Immigrant Song

You know what chaps me? Illegal immigrants, that's what. Not only do they sponge off of us taxpaying Americans, now they're winning gold medals that are rightfully ours. Sure, the kid was actually born here, but that's a loophole in the Constitution that right thinkers (and I do mean right) know should be closed. 

Seriously, here you have a kid so grateful for his opportunity in this country that he literally wraps himself in the flag despite. Henry Cejudo's mother works her fingers to the bone doing the kinds of jobs no one else will do to keep her family together. The family is so poor that Henry had never slept in a bed until he went to the Olympic Training Center. And yet the right would deport his mother in a second and denies her the small dignity of a driver's license. (Incidentally, wouldn't we all be safer if illegal immigrants could get licenses?)...

Joseph O'Connor, brother of Sinead and an outstanding novelist in his own right, remembers Ronnie Drew...

The Reuters-Zogby poll gives McCain a five-point lead over Obama. Before we sink into gloom and doom, let's remember that no other poll has McCain ahead. Also, this period is sort of like spring training: The regular season doesn't start until after the conventions. Any results either way have limited meaning. Author and Political Science professor Tom Holbrook explains why here...

In the R-Z poll, people give McCain the edge in handling the economy. I realize that people are looking for a reason to vote against Obama, but voting to extend the economic policies of the last eight years is a mighty slender reed...

Woo Hoo! Dept: Rachel Maddow gets her own show on MSNBC!...

I am sociologically curious to see how people respond to the Democratic convention. By any normal measure, I have no doubt that it will be well-staged and managed. However, the very sight of a young, charismatic African-American politician will scare some people. Hopefully, not enough to make a difference...

My niece in action:

R.I.P., Ronnie Drew

The great Irish folk singer Ronnie Drew passed away today after a long illness. Drew was 73. He helped found The Dubliners in 1962 and, except for a seven-year hiatus in the Seventies, stayed with them until 1995, when he left to pursue a solo career. Drew's gruff, slightly flat baritone seemed an unlikely match with the pristine perfection expected of Irish singers, but his interpretations of traditional and modern Irish songs evoked the grittiness of the Dublin streets in a way that catapulted him to international fame. Here, he sings about Dublin in "The Rare Old Times" before strolling across the Ha'penny Bridge to converse with a produce seller:

No hidebound traditionalist, Drew and the rest of The Dubliners joined The Pogues for a memorable rendition of "The Irish Rover":

Drew's solo career was especially noteworthy for his collaboration with trad singer Eleanor Shanley, spectacularly so on the live CD A Couple More Years. Here, they duet on Bob Dylan's "Boots Of Spanish Leather":

Drew's Myspace profile is here, and you can read more about his life and career here. In the meantime, let's raise a parting glass to the great Ronnie Drew:

The End Of A Perfect Day

Couldn't ask for much more out of a day than Sunday (although you can tell from the picture -- which is exactly what I see as I write -- that today shapes up pretty well itself).  While listening to Dick Gaughan, Ronnie Drew, and selections from Premium T.'s iPod,  she made postcards and I finished one novel, started another, and took two naps. We then sat down to  a fantastic meal prepared by  T., and topped that off with a visit to our favorite pub for a Jameson's with a splash for me, a cognac for T., and music from our friend and neighbor Pat. 

The meal was simple and glorious: A Guinness-and-red-wine beef stew, fresh homemade bread, and a Spanish syrah. The Guinness and wine imparted a richness of flavor that's hard to describe but easy to appreciate!

Oh, and Obama leads Johnny Wattles by 15 points. Woo-hoo!...Obama promises not to allow his campaign to be Swift-boated by racial smears. "Every...[criticism of Obama]...will be twisted to make it about race," warns McCain advisor and South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, showing no hesitancy to make race an issue...Will Cindy McCain's majority share in a beer distributorship cause problems with social conservatives? Or will Hensley & Co's courageous opposition to Mothers Against Drunk Driving inoculate it against criticism from the right?

R.I.P. George Carlin. I saw him a few years ago. He was plenty funny, but was it ever bleak. If not exactly a groundbreaker, he nonetheless wore Lenny Bruce's mantle proudly and defiantly.

Citizen K. Read: The Lazarus Project, Alexsandar Hemon. BTW, the web site is amazing. Check out the slide show below, which combines text and photographs from the book:

The Lazarus Project (shorter) from Book Videos on Vimeo.