] "If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your
] information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron
] than they are.

[ That's a fair statement, but to say that music and politics can't be joined I guess just proves his point about rockers being morons... maybe he was just self projecting.

I mean, he's talking about Bruce fucking Springsteen, here! I've heard one or two of the Boss' songs and, well, I'm pretty sure they were about politics, or at least about social conciousness. He wrote "Born in the USA" for gods sake... I think he's into politics, just a little. Is Alice Cooper saying that Springsteen sucks? He better not tour in New Jersey anymore.

I'm not gonna say there's no place for vapid, content-free music designed for pure entertainment (a la Alice Cooper), but most of the best stuff has some inherent meaning about life, relationships, culture, society, etc. etc. Not to mention Rock has a long history of political activism. It's not the opposite of politics... if anything, you might say it's anti-authority, or rebellious, but that's hardly inconsistent with having an opinion.

Anyway, Alice Cooper can shut it, mostly... that's pretty much how I've always felt about him talking, or singing. -k]

Alice slams anti-Bush rockers

] BRIELLE, New Jersey (AP) -- An 8-year-old girl who
] suffers from a rare digestive disorder and cannot eat
] wheat has had her first Holy Communion declared invalid
] because the wafer contained no wheat, violating Roman
] Catholic doctrine.
]
] Now, Haley Waldman's mother is pushing the Diocese of
] Trenton and the Vatican to make an exception, saying the
] girl's condition should not exclude her from the
] sacrament, which commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus
] Christ before his crucifixion. The mother believes a rice
] Communion wafer would suffice.
]
] "It's just not a viable option. How does it corrupt the
] tradition of the Last Supper? It's just rice versus
] wheat," said Elizabeth Pelly-Waldman.

This article points to one of many of my problems with organized religion. What has the content of the wafer has to do with accepting Jesus as your Savior? Why should the content of the wafer have anything to do with your acceptance into the church?

More importantly, do the church leaders honestly think that Jesus Christ would deny this little girl communion on account of a digestive order?

CNN.com - Church says girl's communion not valid - Aug 19, 2004

Gay American? Is this a new ethnic option? WTF ?!?

TRENTON, New Jersey (CNN) -- New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey held a news conference Thursday to announce his resignation. This is a transcript of his remarks.

Throughout my life, I have grappled with my own identity, who I am. As a young child, I often felt ambivalent about myself, in fact, confused.
...
And so my truth is that I am a gay American. And I am blessed to live in the greatest nation with the tradition of civil liberties, the greatest tradition of civil liberties in the world, in a country which provides so much to its people.

McGreevey: 'I am a gay American'

Jeff Jarvis is all over this.

Says PoliticsNJ.com:
If McGreevey were to resign before September 15, New Jersey would have a special gubernatorial election on November 2, 2004. If he were to resign after that date, Codey would hold the office until the end of McGreevey's term in January 2006.

He is likely going to announce a resignation after Sept 15th, but this _should_ work like California. We should draft Bruce Springsteen. Bruce Willis even, if we must stick to an actor. Lots of good actors from New Jersey.

BuzzMachine... by Jeff Jarvis

This is about the be the big story. Rumor (emphasize on rumor) is NJ Governor James McGreevey will be stepping down today because of a sexual harassment issue, with another man.

I have a number of comments that come to my mind, immediately. I will update this post.

Google Search: McGreevey New Jersey

] The FBI and Postal Inspection Service are conducting
] searches in western New York and the central New Jersey
] coast relating to the investigation of deadly
] anthrax-laced letters mailed in the fall of 2001, an FBI
] spokeswoman said Thursday.
]
] Government sources said the searches were being
] undertaken at homes in Wellsville, New York, and
] Lavallette, New Jersey. One official said search warrants
] were being executed as part of the investigation.

Lavallette? Strange...

CNN.com - Anthrax investigators search in N.Y., N.J.  - Aug 5, 2004

] POTENTIAL TARGETS
]
] New York
] * Citigroup Building
] * New York Stock Exchange
]
] New Jersey
] * Prudential Financial Center
]
] Washington, D.C.
] * International Monetary Fund
] * World Bank
]
] -- Department of Homeland Security

No more failures of imagination. The boogie man could strike at any time.

CNN.com - U.S.A. raises threat level at key financial sites - Aug 1, 2004

] Now, on the streets tonight, the light's grow dim
] The walls of my room are closing in
] There's a war outside still raging
] You say it ain't ours anymore to win
] I want to sleep beneath the peaceful skies
] In my lover's bed
] With that wild open country in our eyes
] And those romantic dreams in my head

No retreat, baby, no surrender..

Interesting choice of music to play when Kerry came out. Note, playing Springsteen likely effected his polling in New Jersey.

No Surrender - Bruce Springsteen (Lyrics and Chords)

] Gov. James E. McGreevey's top contributor was charged on
] Tuesday in a bizarre scheme to enlist prostitutes in an
] effort to silence potential witnesses in a federal
] investigation of possible illegal campaign contributions.

The New York Times - Lurid Charges Hit Top Donor to New Jersey Governor

] The American contractor kidnapped in Saudi Arabia, purportedly
] by al-Qaida, placed great value in Arabic culture and once sent a
] copy of the Quran to his sister, his son said.
]
] Paul Johnson Jr. highlighted passages from the Islamic
] holy text that he felt were especially important, said
] Paul Johnson III.

I do not personally know Paul Johnson, but he is a friend of my extended family, and news of his kidnapping was greeted with sadness. My sympathies go to him and his family, and I hope for his safe return.

Florida, New Jersey relatives await word on kidnapped man's fate