Now that my laptop is all put back together again in a very Humpty Dumpty like fashion, we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming of music, politics, sports, and what not. I know I've been a little myopic in my offerings lately, but with all the technical problems and lack of time it really becomes a crapshoot on what to post about each day. Hopefully we can get back to the good ol' days, so let's take today as the first step in that direction.
As I mentioned, it's funny how much you actually miss out on when you're not posting regularly. I didn't even know that my favorite blogger, Penn State professor Michael Berube, had retired the Berube blog. That's how out of the loop I've been.
As Berube mentions in his final post, the reason he's stepping aside is because "I’ve now taken the medium as far as it can go. I feel it’s too constrained, too limiting. My new project for 2007 will involve v-casting my enormous looming ghostly head directly into your living room so that I can harangue you and your loved ones at any hour of the day. This new form will also be available in eight-track format with a “citizens’ band.” And we hope you like our new direction! Damn. I’ve used that Spinal Tap joke before, too. You know how it feels when you think you’re just repeating yourself over and over again?"
Hopefully the day will never come here at Veritas Lux Mea where we feel constained by the blogging boundaries or Spinal Tap jokes, which is one reason for the variety in content. Well, that and the fact that this thing is basically the only creative output I have anymore, since my foray into male modeling fell short (fell short! because I've 5'4! get it? Ah, I'm too funny). Anyways, thanks for the recommendations and support, and now I'll shut up and get postin'.
Political Bloggers spared from Senate Bill
CNET News.com - The U.S. Senate has rejected a proposal that may have required some political bloggers to register as lobbyists or face prison time.
By a 55-43 vote on Thursday evening, the senators approved an amendment that dropped a controversial section dictating such regulations from a massive piece of federal lobbying legislation.
Seven Democrats joined 48 Republicans voting in favor of the amendment, which was proposed by Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah). No Republicans voted against the measure.
The Senate went on to vote 96-2 to approve the entire lobbying package, as amended, on Thursday night. The provision removed from that bill, Section 220, would have required certain people engaged in "grassroots lobbying" to register with the government or face civil and criminal penalties, including up to 10 years in prison.
Supporters of the provision had said it was meant to curb "astroturf" groups--that is, special interest groups, funded by large organizations, labor unions or corporations, that masquerade as ordinary citizens.
But a politically diverse set of advocacy groups, ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to Gun Owners of America, argued that the proposal could actually sweep up a potentially broad swath of bloggers and nonprofit groups. Requiring them to register as lobbyists would violate core freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, they said.
Bennett, the amendment's sponsor, agreed. "Let's reaffirm that the zenith of the Bill of Rights is free speech, the right to petition your government for redress of your grievances, and the right to peacefully assemble, all of which are involved in grassroots lobbying and none of which should be criminalized," the senator said in a floor speech introducing his proposal earlier this week.
Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) made a last plea on Thursday to save Section 220, which he helped to craft. "This provision is intended to shed light on the dollars being spent by lobbyists," he said just before the vote on the amendment striking the language. "It in no way affects individuals who want to call or write their member of Congress."
The bill defined grassroots lobbying activity as a person engaging in "paid efforts" to encourage the "general public to communicate their own views on an issue to federal officials." That message would have to be sent to at least 500 individuals. The person would also have to spend or receive at least $25,000 related to his or her political efforts over any three-month period to trigger the registration requirements.
Mark Fitzgibbons, who runs the GrassrootsFreedom.com advocacy site that opposed Section 220, argued that would mean a political blogger who raised $25,000 to run a political advertisement in The New York Times would be forced to register with the government [Read the full story].
Judge allows music industry to sue XM Satellite
A judge has ruled that the music industry is free to go ahead with a lawsuit against XM Satellite Radio, the company accused of allowing customers to store songs without paying for them.
The finding, made Friday by U.S. District Court Judge Diane Batts in New York, opens the door for music labels such as Atlantic Recording and Capitol Records to press their case against the satellite radio broadcaster.
The record industry alleged in a civil suit filed in May that XM allows subscribers to listen to, store and replay songs as MP3 files. Devices marketed as "XM + MP3" players help people trap the music from XM's broadcasts and then turn them into MP3s. The music labels argue that this infringes on their copyrights.
XM's stance is that listeners are legally allowed to record music off the radio for personal use under the Home Recording Act of 1992. The judge, however, disagreed. While listeners have for years been allowed to record songs off of standard over-the-air stations, satellite radio is different because the transmission is digital. Music labels assert that a listener of satellite radio can scan through the music library and rapidly record hundreds of songs [Read the full story].
Sports
As we approach the NFC and AFC Championship games tomorrow, we turn to the Chicago Sun Time's Jay Mariotti (the dude's got some freaky eyebrows, but he knows Chicago sports) for a fresh update on the storylines:
Need fresh story lines? Look to Lovie
BY JAY MARIOTTI, Sun-Times Columnist
Fixated as we are on Rex, weather reports, Rex, the condition of the defense, Rex, the judge responsible for Tank Johnson's freedom, Rex, the difficulty of locating tickets that aren't counterfeit, Rex, a poll anointing balding punter Brad Maynard as the sexiest Bear and, of course, Rex, we seem to have overlooked a warm story line.
The Bears, remember, are pro football's charter franchise. They were founded by George Halas, whose name is on the trophy awarded to the team that wins the NFC Championship Game. His daughter, Virginia McCaskey, is the 83-year-old matriarch of the operation and a woman bold enough to approve the demotion of her son, Michael, to head gardener or whatever he does at Halas Hall. Should the Bears beat the New Orleans Saints, she'll be on the field to accept the hardware etched with her father's name.
Dreaming about that trophy
We hadn't given it one thought. So who brought it to our attention Friday? None other than Lovie Smith, who has been with the organization all of three years. It was mentioned to Smith that linebacker Lance Briggs, when asked to describe his worst nightmare Sunday, said he couldn't imagine the Saints performing the very end-zone dances he has practiced.
''My glass is half-full, always,'' Smith said in his slowwww, Big Sandy drawl. ''In the dreams I've had this week, the Chicago Bears are being presented with the George Halas Trophy at Soldier Field, and Virginia McCaskey is getting the chance to accept it.''
In a week when an ever bitter Mike Ditka hogged headlines, how dignified of Smith to lay out the in-house meaning of a second Super Bowl. Even the most diehard Ditkaphiles and loudest Lovie critics have to give him that much, right? Sure, we still aren't sure if he's an elite coach. Yes, his timeout call with two seconds left in regulation would have been an all-time loopy blunder had Seattle scored on a Hail Mary. I'm aware he'll never be wildly popular in Chicago as the Ditka antithesis -- a maddeningly composed soul in an emotional town with rumbling L trains and a 24/7 pulse. We're still awaiting the results of his fierce loyalty to Rex Grossman on the field and the Tankster off it. There hasn't even been much outcry that talks for a contract extension have stalled, significant because Smith is making just $1.3 million this season -- less than half what Miami gave defensive coordinator Dom Capers -- and he already has considerable leverage if he chooses to become a free agent after next season. To this day, Chicago isn't certain what to make of a guy named Lovie, whose parents assumed he was going to be a girl and adjusted accordingly, sort of...[Read the full story]
Bonus: Lyric Opera's Bryan Griffin sings the Bears' fight song on YouTube, dressed as Ivan in Lyric's production of "Die Fledermaus."
Music
One of my favorite blogs, Sixeyes, has been all about the Ted Leo lately, and today serves up the first "legal" track, "Sons of Cain," off Ted Leo's upcoming new record, Living with the Living. Wisconsinites, you can catch Ted Leo in Madison on April 26th at Club 770.
Shane over at The Torture Garden has some great remixes for you to check out.
Ain't Superstitious, But These Things I've Seen...is a new blog from Madison, WI. Welcome to the Wisconsin music blogging family, Paul.
Featured Artist: The Good, The Bad, and The Queen
Damon Albarn spent the first half of his career as a pop provocateur, but he's spent the second half as a musician, and nobody seems more surprised about this than he is. After achieving Nineties stardom with Blur, he's settled into a head-down, hardworking life of adventurous projects like Gorillaz and his new band, the Good, the Bad and the Queen. The group is an odd mix, to say the least -- Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Verve guitarist Simon Tong and Africa 70 drummer Tony Allen, plus the production of Danger Mouse. But the eclectic elements combine for dark, muted balladry a la Syd Barrett or the Beatles' White Album, with a touch of dub. Fantastic tunes like "Kingdom of Doom," "Nature Springs" and the doo-wop pastiche "80's Life" set the tone for the album's strange beauty, but it peaks with the cinematic strings and megaphone-vocal melancholy of "Herculean." - Rolling Stone
The Good, The Bad, and The Queen - "80's Life"
The Good, The Bad, and The Queen at Myspace
Featured Artist: Dearborn
Dearborn is a high energy rock band who is currently gearing up for their 2007 sophomore release "Always In Disguise". Chicago's premier rock band has fans and critics on the edge of their stereos in anticipation. The band received the 2004 Chicago Music Award for Rock Album of the Year for their debut release, Prepare To Qualify, and this past year were up against rock greats Billy Corgan, Wilco, The Pony's, and Umphrey's McGee as a nominee for 2004 and 2005's Best Rock Entertainer Award.
Dearborn has been featured most recently on NBC's hit series "Kidnapped" as well as on the WGN Morning Show, NBC 5 News, Chicago's Radio Q101, WXRT, 9FM and XM Radio. They've shared the stage with Tom Petty, The Black Crowes, Keane, Cracker, The Redwalls, The Wailers, Rachel Yamagata, Tim Reynolds, Victor Wooten, Karl Denson, Fishbone, Phantom Planet, Virginia Coalition, Will Hoge, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Elliot Morris, Bernie Worrell, Soul Asylum, and Kaki King.
They've done so at famous venues such as the Tweeter Center, Park West, Metro, Double Door, and the House of Blues. Dearborn's talents and online presence have led to a rapidly growing fanbase. Dearborn's grassroots buzz is creating a tidal wave of energy that will raise Dearborn to rock stardom.
"Dearborn has become "the buzz" as Chicago's hottest rock band, building in popularity by word of mouth of their explosive, passionate and emotionally honest live performances that has fostered an ever-growing fan base, and gained respect from notable established artists."
- Daily Isthmus :: Madison, WI
Dearborn - "Already Down"
Dearborn @ Myspace
Featured Artist: Fiction Like Candy
From the band's Myspace page: The name is as sweet as the music. Fiction Like Candy is a San Francisco-based trio that weaves indelible rock melodies with frank, flirtatious female vocals, stirring every emotion in a batch of sugary goodness.
On record and on stage, singer/guitarist/songwriter Genna Giacobassi, bassist Randy Marshall and drummer Keith Sevigny bare their all playing music that invokes the immediate feelings of love, desire and bitter betrayal. Don't let the content of their songs fool the casual listener -- Easily recognizable are nuances of Joni Mitchell, Elvis Costello, The Beatles, Wilco, and Cat Power. However, explore deeper into its sonic landscape and you'll also hear the love of Motown, The Ramones and Cheap Trick bubbling underneath with its simplified anthems that draw from a time when rock compositions were short, tight and blunt, with dangerous excitement. Giacobassi's flexible vocals and circuitous lyrics may at times seem emotionally vulnerable, but the strength, a nod to her Midwestern roots, powers through the mix with true intensity. Paired with Marshall's muscular bass lines and backing vocals and Sevigny's energetic and articulate drumming, Fiction Like Candy disproves genre pigeonholing and creates songs that simply rock. While still retaining the atmospheric depth of their delicate, lo-fi EP "La La Lo," (2005) their second EP, "Brand New Fancy Truth," (Release date: February 6, 2007) is more abrasive, challenging and darker. Overall, the music may defy genres, but that is what makes Fiction Like Candy special -- it refuses to settle for a predictable sound, preferring instead to go for the heart and the throat.
Fiction Like Candy - "Joke"
Fiction Like Candy website
Featured Artist: Kid Innocence
Kid Innocence - "Post Love Era"
Kid Innocence - "Three Treasures Lost"
Kid Innocence at Myspace
Saturday Afternoon MP3s
We Are Scientists - "Inaction"
Dinosaur Jr. - "Freak Scene"
Deftones - "Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event"
Sufjan Stevens - "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."
Herbie Hancock - "Cantaloupe Island"
Cat Power - "Shaking Paper"
Whew. That felt good.