Mr. Heartbreak

I'd be happy with Box Full of Letters any day of the week. I'm easy.

Surprised no one is posting the setlist in real time.. So far: I Got You Dawned On Me Box Full of Letters At My Window

Well, I guess it's official: people would rather hear Wilco perform their own catalogue than hear covers. Personally, if they break out a cover like Don't Fear the Reaper or The Weight at the Americanarama show next week, it will most likely be my highlight. I could live without ever seeing another Impossible Germany.

And looks like they weren't done after Kingpin: encores include Thank You Friends, The Weight, and Roadrunner.

You are correct. Wilco also did Color Me Impressed, and UT butchered Cinnamon Girl once or twice. I saw Cheap Trick and Blue Oyster Cult both opening for Aerosmith over the last few years, and they kind of sucked. I suspect Wilco's covers of Surrender and Don't Fear the Reaper were better than what the original bands can deliver these days... I'll be psyched if they break out even one of those classic rock tunes in Tampa next week!

I haven't seen New Madrid played since 1999, so I'm still pretty jealous. Hope it gets better.

Maybe they will do a bunch of their own catalogue tomorrow night? I don't know, I saw them cover Don't Fear the Reaper years ago and it was killer. I wish I was at this show right now...

I am already looking forward to a recording of this surfacing! Cinnamon Girl? Damn...

Well, it's looking pretty serious, actually: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/20/immigration-border-deal_n_3472143.html?ref=topbar A great deal: double the amount of border patrol agents (only $20-30 billion, no problem), 700 miles of fence, and oh, don't forget the aerial drones to watch the border. WTF?! I thought we were broke. Can't afford to spend money on unemployment insurance, education, Planned Parenthood, our crumbling bridges and roads, on and on and on...but we're going to throw over $30 billion...billion, with a b...at more border security? These asshats never fail to leave m

I had to look at several websites for confirmation that it wasn't just an internet rumor. Wish his family the best. A very sad situation indeed. And sad for the fans too, of course.

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/james-gandolfini---the-sopranos--star--dead-at-51-234433183.html I am really bummed. Not just because The Sopranos is one of my top three shows of all time, but because I've enjoyed JG in everything I've seen him do. And he could have done so much more if he lived longer.

Is it wrong that I love this thread?

Just the general stuff: the number of undocumented immigrants in this country, the number of them who will NEVER be deported, the number of children they have had who are automatically U.S. citizens...factor beside that the number of people in the government who will never vote for anything that could be called "amnesty," and so on. It's been an immoveable rock for so long, I can't imagine anything happening on it as long as Obama is president. The Republicans are obstructing things as basic as appointments, so I can't imagine they will ever allow the prez a "win" of any sort on immigration.

Immigration will probably die another long, slow, miserable death. My prediction: if something does get through, it will be subpar, and even that would be a squeaker. Pretty depressing, if you really know the facts and analyze them.

Yeah, the same is true for me. I have often said, if someone pointed a gun at me and threatened to kill me, I would say, Why do you think I am scared? Death can't hurt me. Then they would really think I was nuts. But it's what I believe.

When I was a senior in high school, I told my elderly English teacher, Sr. Marguerite, that I wanted to be a writer. She knew I was a good writer, but her response was, "Well, you'd better learn to dig ditches, too." Best advice I have ever had. Did manual labor jobs every summer during my college years, and learned how to get my hands dirty and build some muscle, along with some character. Today, at 48, I have been a professional writer for almost 12 years. If you do the math, you'll understand why the "digging ditches" advice was so important! Great advice from mountain bed, by the way.

Some people might be inclined to beat you up for comparing apples and oranges (guns vs. abortion), but I totally get your point. For me, that is actually a great example: I think it's very sad that women sometimes choose a medically unnecessary abortion. But I am well aware that they will choose to terminate their pregnancy anyway, even if they must take dangerous risks. I think it's better to support the woman's right to choose, even if I may not be happy with the choice, knowing at least she will be in a medically supervised environment. Funny you bring that up, because it is up for debate

I do find it interesting that you chose not to have guns when your kids lived at home. What would you protect them with (I mean, by your own definition of protection)? I'm not being a smartass; I'm really curious how the thinking goes. I would like to have kids some day, and my mindset may change.

I think I misinterpreted the sentence, and chose range instead of ranch. I grew up with a rifle in my parents' basement: my dad had one for hunting. Not sure if it was ever loaded, where the shells were, etc. I never got into that at all, but I understand it is somewhat popular in certain areas.

Wow, so five or six firearms. I can understand someone fearing an intruder and therefore owning a firearm instead of (or in addition to) a security system. But multiple guns for multiple tasks, like tools in a toolbox? You sort of lost me there. I mean, I believe you, I just find it otherworldly. But then, I am a liberal suburbanite, so "shooting hogs on the range" sounds like something from a movie to me. I am sort of presuming that you are not literally at home all the time, so I just hope there are not too many people with access to all these weapons other than yourself. I think that was wh

Going to see Wilco is pretty much always a good decision. And the bonus is that they are opening for Howlin' W-- er, Louie Arm-- er, Bob Dylan!

I was just yanking your chain about the background check. I assume you are in very good stead. But I can't resist responding to the home defense comment. Is it replacing another "home defense" weapon? And if so, what happens to that one? Put out to pasture? Put in a closet with six other rifles? Just curious...this whole gun subculture in America is weirdly fascinating to me...

Hope they did a background check.

My favorite Wilco opener was IATTBYH, but the first time I saw them, they opened with California Stars. That was cool, and the energy level seemed to rise during the song. But what was unreal about that show was about halfway through, they did A Shot in the Arm followed by Misunderstood. Between the "bloodier than blood" section of the first and then the "nothing...nothing" section of the second, I was just slack-jawed.

We have some wingnut pols here in Florida, but for pure, unadulterated batshit crazy, Texas always takes the cake: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2013/06/17/texas-congressman-masturbating-fetuses-prove-need-for-abortion-ban/