Friday, May 10, 2013
Like a Stone
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Finding the Cowards
On Monday, April 15, two bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people, including a twenty-nine year old woman and an eight year old boy. It seems the entire law enforcement community of the country is now engaged in a fevered effort to apprehend the people responsible for this and bring them to trial. I really hope they find them soon. The whole country is asking itself who would do such a disgusting and cowardly thing, attacking innocent people, and for what?
Though I too want answers about what would motivate such an act of psychotic cowardice, the more important question is not what demented, pathological splinter group is responsible for this, but rather, what is going on in out society as a whole that we are so removed from each other. We have completely lost sight of the fact that we are all connected, and whatever violence is done to one part of the human body is done to the whole. The only cure for violence is to end violence. Violence is a sickness of the spirit and a weakness. It is not sexy or cool or necessary.
On Wednesday April 17, two days after the bombing in Boston, the United States Senate voted on a federal gun control bill. Fifty-five senators voted in favor of it, and forty five voted against stricter measures on gun safety. Forty-five elected American government officials looked straight into the faces of the parents of the victims of the shootings in Newtown and said it was OK with them if we continue to make it easy for criminals and the mentally ill to obtain guns. Forty-five human beings, presumably with families of their own, bowed down to the NRA and the weapons industry in the face of overwhelming evidence and public desire. I would like to ask each and every one of those Senators: What the fuck is wrong with you? Where is your soul? Do you have children? Do you really think giving more people guns will make people more safe? Is your car registered? Do you have a passport for traveling? Do you take off your shoes and belt at the airport when you travel? If we submit to all of these regulations in the name of safety, why not regulate the weapons that are clearly responsible for so much death and misery in our country? Why not advance and join the ranks of the civilized world?
While we continue to look for the murderers responsible for the Boston bombing, here is a list of the people responsible for a crime with much larger repercussions. There are about 31,000 gun-related deaths each year in the US. Here are the people who think that's just fine:
Begich, Mark
Murkowski, Lisa
Sessions, Jeff
Shelby, Richard C.
Boozman, John
Pryor, Mark L.
Flake, Jeff
Rubio, Marco
Chambliss, Saxby
Isakson, Johnny
Grassley, Chuck
Crapo, Mike
Risch, James E.
Coats, Daniel
Moran, Jerry
Roberts, Pat
McConnell, Mitch
Paul, Rand
Vitter, David
Blunt, Roy
Cochran, Thad
Wicker, Roger F.
Baucus, Max
Burr, Richard
Heitkamp, Heidi
Hoeven, John
Fischer, Deb
Johanns, Mike
Ayotte, Kelly
Heller, Dean
Portman, Rob
Coburn, Tom
Inhofe, James M.
Graham, Lindsey
Scott, Tim
Thune, John
Alexander, Lamar
Corker, Bob
Cornyn, John
Cruz, Ted
Hatch, Orrin G.
Lee, Mike
Johnson, Ron
Barrasso, John
Enzi, Michael B.
Though I too want answers about what would motivate such an act of psychotic cowardice, the more important question is not what demented, pathological splinter group is responsible for this, but rather, what is going on in out society as a whole that we are so removed from each other. We have completely lost sight of the fact that we are all connected, and whatever violence is done to one part of the human body is done to the whole. The only cure for violence is to end violence. Violence is a sickness of the spirit and a weakness. It is not sexy or cool or necessary.
On Wednesday April 17, two days after the bombing in Boston, the United States Senate voted on a federal gun control bill. Fifty-five senators voted in favor of it, and forty five voted against stricter measures on gun safety. Forty-five elected American government officials looked straight into the faces of the parents of the victims of the shootings in Newtown and said it was OK with them if we continue to make it easy for criminals and the mentally ill to obtain guns. Forty-five human beings, presumably with families of their own, bowed down to the NRA and the weapons industry in the face of overwhelming evidence and public desire. I would like to ask each and every one of those Senators: What the fuck is wrong with you? Where is your soul? Do you have children? Do you really think giving more people guns will make people more safe? Is your car registered? Do you have a passport for traveling? Do you take off your shoes and belt at the airport when you travel? If we submit to all of these regulations in the name of safety, why not regulate the weapons that are clearly responsible for so much death and misery in our country? Why not advance and join the ranks of the civilized world?
While we continue to look for the murderers responsible for the Boston bombing, here is a list of the people responsible for a crime with much larger repercussions. There are about 31,000 gun-related deaths each year in the US. Here are the people who think that's just fine:
Begich, Mark
Murkowski, Lisa
Sessions, Jeff
Shelby, Richard C.
Boozman, John
Pryor, Mark L.
Flake, Jeff
Rubio, Marco
Chambliss, Saxby
Isakson, Johnny
Grassley, Chuck
Crapo, Mike
Risch, James E.
Coats, Daniel
Moran, Jerry
Roberts, Pat
McConnell, Mitch
Paul, Rand
Vitter, David
Blunt, Roy
Cochran, Thad
Wicker, Roger F.
Baucus, Max
Burr, Richard
Heitkamp, Heidi
Hoeven, John
Fischer, Deb
Johanns, Mike
Ayotte, Kelly
Heller, Dean
Portman, Rob
Coburn, Tom
Inhofe, James M.
Graham, Lindsey
Scott, Tim
Thune, John
Alexander, Lamar
Corker, Bob
Cornyn, John
Cruz, Ted
Hatch, Orrin G.
Lee, Mike
Johnson, Ron
Barrasso, John
Enzi, Michael B.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Singing in French / Evil Right Wing D-bag
As you may know, I translate Georges Brassens into English for my project, Bad Reputation. But I recently decided it would be fun to record French versions of some of the songs. Here they are on my Soundcloud page.
And here's a picture of this evil shitface named Steven Milloy speaking at an event at the Harvard Club. I was the cameraman on this job and I had to listen to him talk out of his ass for forty-five minutes about how there is no such thing as climate change and how liberals have invented every environmental problem there is to further their Socialist agenda. He has a website called "JunkScience" where he uses fake science to debunk actual scientific theories that get in the way of the right wing, Capitalist agenda. He is a very dangerous, ignorant, and immoral person. He got his start being paid by Philip Morris to help them lie about the effects of cigarette smoking. Keep your eye on him.
And here's a picture of this evil shitface named Steven Milloy speaking at an event at the Harvard Club. I was the cameraman on this job and I had to listen to him talk out of his ass for forty-five minutes about how there is no such thing as climate change and how liberals have invented every environmental problem there is to further their Socialist agenda. He has a website called "JunkScience" where he uses fake science to debunk actual scientific theories that get in the way of the right wing, Capitalist agenda. He is a very dangerous, ignorant, and immoral person. He got his start being paid by Philip Morris to help them lie about the effects of cigarette smoking. Keep your eye on him.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Happy Dark Shitty Great
Life is so good and life is so...
I have it all, I am the luckiest man alive. I love my job, I love my family, I zip around on my Vespa going from one weird, interesting, bizarre job to another. I zip around new York City singing songs and playing guitar. I have a gorgeous wife and the most beautiful kids in the world. Yet I lie awake at night worrying about the future of this crazy, sad, violent planet. Why? Something in my brain makes me worry about the sadness and the violence and the stupidity of mankind, even though I have all my bases covered and I have a great life. Is it compassion, is it hubris, is it just a chemical quirk? Maybe this is what it means to be a parent. Apparently...
Sometimes the glory of it all hits me full in the face, like when I'm speeding over the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan at 5:30AM, the sun rising over the Statue of Liberty. Or any time I'm holding my son or daughter and hearing their laughter, or watching them try to walk like little drunk midgets or invent their own language. Daughter's laughter...
Life is so good.
Today I drove to a job at Con Ed headquarters on 29th Street, then went to the gym in Williamsburg, then went to my studio in Dumbo to do a recording session, then came home to play a rousing game of pillow climbing with my kids, then had dinner with my wife's parents. All so good. I really have nothing to complain about.
I have it all, I am the luckiest man alive. I love my job, I love my family, I zip around on my Vespa going from one weird, interesting, bizarre job to another. I zip around new York City singing songs and playing guitar. I have a gorgeous wife and the most beautiful kids in the world. Yet I lie awake at night worrying about the future of this crazy, sad, violent planet. Why? Something in my brain makes me worry about the sadness and the violence and the stupidity of mankind, even though I have all my bases covered and I have a great life. Is it compassion, is it hubris, is it just a chemical quirk? Maybe this is what it means to be a parent. Apparently...
Sometimes the glory of it all hits me full in the face, like when I'm speeding over the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan at 5:30AM, the sun rising over the Statue of Liberty. Or any time I'm holding my son or daughter and hearing their laughter, or watching them try to walk like little drunk midgets or invent their own language. Daughter's laughter...
Life is so good.
Today I drove to a job at Con Ed headquarters on 29th Street, then went to the gym in Williamsburg, then went to my studio in Dumbo to do a recording session, then came home to play a rousing game of pillow climbing with my kids, then had dinner with my wife's parents. All so good. I really have nothing to complain about.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Museum! Aquarium!
Two latin words giving us art and sea life. A great weekend for Jules and Vivienne. Dia Beacon and the Norwalk Aquarium. Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois, Sol LeWitt, poisonous frogs, sting rays, sharks, and meerkats. Oh, the expanding mind of the one year olds in New York.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Getting regular
I've decided to post an update every day about what i've done that day.
Today I rehearsed a Serge Gainsbourg song, "Je t'aime moi non plus," with my friend Elisabeth Cernadas, for a show she's doing February 13th with her band Les Bandits. I'm singing that song with her. It's a very naughty french song about sex. Perfect for Valentine's day. We dedicate it to all the lovers. I dedicate it to Chelsea.
After that, we went to a bar in Fort Greene, Die Schwartze Kolne, for a kids' playtime and beer drinking session. Here's a picture of all the kids and moms and nannies enjoying a Brooklyn afternoon with great beer and toys and a nice padded floor. I love Brooklyn. Vivienne and Jules made new friends as usual.
Today I rehearsed a Serge Gainsbourg song, "Je t'aime moi non plus," with my friend Elisabeth Cernadas, for a show she's doing February 13th with her band Les Bandits. I'm singing that song with her. It's a very naughty french song about sex. Perfect for Valentine's day. We dedicate it to all the lovers. I dedicate it to Chelsea.
After that, we went to a bar in Fort Greene, Die Schwartze Kolne, for a kids' playtime and beer drinking session. Here's a picture of all the kids and moms and nannies enjoying a Brooklyn afternoon with great beer and toys and a nice padded floor. I love Brooklyn. Vivienne and Jules made new friends as usual.
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