|link| Posted 10:33 AM by Brian Linse

Time To Take Dean Seriously

Danny Goldberg isn't ready to jump on the Dean Bandwagon just yet, but he's also not buying the Repub rhetoric that says they want to run against Gov. Dean, and he's not buying the comparisons with McGovern and Mondale.

I agree that there is a disingenuous aspect to the "we want to run against Dean" chorus, but I think that the domestic security angle is just as important. It is my hope that if Dean gets closer to front runner status he will start to speak more to the question of fighting terrorism, and attack the Bush admin on the areas of domestic security that remain vulnerable. The Hart-Rudman Report from pre-911 should be used to beat the Bushies about the head and shoulders on a daily basis. There is no reason that Dean can't court the progressive left and young voters while simultaneously pushing a strong policy on domestic defense.

|link| Posted 9:59 PM by Brian Linse

New Digs for Totten

Michael J. Totten has bailed from Blogspot and taken up residence at his own domain. Adjust those links and bookmarks.

|link| Posted 3:02 PM by Brian Linse

Genius

I was fortunate enough to get my greedy little paws on an advance copy of Warren Zevon's new album The Wind. Three words: Oh. My. God.

Expectations are naturally very high given the circumstances of this recording, but I'm here to tell you that the work exceeds even my best hopes for a fitting final album from one of my all-time favorite artists.

It is a remarkably joyous and upbeat collection of classic Zevon compositions, tending to be more straightforward and accessible like some of his earlier work, but reflecting the wisdom and irony of an extraordinary life led by one of American popular music's few true geniuses. Zevon's two previous Artemis releases were proof of his comeback as a composer, and though they were darker and more complex than The Wind, they fit perfectly with his final effort and cap a late career surge that most artists could only dream of.

The album boasts an amazing collection of guest artists, but it is 100% pure Zevon. If you never take my word on anything else, do yourself a favor and trust me on this one. Buy it the minute it comes out on August 26th, or you can pre-order it here.

|link| Posted 2:36 PM by Brian Linse

Tracking The Bright Idea

Here's a site that is tracking commentary on "The Brights".