Keepin' It Light

"We can't have leaks of classified information. It's not in our nation's interest." - George W. Bush, 10/9/2001

Okay, so President Bush, the guy who acted all incensed that the Valerie Plame leak had originated somewhere in the White House and assured the nation that he wouldn't stand for people in his administration leaking sensitive information, was the person who approved the leak in the first place. According to court documents Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was Dick Cheney's chief of staff when he wasn't playing the wacky neighbor on an 80's sitcom, admitted that the stated reason for the leak was to offset Joe Wilson's criticism of the war. It was a purely political move.

This 'debate' has been raging ever since Lewis "Skippy" Libby was indicted, and while some Republican legislators appear to be taking it seriously, I don't assume for a minute it will make vitriolic Bush supporters so much as flinch. Sure, Bush okayed the release of classified information for political gain. So what? If you're still supporting Bush, you absolutely have to believe, or at least convince yourself, that it's perfectly fine to act unethically if it means political advancement. There's no question about what happened here. The only question is whether or not ethics is more important than power, and the obvious answer from the far right is a resounding, "NO." These people are disgusting.

There's not really much more to say about this incident. Lewis "Boner" Libby has laid it all out, and now instead of discussing the political implications, people will just draw party lines and toe them obediently. So, since I go on vacation this weekend and want to start relaxing instead of working myself into a lather, I'm going to break out of my usual mold and have a little fun. I don't really do much personal blogging here, but I feel like it today, and since nobody is paying me for my time, I'm going to do what I want. If you're not interested, come back Wednesday, when I'm sure I'll be well-rested and ready to rant again.

I'm going to do a 10-song random play on the iPod and comment on each song. Totally random, no skips, so if something embarrassing comes up (and it's perfectly likely, given my song list) I'll have to fess up to it. The only things I'm leaving out of rotation are my audiobooks. This isn't an original idea... I got it from the Onion's AV Club, although to be fair, they do this to celebrities, so their version is interesting.

Without further ado...

1. Toto - Africa: Wow. I guess we're not going to slowly work our way into the embarrassing stuff. Okay, here's the deal. This song was on almost every mix tape made for me by ex-girlfriends and female friends right up through college. I have no idea why, but it was always there, whether it was packed between the Eagles, Morrisey, the Beastie Boys, or They Might Be Giants. These tapes came from people with vastly diverse musical tastes, but this song was always there. So I've become attached to it. It's nostalgic for me.

2. Barenaked Ladies - Old Apartment: Great song. I actually came to love BNL later than most of my peers. This was the first song of theirs I really got into. I think it was a random download from Napster back in the day (I've since legally purchased it, RIAA. Put your lawyers away.) Also, I saw these guys on their Christmas tour over the holiday season, and I can honestly say I've never seen a band perform live that seemed to have so much fun performing.

3. Johny Vegas - Copper and Gold: I'm not really into the local music scene, but Johny Vegas is the exception. These guys were a Central New York band that really should have broken out, but never quite did. This was once my favorite song of theirs, about a thoughtless prick who has no idea how badly he's treating his girlfriend. Since then, songs like "Waving", "Be the One to Say", and "Plan" have grown on me more, but this is still a great song. If you want to hear something different that nobody you know has ever heard of, see if you can get hold of Johny Vegas's albums Dog and Super Cool American. (Oooh, ooh, I just found a site with free MP3s. Check here.)

4. They Might Be Giants - Mrs. Train: I have about 450 songs in my playlist, and almost 50 are by They Might Be Giants. I have loved these guys since 1988, and the love has never worn off; yes, I know this labels me as something of a nerd, but that label no longer bothers me. They've put out a ridiculous number of albums, and yet never sound redundant or tired. This song is really fun. If you've never heard it, it's difficult to explain, but the song slowly accelerates with a tight, rapping cymbal and snare drum keeping the beat, and sounds very much like a train leaving the station, but not in a dumb kids-song kind of way. I can't explain it. Just listen to it.

5. Ben Folds - Tiny Dancer: I really enjoy Ben Folds, and this Elton John cover is definitely a fun addition to his own music. The thing about Ben is that... well, he can be a bit of a misogynist at times. His songs are hauntingly beautiful, but often I come away feeling a little disturbed by how he portrays women. That's not at all present here, so I can just focus on his voice and keyboard prowess.

6. The Bogmen - The Big Burn: I like the Bogmen's first album, "Life Begins at 40 Million," a lot, but I'm not a big fan of their later stuff. This is the first song on the album and really opens it well. I have no idea what it's about, but I love the line, "That's life in a microwave/Sign today/You can read it in the Dead Sea Discs/Read it in the Dead Sea Discs." These guys do percussion better than almost any band I can think of.

7. Avenue Q Original Broadway Cast - Schadenfreude: I finally got to see Avenue Q in Las Vegas this past Christmas Eve. What a fantastic show. It was weird to see it in Las Vegas, though, where the audience was, I have to assume, much older and much stodgier than a Broadway crowd. People actually walked out during the final song that takes a poke at Bush. Even funnier was the young couple behind us, who we overheard say to the older couple next to them, "I'm a corporate attorney, and my husband is a software engineer. We're both 26, so I think we're really this show's intended audience." I don't care how old they are, they are not the ones Avenue Q is speaking to, and this song perfectly illustrates why. If you haven't heard it, go download it, and while listening to it, remember that it's Gary Coleman singing to an Ernie-like muppet in a parody of Sesame Street.

8. Baltimora - Tarzan Boy: I'm not sure whether I grew fond of this song when it was used in a Listerine commercial or in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. I'm also not sure which would be more embarrassing.

9. Tori Amos - Talula: Back in high school, I was sort of an asshole. I blame hormones. Anyway, my very dear friend Amber took me to a Tori Amos concert because, and I quote, "It will be good for you." I'm not entirely sure she expected me to fall in love with the music as much as I did, but Tori is absolutely one of the most talented musical artists I've ever heard. She doesn't produce songs so much as layered, complex works of art. "I've got my rape hat on/Ah, honey, but I always could accessorize" F'ing brilliant.

10. Counting Crows - Rain King: I can't believe I didn't get a repeated artist on this list. This is my favorite Counting Crows song, and whenever it comes on, I always replay it a couple times. I don't have much to say about it, really. It's just one of those songs that draws me in and refuses to let go.

Well, there it is. I don't usually think very much about why I own a particular piece of music, so that was an interesting exercise. Somehow, I don't think the list quite exemplifies the variety of different music I own, but hey, it's random. I said I would keep it random, and I was true to my word, unlike Scott McClellan, who said that the Bush administration wouldn't stand for leaks, because that's not how they operate. Bah. I'm going on vacation.