Why I throw my hands up when it comes to politics much too often:

"I think the modern man or woman is really left to just look at all the pundits and see who has the most consistent and plausible argument. We're not able to choose between truth and falsity most of the time, so we just have to choose that which is promulgated by people we 'trust' and who are presenting a position which corresponds to some of our values -- internal consistency, fruitfulness, harmony with other beliefs that we have, and some kind of correspondence to what we think the facts are (with the realization that our access to those 'facts' is mediated by previous decisions just like this one)."

--Jonathan Barlow, responding to a post at kottke.org.

(This post prompted by a Friendster bulletin I just received letting me know that Fahrenheit 9/11 is "dishearteningly clear about who's in control and who's not." I wish I felt that kind of certainty sometimes.)

Review: A Ghost is Born, Wilco (Nonesuch, 2004)

Panic attacks > migraines.

Recent jukebox selections:

May 22, Lucky Strike Bowling Alley

Curtis Mayfield, "Move On Up" (and when this started up in the nearly empty room mid-afternoon, it was loud! and so long!)

Wilco, "Box Full of Letters" (because certain people at the party liked Wilco, and because I like reminding myself that the band was once, before the words "avant-pop masterpiece" were ever used, a solid country-rock band)

The Smiths, "How Soon is Now" (?) (is this what precipitated the conversation I had re: that new, kinda silly Morrissey album?)

June 11, Cody's

I don't totally remember, because the songs were never actually played when I was there. What I do remember is that it struck me as one of the best goddamn jukeboxes I'd seen: an incredible balance of all your standard rock-canon selections (including old soul and old country), aging alt-rocker faves (The Pixies, R.E.M.), contemporary indie-rock (The Shins, Interpol), and current mainstream pop (Justin Timberlake, 50 Cent). Which is about all you can ask for, really. And so the only song I absolutely remember selecting was "Mary Jane's Last Dance," because I told someone and they said, "You go on about what a great jukebox it is, but then you pick Tom Petty?" (See above comment re: country-rock.)

June 18, Delilah's

The RAWKest jukebox I've come across. (And let me make this clear, I'm hardly a jukebox pro. It's only been recently that I've begun to really acquaint myself with them. So if you know where to find some good ones in Chicago, let me know!)

Television, "See No Evil"

The Cure, "Boys Don't Cry" (both of the above on the amazing-looking 4CD No Thanks! The 70s Punk Rebellion set)

The Runaways, "Cherry Bomb" (and this one, too, had I noticed; technically, though, I took it from the original 1976 self-titled album)