I’m watching a bio on Ronald Reagan. He offered, on behalf of all delegates, Richard Nixon as the Republican nominee for president in 1968. It was that film clip that made me realize a parable for what our country has been going through for the last 80 years.

Since Nixon, it seems like we’ve had an Old Testament God offering us two choices for president. In the Old Testament, God often gives the Israelites choices, often with detrimental repercussions. Don’t eat the fruit or you’ll lose favor with Me, don’t look back or you’ll turn into a pillar of salt,  don’t sin too much or I’ll destroy everything in a flood. Actually, I don’t think God offered any pre-flood retribution besides Noah and his family, but you get my point.

We hit great milestones and prosperity beginning with FDR, then later Kennedy and Johnson. We saw how great America could be, how we could change for the better in our actions with the world and each other. But then came Nixon. In my parable, Man’s sins killed Robert Kennedy, leading to our punishment - Tricky Dick Nixon. We finally turned around with Jimmy Carter, but like Christ he was too good, so we killed him too soon. Reagan and Bush I were meant to be our Great Flood, with Clinton as Noah, and prosperity and fairness returned.

But like the early Israelites, we just can’t seem to handle the good stuff for too long. We seem to live to suffer, so we elected the dumbest, worst president ever, Bush II.

Now is our chance to move away from that Old Testament God and join the new world, a New Testament with Barack Obama.

I am not saying that Obama (or Carter) are Christ-like in the least. Just that this is our opportunity to start anew, bring a new Covenant to America so we can grow and love and be loved based on our actions. I know that apple (McCain/Palin) is tempting to some voters, but don’t let it decieve you. Patience will bring us something like Eden, even if it only means a Clinton-like balanced budget and fair taxing or a FDR-style New Deal.

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I intended my next blog post to be about my time in downtown St Paul during the Republican convention. I saw a taping of “The Daily Show” and some far less funny things on the street. I didn’t get around to it though, and the subject has been beat to death, so I’ll save you all from it.

Instead, I have an irritation to share. I love my Tivo. It has literally changed the way I watch TV. I don’t mind all the “Thumbs Up” things on commercials. I don’t mind the stupid messages Tivo downloads to my box. I can deal with the Norton ad on the bottom of the Tivo home screen.

But this is too much. Today I turned on my Tivo to find my Now Playing List contained a program with a different icon than I had seen, and it was something I did not schedule myself.

When I played it, my worst fears were realized.

What the hell does Tivo think they’re doing?! I PAY for this subscription service, and they have the balls to download a 29 minute infomercial to my box?! I don’t even know what the stupid infomercial is for — I’m not watching that shit.

Tivo, if you’re listening — knock it off NOW.

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I had a couple errands to run in downtown Hopkins, Minnesota today.

I started by dropping off some CDs at the library. There, the female security guard tried to kick out an apparently drunk young man. I say “tried” because Even after waiting for her to finish up after five minutes, the dude was still hanging around the doorway. She’d tell him to leave, he’d say he did nothing wrong. She’d ask to see his ID to prove he’s 21 because she saw him with a can of beer, he’d mumble that he didn’t have anything. Drain, rinse, and repeat.

Next I walked along Main Street, noting all the old-fashioned window signs adding to the quaintness of the city. I wanted to stop at Bud’s Music Shop, but it was closed. So, I took a pic of a beautiful blue guitar in the window. Mmmmmm….

 I ended up going into the Hopkins Antique Mall — a huge place filled to the brim with some crap, but lots of goodies. Here’s a few of my favorites:

Gay toothbrushes

“What you don’t know about Liberace” - I didn’t know he was such a mama’s boy! Cute!

Um, that is a Nazi symbol, right? I know that it’s also a Hindu symbol, but come on. Were Nazi’s “real disco”?

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I was at Moscow on the Hill tonight for a birthday party. We were on the patio and I was facing the door that goes inside, so I looked at everyone coming in and out.

Once the door opened, and out came a very familiar face and didn’t think much of it. Then I realized that the face was entirely out of context because it was a famous face. It was Bill Murray! Then I thought, no, it’s just a guy who looks like Bill Murray. I kept staring. He stood there for almost a minute as a man with him told the waiter which table they wanted. He also had a sexy lady with him. He looked very normal, but also very handsome.

As his party started walking to their table, I tried to get my group’s attention, but they ignored me at first, excited about some conversation. “That guy looks just like Billy Murray. I think it’s Bill Murray!” I said probably way too loudly. Everyone at my table looked confused for a bit because Bill’s back was to them, but then finally everyone gasped. One reminded us that Bill owns or co-owns the St. Paul Saints, which would explain his presence in St.Paul on a summer evening. We all started texting and calling friends.

The accordionist serenaded them, and they clapped joyfully. They had the same waiter as us. When the waiter came to take our cards I said “Big guest over there, huh?” and he said “Yeah, I hope so” with a huge grin.

I don’t think anyone bothered him, but I saw a few people come out for a closer look. I saw a camera flash at one point, but it might have even been from Bill’s party. I’m not sure.

I wonder where Bill stays when he’s in town.

P.S. To be clear: I did not take that picture. I thought a snapshot would be more appropriate — didn’t mean to lead anybody on.

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Looks like spammers are turning to society’s craving for juicy bits on celebs. Namely, Angelina Jolie.

Here’s a screeshot of some recent spam subject lines from my Gmail account, highlight a truly special accusation:

I must admit that I really wanted to open that email. I wonder how she would do it — especially without help. Enticing!

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So I get these polls to take from NPR every once in a while. Normally they are exactly what one would expect from an NPR poll — dry, long, and boring.

Today’s, however, was quite humorous right from the start. Check out the third and fourth choices in particular (click to enlarge):

Which one would you pick?

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Yeah, I have a WiiFit. And yeah, I still use it. Not every day, but I find it to be a great supplement to my exercise routine. I’m not one to join a gym or do a bunch of sit-ups on my own, so the WiiFit is a great motivator, and I definitely have reaped some benefits (firmer abs, greater endurance, and better posture).

Here are a couple of my finest moments.

Here’s a pic from when I finally beat that damn balance balls game or whatever it’s called:

Champion!! That’s probably nothing to a lot of people, but it took me nearly 50 days (unknown number of attempts) to reach this.

And here’s a pic of me achieving perfect balance on the balance test (part of the fitness test you’re supposed to take every day):

I pre-ordered Guitar Hero World Tour for Wii, which I am super psyched for. I played Rock Band on the Wii last night and can see what people have been complaining about. Still, what a fun and somewhat productive thing to do (making even fake music is productive in my book).

Also, a co-worker lent me Zack & Wiki, which was super fun so I decided to buy it. It uses the Wiimote in very clever ways, and the levels are interesting. You can’t buy it new any more for some reason though, but there’s some Amazon merchants selling new ones on the cheap.

But nothing will compare to what’s in store with WiiMusic (video). w00t!

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I saw one of the finest films I’ve seen this year, if not the best. A friend wanted to go, and I went with, not knowing much about it.

It’s “The Visitor“, and I suggest everyone to run out and see it. I’m saying this not because it could be a sleeper hit like “Juno” or “Once” last year or ev

en an Oscar contender, but because it is an amazing story told in an elegant way by fantastic actors.

It’s hard to tell who is visiting who. The story begins with a lonely widower professor (you’ll know him as the dead dad from “Six Feet Under”), bored with life and missing his wife. He’s forced to go to New York (he lives and Conneicut) for a conference, where he temporarily moves back into an apartment he’s kept there (and probably hasn’t visited since his wife died). Much to his surprise, a young mixed-nationality couple has moved in based on their friend Ivan’s say-so.

The professor allows the couple to stay at the apartment anyway. The young man plays an ethnic drum of some kind (please excuse my ignorance), and the professor gets into it (he’s already failed piano lessons). The men become fast friends. From there, the story takes two very interesting twists that seem so natural are dealt with so seamlessly, you hardly notice they are twists. It simply feels real.

I won’t give away any more except to say that along with a great story, this is also one of the great New York movies I’ve seen. It really shows New York in all its (sometimes shitty) glory. The subway, the street musicians, the gross delis, the ugly coffee shops, and most importantly, the diversity. It’s the New York I’ve visited, and I’ve never really seen it shown correctly in a film before. Perhaps “Annie Hall” showed it honestly as it was in the mid-70s, but I wouldn’t really know.

So, go see “The Visitor” — 9/10 stars!

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Here we are - about half way through another year. It’s hard to believe we’re almost done with the first decade of the 21st century!

What a great time to be a music fan though.  The pseudo-mainstreaming of indie rock has catapulted non-bubble gum pop/rock to the forefront of MTV time and time again. TV dramady writers love to showcase songs by their favorite indie bands on their shows, and of course Garden State made one band change the lives of millions.

I want to share a couple things here: first, my adoration of what I’ve dubbed Pastoral (Indie)Rock. New-ish bands in this subgenre consists of, but is not limited to:

• Shearwater
• Grizzly Bear
• My Morning Jacket
• Midlake
• Fields of Industry
• Iron & Wine 
• Bon Iver
• Fleet Foxes (Currently the 24th highest selling Amazon.com music download!)

Each of these bands or musicians share a penchant for singing or playing about earthy things, or taking more modern thoughts and spinning them in a hymn-like web, in a very beautiful way. The instrumentation is always so intricate, and often includes banjos. I’m a big fan. There are more bands (Wilco, M. Ward for instance), but these are the ones taking it on now.

Secondly, I’d like to highlight my favorite releases this year so far. You can vote for yours at All Songs Considered.

•  My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges: I cannot stop thinking about this music! As I Twitted, to me, much of it sounds like a lost collaboration between Paul McCartney and George Harrison from 1976. I normally can’t stand music from the 1970s, but MMJ are making me change my mind.
• Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes: Although not as strong of the “Sun Giant” EP, this album is full of engaging melodies and delicate playing. Pastoral indie rock at its best.
• She & Him - Volume 1: This is almost Pastoral Rock because it features one of its inventors, M. Ward. However, at least one member is required to have a bushy beard, and Zooey’s huge hair doesn’t count.
• Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend: I ain’t too proud to say I still like ‘em.
• Magnetic Fields - Distortion: I hope this doesn’t get lost because it was released so early in the year.

There are other albums (Shearwater, Stephen Malkmus, R.E.M.) that are really good, but haven’t really stuck to me. I’ve been listening to an interesting mix of old and new this year. My favorite album for the past three weeks has been Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue Live 1975 (Bootleg Series Vol. 5). So passionate.
That’s enough!

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Last night I had the pleasure of seeing a show at Patrick’s Cabaret in Minneapolis. I had been there before, a couple times. I had thought that these mishmash performances with a wide-ranging bill were anomalies. I went because I had friends performing, and just figured these evenings were one-offs.

The cabarets include artists ranging from poets to belly dancers. One evening I saw a poet from northern Minnesota, a female vocalist of the local cable show ilk, and then a sexy “Rocky Horror Picture Show”-type mini play that included a drag queen and a topless woman. The variety was amazing.

Turns out this is a regular thing. At least monthly, Patrick puts together a conglomerate of artists for an evening or two of total weirdness one could not find anywhere else in the Twin Cities. Last night’s show included the drag queen (dancer/singer/writer Justin Leaf) from the mini play from last time (though this play is not nearly as well thought-out), a gay Japanese man singing the blues for conservative listeners, belly dancing to a Harvey Milk tribute, and a woman with a spectacular old-timey voice doing beautiful accapela songs.

But the highlight was “Happy Imposter”, which is also appearing in the Bedlam 10-minute Play Festival. The piece is a monologue times two: a lesbian character named Melissa has different conversations with a video projection of herself. They’re always talking about different Melissas: “Oh, you ran into Melissa. Are you guys getting back together?” “Damnit, Melissa is calling. Should I pick up?” It’s difficult to convey, but trust me that it was absolutely brilliant. Her timing was nearly perfect and the writing and acting were superb. I can’t figure out if Molly Van Avery, the director, is the actor in the piece. I don’t think it is. Either way, each part was notable.
The best is that I’ll be seeing her piece again on Sunday because she’s in the same group at Bedlam I’m seeing on Sunday. One of my friends is directing a play her boyfriend wrote, so Molly’s piece is icing on the cake. Hooray for local art!

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