Danny Doom’s Booze Cabinet

Halftime of a bad football day for me, and if I hear about the Bronco’s “shocking win” one more time I’m gonna throw a bottle at the tv. Yes, the Bears are at the halfway point of a miserable game but it was the Denver-New York Jets game that really ruined my day. Let’s just say that I had $$$ in my eyes and another Loser Pool victory in my sights when friggin’ Brett Fav-ra and his 5-game winning streak went up against Denver in New York. But, as the NBC guys keep reminding me, the road teams went 10-1 today (before tonight’s Bears game in Minnesota). So the Jets lost and I’m out and the pool is over (other guy went out on Denver too). Can you see the steam coming out of my head?

Anyway, 17-7 Vikings as I write this but an interception and the Bears have a chance to get back into it. Can we score from the goal line this time? That first half debacle was a true low point, going from 1st and goal to a 99-yard TD the other way, but… Yes! 17-14 and the Bears have life. Oh wait, just before I hit publish on this post the Vikings run back the kickoff half the field. Boo.

UPDATE:

Oh, fuck it.

In the end, though, it will not be the creative paralysis that defines Bush. It will be his intellectual laziness, at home and abroad. Bush never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and regulation that was necessary to make markets work. He never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and equity that was necessary to maintain the strong middle class required for both prosperity and democracy. He never considered the complexities of the cultures he was invading. He never understood that faith, unaccompanied by rigorous skepticism, is a recipe for myopia and foolishness. He is less than President now, and that is appropriate. He was never very much of one.

- Joe Klein, “Bush’s Last Days: The Lamest Duck”

Can’t add to that, it’s a damn near perfect assessment.

Taken while driving to Oak Park on North Avenue.

Wow. I mean, I was kidding about Secretary Ayers yesterday but this guy is for real:

While there is relief that Chomsky will not head State, and Bill Ayers not be Secretary of Defense…

Victor Davis Hanson! Ha ha ha! Written today at 4:16pm! Chomsky will not head State. And Bill Ayers will not be Secretary of Defense. I mean, are these the dumbest people alive or what?

Are we to be happy then that the elected Obama is proving to be a realist and pragmatist with some fine appointments rather than the ideologue outsider who savaged Hillary or demonized Bush and caricatured McCain, or rather shocked that the apparent consistency is only the desire to find political advantage? Who knows? — I surely don’t.

You got that right, Hanson brother. You surely do not know shit.

This was all fairly obvious to anyone paying attention.

- Andrew Sullivan

It always helps to pay attention, that’s what I say. Amazing things can happen: Up is Up again, Down is Down; 2 + 2 no longer = 5. Be thankful for that.

I can’t stop listening, and watching, this video from Letterman from last week. It’s a girl called Sia and the song is called “Soon We’ll Be Found,” and she signs her way through it with red and blue hands. You have to see it. Here’s her website and MySpace.

President-Elect Obama has been putting together his cabinet, while I have been busy with my own–Booze Cabinet, that is–stocking the shelves for the long winter ahead. Plenty of tequila, Bailey’s and Kahlua. Probably should get some whiskey though. But enough about me. I see that some are surprised, or disappointed in his choices so far; they’re not liberal enough or some such thing?

Yeah! Why hasn’t Bill Ayers been appointed as Secretary of Defense?!? What about Rev. Wright? Shouldn’t he be heading some faith-based cabinet post that will be in charge of Damning America, by God? “America! Goddamn thee!”

Are there people who really believed–still believe?–that Obama (the most liberal senator in the world!) was going to appoint far-left fringe characters to run his administration? I mean, besides the ones who think he’s about to head the Socialist Revolution and muzzle Rush Limbaugh?

In case it’s not totally obvious (and it is and has been for most of this campaign), Obama is going to surround himself with people who are competent and who may not necessarily agree with him. Some may be progressive-thinking folks and some may be conservative-minded; some may actually be moderate. See, this is the opposite of Bush. Say no to yes men. Embrace intelligent debate. Move past labels and parties and just be capable. And get things done. It seems like a small order, but apparently in Washington it’s damn near impossible. Until now.

I understand that the lizard-faced man who poses as a liberal on Fox News is leaving the show known as “Hannity & Colmes.” Huh. Where will this lizard-faced man go? Who will next hire the lizard to pose as a liberal, and will anyone care? I am more concerned as to whether he eats insects.

I remember reading future senator Al Franken’s book about lying liars a few years back and one of the funniest things that he did was print this reptilian man’s name in tiny little letters, to give the proper sense of his worth as the “liberal” to Hannity’s conservative. I suggest Mr. Hannity hire Joe Lieberman to take his place.

The champagne toast for 2008 has not worn out its welcome yet! Cheers! What a year it has been.

Funny Pitchfork headline: “Smashing Pumpkins’ Anniversary Tour Is a Shitshow.” Two more shows tonight and tomorrow here in Chicago! This could be a real car-crash spectacle. Weeee!

Happier news: Pitchfork’s interview with Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney. The Booze Cab loves Carrie in all that she does.

Other music news you need to know: Milk at Midnight Record Release Show set for Friday December 12 at the Empty Bottle! Have you bought some vinyl today? Or mp3s? Go here!

It’s very strange. Political movements mischaracterize the other side’s general goals all the time. But I’ve never heard of anything like the current conservative mania for blocking a particular legislative provision that nobody is trying to enact.

- Matthew Iglesias

Over the past eight years I have gotten used to the Other Side saying things that weren’t true when they actually were true, or vice versa, but now that they’re out of power it seems even more desperate. Or silly. It’s that fear thing: they always gotta be scared of something, and the ones who stoke the flames know this, so they give them something to fear. Except that, well, it’s just not anywhere near reality. Surprise, eh?

The Fairness Doctrine is not an issue. While I don’t have the pleasure of knowing anyone, at least very close, that is conservative-minded (really, I don’t) or that sends me crazy e-mails about the coming Obama Socialist Revolution, I know that there are people out there who do. I believe that this bit of information should help ease their fears:

The facts are these: Obama’s against its reimplementation, Democratic lawmakers are mystified over the concern, and given the chance as recently as last year to put the Doctrine back in place, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives shot the idea down, with Democratic members voting against it in large numbers.

So send your right-wingin’ relatives this bit of info and see if we can’t calm them down. Tell ‘em Doom says hello!

I happened to catch the Guns n’ Roses tribute band on Letterman last night–he’s having cover bands all week–and it was godawful. They did “Welcome to the Jungle”–or should I say, butchered it–and it made me appreciate Axl Rose’s singing more than I ever have. As for Chinese Democracy, I could not care one bit. If there ever was an album that was sure to suck, this one is it. Yeah, I said it.

In Axl-related news, I read this column by ex-Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and it brought me back to better (musical) times. Or was it? Who knows, but I have that MTV show somewhere on a videotape and I’ll go out on a limb and say that there’s been nothing of that worth since on that entire station. Is it a station still? Or a reality-show like the rest?

Axl Rose had walked by and Courtney started teasing him. She yelled, “Axl, Axl—you’re the godfather!� Upon hearing this, Axl apparently got very annoyed, walked over to Kurt, and demanded that he keep his woman in line. Kurt turned to Courtney and sarcastically asked his woman to keep in line and left it at that.

I wonder what lucky woman Axl is keeping in line these days. Anyway, speaking of rock and roll buffoons, what the hell happened to Billy Corgan? I’m so glad I saw him/them in 1992-3 when they were awesome because I have almost as little interest in new Smashing Pumpkins music as I do Guns n’ Roses. I won’t lie: the Gish and Siamese Dream shows that I saw were amongst the best I have ever seen. The standout was the pre-Siamese Dream Metro show (almost all were Metro shows) in which they billed themselves as The Turnips and we waited in line in the hot August sun trying to get in. Once we got inside the place was steaming and my lasting memory will be hanging on the outskirts of the mosh pit wearing nothing but shorts and a vest (somehow I had lost my t-shirt), sweating madly and slamming against the bodies that would circle around my way.

One other lasting memory: the anticipation right before the Pumpkins came out, knowing that we were all about to watch a band get huge. “Cherub Rock” kicked in and they were off. Where did you go, Billy Corgan? What a knucklehead. These recent shows sound embarrassing to everyone, band and fans alike.