Daily Ramblings:
Lo And Behold! ... 09/18/2004
Glad to discover that if you search for "bob dylan richard holbrooke" on Yahoo!, this site is the number one result!
World domination is laughably easy when you know what you're doing.
Of-course I have so many more important things to do than sit around entering obscure keyword strings on search engines to see if my site can ever be found. Must return to doing those important things now.
Another Essential "Bob" Quote ... 09/17/2004 b
"Dan Rather does not like anyone in the Bush family that I know of, unless maybe one of the dogs." As reported in the NY Post, and as stated by former Senator Bob Dole on the radio yesterday.
---------------------------------------
Publicity ... 09/17/2004
Really looking forward to Bob's book tour. The Today Show, Barbara Walters - and especially Oprah. I wonder if he'll give out harmonicas to everyone in the audience?
I Think I'll Be Reading Mine Myself ...09/16/2004 c
In another business move seemingly designed to rankle Right Wing Bob, Simon & Schuster has announced that Sean Penn will narrate the audiobook version of Bob Dylan's forthcoming autobiography Chronicles.
Commenting on the forthcoming audiobook, Chris Lynch, Executive Vice President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster Audio said, "When we were thinking of actors to read the Bob Dylan audiobook, the first name on our list was Sean Penn. We knew he would be perfect for the material, and we are absolutely thrilled that an actor of his caliber will be reading CHRONICLES."
That "we" would seem to include suits at Simon & Schuster, but no sign of who else was involved. Right Wing Bob shouldn't be so sensitive of-course. Sean Penn is an above average actor who presumably will do a good job, and not stray from the text. And, as mentioned, the book is still being issued in the old-fashioned printed form and can be consumed in that manner. Baited breath here.
People disagreeing everywhere you
look,
Makes you wanna stop and read a book.
---------------------------------------
...09/16/2004 b
Happy Rosh Hashanah to Bob and anyone else so inclined. It's '65 again (5765). Time to scare those folkies.
----------------------------------------
It's Alright, Moore ... 09/16/2004
So, Michael Moore's CD has a tracklist.(to see original reaction to the story of this CD click here. ) He's chosen to include Bob Dylan singing "With God On Our Side." Quite a surprise for me - I thought he would use "When You Gonna Wake Up." In any case, he's obviously one of those who stops listening after the 7th verse. But that's his right. He's a busy guy. In addition, the CD has Pearl Jam performing "Masters Of War," live. I'm sure they're not misinterpreting this song at all.
As Bob said in 2001 when asked to give an example of a song of his that people misinterpret:
Take "Masters Of War." Every time I sing it, someone writes
that it's an antiwar song. But there's no antiwar sentiment in
that song. I'm not a pacifist. I don't think I've ever been one.
If you look closely at the song, it's about what Eisenhower was
saying about the dangers of the military-industrial complex in
this country. I believe strongly in everyone's right to defend
themselves by every means necessary...
That interview segment was also reproduced in a 2003 Tour program.
Also in 2001, in his interview with Rolling Stone magazine in the November issue, the subject of that song (and his performance of it at the 1991 Grammys) came up, and he reiterated, "I've said before that song's got nothing to do with being anti-war."
Eddie Vedder, like Bob, must clearly be an afficionado of that great General and Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Who'd a thunk?
Moore's CD has a third Bob Dylan composition, performed live in this case by Bruce Springsteen: "Chimes Of Freedom." I'm not even going to try to take this song away from Springsteen. After all, it's for "every hung up person in the whole wide universe." That certainly includes you, Bruce.
So, an album entitled "Songs & Artists That Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11" includes 3 Bob Dylan compositions out of only 12 total tracks. If anything were needed to underline the need for this humble website, this is it. Thank you.
For another example of the creative use of a Bob Dylan tune to advocate for a certain point of view, you might check out this link. Windows Media and Quicktime links are below the text stuff. It'll get you hummin'.
Thing Has Changed ...09/15/2004 b
Effusive thanks to reader kalipx who has given the Gift that keeps on Giving ... a Gmail invitation. Something which RightWingBob has always wanted, just because he couldn't have it. And it allows for the disposal of the old underscore, so the address is now as it should be: RightWingBob(AT)Gmail.com - with a whole gigabyte of storage for those insults I want to preserve.
Cheers.
-------------------------------------------
You might call it 'Paradise' ... 09/15/2004
We don't know who he's voting for, or even if he's registered, but we do know where Bob Dylan will be on election night 2004. He will be playing a gig as part of his just announced Fall Tour, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A fine place to be on election night, considering the latest polls.
Of-course, were Bob to vote, he would somehow have to get to the state in which he is registered (if he is registered) on November 2nd. Presumably, it would be California, considered to be his primary residence - though there's always the outside chance of Minnesota or New York, where he also is understood to own property and spend time. However, there is always the opportunity to submit an absentee ballot, since he'll obviously be out-of-state on that day.
Could it all come down to Bob's absentee ballot in the end? I can see the frustrated election official now, maybe in the swing state of Minnesota, scrutinizing the crucial final piece of paper that is needed to break a perfect tie, peering through a magnifying glass. After what seems a true eternity, with TV cameras zoomed in on his perspiring face and the whole world holding its breath, he puts his magnifying glass down, looks up, and says:
Eternal Circle ...09/14/2004 b
On the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather this evening, a report by John Roberts found that Laura Bush had become the first White House insider to publicly doubt the authenticity of documents that CBS has produced to criticize President Bush's National Guard service. But, the CBS Evening News pointed out, "she offered no evidence to back up her claim."
Further investigation by Right Wing Bob has found that though Laura Bush dresses in an effeminate manner and often speaks of womanly things like mothering and such, she has offered no evidence to back up her claim of being, in fact, female.
And in addition, though Bob Dylan has insisted on numerous occasions between 1963 and today that "the times they are a'changin," the 63 year old singer and Victoria's Secret model has offered no evidence to back up that claim.
Fortunately, CBS News and Dan Rather never let the lack of evidence for a claim prevent them from offering evidence for that claim.
-----------------------------------------------------
President Bush Follows Advice Of Dylan Pal ... 09/14/2004
In a move likely to bring a grin to the face of sometime Bob Dylan friend and associate Bono Vox, the Washington Post today reported (free reg. required) that the Bush administration is "advancing a plan to cancel billions of dollars in debt owed by the world's poorest countries..." The U.S. Treasury Department "contends that the current approach has been too slow and piecemeal to truly free nations" like Ethiopia, Uganda and Bolivia from the burden of their enormous debt to the World Bank and IMF.
But wait. Again according to the Washington Post, the initiative is getting "a frosty reception from the governments of other rich countries." Not ... France or Germany, surely? Staunch defenders of the downtrodden and disadvantaged from the carnivorous appetite of the imperialistic neo-cons who control the Bush administration. Who can forget how they stood up for this guy? And all out of such high minded principle, nothing whatever to do with money. So, we can be assured it's not the financial considerations that make any of these governments balk at forgiving Third World debt. It must be that they don't like Bob's friend Bono. Well, he does get a little preachy sometimes. (Guess it's easier to just give him an award and hope he shuts up).
Now, it don't seem to me quite so
funny
What some people are gonna do f'r money.
Too Much Of Nothing ... 09/13/2004
Right Wing Bob is working on an additional "serious Dylan related" thing and so has had little appetite for the controversies of the day. Besides, there is simply no competing with the level of effort being displayed by certain other bloggers these last few days. May God bless and keep them always.
...09/12/2004 b
Via Allah, a link to an action packed animation of a crime in progress. Oh Danny boy, 'tis you must go, indeed.
-----------------
Nuances ... 09/12/2004
On Fox News Sunday this morning, John F. Kerry's foreign policy adviser (and potential Secretary of State in a Kerry administration?) Richard Holbrooke referred to what he characterized as "no-go" areas of Iraq for U.S. troops (he perhaps had Fallujah in mind?) and further stated that these areas had "liberated themselves from us." Hmmm. (transcript will be linked when available.)
For further info on the fine intentions of Michael Moore's (and now Kerry and Holbrooke's) Minutemen, check out this article in the U.K.s Guardian. In addition to fighting for freedom, justice and the Democratic party's foreign policy goals, they especially enjoy killing the darker skinned American soldiers.
'To have Negroes occupying us is a particular humiliation,' Abu Mujahed said .... 'Sometimes we aborted a mission because there were no Negroes.'
Right Wing Bob sez:
Something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
3 year Anniversary of Love And Theft ...09/11/2004
It's a day of remembering and suitably solemn for those who grieve, and those who grieve with them. The following link is offered for those who enjoy a little defiant and irreverent laughter. If you haven't already heard it, this is Frank Sinatra singing Strangers On My Flight (thanks to Rich for the link). (that link is flash, for mp3 or real audio go here.)
Of-course Bob has some history with the real Frank Sinatra. He performed a wonderful version of Restless Farewell at the benefit gig for Frank's 80th birthday. The song seemed to have been written for the occasion and for Sinatra, though it was written 32 years earlier. And the story is told that around the same time, Sinatra's wife Barbara encouraged him to invite Dylan and Bruce Springsteen over for a little socializing (get to know the young people, you know). She was maybe a little tired of Frank's usual drinking sessions with his old cronies. They ended up standing around the piano and singing late into the evening, and the Jack Daniels is said to have flowed generously. Frank had a great time, and, as told in J. Randy Taraborelli's book, Behind The Legend, said:
"What great guys. We should have those two over more often. Forget Steve and Eydie. I'm sick of 'em. Let's have Dylan and Springsteen over once a month."
"Over my dead body," Barbara groused.
And when Sinatra passed on, Bob issued a statement in which he said "His music had a profound influence on me, whether I knew it or not." For what it's worth, I bet they could've discussed politics without coming to blows, too.
Rather Appropos ... 09/10/2004 d
Alright, I knew Right Wing Bob would have a comment on this whole forgery business. Going out to Dan Rather tonight:
-----------------------------------------------------
A Stern Letter Will Follow Shortly No Doubt ... 09/10/2004 c
With all of this forgery stuff consuming the blogosphere (and slowly consuming what's left of Dan Rather's shriveled sinful soul), some good things might get missed. Take a look at Amir Taheri's column in the NY Post today, on the glorious efficacy of aligning with the French and working through the U.N. when confronting an oppressive Baathist regime, i.e., Syria:
Here is the story: French diplomats, anxious to offer an alternative to Bushian "regime change," spent a good part of the summer in secret talks with their U.S. counterparts in search of a common policy on Syria, one of the oldest members of the club of "states sponsoring terrorism." By the end of August, the talks had produced agreement on joint action to end Syria's military presence in Lebanon.
The resolution, jointly sponsored by France and the Imperialist U.S. hegemonists, passed the security council, 9 to nothing.
French diplomats were in seventh heaven: They had proved they could do through diplomacy what the "Cowboy" Bush insists on doing through force.
Then ... sacre bleu. Syria orders an increase in their troop strength in Lebanon, from 28,000 to 40, 000. Syrian President Assad summons the Prime Minister and Speaker of the Lebanese parliament to Damascus and "instructs" them to extend the term of the Syrian appointed President of Lebanon (Lahoud) by three years - a little inconvenient, since it involves amending the constitution. But, hey.
How could Assad so brazenly defy a united world community, and essentially absorb Lebanon in all but name? As Taheri points out, maybe it has something to do with the 12 years and 12 resolutions that Saddam defied ... which ultimately led to a situation where world pressure built to relax the sanctions, rather than strengthening them. He was winning. Maybe it has something to do with Assad understanding that votes on a council in Turtle Bay don't count for too much when he has guns, tanks and troops in Damascus and Beirut.
A despotic regime can't afford to heed U.N. resolutions: It would end up being asked to stop imprisoning, torturing and murdering its opponents, to accept free elections — in short, to commit political suicide. It would also lose part of its aura of invincibility and its capacity to terrorize its population.
I hate to reuse a Bob quote so soon, but it's too apt to this story.
--------------------------------------------------
Annoying to Right Wing Bob was the story this morning from the New York Times indicating that Michael Moore has cut a deal with Sony BMG Music Entertainment to release a compilation of songs that "provided motivation" to him during the making of Fahrenheit 9/11, including, yes, an unnamed (but previously released) Bob Dylan song. That the likes of Michael Moore would claim to derive inspiration from Bob Dylan songs is unsurprising - they always have. The granting of the right to use the song has to be considered a business decision, albeit a lousy one, in my opinion. To give it a little context, here's a VERY partial list of soundtracks and compilations featuring Dylan performances - off the top of my head, since I don't have a complete list (does anybody else?):
The Passion Of The Christ
The Divine Secrets of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood*
Natural Born Killers
The Sopranos
The WonderBoys*
Gotta Serve Somebody - The Gospel Songs Of Bob Dylan*
Gods & Generals*
High Fidelity
Vanilla Sky
... where an asterisk denotes that Bob did some original writing for the purpose. These are mainly just recent ones, and I know that there are many, many more, though my retrievable memory is not what it once was - and I also don't particularly follow film soundtrack releases.
[addendum 09/13/2004:
God Bless America
Bandits
The Hurricane
The '60s
Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas
Around The Bend
Taken
Wonderland
One Hit Wonders (?! song is "Wigwam" from Self Portrait -ed.)
This Day Is Forever
Freedom: Songs From Heart Of America
Both Sides Now: Best Of Americana 2002
The Royal Tennenbaums
Coded
For Our Children
Touched By An Angel
The Big Lebowski
The Sopranos Vol. 2
Blow
Jerry Maguire
Freedom: A History Of Us
Moonlight Mile
Forrest Gump
Sing America
... and on and on (if you want anymore, you can sing it yourself). ]
I'm trusting that the story is accurate of-course (the impeccable NY Times), and not like all those stories in advance of the "Stop Bush" tour by Bruce Springsteen and Co., which universally mentioned a group of artists that had agreed to the concept, always including Bob Dylan. Then, when an actual on-the-record announcement was made, Bob's name was nowhere to be found. They couldn't have just been trying to build momentum by using his name, could they?
----------------------------------------------------------------
Constructive Criticism ... 09/10/2004
And a special thanks to those who think I can do better. For example, this reader, with subject line, "You've got your head up your ass!!":
Okay, so you're a Bob Dylan fan. But don't try to co-opt Dylan into your neo-con, semi-fascistic pathetic worldview. Dylan's not owned by the Left or the Right; but has always stood for personal and cultural liberation. You and the Bush-Right only understand liberation as coming from American military and economic domination and conformity to the most repressive, state-imposed "religious values".
As for Dylan not being owned by the Left or the Right, I think I make it pretty clear here that I'm not trying to maintain that he himself shares my political opinions. Would that the Left, going back over 40 years now, had ever shown the same restraint and respect for Dylan's artistic independence. "Sing Out!" magazine? A.J. Weberman, anybody? (Bob had been taken over by the CIA and forced to make country music.) All those who condemned him for his gospel albums? "Personal and cultural liberation" was just fine, so long as Bob wasn't liberating himself to believe in God.
Of-course me and the Bush-Right only understand liberation as coming from military power, "economic domination" (would that be trading with poor countries so that their people can get jobs and eat?) and "the most repressive, state imposed 'religious values.'" I guess that putting the term "religious values" in quotes is some kind of devastating ironic flourish. However, for repressive, state-imposed religion, you might just take a brief glance at the enemy that attacked us. The Taliban executed people for violating their idea of Islamic law. Women actually experienced a level of oppression somewhat greater than that experienced by liberal humanists in the United States - or even anti-war activists. Like being unable to leave their home without the accompaniment of a male, and without being completely covered by a burka. Like being prohibited from attending school, or working ... or singing. If you don't think that the ultimate goal of Al-Qaeda and fellow travellers is to spread this cheery philosphy as far as they can, killing anyone who stands in their way, then you don't pay attention to their own words.
I unfortunately can't answer every critical email in this way, especially as repressing people is very time consuming work. Now back to it.
Thanks ... 09/09/2004
- to those who've sent positive feedback on the site since it was linked on Expecting Rain today.
Original text copyright © 2004
by RightWingBob.com
Quotes from the works of others are linked to their
source or are as otherwise attributed, and are used in
accordance with Fair Use guidelines. Contact:
rightwingbob(at)gmail.com
Serious Dylan Related Things:
Right Wing Bob On:
Who Am I And What Is This Site About?
More to come ...
Email: RightWingBob@)gmail.com
Powered by Bushmills