A Bloy and his Blog

Our nation is battling terrorism and violence overseas, the deficit is growing exponentially, unemployment continues in this stagnating economy and what are our lawmakers working on? A bill that would replace the face of Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the dime with Ronald Reagan.

Don’t they have anything better to do?

I don’t understand the conservatives need to push Reagan up to iconic status — not to mention the fact that the man is still alive. If they must use Reagan’s likeness on a coin, considering his administration’s trickle-down economic policies, putting it on a penny seems more appropriate to me.

Ryan Adams’ latest CD, Love is Hell (actually a two part EP) is one of the best albums of this year. An excellent blend of subdued songs along with some rockers, Love is Hell was originally intended to be released as a full album. Instead Adams decided to release the unpolished, albeit more rock-friendly Rock n Roll and offer Love is Hell as a limited edition, two EP set. The reasoning behind this decision is beyond me.

read the rest of: Ryan Adams, Love Is Hell

Complaints about taxes have certainly been a strong fixture in the news lately. After opening up my property tax bill (which arrived in the mail the other day) I thought I’m really getting a lot for my money. Parks, recreational trails, library services, fire protection, police protection, refuse pickup… the list goes on and on. I would much rather pay to have those services and facilities available to me than to live somewhere without them. What would it be like to live in an area without libraries, without a good park system, not to mention fire and police protection? Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.”

I for one would rather live in a civilized society than have a little more money in my pocket.

I would like to wish all of my friends and family a Merry Christmas.

I hope the coming New Year brings peace, joy, happiness and health to all of you.

The year is at an end and that means it’s time for me to list my favorite CDs of 2003.

Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell
The best non-album released this year. See my posting from December 14th for details.

Dido - Life For Rent
Dido has such a beautiful voice. Her captivating melodies and heartfelt lyrics fit that voice perfectly. I could develop a bit of a crush on Dido listening to this.

read the rest of: Best music of 2003