The Countertop Chronicles

It appears that at least one of the goblins who attacked an unarmed Montgomery County family held them at gun point and attempted to sexually assault the wife.

Yep, I see Maryland’s strict gun control is really working . . . isn’t it Mr. Duncan?

Is this your plan? Rapists get guns but families sit around unarmed waiting for you and Chuckie Moose to ride to the rescue????

That’s the chances some were giving renowned misfit Axl Rose of ever getting out his long awaited $13 million dollar Chinese Democracy album.

Well, in light of the huge number of online leaks, rumours, and other appearances over the last few weeks, it looks like its arrival is imminent with Spin going so far as to even publish a review in its April 1, 2006 issue.

there has been a great deal of pressure on Axl Rose to deliver a record that would validate a 15-year, $13 million wait. There is really only one way for Chinese Democracy to avoid utter and absolute failure: It needs to be the greatest rock album ever made.

Chinese Democracy is not the greatest rock album ever made.

Oh, it’s certainly awesome, but I don’t think it’s “15 years awesome.” Had Axl released his album after a silence of, say, 11 years and two months (at a cost of, say, $11.5 million), Chinese Democracy would be an undeniable masterpiece

Wait, could this be some sort of April Fools Day trick???? hehehe

In either case, I’ve listened to most of the leaked tracks I could find and have to say that while I don’t think all are perfect, there are certainly some great moments.

Back in the day my senior year of high school GnR followed up on the sick success of its masterpiece debut - Appetite for Destruction - with what I have always thought was one of the rockingest chillingest albums ever - GnR Lies, an EP that contained the huge acoustic hit Patience but also the much better and much more controversial “One In A Million” which outraged blacks and gays.

One In A Million
Lyrics by Axl Rose
Music by Guns ‘n Roses

Guess I needed
Sometime to get away
I needed some peace of mind
Some peace of mind that’ll stay
So I thumbed it
Down to sixth and L.A.
Maybe your greyhound
Could be my way
Police and niggers
That’s right
Get out of my way
Don’t need to buy none of your
Goldchains today
I don’t need no bracelets
Clamped in front of my back
Just need my ticket till then
Won’t you cut me some slack

Chorus:

You’re one in a million
Yeah, that’s what you are
You’re one in a million, babe
You are a shooting star
Maybe someday we’ll see you
Before you make us cry
You know we tried to reach you
But you were much to high
Much to high
Much to high
Much to high

Immigrants and faggots
They make no sense to me
They come to our country
And think they’ll do as they please
Like start some mini Iran
Or spread some fucking disease
They talk so many goddamn ways
It’s all greek to me
Well some say I’m lazy
And others say that’s just me
Some say I’m crazy
I guess I’ll always be
But it’s been such a long time
Since I knew right from wrong
It’s all the means to an end, I,
I keep on movin’ along

Chorus

Radicals and racists
Don’t point your finger at me
I’m a small town white boy
Just tryin’ to make ends meet
Don’t need your religion
Don’t watch that much TV
Just makin’ my livin’, baby,
Well that’s enough for me

Chorus

Final auditions for the next Rockstar are being held today in LA.

Despite early rumors that “The Band” would be Van Halen, it looks like its actually going to be Supernova - and all star ensemble of heavy hitting rock legends including Gilby Clark of Guns N Roses, Jason Newsted from Metallica, and of course, Tommy Lee. The band will record and tour in support of an album co-written and produced by Avril Lavigne and Pink hitmaker Butch Walker (talk about losing your street cred quick).

Once again, Peggy Noonan gets it right*.

Who is at fault? Those of us who let the myth die, or let it change, or refused to let it be told. The politically correct nitwit teaching the seventh-grade history class who decides the impressionable young minds before him need to be informed, as their first serious history lesson, that the Founders were hypocrites, the Bill of Rights nothing new and imperfect in any case, that the Indians were victims of genocide, that Lincoln was a clinically depressed homosexual who compensated for the storms within by creating storms without . . .

*Peggy Noonan and her wonderful book on Ronald Reagan, “When Character Was King” more than anything prompted me to start this blog. In its early days, my banner even included a Reagan quote: True, lasting peace cannot be secured through the strength of arms alone. Among free peoples, the open exchange of ideas ultimately is our greatest security

From today’s Potomac Confidential discussion with Marc Fisher

Wizards: Marc,Has the crime rate in D.C. gone down since the Bullets renamed themselves?

Marc Fisher: Through the floor. So now all we need to do is rename handguns ‘power flowers’ and crime will vanish completely.

Interesting oinline discussion today with Jim Brady and his wife the Chief Gun Banner. It ran in commemoration of the assassination on Reagan, but focused almost entirely on gun control and the activiteis of the Brady Bunch.

I’m a bit surprised at some of the questions that were let through (not to mention some of the less than fully truthful answers Sarah Brady gives).

Check it out.

According to sources on Capitol Hill, U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) punched a Capitol police officer on Wednesday afternoon after he mistakenly pursued her for failing to pass through a metal detector.

. . . .

The officer called out, “Ma’am, Ma’am,” and walked after her in an attempt to stop her. When he caught McKinney, he grabbed her by the arm.

Witnesses say McKinney pulled her arm away, and with her cell phone in hand, punched the officer in the chest.

. . . . .

According to the Drudge Report, the entire incident is on tape.

Drudge continues, “The cop is pressing charges, and the USCP (United States Capitol Police) are waiting until Congress adjurns to arrest her, a source claims.”

The Washington Post has this to say in an editorial on George Mason

It concerned George Mason Coach Jim Larranaga. (You there, with that face painted gold and green — be honest; had you ever heard of Jim Larranaga before this month?)

I had. Why??? Cause I choose to read the Washington Examiner and not the Post’s lame excuse for a free metro paper. Larranaga, of course, is a sports columnist for the paper.

If you listen to him and his bigoted minions in Montgomery County, no one needs a gun. Yet, armed robbers attacked a home and held the family captive last night.

Seems to me, they could have used a gun.

Apparantly the National’s are concerned that the Abramoff Scandal will take a bite out of season ticket sales.

I’m not sure its just that simple. Certainly, the excesses will decrease a bit this year, and I know my organization has dropped alot of its season tickets (we had between 30 and 40 last year, we have 8 as far as I can tell this year). However, I think something else is really going on.

Frankly, tickets were everywhere last year. I didn’t renew my personal tix because I simply couldn’t spend that much time at RFK and figured that since people were offering me tickets to everygame, I really didn’t need to pay $1000 for them (and don’t get me started on the high cost of crappy food at RFK).

I don’t know if thats a calculation everyone’s made, but I know at least a few organizations around town came to that decision. Its a shame the Post didn’t explore what I think is this more interesting angle, but then, it doesn’t make as sexy a story (and of course puts some of the blame on the Nat’s marketing plans).

Its going, going, gone.

This is truly something to celebrate.

Curtis P-40

Just let me know when Steve, and I’ll take you out and show you a couple of photography tricks.

sort of.

But a little Ravnwood is still better than no Ravnwood, and thank god for bloglines.

As for his departure?

Also, keeping myself mired in politics on a daily basis was depressing. My outlook on life is so much better now. Fresher. Renewed. I want to keep it that way.

There is still a lot out there that makes me shake my head, and I’ll occasionally post about it here. But I’m tired of being a curmudgeon all of the time. I want to smile more. And I want to have a life that’s not tied to the interweb.

Exactly.

No respect for the dead.

Just another reason to oppose development at all costs.

Shaun Kenney has the latest.