Hector para el corazon.

It looks like I've been stymied from seeing El Cantante in theater, but You Tube has the real deal. Even if the film was never made, it can be argued that Marc Antony got his whole style of performance from Hector Lavoe.

Taking note of his Scarface-like appearance. Today we say "Oh, look at the big cheezy lapels and the big glasses...so 70s".
Back then, it was cutting edge and in a way, something of an outlaw message. And the bleachers loaded with screaming teeny boppers eating it up, good for TV, but sure to make parents and politicians nervous.

This and other clips however blurry show a true showman. He shows so much feeling and soul searching when he sings these ballads.

Entourage, for a moment overcomes it's self-imposed Doucheousness

When television programming is quickly growing further advanced that it is catching up to film, one can only be in decline, HBO and Showtime are making sure of that. But the blog has had a problem with Entourage since it came out. The reason?

Completely un-redemptive characters. Sycophantic parasites that glam unto Mr. Glamourpuss because they are old friends from "DA HOOD" Ooh, these are now some Hollywood badasses! Turtle in particular acts like he's never smoked a joint in his life. Drama-how superficial can you be?

Still, 2 weeks ago I finally witnessed an action on the show that helped it climb out it's fetid swamp of douche-water.
E, confronted with Anna Ferris' "Hollywood Boyfriend" talking like that judge from "Idol" and other selfish acts of douchitude "this is not working for me". And he managed to keep his cool and let the asshole evacuate himself in a Mushroom cloud of douche-smoke....it was admirable, and redemptive.

I'm not sure the show will continue this attempt at mature human behavior exhibited by these young Cro-maggots. Note the only non-promotional picture of Kevin Connelly I found on Google Images. This bar-room snapshot would be fine fodder for Hot Chicks with Douchebags

The great gig outdoors

Here's a clip showing what Salsa is all about. "Guarira" by Ray Barretto with a young Ruben Blades. This Saturday August 25th, I take another crack at improvising my way through the unknown pockets of sound within the genre. Aug 25th around 11am. Columbia Rd. NW. The group doesn't have a name, but my guess is that it'll be called Francisco y El Grupo. catchy, right?

UPDATE:
Yes, of course...I have no further information. Well, if you live near Mount Pleasant or Park Road in NW DC, get out there and look for it. I'll be wearing a white tunic.

More Sectarian Bullshit

The blog mused today about the racist nature of the human race throughout history. America seems to think it has it licked, but only remotely began to face the true meaning of equality embedded in it's own Constitution within the last 50 years. We've come far, but not completely there, much less able to end racism in a foreign country.

Once again, Iraq is torn apart by tribal hatred. This is not a solution via political or military means. This will take decades to fix, and it does not look like we can endure the expense of 10 billion a week trying.

Countdown to cleansing time.

Damn. It is becoming necessary for me to blog up a news digest of sorts on the
basis that my head might explode otherwise. Not that I wish to come across
as a big truth hugger bemoaning this war on language, deniability or some
other term that may be used to decribe Alberto Gonzales' testimony. It is
merely my translation of talking points delineated by major news sources, which i should site and link to more prolifically. However, I see the WashingtonPost.com has instituted a paid legal permission to republish articles electronically, so....follow the link below!!!

Let's start with the Iraqi government we're spending $10 billion a week to uphold. To declare this a unified entity is as flawed as the original plan for invading Iraq was by it's own design. Every day of sectarian violence is a result of the calamity the US has enabled. The most common perception of
the policy of President Bush and his few believers left is delusional. As he continues to push the same delusional message to leaders such as Hamid Karzai make this even more laughable. Just because we have been occupying
Iraq since 2003 does not make us an expert on the interrelationships within
the greater Islamic community. Theirs is not one of great love and
compassion equally between different sects and interpretations of the Quran,
but one of fierce loyalty to one's own sect. This does not always translate
into immediate violence, but it is a struggle for power. With the U.S.
planting itself in the middle of tribal conflict while looking for Al Quaeda
is like looking for an apple in an orange orchard. Here's where we get to talking points. Would Karzai not claim Iran was a
"helper" if he did not see signs of compliance from where he is coming from
(just across the way) and has there been any proof otherwise? Has Iran gone
to war with Afghanistan recently? Just because the US is backing a puppert
government in Iraq, dragging us down with a frenzied and fruitless search
for al Quaeda doesn't make us an authority on Iranian policy. I dont'
suppose giving heed to our tentative diplomatic efforts will be paid much
heed.
In a more thinly veiled breakdown of talking points, British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown cited Afghanistan as the front line of the war on
terror. An outsider's perception of the situation is objectivity
personified. A rare ally at this point needs to be taken to heart, not
drilled into necon theology which will become obsolete if it isn't already.
But I briefly digress. Why are certain magazines that offer sumptuously
photoshopped pictures of celebrities, that extoll their glamourous
lifestyles still interested in Britney Spears? It was tacky and borderline
fraudulent a year ago during her second pregnancy when we "treated" to
clothed and nude portraiture of the no-longer remotely "talented"
entertainer. Her current ouvre is train-wreck antics just short of police
intervention. To entertain any stories that show her being a model citizen
are completely at the other side of the spectrum. They should be covering
Reese Witherspoon, who while overcoming a tense separation from her husband
and father of her kids, is keeping her sanity and her body well preserved.
But that is probably due to her clear motivation to maintain a private like
and not going out to cheezy L.A. hotspots dressed like a crackwhore. While
Reese may also not care for the papparazzi, she does not make the situation
worse by maintaining a clear boundary, philosophically what she wants the
press to cover in a professional sense.
I briefly digress to mention Mitt Romney. Covering this campaign is the
most clear indicator of how shallow and carefully handled these candidates
are. The locales are set up for the bloke to answer the most commonly
repeated questions, lobbed in softly by dedicated journalist attuned to the
slightest variables in the delivery, which tell all the tale. Now I'm
getting tired of hearing these guys slap themselves on the back saying how
Conservative they are, just like Reagan. Is that something to aspire for,
especially when your record indicates otherwise? I hate to give Giuliani
credit for anything, but at least his non-Conservative views are still
intact, so I suppose this doesn't make him an ideal candidate for the
republican "I'm so Reagonesque-conservative" ticket. But that is not what
the media is targeting Giuliani for, he has far more hideous demons in his broom closet.

Incidentally, a little bird told me that if you want to be a journalist it's a good idea to start a blog. But if you're serious, don't write in the third person, don't rant about Iraq or Britney and don't post videos of you playing guitar. So how'm I don?

Also , this is the first post I have culled from text written at work, which will explain the skewed alignment, mispelling and discontinuity. Excuses, excuses!

Iraq Slogger-Your one-stop shopping for what's F'D up about the war in Iraq>gum

Commingling with the sweaty spirits

Finally, one of the more prolific photographers of other people's bidness, DC's Elvert Barnes is documenting his out-and-aboutness on video shaky-cam and is posting on YouTube. Many photographers have shot me playing in DuPont and I haven't gotten copies yet, so thank you EB. I must claim though that by the time this was shot, I had been out there over 3 hours, must have been 90 degrees in the shade, and my conga drummer buds Freddy, Reynaldo and Francisco had taken off. Still it was a good day of riffing. Featured here, I'm playing Roky Erickson's Splash 1, Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun, bossa nova style, and more jamming with David Gest, who I met for the first time here, and John an old time street performer who hasn't been seen in Dupont for about 2 years. He was keen to grab his axe and plug it into my Taxi amp.

The Passion of the Salsa

Sunday is my habitual public jam session in Dupont Circle. The music falls into a netherworld of salsa/merengue, jazz and classis rock improvisation. The Puerto Rican guys I play with are vets of their created scene, a spinoff from the larger jams their extended families play up in New York. There is an element of tall tales and wasted years and loco behavior.

This is somewhat emulated via Hollywood in the film El Canante. Sides are weighing in on the exploitative nature of the film, stressing the pitfalls of Laboe's drug use, Puchi's part in the matter and the obstacles of the business. I haven't seen the film yet, but I'm sure it is entertaining, both in the musical parts, and the wallowing in one's own crapulence part. Apparently Antony hasn't the range to make the character likeable for his maverick nature and social courage. Only thing the director demands is to sing hot then look wasted, which is within the realms of any halfway decent singer.

Activision Reports Sluggish Sales For Sousaphone Hero

Endless Summer

Our duty as American's is to serve our country. If we are not in a position to serve as tradition dictates, the tradition now is to blog. If we must blog, let it be of substance, not to wax giggly over our last haul at Target, which perhaps I'm guilty of, but that's another story for another day.

I watch the news in all it's formats. I know about Britney as well as I know Iraq, and even an amateur news source should give equal time to the banal and the grotesque. How can we not admit, both subjects and their abjective planes have been on our mind. Heck for the last two years it seems like I hear of nothing else.

Following a previous post I lambasted the Congress for their douchebaggedry of persistent hastily-prepared bills calling for withdrawal from Iraq. My feeling was, great guys, but you missed the boat a couple of months back, by passing the supplemental, backing the surge. Apparently this only further alienated the Republicans in Congress who took this simpering defeat as an alignment with the common enemy-Bush. Sheesh! Anything to get elected in '08!

With the approval ratings as low as they are it's hard to imagine that the motivations of these politicians are rooted in the present, or to solidify positioning in next years campaign. Apparently John McCain is stuck in a nether region of both and has Gulagged himself out of contention practically.

Less than a month ago the consensus was that there was progress in Iraq. It could not be projected if the calm-by-Iraq standards would continue through the summer. Bush would cite this progress at every chance, with the proviso that Petraeus would most likely affirm this military progress.

A comparison of our Congress and the Iraqi parliament: pre-vacation.
Our Congress is unable to pass legislation, grounded by party-line votes and veto threats. Also sidelined by oversight investigations, gaining little new intel, but setting new standards for baffling non-answers, 5th amendment invocation and blame passing.
The Iraqi parliment is run by a Shiite tribesman, who was once sentenced to death by Saddam Hussein in 1980. He fled to Syria and plotted assassination attempts on Saddam from abroad. Now does he seem like the kind of guy willing to split power of the country with the Sunni? Apparently the Sunni think not. After boycotting Parliament for a month, the Sunni came back, apparently forgetting their gum .

Our main area of progress in Iraq is Anbar Province. This is a Sunni area, which was cleared of Al Quaida insurgents by Sunni insurgents, armed by the US. This has alienated Al-Maliki's government, but all they can do is ask the US to kindly withdraw, which is not going to happen.

Are we the problem? We didn't start the shitstorm, but we sure as shit stirred it up and it's costing us a whole lotta shit. So Bush better get his shit together and come up with some other shit, because this shit we're working ain't it.

Dr. Numbskull

Listened to Rumsfeld's testimony today, with great caution lest my head explode. This may have resembled more of an old school military tribunal, but in a post-Gonzales world it might make your head explode from the banality. You figure of course he will claim to have known nothing about a cover up of Pat Tillman's death. But he will apologize for "errors made".
It is the perfect atmosphere for a non-complicit reaction from the civilian leadership, free from it''s own oversight. While at the very least, a general will lose a star and part of his pension as a result of this investigation.
Oh well, it's a good thing I turned off the CSPAN radio and prepared myself mentally for a comparable diversion: extreme dentistry. yes I was back at Cheney's dentist having three, count 'em, 3 fillings replaced/repaired. Some significant pain for a while, but not as I write this now. Chewing will be of a gingerly nature for a few days I think.