Wednesday stuff

Just saw a blurb on the Talking Points Memo that Scott McClellan is stepping down. Undoubtedly to spend more time lying to his family. Heh. Stole that from Jon Stewart, I am sure. I am sure that Bush will say this is cleaning house, even as he continues to fill positions with close friends. His poll numbers don't surprise me. I knew he was incompetent early on--though he continues to show more. I am watching people distance themselves--even evangelicals who now say they didn't vote for him because of his supposed faith. Right. Perhaps I am influenced this morning by listening to the Dixie Chicks pre-release single of "Not Ready to Make Nice," but I am also still mad as hell. (the song is good, btw, and available for a buck on Itunes.

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Ok, back to cheerier stuff. Real life experience on Monday. The gas company upgraded our gas line--the main line to the meter. It was their project, not our request. Sure, they dug up our backyard, but that has already been an ongoing project of Alafair and her mouthy-lefty-blogging dog friend. So, anyway, I return from Yoga to find them finished. They send out a guy to hook up the new meter and light my one pilot. He does and leaves. 20 minutes later, the pilot is out. I call back. Woman says (after 20 minutes of calling, btw) "was the pilot lit when our man came out?" I say (stupidly) that it was. She says, ok, we can send him back out, but there will be a 35 dollar relighting fee.
I say, excuse me, are you kidding? She says nope. I say, hey, you dug up my back yard. She says (and I am not making that up) yes, but we didn't charge you for that.

I sputtered something about incompetence and gall and hung up. Later that day, returned to my usual calm and easy going manner (no jokes, please) I call back and a nice lady (not same one) helps me get our gas working. It ended well, but I was pretty annoyed for a while. :)

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Today is music day for me. This is the day that my Emusic sub re-ups and I get to download some new stuff. I am looking hard at the new Neko Case (anyone listened to it yet?), the new Drive By Truckers, and even the new Calexico. Good old Aquarium Drunkard has a few downloads off the new album that I am liking very much.

I am also excited to note that Emusic has added the old New Pornographer albums which will save me a lot of money. I really love the title track off Mass Romantic. Music like that kind of gets the blood going and improves my Wednesday morning-tired-as-hell mood.

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Walking with SOF the other night after a pretty terrible day, we talked about elitism and snobbery. It was interesting to note how historians, to pick on one group, have a kind of rotating snobbery that is really hard to pin down. One scholar (that I respect) told me how little he liked one book because of its "American Studies" approach. Another, who I respect less, is incredibly dismissive of some of his colleagues because they are "too theoretical." Others in the department complain that, especially the Americanists, don't "understand theory." Need a damn flow chart.

Of course, I am no better. Bucky and I are acknowledged music snobs. I chuckle when talking to friends who don't even recognize 90 percent of the music that I listen to. They have never heard of Wilco, much less Uncle Tupelo. They think I buy the New Pornographers in a plain wrapper, and still think that I am saying Bryan Adams.

Yet, there are those, and some who probably read here, who think that Wilco and Ryan Adams are too popular to really enjoy. :) Need a damn flow chart.

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Back to music. I mentioned yesterday that I was listening to Josh Ritter for the first time. I downloaded a few tracks yesterday morning and "Girl in the War" already has a playcount of 11 and I have worked it up on guitar (e-flat). Really great song and I urge all of you to give it a listen.

Paul said to Petey
"You gotta rock yourself a little harder;
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire"
And I got a girl in the war, Paul the only thing I know to do
Is turn up the music and pray that she makes it through

Because the keys to the kingdom got locked inside the kingdom
And the angels fly around in there, but we can't see them
And I gotta girl in the war, Paul I know that they can hear me yell
If they can't find a way to help, they can go to Hell
If they can't find a way to help her, they can go to Hell