MEDIA MONDAY
It's the Internet sensation that's sweeping the blogosphere! Everyone's talking about...Media Monday! Well, ok maybe not. But a boy can dream.

Use the comments to recommend/slam/rave/question whatever you're watching, reading, looking at or listening to.

"Peace, Love and Understanding" Cover Watch
A student made me a CD of a very odd modern cover of the Nick Lowe tune, by Emotive A Perfect Circle, on an album called "Emotive." (thanks, Doug). In not knowing them I am probably behind, I'm sure. But in searching for the name of the band, which I had forgotten, I ran across this cover: Joe Goldmark, on his 2001 CD "Strong Like Bull Sensitive Like Squirrel." No, I've never heard of him. But an unexpected arrangement indeed. There are way more of these (PL&U covers) than I knew about. Excerpts available at the Amazon links.
--11:50 pm

Lyrics
Do you think Bob Dylan got visited by the secret service in 1963 for writing this song, like the intimidation visited on some Colorado high school students for trying to cover it? What's wrong with this picture? Why are we going backward in our acknowledgement of freedom of artistic expression? When did we start pandering to every offended parent? Far from censoring it, they should be reading it in English class, and hearing it in History.

Bob Dylan--Masters of War
Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

Copyright © 1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music
--4:50 pm

Music: Comebacks
Is this really a good idea?
--4:35 pm

Reviews: Looking for Consensus?
Try meta-critic.com
--2:45 pm

Painting
Happy birthday, Georgia O'Keefe! (And Kenny B!)
--1:50pm

Literature
Always wanted to read James Joyce's Ulysses? Read a page a day at this site. It only takes 2 years. By the time you read it twice, we'll have a new President!
--1:48 pm

Film: Random Thought
Remember when movies were advertised in the paper as being "held over" for so many weeks, so you could see that ET had been playing for almost a year, or Star Wars for almost 2. I always thought that was cool to follow. Why did they stop?
--1:40 pm

Music--New Releases
2 things have my attention from tomorrow's new releases:
1) Rufus Wainright's Want Two, the follow up to last year's brilliant Want One (I think it was originally intended as a double CD). He includes a DVD, like Elvis Costello did with North, more incentive to buy rather than download--a smart strategy. Why don't more do that?
2) I notice The Beautiful South have a new release, an import. Didn't know they were still making music.
--1:30 pm

Film: Top Grossing of the Weekend
1. The Incredibles
2. The Polar Express
3. After the Sunset
4. Bridget Jones 2
5. Seed of Chucky (?)
Is the Chucky franchise really that strong?
--12:59 pm

TV
A college buddy of our own Stevie T is producing a new show on SpikeTV called Hey! Spring of Trivia. From the descriptions I've read, it looks really really funny. Has anyone caught the first 2 episodes? It's a Japanese show they've dubbed into English...Thursday nights. A reviewer for the Hollywood Reporter is predicting big things...
--12:50 pm

Novels
It's National Novel Writing Month. Who knew? If you want to blog your novel, or read others who are blogging their novels, the site is here.
--12:41 pm

Film: The Incredibles
Article 19 gave it 13 stars below. Stuart Klawans, reviewing in The Nation, seemed to like it more, even as he complained that the film "confirmed" unfortunate stereotypes, "and worse"(!). I don't see this take, as Andrew Sullivan does, as a telling example of the rift between liberals and mainstream America, but I do think it a bit silly. Frankly, I was more pissed about them passing on yet another corporate merchandising scheme masquerading as an essential tale of self-respect and family togetherness. Plus ripping off Silver Surfer Iceman. But maybe I'm missing something important.
--1:38 am

Books/Music
The NYT has a review by the wonderful, and maddening, Camille Paglia, of a new book on Frank Zappa written by Barry Miles, the Paul McCartney biographer. Keeping in mind what Elvis Costello says, that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture", this still sounds like a book worth diving into, as reviewed by Ms. Paglia. On the other hand, 1 out of 1 Amazon reviewers says "avoid it like the plague." So, maybe in paperback..
--1:05 am

Article 19 Film Review: The Incredibles
************* (13 out of 19)
What's with all the hype? I liked it pretty well--but it seemed awfully long for kids. The animation is amazing of course, but my expectations of the script may have been a bit high, from what I've been reading about it. It is a funny idea, with plenty of funny lines/scenarios for us old folks. The best news: that they're teaching kids to hate insurance companies; worst news: that they're teaching kids to hate lawyers. Other than that, I was left with this thought: kids have been bombarded with movies and TV teaching them life lessons about being true to themselves, that they're special, that their parents are great and love them, for generations (myself going back to Fat Albert). So, when is it going to start sinking in? I suspect that the moral, feel-good element of these films is just a bone they throw to parents in hopes that they won't feel too bad about being forced to buy so much crap. At any rate, if those lessons actually worked, there would be a lot more emotionally healthy people out there, right?

Also, Frozone is a pretty direct ripoff of the Silver Surfer Iceman. Can they do that?
--12:48 am