Mark Sanford (UPDATED)

like the ayatollah in iran, mark sanford as lost all legitimacy in his ability to govern. iran is going through the throes of revolution and attempting to decide what gives government its legitimacy. here in the united states, we believe that government is of, by, and for the people and that a government gets its legitimacy through the consent of governed. in my opinion, mark sanford has lost the trust of the people of south carloina and should resign.

to be clear, this is not about his adultery, but that does play a part. this is about leaving his state for 5 days (it has been rumored that he had planned a 10 day vacation) and not telling anyone where he was going or not informing his second in command, the lt. governor. that behavior from the governor of a state is 100% inexcusable and should be grounds for dismissal on its face. even david patterson, as inept as he is, knew better than to leave the state while the NY state senate is playing its little game. you want to go away for a few days, fine. BUT YOU HAVE TO TELL SOMEONE! even if he was hiking the AT you still have to tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back. just ask aron ralston. its a cardinal rule of hiking. let someone know where you are going and when you plan on returning so, if god forbid you aren't where you are supposed to be when you said you would be there, people can start looking for you.

the other side to this story is sanford's remarkable hypocrisy regarding "values" and the "sanctity of marriage". haven't we had enough of this BS? and when will the MSM ask sanford (and vitter and ensign and craig and fosella and newt and rudi and ...) what gives them the right to grandstand to protect the "sanctity of marriage" by not allowing gays to marry, yet their own actions do more to violate the "sanctity of marriage" than allowing gays to marry ever could. has any MSM reported asked this question to any of these jokers? what would they say? what could they say? how can they justify it? how can they find a leg to stand on?

this is the nature of government in the united states. the government derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed. if you lose the trust of the people, you can not effectively govern. if you betray the trust your state has placed in you, you can not effectively govern. and, most especially, if you are proven to be a hypocrite of the highest order, you can not effectively govern. mark stanford should step down, not for having an affair, but for betraying the trust of the people of south carolina and losing sight of what grants government its legitimate power in the united states: the consent of the governed.

UPDATE: i think the previous paragraphs can now be replaced with a simple "fuck you". im glad that sanford went to the bible for his justification. im sure i can find a verse in there that says shitheads like him should be forced to watch "the real housewives of new jersey" without reprieve as punishment for being a first-rate asshole.

BIll Simmons on the Sixers Draft

no commentary. i'll let his words speak for me.

6:13: Jrue Holiday goes to the Sixers and, more importantly, wins the Rashard Lewis "Last Guy In The Green Room" Award. In 27 minutes per game as a freshman, Holiday averaged 8.5 points and more turnovers (3.8) than assists (3.7). On the bright side, he made 30.7 percent of his 3s. Wait, that's not good. That's your 17th pick. I'm wrapping this up soon.

6:19: Minnesota's choice of Ty Lawson (one of my two remaining favorites) just gave me the same look I had when I found out earlier today that Jackson had died. Did the Wolves really just take three point guards in the top 18? Has that ever happened before? Is David Kahn trying to go small and just got confused? And how will Chris Wallace up the Dumb GM ante?

6:21: Damn. Bucher is reporting Lawson is headed to Denver for a future protected No. 1 pick. That was a fun two minutes while it lasted. As reader Rob from Chicago joked later, "It was like an online fantasy draft and someone mistakenly put their settings on 'best player available auto-pilot.'"

6:26: Utah grabs my last favorite player in the draft: Eric Maynor. Why do I love him? He has been handling the rock since he was probably 2. He hasn't played a game since junior high in which the other guys didn't immediately agree, "That guy is the point guard." He's old-school. You could say he has "ownership" of that position. He's not a converted shooting guard or a long-range shooter who brings the ball up or even a short fast guy who plays point because he couldn't play anywhere else. He's a pure point. He owns it. Complete control at all times. That's why I like him. Solid pick. It's all about backups and foreign dudes from here on.

I'll Be There

i heard about the passing of michael jackson like so many others did last night by overhearing a conversation on the street. i didn't think anything of it at first. i heard a woman on the subway say something to the effect of "he isn't the king of pop anymore". i just assumed that she was having some generic conversation about michael jackson. things became clearer, however, as i walked through prospect park on my way to the band shell to see femi kuti. as i walked down a path, some dude stopped the two guys in front of me and said "excuse me, but is it true that michael jackson died?" he didn't believe the news and needed confirmation. that was the moment when i knew he was dead. initially i had written off the woman's comment as just talk, but once there was more context to her comments, i knew what happened. that was the theme throughout the evening. my friends talked about how they heard his music playing all afternoon, but didn't know why and just wrote it up to a coincidence. and once you heard the news, you knew why.

but, perhaps the most poignant part of the evening was after the show ended (btw, femi kuti was AMAZING) and the post-show music came on. once femi left the stage, the sounds of "i'll be there" started to filter through the speakers and instead of emptying the venue out, people stayed. and cheered. and sang. and some cried. it was really a special moment that only music can provide. it united black and white, young and old in remembrance of the music of michael, not his weirdness. his music is what i hope people will remember him by because when he was on his game, he truly was the best.

as a young kid, i loved michael's music. i had a glove. i had a poster. i listened to his music and loved it. and i still do. there is a reason that thriller is the greatest selling album of all time. from start to finish it doesn't let up. every song could be a hit on its own. any song could be the best song on the album and on any other album would be. i remember the first time i saw the thriller video and how much it scared me. his videos always went above and beyond the rest.

no one could make a video like him. no one could sing like him. no one could dance like him. no one could do what he did. he was the best. i hope this is the michael jackson that lasts through the ages, because this is the michael jackson i will always remember.

Amazing Victory for USA Soccer

it was an amazing victory, not as much for the historical significance, IMO, but for the great, great, great game team USA played. i watched the whole game and thought it was a spectacular performance by team USA. they really had spain's offense figured out, despite all the shots on goal spain had. i remember commenting early in the second half about the swarming D of team USA, while at the same time the commentators on TV were blasting the US team for letting spain run with the ball in the middle of the field. however, to me, it seemed like team USA was ok with giving spain the middle of the field (or is it called midfield...im still not 100% on my soccer terminology) because once spain got in the box they were getting mobbed by white shirts. and, even though spain got off a ton of shots, none were clean looks. all of their shots were either through or around legs and bodies, not clean rips. a ton of shots went to the post where howard cleaned them up. i just think that the US D had spain's offense figured out.

a few other thoughts:

• sick goal by jozy altidore.
• landon donovan, whom i have disliked since he laid an egg in the 2006 world cup, played a great game.
• the red card given to the US player was total BS. no way should that have been a red card. i wonder if FIFA has some sort of review system, like the NBA does with technical fouls. plus, how ridiculous is it that this guy will have to sit out the next game after one red card. the NBA has some rule for the playoffs where 6 or 7 techs force you to sit for a game. kobe had right up to the limit with techs and managed himself accordingly. it seems awfully punitive to kick a guy off the pitch for the rest of the current game as well as all of the next.

bring on the next opponent. USA! USA! USA!

Return to A Classic

excellent move by the sixers. excellent move. they are returning to their classic (read: best) color scheme and logo. why pat croce thought black and gold was a good color scheme for the 76ers is beyond all rational thought. ok, pat, you like pirates, but the 76ers are not a band of pirates. they represent the city of philadelphia and the birth of the united states. the colors of the united states are red, white, and blue. even this philadelphia union got the memo, but croce wanted black and gold, so black and gold we got. even the ugly-ass uniforms worn in the mid-90s (pictured below) kept the team's traditional colors, even if the design was perhaps the ugliest thing this side of, well, the cleveland cavaliers had some pretty ugly jerseys around that time period as well, but the cavs are the cavs.
there is a great history of the sixers' uniforms the team's website. it really is amazing how radical the design the croce jersey is when compared to the rest of team's uniforms. now just get rid of that stupid rabbit and we will be all set. oh, and a winning team. that would be nice too.

Psycho Roommate Alert

as some of you may know, about one year ago i had a very unfortunate experience with a roommate, which i won't go into detail about here, but suffice it to say, it is something i hope i never have to go through again. that alone isn't driving my desire to live by myself when my lease is up, but letters like this certainly are playing a part in my desire to not have to deal with roommates anymore. the letter reprinted below, via the village voice, is almost too good to be believed. would you want to live with this person?

So we've all heard that one silver lining to the whole economic meltdown is that New York is suddenly a renter's marker again. Heck, when we found our new apartment a few months back we even managed to convince the landlord to knock a couple hundred bucks off our monthly rent. Apparently, people are even upping their demands in potential roommate situations, as our friend Mauricio found out recently when he placed an ad on Craigslist looking for someone to share his two-bedroom apartment in Queens. He received the following response which, believe it or not, is edited for your reading pleasure:

Hi there,

I am interested in the room, I am a hard-working, reliable, considerate, friendly & helpful educated, well-read personable gal working in biz development... looking to room w/ someone w/ a mindset such as yours, of having peace *& quiet at home & not bringing the party back home, etc..

(Sounds good, until we get to the movies...)

I have mature sophisticated tastes but I also like to watch stuff like the Superman series, Smallville!! If you like superheroes, etc.. Xmen, Batman, Spiderman, Wolverine, Fantasic Four, Watchmen, Wonderwoman, etc.. films of this genre & others -- That'd BE cool... Of course, many other favorites too.... such as the serious side of drama, Romantic Comedies, or even Docu-Drama's like "Traffic" w/ Benicio Del Toro, Rwanda w/ Don Cheadle, Angelina Jolie portraying the wife of Daniel Pearl in a A Mighty Heart (2007) .... Mariane Pearl -- her husband, a murdered WSJ journalist lost in, & lost to the Iraq war as an embedded journalist. The Natural w/ Robert Redford, The Great Gatsby, 12 Angry Men, Foreign Films w/ martial arts themes, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, director Chen Kaige's -- Farewell My Concubine, Red Sorghum, w/ Gong Li -- the beautiful lead actress Age of Innocence -- Wynona Ryder-Daniel, Gangs of NY, 21 Grams, Way of the Gun, Reality Bytes, Much Ado about Nothing, Hamlet, The Aviator, Titanic, Schindler's List, Apocalypse Now, Philadelphia Story, Erin Brockavich, Romeo&Juliet (Leonardo DiCaprio in medieval rapping style!!), Gone in 60 Seconds, Empire of the Sun, Dead Man Walking, anything w/ Sean Penn, Nicholas Cage, Robert Duvall, Sean Connery, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Jude Law, Cate Blanchette, Kristen Scott Thomas, Ray/Ralph Fiennes, (The English Patient) , Angelina Jolie, Richard Gere, Ming Na Wen, Jennifer Connolly, Russell Crowe in ****A Beautiful Mind, ***Cinderella Story, & anything else he's been in... Jerry MacGuire & Bridget Diaries w/ Renee Zellweiger, Lucy Liu, Michelle Yeoh, Pierce Brosnan, World Is Not Enough; Terry Hatcher, Eva Longoria, etc.,.. Thandie Newton in MI3. w/ Tom Cruise. Ben Kingsley (plays Ghandi really well), Yul Brynner, Charles Heston,-- in the classic religious-themed epic "10 Commandments"..Gone with the Wind, etc.

So, as U can see I like films alot, & looking at them w/ much thought & consideration & reflection afterwards....i like to write, I'm creative, I like reading a bit so I am pretty much a cerebral type... not into useless activities like drinking or anything else that doesn't serve to elevate my spirit... Oh & I grew to like "A Streetcar named Desire", the original B&W film. So I have a fun, bubbly side as well as the serious, mature tastes that we may share & possibly have in common.?

(After requesting detailed descriptions and photos of every room in the apartment, the floor it is located on, the size of the building and the surrounding neighborhood, the potential roommate turns her attention to the kitchen:)

BONUS: If you're willing to negotiate on the rent price & be flexible, I'll DO ALL of your dishes, making sure kitchen counter areas are clean, & germ-free, tables w/ place mats clean/cleared, & fold all of your laundered clothes {after they're already washed -- basic wash done.,. {by your laundry service or by you? well -- maybe I could help out here a lil' sometimes as an Assistant once in a blue moon, too.. } / For sure, as finicky as I can be, I can fold them really well, AFTER they're picked up/received back from the cleaners?} :) {I'm very domesticated & PLUS a worldly sophisticate!!! Triple threat "Miss Clean"/aka Nice/Quiet & Open-minded w/ regards to the world's issues...

I'm VERY VERY good w/ the kitchen areas as I love keeping the kitchen in *tip top shape,

(And then she gets really, really specific:)

Just pls provide the ***non-allergenic or hypo-allergenic cleaning agents & sponges & dishrags,, ! & I'll be happy to do the work {in the kitchen, etc..}... I have a few allergies so... need to be be careful that's all...

(And now, some questions for Mauricio:)

Routine:: schedule w/ bathroom hrs, etc.. WHat are your work hrs like- & what times in the morning do U need the bathroom by? I am kindly flexible w/ bathroom time in the mornings so,. U can have it first if U need it, except if I need it in emergency... {esp. PMS intervals..} . hahaha!!! Oh, Did I mention that I have a P/T sense of humor ?? :)

(No. What time does your sense of humor go to work?)

WHat time in the evenings -- do U need the kitchen for -- OR== Do you not cook at home much, or eat out alot, or never really at home at all??

So, What are your general hobbies, routines, social schedule like- Do u keep the party outside? Do u invite ppl over for dinners, or casual/ or formal "get- togethers" >> more than 1x per wk,, or Less.. ? I don't generally like to have too many ppl or foot traffic over.. I like to keep the party OUTSIDE. Too many ppl means making a mess + too much noise, . so... I don't like having to put too much labor into cleaning up after ppl except I Don't mind it for ppl I am living with that I know really well.. I like to read alot, commit some serious time to studying in solitude, appreciate the quiet & am low key at home, like my TV shows as well!!

ANyway, I am a, for sure, easy going roomate/co-habitant/ who will be dynamic, supportive of shared communal homely needs, & conversational enough to make for a great friend/compatriot in the long run anyway I think ....but if U like & need your personal space & me --vice versa,,, that's fine as well..

Don't' stop the music...

I am into music as well- having had experience performing in band & orchestra while in HS... Also, I like Mariah Carey type pop stuff, so... Would love to hear about your interests in music... Loved Adam Lambert on American Idol... he is far out unique & different. Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, I love old time voices as well as new age stuff. Enya, Kitaro, whatever else emerging there is of which U may know more about & have access to?!! Like Whitney Houston, Madonna, Pattie LaBelle, Jonie Mitchell, Arnie Guthrie, Simon & Garfunkel, Duran Duran, Lionel Ritchie, Anita Baker, Roy Orbison, temptations, Disco stuff, Bee gees, Broadway musicals, Many of the songs from original Grease, Phantom of Opera, Les Miserables, Rent... Chorus Line, Loved the techno stuff too...Stone Temple Pilots, GreenDay, Phil Collins, Snow Patrol, Sum41, lots of new songs from the WPIX channel for the shows of Gossip Girl & One Tree Hill, & Smallville (Superman series on thurs nite.8pm), etc....& Supernatural.. They DO a great job at bringing in new music through these very "happening" shows...

LET me know..! Email me back w/ your interest & contact info... Thanks.

(Just when you thought it was over:)

-- Feel free to leave ,me a msg back.. describing the place..& when is the latest I can call U back at... if we can arrange time... just wanted to know HOW large is the bedroom/ROOM size? What FLOOR are U on? What is the direction that the windows are facing? -- To the front of building-- of the main entrance or to the back yard? Or the side alley?? Is it bigger than 12x15 or larger or smaller? Extra Storage Space? What is already inside or included in the bedroom? Any furniture or stuff left behind? Like a bed- full or Queen size, Or should/can I bring my own bed? or nightstand, any bureau, or armoire, or chest of drawers, Any book shelf outside in the hall/:Livingroom? or inside the bedrm, or shelves for my use for books, etc.,.? , or should i bring my own?

Any office/table/desk areas already there-- for computer use? Anything like wardrobe closet or extra mobile closet or closets outside in the hallways for use? What street is the bedroom window facing-- ? Outside the street front/ main entrance area? or is it w/. views of the rear- back of the building?

Any cameras in the lobby area or safety is good around there? Pls do include the address, cross streets, THANKS!

Feel free to write+ leave me a msg, w/ all details as well..

Pls let me know when u'll have some time to show the place, & meet up...& state your address, name, etc.. & tell me more about what you do for work, & what kind of hrs do U keep, when U need the bathrm by in the mornings, at nite, etc,, I would make for an excellent roomie, & be very accomodating w/ the helping out around the home, etc./. pls leave me your full names, etc, referencing this ad, w/ the full address, + cross sts & how to get there from which train stop, etc,.& descriiption of the space, the BR, the extra closets for personal use, any backyard for use/ to sit in??

ANy TV in the bR or full-Queen size bed inside??

All I Do Is Sweat

i sit and sweat. i move and sweat. i sleep and sweat. i write cover letters and sweat. heck, i even sweat when i sweat these days. and no sun to even make it worthwhile :( this weather really needs to break soon.

The Logic Test

before anyone enters the pool at the coles rec center at NYU, i think they should have to pass this simple test. here goes:

lane 1 has 2 people swimming in it
lane 2 has 1 person swimming in it
lane 3 has 3 people swimming in it
lanes 4-8 also have 2-3 people swimming in them
you want to swim. which lane do you choose?

if you picked lane 2, you would be allowed to swim. if you picked lane 1, you should have your fingernails pulled out and banned from the pool forever.

Seeing Movies From the Beginning

too often i see a movie on TV that i would like to watch but i rarely catch the movie from the beginning and am forced to watch it from somewhere in the middle. this is OK for movies i have seen before, but for movies i haven't seen, it sucks. however, there is occasionally the time when everything is timed just right and i am able to catch a movie from the beginning. this is especially cool when it is a movie that i have seen before, but have not seen from the beginning in quite some time. its amazing how much your understanding and appreciation of a movie, especially one you have seen before, is enhanced by watching from start to finish.

a few weeks ago this happened with total recall, a movie that i have seen countless times, but rarely from the beginning. my understanding and appreciation for that movie increased exponentially. the same thing is true for close encounters of the third kind, the movie i am currently watching. i normally catch this movie around the time dreyfuss goes nuts and makes the mountain out of mashed potatoes or the scene where he approaches devils tower despite the threat of a chemical spill. seeing the movie from the beginning, however, is what allows you to truly appreciate the movie for the classic it is. mystery and intrigue are offered up from the first scene. your are drawn into this fantastical tale. you forget things that increase your understanding of the journey dreyfuss goes on. you also realize how much his wife sucks.

close encounters, as well as total recall, are both fantastic movies. watching them from the beginning is the only way to watch and appreciate these classics.

Could the Iranian Interior Ministry Be This Dumb?

as we have seen over the past week, it is difficult to tell what is actually going on in iran. did mousavi win? the residents of tehran certainly think so. did ahmadinejad win? certainly possible as well, although i sincerely doubt that if he did that he won by the margins suggested by the "official" election returns. that was their first mistake: if you are going to rig an election, at least make it believable. their second mistake was overconfidence and a lack of understanding how new technology is changing the information landscape. no longer can authoritarian governments control what their people read, see, and hear. sure, their control can be exerted to a degree, but as we are seeing, technology is trumping state control of the media.

if the letter below is to be believed, this will be the third, and fatal mistake, of the current iranian regime. i, however, have trouble believing the letter. how could they be that stupid? i mean, we have seen how stupid this government can be, but this just seems like a little too stupid.

imagine if a memo was uncovered during the florida recount from katherine harris to jeb bush stating that per his request W would be declared the winner, despite al gore winning the state, and here are the real totals, just as an FYI (this is actually kinda what happened, but there is no "smoking gun" memo to the point). how stupid would that have been? i mean, really! now, the mechanics of our society are more open, so the possibility of such a memo being exposed are much, much greater here than in iran, but i guess we can't assume that the iranian government wouldn't have been arrogant enough to produce such a document. and even so, even if they thought there was zero percent chance of this thing getting out, you still don't put this down on paper! its just a little too convenient to believe, but if it is true, RIP the iranian islamic republic (at least in its current form).

i also would not put it past the opposition to forge such a letter. the iranian public would be very susceptible to believing such a document, so i would like to view it with a grain of salt.

Interior Ministry's letter to the Supreme Leader

Salaam Aleikum.

Regarding your concerns for the 10th presidential elections and due to your orders for Mr Ahmedinejad to be elected President, in this sensitive time, all matters have been organised in such a way that the results of the election will be in line with the revolution and the Islamic system. The following result will be declared to the people and all planning should be put in force to prevent any possible action from the opposition, and all party leaders and election candidates are under intense surveillance. Therefore, for your information only, I am telling you the actual results as follows:

Mirhossein Mousavi: 19,075,623

Mehdi Karroubi: 13,387,104

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: 5,698,417

Mohsen Rezai: 38,716

(signed on behalf of the minister)

Eric Clapton. Phil Collins. Let It Rain. Epic.

for the rainy day(s):

So Sammy Sosa Was A Juicer

duh. but no one seems to be talking about the corked bat incident. so not only was sosa juicing, but he was also using a corked bat! wtf! it begs the question: how many other MLB players were using corked bats in the late '90s?

its really a shame. i remember where i was during the home run chase of 1998. i remember where i was when big mac hit #61 and #62. that home run chase saved baseball from the strike of '94.

Weird Al Can Still Rock

when historians sit down to write about rock and roll in the latter part of the 20th century, they would be remiss if one of the most enduring artists of the era was left out of the mix: weird al. weird al has been rocking in his weird al style for over 20 years at this point and he still hasn't lost a beat. here is his latest. its about craigslist and is a homage to the doors:

20 Years Ago This Year

the movie "major league" came out 20 years ago this year, and to acknowledge this moment in cinema history, last night the cleveland indians invited bob uecker to throw out the first pitch. uecker, the long tine milwaukee broadcaster, was a central character in the movie playing harry doyle the fictional indians broadcaster. it was harry doyle that gave this blog its namesake.

unfortunately, the online landscape has changed in the time that this blog has been published, so i am unable to find a video clip of the famous call but all fans of the movie know what i am talking about.

Who is Afraid of a Little Old Mouse?

JB2

not as good as JB1, but still a good time. the weather is sure gonna be shitty tonight, which will either make for one hell of a show or one hell of a show!

i saw someone else comment on this over at mr. miner's page, but yes, i thought i heard a "jumpin' jack flash" jam in the middle of drowned. that would have taken the roof off the place (if there were a roof a JB).

JB1

jones beach really is a beautiful venue. situated right on the beach, it provides a wonderful setting to see a concert in. i also liked the setup with the grandstand rising in front of the stage instead of the traditional shed/hill setup of most outdoor amphitehaters. the increased elevation of the grandstand makes for a more intimate show.

the show itself was, IMO, MUCH better than fenway. the sound was certainly better and i was much closer to the action, which i think had a large part to do with it. but the music...the music was phenominal. a stand-alone, first set timber? are you kidding me? a cities (for the dude on the train who was singing it). reba. i thought possum would end the set...then i thought farmhouse would end it...but apparently, if i could was the closer! as great as it was to get if i could, i think they kinda lost the impact of the song, placing it where they did. the set was over, for all intents and purposes. if i could would have been much better placed before possum or somewhere else in the set where it could have fit the flow better, but whatever. im not complaining. i also wished they had done the more powerful "if i could i would" ending.

second set was great too. i thought the segue from wolfman>weekapaug was a little weird. for a moment i thought fishman was trying to get brother started, but it was weekapaug. harry was great. really went out there for a bit in the middle. the entire crowd actually stopped dancing and sat (stood) transfixed looking at the stage. it was a pretty cool moment. i would also have to say that fishman was really setting some great beats throughout the show. he created some really great grooves.

the two new songs were great. both have a great & approachable rock and roll vibe. and, as like some others have written, there is a new, more jerry-ish sound to some of these songs and trey's tone at points. my one criticism would be that the kill devil falls jam was a little too much like birds, and by that i mean the kill devil falls jam sounded EXACTLY like a birds jam. hopefully that will get worked out.

another thing about jones beach: best bathrooms ever. as great as the show was, the bathrooms were better. wide. clean. TONS of stalls. very well designed. really exceptional!

My Boston Weekend

it was very nice to head to boston to see my friends and phriends. hanging out with jon, laura, thea, jess, doug, and all the related company in the beautiful weather was a nice treat. having an old-school bbq was a nice treat. walking around the city was a nice treat. and going to fenway was a nice treat.

going to fenway to see phish was also a nice treat. seeing phish at fenway was the confluence of two of my favorite things: phish and baseball. there was a huge baseball vibe going through the park on sunday night, because, duh, we were in fenway! but we weren't there to see a baseball game, we were there to see phish, but boston being boston there was more red sox gear to be seen than heady tye-dye. significant phillies gear too, as was the case in hampton. so the baseball theme was strong. just sitting in the seats of fenway sends the feeling of baseball up your ass (in a good way). oddly enough, the most prominent feature of fenway, the green monster, was not to be felt at all because the stage was placed in front of it. fenway is just so special. as is phish.

its interesting seeing phish these days. the crowd is different. the music is still great. super high-energy. in enjoyed the first set. it was a nice way to get things started. sample was a safe opener. moma was a way to get some dancing going. the new song, oscelot, was interesting. need to hear it a few more times. stash was great to get started, but as with some of the other songs the ending felt a bit contrived (see: bowie, david). poor heart was a great highlight. one of things that makes phish phish and not some second-rate "jamband". no other band can drop styles like that, from funk to psychedelic to hippy-dippy to sweet bluegrass. that is classic phish. the other highlight of the first set was OBVIOUSLY destiny unbound. so far i've seen both post-'91 destinies. very few people knew what it was. it was an interesting juxtaposition: for the most part the crowd knew all the songs, with the exception of the new songs when all the newbies would sit and us old heads would stand and listen, but it was obvious that no one knew the song, whereas for destiny 95% of the crowd had no idea what it was so assumed it was a new song but the other 5% knew how rare destiny is and went nuts. it was fun being in that 5%.

the second set had some great parts to it, but went astray in some others. as i called at setbreak the second set would open up with a new song or something awesome, and with tweezer we got something awesome. but i thought the jam drifted. i did, however, like the new song "light". it had a more of an indie-rock feel to it than your typical phish song, and it sounded good. bathtub was great. i like the bathtub jam, very straightforward and felt right. i was psyched for bowie. i picked up on the high-hat and had to play the "bowie or maze" game. short intro. the bowie jam was great, as always, but i felt the end didn't work right. i can't quite figure it out, but they jumped the gun somehow on the end. came in too soon and rushed it so the end release wasn't as good as it could have been. time turns elastic is kinda sucky. the sections don't make much sense together and the song doesn't go anywhere. the older compositions had disparate sections too, but the songs actually went somewhere. TTE is just a jumbled mess of sections with no real big finish. but oh, well. from free to the end of the show was dy-no-mite! free was well played rock, but the real, real, real highlight treat was curtis loew. hasn't been played since 8/2/93 (no, i did not know that at the show but i knew that it hadn't been played in a long, long time). such a sweet tune and such a great treat. i told the dude next to me that after curits they were going to play either YEM or hood. YEM it was. dude was impressed. and the sweet, sweet encore. dude was again impressed that i knew the tweeprise was coming. people always forget the tweeprise, but it is the greatest way to close out a show. love the tweeprise.

so it was good. phish is back. summer tour is on.