there is a light that never goes out 

Howdy, y'all. 'Nuther entry.

It's a bit of an overcast, yet extremely muggy, day here in Chicago. I'm still getting reacquainted with the humidity of the Midwest after seven (7!!!) years in the arid wilderness that was Colorado. Hope it rains. It's that kind of day.

Of course the weather lends one to a bit of introspection, I 'spect.

Those who know me know I'm a bit of a crotchety bastard. And our current political climate has done my mood no favours. Apparently we're supposed to decide yet again between this liar and that liar. tweedle dumb and tweedle cantformapropersentence. I'm tired of the rhetoric. Neither one of these idiots is remotely qualified to earn my vote. In the last presidential election I was roundly lambasted for placing my vote with a candidate who "had no chance." It apparently was my fault that Dubya was "elected" president of these here United States. My contention was, and remains, this: 1) I have always worked on the idea that in a democracy with free elections, the individual retains the right to vote their conscience, not the will of others. I could be wrong. 2) The Democratic party has essentially abandoned everything they have stood for, in favor of a Republican-lite wishy-washyness. They no longer speak for me, or the "values" (I hate that word...What does it mean, really?) I hold. It is their fault that they're losing votes, not any individual "independent" candidate. Until they ask themselves the real questions facing their party and stop blaming others for their failings, the Democratic party will continue to spiral into meaninglessness.
Kerry may very well win the election. In the interest of disclosure, I would really like to see Dubya out of office. I understand that many believe the only way to get rid of him is through a united front. I also understand why people who generally dislike Kerry will vote for him on the basis of "the lesser of two evils". Good for you. But when I'm presented with the options of going to see "Gigli" or "White Chicks", I think I'll choose "coffee and Cigarettes" instead. And guess what? In America, that's my right. Will it make "Coffee and Cigarettes" the number one movie at the box office? Nope. Will I feel better about my choice? You betcha. It's all about advertising. If "Coffee and Cigarettes" got the same amount of media attention that the other two films got, wouldn't it have a better chance? Just wondering.

Gee, wonder who I'm voting for?

Hey...disagree? There's a "comments" button at the bottom of this post....lemme know.

So...music. Today's tune is a piece of pure heaven. Really. I promise. While I was living in Denver, I would make frequent trips to Chicago. My last visit before moving here, I took the train, Amtrak. On my way back to Colorado, on a cold and snowy night in early January, I played this song over and over and over on my CD player. It's thrillingly beautiful and sad...and just wait 'til you get to the end. Josh Rouse has been around for awhile, even releasing an e.p. with Kurt Wagner of Lambchop. Hope you like it...it's a little piece of me.

Josh Rouse: Rise

(Click on the song...it'll take you to my briefcase...you can do the the standard "right click, save as..."from there)