I Radio Heaven

This may just sum up his presidency; he thinks it’s all one big joke on the world.

The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: “Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter.”

He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.

Read the rest here.

This was an unfortunate gaffe, since normally the President is actually quite a hoot.

So, i’ve been following this little Texas band since the spring of 1995, seeing them live in Dallas so many times that when they happened to be playing a concert at my high school (!) in Vancouver (!) at  the same time I was home visiting, Leigh recognized me from stage and asked where she’d seen me before (one of my all-time favorite stalker fan moments.   Their break-up has been lamented over and again, and when I heard Matt and Leigh were back in the studio . . . *swoon*

Courtesy of my new BFF Shane Bertou, I discovered a wonderful website, Noise Trade.  Its hook is that you can either pay what you want to download an album (the Radiohead model), or you can give them the e-mail address of three of your friends and then download the album FOR FREE (the spam-your-friends model).  I chose the latter, of course, which would explain the Noise Trade invitations that some of you received in your inbox (sorry).

Anyway, the album!  Leigh sounds great, especially on “Sooner Than Later” and “Amazing Grace (Give It Back”).  Matt’s lyrics are as poignant as ever, as both have been through much in the years since the dissolution of the original band.

Highly recommended!

My, Mr. Obama, what a big, presidential seal you have.

From the NY Times.

it seems like CNN, along with the rest of mainstream Evangelicalism, doesn’t exactly know what to make of him (for the record, i *heart* SC).

The bus runs on vegetable oil and, yes, it’s a political statement. “It’ll be a long time before we fight a war over used veggie oil,” says Claiborne with a sly smile.

Claiborne is touring the country, packing churches and community centers, in support of the book he and Chris Haw co-authored, Jesus for President. “This whole project is about the political imagination of what it means to follow after Jesus,” Claiborne said. “The language of Jesus as Lord and savior is just as radical as it would be to say ‘Jesus as our commander in chief’ today.” 

read the rest of the article here.

witness Jay-Z covering Oasis’ “Wonderwall”

By now, i’m sure all of you have heard about Dobson’s criticisms of a 2006 Obama speech.  instead of adding to the endless commentary, i’m going to go the way of my friends and refer you to Scot McKnight:

Here’s my take: Dobson and his companion commentator routinely distorted what Obama was saying by rephrasing and capturing what he said in their own context and for their own agendas. For instance, Obama hypothesized (Dobson didn’t get this) what would happen if we moved all nonChristians out of our society. Even then, he was suggesting, we’d have diversity. Then, Obama asked, if we lived out the Bible which parts would we choose? Would it be Leviticus or Deuteronomy — and he brings up shell fish and stoning one’s son — or would it be the Sermon on the Mount, which Obama stated would be difficult for the Defense Dept to apply. Dobson and his guest got into how the OT laws aren’t for today.

What they miss here is that Obama is talking about how to live in a pluralistic society.

Read the rest of the article here.

As we (society at large) become increasingly informed in the very minutiae of our politicians lives (boxers or briefs?), an iPod playlist certainly qualifies as news — or, at least, an interesting factor.  As Stereogum said, “Here’s a detailing of the playlist that’s courting your vote”

• The Rolling Stones (favorite song: “Gimme Shelter”)
• Stevie Wonder (Barack’s musical hero)
• Earth Wind & Fire
• Elton John
• Miles Davis
• John Coltrane
• Charlie Parker
• Bob Dylan (30 songs, including Blood On The Tracks)
• Bruce Springsteen

via The Smudge of Ashen Fluff

BOY OCTOBER WAR WITH FULL TRACKLIST

U2’s first three albums have been re-mastered and will be released by Universal on July 22nd.

Following the re-mastered release of The Joshua Tree last year, Edge has overseen a similar re-mastering of Boy (1980), October (1981) and War (1983), all of which have been re-mastered from the original audio tapes.

Each album will be released in physical and digital formats; as a standard single disc, a deluxe double version including a disc of b-sides, live tracks and rarities, and an LP version pressed on 180gm virgin vinyl

The packaging on all three titles has been restored and expanded, with new liner notes for each record, previously unseen photos and full lyrics.

The full tracklistings and format information is as listed;

BOY

Standard format:

A single CD with re-mastered audio and restored packaging.
Includes a 16 page booklet featuring previously unseen photos, full lyrics and new liner notes by Paul Morley

Tracklisting:
1. I Will Follow 2. Twilight 3. An Cat Dubh 4. Into The Heart 5. Out Of Control 6. Stories For Boys 7. The Ocean 8. A Day Without Me 9. Another Time, Another Place 10. The Electric Co. 11. Shadows And Tall Trees.

Deluxe format:

A standard CD (as above) and a bonus CD.
Bonus CD includes b-sides, live tracks and rarities.
Also includes a 32 page booklet with previously unseen photos, full lyrics, new liner notes by Paul Morley, and explanatory notes on the bonus material by The Edge.

Tracklisting:
1. I Will Follow (Previously Unreleased Mix) 2. 11 O’Clock Tick Tock 3. Touch 4. Speed Of Life (Previously Unreleased Track) 5. Saturday Night (Previously Unreleased Track) 6. Things To Make And Do 7. Out Of Control 8. Boy-Girl 9. Stories For Boys 10. Another Day 11. Twilight 12. Boy-Girl (Live at The Marquee, London) 13. 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (Live at The Marquee, London - Previously Unreleased Version) 14. Cartoon World (Live at The National Stadium, Dublin - Previously Unreleased Track)

Vinyl format:

A single album re-mastered version on 180gram vinyl with restored packaging.

Tracklisting:
Side One 1. I Will Follow 2. Twilight 3. An Cat Dubh 4. Into The Heart 5. Out Of Control
Side Two 1. Stories For Boys 2. The Ocean 3. A Day Without Me 4. Another Time, Another Place 5. The Electric Co. 6. Shadows And Tall Trees.

OCTOBER

Standard format:

A single CD with re-mastered audio and restored packaging.
Includes a 16 page booklet featuring previously unseen photos, full lyrics and new liner notes by Neil McCormick.

Tracklisting:
1. Gloria 2. I Fall Down 3. I Threw A Brick Through A Window 4. Rejoice 5. Fire 6. Tomorrow 7. October 8. With A Shout 9. Stranger In A Strange Land 10. Scarlet 11. Is That All

Deluxe format:

A standard CD (as above) and a bonus CD.
Bonus CD includes b-sides, live tracks and rarities.
Also includes a 32 page booklet with previously unseen photos, full lyrics, new liner notes by Neil McCormick, and explanatory notes on the bonus material by The Edge.

Tracklisting:
1. Gloria (Live at Hammersmith Palais, London) 2. I Fall Down (Live at Hammersmith Palais, London) 3. I Threw A Brick Through A Window (Live at Hammersmith Palais, London) 4. Fire (Live at Hammersmith Palais, London) 5. October (Live at Hammersmith Palais, London) 6. With A Shout (Richard Skinner BBC Session) 7. Scarlet (Richard Skinner BBC Session) 8. I Threw A Brick Through A Window (Richard Skinner BBC Session) 9. A Celebration 10. J. Swallo 11. Trash, Trampoline And The Party Girl 12. I Will Follow (Live at Paradise Theatre, Boston) 13. The Ocean (Live at Paradise Theatre, Boston) 14. The Cry/Electric Co. (Live at Paradise Theatre, Boston) 15. 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (Live at Paradise Theatre, Boston) 16. I Will Follow (Live From Hattem, Netherlands) 17. Tomorrow (Bono & Adam Clayton, Common Ground Remix)

Vinyl format:

A single album re-mastered version on 180gram vinyl with restored packaging.

Tracklisting:
Side One 1. Gloria 2. I Fall Down 3. I Threw A Brick Through A Window 4. Rejoice 5. Fire
Side Two 1. Tomorrow 2. October 3. With A Shout 4. Stranger In A Strange Land 5. Scarlet 6. Is That All?

WAR

Standard format:

A single CD with re-mastered audio and restored packaging.
Includes a 16 page booklet featuring previously unseen photos, full lyrics and new liner notes by Niall Stokes.

Tracklisting:
1. Sunday Bloody Sunday 2. Seconds 3. New Year’s Day 4. Like A Song 5. Drowning Man 6. The Refugee 7. Two Hearts Beat As One 8. Red Light 9. Surrender 10. “40″

Deluxe format:

A standard CD (as above) and a bonus CD.
Bonus CD includes b-sides, live tracks and rarities.
Also includes a 32 page booklet with previously unseen photos, full lyrics, new liner notes by Niall Stokes, and explanatory notes on the bonus material by The Edge.

Tracklisting:
1. Endless Deep 2. Angels Too Tied To The Ground (Previously Unreleased Track) 3. New Year’s Day (7″ single edit) 4. New Year’s Day (USA Remix) 5. New Year’s Day (Ferry Corsten Extended Vocal Mix) 6. New Year’s Day (Ferry Corsten Vocal Radio Mix) 7. Two Hearts Beat As One (Long Mix) 8. Two Hearts Beat As One (USA Remix) 9. Two Hearts Beat As One (Club Version) 10. Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete The Chop)

Vinyl format:

A single album re-mastered version on 180gram vinyl with restored packaging.

Tracklisting:
Side One 1. Sunday Bloody Sunday 2. Seconds 3. New Year’s Day 4. Like A Song… 5. Drowning Man
Side Two 1. The Refugee 2. Two Hearts Beat As One 3. Red Light 4. Surrender 5. “40″

I Radio Heaven is, for the most part, apolitical, since there’s not a party or politician that comes close to representing me and my positions. (in fact, it wishes that a song could be president.) As i’m moving away from the conservatism of my youth towards a more progressive political ideology, i’ve followed the rise of Obama from positive voice of a new Democratic Party to potential (probable?) PotUS with curiousity, excitement, and yet trepidation. However, there are certain aspects of my upbringing that remain, like an overall pro-life stance (though, this one has grown to include all life, something that the Elephants aren’t always known for).  I am not going to be a single-issue voter, but i am trying to decide how much weight to give to it.

Anyway, Michael Gerson of The Washington Post had an op-ed last April that listed some interesting positions of Obama.

“But Obama’s record on abortion is extreme. He opposed the ban on partial-birth abortion — a practice a fellow Democrat, the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, once called “too close to infanticide.” Obama strongly criticized the Supreme Court decision upholding the partial-birth ban. In the Illinois state Senate, he opposed a bill similar to the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which prevents the killing of infants mistakenly left alive by abortion. And now Obama has oddly claimed that he would not want his daughters to be “punished with a baby” because of a crisis pregnancy — hardly a welcoming attitude toward new life.”

Now, the article doesn’t cite sources, so that’s one issue i have with it. Also, the IL bill that Obama opposed was “similar” to the B-AIPA; we have no idea what it really says. But, these positions are certainly more extreme than i, someone who would happily call a late-term abortion ban a great step in a right direction, am comfortable with. If these positions are true, it is something to think about.

ps: if anyone knows anything about reactions to Gerson’s piece (or, for that matter, how true these statements are), i’d love to follow up on it.