Several days ago Joel Olsteen, that smarmy television preacher, announced that homosexuality was a sin. This from a gentleman whose entire ministry can be basically boiled down to getting as much cash through Jesus as you can grab. Now I'm no biblical scholar, but I seem to remember that the Bible has more references to greed being a sin and a generally bad thing than being a homo. Just saying.
I didn't watch the State of the Union address last night, but I have read excerpts of it. There seems to be a move afoot to stop some of the environmental regulations to appease the chamber of commerce. I know President Obama wants to get re-elected and all, but this still distresses me. There was a letter in the Post Gazette yesterday from a man from Hermitage who still buys the corporate, right-wing swill that climate change is a hoax. Sorry buddy but at age 47 I can tell you how different the winters are than how they were when I was a kid. And this has been one of the snowier ones we have had in quite awhile and still not nearly enough on a consistent basis to sled ride. So I really hope they keep up with the environmental regulations so my niece and nephew have a planet to live on when they reach my age.
As I write this I am having to fend off two pissed off cats who want in my lap. I'm sure they will take revenge on me sometime later, oh, say, around 2-3 am.
And now a few words about Music. According to Pitchforkmusic.com the CD by The Decemberists is the number one album in the U.S.selling 96,567 copies and holding the top spot on the billboard top 200. I got turned onto them by listening to WYEP and have acquired most of their albums/CDs. I like a band who is literate and I love the new CD "The King is Dead." Sue and I saw them in concert a few years ago when they toured behind their Hazards of Love CD. It was one of the best concerts I have seen in a long time. And, even though the critics didn't like that CD, I liked it. So there.
Speaking of WYEP, I am really digging their new "bloc party" format on the weeknights between 8 pm and midnight. They are finally, finally playing some great new music mixed in with some great old music. I just think it's a great thing for the station and the listeners. I may even renew my membership. Although I am fast approaching the big 50 and geezerdom, I'm not one of those people stuck in the 70s and 80s and who will only listen to Barry Manilow and Foreigner (mind you I love some of the stuff from the 70s and 80s--Rolling Stones, Prince come to mind) but I also think there is some great music being made in this decade too. And now with WYEPs new format I can get to listen to some of it. Animal Collective, Outkast, The Thermals, just some of the newer bands they are playing.
I am also a big fan of the website Pitchforkmedia.com. They can be a bit precious and hipstery, but their reviews are excellent and I have found a lot of great music by reading their website/blog.
I listened to Iron and Wine in concert on nprmusic.org and heard them play their new CD "Kiss Each Other Clean." I liked it and Pitchfork gave the CD a respectable rating of 7.7 out of 10. The sound on the album is fuller but I felt like the songs were still the same as far as the quality of the story telling. I also listened to a new CD by a "band" called Destroyer, which is really Dan Bejar a member of The New Pornographers (another great, favorite band). Destroyer's new CD is called "Kaputt" and Pitchfork gave it an 8.8 rating. I liked it--the songs are very long and involved and he's another literate storyteller. I first heard about Destroyer by reading one of Post Gazette columnist Tony Norman's year end music lists a few years ago. Intrigued I bought the CD "Rubies" and became a fan. Tony frequents my favorite record store Paul's CDS in Bloomfield and I ocassionally run into him. By the way, I don't think Tony did a year end music list this year?
Okay, I covered all the bases, religion, politics, music.
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