RainyDay

Whatever. I'm glad it started out as nonpolitical or I wouldn't have seen it when I was passing through.

Thank you for starting this thread. I took a journalism class many years ago and one of our assigments was to write a story about Mr. Korematsu. He came to the class and he told his story, then we all asked questions like a press conference. I knew about the Japanese American internment from family members who spoke of it with great sadness. But to hear him talk about it made an indelible impression on me. At the time, I worked with a woman who I didn't know was sent to a camp along with her family. I told her about the interview with Mr. Korematsu and she asked me to step out to the outdoor stairwell that we called the "terrace," where all private conversations took place. She told me about her experiences and I cried. I'm sorry to hear of his death. I will always remember him as a quietly dignified person. RIP.

Where did you hear him do something live? I missed him when he was here with Alicia Keys because I don't keep up with the pop artists when they come to town.

Good idea. And yes, it is stupid.

Whoever you ignore is completely within your account and no one knows, unless you tell anyone that person is ignored. You are right. What I'm talking about is when the person is put on ignore, then the ignorer goes on line and posts that the ignoree is now on the ignorer's ignore list. Then the ignoree gets all bent out of shape and he and his supporters line up over here, and the ignorer's supporter's line up over there, and an online shootout ensues. Get it? Oh, shoot, just ignore this. B-)

Anybody heard this CD by John Legend? The Snoop thread made me think of this because Snoop is on the Legend CD. I'm not a Snoop fan at all, so imagine my surprise to hear him on something and not hate it. Anyway, Legend plays piano and sings. He can sing (unlike many pop singers) and is versatile. Nice range of styles on the CD. His background is gospel and it lends such a refreshing quality to music that is obviously hip hop inspired. The video for the song "Ordinary People" is running on VH1 and VH1 Soul. The interesting thing about the video is that it adds strings and harmonica to the end of the song and it gives it such a big sound without sounding corny and overproduced. It's a beautiful song without the strings. Opinions?

If I may humbly make a suggestion: When someone is put on ignore, it would create less drama if it's not announced on the board. This feature sometimes ends up being a club for those who have issues with other posters and the act of ignoring becomes an issue and much drama ensues. Just my two cents.

To answer the question in the thread, I just came from my closed police/crime chat group where a community council head, ususally the voice of peace and reason, just took a direct shot at a city staffer (that many of us loathe). Basically called her a liar. Maybe it's post full moon fever. Everyone is uptight.

Baloney! Didn't you hear about the Republican governor of Illinois who susupended the death penalty and had to let a bunch of convicted folks go because of prosecutor misconduct? It's not about truth, it's about WINNING. I went to law school. Lance Ito was two classes ahead of me at Boalt. I know how this game is played. Truth my eye. I hate to invoke the Lacey Peterson case, but I recall a couple of times the judge came down on the prosecution team for withholding evidence from the defense. This is not uncommon. If you have a public defender, chances are no one is going to catch it. Innocent people go to jail. Guilty people get off. That's the way our imperfect system works. Whoever blamed the prosecution in the OJ case had a point. Here were a couple of grandstanding attorneys, who were probably writing screenplays during lunch, making a mess of their case. The OJ trial was the perfect storm to get a not guilty verdict. Sloppy police practices, painting a cop as a racist, and a bumbling prosecution. Edit: Add to the perfect storm the celebrity angle, and OJ is now a golfing fool.

Anyone else NOT agree with this opinion? As the British might say, that is 'spot on'. Outside of racism, I could never understand why people hated him so much. True, he probably got a guilty guy off, but his JOB was to get him off, and he did a splendid job of that. RIP The irony of it is that OJ got off because Cochrane was able to raise a reasonable doubt about the DNA evidence. DNA evidence is usually the kiss of death for the defense, but thanks to an inept LAPD, where a detective walked around with the blood sample in his pocket for some period of time instead of allowing technicians to handle it and book it into evidence, the chain of possession was called into question. The jury just didn't buy the DNA evidence. Cochrane did what he was supposed to do, put on an effective defense. The DNA team, Neufeld and the the other guy Barry somebody or other, (who are considered very competent in the analysis of DNA evidence and who have freed wrongly convicted persons) made a convincing not guilty argument based on their analysis that the DNA evidence was tainted. Nobody ever accused them of "playing dirty" and if it weren't for their testimony, OJ would be in jail today. The anger at Cochrane is silly. Personally, I think OJ got away with murder.

This is a lie and we both know it. You are a perfect example of why people choose to be anonymous. You have hounded me for years to identify myself and you have tried to out me when you thought you knew my real name. People are free to call themselves whatever they choose but I think it is particularly dangerous for women to identify themselves online. I don't mind people using psuedonyms. What I find annoying is people who engage in an obvious alter ego online. I'm surrounded with enough phonies and poseurs in my "offline" life. Yes, I do know your name and, a few years back, I used it on another BBS when you became particularly offensive and reported a fellow poster to his ISP and, I believe, the FBI. It was right after 9/11 and he had sent you (and many of us) a patriotic poem, inspired by that tragedy. Perhaps I shouldn't have dropped your mask (anyway, you say that I didn't), but your cyber behavior became so outrageous that I thought dropping yourt mask might stop you--obviously, it didn't. I have never called you "Whiny Day," as I have seen on JC, but I have to be honest and say that it fits you well. I have never hounded you, much less "for years," but you are a paranoid sort. In fact, I once sent you a PM suggesting that we not make our differences personal. That olive branch was received with a frosty remark, and you obviously took it and chewed it up. If you (or anyone else) went back and took a good look at your various outbursts, I think it would be plain as day that you periodically fly off the handle (so to speak) and have a hissy fit that only you seem to understand. I remember well what caused your first barrage of epithets aimed in my direction, it was when someone had started a thread asking for lines overheard from an exiting concert audience. Explaining this this was not something I personally had overheard, but that I thought it might be interesting, I related a story told me by Lil Armstrong. When King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band (of which she was a member) played a California concert, in 1921, the wife of one of the musicians overheard a black member of the exiting audience say to his wife or girlfriend, "Calling themselves Creole, they ain't nothing but niggers!" Well, my dear, you hit the ceiling and called me a racist and whatever else you could think of. And when our fellow posters thought you were over-reacting, your eruptions escalated. Was I a racist for telling Lil's story? Was Lil a racist for telling it to me? Was the audience member a racist for making the remark? Sorry about the above, but I really think you asked for it. And my apologies to you, Jim, the board has enough of this sort of thing without me contributing to it--but sometimes, you know, some people..... The poem that DEEP wrote was vile and disgusting. He sent it to me twice. The second time he sent it, he said the FBI would be in touch with me so I notified his ISP. I am not a fan of the FBI and didn't want them contacting me for a damn thing. Especially anything related to 9-11. At the time, I had been posting at JC for less than a year, during a time DEEP had been banned and had just been let back in, around the time of 9-11. He didn't sign his name to his e-mails and I wasn't sure who was sending me this garbage until it came out at JC. I know what happened because I still have his e-mail. Since I never discussed this with you, I don't know how you came up with your story unless DEEP told you his version of reality in one of his drunken rants. As for the Lil Armstrong story, yes, I have have an aversion to the use of the n-word. Sue me. As Michael Rappaprt, the white actor, said in a documentary about the origin and history of the n-word: Anyone white who is using the word "n---er" and not getting his ass kicked, well something is wrong with that.

This is a lie and we both know it. You are a perfect example of why people choose to be anonymous. You have hounded me for years to identify myself and you have tried to out me when you thought you knew my real name. People are free to call themselves whatever they choose but I think it is particularly dangerous for women to identify themselves online. I don't mind people using psuedonyms. What I find annoying is people who engage in an obvious alter ego online. I'm surrounded with enough phonies and poseurs in my "offline" life.

Wow, this place sure is going to hell in a hand basket. Since Jim informed me some months ago I don't need to post here, I'm sure my opinion is not wanted (and for the record, I am not going to post further so everyone can breathe easy). But I must say, you have let a twit like Che goad you all into acting like third graders. And it isn't the end of the world if someone is banned or walks away. The board is not going up in flames. There are many other threads. You CHOOSE to post on this thread that you claim upsets you because you need to have the last word. That's the kind of stupid shit that will eventually kill this place. You don't need an ignore function. You need to act like adults and just walk away. If you can't do that, then I guess you're right. Kill the board with your silly posturing. Che is doing to you all what SS1 did do Aric. Carry one. Apparently being "right" and being the last person to be "right" is more important than talking about jazz.

Have you watched the Discovery Channel Lately? It's all about the FBI, motorcycles, and a bunch of very weird stuff. I keep trying to figure where the discovery part comes in. I miss the stuff about the planet and the cosmos. There is a science channel on digital that is sort of good.

That was the episode "Bop Gun". And the line that made me a Homicide fan for life was when they told Robin Williams character that they wanted him to view a line-up and he said something like "Tell me who did it and I'll pick him out." For more almsot 30 years, Route 66 was my favorite TV drama. Even in the reruns on Nick at Night in the 1980's, it held up very well. Then Homicide came along and it was love at first sight. I don't own a DVD player and the only reason I'm going to buy one is so that I can buy the DVD of the first two seasons of Homicide. I was so depressed when it was cancelled. It never really found a substantial audience. Can't get into the Wire at all.

I don't have anything against the Baldwins, although Steven is my least favorite as an actor. I haven't seen the movie but the idea of them getting bombed by Canadians was enough to make me laugh out loud. Gotta love South Park.

Kevin Pollack in Usual Suspects (and a couple of other roles--Avalon comes to mind). Richard Belzer in the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street Does Michael Keaton count? He started out as a comic. I'm thinking about the one where he was an alocholic. Clean and Sober. Godfrey Cambridge in Watermelon Man.

I voted absentee and hand delivered my ballot over a week ago to the county Registrars of Voters. My co-workers report long lines in Piedment, Marin, and Berkeley. Maybe this is only in California but employers have to give up to two paid hours leave for employees to vote but are required to coordinated their time off with supervisors in advance. The polls are open from 7 AM and close at 8 PM. I've voted in churches and there was never any proseltizing. If there is political commentary by the polls, it is illegal and should be reported to the county Registrar and/or the Secretary of State (state level). Last night, the Sundance Channel ran Unprecedented, about the 2000 Florida elections, a doc about the Iraq war, and Bush's Brain (I fell asleep before it started so missed it). I'd seen Unprecedented before but it's still a shock to see how easy it is to disenfranchise voters in full view of the public and nothing is done about it. Especially when you read news reportst that the same things are happening all over again in 2004. My guess is that voter fraud is widespread and carried out by both parties. I have been wondering a lot lately just how much of a democracy we really live in. This is as much about political activity at the local level as well as the federal level. There is a ballot measure in Oakland that has really divided people. It's a measure to impose a parcel tax to fund police, fire, and social programs geared at violence reduction. I'm opposed because Council has written a crappy measure (Measure Y) with so many loopholes, they could end up using the funds as they see fit. Besides, basic public safety needs should come out of the General Fund. Lots of side deals were cut, etc. The police department hosts a series of Yahoo groups for people to discuss crime issues but Measure Y has consumed the discussion. It's funny because the cops stay out of the fray (they can't promote political issues anyway) posting crime stats in the middle of a flame war over this ballot measure. The cops won't shut the groups down and I'm sure the elected officials want them gone because they are getting their asses kicked in the discussion. The Measure needs 2/3 to pass and we'll see. I know, more than you want to know about Oakland politics.

Seventy two cents? Someone sent you a sock full of pennies? That's so sweet.

Hey, we were down since Monday morning until last night at about 12:00am so that's only about 4 days, not a week! Rainy, with all due respect, you don't have "come back to this nonsense". Just don't click on this topic! Fine.

The word, c**t, used to describe this silly little no talent is extremely offensive and for me is as disgusting as someone referring to a black no talent with the n-word. This is America and we have the First Amendment so you are free to say whatever you like. I'm free not to like it and to say so. This girl is being exploited and yet she bears the brunt of everyone's outrage. If this young lady had betrayed her country, or been responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, I might be able to at least understand the anger behind it. She lip synched, so does Madonna, despite her denials, so does Janet Jackson, so do most pop singers. Ashlee is not the first no talent singer to make a bunch of money for herself and the folks who orchestrated her career for an inability to sing. Jim: The issue is that it is a disgusting term and perhaps you would have a giggle if someone called your daughter, wife, mother, sister, or another female close to you this awful term. You don't get why I'm pissed, fine. But to say you don't normally use this language but you just can't restrain yourself from using it anyway is disingenious. This is nice, O is down for a week and I get to come back to this nonsense.

Fuck you, you fucking no-talent media-whore cunt. This is real nice. She can't just be talentless (which she is), she has to be slurred, too. What do you call no talent male musicians? I don't recall anyone calling Kenny G a cocksucker because he pumps out garbage. That's straight up fucked up. I can't stand any of these no talent women either but if the Babe Thread was still here, I'm sure you would be drooling all over her. Hypocrite.

Na na na na na na na Today is your birhday Na na na na na na na We're gonna have a good time Na na na na na na na ....that's all I remember... But have a happy birthday!! (I tried to upload your birthday cake but I dropped it--a bunch of times)

Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola and Jean-Luc Ponty appeared at San Francisco’s Masonic Hall for an hour and 45 minutes in what was a genuine love fest between artists and their adoring audience. The two words that spring to mind in describing this concert are extraordinary virtuosity. The overarching theme was exquisite musicianship and incomparable music. I have been a fan of Al Di Meola for decades and had never seen him live. I would be dishonest to state that he was the driving force behind my attendance at Friday’s show. Di Meola is one of the few artists who can have me doing a Wayne and Garth version of “I’m not worthy! I’m not worthy!” I had seen Stanley Clarke back when we both were basically kids and I’d never seen Jean-Luc Ponty. The show was everything and a slice of chocolate mousse cake. The set opened with the artists walking out on stage to a standing ovation--That went on for a quite a while--And on and on…At one point, Clarke made upward motions with his hands to encourage more applause. They took their seats and began with “Indigo.” Di Meola plays a guitar that is capable of mimicking various sounds, a synth guitar, if you will. I’ve read more, accurate and technical explanations of this guitar and what it does, but on Friday night, not knowing what I was hearing, I kept looking around for the guy on synthesizer who surely was lurking someone in the shadows. But It was all Di Meola and what a sound. He switched back and forth form the synth-guitar to an acoustic but the synth sounds add a touch of magic to the music. After “Indigo” Clarke introduced “Song for John” after wild applause for “Indigo.” "Song for John” has a lovely interweaving of sounds evocative of South America. Ponty’s violin work was lovely. I noted during this song that Di Meola plays the strings inside you, because it describes the feeling I get when I hear him play. They had a lot of fun with this song, conducting short bursts of chatter between instruments while giggling at each other. Another notation about this song was “what a tribute to Coltrane.” Next came the solos. Each artist did three solo songs and this is where the incredible virtuosity of each musician held up. Clarke introduced the solos by comparing it to stand up comedy. He said not every artist could pull off solos because “it’s just you up there on the stage.” There was some playful banter about the elections and when he asked who was supporting whom, the roar for Kerry was deafening. This was San Francisco, after all. This was not your typical SF crowd, either. There were many folks in jeans and lots of calling out and shouting from the audience. I sat in the middle of a group of five teens who couldn’t sit still before the concert started and were completely enthralled during the set, exchanging comments and excited looks. On the other side of me was the typical SF couple, little applause, completely silent. Not a judgment but certainly an interesting mix of the symphony crowd and the diehards. After “Indigo,” Clarke said how much he liked coming to SF because people “just call out. I like that.” Di Meola kicked off the solos with a song I assumed was new because he was reading music for it all the way through. It was not the fiery solo you might expect from him. It was studied and beautiful. The next two solos were old friends because he played them from memory and had fun playing the songs, and playing with them. Ponty was next and just blew the crowd away with his solos. In his second song, he mixed classical with jazz, borrowing what sounded like stray riffs from the “Four Seasons.” He played one song entirely by plucking the strings and playing the violin like it was a guitar. Ponty was magnificent. Clarke rounded out the solos attacking the bass with a set of songs that showed off his slapping, plucking style that drew shouts of ecstasy from the crowd. At one point I thought, how does he do that? Each artist got a standing ovation after his solo. At the end of all the solos, the musicians were treated to one long, standing ovation that threatened to stop the show. One man brought his electric bass down to the stage for Clarke to sign. The artists stepped to the edge of stage and shook hands before taking their seats. Clearly moved by the reception. Di Meola said “This is the warmest welcome we’ve had in a very long time.” It may have been at this point that De Meola gave some grateful fan his guitar pic. They closed the set with “Renaissance,” Clarke referring to it as Ponty’s signature piece. They played the song like old friends. When they were finished, people again leapt to their feet. The musicians walked around the edge of the stage shaking hands and waving. After they left the stage, the crowd went for the encore and they were rewarded with a sizzling version of “School Days.” As they stood for their final bow, they crowd wouldn’t stop applauding. All three musicians strolled around the edge of the stage shaking hands and signing autographs, and even exchanging pleasantries with fans. More fans came to the stage to get closer. It was quite a touching moment for the audience and the artists. Great music, amazing musicianship, good guys, wonderful evening.

The avatars just keep getting better.