How did I miss this?

Damn. In all the Reagan hullaballoo recently, I comepletely missed that Steve Lacy died earlier this month. Man, that's crappy. He came to Austin a couple fo times while we've been here, but I never made it to any of his shows. He played the Continetal Club at least one of those times, which is not where you'd expect to see the world finest soprano saxophonist.

I've actually only got a couple of his albums, but both of them are really good, especially Regeneration.

Live at Sweet Basil was the first Lacy record I bought, from the late Real Records in Iowa City. Once you get past his wife's voice, the whole thing is wonderful.

Oh my God

I just stumbled across what might be the greatest thing ever.

Go listen.

And last night I hosted Austin's first Movie-oke, which was a rousing success.

Am deciding this second not to apply for funding from the city. Next year, but I just didn't have my materials together. Sigh.

Not sucking

Mike D'Alonzo must have had an encounter with somebody who pissed him off.

This wasn't me, though, I don't think. Mike and I don't always see eye to eye on music, but I don't think either of us are haters in the way he's talking about. Except that I can be, because so can everybody. But I'll defend both the Fat Boys and say that right now isn't too bad at all.

Finished

Well, just finished Fastfood Nation. More soon about what I hope to accomplish with this blog. But I thought this book was fantastic, in its muckracking way.

In a room today with people who didn't know much about Boticelli. And an awkward, uninformed appreciation of Salvador Dali.

Lacey's new job

Lacey, my wife, started her new job yesterday.

Hope she likes it and does well. She did pine to be with our son, Emmett, yesterday by later in the afternoon. We've been lucky enough that Lacey could stay home for Emmett's first year on the planet, and yesterday was his first day going to day care full-time.

Via Atrios

So I came across this via Atrios. I wasn't nearly as political back in 2002 when Paul Wellstone died as I am now, so I missed the opportunity to be miffed by this editorial from former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, which is what Pierce riffing on.

Some links sent to me recently

Something from my wife, about an abandoned subway line in Cincinatti.

I wonder what the folks from WKRP would think about it? Would have made a cool episode, Les Nessman all checkin' out the tunnels, Johnny Fever all playin' the Rolling Stones and turnin' into his disco alter-ego, Rip Tide.

One thing the cats from WKRP would have like is this link on the Kinks from my friend Tim.

And also from Tim, some movie reviews.

Welcome to the liberal backlash?

Kevin Drum over at Politcal Animal nails something that I've been thinking about for a while.

The only question I have is how much of this is dependent on personalities (LBJ's, W's) and how much is due to those political realignments we hear about happening periodically during American history. Think about who the Democrats and Republicans are right now, and who they were in say, 1868. If we're due for or in a realignment like the last one--Reagan's--they sure do move at a geological pace.

Bérubé

This kind of keeps things in perspective, doesn't it?