Mr. Heartbreak

I've been listening to so much jazz, I'm almost embarrassed I forgot Mr. Nick Mason! Just finished re-watching Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii for the first time in ages, and man, dude was good.

I almost hate to derail this thread further, but since you asked... Of course, FZ died about 20 years ago, but in some ways he was considered conservative for a rock icon: wife and kids, definitely a patriarch type, and quite the free market businessman. Vocally anti-drug, to boot. On the other hand, check his comments regarding Republicans in general - the song When The Lie's So Big - and Nixon and Reagan in particular - Dickie's Such An Asshole for the former, and the infamous video of You Are What You Is, showing the latter in the electric chair, which MTV ultimately pulled. In 1986, h

I don't know that I watch all that much television, but I've seen a fair amount of stuff on the TV and internet that makes me want to stay on this coast. You're right about that attitude not being limited to NY or TX, though...my parents had some friends from Germany, and one of them did nothing but praise Germany (and how it had all these things that the U.S. didn't). Got real old, I guess. As for London, the English have a long love affair with the whole western mythos, especially cowboys. I think of Bryan Ferry's Prairie Rose and some of Elton John's early stuff. It's downright weird. I g

We already had that discussion in another thread. I guess it's always been pretty easy to defend so-called "traditional" values. Not too many people are against the flag, apple pie, or whatnot. I'm all about defending the minority view or the underdog. Fair enough. Not sure I'd want to be an Obama voter there, but I'll grant you the stats. As for the "live and let live" part...that might be the coolest thing you've ever posted here!

Sorry you had that experience, and obviously I'm one of the people who conveyed that, to some degree...My apologies. My experience with people from Texas leads me to believe that they might be great people...if they live in Texas, where they prefer to be. Much like folks from New York City, if they go somewhere else, many of them (of course I won't say "all") spend a great deal of time and energy criticizing the place they have gone to, while talking incessantly about how great their home state is...leading one to wonder, "Then why the hell don't you just go back?" New York City is not actua

For me it was the guitar solos on Astronomy Domine by Pink Floyd and Inca Roads by Frank Zappa. I was all of 14 or 15, and I'd heard things by these guys on the radio (Money and Time from Floyd, Dancing Fool from FZ), but these songs were lead tracks on albums that ended up being life-changing. It was like a door opening. I walked through, and never came back.

I can understand the libertarian sort of "leave it up to the states" argument in many instances. However, in this case, the issue is really related to federal benefits, such as the SSI death benefit, so that argument feels weak to me. Religion is also a moot point, as it may or not be part of a marriage. Many civil weddings involve no religion at all (hello, Elvis impersonator!).

Looks like a longer show than the previous night, so that's good, right? Feel free to describe the show, as many of us Wilco fans were not there!

Wow, Bok Tower and La Teresita in the same thread? You guys are giving away all my secrets!

Matt Taibbi is the poor man's Hunter Thompson. Oh, wait, is this limited to bands? Sorry.

I'll do my home state of CT, since I don't want to give away the secrets of Florida's many less-known beach gems! Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford Mark Twain House (West Hartford, I believe) Kent Falls Barnes Nature Center (Bristol)

I really got this thread sidetracked. Sorry...

Damn, dude! Well, enjoy your time there. By the way, I did NOT mean to type "California." But "A" for effort!

That should work out well, because my experience of people from Texas is that they generally regard the state as being superior in almost every category. Never had a desire to go there, and never will. Did you know it's the highest in executions? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/execution/readings/texas.html What about its reputation for pollution? http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_stories/198434/top-pollution-ranking-for-texas How are the beaches? I couldn't find any on this list... http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Beaches

Texas in general is freaking scary. And that's coming from a guy who lives in Florida!

Me neither! I guess I've got quite a few records with his name on the back...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/arts/music/phil-ramone-record-producer-and-winner-of-14-grammys-dies-at-79.html?_r=0

Sure, and you're well within your rights to boycott them or whatnot. One man's raison d'etre is another's poison pill.

Why shouldn't any of us talk about politics or religion, or anything else, for that matter? Are these topics off limits to anyone but politicians or talking heads on TV? I am an artist, a poet and novelist, but I do medical writing for work. Should I avoid that topic because I have less expertise than a doctor? I have always felt very strongly that, in a free society, we should be able to speak freely about what we choose, and one's job description has nothing to do with that. If everyone thought about this the way you do, there never would have been an audience for it. Most of my favorite so

My experience is very much like Wilco Me's, especially thinking that gay men "had controlling mothers and absent fathers." I even had a gay friend who seemed to justify the cliche. I still cringe a bit when I listen to some of my old Zappa shows. He made fun of everybody, but he was especially savage about gay culture. I guess we are all a little more politically correct these days...

Sad. Really looking like a breakdown of some sort.

Good for O'Reilly indeed. At least he admits the weakness of the anti-gay-marriage argument. In the other corner...wearing red, white & blue trunks...Governor Rick Perry: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/rick-perry-gay-rights_n_2963151.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl8%7Csec3_lnk2%26pLid%3D290143 Imagine this guy as our President. Is there an emoticon for shudder?