it's even often been dark -- off the air.

Now, comedy tonight! Ok, boys, let's see if this one sticks.

More Liberal LA Radio

Yep, there's more. The backlash has created a backlash. (again from atrios -- where else?)

Fucking Hypocrites

Each one must be dragged out of the closet and held to account for their hypocrisy.

Attention must be paid.

Big Pussy

Oh, dear, first he beats his girlfriend and then tries to remove her completely from his site.

The indignity.

What an asshole. He should be whacked.

Well, he has been digitally. A blogger kept a record. God bless the web.

Gay & Asian

That's not me. It's my old friend (and getting older) and former colleague, Cuong. Check out his interesting perspective on the world and our times.

Oh, and thanks for din-din, Cuong. If you haven't been to Cha Cha Cha (formerly Confete, formerly La Fabula and formerly something else before that) in WeHo, do check it out. It's good; though, our waiter was from hell.

Maybe better to check ou the Cha Cha Cha on Virgil in Silver Lake.