If you are including downloadable releases and discs you can get from his website, this marks Jeff Beck’s seventh live record in about 15 years. For someone who used to take years off at a time from playing any music at all, this last 15 years or so have been a bevy of riches. That being said, another live record is not essential at this point. Supposedly he is also releasing a studio record later this year, one that he has been working on for years, so this is probably a whimsical stopgap before the real prize comes. By the way, if you want some live Beck and are a little overwhelmed by the choices, Live at Ronnie Scott’s (2008) ***** is still the one to get. For the more hardcore Beckophiles, both volumes of Live in Tokyo ’99 (1999/2006) **** are also essential.
This one stands out from the other recent releases primarily because he has a vocalist band member with him (half of the tunes are still instrumental, though). Jimmy Hall (of Wet Willie semi-fame) handles the vocals, and while a competent classic rock screamer with a tinge of Southern soul (and frequent over-emoter), as with any Beck vocalist other than Rod Stewart, I find that the vocals get in the way of why we are really here…which is to hear Jeff Beck play the guitar. Also, Beck should have delved deeper into the original Jeff Beck Group and Yardbirds songbooks if he was going to have a vocalist. Why not pull out “Plynth,” “The Train Kept A-Rollin,’” “Up Under Sideways Down,” “Shapes of Things,” etc.? (It is cool to get “Superstition” and “Going Down,” though). Instead we get mostly well tred covers like “Little Wing” and “A Change Is Gonna Come,” or tunes that have already appeared on recent live records like “A Day in the Life,” “Big Block,” “Hammerhead” and “Where Were You” that aren’t really improved on to justify their reappearance.
Now this is not a bad listen at all. Beck is miraculously ageless and still sharp on the axe. It is just a bit redundant at this point. I’d say there are two highlights, one of which is a stomping version of Beck’s industrial take on Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’ and Tumblin’.” But the clear peak is a jawdropping run through of John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra classic, “You Know You Know,” which is nearly worth the price of admission alone (and definitely worth the individual download). Beck is in top form firing off laser sharp lines. The song also allows jazz bassist (and longtime Prince collaborator) Rhonda Smith to play a stunning bass solo that matches Beck’s brilliance.
The “+” part of the title are two studio tracks tacked on at the end. Perhaps they foreshadow a harder edge on this next record. Beck’s playing in these tunes remains innovative and surprising, although again the presence of guest vocalists just get in the way.
Dez Rating: *** out of *****
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Dez Predicts the NBA Conference Finals
THE WEST
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. Houston Rockets (2)
I still don't know why The Houston Rockets are here. I was only able to watch the first several games in their series. The ones where the Los Angeles Clippers dominated. That was more about a collapse by the Clippers (and an exposed short bench) vs. The Rockets, I think. Anyway, glad they are there. My assertions remain: Dwight Howard will never win a championship and James Harden doesn't play defense. I think the Warriors' shooting prevails.
DEZ SAYS: Warriors in 6
THE EAST
Atlanta Hawks (1) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (2)
Still don't believe in Atlanta, and I think this is where their ride ends. Even without Kevin Love, even with Irving not at 100%, Lebron powers the Cavs through.
DEZ SAYS: Cavs in 7.
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. Houston Rockets (2)
I still don't know why The Houston Rockets are here. I was only able to watch the first several games in their series. The ones where the Los Angeles Clippers dominated. That was more about a collapse by the Clippers (and an exposed short bench) vs. The Rockets, I think. Anyway, glad they are there. My assertions remain: Dwight Howard will never win a championship and James Harden doesn't play defense. I think the Warriors' shooting prevails.
DEZ SAYS: Warriors in 6
THE EAST
Atlanta Hawks (1) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (2)
Still don't believe in Atlanta, and I think this is where their ride ends. Even without Kevin Love, even with Irving not at 100%, Lebron powers the Cavs through.
DEZ SAYS: Cavs in 7.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
RIP B.B. King, 1925-2015
Riley King’s (“B.B.” stands for “Blues Boy,” the moniker he took as a DJ on a Memphis radio station) early life followed the template of many of the blues greats. Born in the rural South (in his case, Mississippi), he worked in the cotton fields and learned to play blues guitar from a musician uncle. He honed his skills playing on street corners, and eventually made his Great Migration up to Memphis, Tennessee. There he continued to hone his craft and also got a gig as a DJ on a local rhythm and blues radio station.
King is famous for his deceptively simple, stinging, single note soloing style. There is that legendary scene from U2’s ‘Rattle and Hum’ film where the band is collaborating with King on “When Love Comes To Town.” U2’s guitarist Edge is trying to show King the chords for the song, and King replies, “oh, I don’t play no chords,” and Edge just stares at him for a moment, incredulous. The guy didn’t have to “play no chords.” You can hire people to do that for you. It sounds like such a cliché, but with King it is so true: he said so much more by playing less. It was a stinging, stabbing tone that had such a flow to it. Guitar players who play more notes and much faster than King cannot approach his expressiveness and placement. Placement both as to which notes he chooses to place where, but also placement within the rhythm of the song. Add to that his at times smooth, at other times explosive vocal style, and it was a unique one-two punch.
The tone he got from his successive guitars that he dubbed “Lucille” was such a fat, full, beautiful tone. (The best descendant of both the tone and style would be Robert Cray). How he named his guitar Lucille is an oft-told tale, but a great one. He was playing a gig at a club in Arkansas, and a fight broke out. Two men were fighting and knocked over a heater that started a fire, and the crowd and musicians ran out of the club. Realizing he had left his guitar inside, King risked his life to dash back into the burning building to save his prized axe. Later he found out the two men had been fighting over a woman named Lucille, hence the moniker for his guitars ever since.
What I really loved about King’s music, and what I think separated him from some of the other legendary blues artists of his generation and from similar backgrounds (Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, etc.) was his restrained sophistication. King could play with fire on traditional blues of course (“Sweet Little Angel,” for example), but there was often something more, I don’t know, uptown about his style. Whereas with these other guys, the grittier and tougher the sound the better, my favorite B.B. King songs are the ones where he tries to add a sophisticated pop sheen to them, often with strings. Accoutrements that when used by other blues artists dilute their strengths, for some reason brought out the best in King. Songs like “Hummingbird,” “Ain’t Nobody Home,” “Help the Poor,” “Ghetto Woman” and of course his signature song “The Thrill Is Gone,” are King at his best in my view.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
A Remarkable Evening With Wyclef Jean
Last night, my wife and I saw Wyclef Jean perform at the new Tobin Center in San Antonio. She won the tickets on the radio. It was an intimate show in one of their smaller theaters, maybe 200-300 people.
It was one of the most unique shows that I have ever seen. People aware of 90’s music probably remember Wyclef as the yin to Lauryn Hill’s yang in The Fugees. A renaissance man and iconoclast, Wyclef put on a show that was a strange combination of concert, street poetry, block party and Q & A.
It was just him and the original DJ from The Fugees. The DJ was spinning the records while Wyclef sang, rapped, recited what seemed to be spontaneous street poetry about everything from having a late flight to San Antonio to Ferguson and Baltimore, played guitar and piano. A nice rendition of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” with Wyclef seguing into some original lyrics reflecting on the issues of the day that wasn’t too preachy or too one sided was the standout musical moment of the evening. But this show was about a lot more than mere music.
ABOVE: Wyclef plays some sweet Bob Marley licks
The show went off the rails about half way through, but in a fantastic way. He went back to the DJ table with Fugee’s DJ (I forget the guy’s name) and they decided to “change the format” and host what Wyclef called a “block party.” And that is exactly what it was. He had his roadie move his guitars and keyboard out of the way and invited the audience up to the stage and he just spun records for a dance party. The Jackson 5’s “ABC” to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and everything in between. People were free to go up and dance with Wyclef, take selfies with him, he was game for whatever people felt like doing. I really don’t think this was planned. Or at least it did not seem to be cleared ahead of time with the Tobin Center security and the radio promo guys. I know many artists work hard to look spontaneous, but I was watching the Tobin Center security and radio people during this whole “block party,” and they looked genuinely confused and concerned. They were huddled together discussing options. Finally one approached Wyclef and whispered something at length in his ear and he sheepishly instructed everyone to return to their seats. But that was one of the more insane 10 minutes or so I have ever experienced at a concert. (NOTE: My wife and I are both former attorneys and we couldn’t help ourselves. After the show on the way home we both went through all of the liability issues with Wyclef’s “block party.” As fun as it was, I sympathized with The Man on this one. Am I getting that old?)
ABOVE: My wife, the blurry one on the left, dances onstage with Wyclef (right)
Then 180 degree shift to a question and answer session, where Wyclef took questions from the audience. You might recall that Wyclef made a serious run for the presidency of Haiti last year or the year before, and there were several Haitian people in the audience. So from rap/reggae/pop show to dance party to Wyclef answering complex questions regarding Haitian domestic policy. And he answered the questions well, too. He is smart. And he knows it. One of the few turnoffs of the evening was Wyclef’s substantial ego. He was actually making a humble point when discussing how difficult it is for an artist of his vintage to be relevant to younger listeners, but when you start the conversation with “When a legendary artist tries to make a comeback…”, the humble facade soon disappears. He referred to himself as a “legendary artist” several times during the evening. Also, after making an admittedly good point about Haitian politics, he felt the need to point out that it was a smart observation, “hey, he can sing and dance, but he’s also really smart!”
Not all questions were that deep. One young lady got the microphone to say “I don’t have a question, I just f**kin' love you. And I’m legal.” Good to know. One guy right behind me used his opportunity to ask a question to make this offer to Wyclef, “hey man, you want a hit of this?,” proffering his joint. Wyclef partook and then continued his dissertation on Haitian politics. The gentleman who offered the weed was promptly escorted from the room by security. He was wearing a law school T-shirt, yet looked very confused as to the nature of his offense. Great stuff. Funny Wyclef was not likewise escorted out, considering he had just broken the same Texas law. I liked what Wyclef had to say about Baltimore: “why are people in Baltimore waiting for someone else to come in and improve their community for them?” He also showed support for the now famous mother who beat her rioting son upside the head on national television. “Every person in this room probably benefited at some time in their life from a good ass-whipping...not that I condone child abuse...but still.” When asked when the last time he spoke with Lauryn Hill was, he had to think for awhile, and replied, “Dave Chappelle’s block party.” I assume that was awhile ago, considering the last time Dave Chappelle was relevant.
ABOVE: Wyclef waxes philosophical about Haitian politics, Baltimore riots, and marijuana use
He also had a great perspective on the American Dream, as many immigrants do. When one audience member asked him about his definition of success, he talked about coming from Haiti as a young boy, working at Burger King for awhile, made fun of his accent in taking orders, and talked about the definition of success being dedicated and doing the best you can at whatever you are doing. It wasn’t just lecturing from a successful celeb, it was genuine. It was an oddly touching moment when he was talking about concentrating, at that time, on being the best Burger King worker he could be.
To top the evening off, he stayed after the show to take pictures with anyone who so desired. My wife and I got a good one with him. I don’t own any of his work other than The Score by The Fugees, and honestly I’m not likely to rush out and buy anything, but he still gave me one of the more memorable concert experiences of my life last night.
It was one of the most unique shows that I have ever seen. People aware of 90’s music probably remember Wyclef as the yin to Lauryn Hill’s yang in The Fugees. A renaissance man and iconoclast, Wyclef put on a show that was a strange combination of concert, street poetry, block party and Q & A.
It was just him and the original DJ from The Fugees. The DJ was spinning the records while Wyclef sang, rapped, recited what seemed to be spontaneous street poetry about everything from having a late flight to San Antonio to Ferguson and Baltimore, played guitar and piano. A nice rendition of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” with Wyclef seguing into some original lyrics reflecting on the issues of the day that wasn’t too preachy or too one sided was the standout musical moment of the evening. But this show was about a lot more than mere music.
The show went off the rails about half way through, but in a fantastic way. He went back to the DJ table with Fugee’s DJ (I forget the guy’s name) and they decided to “change the format” and host what Wyclef called a “block party.” And that is exactly what it was. He had his roadie move his guitars and keyboard out of the way and invited the audience up to the stage and he just spun records for a dance party. The Jackson 5’s “ABC” to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and everything in between. People were free to go up and dance with Wyclef, take selfies with him, he was game for whatever people felt like doing. I really don’t think this was planned. Or at least it did not seem to be cleared ahead of time with the Tobin Center security and the radio promo guys. I know many artists work hard to look spontaneous, but I was watching the Tobin Center security and radio people during this whole “block party,” and they looked genuinely confused and concerned. They were huddled together discussing options. Finally one approached Wyclef and whispered something at length in his ear and he sheepishly instructed everyone to return to their seats. But that was one of the more insane 10 minutes or so I have ever experienced at a concert. (NOTE: My wife and I are both former attorneys and we couldn’t help ourselves. After the show on the way home we both went through all of the liability issues with Wyclef’s “block party.” As fun as it was, I sympathized with The Man on this one. Am I getting that old?)
Then 180 degree shift to a question and answer session, where Wyclef took questions from the audience. You might recall that Wyclef made a serious run for the presidency of Haiti last year or the year before, and there were several Haitian people in the audience. So from rap/reggae/pop show to dance party to Wyclef answering complex questions regarding Haitian domestic policy. And he answered the questions well, too. He is smart. And he knows it. One of the few turnoffs of the evening was Wyclef’s substantial ego. He was actually making a humble point when discussing how difficult it is for an artist of his vintage to be relevant to younger listeners, but when you start the conversation with “When a legendary artist tries to make a comeback…”, the humble facade soon disappears. He referred to himself as a “legendary artist” several times during the evening. Also, after making an admittedly good point about Haitian politics, he felt the need to point out that it was a smart observation, “hey, he can sing and dance, but he’s also really smart!”
Not all questions were that deep. One young lady got the microphone to say “I don’t have a question, I just f**kin' love you. And I’m legal.” Good to know. One guy right behind me used his opportunity to ask a question to make this offer to Wyclef, “hey man, you want a hit of this?,” proffering his joint. Wyclef partook and then continued his dissertation on Haitian politics. The gentleman who offered the weed was promptly escorted from the room by security. He was wearing a law school T-shirt, yet looked very confused as to the nature of his offense. Great stuff. Funny Wyclef was not likewise escorted out, considering he had just broken the same Texas law. I liked what Wyclef had to say about Baltimore: “why are people in Baltimore waiting for someone else to come in and improve their community for them?” He also showed support for the now famous mother who beat her rioting son upside the head on national television. “Every person in this room probably benefited at some time in their life from a good ass-whipping...not that I condone child abuse...but still.” When asked when the last time he spoke with Lauryn Hill was, he had to think for awhile, and replied, “Dave Chappelle’s block party.” I assume that was awhile ago, considering the last time Dave Chappelle was relevant.
He also had a great perspective on the American Dream, as many immigrants do. When one audience member asked him about his definition of success, he talked about coming from Haiti as a young boy, working at Burger King for awhile, made fun of his accent in taking orders, and talked about the definition of success being dedicated and doing the best you can at whatever you are doing. It wasn’t just lecturing from a successful celeb, it was genuine. It was an oddly touching moment when he was talking about concentrating, at that time, on being the best Burger King worker he could be.
To top the evening off, he stayed after the show to take pictures with anyone who so desired. My wife and I got a good one with him. I don’t own any of his work other than The Score by The Fugees, and honestly I’m not likely to rush out and buy anything, but he still gave me one of the more memorable concert experiences of my life last night.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Dez's 2nd Round NBA Playoffs Predictions
Well, I got seven of the eight first round victors correct (that wasn't hard, it went as generally expected), and the one I got wrong went to Game 7 and came down to a single basket. What a series between San Antonio and the Los Angeles Clippers. Even the players were saying what a shame it was that this was a first round series. Either team could have won the West. Although I'm obviously a Spurs fan, I have no animosity towards the Clippers. Great team, class act. That Game 7 was everything you could have hoped for in a Game 7.
THE WEST
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (5)
This could be an interesting series considering the completely opposite styles of play of these two teams, but the Warriors have been too good this season. So it probably won't be that interesting.
Dez says: Warriors in 5.
Houston Rockets (2) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (3)
This should be a fun one with dynamic players on both sides. Harden and Howard vs. Paul and Griffin (who has just taken his whole game to a new level this playoff season). Bench play will be crucial. Although the Clippers' bench is pretty weak, they still were able to beat the Spurs. Rockets have more rest. Injuries are key. The Rockets are without Beverly, but there is a question about Paul. He played out of his mind last night, but also had a hamstring issue. Will it be alright by tomorrow?
Dez says: Clippers in 6
THE EAST
Atlanta Hawks (1) vs. Washington Wizards (5)
I still don't believe in Atlanta. But they should beat the Wizards.
Dez says: Hawks in 6.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Chicago Bulls (3)
I'm no Cleveland fan, but I think it really sucks that Kevin Love is out for the rest of the playoffs. And I agree with Love, it was a bush league play that took him out from some scrub on a crappy Boston team. I just would like every team to be at full strength in the playoffs. With Love, I think there would be little question that Cleveland would win this series. But with him out, it really could be a tough series. And dare I say that Derrick Rose is playing solid basketball at times. Although I still expect him to shatter in a million pieces on the floor whenever he drives to the basket. I say Lebron wills the Cavs to victory.
Dez says: Cleveland in 7.
THE WEST
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (5)
This could be an interesting series considering the completely opposite styles of play of these two teams, but the Warriors have been too good this season. So it probably won't be that interesting.
Dez says: Warriors in 5.
Houston Rockets (2) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (3)
This should be a fun one with dynamic players on both sides. Harden and Howard vs. Paul and Griffin (who has just taken his whole game to a new level this playoff season). Bench play will be crucial. Although the Clippers' bench is pretty weak, they still were able to beat the Spurs. Rockets have more rest. Injuries are key. The Rockets are without Beverly, but there is a question about Paul. He played out of his mind last night, but also had a hamstring issue. Will it be alright by tomorrow?
Dez says: Clippers in 6
THE EAST
Atlanta Hawks (1) vs. Washington Wizards (5)
I still don't believe in Atlanta. But they should beat the Wizards.
Dez says: Hawks in 6.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Chicago Bulls (3)
I'm no Cleveland fan, but I think it really sucks that Kevin Love is out for the rest of the playoffs. And I agree with Love, it was a bush league play that took him out from some scrub on a crappy Boston team. I just would like every team to be at full strength in the playoffs. With Love, I think there would be little question that Cleveland would win this series. But with him out, it really could be a tough series. And dare I say that Derrick Rose is playing solid basketball at times. Although I still expect him to shatter in a million pieces on the floor whenever he drives to the basket. I say Lebron wills the Cavs to victory.
Dez says: Cleveland in 7.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Dez's 1st Round NBA Playoff Predictions
THE WEST
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8)
I know that Playoff basketball is a different animal from the regular season, and the Warriors are built more for the regular season. But the talent is so strong, and although only in his first year I think Steve Kerr will prove a fantastic NBA coach. They have to be a favorite to win it all.
Dez Says: Warriors in 5.
Houston Rockets (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (7)
As a Houstonian always at heart and longtime supporter of The Rockets, I just have not warmed to this latest incarnation. The Beard is certainly one of the great talents of the league, but I find him selfish, and I don't like selfish players. And I DESPISE Dwight Howard. I love the Rockets, but I cannot root for Howard as a player (or a person). I stand by what I said when The Rockets got him: Dwight Howard will never win a championship. And now the Rockets are without their point guard. Still, it's just the Mavericks.
Dez Says: Rockets in 6.
Los Angeles Clippers (3) vs. San Antonio Spurs (6)
By far the most intriguing series of the first round. It is a real shame that one of these teams will be knocked out in the first round, because both could really contend for the title. Poor Clippers. You work hard all season and secure the three seed and you get...The Spurs in the first round. If the Spurs had won the final game of the season instead of losing it, they would have had the second seed. That is how crazy the West was this season all the way until the end. This will be a tougher series for whoever wins than the next round will be (winner will get Rockets or Mavs and defeat whichever one it is). The Spurs have made a pact with Lucifer at the crossroads, because year after year they are ready to go. This regular season they played even more half-assed and rope-a-dope than usual, but turned it on at the end when it counted. Tim Duncan is having his best season in years, and Kawhi Leonard has emerged as the superstar Spurs fans knew he would be.
Dez Says: Spurs in 7.
Portland Trailblazers (4) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (5)
Who cares? Both of these teams looked more formidable earlier in the season than they do now. Portland is only here because their division is so weak.
Memphis in 6.
THE EAST
Remember what I said about the Portland and Memphis series? It applies to most of the Eastern Conference. There are only about three real playoff teams in this whole damn Conference.
Atlanta Hawks (1) vs. Brooklyn Nets (8)
Sorry, I still don't believe in The Hawks. I like their Spurs-like team mentality and their streak was amazing. But they are not playoff tested. I've got to see them win a couple of rounds before I even consider them a threat for a championship. They should get through this round, though.
Hawks in 6.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Boston Celtics (7)
Cavs in 5.
Chicago Bulls (3) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (6)
I'm glad I'm not a Bulls fan. The Derrick Rose saga would drive me nuts if I cared about the team. Fans keep hoping he will return to MVP form, but it ain't happening. He is out so much that the team gets really good without him, and then the Emperor With No Clothes returns and they've got to shake up their mojo. Then he gets hurt again. But the Bulls do have the ingredients to challenge.
Bulls in 5.
Toronto Raptors (4) vs. Washington Wizards (5)
SEE Portland/Memphis discussion above.
Washington in 6.
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8)
I know that Playoff basketball is a different animal from the regular season, and the Warriors are built more for the regular season. But the talent is so strong, and although only in his first year I think Steve Kerr will prove a fantastic NBA coach. They have to be a favorite to win it all.
Dez Says: Warriors in 5.
Houston Rockets (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (7)
As a Houstonian always at heart and longtime supporter of The Rockets, I just have not warmed to this latest incarnation. The Beard is certainly one of the great talents of the league, but I find him selfish, and I don't like selfish players. And I DESPISE Dwight Howard. I love the Rockets, but I cannot root for Howard as a player (or a person). I stand by what I said when The Rockets got him: Dwight Howard will never win a championship. And now the Rockets are without their point guard. Still, it's just the Mavericks.
Dez Says: Rockets in 6.
Los Angeles Clippers (3) vs. San Antonio Spurs (6)
By far the most intriguing series of the first round. It is a real shame that one of these teams will be knocked out in the first round, because both could really contend for the title. Poor Clippers. You work hard all season and secure the three seed and you get...The Spurs in the first round. If the Spurs had won the final game of the season instead of losing it, they would have had the second seed. That is how crazy the West was this season all the way until the end. This will be a tougher series for whoever wins than the next round will be (winner will get Rockets or Mavs and defeat whichever one it is). The Spurs have made a pact with Lucifer at the crossroads, because year after year they are ready to go. This regular season they played even more half-assed and rope-a-dope than usual, but turned it on at the end when it counted. Tim Duncan is having his best season in years, and Kawhi Leonard has emerged as the superstar Spurs fans knew he would be.
Dez Says: Spurs in 7.
Portland Trailblazers (4) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (5)
Who cares? Both of these teams looked more formidable earlier in the season than they do now. Portland is only here because their division is so weak.
Memphis in 6.
THE EAST
Remember what I said about the Portland and Memphis series? It applies to most of the Eastern Conference. There are only about three real playoff teams in this whole damn Conference.
Atlanta Hawks (1) vs. Brooklyn Nets (8)
Sorry, I still don't believe in The Hawks. I like their Spurs-like team mentality and their streak was amazing. But they are not playoff tested. I've got to see them win a couple of rounds before I even consider them a threat for a championship. They should get through this round, though.
Hawks in 6.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Boston Celtics (7)
Cavs in 5.
Chicago Bulls (3) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (6)
I'm glad I'm not a Bulls fan. The Derrick Rose saga would drive me nuts if I cared about the team. Fans keep hoping he will return to MVP form, but it ain't happening. He is out so much that the team gets really good without him, and then the Emperor With No Clothes returns and they've got to shake up their mojo. Then he gets hurt again. But the Bulls do have the ingredients to challenge.
Bulls in 5.
Toronto Raptors (4) vs. Washington Wizards (5)
SEE Portland/Memphis discussion above.
Washington in 6.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Because It's Not Too Early...
First of all, I know things have slowed down considerably here at GNABB. No excuse really.
But here are some thoughts on how the next presidential election is shaping up. So far we have four officially announced candidates: Hillary on the Democrat side and Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio on the Republican. I don’t see any serious Democratic challenger coming in to give Hillary much of a fight, but there will be a few sacrificial lambs so they can at least pretend to go through the primary process vs. the coronation that it actually is. On the Republican side, though, you’ve still got some major candidates likely to enter who just have not officially announced yet. Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Chris Christie are the three most important, I think.
My main observation thus far is that each of these candidates’ (other than Walker so far, which is why I think he is the most dangerous to Hillary) main challenge is themselves. And that goes for Hillary, too. Especially for Hillary.
Ted Cruz I just don’t get. Because he knows better. Opponents of Cruz dismiss him as a Tea Party idiot. But he’s not an idiot. Far from it, he is an accomplished politician who won a Texas race against the Republican establishment that nobody gave him a chance of winning. He has a compelling life story, and he is a shrewd lawyer who has appeared and won cases in front of the Supreme Court. You do not do that unless you are smarter than the vast majority of your fellow man. Yet, he allies himself with people who show up to rallies dressed as Paul Revere. These people cannot be taken seriously. He led a destructive government shutdown with zero chance of actually accomplishing what he claimed he wanted to do (defund Obamacare), and did nothing other than play into the media narrative of extreme Republican obstructionism. Cruz is a smart man with a wonderful pedigree who has no chance in hell of winning. And I’m glad. He is dangerous based on who he caters to.
Rand Paul is a smart guy also who has some real pluses, but he is haunted by his own more extreme Libertarian past and he has been a disaster at handling the media thus far. On the positive, he can bring in a much needed youth excitement to the Republican side, he is willing and able to reach out more effectively to minority voters than any other major Republican. He sees more than any other candidate the need for the Republican Party to expand its base if it is to survive in the years to come. But Rand, you had to know that the media would ask you about your past positions and whether they jibe with your current stance. And they don’t sometimes. He has reacted like a petulant child, lecturing on proper interview techniques and whining about media bias against conservatives (which is true, but still sounds shrill when voiced). It’s early, so Rand can definitely become more adept at dealing with journalists, but he needs to improve pretty quickly to remain a serious option.
I like Marco Rubio, but he’s young. (Although, I would have dismissed Obama in the same way early in 2008). From reports, he is the one that Hillaryworld fears the most, though, so there is something. He is and will be a force to be reckoned with for some time. He seems to be a moderate on many things and wants to take the Jeb Bush spot as the party uniter between the more conservative and establishment wings. His leadership in the immigration reform fight soured many conservatives on him, though. If he can survive the more partisan primary season, he will be a formidable candidate in the general election, and I can just see the dread from the Hillary camp. Another young, exciting, minority opponent to dampen the “first woman president” vibe she wants to maintain. But I just have the feeling it is not his time, yet. Vice-presidential candidate maybe?
For the unannounced, Jeb is a favorite of the establishment. I like Jeb a lot, but I need to hear more. A downside is, of course, Bush Fatigue. But that is negated somewhat, of course, by Clinton Fatigue. It would be an advantage for the Republicans to put up a fresh face and then the Democrats would be the party of yesterday. There has been a slight rehab of W., but not that much, so the political sins of the brother still might affect Jeb unfairly. Jeb is more of a thinker. I was and still am a big Christie fan, but his name has fallen way down the list. No momentum, no buzz anymore. And you know he will get into some trouble on the trail at some point with his mouth and temper, so he would need some built-up capital to withstand that, and he just doesn’t have it anymore. As for Walker, he is a contender. Favorite of the primary voter for standing up to the unions in Wisconsin, smart and savvy. A survivor (of two recall attempts). A fighter. Obama thinks enough of him to try and take his phantom on in interviews. A Walker/Rubio ticket would be real strong. I need to look at his actual positions more closely, though, to decide whether I would support him.
As for Hillary. She is just not likeable. At all. That is what it comes down to in many ways. A problem that many people have with her (beyond the partisan Clinton haters on the right) is her lack of sincerity. I know it is a problem for most politicians, but the cynical Clinton Entitlement Machine (as in, we as Clintons are entitled to the presidency) is particularly abrasive. I love that much of the commentary on Hillary’s announcement centered on her branding, how she would brand herself this time around to better connect with the voters. Oh, she’s gonna be a populist concerned about middle class prosperity and use her status as grandmother to connect. This was released material from the Clinton campaign. How ridiculous does that sound? To actually release to the public: here’s our strategy and why you should like her now! If you have solid values and principles, the “branding” occurs automatically when you talk about your issues. But Hillary has no real issues she feels strongly about and has no real core values either. Her main policy idea is this one: she should be president. That is what her campaign was about in 2008, and that is at heart what it will be this time around. She just has to tone down the entitlement vibe, but it is still in her DNA.
Also, her record is easy to attack. Both for a lack of ANY accomplishments as Secretary of State (how is that “reset button with Russia” going?) and screw ups. I have to admit that I thought Benghazi would be a dead issue by now, but it is not going away, and although the Republicans have been their usual inartful selves in keeping the Benghazi fires burning, there are real questions that remain to be answered. Under Obama, our leadership role in the world has been diminished. As Secretary of State, she has to take responsibility for that decline in influence, in part. Richard Nixon once said: "If, when the chips are down, the world's most powerful nation, the United States, acts like a pitiful, helpless giant, the forces of totalitarianism and anarchy will threaten free nations and free institutions throughout the world." (1970). The Obama administration's inconsistent, weak, talk but no action responses (remember Obama's red line in the sand to Assad?) to recent world events make Nixon's warnings very relevant today.
Also this e-mail thing is, in some ways, even more serious for Hillary. She can't hide behind the "well, it was Obama's show" card on this one. It plays perfectly into the narrative that the Clintons view themselves above the rules that everyone else must play by. You want to know how serious it is? It isn’t just the Right Wing talk radio section of the country talking about this. Mainstream journalists are taking her to task. There was a recent Time Magazine cover story very critical of the Clinton Machine (entitled “The Clinton Way”). Even mainstream media pundits see something seriously wrong with a Secretary of State making herself the sole arbiter of what documents need to be preserved and what documents can be tossed. I mean, this is historical record stuff...and the ultimate Clinton fantasy. She has decided that she alone knows which documents will be part of the record and which documents “are not relevant.” Just “trust her.” My God.
Hillary is very vulnerable. But the Republicans can easily hand it to her. I don't know who's it is to win at this point, but it is everyone’s election to lose.
But here are some thoughts on how the next presidential election is shaping up. So far we have four officially announced candidates: Hillary on the Democrat side and Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio on the Republican. I don’t see any serious Democratic challenger coming in to give Hillary much of a fight, but there will be a few sacrificial lambs so they can at least pretend to go through the primary process vs. the coronation that it actually is. On the Republican side, though, you’ve still got some major candidates likely to enter who just have not officially announced yet. Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Chris Christie are the three most important, I think.
My main observation thus far is that each of these candidates’ (other than Walker so far, which is why I think he is the most dangerous to Hillary) main challenge is themselves. And that goes for Hillary, too. Especially for Hillary.
Ted Cruz I just don’t get. Because he knows better. Opponents of Cruz dismiss him as a Tea Party idiot. But he’s not an idiot. Far from it, he is an accomplished politician who won a Texas race against the Republican establishment that nobody gave him a chance of winning. He has a compelling life story, and he is a shrewd lawyer who has appeared and won cases in front of the Supreme Court. You do not do that unless you are smarter than the vast majority of your fellow man. Yet, he allies himself with people who show up to rallies dressed as Paul Revere. These people cannot be taken seriously. He led a destructive government shutdown with zero chance of actually accomplishing what he claimed he wanted to do (defund Obamacare), and did nothing other than play into the media narrative of extreme Republican obstructionism. Cruz is a smart man with a wonderful pedigree who has no chance in hell of winning. And I’m glad. He is dangerous based on who he caters to.
Rand Paul is a smart guy also who has some real pluses, but he is haunted by his own more extreme Libertarian past and he has been a disaster at handling the media thus far. On the positive, he can bring in a much needed youth excitement to the Republican side, he is willing and able to reach out more effectively to minority voters than any other major Republican. He sees more than any other candidate the need for the Republican Party to expand its base if it is to survive in the years to come. But Rand, you had to know that the media would ask you about your past positions and whether they jibe with your current stance. And they don’t sometimes. He has reacted like a petulant child, lecturing on proper interview techniques and whining about media bias against conservatives (which is true, but still sounds shrill when voiced). It’s early, so Rand can definitely become more adept at dealing with journalists, but he needs to improve pretty quickly to remain a serious option.
I like Marco Rubio, but he’s young. (Although, I would have dismissed Obama in the same way early in 2008). From reports, he is the one that Hillaryworld fears the most, though, so there is something. He is and will be a force to be reckoned with for some time. He seems to be a moderate on many things and wants to take the Jeb Bush spot as the party uniter between the more conservative and establishment wings. His leadership in the immigration reform fight soured many conservatives on him, though. If he can survive the more partisan primary season, he will be a formidable candidate in the general election, and I can just see the dread from the Hillary camp. Another young, exciting, minority opponent to dampen the “first woman president” vibe she wants to maintain. But I just have the feeling it is not his time, yet. Vice-presidential candidate maybe?
For the unannounced, Jeb is a favorite of the establishment. I like Jeb a lot, but I need to hear more. A downside is, of course, Bush Fatigue. But that is negated somewhat, of course, by Clinton Fatigue. It would be an advantage for the Republicans to put up a fresh face and then the Democrats would be the party of yesterday. There has been a slight rehab of W., but not that much, so the political sins of the brother still might affect Jeb unfairly. Jeb is more of a thinker. I was and still am a big Christie fan, but his name has fallen way down the list. No momentum, no buzz anymore. And you know he will get into some trouble on the trail at some point with his mouth and temper, so he would need some built-up capital to withstand that, and he just doesn’t have it anymore. As for Walker, he is a contender. Favorite of the primary voter for standing up to the unions in Wisconsin, smart and savvy. A survivor (of two recall attempts). A fighter. Obama thinks enough of him to try and take his phantom on in interviews. A Walker/Rubio ticket would be real strong. I need to look at his actual positions more closely, though, to decide whether I would support him.
As for Hillary. She is just not likeable. At all. That is what it comes down to in many ways. A problem that many people have with her (beyond the partisan Clinton haters on the right) is her lack of sincerity. I know it is a problem for most politicians, but the cynical Clinton Entitlement Machine (as in, we as Clintons are entitled to the presidency) is particularly abrasive. I love that much of the commentary on Hillary’s announcement centered on her branding, how she would brand herself this time around to better connect with the voters. Oh, she’s gonna be a populist concerned about middle class prosperity and use her status as grandmother to connect. This was released material from the Clinton campaign. How ridiculous does that sound? To actually release to the public: here’s our strategy and why you should like her now! If you have solid values and principles, the “branding” occurs automatically when you talk about your issues. But Hillary has no real issues she feels strongly about and has no real core values either. Her main policy idea is this one: she should be president. That is what her campaign was about in 2008, and that is at heart what it will be this time around. She just has to tone down the entitlement vibe, but it is still in her DNA.
Also, her record is easy to attack. Both for a lack of ANY accomplishments as Secretary of State (how is that “reset button with Russia” going?) and screw ups. I have to admit that I thought Benghazi would be a dead issue by now, but it is not going away, and although the Republicans have been their usual inartful selves in keeping the Benghazi fires burning, there are real questions that remain to be answered. Under Obama, our leadership role in the world has been diminished. As Secretary of State, she has to take responsibility for that decline in influence, in part. Richard Nixon once said: "If, when the chips are down, the world's most powerful nation, the United States, acts like a pitiful, helpless giant, the forces of totalitarianism and anarchy will threaten free nations and free institutions throughout the world." (1970). The Obama administration's inconsistent, weak, talk but no action responses (remember Obama's red line in the sand to Assad?) to recent world events make Nixon's warnings very relevant today.
Also this e-mail thing is, in some ways, even more serious for Hillary. She can't hide behind the "well, it was Obama's show" card on this one. It plays perfectly into the narrative that the Clintons view themselves above the rules that everyone else must play by. You want to know how serious it is? It isn’t just the Right Wing talk radio section of the country talking about this. Mainstream journalists are taking her to task. There was a recent Time Magazine cover story very critical of the Clinton Machine (entitled “The Clinton Way”). Even mainstream media pundits see something seriously wrong with a Secretary of State making herself the sole arbiter of what documents need to be preserved and what documents can be tossed. I mean, this is historical record stuff...and the ultimate Clinton fantasy. She has decided that she alone knows which documents will be part of the record and which documents “are not relevant.” Just “trust her.” My God.
Hillary is very vulnerable. But the Republicans can easily hand it to her. I don't know who's it is to win at this point, but it is everyone’s election to lose.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
