Take Your Medicine!

I would be 110% against creating any new government agencies. The Fed needs to worry about monetary policy and inflation and not interest rates, which should be market driven. I will be for the candidate who propses SHRINKING the government, not expanding it.

And please note, the first quote is from one of Bill Clinton's economic advisors. And not the late Milton Friedman or Alan Greenspan. And also remember, when he was promoting his book last year, Greenspan advised that we were heading for a recession.

Rate cut, stimulus package may not be enough for economy

Despite rate cuts, time may be the only cure for recession

11:56 PM CST on Wednesday, January 23, 2008

From wire reports

WASHINGTON – In the 1990s, when Latin America and Asia were rocked by financial crises similar to the one now dogging the United States, Washington officials were quick with stringent advice: Don't bail out bad banks. Don't intervene when stock market and real estate bubbles pop. Let your overblown economies shrink to their natural levels.

"It was all, 'You've got to be tough and take your castor oil,' " said Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, former vice president of the World Bank and member of former President Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers.

To date, U.S. officials haven't followed any of the advice they so readily dispensed to others. They have tried to aid troubled banks. They have slashed interest rates to help the struggling housing and stock markets. They have made it clear that they will go to almost any lengths to keep the American economy out of recession.

But if the current prescription fails to provide long-term relief, what comes next? The answer, many economists say, could be that old castor oil.

"People are going to have to buckle up their seat belts and expect some dicey economic times for much of the year," said William Grenier, chief investment officer at UMBS Management, a $12 billion asset management firm in Kansas City, Mo. "We're going to have to let the excesses wash out of the system" by themselves.

Financial markets, battered in recent days on fears of a sharp U.S. economic downturn, showed some signs of recovery Wednesday. The Dow Jones industrial average posted a gain of nearly 299 points, or 2.5 percent, after falling more than 300 points earlier in the trading session.

Coming one day after the Federal Reserve made the single largest cut in its key interest rate in more than two decades to calm markets, the rebound in share prices was greeted with great relief.

But as many economists and market players point out, the nation's current problems have shown a disturbing tendency to outstrip assessments of their dimensions.

If that proves true again, it could force officials to consider stronger medicine than they have so far – perhaps even as strong as that they previously advised other nations to take.

So far, the Fed has taken the lead in efforts to help bolster the economy from the effects of the housing bust and the resulting credit crunch that has strained the financial system.

After months of tepid interest-rate cuts and experiments with new strategies for lending to cash-strapped banks, the Fed has begun easing credit in earnest.

On Tuesday, it slashed three-quarters of a point off the federal funds rate, the interest banks charge each other for short-term loans. Veteran Fed watchers believe that policymakers will knock an additional point or more off the rate before they're finished.

That would take the funds rate from 5.25 percent, where it was last September, to as low as 2.25 percent. The rate is now 3.5 percent.

One problem with rate cuts as a solution to the economy's current troubles, however, is that a principal route by which Fed cuts are turned into something that matters to ordinary people and spurs the economy is through the housing market.

And this time around the U.S. housing market is a mess, with too many houses for sale at prices that aren't sustainable. Cheaper mortgage rates won't easily cure those excesses, experts say.

A second problem is that the institutions chiefly responsible for transforming Fed cuts into market rate reductions – the nation's banks – are deeply worried about their own finances because of mortgage-related losses.

That may mean they'll be reluctant to pass along interest savings to individuals via loan rates, lessening the impact of Fed cuts on the economy.

President Bush and Democratic congressional leaders also are trying to fashion a package of temporary tax cuts and spending increases designed to give the economy a quick boost.

Some in Congress want bolder steps. Several prominent lawmakers proposed Wednesday that Washington fashion 1930s-style investment programs to boost the economy – for example, by launching big new public works projects or by reviving a New Deal agency that was created to stop home foreclosures.

Although he did not name a price, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called for the new program to build roads, utilities, schools and housing as a way to boost employment and inject new money into the economy.

Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., proposed re-creating a federal agency to help homeowners refinance their homes.

Both are anathema to Mr. Bush and to budget hawks of both parties who fear their costs and say they would be too slow-acting to make a difference.

If Fed rate cuts are blunted by housing market problems and banks' caution in passing along interest savings, and new public spending or tax cuts end up politically mired or arriving too late, there may be no other solution to the nation's troubles than the most painful one: time.

That was, in effect, what the U.S. pushed on its Latin American and Asian counterparts during their crises. They were advised to stop trying to hold up markets and simply allow for a bleak economic period while the problems sorted themselves out.

"The markets will find bottoms. Who knows how long it will take or how far they will have to fall, but they will find bottoms," said Robert E. Litan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "It's depressing, but there may not be much else to do" except wait, he said.

Peter G. Gosselin, Los Angeles Times

The NHL at the Break

Where, oh where did I go so wrong?

WEST

1. Detroit Red Wings [my pick - 1^st Central]

The ‘Big Red Machine’ of the Wings continues rolling along piling up wins like Green Stamps at a Dollar Days sale. Chris Osgood picks up the slack when Hasek is out with injury and the nobodys and the 2^nd and 4^th lines chip in enough to keep everyone honest. They look unbeatable in a 7 game series right now.

2. Dallas Stars [my pick – 3^rd Pacific]

The Stars lead right now over the Anaheim Ducks by 1 point but the Stars play a scrappy style of hockey. The chemistry forged on the Ribeiro – Morrow – Miettinen line is unbelievable a lot of nights. Mike Modano is looking forward to his wingman Jere Lehtinen coming back after the break. 3^rd line winger Niklas Hagman is having a breakout year. The young kind Matt Niskanen on D looks to be a Brian Leetch starter kit and Nick Grossman a reliable shutdown guy ala Sean O’Donnell. Could use a scoring winger to work with Modano.

3. Calgary Flames [my pick – 3^rd Northwest]

Calgary started slow and now seems to have found the chemistry that eluded them for the first month of the season. Will have to keep scoring to keep ahead of Minnesota and Vancouver who both trail them by 1 point – all world goaltending from Kiprusoff cannot keep them afloat alone. Rumors of Alex Tanguay being shopped are not going away.

4. Anaheim Ducks [my pick – 1^st Pacific, WC Champs]

The Ducks looked like blind men caught in the crosswalk before Scott Neidermeyer graced them with his return 20 games ago. Since then, the defense has settled down and the scorers are scoring – including a return to the old school form for Todd Bertuzzi, which makes a return by the Finnish Flash Teemu Selanne gravy. Maybe the only team not scared of the Red Wings.

5. San Jose Sharks [my pick – 2^nd Pacific, WC runner up]

I still like the Sharks on paper. But the games aren’t played on paper. The times I have watched the Sharks they seem totally disinterested in the game, as in no sense of urgency. This playoff they won’t have Nashville to tune up on and they’re looking at a quick exit unless Jonathan Cheechoo or somebody else starts potting goals regularly. And they will have to rest Evgeni Nabokov eventually – he is not Martin Brodeur yet.

6. Minnesota Wild [my pick – 2^nd Northwest]

The Wild continue playing tight defensive hockey and Marian Gaborik continues to be an offensive sparkplug. The Wild are a real Wild card – they may be able to go deep in the playoffs with the right seeding, but if they want to go fatr, they too need some consistent 2^nd line scoring. The return of Mikko Koivu from injury should help.

7. Vancouver Canucks [my pick – 1^st Northwest]

In the tightest division in hockey, the Canucks hold the ace with Roberto Luongo in net, but like a lot of teams, they need someone on the second line to kick it up a notch. Former super sniper Markus Naslund is having a mediocre year, though he tends to finish strong. Do they have an asset to flip to make a play for Marian Hossa?

8. Colorado Avalanche [my pick – 4^th Northwest]

The Avs have been ripped by injuries to Joe Sakic and Ryan Smith and now Paul Stasney is out after an appendectomy. Stastny has the tools but needs to be more consistent. Jose Theodre has suddenly found his game again and may keep the Avs afloat until one of the scorers returns, but I doubt it.

9. Nashville Predators [my pick – 2^nd Central]

I did think Nashville had the parts to be okay, but early injuries to defensemen [and future blue line studs] Shea Weber and Ryan Suter hurt the club as well as wildly inconsistent goaltending in the absence of Tomas Vokun. Radek Bonk scored some key goals early, but has [as predicted] faded. Current injury to 2^nd line [and ‘Face of the Franchise’] David Legwand hurts a team trying to mount an attack.

10. Columbus Blue Jackets [my pick – 5^th Central]

The Jackets have responded to having former Stars and Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock through a training camp and preaching a system. Hitch found a way to motivate the enigmatic Nikoli Zherdev and Rick Nash scored the goal of the year in Phoenix a couple weeks ago. If the Jackets can learn how to win on the road down the stretch, they may challenge for the 8^th or 7^th seed. But a team that is one to watch.

11. Phoenix Coyotes [my pick – 5^th Pacific]

Somehow coach Wayne Gretzky’s faith in his youngsters is being rewarded. Peter Mueller and Radim Vrbata seem to be on their way and having Shane Doan and Ed Jovonovski to back up the kids doesn’t hurt. But this team will go only as far as waiver pickup [and just extended for 3 years] Ilya Bryzgalov takes then in net. Bryzgalov certainly knows how to win having come from the Stanley Cup champ Ducks, but this team is still a player or two from being serious contenders.

12. St. Louis Blues [my pick – 3^rd Central]

The Blues have certainly played like contenders at times, but are mired in a major slump. In this conference, teams cannot go through major slumps. Paul Kariya has certainly performed as advertised, though he is currently a minus player. Anyone who picked Brad Boyes to have 28 by the All Star break, please stand up… no one? Flipping the aged warrior and over-rated Doug Weight for the younger faster Andy McDonald should have helped this team, but it hasn’t, though he has 15 points in 14 games. Like a lot of teams, the Blues lack a consistent 2^nd line scoring threat.

13. Chicago Blackhawks [my pick – 4^th Central]

The Hawks looked great earlier this year when all their young guns were going – Patrick Kane, Jonathan Teowes, Patrick Sharp, Jason Williams – and a resurgent Robert Lang and an out of nowhere Dustin Byfiglien leading the charge. But with Toewes and Williams on the shelf, the Hawks look like a team struggling to find its game. They could make a late run and push the Blues or Pred for the 8^th spot, but I think next year will be the year for the Hawks.

14. Edmonton Oliers [my pick – 5^th Northwest]

The misery predicted for the Oilers faithful has come true. Though not a bad team, the Oilers continue to struggle. If they’d play Mathieu Garon instead of the suddenly pedestrian Dwayne Roloson, they might be better off.

15. L.A. Kings [my pick – 4^th Pacific]

The Kings continue to struggle to put forth defensive effort nightly. Moving Rob Blake for a young stay at home defenseman would help. And though they have some great forwards to watch [Andre Kopitar, Alexander Frolov, Mike Cammalleri], they Kings remain a one line team.

EAST

1. Ottawa Senators [my pick – 1^st Northeast, EC Champs]

The Sens have had some bumps in the road and still have Danny Heatley on the shelf, but seem to have found the balance to maintain their mission to get back to the Cup finals. Could Ray Emery and his attitude be shopped for a defensive stud?

2. New Jersey Devils [my pick – 5^th Atlantic]

I admit it, I thought this was the year the Devils started to rebuild rather then retool. But new coach Brent Sutter has found a way to keep the Devils competitive in the rough and tumble Atlantic. And rest Martin Broduer.

3. Carolina Hurricanes [my pick – 1^st Southeast]

Maddeningly inconsistent, the Canes benefit from being in the worst division in hockey. On the other hand, the somehow lit a fire in Sergei Samsonov and got him playing like he was projected to back when he and Joe Thornton were the Bruins next generation.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins [my pick – 2^nd Atlantic]

Sid the Kid is out for 6 – 8 weeks? This is the time for this team to REALLY find out what they are about. Evgeni Malkin is still one of the top 10 forwards in the league, though he is a finisher more like Alexander Ovechkin than Crosby. If they can stay afloat until Sid gets back, it may prove that the Pens are more than a one trick pony. Hey, the old Pens survived long periods without Mario, too! Pens may shop for a veteran 2^nd line center. Also having Ty Conklin reel off 8 in a row [including 2 shut outs] helped a lot.

5. Montreal Canadiens [my pick – 4^th Northeast]

I had the Habs on the playoff bubble, but the sudden magic between Alexi Kovalev, Thomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn [yes, I had to look those up] has the Canadiens on a roll. Christobal Huet has picked up where he left off last year and Cary Price looked great backing him up ealier this season. Andrei Markov and Mark Striet have taken up the slack for the missing slap shot of Sheldon Souray and the Habs don’t seem to miss it. Could they use one more rugged defender like Rob Blake?

6. Philadelphia Flyers [my pick – 3^rd Atlantic]

All the trades the Flyers made last year have worked out for this team – Scottie Upshall, Scott Hartnell, Kimmo Timonen, Joffrey Lupal and Bradon Coburn have all been great players for the Flyers this year. But it’s the homegrown talent of Mike Richards, Jeff Cater and R.J. Umberger who are driving this bus, along with free agent extraordinaire Daniel Briere. With Simon Gagne back from injury, Briere and Mike Knuble have their playmate back and the Flyers have four lines that can play any game you want – run and gun, rough and tumble, etc. The team no one wants in the first round of the playoffs.

7. N.Y. Islanders [my pick – 4^th Atlantic]

If you had told me Mike Comrie, Bill Guerin and Ruslan Fedotenko would be the first line for this team and they would be in the race for a playoff spot at the break, I’d have offered to take $ 5 – 10 of your money. But darn if Ted Nolan hasn’t gotten the most out of a bunch of ‘Who’s that?’ players. And without Bryan Berard or Marc-André Bergeron scoring a lot of points form the back end. Bruno Gervais and Chris Campoli [who just went on IR for the duration] have been good finds on the blueline for this team.

8. Boston Bruins [my pick – 5^th Northeast]

Another team playing surprisingly good hockey of late, the Bruins are doing well without number 2 center Patrice Bergeron and without one player with more than 18 goals. But the Bruins seem content to play a chippy game and find different ways to beat you – ask the NY Hockey Rangers. I like Dennis Wideman, but I think the Bruins need one more veteran defenseman to be taken seriously. Getting Glen Murray and Bergeron back from IR would help a lot, too. And it’s Alex Auld and Tim Thomas, not Manny Fernandez in the nets, boys and girls!

9. N.Y. Rangers [my pick – 1^st Atlantic, EC runner up]

Another team that looks great on paper, but not on the ice at times. Jaromir Jagr with 15 goals and 46 points? Brendan Shannahan with 15 and 30? Chris Drury a -13? Only Scott Gomez seems to be playing his game this year, 11 goals, 36 assists. Having Martin Straka back will help Jagr – but they are surely missing the magic they had with Michael Nylander. The Rangers are also behing the eightball in that all of the teams they are chasing have games in hand of the Blueshirts. Still, they should be able to pass Boston late in the season.

10. Washington Capitals [my pick – 3^rd Southeast]

Talk about addition by subtraction – Michael Nylander goes out with a bad shoulder and the steady Brian Pothier goes out with a head injury and the Caps catch fire. Suddenly the well traveled Viktor Kozlov goes nuts setting people up, Alexander Semin finally kicks it into gear after early season injury troubles, hyped up rookie Nicklas Backstrom begins to produce and Alexander Ovechkin finds yet ANOTHER gear? Anybody have defenseman Mike Green with 14 goals at the break? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? If Olaf Kolzig can stay healthy, the Caps might pass the Rangers and Bruins and might give Carolina a run in the South-least.

11. Atlanta Thrashers [my pick – 5^th Southeast]

After starting 0-6 and firing Bob Hartley, the Thrashers righted the ship, then sank, now they seem to have settled. They got Mark Recchi for a song and he is responding to a new environment. But the question remains whether the Thrashers will keep the dynamic Marian Hossa and hope to sign him before free agency starts, or do they ship him out for youth and picks and try and rebuild ?

12. Florida Panthers [my pick – 4^th Southeast]

Now that the Panthers don’t have a prayer of a playoff spot, they will pick up their play as usual. 10 years and counting for Oli Jokinen’s first playoff game. Tomas Vokun now understands what Roberto Louongo went through all those years in Sunrise, FL.

13. Toronto Maple Leafs [my pick – 3^rd Northeast]

Even though Mats Sundin continues playing at a high level, the rest of the Leafs have all ready mailed it in. Unfortunately. And I look now for the Leafs to be 15^th in the conference since both Buffalo and Tampa Bay have games in hand on the Leafs. Will the Leafs be able to move any of their high priced talent at the deadline? I’d keep Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina and see what you can get for Hal Gill and Bryan McCabe. Sundin wants to remain with the Leafs? I’d let him finish his career there, or at least stay as long as he can stomach the losing. Veska Toskala was a major major disappointment coming from the Sharks.

14. Buffalo Sabres [my pick – 2^nd Northeast]

I thought the Sabres had enough depth and good enough goaltending to stay in the mix for a playoff spot. Ooops.

15. Tampa Bay Lightning [my pick – 2^nd Southeast]

Vincent Lecavalier is having another Art Ross winning season, but the Bolts goaltending did them in early and often. Management says they’re going to keep all four of their top paid players – Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Dan Boyle and Brad Richards. But having Richards as purely a power play specialist [as his -23 rating – dead last in the league reflects] is a luxury the Lightning can no longer afford. Richards could use a change of scenery in my opinion. Use that cap space to tie up Paul Ranger and Vinnie Prospal and grow a goaltender, or swap underachieving goalies with the Maple Leafs.

HA HA HA!

I may never use this phrase again, but I have been giggling like a schoolgirl in feathered underpants since the end of the Cowboys game. HA HA. Poor Cowboys.

The Move

No, I am not moving again. I followed up on checking out the Move after finding a track on one of the MOJO magazine CDs. And a 'sort of' recommendation by Mike Leone. I found something pretty good here in their CD of Message from the Country.

Some of you might know the name from the history of the Electric Light Orchestra. ELO's first album was recorded at the same time as Message, the record company [EMI in Britain] agreeing to release ELO if the Move did one more album. So Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan and Roy Wood did this with their left hands while doing ELO with their other hand. From the liner notes, it seems like this was just the boys having fun in the studio. Of course, with no pressure they just did what they wanted and it sounds like fun.

Considered 'Progressive' like Yes, Genesis, ELP and the like, Lynne and Wood tired of the 20 minute guitar solo antics and went back to their roots - for Lynne, that meant the Beatles. The lead and title track would not sound out of place on Magical Mystery Tour or perhaps the first Queen album, based on the triple tracked harmony vocals that end the track. Roy Wood's Ella James is a nice little rocker in the mold of the Faces You're So Rude. Lynne's No Time follows with some fancy fingerpicking and Wood's talents on woodwinds [clarinet on this track, saxes, oboe and basoon on others] and Lynne adding very tasteful George Harrison inspired slide guitar over a tune one P. McCartney would have been pleased to have written. Bev Bevan's Don't Mess Me Up follows, a nice slice of Elvis inspired rockabilly from the drummer with Wood and Lynne playing the Jordanaires behind him. Wood then unleashes some blues funk with his Until Your Mama's Gone, with nice and chewy horn parts like those that drive Ringo's It Don't Come Easy. The liner notes indicate this was a direction Wood would explore when he split with ELO shortly after their debut with his band Wizzard and their single Ball Park Incident; I will have to defer to liner writer John Van der Kiste as I am not familiar with Wizzard, though I may now have to seek out some. What I do know is that the next track is the blueprint for everything the Legendary Pink Dots did, Wood's It Wasn't My Idea to Dance. The main riff is played on one of Wood's woodwinds as the band rocks hard underneath them, definitely hints of what King Crimson was doing at this time also. Then Lynne kicks off The Minister with some mean tremlo and phased guitars and the band just jackhammers the riff into oblivion under Lynne's Lennon-esque vocals. Unfortunately, the momentum of the album stops as Bevan tries to be Johnny Cash on Wood's Ben Crawley Steel Company. They come back though with Lynne's The Words of Aaron, a nice showpiece again for Wood's woodwinds in the break. The orginal album then ends with the quickie campy music hall jazz of My Marge, pure fun, not unlike Queen's Seaside Rendezvous.

The CD however continues with additional singles from the period, kicking off with Roy Wood's Tonight, a simple, acoustic driven nod to the glam that was beginning to appear, especially T. Rex. Wood's brilliant Chinatown follows, featuring Lynne's tasteful kyoto sounding slide guitar work and some great harmony vocals from Wood and Lynne. Lynne's bar room rocker Down on the Bay is up next. Lost behind the strings and synths in ELO, Lynne does know how to write a barn burning rocker like this, the next track Do Ya [though I prefer the ELO rework of the tune from A New World Record], Ma Ma Ma Belle, Rockaria and Rock and Roll Is King. The last of these singles is Wood's 'masterwork' the Jerry Lee Lewis inspired California Man, again featuring Wood on a plethera of saxes and some truly 'Killer' piano work. Most people will be familiar with this song from the Cheap Trick cover on Heaven Tonight and being a staple of their live sets for years.

The CD then ends with alternate out takes Don't Mess Me Up [a bare bones acapaella version, very tasty], The Words of Aaron [again, no overdubs], Do Ya [all ready progressing more towards the version ELO fans are familiar with] and the 'hidden track' at the end of Do Ya another take of My Marge.

Why recommend this? Well, it bridges the gap between heavy progressive bands like King Crimson, Yes and ELP and the more fun, easier to get into rock of Bowie, the Sweet and T.Rex. Not being familiar with the first three ELO records nor Wizzard, I can't comment too much on how this played in the development of Wood or Lynne respective bands, but is one of the most fun records I've heard in ages. The singles alone are almost worth the price.

Working Out The Kinks

I also went and pulled out the Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society last week. Such a dandy little album, not one 'hit' on it [well, Animal Farm, maybe... but nothing you'll ever hear on the radio; why the pleasant single Days was left off, I don't know...] but the most fun and British album on the face of the planet, even more fun than the Who's Who Sell Out. Whimsical only four years into the Kinks career, Ray Davies unleashes a whole album based on photo albums and scrapbooks, picking right up where Something Else's Waterloo Sunset closed that album. Of course the starting four of VGPS ["We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity / God save the little shops, china cups and virginity / We are the Skyscaper Condemnation Affiliate / God save Tudor houses, antique tables and billiards"], Do You Remember Walter ["People always change but memories remain the same"], Picture Book and Johnny Thunder is going to be worth the price.

Lt. Col. Scott A. Downey is somewhere over Europe or the Atlantic on his way back from Baghdad at last, and I’m sitting in my little cubicle with my MP3 player and Portonoy’s Complaint… luck of the draw brings up Life’s Rich Pageant.

[Pageant – a large scale stage production representing historical or legendary events, especially local ones, in scenes or tableaux in which dramatic interest is less important than spectacle]

And that’s when it strikes me – Scott’s winging back here and it will be our 20^th year reunion!

But what reunion? Henry Meyer and Chris Cotrell have gone to the great beyond [rest their souls] and who knows where to find Katherine, Pam, Joel, Francis Hernandez, Steve Rabbit, Dursty Patridge, J.R., Alana, Tina, Scott’s sweet sweatered Amy or Linda Gail Baker? Or the dozens of characters encountered along the way, the other store manager who fired me, Ron Paul, Jan de Bee, John the District Manager, the boutique lady daughter of the owner, denizens of Skippy’s Mistake, J. Gilligan’s and J. Bentley’s and residents of the lofts at Center and 3^rd…the only ones left from the Cooper Street Sound Warehouse [store 422] 87-88 are the Colonel, Nate and me.

It seems those days lasted forever – “When I was young and full of grace and spirited, a rattlesnake…” Some memories as fresh as they day they were created, some hazed by age and drink, some foolishness only recalled by the lesser inebriated and recited back to us.

20 years - Nate still doing the rock and roll thing, Scott as Patton freeing the masses from oppression whether they like it or not all over the world and me sitting here as some Lester Bangs wanna be... Half my lifetime, little less than half of Scott’s little more than half of Nate’s. And we only got to share 18 years with sweet Henry and his lovely Mrs.

20 years?!!? Joe Strummer, Johnny, Joey and Dee Dee Ramone are all dead. Bill Berry’s retired to life as a gentleman farmer in Athens, Ga. Guns N Roses remains only as a rumor and a song on your local ‘Classic Rock’ station. Hair metal bands got old, fat and bald and C-Rap took over the world. The Stones keep going and every once in a while the Smithereeens still come around waiving the flag for what used to be rock and roll.

Next in the MP3 – Stop Making Sense. That’s almost fitting. Maybe the Replacements Hold My Life would have been ironic – "Hold my life / until I’m ready to use it / Hold my life / Cause I just might lose it."

20 years, friend. Lots of shows, some of them spectacular – Lou Reed, Public Image Ltd., Big Audio Dynamite, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Springsteen, the Stones, Smithereens, Aerosmith [front row ‘87], Smithereens, Faster Pussycat, Iggy Pop, Guns N Roses… untold gallons of potent potables, hundreds of cans from 12 packs of Black Label and Busch bought with change the day before payday, video cassettes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, A Night at the Opera and Pee Wee Herman, trillions of grains of sand from killer sand volleyball games at Skippy’s and Scott Central, probably a few uncooked beans or popcorn kernels and / or an unused firecracker here or there, two funerals… postcards, photos, tapes, JPEG and emails from the fronts and around the world.

It’s been too long since we sat and talked, toasted and laughed. Way too long. Welcome home, friend. I will see you soon.

You may find yourself / Living in a shotgun shack / You may find yourself / In another part part of the world / You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile / You may find yourself / in a beautiful house / with a beautiful wife / You may say to yourself / "well - how did I get here?"

11:11 am and I shuffle barefoot and in sweatpants for morning relief
Glancing briefly at the bed-headed figure in the mirror
Unclear, as I do not have my glasses on
Wash my hands and make the coffee again and put on the glasses and the tube
It's just another morning

I wander through life with my one good eye and under-tall
I view my life like looking through a camera lens or monocle most of the time
The clouds hang low and grey this morning
And it feels like it should be dusk at noon
But instead it looks like snow

I sit in my cubicle
People close by but out of touch
Does anyone really care what happens on my side of this partition?
Jets flying low over our building, people moving here and there
While I sit here chained to my job

Coffee alone every morning
The computer my usual link to a world outside
In the comfort of sweats and a tee
Headlights and taillights on the freeway
Rushing to get somewhere, rushing to get home, get the fuck out of my way!

I let myself imagine a romance blossoming
And my heart burned like napalm
But suddenly gone in a flash of imagination and wishful thinking
Dark now outside, parking lot lights, half moons on stilts
Watching the cars waiting for their owners, waiting to be used again