soundboard de cheevo

A late but heartfelt birthday post for my sister Lindsay who celebrated 31 years on this sphere on Sept. 26. I took her out for sushi last week and we had an excellent time. I very much heart Cheebers (her nickname for those who don't know.)

The world lost one of the very few truly wonderful politicians last week in the death of Ann Richards, former governor of Texas. Richards, known for her razor-sharp wit, is considered the first woman to win the title of governor without filling the shoes of a politician husband (a la Lurleen Wallace). Richards was no career politician. She got into the arena relatively late in life after teaching and raising four children with her husband, David. In her term as governor, Richards boosted the economy of her state, was successful in prison and education reform programs. After she was sadly beaten by George W. Bush in the 1994 election, she remained strong in her role as political activist taking on causes such as poverty, gay rights, women's rights and education. In a society where women are judged more harshly than men, especially in politics, Richards held her own in the good ole boys club of Texas politics. The only force that could have stopped her was the cancer that took her li...

Jon Stewart had so much fodder this past week and he certainly didn't disappoint.

Liam Lynch - My United States of Whatever (George Bush Re-Mix) on Transbuddha A nice Saturday cartoon by Richie Zirbes and John Zirbes.

I went to Boston for Labor Day to see one of my favorite people of all time, Roy, and his new bride Liane (also an old friend). Like Clare, I have known Roy since my first semester at Montevallo, some 16 years ago (ouch!). It was just the right mix of fast paced and no paced activities that included: * A Sonic Youth concert * A Cat Power concert (we were in the front row) * Trips to Jamaica Pond park and Arnold Arboretum (in their Boston neighborhood called Jamaica Plain, pictured above) * A shopping trip to Newbury Street to the original famous Newbury Comics (and the Hello Kitty! store) * Great meals both out and in * Movies, movies and more movies including "Little Miss Sunshine" at the historic Coolidge Theater (if you are reading this, go see this movie now); back at the crib we saw the tragically trashy "Behind the Camera: the Unauthorized Story of Diff'rent Strokes" which will stay with us forever because of its total trashiness Packing up to leav...

An Aztec mural down the street from R & L's apartment. A typical residential architecture in Jamaica Plain, Mass. This street looks a lot like San Francisco. Sailboats at Jamaica Pond, a park in Jamaica Plain, Mass.

We got to break in the Burns' brand spankin' new Weber grill. Roy and I were like kids at Christmas lighting the grill, adding the wood chips and grilling the massive feast the Liane prepared for us that included vegetable skewers, burgers, stuffed jalapenos and sausages. For the first time in my life I actually got the corn perfect (by putting it down in the coals for a long time). Labor Day evening was probably the best night of the trip because it of my favorite times with Roy and Lou when we all lived in Birmingham -- grilling out, drinking beer, listening to music and engaging in conversations that seem to have no beginning nor end. I feel lucky to have these two and so glad that they have either other.

Cat Power, a.k.a. Chan Marshall, played two solo shows at the Boston Museum of Fine Art. Roy suggested we get there early to get a good seat and low-and-behold, we were the first two in line meaning we got front and center seats. The rule was no flash photography so I did my best with some long exposure shots. The Flickr album is here. Since there was no real stage, only a 12 inch riser, the show felt more like being in someone's living room. She was funny, talkative and brilliant sounding on piano, guitar and acapella and had the entire audience wrapped around her little finger by the show's end. I highly recommend the latest Cat Power album, " The Greatest ". Roy described it to me at her very own "Dusty in Memphis" and after listening to it all this week, I agree that his description is perfect. After hearing the "Sound of Birmingham" album so recently, it's ironic to hear another album so infused with sixties sounding R & B.

Just how bad was the "Diff'rent Strokes" movie? It's hard to put into words, but was so bad I really want to watch it again to try and fully absorb all of the bad casting, bad sets, bad music (they didn't even have rights to the "Diff'rent Strokes" theme song), bad wigs -- where to begin, where to end. It makes all those lame Lifetime movies starring Patty Duke look Oscar worthy. Any child of the '80s should see this movie when and if ever it is released on DVD for pure comedy. The budget was so tight that the audience shots were all recycled, even when they were showing "scenes" from seasons that were years apart. Gary Coleman was played by three different characters, but his assistant, a Michael Jackson wannabe, remained the same age throughtout. Ed Wood would have really appreciated all the corner cutting. Here's what Entertainment Weekly had to say: