Beltmann

Oh, I know... I was just elaborating!

I admit, I had reader-response theory in mind. The real point, of course, is that there are varied and competing approaches to art, and there's room for them all.

I haven't looked at this particular PopMatters essay yet, but in general I think that once an artwork is out there in public, what a consumer takes from it often outweighs original intent. Art is not just about "cracking the code" and abiding by it; art mostly matters because we can connect with it on our own personal, subjective levels. For me, if someone says they recognize a metaphor or a symbol, then it's there--even if it was an accident, even if no one else sees it.

Obama Supporter Who Apparently Listened

It reads like a bit of genius from The Onion, but it's not: Barack Obama: Running for Antichrist? As for me, I always wondered whether GWB might be the Antichrist. Or maybe James Carville, but that's mostly because of his beady eyes.

That's pretty much the only part that made logical sense to me.

How can it possibly live up to that? My advice: Listen to it now, as just another record, nothing more nothing less. If it contains magic that magic will reveal itself to you. (I love it.)

I guess people living in Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Hawaii, and here in Wisconsin somehow don't represent the "broad electorate" in this country, and deserve to be overlooked and marginalized. Damn, I wish I lived in Ohio so that I mattered.

Yeah, but the media told me that Obama is all style, no substance, so I refuse to believe that booklet even exists.

When I think of Roy Scheider, I think of Jaws, The French Connection, All That Jazz, and, um, Blue Thunder.

Classy.

I occasionally listen to Savage. Entertaining, yes. Thought-provoking? Not in the way he probably imagines.

When I was in college, I used to watch a lot of C-SPAN. Often I would watch Congressional speeches or debates, and then, out of curiosity, I'd listen to Rush. It was really something listening to him egregiously twist what I had just seen with my own eyes. Unfortunately, a lot of people took (and still take) his "analysis" as fair journalism. Me, I'd just call it lying.

Both visually and psychologically, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford might be a masterpiece.

I was in college when that came out, and I remember catching it at a budget theater--and the next night, I went back. Really a great movie... wish they would release a DVD that was widescreen.

Speeches like ought to keep things swinging his way.

That might have been the greatest Super Bowl in the history of Super Bowls.

The American Conservative Union, the nation's oldest conservative lobbying group, thinks he is. And the Red State blog calls McCain a better conservative than most. I don't know how strong of a conservative McCain is--but he's not liberal, that's for sure.

My wife hates--no, loathes--the fake encore, for pretty much all the reasons Lou outlined. I'm much less bothered about it, but I guess I agree.

That's what I'm talkin' about.

I might be wrong, but I think Shuck was using sarcasm in order to make the same point you made.

Good to hear, El F. I'll keep the vibes coming. While our kiddo has been to the emergency room a few times, we've been fortunate that--knock on wood--she's never had any truly serious illnesses or injuries... but I can definitely imagine how tough it is for you right now.

Educate the oblivious masses? Maybe you should start with your small-minded SELF. Have you ever even HEARD Wilco? Hate to break it to ya, but it's OBVIOUS that you have mediocre to awful taste. Music is not subjective, and the only good news for you is that at least you have bad taste, because otherwise you would have no taste at all. And yes, this DOES make me better than you!!! After you clean out your ears, I'm sure you'll agree that the only right order is: AM BT ST YHF AGIB SBS