The comeback kid



Pabst Blue Ribbon, a brand of beer which in the recent past has been called the blue collar workers' beverage of choice, is making a comeback according to an article in The Chicago Tribune.

Perhaps it's a sign of the times, or a remembrance of the way it was, or a toast to blue-collar virtue. However you pour it, PBR is America's new beer for a simple reason: It is not new at all.

Industry conglomeration and the introduction of light beers in the 1980s cut deeply into Pabst's already deteriorating market share. In 1996, the Pabst Brewing Co. ended 153 years in Milwaukee and relocated to San Antonio, where it occupied the aging Pearl Brewery for a few, final years. Pabst closed its remaining plants, pouring its last beer in 2001.

Nationwide, grocery store sales of Pabst Blue Ribbon climbed 12 percent in the 52-week period ending in late November. Total sales have increased 5 percent from the past year. "For us, that's a really big deal," says Pabst brand manager Neal Stewart. "That's one of the best increases we've had since 1978."

The Pabst product line, which includes almost the entire stable of retiring American front-runners -- Stroh's, Schlitz, Old Style, Old Milwaukee, Schaefer and Blatz -- is now produced under contract by Miller, the last of the big Milwaukee brewers (but owned by South African interests).

Dear readers, this is the first sign of the second decline for the brand -- media coverage.

As soon as a media-savvy, trendspotter acrobat reads the article in The Tribune, he or she will order a PBR at their next bar visit. When the trendy sorts notice each other consuming PBRs, the whole cycle of fashion will have come full-circle and then dies. Watch-Consume-Repeat.

Chicago



Watch a Chicago slide show

on location: Pilsen, Chicago, IL at Chella Joe's Cafe

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Deep Throat identified


Fred Fielding

William Gaines' students at the University of Illinois (Champaign) identified Fred Fielding as Deep Throat, the one who provided information that eventually collapsed the governement of President Richard M. Nixon.

The article from The Chicago Tribune is here.

Marketplace, a program that airs on National Public Radio, has a regular piece featuring a family from Maine who are treking across the United States in an R.V.

Angus King, the head of the household and former governor of Maine, reports from the road about their journey. It's a very cool piece and this blog urges readers to take a listen to the latest report in streaming RealAudio here. This report was filed from San Diego, Calif.

Creed named in lawsuit

A lawsuit filed in Cook County (Ill.), as reported by The Chicago Tribune, "alleges that (lead singer Scott) Stapp's inability to sing was tantamount to canceling."

The band has been flooded with online complaints and even issued an apology for their notoriously poor performance in December (2002) at the Allstate Arena, but now the members of the rock band Creed are facing a class-action lawsuit over the gig.

Rump roast rising



The Chicago Tribune is reporting that "wholesale (beef) prices have been rising for weeks and show no sign of moderating. That's expected to translate into even higher prices at the supermarket, commodity analysts say."

One hundred pounds of choice beef now sells for more than $130, a 16 percent increase over the $112 average price during the last decade, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Blame the boom-and-bust cattle industry, where prices swing widely. Compounding the problem is a three-year drought over much of the U.S., which has made feed for cattle more expensive.

Ford retiring Thunderbird... again



The recently re-styled -- retro-styled -- Ford Thunderbird will be discontinued after the 2005/2006 model year according to an article printed in today's Chicago Tribune.

The Thunderbird got off to a roaring start when it was reintroduced into the market in 2001 after a three-year halt. Dealers flooded with pre-orders were asking for, and getting, $10,000 premiums on top of the car's sticker price of $30,000.

It won over critics, securing Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year award.

But the flurry died down almost as quickly as it had emerged.

Ford had projected sales of 25,000 per year, but fell well short of that mark. Last year, it sold 19,085, and it has sold just 4,065 through this March, down 21 percent from year-ago levels.

"The likelihood of it seems to me to be so low that it does not surprise me that it's never been discussed in my presence, to my knowledge," said Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, when asked about long-term American military presence stationed on Iraqi bases. (Source: today's Chicago Tribune)

The Tribune also reported that "a federal judge today found a 32-year-old California man not guilty by reason of insanity in an attack on the cockpit of a Chicago-bound jetliner in the weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks."

Edward A. Coburn of Fresno, Calif. was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and reportedly to have believed that the pilots were purposefully attempting to crash the plane in which he was a passenger.

Poor Europe

"Give me a lever long enough and a firm place and I will move the world."
--Archimedes

Many Europeans seem downtrodden with an increased feeling of powerlessness since the start of the war in Iraq. Their views were seemingly pushed aside by Washington in the runup to hostilities. There may be more from where that came.

The European Union voted to expand with the inclusion of ten new countries and 75 million new citizens. Powerlessness may be on its way out. Soon, the collection of nations will be the "largest and richest bloc of nation-states in the world, collaborating closely on an extensive range of economic, social and legal practices," according to an article in The New York Times. That expansion, according to the Times may also be a sign of increasing insignificance in the face of increasing American military power and world hegemony. That's the last analysis a European may want to hear. Could the E.U.'s rise lead to its dismantlement? Only time and events will be the judge of that; however, it's interesting fodder.

One item to remember is that the E.U. is based upon a treaty, and treaties according to Charles de Gaulle "are like girls and roses: they last while they last."

While you were out


Associated Press

What happened in Washington D.C. while the war in Iraq was raging?

The New York Times, in an article available at their web site, reports that E.P.A. "regulators drew rare praise from environmentalists for a proposal intended to reduce pollution from heavy construction equipment, tractors and other diesel-powered vehicles not made for use on roads. Analysts said the new rules, requiring cleaner fuel and better emissions control, would save both lives and billions of dollars in health-care costs."

The full article, which requires registration, with all the beltway action while you were distracted by the war is here

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Saturday in the park



Chicano Park is playing host to Chicano Park Day, celebrating the liberation of a park in a predominantly latino area of San Diego.

Who do you love?

"We are not afraid of the Americans. Allah has condemned them. They are stupid. They are stupid" (dramatic pause) "and they are condemned."

"The Americans, they always depend on a method what I call ... stupid, silly. All I ask is check yourself. Do not in fact repeat their lies."

Britain "is not worth an old shoe"

Americans are "wild donkeys"

"They think we are retarded - they are retarded."

Comes a time



The United States Navy's U.S.S. Constellation, an aircraft carrier based in San Diego, is leaving the Persian Gulf to return to port. The 41-year-old carrier is scheduled to be decommissioned in August and put in "mothball" status at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22

EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman will be in the hot seat for a live chat sponsored by The White House on Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22, 2003.

Q: What would you do if George W Bush were your boss?


Mika Koike, 20

"I would like to get a position like Monica Lewinsky and possibly get famous, so I would follow Bush."


Saburo Tanaka, 22

"I hope he would see that I have potential and promote me. I would say to him: 'Let's work together. I will follow you wherever you go and do my best.' I will be a dog for a certain period of time but when I get promoted, I will have him at my beck and call."


Hirotaka Fukuya, 53

"I will kill him. I have never ever seen anyone so low. He was not supposed to be president — Al Gore was. I think he set up the whole thing including 9-11 because he wanted to fight for his father and if he fights, he can get a higher approval rating from his nation. It's a weird country. I cannot believe that the king of evil is getting more popular."

(Source: Japan Today)

Damn! Southhhh Sidddddde.



In today's online edition of The Chicago Tribune, Rick Gano reports that at lastnight's baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals there was another incident of a fan entering the field to attack a game participant. Coincidently lastnight's incident is similar to one that occured last year. This time, however, the victim is an umpire. Last year Royals' coach Tom Gamboa was attacked by two fans, a father and son duo.

The article is here. (registration required)

From the Tribune article comments section: "If they really want to punish these people, they should make them sit through a Cubs game"
Submitted by: Todd 9:43 AM CDT, Apr 16, 2003

Happy Birthday, Kris

Cell phone companies resisting customer-focused regulation

The Chicago Tribune, in an article written by David Ho, is reporting that mobile phone carriers are in court to remove a regulation that would let customers keep their telephone numbers, and make it transportable, when the choose to switch carriers.

Currently when a customer switches carriers, or moves to a new market area, mobile phone numbers change depending on the carrier company to whom they subscribe.

"Consumer advocates say not being able to retain numbers is one of the biggest barriers preventing more cell phone users from switching in search of better service and prices. Wireless companies say the Federal Communications Commission requirement and its Nov. 24 deadline will raise costs while doing little to increase industry competition."

I can't drive 55



The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that "Rodney King, whose videotaped beating led to the 1992 riots in Los Angeles, remains in a hospital after he lost control of his car and crashed into a house over the weekend."

"King, 39, of Rialto was spotted Sunday by a Rialto police officer, who said King was weaving through traffic in his 2003 Ford Expedition and traveling about 100 mph when he slammed into a utility pole, a chain-link fence and then the home, police said. No one in the home was injured."

The article is here.

Lady leader



BBC News is reporting that "Anneli Jaeaetteenmaeki will head a coalition of her own Centre Party, the Social Democrats and the Swedish People's Party.

Her appointment means Finland becomes the only country in Europe to have women as both prime minister and president."

Missing mom-to-be's body found?



The ladies at this blogger's day job are "buzzing" about the potentiality of two bodies, which were found on the San Francisco Bay near Richmond, Calif., that may be those of a missing pregnant California woman, Laci Peterson, and the baby she was carrying prior to her disappearance on Christmas Eve 2002.

The ladies at work also believe that Peterson's husband, Scott Peterson, is definitely involved in the woman's death and disappearance. This blogger believes 'em.

Here's an article about the found bodies that is published on CNN's web site.



(04-15) 11:26 PDT RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) --

"It could take 'several days, up to several weeks' to determine whether the badly decomposed bodies of a woman and an infant boy that washed up on the Northern California shoreline are that of Laci Peterson and her son, authorities said Tuesday."

Source: SFGate.com

Not smoking kills?

Dana Blake, according to his brother, became the first "victim" of New York City's smoking ban.

In an article published in The New York Times (registration required)

Mr. Blake, 32, known in the neighborhood for a gentle manner that contrasted with his imposing frame, told two brothers, Jonathan and Ching Chan, that they could not smoke in the bar, the police said they were told by witnesses.

It is not clear how the brothers responded, but whatever was said caused Mr. Blake to try to eject Jonathan Chan, 29, from the bar, Guernica, at 25 Avenue B, taking hold of his neck, the police said.

Amid the scuffle, one of the brothers stabbed Mr. Blake in the torso, and both ran out of the bar, the police said. People who work on that block of Avenue B said that another bouncer from the bar chased them down.

The love of rock



Lucinda Williams' new record World Without Tears has been gracing my ear drums since Friday and from the third listen onward this new collection is beginning to take hold. How much ground the record will cover is still left to be seen. Look for a review of the record in the coming days.

Saturday's rock show in Chicago featuring Cheap Trick and Guided by Voices was a fine display of the power of the electric guitar. The common sentiment amongst my contingent who attended the show is Guided by Voices "out rocked" Cheap Trick. Not an easy task for any band to out-rock one of history's rockingest bands.

GBV played song-after-song-after-song of maximum R&B, while Cheap Trick did a lot more talking than rocking, and that's what seperated the two performances -- GBV less talk, more rock, more momentum, more energy.

Read Greg Kot's review of the show as article published by The Chicago Tribune.

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on location: Chicago, Ill., the date of the Cheap Trick / Guided by Voices concert

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Barbecue today, a great day here in Chicago. Sunny and purty. Stay tuned for more about the rock later tonight. posted from my phone.

How much does it cost to live in San Diego?

According to Center on Policy Initiatives 2003 Update, "Each parent of a two-parent household with two school-aged children would need to earn at least $12.27 an hour to meet basic needs. A single parent with two school-aged children needs to earn at least $22.15 an hour."

The Center on Policy Initiatives was established in 1997 to promote higher standards of living for poor and moderate-income families through research, policy development, public education and effective advocacy.

• Rising costs of housing and utilities have led to San Diego being the 8th most expensive place to live inthe nation.

• San Diego County home prices rose 20.5% in 2002, reaching a median average of $323,000, up from$260,000.

• In San Diego County, a worker earning minimum wage ($6.75 per hour) would have to work 125 hours per week in order to afford the 2003 Fair Market Rent (FMR) of $1,095 for a two-bedroom apartment. This makes it difficult for single-earner families to afford adequate shelter.

• As of December, 2002, the average price for regular unleaded gasoline was $1.57 per gallon, while the U.S. average was $1.36 per gallon. In early 2003, San Diegans face gas prices of $2.00 a gallon and upwards.

Goin to Chicago



This is a live view of Chicago, where, according to The Chicago Tribune, it's 67F degees and sunny right now.

Tommorrow, look here for updates -- audio and text -- from the Cheap Trick / Guided by Voices rock show at The Vic in Chicago.

Question: Give an example of what makes an artist stand out from the crowd. What makes them compelling enough for you to take notice?

Country/Acoustic/Folk Producer Pete Anderson: "Most people making records today have no talent. When people ask me what's the best thing that has happened to music I answer Pro Tools. When they ask me what's the worst thing that's happened to music I answer Pro Tools. Too many people think that with computer software and knowledge they are songwriters/musicians. That's not usually the case."

Source: MusicDish Industry e-Journal. The article is here.

I see... one for the "you're either with us or against us" camp

Baseball's Hall of F(sh)ame and its President will not honor, as planned, the 15th anniversary of Bull Durham, one of the funniest movie on baseball in the history of movies.

"We believe your very public criticism of President Bush at this important -- and sensitive -- time in our nation's history helps undermine the U.S. position, which ultimately could put our troops in even more danger. As an institution, we stand behind our President and our troops in this conflict," said Dale Petroskey in a letter to Tim Allen and Sharon Sarandon.

Read this and imagine you're in Stalin's Russia.

Finally, I see me

Does barbecuing my food increase my cancer risk?

Source: Lifetime Choices, Volume 7, Number 2 Spring 1997 - Copyright 1997, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Fla.

Backyard barbecues go hand in hand with summer. But recent research from the National Cancer Institute suggests that cooking meat too long at too high a temperature can increase your risk of cancer. Because meat-eaters have a higher-than-usual risk of certain kinds of malignancies, NCI scientists set out to study if the way people cook their steaks could affect their cancer risk. The first study examined Nebraska farmers -- 176 patients with stomach cancer and 503 healthy people.

"We found increasing risk of cancer with increasing doneness," says Mary Ward, NCI epidemiologist. Her team discovered that people who prefer meat cooked medium-well or well-done are more likely to develop stomach cancer as those who eat beef rare or medium-rare.

Why? The answer may lie in heterocyclic amines. These cancer-causing agents are formed when an animal protein known as creatinine is heated to high temperatures. Roasting may be a good alternative, however. Researchers found that people who eat mostly roasted meat, which cooks at lower temperatures than frying or grilling, have no increased risk for stomach cancer. That's even if they like their meat well-done. To reduce your cancer risk, the best advice is to thoroughly cook your meat -- neither blood dripping rare nor cooked to a crisp -- at lower temperatures.

This blog is on record as being a proponent of Weber Kettle Grills. Because of its spherical design, Webers are at their best when slow-cooking methods (which equate to lower cooking temperatures) are employed. Reduce your cancer risk AND enjoy delicious, mouth-watering barbecue!

Original recipes by this blog: Chicken | Ribs | Turkey

Meet the new boss...


photo of Rupert Murdoch - copyright Alan Levinson/Corbis

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation acquired Hughes Electronics and, more importantly, its DirecTV sattelite television business from General Motors for a reported $6.6 billion.

According to an article written by Andrew Ross Sorkin in The New York Times (registration required), "the deal will give Mr. Murdoch (chairman and controlling shareholder of the News Corporation) even more power in determining what programs are beamed to television sets across the United States and how much consumers pay for them."

Ahhh, Copenhagen!



Crusing around on Yahoo, I noticed the "Feature Travel Destination" for today is Copenhagen.

Copenhagen, Denmark: There's nothing rotten in Denmark when one finds themselves in Copenhagen.

This blog found Copehhagen in early December 2000. The Danish people, of all the cultures this blog has had an opportunity to touch, are perhaps the nicest, most helpful people on Earth.

Being lost -- in a foreign city, its public transportation, or unable to decipher languages -- is perhaps the most uncomfortable and frustrating feelings to harbor when one is thousands miles away from home. Fear not, dear reader, because when you find yourself in Denmark there will be Danes who will sense your frustration and help you with signs, transportation and/or accomodations, and many of the Danes speak English. That was this blog's experience.

Ahh, Copenhagen, indeed.

Twenty-four hour television news (CNN, MSNBC, FOX, et. al.) is the number one source of war information for people of the United States according to Bill O'Reilly of the CNN show The O'Reilly Factor. O'Reilly made the statement during his evening broadcast a few hours ago.

As you may or may not know, dear blog reader, this blogger owns no television and watching O'Reilly's show this evening was by pure chance, while visiting the home of a friend to this blog.

Earlier today this blog wrote of a Marin County, California man who feels he's engaging in a patriotic act by owning and using his Hummer H2 post-ultra-S.U.V.. This blog is still dumbfounded as to how patriotism and a big danger to other drivers, behemouth of a gas guzzler can ever be linked. After ten minutes of The O'Reilly Factor it started to all make sense - Americans' addiction to oil is tightly-linked to its addiction to television.

You see, dear reader, the H2 is a symbol - a badge - yelling to the world that the person who is behind the wheel of the very expensive vehicle has a tiny, tiny dick. And that, like the rest of his fellow fraternity asses, he looks to television - his mirror - for the next command from the O'Reilly ilk as to who to be, what to think and what type of gel to put on his box head.

It's all clear now. Thank you Mr. O'Reilly for shining a beacon, the light of leadership, for the mall-loving, fist-pumpin', testosterone hoggin' leaders for tommorrow.

Do you see what I see?


Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's spokesman, by The Associated Press

Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf has been quoted to have called Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld a "crook" and "the most despicable creature." The American and British forces: "outlaws," "war criminals," "fools," "stooges," an "international gang of villains."

"Al-Sahhaf has even introduced insults virtually unknown to the Arab public. His use, for example, of 'uluj,' an obscure and particularly insulting term for 'infidel,' sent (Arab) viewers leafing through their dictionaries and calling TV stations for a definition."

Sam F. Ghattas, reporter with The Associated Press, wrote an article published by The San Diego Union-Tribune that documents the history of Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's spokesman. Mr. al-Sahhaf "was studying to be an English teacher when he got his start in politics in 1963 by joining a violent group led by Saddam that targeted opponents of the Baath party. After a 1963 coup, he revealed the whereabouts of his brother-in-law, an army general and the country's military prosecutor, who was then killed by Baath party militias. By handing over his relative, al-Sahhaf proved his loyalty to the Baath party."

The full article is here.

Yeah, and cocaine cures cancer


Peter DaSilva for The New York Times

Like many other Hummer owners, Sam Bernstein of Marin County, Calif., said that his big S.U.V. made him feel patriotic. "If I could get an A1 Abrams, I would, but I don't know if California would allow it." Mr. Bernstein also says he is an environmentalist and called his H2 "the safest vehicle for exploring the places the Sierra Club talks about."

Danny Hakim, a reporter of high regard to this blog, is attributed with an article in The New York Times (registration required) that reports The Hummer H2 is Detroit's best seller.

The H1, which starts at $100,000 and is quite similar to the military Humvee, and the more baby-boomer-friendly H2, are so heavy they are not regulated by the same fuel economy rules that govern most cars and S.U.V.'s. They are also large enough to qualify for huge deductions for small business under loopholes in the tax code.

"At a time when our troops are at risk in part because of our oil dependence, it is the height of irresponsibility for General Motors to be pushing an 11-miles-per-gallon gas guzzler," said Daniel Becker, a global warming expert at the Sierra Club.

Fat Tuesday


CBSNews.com is reporting that "an epilepsy drug combined with a reduced-calorie diet may result in significant weight loss for obese adults, according to one of several obesity studies in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association."

Turn it on



SAN DIEGO, Calif - The current temperature is 69F. A very pleasant Santa Ana wind is keeping everything peachy.

The spoils...


John Moore/Associated Press

(From The New York Times) U.S. Army Stf. Sgt. Chad Touchett, center, relaxes with comrades inside the palace.

You say we live in confusing times?

"People in Egypt and many parts of the Arab world used to love America, and now they have a sense of being betrayed, misunderstood, taken lightly. And when it comes to the central problem of the Middle East — the Arab-Israeli conflict — we feel that even a minimum of American even-handedness is missing." -- Ahmed Kamal Aboulmagd an Egyptian lawyer as quoted in The New York Times (registration required)

"Many people are talking about planet earth being no more a safe place for anyone, but I am optimistic. I believe dialogue is needed now, so we should not give in to desperation, to loss of hope, to pessimism. Rather we should act actively and continue the path of dialogue and the path of understanding, simply because we cannot afford the other consequence." -- Ahmed Kamal Aboulmagd an Egyptian lawyer as quoted in the same The New York Times article. (registration required)

Mann-o-Mann, this song rules

"You asked me to dinner, you brought me stuff,
and what do I make of that?
You made me an offer, I called your bluff,
now you're an uneasy act.
Driving with one hand on the wheel,
ordering luck with every meal,
feeding on hope again nevermind how small the portions."

from "Driving With One Hand On The Wheel" by Aimee Mann (Long Shot E.P.)

In this blogger's mailbox this afternoon was a U.K. Import CD, Aimee Mann's Long Shot (Geffen). This particular 1995 four-song E.P. contains the previously unreleased gem "Driving With One Hand On The Wheel."

Ms. Mann, most-likely best known to the larger world for Til Tuesday's 80's-era hit song "Voices Carry," is very under-appreciated for an artist and songwriter with a deep well of talent as she owns.

These days, Ms. Mann records for her own record label, Superego/United Musicians, and judging from a recent report on PRI's Marketplace radio show, she's doing quite well, thank you very much. Though the major label record that contained "Voices Carry" sold over a million copies to date, Ms. Mann has not seen nickel one from her days associated with majors.

Krause Outed

Jerry Krause, the controversial General Manager of the Chicago Bulls basketball team, has resigned. According to an article in the online edition of The Chicago Tribune (registration required), Krause cited health reasons for his resignation.

It couldn't be the five straight years of losing records, draft choices and player selections of which many could be classified in the "what the fuck, dude" category, no playoff appearances since the departure of a Mr. Michael Jordan, and Bulls fans expressing a strong dislike for the man--even when he had Jordan on the team and Bulls were winning championships--could it?

Bay Area bullets

This blogger was visiting the Bay Area over the past weekend and realized, from a number of different sources, that the area is a hornet's nest of activism for and against The War. Today the Associated Press is reporting, via The New York Times, that a number of Port of Oakland Longshoremen were injured by rubber bullets fired by the Oakland Police in response to an anti-war demonstration that targeted the Port of Oakland. The AP did not report any additional injuries to protestors or police. The New York Times article is here (registration required).

Time has come today

Spring your time pieces ahead one hour because if you don't, the result may be that you are one hour late for your day job--like me. (fuck!)

visiting SF soon? there's a good hotel at Ellis & Larkin, Essex Hotel at $49 a night. Downtown SF, too.

at Geary & Van Ness awaiting the 10 bus to The Golden Gate Bridge. Beautiful day; another one.

San Francisco has excellent tasting water from the tap.

on location: oakland, calif., riding the B.A.R.T. to san francisco, calif.

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San Diego sunrise

Online music wars continue

Four college students, Daniel Peng at Princeton, Joseph Nievelt at Michigan Tech and Jesse Jordan and Aaron Sherman of Rensselaer, have been named defendants in a suit by The Recording Industry Association of America.

The Detroit Free Press and Reuters are reporting that the RIAA on Thursday "has filed lawsuits against the operators of private computer networks on three college campuses, including Michigan Technological University, where it claims the networks are being used to illegally trade copies of digital music files."

The RIAA alleges the defendants used their schools' private computer network to share music files without proper authorization.

The San Diego sunrise

Seems like clockwork, scheduled like a leap year every fourth year, that the sun rises everyday at this time.

Fans walk out of Pearl Jam concert

In an article published by Rocky Mountain News, Eddie Vedder, lead singer for the rock band Pearl Jam, "impaled a mask of President Bush on a microphone stand, then slammed it to the stage," while performing with his band at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo.

The article went on to report that dozens of attendees walked-out of the concert during the encore. The entire article is here.

Heart attack takes the life of Edwin Starr



Edwin Starr, the performer of "'War,' a No. 1 hit in 1970 during a time of growing anti-Vietnam War protests, died at his home near Nottingham, England," yesterday according to an article published by Billboard.com. Mr. Starr was 61.

Cannibal Dinosaur of Madagascar

In an article published by Science Daily, a meat-eating dinosaur named Majungatholus atopus, who lived 65 to 70 million years ago, "regularly dined upon members of its own species. It also fed upon the remains of other dinosaurs, including gigantic long-necked sauropods called titanosaurs."

The full article is here.

The Associated Press is reporting that "West Virginia University is offering to help a rescued prisoner of war fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher." That rescued POW is, of course, Pfc. Jessica Lynch.

In the "what has God wrought" category is an article by Susan Catto

I feel sorry for Andrew. He seems headed for a life of nagging, when prior to that time all seemed well.

Danny Hakim, a Detroit-based journalist of high regard to this blog, wrote today in an article in The New York Times that "auto sales continued their sluggish pace last month, according to figures released today, prompting the Big Three automakers to broaden their no-interest loan offers, ones which General Motors called unprecedented."

The new incentives recall those put in place after Sept. 11, when G.M. started a price war among the Big Three that led to record-breaking monthly sales in October 2001 and made the auto industry a rare bright spot in an otherwise stagnant economy. Once again, the economy is stagnant amid the backdrop of war. Reports this week showed shrinking manufacturing activity and sluggish retail sales.

In March, sales in the critical United States market fell 3 percent for G.M. and Chrysler, a unit of DaimlerChrysler, and 4.3 percent for Ford, according to the AutoData Corporation. Sales rose 9.2 percent at Toyota and 20.7 percent at Honda, underlining the competitive weakness of the Big Three, which spend far more on incentives.

Reuters is reporting that "Mary Meeker, the high-powered Morgan Stanley Internet analyst, will escape accusations brought against other star analysts from the 1990s technology boom, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday."

Salomon Smith Barney's Jack Grubman, Merrill Lynch & Co.'s Henry Blodget and Meeker were all targeted for investigation by New York's States Attorney General Elliot Spitzer and The Securities Exchange Commission for potential conflicts of interest in relation to their selection of clients they chose for the investment bank's initial public offering (IPO) work, a very profitable sector in the banking industry.

My Morning Jacket 2003 tour dates

4/15/03 Memphis, TN @ Young Ave Deli
4/16/03 Little Rock, AR @ Jaunitas Cantina
4/18/03 Austin, TX @ Mercury
4/19/03 Houston, TX @ Engine Room
4/20/03 Dallas, TX @ Galaxy
4/22/03 Birmingham, AL @ Workpaly Theater
4/23/03 Nashville,TN @ Exit/ In
4/24/03 Atlanta, GA @ The Cotton Club
4/25/03 Charlotte, NC @ Festival
4/26/03 Raliegh, NC @ Lincoln
4/27/03 Carboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
4/28/03 Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar
4/29/03 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
5/1/03 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
5/2/03 Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
5/3/03 Boston, MA @ TBA
5/4/03 Providence, RI @ Met Cafe
5/6/03 Toronto, ONT @ Horseshoe
5/7/03 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk
5/9/03 Louisville, KY @ Non Com
5/10/03 Detroit, MI @ Shelter
5/11/03 Cleveland, OH @Grog Shop
5/13/03 Cincinnati, OH @ TBA
5/14/03 Indianapolis, ID @ Birdy's
5/15/03 Chicago, IL @ Metro
5/16/03 Milwaukee,WI @The Rave
5/17/03 Minneapolis, MN @ Ascot
5/18/03 Lawrence, KS
5/20/03 Boulder, CO @ Fox
5/21/03 Salt Lake City, UT @ Zephyr
5/23/03 Vancouver, BC @ Richards
5/24/03 George, WA @ The Gorge
5/25/03 Seattle, WA @ Graceland
5/26/03 Portland, OR @ Dante's
5/28/03 San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
5/29/03 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
5/30/03 San Diego, CA @ Scene
5/31/03 Phoenix, AZ @ Bash On Ash
6/7/03 Calverton, NY @ Field Day
6/13/03 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo