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Tuesday night we went to see Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby at Knuckleheads. The unlikely married couple performed as a duo for the entire show, whether the songs were Eric's or Amy's (or someone else's, as in the case of the Flamin' Groovies' classic "You Tore Me Down" and Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone"). We were part of a small but enthusiastic crowd of 40 or 50; it felt a little bit like a living-room show, especially given how conversational (and, afterwards, approachable) the performers were. Eric in particular could have a second career as a stand-up comedian, but Amy gets some good lines in herself. I assume they performed the majority of their new collaborative album. Other favorites included Eric's "Whole Wide World," Amy's "Dancing with Joey Ramone," and the aforementioned Flamin' Groovies song (an all-time favorite of mine).
Wednesday night we went to Sprint Center for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, upon the request of Andrea's three-and-a-half-year-old niece. I mentioned before that I had some ethical qualms about that, and sure enough, PETA were demonstrating outside the venue. But we went in anyway, and found our way to the cheap seats. Aerial acrobatics aren't quite as impressive from up above, but we did have a good view for the "sway pole" act performed by Bello Nock and his female partner. The trained dogs were probably the most enjoyable (if least exotic) of the animal acts (which also included elephants, horses, zebras, and tigers--fewer different animals than perhaps traditionally employed). The circus is otherwise quite different from what I remember from childhood--now they have cheesy Disneyesque song performances (I really could have done without those), many of the clowns (including Bello) don't look like traditional clowns, and there's merchandising out the wazoo. It kind of felt like the whole thing was packaged for Nickelodeon, but I guess that's what works for them in these modern times. The kid was most frightened by the clowns--Andrea asked her if she wanted to sit with me so I could "protect" her, and she actually said yes and climbed up on my lap even though her mommy was right there too. I emphasized several times how silly the clowns were being, and she giggled along with my forced laughter (basic slapstick doesn't do a whole lot for me now that I'm old and jaded--these clowns were no Buster Keatons). Maybe someday she won't be coulrophobic.
Last night I attended an early screening of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, which I guess would be classified as a youthful romantic comedy. It was all right, an enjoyable enough implausible fantasy with enough funny moments to keep it above water. The story follows the title characters (played by the appealing Michael Cera--of Arrested Development, Juno, and Superbad--and Kat Dennings) as they meet and run around in New York City one night in search a secret show by their favorite band. There's a lot of indie music on the soundtrack; of course, I was most happy (in that music-geek way) with one of the opening scenes where band memorabilia on Nick's walls included Buzzcocks and Big Dipper items (among others). I don't think I'd pay eight bucks to see it, but it would be a fun diversion as a rental.
And then there's this:
Statement of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer on the McCain Acceptance Speech (Barbara Boxer)
Why I Will Not Vote for John McCain: Fellow POW (Dr. Phillip Butler, Information Clearing House): "John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I will not vote for him for President of the United States."
McCain's Integrity (Andrew Sullivan, The Atlantic): "For me, this surreal moment is not really about Sarah Palin or Barack Obama or pigs or fish or lipstick. It's about John McCain. The one thing I always thought I knew about him is that he is a decent and honest person. So far, he has let us all down. My guess is he will continue to do so. And that decision, for my part, ends whatever respect I once had for him."
Blizzard of Lies (Paul Krugman, New York Times): "The McCain campaign keeps making assertions that anyone with an Internet connection can disprove in a minute."
Pulling the Curtain on Palin (E.J. Dionne, Washington Post): "John McCain's campaign acknowledged this weekend that Sarah Palin is unprepared to be vice president or president of the United States."
George Bush with Big Hair (Garrison Keillor, Salon): "When you check the actuarial tables on a 72-year-old guy who's had three bouts with cancer, you guess you may be looking at the first woman president, a hustling Evangelical with ethics issues and a chip on her shoulder who, not counting Canada, has set foot outside the country once."
McCain Criticized Wasilla Earmarks in 2001 (CNN): "Republican presidential candidate John McCain criticized two of his future running mate's hometown projects in broadsides in 2001 against congressional 'pork-barrel' spending, records from the Arizona senator's office show."
Sarah Palin Had Turbulent First Year As Mayor of Alaska Town (Seattle Times)
Alejandro Escovedo at the Democratic National Convention (Alejandro Escovedo, Paste)
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