Maybe I'm just a skeptic, but where does Barney Frank, or Barack Obama, or any other politician get the right to determine the salary of any private business employee???

When Obama announced he was planning on denying AIG the use of TARP funds to pay bonuses, too many people sat back and said nothing. "The country is angry," slammed Mr. Obama, "and he will see to it that these greed mongers suffer!

Of course, even when the news came out that not only were these executives contractually promised these bonuses, but that Chris Dodd knew about them and okayed them - before he went to the House floor damning AIG for doing exactly what he had told them to do. "But the people are angry!" said the President. So the people demurred and let the populist view seize the day.

But did anyone really believe that all Obama wanted to do was punish those mean, greedy dudes from AIG? Well, unfortunately, many of you who voted for him probably agreed with him. Also, populism wins elections, right?

But then, the President had another idea. "I must make sure that GM fires their CEO," said Obama. "I have no interest in running the show there, of course," he added. So for the first time in American history, the President of the United States dictated to a non-government company who should (or shouldn't) be their CEO. Do you really think he won't appoint the new CEO?

But even that was not enough. "I must meddle more!" he bellowed.

So, for those keeping track, since becoming President, Obama has mortgaged our children's future to the tune of $9 trillion dollars - using the ruse of "stimulus" spending as his verbiage. Yet, I still don't understand how - and this is according to Obama, Dodd and Frank (and Pelosi and Reid) - for every dollar spent you buy $150 in growth. I mean, if that's the case (and by the way, it has never proven successful in the history of the world), why stop at $9 trillion? Why not $90 trillion?

I mean, if we are going to turn a 50% profit, why stop at any point? The more you spend the more you make. Right?

Sorry folks. I didn't mean to be logical and spoil your Kool-aid.

So now along comes Barney Frank. You remember Barney, don't you? He was the guy who constantly blocked President Bush's attempts at reigning in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. You know, the reason we got into this whole economic collapse in the first place?

Yes, the same Barney Frank who got us in this mess is the same Barney Frank who Obama believes can get us out. And they call ME naive.

So here comes Barney who thinks that clearly Obama is not doing enough to destroy the nation's economy. From the Washington Examiner:

It was nearly two weeks ago that the House of Representatives, acting in a near-frenzy after the disclosure of bonuses paid to executives of AIG, passed a bill that would impose a 90 percent retroactive tax on those bonuses.

But now, in a little-noticed move, the House Financial Services Committee, led by chairman Barney Frank, has approved a measure that would, in some key ways, go beyond the most draconian features of the original AIG bill. The new legislation, the "Pay for Performance Act of 2009," would impose government controls on the pay of all employees -- not just top executives -- of companies that have received a capital investment from the U.S. government. It would, like the tax measure, be retroactive, changing the terms of compensation agreements already in place. And it would give Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner extraordinary power to determine the pay of thousands of employees of American companies.

The purpose of the legislation is to "prohibit unreasonable and excessive compensation and compensation not based on performance standards," according to the bill's language. That includes regular pay, bonuses -- everything -- paid to employees of companies in whom the government has a capital stake, including those that have received funds through the Troubled Assets Relief Program, or TARP, as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The measure is not limited just to those firms that received the largest sums of money, or just to the top 25 or 50 executives of those companies. It applies to all employees of all companies involved, for as long as the government is invested. And it would not only apply going forward, but also retroactively to existing contracts and pay arrangements of institutions that have already received funds.

That's right. Now, the Obama administration wants to determine ALL salaries.

Where in G-d's name do they get this power? What I find amazing is that for all the crazy talk that Bush was a fascist and that Bush wanted to take over the country with brownshirts and the like (remember the Bush=Hitler nonsense?), it is exactly what the Obama sycophants are doing. They are on a power-tear and it is ripping this country apart.

I'm no longer fooled by the tactics employed here. Changing the name of terror acts to "man made disasters" or calling these animals "clients" is right out of Saul Alinsky's playbook.

Blurring the lines between right and wrong only confuses the masses and stops us from recognizing what's plainly right in front of us. just remember, if Obama succeeds in determining the pay of regular employees, where does the meddling stop?

I hate to use the "S" word here, but this kind of European-style socialism is a failure everywhere it's been. And for those of you who claim Bush did it first, remember this - you guys beat him up for it, I hated that he did it and what Bush did in the initial bailout is minuscule compared to Obama. He is bankrupting this country and that will eventually lead to raising our taxes to European levels. By that time, it will be way too late to save us.

What the hell is that idiot-in-chief doing?? It's one thing to be over his head and it's another to be clueless (well, maybe they are one in the same). But this latest maneuver by Obama is going way, way too far.

I'm speechless:

Obama's Most Perilous Pick
By Meghan Clyne
nypost.com

JUDGES should interpret the Constitution according to other nations' legal "norms." Sharia law could apply to disputes in US courts. The United States constitutes an "axis of disobedience" along with North Korea and Saddam-era Iraq.

Those are the views of the man on track to become one of the US government's top lawyers: Harold Koh.

President Obama has nominated Koh -- until last week the dean of Yale Law School -- to be the State Department's legal adviser. In that job, Koh would forge a wide range of international agreements on issues from trade to arms control, and help represent our country in such places as the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.

It's a job where you want a strong defender of America's sovereignty. But that's not Koh. He's a fan of "transnational legal process," arguing that the distinctions between US and international law should vanish.

What would this look like in a practical sense? Well, California voters have overruled their courts, which had imposed same-sex marriage on the state. Koh would like to see such matters go up the chain through federal courts -- which, in turn, should look to the rest of the world. If Canada, the European Human Rights Commission and the United Nations all say gay marriage should be legal -- well, then, it should be legal in California too, regardless of what the state's voters and elected representatives might say.

He even believes judges should use this "logic" to strike down the death penalty, which is clearly permitted in the US Constitution.

The primacy of international legal "norms" applies even to treaties we reject. For example, Koh believes that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child -- a problematic document that we haven't ratified -- should dictate the age at which individual US states can execute criminals. Got that? On issues ranging from affirmative action to the interrogation of terrorists, what the rest of the world says, goes.

Including, apparently, the world of radical imams. A New York lawyer, Steven Stein, says that, in addressing the Yale Club of Greenwich in 2007, Koh claimed that "in an appropriate case, he didn't see any reason why sharia law would not be applied to govern a case in the United States."

A spokeswoman for Koh said she couldn't confirm the incident, responding: "I had heard that some guy . . . had asked a question about sharia law, and that Dean Koh had said something about that while there are obvious differences among the many different legal systems, they also share some common legal concepts."

Score one for America's enemies and hostile international bureaucrats, zero for American democracy.

Koh has called America's focus on the War on Terror "obsessive." In 2004, he listed countries that flagrantly disregard international law -- "most prominently, North Korea, Iraq, and our own country, the United States of America," which he branded "the axis of disobedience."

He has also accused President George Bush of abusing international law to justify the invasion of Iraq, comparing his "advocacy of unfettered presidential power" to President Richard Nixon's. And that was the first Bush -- Koh was attacking the 1991 operation to liberate Kuwait, four days after fighting began in Operation Desert Storm.

Koh has also praised the Nicaraguan Sandinistas' use in the 1980s of the International Court of Justice to get Congress to stop funding the Contras. Imagine such international lawyering by rogue nations like Iran, Syria, North Korea and Venezuela today, and you can see the danger in Koh's theories.

Koh, a self-described "activist," would plainly promote his views aggressively once at State. He's not likely to feel limited by the letter of the law -- in 1994, he told The New Republic: "I'd rather have [former Supreme Court Justice Harry] Blackmun, who uses the wrong reasoning in Roe [v. Wade] to get the right results, and let other people figure out the right reasoning."

Worse, the State job might be a launching pad for a Supreme Court nomination. (He's on many liberals' short lists for the high court.) Since this job requires Senate confirmation, it's certainly a useful trial run.

What happens to Koh in the Senate will send an important signal. If he sails through to State, he's a far better bet to make it onto the Supreme Court. So Senate Republicans have a duty to expose and confront his radical views.

Even though he's up for a State Department job, Koh is a key test case in the "judicial wars." If he makes it through (which he will if he gets even a single GOP vote) the message to the Obama team will be: You can pick 'em as radical as you like.

Making fun of Keith Olbermann is a lot of fun. But it is sometimes hard to pin him on his rampant hypocrisy (ok, maybe not THAT difficult). Well, no more...



You know it's bad when even Howard Dean comes across as intelligent. But anyone who watched the former candidate over the past 4+ years clearly knows he's lying through his teeth. But what can you expect from the least ethical congress in history (and least popular, to boot)?

Courtesy of Moonbattery

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

1977

This year was when it seemed America grew up again. Or, it could just be that I did. After celebrating our history the year before with the Bi-centennial (and all that went with that), we moved away from the innocence of youth and flocked to discotheques. We went from soft-rock, influenced by country and western, and instead turned on to the Bee Gees and urban dance music. Marijuana was passé as cocaine became the fuel to get high.

Even in commerce, things were changing dramatically. The year started with Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne creating a company named Apple, out of their garage in Cupertino, California. Later that month, American television showcased the most popular mini-series in history, Alex Haley's “Roots.” It received 37 Emmy Award nominations. It went on to win 9 Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still standing as the 3rd-highest rated US program ever. It captivated American television audiences, successfully crossing racial lines and piquing the interest of families, in all ethnic groups.

Disaster stuck big when a KLM 747 crashed into Pan Am 747, killing 583 people. It is still the worst air related accident in history (9/11 was no accident). Also, the death of Elvis Presley shook the country up (get it? I'm all shook up?) But nothing prepared us for the disaster that was Jimmy Carter.

On the positive side of the year, Star Wars was released in theaters. But New York City went dark for 25 hours – which brought out the worst in people and David Berkowitz, AKA Son of Sam, went on a killing spree. In sports, it was Billy Martin's Yankees and Tom Landry's Cowboys who were the champions on the field.

Please note a new feature - I have included links to the lyrics to each song for your reading pleasure.

Lonely Boy – Andrew Gold

Andrew Gold began writing songs at the age of 13, and by the early 1970s was working as a musician, songwriter and producer for many well-known stars, including Linda Ronstadt, Art Garfunkel, and James Taylor. He was a member of the Los Angeles band Bryndle alongside Kenny Edwards, Wendy Waldman and Karla Bonoff. He played a major role as multi-instrumentalist and arranger for Ronstadt's breakthrough album, 1974's Heart Like a Wheel. Among other accomplishments, he played the guitar solo and the majority of other instruments on the album's first track, "You're No Good," Ronstadt's only No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1975 Gold began recording as a solo artist, releasing four studio albums. "Lonely Boy" has appeared in several movie soundtracks, including Boogie Nights (1997). Although "Lonely Boy" was the bigger radio hit, "Thank You for Being a Friend" gained new popularity as the theme song for the popular 1985–1992 NBC situation comedy The Golden Girls (although that version was not performed by Gold but by Cindy Fee). Today, Gold still works with many different artists and occasionally appears in concert (recently as the opening act for America ). (View lyrics here)

I Go Crazy – Paul Davis

Davis was a member of a local group called the "Six Soul Survivors" around 1966 and later in another group called the "Endless Chain." In 1968 he was a writer for Malaco Records, based at Jackson, MS. Ilene Berns, widow of Bert Berns, signed Davis to Bang Records in 1969, and in 1970, released a cover of The Jarmels' hit song "A Little Bit of Soap", reaching #52 on the Billboard pop charts. His first album, A Little Bit of Paul Davis, was released in 1970. In 1974 he recorded his third album, Ride 'Em Cowboy, which garnered a Top 40 for the title track. The same song also became a Top 40 country hit for Juice Newton in 1984. Davis had his first American Top 10 single with the slow ballad "I Go Crazy," which peaked at #7 in 1978. "I Go Crazy" spent 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, which at the time set the single-song record for most consecutive weeks on the chart in the rock era. The follow-up, "Sweet Life", did moderately well, peaking at #17. The corresponding album Singer of Songs - Teller of Tales was a modest success, peaking at #82 on the Billboard pop album chart. He was the last artist active on the Bang Records label when it folded in 1981. After one more album, in 1981 he signed with Arista Records and had two more Top 20 singles, "Cool Night" (which rose to #11) and "'65 Love Affair" (which rose to #6). Davis retired from making records, except for two duet singles that went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts ("You're Still New To Me" – with Marie Osmond and "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love” with Tanya Tucker and Paul Overstreet. Although he survived a shooting incident in Nashville 1986, Davis suffered a fatal heart attack last year, at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi . He had turned 60 the day before. (View lyrics here)

I Just Want To Be Your Everything – Andy Gibb

Andy Gibb was the brother of Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees, and this song was written by Barry. It's a fairly dramatic love song, with the singer declaring his unending passion and stating that without her, he would die. This was the first of 3 #1 singles for Gibb, which made him the first male solo artist with 3 consecutive #1 singles in the US . The next single was "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water," which was released when The Bee Gees were scoring huge hits from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. That song replaced "Stayin' Alive" at #1 and was bumped by "Night Fever." Gibb's next single was "Shadow Dancing," which he wrote with his brothers and also went to #1. In March 1988, Andy celebrated his 30th birthday in London while working on a new album. Soon after, he entered John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, complaining of chest pains. He died on March 10, 1988, just five days after his 30th birthday as a result of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle due to a recent viral infection. His brothers acknowledge that Andy's past drug and alcohol use probably made his heart more susceptible to the ailment. Just before Andy's death, it was decided by the group that Andy would join them, which would have made the group a quartet. This did not come to pass, however. The Bee Gees' following album, One (1989), featured a song dedicated to Andy, "Wish You Were Here". (View lyrics here)

Scenes From an Italian Restaurant – Billy Joel

On an A&E special, Joel said he came up with the "Bottle of white bottle of red" line while he was dining at a restaurant and a waiter actually came up to him and said, "Bottle of white... bottle of red... perhaps a bottle of rose instead?" The "Things are okay with me these days..." part was an old piece of music he had written a long time before The Stranger. He just changed the words around to what they are now. The third part of the song is an old song he had written called "The Ballad of Brenda and Eddie." Joel recalled the restaurant, which inspired this song in USA Today July 9, 2008:"There was a restaurant right across the street from Carnegie Hall called Fontana di Trevi. It was for the opera crowd, but the Italian food was really good. They didn't really know who I was, which was fine with me, but sometimes you would have a hard time getting a table. Well, I went there when the tickets had gone on sale for (my dates at) Carnegie Hall, and the owner looks at me and he goes (in an Italian accent), 'Heyyy, youra that guy!' And from then on, I was always able to get a good spot." Joel outlined to USA Today how the Beatles inspired this song: "I had always admired the B-side of Abbey Road, which was essentially a bunch of songs strung together by (producer) George Martin. What happened was The Beatles didn't have completely finished songs or wholly fleshed-out ideas, and George said, 'What have you got?' John said, 'Well I got this,' and Paul said, 'I got that.' They all sat around and went, 'Hmm, we can put this together and that'll fit in there.' And that's pretty much what I did." (View lyrics here)

Just Remember I Love You – Firefall

This was written by Firefall singer Rick Roberts, who along with Larry Burnett was a main songwriter in the band. In this song, the singer tries to offer encouragement to someone who sounds chronically depressed and hopeless, perhaps suicidal. People who are going through their worst times ever have been known to identify with the lyrics. After going gold with their debut album – the self-titled Firefall – which featured the top 10 hit “You Are the Woman”, the band returned to the studio to write a follow up. They were joined by Cuban percussionist Joe Lala (ex-Manassas) and the Memphis Horns. But after hearing the final mix, Atlantic Records decided that the album needed to be reworked. Firefall then went back on tour, redid several songs and added some new ones. The album Luna Sea was released in July 1977. The revamped LP peaked at #27 on the charts and went Gold less than two months after release. The single from the album "Just Remember I Love You", featuring backing vocals by Poco member and future Eagle Timothy B. Schmit, reached the Top 10. It was around this time that tensions were beginning to rise within the group, stemming from non-stop touring and management problems, not to mention frequent alcohol and drug abuse. At this time the group was also incredibly popular and playing to sold-out crowds with Fleetwood Mac as part of their Rumours tour. But this only delayed their disintegration for a short time. However, the band came back together over the years and in September 2007, Firefall released a brand new CD Colorado to Liverpool – A Tribute To The Beatles. (View lyrics here)

Wasted Time – Eagles

Hotel California was the Eagles' fifth album of original material and became a critical success and a major commercial hit; since its release in late 1976, it has sold over 16 million copies in the U.S. alone. The album was at #1 for eight weeks in early 1977 (non-consecutively), and included two tracks which became #1 hits as singles on the Billboard Hot 100: "New Kid in Town" and the title track. The album, considered to be among the best ever recorded, featured a perfect blending of their western-rock roots and – thanks to the addition of vaunted guitarist Joe Walsh, who joined the band just a year earlier – an edgier, harder rock sound. The album touched on many themes, including innocence (and the loss thereof), addiction in general (and to drugs), death, the dangers, temptation and transient nature of fame, shallow relationships, divorce and loss of love, the end results of manifest destiny, and the ‘American Dream'. “Wasted Time” – perhaps Henley 's most beautiful, yet tragic song – closes the fist side of the LP and its “Reprise” opens the second. Members of Eagles have described the album as a metaphor for the perceived decline of America into materialism and decadence. In an interview with Dutch magazine ZigZag shortly before the album's release, Don Henley said, “This is a concept album, there's no way to hide it, but it's not set in the old West, the cowboy thing, you know. It's more urban this time. It's our bicentennial year, you know, the country is 200 years old, so we figured since we are the Eagles and the Eagle is our national symbol, that we were obliged to make some kind of a little bicentennial statement using California as a microcosm of the whole United States, or the whole world, if you will, and to try to wake people up and say 'We've been okay so far, for 200 years, but we're gonna have to change if we're gonna continue to be around.'” (View lyrics here)

The Chain – Fleetwood Mac

Two years after the arrival of Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks (which brought Fleetwood Mac to stardom), things had become rather difficult within the group. Mick Fleetwood separated from his wife Jenny. Buckingham and Nicks, who were in a relationship when they joined the group, were separated, and John McVie and Christine McVie also separated, although all five remained in the band. This meant that, as Stevie Nicks later pointed out, long hours were spent and some very awkward times were had between people who would otherwise not be in each others' lives. Christine McVie later remarked that they were all writing about each other, hence the title of the album. They didn't realize this immediately, but finally realizing that they had created such a good album together lifted them out of their misery. This began as a Christine McVie song called "Butter Cookie (Keep Me There)," which is available on the expanded edition of Rumours. The beginning of the track wasn't working, but the band loved Mick Fleetwood and John McVie's ending, which was now on tape. So, they counted back from the bass line, used the kick-drum as a metronome, Nicks gave them the lyrics for the verses, Buckingham and Christine McVie wrote the music and the chorus lyrics, Lindsey added the guitar over the ending, and "The Chain" as we know it was born. This is the only Fleetwood Mac song credited to all 5 members of their 1977 lineup. Since various pieces were assembled to make the song, they all had some contribution. (View lyrics here)

Come Sail Away – Styx

Styx formed in Chicago . Twin brothers Chuck and John Panozzo first got together with their neighbor Dennis DeYoung in 1961 in the Roseland section of the south side of Chicago , eventually taking the band name "The Tradewinds". Chuck Panozzo left to attend seminary school for a year but returned to the group by 1964. By this time, the others had brought in guitarist Tom Nardini to replace Chuck on guitar. Chuck decided to rejoin the others as bassist. Brother John was the drummer, while Dennis had switched from accordion to organ and piano. In 1965, the name "Tradewinds" was changed to TW4 after another band called Trade Winds broke through nationally. By 1966, the Panozzo brothers had joined DeYoung at Chicago State University and kept the group together doing gigs at high schools and frat parties while studying to be teachers. In 1969, they added a college buddy, John Curulewski, on guitar after Nardini departed. Guitarist James Young came aboard in 1970 making TW4 a quintet. In 1972, the band members decided to choose a new name when they signed to Wooden Nickel Records; several suggestions were made and, says DeYoung, Styx was chosen because it was "the only one that none of us hated". In 1975, the band added Tommy Shaw to the mix and they had their breakthrough album a year later, called The Grand Illusion. Along with “Come Sail Away,” Shaw's “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)” reached top ten status and thrust Styx into the upper echelons of the growing “arena rock” movement. (View lyrics here)

Rose of Cimarron – Poco

Poco was originally formed by Richie Furay and Jim Messina following the demise of Buffalo Springfield in 1968. The title of their first album, Pickin' Up The Pieces, is a reference to the break-up of the Springfield and is the only debut album ever to receive a perfect rating from Rolling Stone Magazine. A favorite of AOR (album-oriented rock) FM stations in the early 1970s, Poco was considered to be a highly innovative and pioneering band. Although the band charted a handful of Top 20 hits, overall their Top 40 success was uneven, and many of their most innovative records were commercially unsuccessful. Throughout the years Poco has performed in various groupings, with the latest version still active today. With 24 original albums and 26 "Best of" and anthology collections, the band boasts a total catalog of 50 releases. After Furay left the band in '73, lead vocal duties were shared by Paul Cotton (lead guitarist) and Timothy B. Schmit. and the band began to establish themselves critically, if not commercially. Rusty Young had one lead vocal on the "Head Over Heels" album, but did not sing lead on any song again until after Schmit left the band. During the period Schmit remained after Furay left, Schmit sang lead on all the songs written by Rusty Young, except for one. “Rose of Cimarron” was the title track to their '77 album and again, although it was widely praised, it didn't sell very well. The song was noted for its beautiful arrangement and intense vocals that were shared by Young and Schmidt – who soon after left the band and joined the Eagles. Ironically, the man he replaced in the Eagles, Randy Meisner, soon took Schmidt's place in Poco. (View lyrics here)

(Special thanks to Amy for her help with this)

Dust in the Wind – Kansas

In 1973, Dave Hope (bass), Phil Ehart (drums, percussion), and Kerry Livgren (guitars, keyboards, synthesizers) formed a progressive rock group named Kansas in 1970 in their hometown of Topeka, Kansas, along with vocalist Lynn Meredith from Manhattan, Kansas, keyboardist Don Montre, keyboardist Dan Wright, and saxophonist Larry Baker. However, the next three years saw many changes in the lineup and by the time they released their first album – titled Kansas – they had an almost completely different group (except for Hope and Livgren, although both left the band, only to return). By 1977, Kansas had a collection of four albums to its credit. But the last one, Leftoverture became their best-selling and most revered album to date, thanks to the hugely successful single, “Carry on Wayward Son.” But this brought added pressure to the band to duplicate that success. While they were no longer desperately poor and starving for a hit, the band wondered whether they'd be able build on, or at least maintain the level of achievement the years of recording and touring had brought them. The sessions for their follow-up LP, Point of Know Return, were filled with tension as singer/songwriter Steve Walsh, who had always been uncomfortable with the artistic direction of the band, left the group briefly. Years later, Walsh would admit in an interview that he had been something of a prima donna at this point. The other members of the group talked him into returning and the sessions continued. Kerry Livgren had been practicing with his acoustic guitar, working on a chord progression that he had written as a finger exercise. His wife, Vicci, happened to hear what he was doing and remarked that the melody was nice and that he should write lyrics for it. The result was a short song called “Dust in the Wind.” Again, Livgren was unsure as to whether his fellow band members would like it, since Kansas was not known for acoustic ballads. However, they agreed to add it in a last minute decision. Needless to say, the song was recorded, securing Kansas 's place in the annals of classic rock. (View lyrics here)

BONUS TRACK

Ariel – Dean Friedman

Raised in Paramus, New Jersey, Dean Friedman received his first guitar when he was 9, in 1964, and started writing songs. When he was a teenager, he played weddings and bar mitzvahs as part of Marsha and the Self-Portraits sent out demos and majored in music at City College of New York where one of his teachers was guitarist David Bromberg. By the time he was 20, in 1975, he had a manager and a recording contract with Cashman and West's Lifesong label. In the USA he is described as a one-hit wonder, following his 1977 hit song "Ariel", which reached # 26 on the Billboard national pop charts and stayed in the charts for eight weeks. "Ariel" has been described as a "quirkily irresistible and uncategorizable pop song about a free spirited, music loving, vegetarian Jewish girl", from Paramus, New Jersey, where he grew up. It is the only Billboard top 40 song to contain the word Paramus. It describes the girl Ariel, "standing by the [since dismantled] waterfalls at Paramus Park," one of the many shopping malls in Paramus. The quarters she was collecting for "friends of BAI" referrs to the New York radio station WBAI-FM, and their listener association. Although "Ariel" did not make the UK charts, "Lucky Stars", a duet with Denise Marsa taken from his second album "Well, Well", Said The Rocking Chair, made # 3 in the UK in late 1978, and both "Woman of Mine" and "Lydia" were lesser chart hits there. Dean also provided vocals for a series of television commercials in the 1970's in the New York City metro area. The electronics chain "Crazy Eddie's" hired him to sing their 'doo-wop' style commercial: "When you think you're ready, come down to Crazy Eddie's". The songs of Dean Friedman have been covered by several contemporary bands, including The Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds Five, The Tone Rangers, and The Blenders. The lead singer of Barenaked Ladies, Steve Page, sings background vocals on Friedman's album Songs for Grownups (1998). Unlike many one-hit-wonders, Friedman has continued to write and perform songs into the 2000s. (View lyrics here)

Concert Review

The Eagles
Sears Center, Hoffman Estates, IL
3/26/09

So tonight, I attended my first rock concert in a decade. I used to an old pro at writing reviews on the shows I've seen. But with age, responsibilities and health issues slowing me down, It was nice to be able to see and hear live music again.

This was actually the third time I've been fortunate to see The Eagles live. The first time was in 1979 in San Francisco, but the second time wasn't until the Hell Freezes Over tour in 1994. All three shows were vastly different from each other, however. In 1979, the were a current hit making group, fresh off their multi-platinum album The Long Run. They were at the height of their success. In '94, they finally reunited after 14 years apart and even though Glenn Frey and Don Henley both had tremendous success as 80's solo artists, the concert was a reunion show - featuring their old hits.

This time, the band merged the two earlier shows. While there was no lack of the songs that made them famous, they also spent a lot of time on songs from their latest recording Long Road Out Of Eden.

The first thing that struck me - almost immediately after they opened up with "Hotel California" - was how much older they all looked. Granted, they are all in their early 60's, but they absolutely looked every bit that age. I guess when you hear songs from when you were young, you tend to forget that the singers age as well.

The next song was "Peaceful, Easy Feeling" and like the song before it, the band was sharp and fluid. However, whether it was an issue with the sound mixer, or something else, the beginning of the first few songs seemed to start rough. It felt like they were just not that into putting together a professional show and just wanted to get through it quickly.

What also surprised me was the fact that after just seven songs, the band took intermission. When I saw them in '94, they played 25 songs straight over 3 hours. But as they are getting older, I assumed they were just really going through the motions and would do a short - maybe 14 song performance.

The highlight of the first half was clearly Joe Walsh, who performed a very spirited "In the City," to a thunderous reaction.

The second half started with the band sitting together performing a few songs from their latest CD. The first song was "No More Walks in the Wood" which is an a cappella song sung with beautiful harmonies. I was surprised and truly gratified that the next song they sang (also from Long Road Out Of Eden) was "Waiting in the Weeds" - which is clearly my favorite song from the album. While they did throw in the Joe Walsh classic "Walk Away," the spent the next 30 minutes on new material from that album.

After a sweet, if unforgettable, "Love Will Keep Us Alive" (although Timothy B. Schmitt's voice has never sounded better), the band came alive and started to finally get the crowd on their feet. But it was Joe Walsh again who brought down the house with his great solo smash "Life's Been Good." In fact, unlike the previous shows, Walsh played a major role tonight, leading the vocals on 5 songs. Schmitt had only two and the rest were divided up between Henley and Frey.

They closed the show (before the encore) with "Heartache Tonight" and "Life in the Fast Lane." Both strayed very close to the originals. After a short break, they returned first with "Take it Easy," which I had remembered to be their last encore in both previous shows, and then surprisingly with Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way." They then said goodbye with Henley's beautiful ballad, "Desporado."

While I enjoyed the music very much, I felt that they spent too much time on lesser known songs from Eden. If the album came out this year, I could understand choosing to go that route. But I find it unlikely that the people who attended tonight would be motivated to buy the album (most probably have bought it already). While they are officially touring in support of the album, the crowd clearly came out to see the band they remember from the old days.

I was disappointed that they sacrificed tracks from their first 5 albums (they only performed two songs from Hotel California and instead focused on Joe Walsh's solo career (no matter that he was outstanding). I know from the crowd around me, they wanted to dance and sing the oldies and for many of them, they spent way too much time sitting down.

But like the previous shows, the band sounded sharp and at times, humorous. Walsh always seems to be the life of the party and Frey's comment that the proceeds to his music goes to someone named "plaintiff" (divorce humor) went over very well with the crowd.

It was a fun night and while I certainly have an issue with $110 seats, this band was worth it.

Lest you think I'm unfairly picking on our new President...

Things going 'round my head

I didn't vote for Obama, but if I did, I'd be kicking myself right about now.

Does anyone in Congress really believe Barney Frank is competent?

Does anyone in America really believe Nancy Pelosi is acting in this country's best interests?

Now I know all you Obama fans still believe he is a bright, intelligent leader who can handle any crisis with grace and ability. But seriously, what makes you think that?

I mean, what has he yet done that would make anyone believe he knows what the heck he's doing?

If he is the great intellect his followers think he is, then he is far more sinister than I would have thought possible. And if he isn't sinister, then he's simply way, way over his head.

Why is it that Obama bends over backwards towards our enemies (Iran, Syria, Hamas), yet punishes our friends (Israel, Poland, Mexico)?

Why does Obama say we can not reward failure, yet nominate a former Freddie Mac executive to head the Federal Housing Commission?

Now that we've begun to see things like the AIG tour bus and the "Jail the rich" protests in San Fransisco, isn't is painfully obvious that the Obama election has brought upon us a class-war in this country?

Do we really want to "jail the rich?"

After watching the losers who cried over the election - saying that "I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage” - I now no longer doubt that many Americans would prefer a socialized America. Unfortunately, too many people have either been indoctrinated in our public school system (where history is more fiction that fact), or they are too ignorant to understand why (or how) the United States became the wealthiest nation on Earth.

These idiots, many of whom are still wealthier than 90% of the World population, can simply not understand that it's better if everyone becomes wealthier - regardless if someone gets more than another - than for everyone to be equally poor.

I have no idea if President Obama accepts that premise and in truth, any American who doesn't should not be in the position of power that Obama is.

I never, ever thought I would say this, but I'm beginning to believe that Jimmy Carter was a better President than Obama will ever be. While Carter was a disaster, his presidency was not fatal. I fear than while the US won't necessarily end during the next 3+ years, his decisions and vast errors will be so irreversible that it really won't take very long for the end to come.

Ten Great Songs From Three Great Years

1990-92

When I began these lists, I did so with the knowledge that every year features certain songs that form the soundtrack of my life. I know it sounds crazy, but my life has always had a backbeat and every memory I have – the good, the bad and the ugly – is molded with a musical background.

My earliest memory as a child was being at the Arnstein Jewish Community Center, in Knoxville, Tennessee and when I think abut that one memory, I hear the Beatles “A Hard Day's Night.” The first time I got behind the wheel of a car, “Ride Like The Wind” by Christopher Cross played in the background. And my first real kiss – with a real girl – was set to the song “The Goodbye Girl” by David Gates.

Every story and every event has a musical memory for me. But for some reason, there were three straight years that didn't have the same effect. It could be because of changes that took place during that time – I got married, moved around a lot and had a baby – but I rather think it had more to do with the music of the day. Those three years were from 1990 to 1992. Maybe I was depressed at the time, although I don't think I was. I think music – at least the rock and roll variety – was just poor.

Therefore, instead of focusing on one great year, I decided to take 10 songs (plus a bonus track) from all three years instead. After this, I will only have two more years to list and when they are done, I have some surprises planned before I begin with other songs from those years.

Blaze Of Glory - Jon Bon Jovi

This song was featured in the movie Young Guns II, starring Emilio Estevez. Bon Jovi makes a cameo in the film. In this song, the singer is determined to fight to his death, knowing he will be remembered for his bravery. Bon Jovi recorded this as a solo project while he was taking a break from his band and it was nominated for, but did not win an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1991. He got the band back together to perform this at the Academy Awards telecast. Legendary guitarist Jeff Beck played the slide guitar solo on this. He also featured on several other songs on the Young Guns II album. Randy Jackson played bass guitar on this track. He said on American Idol that it was his second best performance ever. He didn't disclose what he felt was his best performance.

Janie's Got A Gun – Aerosmith

This is about a girl who shoots her father because he is sexually abusing her. Steven Tyler wrote it after reading an article about children who had been killed by guns. Tyler wrote the line "He raped a little, bitty baby," but changed it to "He jacked a little, bitty baby" at the request of his record company, who worried that radio stations would not play it if it was too graphic. He also stated that it was the “hardest record (he'd) ever written.” Although Aerosmith first hit the scene in 1973 (“Dream On”), the enjoyed a real renaissance in the late 80's that carried them well into the 90's (and beyond). Officially drug-free – after their well known abuses - they never stopped recording. But they matured – especially Tyler 's songwriting and suddenly became a huge commodity again. “Janie” became their biggest hit until 1998, when they finally hit number one with “I Don't Want To Miss a Thing.” The video to “Janie's Got a Gun” depicted a girl killing her father. It got lots of play on MTV. The video was directed by David Fincher, who went on to direct Alien III and Panic Room. It starred Kristin Dattilo as Janie, and Lesley Ann Warren as her mother.

Freedom ‘90 - George Michael

George Michael was trying to free himself from the shackles of Sony, which was his record label at the time. They created an image for him to promote his Faith album, and Michael was now trying to distance himself from it. In the video all the Faith trademarks explode: the jacket, the jukebox, the guitar. When the video first came out people were quite shocked because Michael was barely in it (he doesn't appear in "Praying for Time," also from the album, at all). He got a bunch of Supermodels including Naomi Campbell to lip sync for him – but it was quite effective. In the video, there is a man shot from the waist down - he walks and he scratches his boxers. That is Michael. His scene goes with the line, "When you shake your ass they notice fast some mistakes were built to last," referring to the flack he got from his tush in "Faith," and the consequent spoof of him and his butt on SNL. The song is autobiographical and chronicles Michael's Wham days with lines like: "Heaven knows we sure had some fun boy, what a kick just a buddy and me, we had every bigshot goodtime band on the run and boy, we were living in a fantasy." The year was added to the song title, originally released as "Freedom," so as not to confuse it with the hit single by Wham! also titled "Freedom."

Something To Talk About – Bonnie Raitt

Raitt, the daughter of Broadway musical star John Raitt and his first wife, pianist Marjorie Haydock, began playing guitar at an early age, something few of her high school girlfriends did. Later she would become famous for her bottleneck-style guitar playing. "I had played a little at school and at camp", she later recalled in a July 2002 interview. “My parents would drag me out to perform for my family, like all parents do, but it was a hobby—nothing more... I think people must wonder how a white girl like me became a blues guitarist. The truth is, I never intended to do this for a living. I grew up in a Quaker family, and for me being Quaker was a political calling rather than a religious one.” Early in her career, while living in one of the West Hollywood apartment complexes directly behind Cherokee Studios, Bonnie used to pick up back up singing recording gigs with music producers Bruce Robb (producer) and Steve Cropper. As Cherokee's owner Bruce Robb recalls, "Bonnie became somewhat of a fixture around Cherokee, hanging out on the back steps when she was in need of work. Cropper and I would pull her in to sing on stuff and give her a couple hundred bucks. She already had the awe of us on the 'music' side of the industry. It was the suits who took a little longer to figure out that she was a star." After more than twenty years im the music industry, Bonnie Raitt finally achieved commercial success with her 10th album, Nick of Time. Released in the spring of 1989, Nick Of Time went to the top of the U.S. charts following Raitt's Grammy sweep in early 1990. At the same time, she walked away with a fourth Grammy Award for her duet "In the Mood" with John Lee Hooker on his album The Healer. Nick Of Time has sold over 6 million copies in the US alone. She followed up this success with three more Grammy Awards for her 1991 album, Luck of the Draw, which featured this song (her biggest hit) and "I Can't Make You Love Me" and has currently sold nearly 8 million copies in the United States.

I Touch Myself – Divinyls

The Divinyls are singer Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. They wrote this with the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, who have a knack for writing hit songs for female vocalists. They also wrote "I'll Stand By You," "Like A Virgin," "Eternal Flame," "True Colors" and "So Emotional." This is clearly about masturbation, but there's more to it. Says Steinberg: "What I like about the song is that in spite of the fact that the chorus kind of boldly says that, the verse was much more sort of poetic and kind of meaningful. It says, 'I love myself, I want you to love me, when I feel down I want you above me, I search myself, I want you to find me, I forget myself, I want you to remind me.' Those words I think are very strong and it's not an obvious start to finish jack off song. I like playing with words, and whether it's 'Like a Virgin' or 'I Touch Myself,' I like taking phrases or words that are sort of untapped and find a way to write something meaningful and that has a rebelliousness because really that's what Rock's all about. Talking 'bout my generation, you know." This was the only US hit for this Australian group. It went to #1 in their home country and it was featured in the motion picture Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

Something To Believe In – Poison

On Christmas Eve 1989, Poison lead singer Bret Michael's huge Polynesian bodyguard died alone in his Palm Springs hotel room. His name was Kimo, and much like the rest of the band, he became heavily involved with alcohol, drugs, and women, which had taken a toll on his health. Kimo was also a personal friend of Michaels and when the Poison vocalist was informed of his mate's death, he reacted by locking himself in his room and writing this song. Kimo can be seen in the video. Poison began their journey in 1983 under the name Paris and consisted of lead vocalist Bret Michaels, guitarist C.C. Deville, bassist Bobby Dall, and drummer Rikki Rockett. Moving to LA in 1984, they started playing big clubs and several other clubs. The name Poison was picked by the band after seeing Spinal Tap. Despite Poison's success, DeVille's cocaine and alcohol addictions had begun to cause strife in the band. Conflict between Michaels and DeVille culminated in a fistfight backstage at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, provoked by DeVille's inept live performance. After bringing "Unskinny Bop" to a grinding halt, DeVille launched into "Talk Dirty to Me", forcing the band to switch songs in mid-performance. DeVille was fired and replaced by Pennsylvanian guitarist Richie Kotzen.

Come As You Are – Nirvana

This could be about not being judgmental when someone changes after you haven't seen them for a long time. In hindsight, it can be seen as a song about suicide, since lead singer Kurt Cobain committed suicide less than three years after this was released. The chords in this song are a slowed down replica of Killing Joke's 1985 song "Eighties." The songs were so similar that Nirvana considered holding off releasing this as a single. Killing Joke decided not to sue Nirvana, and in 1992, Dave Grohl helped them out by playing drums for them on an album. The lyrics, "Come doused in mud, soaked in bleach" were taken from a campaign in Seattle that encouraged heroin users to soak their needles in bleach after injecting to reduce the risk of spreading HIV. The phrase for the campaign was actually "If doused in mud, soak in bleach." The lyrics as used by Cobain could be about tolerating everyone no matter what they look like - black people being the "mud" and white people being the "bleach." Nirvana was the catalyst band for the “grunge” style of music that was based out of the Pacific Northwest. Although Cobain's suicide effectively ended the band, the influence of their sound and success has served the genre well.

Life Is A Highway – Tom Cochrane

Cochrane fronted the Canadian rock band Red Rider and has won seven Juno Awards. He joined Red Rider in 1978 and served as their lead singer and main songwriter for more than 10 years. Red Rider included Ken Greer, Jeff Jones, Peter Boynton and Rob Baker and were best known for their 1985 hit “Lunatic Fringe” – which was featured on the movie Soundtrack for the motion picture Vision Quest . Cochrane launched his solo career in 1991 with the release of the song "Life is a Highway". The single became a global success and was followed by the release of his Mad Mad World album, which would reach the 6 million mark in worldwide sales. The albums Ragged Ass Road, Songs of a Circling Spirit, X-Ray Sierra and No Stranger followed. Cochrane's massive bodies of music and energetic live shows have established him as one of Canada 's most-treasured artists. An avid golfer, pilot and hockey buff, Cochrane lives in Oakville , Ontario and spends summers at his cottage/studio on the shores of Georgian Bay in Northern Ontario and winters part time at his home outside of Austin , Texas . Tom and his wife, Kathleene have two daughters, Cody and Evanne. Cochrane continues to tour and perform in Canada where he remains one of the country's most popular live acts.

Just Another Day – Jon Secada

Secada is a Cuban-American with a masters degree in jazz from Miami University. The album Just another Day was one of the biggest albums of 1992, selling over 6 million copies worldwide. Secada arrived with his parents in the United States at the age of nine. While attending school, his family managed a coffee shop. As a teen, Secada discovered his gift for music. In the culturally diverse city of Miami , Secada was exposed to salsa and merengue. In the late 1980s, Gloria Estefan hired Secada as a background singer. He also started composing music for Estefan, including some of her best-known ballads. Among other songs, Secada co-wrote and sang background on "Coming Out of the Dark" Gloria's number one hit from her 1991 album Into the Light . During Estefan's "Coming Out of the Dark" tour, Secada was given the life-changing opportunity of taking over the stage and performing solo. It launched his career as a solo performer. Secada, who supports the Republican Party, was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. The committee is charged with creating a multi-year action plan aimed at closing the educational achievement gap between Hispanic students and their peers.

All I Want – Toad the Wet Sprocket

Toad the Wet Sprocket was formed in 1986 at San Marcos High School just outside of Santa Barbara, California, when singer/songwriter Glen Phillips was only 14 and a freshman; the other members were 17 and juniors. The band drew its name from the Eric Idle monologue "Rock Notes" on Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album from 1980, although the name is featured in a parody of The Old Grey Whistle Test on Rutland Weekend Television in 1975. The band's first public appearance was at an open-mic talent contest in September 1986. The band lost the competition. Toad the Wet Sprocket's first album came out in 1989. Bread & Circus was self-financed through their label, Abe Records. The album spawned the singles "Way Away" and "One Little Girl," which made the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, but did not receive much attention. The band finally achieved fame with their third album, Fear. The album was released in 1991, and saw the singles "All I Want" and "Walk on the Ocean" reach the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100. The album became the band's first RIAA-certified platinum album. In 1992, the cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer featured the song "Little Heaven" and was included in the movie soundtrack and 1993, the Mike Myers feature film So I Married an Axe Murderer included the song "Brother" on its soundtrack. Toad the Wet Sprocket formally broke up in July 1998, citing creative differences but temporarily reunited in late 2002, playing a benefit for the Rape Crisis Center in Santa Barbara, and opening a few shows for Counting Crows. The group then played a few months of full-length shows in early 2003. Although seemingly successful, at the end of the tour the band decided to continue on their separate paths and careers. However, they have occasionally reunited for benefit concerts and even for a 34-date tour, in 1996.

BONUS TRACK

The Thunder Rolls – Garth Brooks

Brooks has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history, breaking records for both sales and concert attendance throughout the 1990s. The RIAA has certified his recordings at a combined (128× platinum), denoting roughly 113 million U.S. shipments. He is also listed as the best-selling artist of the Nielsen Soundscan era (from 1991 onwards), with approximately 67,774,000 albums sold (as of April 5, 2008 ). From 1989 through 1997, Garth Brooks ruled country music and during that span, he had 14 number one albums and an amazing 47 top 40 country singles (including 19 number ones). In 1992, NBC-TV broadcasted two Friday evening specials, “Garth Brooks” and “This is Garth Brooks.” Both rated as the most watched music specials of the year. "The Thunder Rolls" tells the story of a wife waiting up late into the night for her husband. As he comes into the house, she smells another woman's perfume on him. All of this is set against the backdrop of a storm, representing the tribulation of the couple's marriage. The song originally contained a third verse in which the woman runs to her dresser drawer to get a pistol, telling herself that she'll never again wonder where he is. However, producer Allen Reynolds felt it worked well with just two verses and the third verse never appeared on the studio version, although Brooks does sing it at concerts as is evidenced on Double Live.

I always thought Rupert Murdoch was Jewish. In a remarkable speech he made March 4 speech to the American Jewish Committee, he admits he is not Jewish, but he also reinforces his strong connection to the State of Israel and worldwide Jewry.

Here is the transcript, courtesy of the Jerusalem Post:

Over the years, some of my wildest critics seem to have assumed I am Jewish. At the same time, some of my closest friends wish I were.

So let me set the record straight: I live in New York. I have a wife who craves Chinese food. And people I trust tell me I practically invented the word "chutzpah."

Ladies and gentleman, I am humbled by the honor you have given me - because this award speaks more to your good work than it does to mine.

The American Jewish Committee started in response to the persecution of Jews in czarist Russia. And your response took a very American form: an organization that would speak up for those who could not speak for themselves.

In the century since your founding, the American Jewish Committee has become one of the world's most influential organizations. Yet though your concerns begin with the safety and welfare of Jews, these concerns are anything but parochial. The reason for this is clear: You know that the best guarantee of the security of Jews anywhere is the freedom of people everywhere.

Your good work has helped bring real and lasting changes to our world. Unfortunately, while some threats have been defeated, new ones have taken their place. And these new threats remind us the AJC's work is more vital than ever.

In Europe, men and woman who bear the tattoos of concentration camps today look out on a continent where Jewish lives and Jewish property are under attack - and public debate is poisoned by an anti-Semitism we thought had been dispatched to history's dustbin.

In Iran, we see a regime that backs Hizbullah and Hamas now on course to acquire a nuclear weapon.

In India, we see Islamic terrorists single out the Mumbai Jewish Center in a well-planned and well-coordinated attack that looks like it could be a test run for similar attacks in similar cities around the world.

MOST FUNDAMENTALLY, we see a growing assault on both the legitimacy and security of the State of Israel.

This assault comes from people who make clear they have no intention of ever living side-by-side in peace with a Jewish state - no matter how many concessions Israel might make. The reason for this is also clear: These are men who cannot abide the idea of freedom, tolerance and democracy. They hate Israel for the same reasons they hate us.

As I speak, the flashpoint is Gaza. For months now, Hamas has been raining down rockets on Israeli civilians. Like all terrorist attacks, the aim is to spread fear within free societies, and to paralyze its leaders. This Israel cannot afford. I do not need to tell anyone in this room that no sovereign nation can sit by while its civilian population is attacked.

Hamas knows this better than we do. And Hamas understands something else as well: In the 21st century, when democratic states respond to terrorist attacks, they face two terrible handicaps.

THE FIRST HANDICAP is military. It's true that Israel's conventional superiority means it could flatten Gaza if it wanted. But the Israel Defense Forces - unlike Hamas - are accountable to a democratically chosen government.

No matter which party is in the majority, every Israeli government knows it will be held accountable by its people and by the world for the lives that are lost because of its decisions. That's true for lives of innocent Palestinians caught in the crossfire. And it's also true for the Israeli soldiers who may lose their lives defending their people.

In this kind of war, Hamas does not need to defeat Israel militarily to win a big victory. In fact, Hamas knows that in some ways, dead Palestinians serve its purposes even better than dead Israelis.

In the West we look at this and say, "It makes no sense." But it does make sense.

If you are committed to Israel's destruction, and if you believe that dead Palestinians help you score a propaganda victory, you do things like launch rockets from a Palestinian schoolyard. This ensures that when the Israelis do respond, it will likely lead to the death of an innocent Palestinian - no matter how many precautions Israeli soldiers take.

Hamas gets away with this, moreover, because it does not rule Gaza by the consent of those it claims to represent. It rules by fear and intimidation. It is accountable to no one but itself.

This is the chilling logic of Gaza. And it helps explain why even a strong military power like Israel can find itself at a disadvantage on the ground.

THE SECOND HANDICAP for Israel is the global media war. For Hamas, the images of Palestinian suffering - of people losing their homes, of parents mourning their dead children, of tanks rolling through the streets - create sympathy for its cause.

In a battle marked by street to street fighting, the death of innocents is all but inevitable. That is also true of Gaza. And these deaths have led some to call for Israel to be charged with war crimes by an international tribunal.

But I am curious: Why do we never hear calls for Hamas leaders to be charged with war crimes?

Why, for example, do we hear no calls for human rights investigations into Hamas gunmen using Palestinian children as human shields? Why so few stories on the reports of Hamas assassins going to hospitals to hunt down their fellow Palestinians? And where are the international human rights groups demanding that Hamas stop blurring the most fundamental line in warfare: the distinction between civilian and combatant?

I suspect the answer has to do with the same grim logic that leads Hamas to provoke a military battle it knows it cannot win. Whether Israel is ever found guilty of any war crime hardly matters. Hamas gets a propaganda win simply by having the charge made often and loudly enough.

In this, Israel finds itself in much the same position the United States found itself in Iraq before the surge. There, al-Qaida realized that it was in its interests to provoke sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni - no matter what the cost to innocent Iraqis. That is the nature of terror. And what we are seeing in Gaza is just one front in this much larger war.

IN THE WEST, we are used to thinking that Israel cannot survive without the help of Europe and the United States. Tonight I say to you: Maybe we should start wondering whether we in Europe and the United States can survive if we allow the terrorists to succeed in Israel.

In this new century, the "West" is no longer a matter of geography. The West is defined by societies committed to freedom and democracy. That at least is how the terrorists see it. And if we are serious about meeting this challenge, we would expand the only military alliance committed to the defense of the West to include those on the front lines of this war. That means bringing countries such as Israel into NATO.

My friends, I do not pretend to have all the answers to Gaza this evening. But I do know this: The free world makes a terrible mistake if we deceive ourselves into thinking this is not our fight.

In the end, the Israeli people are fighting the same enemy we are: cold-blooded killers who reject peace, who reject freedom and who rule by the suicide vest, the car bomb and the human shield.

Against such an enemy, I will not second-guess the decisions of a free Israel defending her citizens. And I would ask all those who support peace and freedom to do the same.

I have often said that I do not write for anyone but myself. I write what moves me and what's important to me. I know that many of you share my values and passions and that's why you come back over and over again. But even if I hadn't any readers, I would still write.

However today is a different story. I'm not going to say for whom I'm writing this for, because that person will figure it out themself. But it could be for many of you who have similar fears and feelings regarding the political landscape. I know that the person this is meant for will read it, but I strongly urge everyone else to do so as well.

This isn't anything original, but actually an editorial by my favorite writer, Thomas Sowell, that was published today in the Jewish World Review:

The Republican Civil War

As if it is not enough that they have been decimated by the Democrats in the past couple of elections, the Republican survivors are now turning their guns on each other.

At the heart of these internal battles have been attacks on Rush Limbaugh by Republicans who imagine themselves to be so much more sophisticated because they are so much more in step with the political fashions of the time.

New Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele's cheap shot at Rush's program as "ugly" set off the latest round of in-fighting. That is the kind of thing that is usually said by liberals who have never listened to the program.

Regular listeners to the Rush Limbaugh program or subscribers to the Limbaugh newsletter know that both contain far more factual information and in-depth analysis than in the programs or writings of pundits with more of a ponderous tone or intellectual airs.

Why Michael Steele found it necessary to say such a thing— except as a sop to the liberal intelligentsia— is one of the many mysteries of the Republican Party. Steele has since apologized to Rush but you cannot unring the bell.

More important, the mindset it betrays is at the heart of many of the problems of the Republican Party, going back for years, long before Michael Steele appeared on the scene.

There has long been an element of the Republican Party that has felt a need to distance themselves from people who stand up for conservative principles, whether those with principles have been Ronald Reagan, Rush Limbaugh or whomever.

The latest example is John McCain's daughter, who has said how embarrassed she is by having to explain Ann Coulter to her friends. If it wasn't for articulate conservatives like Ann Coulter, both the Republican Party and the country would be in even worse shape than they are now, for there are extremely few articulate Republican politicians who can make the case for any principle. Certainly Ms. McCain's father is not one of them.

The only time John McCain led Barack Obama in the polls last year was after Governor Sarah Palin joined the ticket. The economic collapse doomed their candidacies but McCain would have had no chance at all with another inconsistent and inarticulate Republican like himself on the ticket.

Yet many in the Republican Party seem to have felt as embarrassed by Governor Palin as they have been by others who articulated principles, instead of trying to be in step with the fashions of the time— fashions set by liberals.

Maybe those Republicans who put a high value on being accepted in elite circles should be embarrassed by the narrowness of their elite friends, who disdain or demonize people whose principles they disagree with, instead of answering their arguments.

There has even been an undercurrent among some Republicans of a sense that it is time to move away from the image of Ronald Reagan, to update the party and court newer and less embarrassing segments of the voters than their current base.

There is certainly a lot to be said for inviting wider segments of the population to join you, by explaining how your principles benefit the country in general, and those segments in particular. But that is fundamentally different from abandoning your principles in hopes of attracting new votes with opportunism.

No segment of the population has lost more by the agendas of the liberal constituencies of the Democratic Party than the black population.

The teachers' unions, environmental fanatics and the ACLU are just some of the groups to whose interests blacks have been sacrificed wholesale. Lousy education and high crime rates in the ghettos, and unaffordable housing elsewhere with building restrictions, are devastating prices to pay for liberalism.

Yet the Republicans have never articulated that argument, and their opportunism in trying to get black votes by becoming imitation Democrats has failed miserably for decades on end.

There seemed, for an all too brief moment, that Michael Steele might have been the one to provide such much overdue articulation— and possibly he still might, but only if he stays out of the Republican trap of trying to appease opponents by throwing supporters to the wolves.

Since we are nearing the last weeks before I start all over again with these lists, I thought this would be a good time to make a few changes. For one thing, the format of the blog has been tweaked a bit, as you can tell. I kind of like this new, cleaner look. Secondly, I've added a weekly poll so you can give me feedback on what songs hit the mark and which one's were a miss.

So, have a go and let me know what you think!

Ten Great Hits From One Great Year

1971

The year started with radio and TV cigarette ads being banned on all broadcasts. In what should seem as somewhat ironic, a couple of weeks later, CBS-TV debuts the hit show “All in the Family” – something far more harmful to all-American values than a cigarette ad.

Nasdaq debuts in 1971 and Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro League player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, the Supreme Court of the United States rules unanimously that busing of students may be ordered to achieve racial desegregation. That hasn’t actually worked out too well.

Southwest Airlines, the most successful low cost carrier in history, begins its first flights between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Jim Morrison, leader of The Doors is found dead in his bathtub in Paris, France. The South Tower of the World Trade Center is topped out at 1,362 feet, making it the second tallest building in the world. This was also the year that Walt Disney World opens in Florida. Intel releases the world's first microprocessor, the Intel 4004 and during a severe thunderstorm over Washington, a man calling himself D. B. Cooper parachutes from the Northwest Orient Airlines plane he hijacked, with US$200,000 in ransom money, and is never seen again (as of March 2008, this case remains the only unsolved skyjacking in history).

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

This was written by Motown songwriter Al Cleveland and Four Tops member Renaldo "Obie" Benson. Gaye added lyrics and worked on the arrangement. The 3 were golfing partners. Gaye wanted The Originals to record the song, but Benson and Cleveland prevailed upon Gaye to do it himself. Until this song, Gaye rarely participated in the songwriting process. For this album, he took control of the production so he could make a statement as an artist. Motown hated the idea, but Gaye was an established star and had enough power to pull it off. This was one of the first Motown songs to make a powerful political statement. Stevie Wonder and The Temptations were also recording more serious and challenging material, which was a radical departure from the Motown hits of the '60s. The song had a tremendous impact because listeners weren't used to hearing social commentary from Gaye. Gaye wrote this when he could no longer could take refuge in his love songs. His marriage was in shambles (although the divorce wouldn't be final until 1977), Tammi Terrell (his partner in song and romance) collapsed into his arms during a concert and died in 1970, drug use was pervading the inner city culture and Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy were all gunned down.

Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) - The Temptations

Motown writers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong wrote this in the late '60s, but since Psychedelic songs were popular at the time, Whitfield and Strong decided to wait a few years before releasing it. Whitfield pulled it out of the mothballs after the relative failure of The Temptations' "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World)," which hit #33 in 1970. Whitfield wanted to steer the Temptations away from their string of socially relevant songs, which was in contrast to Marvin Gaye’s social-awareness transformation. This was the last single for the Temptations with Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams in the group. Eddie started a solo career and in 1973 scored his biggest hit with "Keep on Truckin'." Williams remained on salary as an advisor, but was plagued with personal problems - he was separated from his wife, owed back taxes and was being treated for alcoholism. He committed suicide in 1973 at age 34. It was the last chart-topper for the remarkable group.

An Old Fashioned Love Song – Three Dog Night

This was written by Paul Williams (not the same Paul Williams of the Temptations), who also wrote the Three Dog Night hits "Out in the Country" and "Family of Man." All 3 songs were last minute additions that wound up on the album and became hits. Williams: "I had a date one night, a young lady named Patti Dahlstrom, she was a songwriter. We were going to go out and have dinner. And right before I left for the date I had gotten a phone call that I had a gold record. And I walked into her house, and I said, 'Well, got a gold record for such-and-such, it just went gold. Kid did it again with another old fashioned love song.' It just came out of me. And I went, wait a minute. I went over to her piano and I sat down, and it's the quickest I ever had a song come out of me. And it sounds like it. It's a really simple song, I wrote it in like 20 minutes. And it was a big hit." An official commentary included in the CD set Celebrate: The Three Dog Night Story, 1965-1975 states that vocalist Danny Hutton’s then-girlfriend June Fairchild thought of the band’s name when she read a magazine article about indigenous Australians, in which it was explained that on cold nights they would customarily sleep in a hole in the ground while embracing a dingo, a native species of wild dog. On colder nights they would sleep with two dogs, and if a night was especially cold, it was a "Three Dog Night."

Beginnings – Chicago

Formed in 1967 in Chicago, the band began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound and became one of the longest running and most successful U.S. pop/rock and roll groups. The band was formed when a group of DePaul University music students began playing a series of late-night jams at clubs on and off campus. Their first record (released in April 1969), the eponymous The Chicago Transit Authority, was an audacious debut: a sprawling double album, virtually unheard of for a rookie band that included jazzy instrumentals, extended jams featuring Latin percussion, and experimental, feedback-laden guitar abstraction. The album began to receive heavy airplay on the newly popular FM radio band; it included a number of pop-rock gems — "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", "Questions 67 and 68" and this song — which would later be edited to a radio-friendly length, released as singles, and eventually become rock radio staples. Soon after the album's release, the band's name was shortened to simply Chicago, when the actual Chicago Transit Authority threatened legal action. Robert Lamm wrote and sang lead on this song and the distinctive rhythm guitar was originally played by Chicago's guitarist Terry Kath, in died in 1978 at the age of 31 from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves – Cher

This was Cher's first #1 solo hit. It also reached #1 in Canada and France. After the success of this song, the album title was changed from Cher to Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves. This was written by Bob Stone. Originally entitled "Gypsies and White Trash," Stone was asked by producer Snuff Garrett to revise it. The song is the tale of a girl (the narrator) who was "born in the wagon of a traveling show," where her mother works as a dancer and her father does anything possible to earn money. When the girl is 16, her family takes in a 21-year-old man south of Mobile (located in Alabama). The young man and the girl have an affair, the girl says she's "in trouble" 3 months later, and the man disappears. The girl follows in her mother's footsteps of dancing in the show and has a daughter that is born in the exact same location as she was. Nirvana covered this song in 1987 and changed some of the lyrics. Inkubus Sukkubus covered it in 2001.

Sooner or Later - Grass Roots

This was written by Gary Zekley, Mitchell Bottler, brothers Adenyi Jacob and Ekundayo Paris, and Ted McNamara. Zekley and Bottler also wrote the Grass Roots' previous hit "(I'd) Wait a Million Years" among others. It was the Grass Roots' first Top 10 hit since their hit "Midnight Confessions," which was released three years before. In the tale of this song, a man is trying to win the heart of a girl who does not want to love him (she's allegedly afraid because of past experiences); he tells her that she will succumb to him sooner or later. In their career, The Grass Roots achieved one platinum album, two gold albums, thirteen gold singles and charted singles a total of twenty nine times. Between 1967 and 1972, The Grass Roots set a record for being on the Billboard charts for 307 straight weeks. They are one of only nine bands that have charted twenty nine or more Top 100 Billboard singles. They have sold over thirty million records worldwide.

Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

This was Withers' first hit. After spending 9 years in the US Navy, he had a job at a factory making parts for airplanes when he was introduced to Booker T. Jones from Booker T. & the MG's. Booker was an elite session musician with Stax Records, where Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and many other Soul legends recorded. He brought in some other top-notch musicians, including Stephen Stills on lead guitar, and produced this album for Withers, who was 32 when it was recorded. The part where Withers repeats "I know, I know," has become a very recognizable piece of the song, but it wasn't what he had in mind. Explains Withers:
"I wasn't going to do that, then Booker T. said, 'No, leave it like that.' I was going to write something there, but there was a general consensus in the studio. It was an interesting thing because I've got all these guys that were already established, and I was working in the factory at the time. Graham Nash was sitting right in front of me, just offering his support. Stephen Stills was playing and there was Booker T. and Al Jackson and Donald Dunn - all of the MGs except Steve Cropper. They were all these people with all this experience and all these reputations, and I was this factory worker just sort of puttering around. So when their general feeling was, 'Leave it like that,' I left it like that." Sax player Grover Washington became the first person to cover one of Withers' songs when he did an instrumental version shortly after Withers released his. In 1981, Washington and Withers teamed up to record "Just the Two of Us."

Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver

Denver didn't write this song. In fact, when he recorded it he had never even been to West Virginia. Two musicians, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, wrote it while driving to Maryland - they'd never been to West Virginia either! Danoff got his inspiration from postcards sent to him by a friend who DID live there. The Starland Vocal Band, who charted with "Afternoon Delight" in 1977, sang background vocals on this. At the time, they were known as "Fat City." This was the first single by Denver and although it was a huge hit, it stopped just short of number one. While he was a relative newcomer to the music scene, he did top the charts two years earlier when Peter, Paul and Mary scored their big smash “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” which Denver had written a couple of years earlier. During his career, Denver recorded 11 top 40 albums and 15 top 40 hits – including 5 that went number one. On October 12, 1997, Denver was killed when the Long-EZ aircraft he was piloting crashed just off the coast of California at Pacific Grove, shortly after taking off from the Monterey Peninsula Airport.

It's Too Late – Carole King

Carole King wrote this with Toni Stern, a painter who worked on several songs on the Tapestry album. This was released as the B-side to "I Feel the Earth Move." After a few weeks of continuous airplay with "I Feel the Earth Move," many DJs all over the States decided to give "It's Too Late" an equal amount of airplay. Soon, it came to the point where everyone preferred "It's Too Late," which ended up topping the charts by May of 1971. "I Feel the Earth Move" never charted, although it has become a staple song of hers. Just before her success as a solo artist, King toured with James Taylor for a time. Many people tended to think that this song was about a short romance between the two. King never confirmed these rumors, and Taylor later dated and married Carly Simon. This song won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1972. In addition, her song "You've Got a Friend" (performed by Taylor) won a Grammy for Song Of The Year, and her album Tapestry won Grammys for Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. Other artists who have covered this song include Gloria Estefan (who had a top 40 hit with it), Denise LaSalle, Johnny Mathis, The Stylistics, Kyle Vincent and Andy Williams.

Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey – Paul McCartney

Uncle Albert was a real uncle of McCartney's who would quote and read from the Bible when he got drunk. The only time he read from the Bible was when he was drinking. McCartney combined pieces of unfinished songs to make this. In the later years of The Beatles, they did this a lot as a way to put unfinished songs to good use. This song won the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists in 1971. It was credited to Paul and Linda McCartney. After the release of the successful debut McCartney, Paul and Linda went on a lengthy holiday and spent much time on their farm on the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland. It was during this period that Paul, often with Linda's input, composed the songs that would feature on Ram. Deciding to make a change in recording venue, the couple flew to New York City in the fall of 1970 to record their new songs. Denny Seiwell was recruited for drums and David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken were tapped for guitar duties. Although it was a collaborative project, Linda's vocal duties were mostly limited to backing Paul, who sang lead throughout. "The Back Seat of My Car" was excerpted as a UK single from Ram that August, only reaching #39, but the US release of the ambitious "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" would prove much more successful, giving McCartney his first #1 single after The Beatles.

Bonus Track

Coca-Cola Commercial

When the commercial became a hit, radio stations got requests for the song, but the only place it could be heard was in the ad. Coke put together a group called The Hillside Singers to record a full version adapted from the commercial. The song had a country sound and hit US #13. Then they had the New Seekers record a version which was also released. Both versions were on the charts at the same time. William Backer worked for Coke's advertising agency. He was putting together radio commercials for The New Seekers to sing and came up with the line "I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company" after seeing travelers at an airport having a good time over a Coke. For the story of how the Coke commercial came together, read Backer's book The Care And Feeding Of Ideas. The jingle (and the song were written by Backer, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, and Billy Davis.