Thirty years have passed since the day Nick Drake died at the ridiculous age of 26.  Far too many people know his music only from a Volkswagen ad.  Far too many know him not at all.

I have always regarded him as one of the greatest singer-songwriters.  He is most certainly the greatest songwriter who fame mysteriously bypassed.  He was Van Gough with an acoustic guitar. Artists as varied as Beck, Chris Martin, Thom Yorke, Lucinda Williams, Elton John, Peter Buck, David Byrne, Jim White, Robyn Hitchcock, and Vic Chesnutt would certainly agree with me.  And the gifted Elliott Smith followed Nick Drake’s tortured footsteps to a tragic end.

For me, Nick Drake’s music is a perfect score for autumn days.  Cool, crisp, and classy.  Hues of sepia, orange, and ochre.  A sometimes sunny, often cloudy, preface to a long, harsh winter.  But having lived in Drake’s native land, I know his songs are more like the English summer.  A fresh sunny morning with clouds rolling by a Northern Sky, followed by a hazy afternoon.  And always foreboding rain.  Drake’s music and life epitomized the transience of happiness, the fleeting nature of contentment.  Ennui, loss, and despair await their turns.  And one hopes for the patience and toughness to endure until the cycle renews.

Drake’s debut album, Five Leaves Left, epitomizes this truth.  The album opens with Time Has Told Me, a song filled with fresh, if somewhat guarded, optimism.  “Someday our ocean will find its shore,” Drake assures his unnamed lover in the song.  But the hopeful prelude does not last.  The album closes with the straightforward, haunting line, “But Saturday’s sun has turned to Sunday’s rain.”  Five Leaves Left was recorded while Drake was still a student at Cambridge.  Though only 20 at the time, Drake’s lyrics show a remarkable maturity and wisdom reminiscent of Keats.  As so often in Shakespeare, Time is the prevailing theme of the record.  The music is flavored with jazz, folk, baroque, and even Elizabethan styles, displaying Drake’s remarkable range and sensitivity.  For those of you unfamiliar with Nick Drake’s music, begin with this record.

Drake’s second record, Bryter Layter, is often called his most accessible record.  It is also the most criticized.  The orchestrations arranged by Cambridge University mate Robert Kirby are lush and, unfortunately, sometimes drown out Drake’s expert guitar picking.  There are some Muzak moments as well, particularly in the title track, which would sound right at home playing in a hotel lift.  But two songs in particular provide beautiful and haunting revelations of Drake’s vulnerability.  In Fly, Drake completes an emotionally exhausting journey in less than three minutes.  He at first pleads with his unnamed listener for forgiveness, supreme unction, and a new identity.  He is sinking.  Then he swiftly shifts to seeking a quiet recompense.  When that doesn’t work, he attacks: “Please, tell me your second name/ Please, play me your second game.”  Finally, he resorts to a dignified, if dour, resolution, come what may.  Drake is at once melancholy, disillusioned, romantic, introspective, indecisive, fatalistic.  He is Hamlet.  Fly is Drake’s most graceful and beautiful melody, and if you aren’t choked up by the end of this song, then you’re lacking a soul.  Northern Sky, the ninth track on Bryter Layter, is a simple love poem underscored by a mellifluous melody.  The first verse, reprised at the end, speaks with such simple elegance, that I will reprint it and add nothing more:

I never felt magic crazy as this

I never saw moons, knew the meaning of the sea

I never held emotion in the palm of my hand

Or felt the sweet breezes in the top of a tree

But now you're here

Brighten my northern sky

After Bryter Layter received a dearth of publicity and sales, caused in part by Drake’s refusal to promote his own record, Drake grew disillusioned with the music industry and with life.  He also sank into a heavy depression.  His final album, Pink Moon, recorded in two nights, reflects his wounded psyche.  It is Drake’s most terse and economic record.  Aside from some piano in the title track, the instrumentation consists entirely of Drake’s voice and acoustic guitar.  Drake’s music is stripped bare of artifice, and he reveals his soul.  Gone is the melancholy and lighthearted young man of Five Leaves Left.  Intense despair swathes Drake’s voice.  The result is Drake's best and most pure work. Then he abandoned music for almost three years.

Made To Love Magic is Island Records most recent release by Nick Drake.  This is welcome news, for Drake’s music is receiving an appreciation he never experienced in his lifetime.  Perhaps Volkswagen and Wes Anderson can share some credit, but I suspect this renaissance reflects a deep longing by people for good music written by a good singer-songwriter to combat the Ashley Simpson American Idol blues.  Made To Love Magic consists of album outtakes, alternative versions, and several songs Drake recorded shortly before his untimely death in 1974.  Though merely a hodgepodge collection of Drake’s music, the record gives a broad, solid overview of the songwriter’s talents.  A particular gem is the song Mayfair, recorded in Robert Kirby’s dorm room at Cambridge in 1968.  Mayfair, “full of fame but lacking love,” is a fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek ditty reminiscent of Noel Coward.  Drake’s wit is on full display, and he gives a memorable epitaph for the oh-so-posh London neighborhood: “Even the trees are wealthy here.”  This album rounds out Nick Drake’s collection nicely, and serves as a painful reminder of music’s profound loss on a late November morning in 1974.

If you haven’t experienced Nick Drake’s music, now is the perfect time to do so, as Autumn slowly darkens the Northern Sky and passes into Winter.

Once again, from today's White House Press Conference:

Q That's not really what we're looking for, Scott.

MR. McCLELLAN: You've had your turn.

It'd be hilarious, if it wasn't so agonizing.

From today's White House Press Conference:

Helen, go ahead.

Q Why are we killing people in Iraq ? There are many men, women and children being killed there. I mean, what is the reason we are there, killing people, continuing. It's outrageous.

MR. McCLELLAN: The reason we are there is the same reason the international community is, is united in helping Iraq -- the international community is united in helping Iraq move forward on a free and peaceful and democratic future. I think you can look to the recent commitments from the United Nations, from the European Union, from the recent meetings in Sharm el-Sheikh last week, there is a united front from the international community in working together to help the Iraqi people realize a free and peaceful future. There are terrorists and other Saddam loyalists who continue to seek to derail that transition to democracy, but they will --

Q They are fighting for their own country.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- they will not prevail. And we are there to partner with the Iraqi people as they work to realize a better future, one that stands in stark contrast to the past of Saddam Hussein and his brutal regime.

At one time, reporters didn't have to ask such loaded questions, because the press would do their job and report the news, instead of trying to be “fair” to “both sides of an issue.” 

Having problems illustrating our problems in Iraq while discussing the war?  Just remember: Kidnappings average seven a day in Baghdad.

Trombone, Tuba, Drums. (MP 3)  Iggy & The Stooges.  Two great tastes that go great together.  The Ridiculous Trio: Plays the Stooges.  Oh, and IT ROCKS. 

From the Department of Far From God:

Townhall columnist and “pastor“ of “Clash Church“ (no relation to Joe Strummer and the boys), Doug Giles recently penned a missive to the flock he is attempting to gather.  In “Dirty Harry Goes To Church,“  Giles wonders aloud, while describing the visit of Detective Harry Callahan to an “effeminized church” :

There has got to be a church where a man doesn’t have to sacrifice his masculinity in order to be a believer. 

Last week, in “Do You Have A Pit Bull Attitude?“  Giles described the ideal Christian leader:

God intended His believers—especially Christian leaders—to be spiritual warriors, to be pit bulls who smash demonic strongholds, stand for truth and bring life, light and healing to this great planet.

And his Church?  Read on:  

For men, we embrace a masculine spirituality.  We believe God created men to be men without apology.  We believe that Biblical masculinity is necessary for the church to be the overcoming organism God intends for it to be.  Therefore, we avoid the feminization of men and the spiritual emasculation of God’s rowdy warriors that usually accompanies most evangelical churches.  

We are Clash Christian Church.

Mr. Giles' words echo those of other right-wing Christians, the so-called “Deutschen Christen“ or “German Christians” who emerged from the early days of the Nazi seizure of power in Germany:

The “German Christians“ described their creed thusly:

“Christian faith is a heroic, manly thing.  God speaks in blood and Volk a more powerful language than He does in the idea of humanity.“

Like Mr. Giles, they were political--see this description of a church election from Victoria Barnett's For The Soul of The People:

Church elections were planned to be held in all regional churches on July 23, 1933 to elect delegates to a national synod that would officially elect a new Reich Bishop.  In a few regional churches, the Young Reformation Movement, an opposition group, placed its candidate on the ballot; but in many regions, the lists of candidates were almost exclusively “German Christian.”  The Nazi party open supported the “German Christians.”  Three days before the elections, party chief Rudolf Hess ordered all party members to get their names on the elections lists in their parishes, reminding them that “participation in the election is mandatory.“  On election eve, Hitler himself openly supported the “German Christians“ in a nationally broadcast radio speech.  Church members entering their churches to vote were confronted by rows of SA members wearing sandwich boards carrying the names of the “German Christian“ candidates.  Nationally, the “German Christians“ won two-thirds of the vote, giving them the majority in regional synods throughout Germany. . .

Protestant outrage reached its peak after the national “German Christian“ rally, held at the Berlin Sportspalast on November 13, 1933.  A series of speakers called for the removal of all pastors unsympathetic to National Socialism, the formation of a separate church for Christians of Jewish descent, and for implementation of the “Aryan paragraph“ and the removal of the Old Testament from the Bible.

If seeing these passages next to Mr. Giles' lines isn't enough to chill your veins to ice, then think this over:  Look to see the ideological cohesiveness of the Church corrupted by those who see it as a popular vehicle for their own purposes.  In such a situation, there will be a free-wheeling adoption of Christ's name to any number of causes, including political movements of all kinds.

These times present great dangers to lovers of freedom.  That is why we must fight with everything we have now.  We can and will be triumphant, but vigilance, wisdom and strength will be needed.  

  [New York, 3 October 1789]

By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be--That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

G Washington
 

From a recent sermon of Jerry Fallwell:

I daily thank God for talk radio, Fox News Channel, internet bloggers and news producers like NewsMax.Com, WorldNetDaily.Com, The Drudge Report, etc.

 

He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.

From Johann Hari's interview with Nixon's hatchet man G. Gordon Liddy:

The Fuhrer was G Gordon Liddy's first political hero. Liddy was a sickly, asthmatic child when he grew up in Hoboken, New Jersey, in the 1930s. The town was full of ethnic Germans who idolized Hitler. Liddy was made to salute the Stars and Stripes Nazi-style by the nuns at his school; even now, he admits, "at assemblies where the national anthem is played, I must suppress the urge to snap out my right arm." His beloved German nanny taught him that Hitler had - through sheer will-power - "dragged Germany from weakness to strength."

This gave Liddy hope "for the first time in my life" that he too could overcome weakness. When he listened to Hitler on the radio, it "made me feel a strength inside I had never known before," he explains. "Hitler's sheer animal confidence and power of will [entranced me]. He sent an electric current through my body."

... how about your fanatical Nietzschean emphasis on Will-power? He has written, "If any one component of man ought to be exercised, cultivated and strengthened above all others, it is the will; and that must have one objective - to win." He used to take his kids to see Leni Reifenstahl's Nazi propaganda movie 'The Triumph of the Will.' When he was a kid himself, he went to insane ends to test his will-power. He stood in front of approaching trains, telling himself he would not die because "I am a machine too." During lightning storms, in order to demonstrate to himself to power of his will, he would climb onto tall trees and yell, "Kill me! Kill me!"

This guy is on the radio every day in the U.S.  Every day.

Nice encapsulation in the three top headlines on washingtonpost.com right now:

Officials Signal Need For Additional Troops In Iraq

Diplomacy Takes A Beating

System Has Eluded Reform

Hell, I won't need to read the papers for another two years.

From Ronnie Earle's own website:

Ronald Earle, a former member of the Texas House of Representatives, former presiding judge of the Austin Municipal Court, and former chief counsel of the Texas Judicial Council, was elected district attorney of Travis County in 1976.  Re-elected four times without opposition, he is currently serving his sixth four-year term. Innovative programs of his office have been featured in the national media, including Parade Magazine, and he has appeared on numerous network news programs, including Dateline, 60 Minutes, Nightline, and others.  He has been named Outstanding Young Lawyer in Austin, Public Administrator of the Year for Austin, and 1996 Texas Prosecutor of the Year. In 1999 he received the Neighborhood Peacemaker Award from the Austin Dispute Resolution Center, and in 2000 was named Elected Official of the Year by the Centex Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. He received the Texas Bar Foundation Award for Advancing Legal Ethics in Texas and his office has been selected by the National District Attorneys Association as one of ten model offices in the country.  Considered a pioneer of the emerging concept of community restorative justice, he has chaired Travis County's Community Justice Council since 1990.

Gee what a terrible guy!

Normally, I wouldn't pass along this type of thing, but I couldn't help myself.  From Gawker.

Freemans tuesday night the 16th of nov. the bush twins along with 2 massive secret service men tried to have dinner they were told by the maitre 'd that they were full and would be for the next 4 years upon hearing the entire restaurant cheered and did a round of shots it was amazing!!! [Ed: We're hearing that this is actually true.]

Justice works in so many mysterious ways.

From the NY Times report of the discovery of al- Zarqawi's HQ in Fallujah:

U.S. troops sweeping through the city west of Baghdad found what appeared to be a key command center of terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, along with a separate workshop where an SUV registered in Texas was being converted into a car bomb and a classroom containing flight plans and instructions on shooting down planes.

Maybe they didn't get the November surprise memo from Rove on time.

If the kind of stuff we are seeing on the DeLay Rule from Democrats both at the top and in the grassroots is a preview of the next four years, we are in great shape.  We haven't even begun the new session and already the Republicans are out of position.  Case in point:  Josh Marshall, turning himself into the general of an army of Democrats calling their local Republican members to find out if they voted for the DeLay Rule. 

And The Daily DeLay has a great listing of all of the Republican Congressmen and women who have admitted to voting for the DeLay rule or who are part of what Josh calls “the Shays Handful” who voted against it.  Many of these GOP Representatives have refused to say how they've voted.

Kagro X, a diarist over at the Daily Kos, has provided a great list of parliamentary maneuvers to make post-DeLay Rule life uncomfortable our red friends as well.  My personal favorite:  A Discharge Petition to prohibit execution of the duties required of the Majority Leader under the Rules when the Majority Leader is under indictment, forcing a vote on the record on the DeLay rule. 

These moves are having an effect.  According to Josh, a number of newspapers have written editorials condemning the DeLay rule and the type of corruption it stands for.

So, if your Congressman or woman is a Republican, please, by all means give them a call to find out if they voted for the DeLay rule.  You'll be glad you did and I promise, they'll be thrilled to hear from you.

Republican Rep. Trent Franks (2nd Dist. AZ) on the vote on the “DeLay Rule” to change the rules to allow indicted Republican leadership to continue in their leadership positions:

Today's rule change strengthens the very fiber of this democracy

Again, I don't make this stuff up people.

I wholeheartedly agree with Professor Cole's sentiment.  The cold-blooded murder of Margaret Hassan and the killing of a wounded Iraqi by a jumped up marine are not moral equivalents.  Our soldiers are not like Zarqawi's gang of thugs.  Not all killings are equal.

However, I disagree with Professor Cole's conclusion that the author in the Al-Hayat piece was attempting to put the marines and the Sunni Arab guerillas who execute hostages on the same moral level.  This is what the author stated, according to Professor Cole's translation:

"The killing of a wounded Iraqi in a Fallujah mosque by an American Marine and the killing of the Iraqi-British hostage Margaret Hassan epitomize the battle taking place in Iraq. As the American military began its investigation of the marine's motives, an Islamic group broadcast a cassette of the slaughter of the female hostage." 

The author thus juxtaposes not only the acts of killing, but also the conduct post actus reus of the groups responsible for the killings.  A possible war crime by a marine was immediately investigated by the U.S. military, thus conveying the American method of using the process of law to deal with alleged criminal acts.  In contrast, Hassan's murderers immediately broadcast a video of their vicious crime on the Internet.  The juxtaposition is clear: Americans use law and order quietly and efficaciously to pursue justice, punish criminals, and preserve morality, while Islamic terrorists use the Internet to publicize and aggrandize their brutality.

Therefore, the epitome of the battle taking place in Iraq is this: America cannot win this war.  The image of a seemingly defenseless Iraqi being shot to death at point blank range by an American soldier in a place of Islamic worship will not be forgotten or excused by Arabs in the Middle East.  The more this image is broadcast in the Middle East, the more America will be hated, because we are the powerful invaders.  Contrariwise, the broadcast of a cold-blooded murder by a gang of terrorist thugs reveals the futility of America; because no matter how strong America is, no matter how much progress America makes, no matter how much damage and casualties America inflicts, a gang of ragamuffin thugs can execute innocent people at any time in Iraq.

America is attempting, and failing, to use violence judiciously to bring peace, while guerillas are marketing violence to gain new recruits.  Guess which side is winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people?

There are blogs like this one which have pictures of the President kissing a woman who is not his wife.  Then there are others which really matter: such as Informed Comment, Professor Juan Cole's blog, which is simply the most informed American voice on Iraq.  His post today about the Marine in Fallujah and the killing of Margaret Hassan hits home.  Every American should be reading his blog.

Dear House Democratic Caucus:

Now that the Republican Caucus has decided to protect Tom DeLay by voting to lift the rule barring Republican Congressmen from holding leadership positions if they have been indicted, I think what you should do is pass a measure forbidding Democrats from holding leadership positions if they are indicted.  If you already have that rule, I'm sure you can think of other ethics rules you can strengthen to highlight the Democratic position on ethics in government.

Sincerely yours,

The Iron Mouth

Bush congratulates his new Secretary of Education, longtime collaborator, Margaret Spellings.

And GH called her a “darling of Dick Cheney.”

They're very, very close," said Sandy Kress, a lawyer who worked at the White House for Spellings.

Jobs at the Bush Administration are turning over faster than at a Taco Bell.  While it is routine for cabinet positions to change hands during a second term at the White House, the rapid departure of so many cabinet officials so soon after the election is disconcerting.  Something is rotten in the state of our union.

During a time when we are supposed to be fighting a war on terror, the offices of Attorney General, Secretary of State, and National Security Advisor have all become vacant.  Moreover, these departures came shortly after a complete overhaul of the CIA was underway.  Only the Pentagon leadership has heretofore been spared of major change, and it wouldn't surprise me to see Donald Rumsfeld soon saddle up and ride toward the sunset for greener corporate pastures.

To those electors who voted for Bush not because of “moral values,” but because they placed greater trust in him to fight the war on terror, I ask the following: Aren't you a bit concerned by this rapid turnover in the middle of a major offensive in Iraq?  Do you not find it worrisome that officials in clandestine operations at the CIA have resigned so shortly after we received that nice little public service announcement from Osama?

But most importantly, are you not the least bit concerned that Bush is packing his entire cabinet with sycophants handpicked by Dick Cheney?  We now know exactly what Bush meant when he dodged the salient final question in the “Town Hall” debate in Missouri by admitting that the only mistakes he made as President were in some of his appointments.  Bush is sorry only for not packing his cabinet with like-minded ideologues who would never question any decision made by Dick Cheney and rubber-stamped by Bush. 

The President's pick to replace departing Secretary of Education Rod Paige tips his hand.  By choosing Margaret Spellings to head the Department of Education, Bush is attempting to surround himself with only the most loyal of servants.  Spellings is a darling of Dick Cheney and one of the architects of the miserable No Child Left Behind Act.  She proved her loyalty while faithfully serving Governor Dubya for six years in Texas.  Her appointment adds to the growing gang of lackeys Bush has assembled: Goss, Gonzales, and Rice.  

As a result, no longer will there be policy debates within the White House.  No longer will there be embarrassing leaks damaging the reputation of the Administration.  No longer will there be inconsistent messages sent by Administration officials.  No longer will any cabinet official question a decision made by Cheney and Bush, whether it be related to war, the economy, domestic or foreign policy.  Who needs a devil's advocate when God is on the President's side?

If Bush gets his way, the only folks who will remain - from the insular rooms of the West Wing to Capitol Hill, from the Pentagon to CIA Headquarters in Langley, and in all the Federal Agencies that align Constitution and Independence Avenues - are those bobbleheads who have sworn the oath of loyalty to Bush the Fuhrer.

What this means, folks, is that Bush is not at all concerned about building his legacy.  He is solely concerned with staying the disastrous course he began four years ago and making sure that any blunders get covered up.

No doubt the worthless media-run propaganda machine will comply.

On Monday, RW compared the Bush Administration to a sinking ship.  Despite his arrogant claims of having a mandate, Bush can feel the water rising at his feet.  To illustrate, the son of a former head of the CIA has lost the respect and support of the CIA leadership, and the embarrassing details are coming to light.  Thus, Bush has climbed board upon a life raft for salvation.  Goss, Rice, Gonzales, and Spellings have joined him.  Over the next several weeks, Bush, desperately seeking support, will continue to grab hold of more lackeys.

Soon Bush will have a life raft filled with spineless yes men and women.  But a life raft can only hold so much weight before it capsizes.  And as Cheney and Bush continue their pathological bent for making horrible decisions, the weight from the unquestioning support of Cheney-Bush's lackeys will eventually sink the raft.

When this happens, who will save all of us from drowning?