Spitball Army

Seems the Tim James ‘language’ ad has piqued some national interest.  Here are some examples of the discourse and commentary that has been sparked by it.  As always, some of the more interesting thoughts on the topic appear in the comments sections of the following posts (but be sure to filter out the bile):

• al.com (masters of headline brevity):
  “Tim James has come under criticism for ad espousing English-only driver’s license testing”
  LINK
  by Chuck Dean of The Birmingham News

  Tim James said today that a campaign ad in which he calls for driver’s license tests to be given only in English has been attacked by “lefties.”

  “I have come under attack and under assault by a very interesting group of far left reporters,” James, a Republican candidate for governor, told a few dozen supporters at his Jefferson County headquarters in Vestavia Hills.

• The World Around You (Alabama Politics Analyzed for Your Protection):
  “Tim James Might Want to Learn the History of “English Only” Driver’s License Examinations in Alabama”
  LINK
  by blog editor Kristopher, a very interesting examination of past efforts to English-ize Alabama driving tests.

  It may be news to some, but we have tried to enforce English-only driver’s license examinations before, and as Alabama is prone to do, racked up millions of dollars in legal fees as a result.  Let’s take a walk down memory lane (courtesy of Dr. Harold Schiffman at the University of Pennsylvania).

• Maddow Blog:
  “This is Alabama.  We speak English.”
  LINK
  presumably by Rachel Maddow (but maybe by a staffer…who knows, for sure.  That Rachel Maddow is one busy lady.).  I’d tweeted the link to this Tim James video to Rachel Maddow, but was apparently a day or two late – they were already all over it.

  On his website, James includes a category called “Common Sense for Crime and Public Safety.” It starts with crystal meth and spouse abuse and ends with the prisons’ revolving doors, and in between: “Enforce Alabama’s Constitutional Amendment declaring English as the state’s official language.”

  Equating people who need help translating documents with jerks who beat their partners and addicts who stay zonked all day strikes me as just plain mean.

Well, it sure didn’t take Dustin Timbrook and his bandmates long (I’m counting it at three, maybe four, days) to create a parody of the most recent Tim James policital ad.  And it’s not just a parody…it’s also an ad!  Dustin’s band, Three Happenin Guys, is playing a gig at the Bottletree Café in May, and they want you to come see them so badly that they’re willing to be creative in an effort to get you there.  It just might work (see Comment #1 below).

Card is titled: “Howdy from Nebraska.”

Printed on the back of this postcard:

HOWDY FROM NEBRASKA

World famous Nebraska prime beef pause at their water hole to say “Howdy! – Hope to see you at dinner soon.”

Card is addressed to R.E. Barr in Roy, WA [though it is abbreviated by the sender as “Wn.”].  Postmarked in Benton, IL on 17 July 1968.

Text of written message:

Hi = all okay.

Love
Barry

Aunt Lucy knew me & was feeling fine –

This week I planted my first vegetable garden ever and, while doing so, took several precautions against the native fauna – squirrels, chipmunks, birds, a few feral cats – that use my backyard for their playground: chicken wire under the raised beds, marigolds planted alongside the tomatoes, red pepper flakes scattered atop the soil.  So, naturally, I’ve been thinking about critters.  Hence, this topical playlist.  I stopped short of adding any songs by Alvin, Simon & Theodore, but I was undoubtedly feeling a touch of the whimsy when I put this program together.

Approximate playing time: 78 minutes.

1. Noel Coward  “Any Little Fish”  (1932)
2. Ry Cooder  “Cat and Mouse”  (2007)
3. Grandaddy  “What Happened…”  (2006)
4. The Fratellis  “Doginabag”  (2007)
5. The Beatles  “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey”  (1968)
6. Ed Harcourt  “Alligator Boy”  (2005)
7. Jack Scott  “Grizzly Bear”  (1962)
8. Elvis Costello  “The Monkey”  (2004)
9. Sid King & the Five Strings  “Purr Kitty Purr”  (1955)
10. The Monkees  “Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky”  (1967)
11. Honk  “Dog at Your Door”  (1974)
12. Catie Curtis  “The Wolf”  (1996)
13. Elton John  “Skyline Pigeon”  (1973)
14. The Magnetic Fields  “A Chicken with Its Head Cut Off”  (1999)
15. Jon Rauhouse  “Cartoon Chicken”  (2002)
16. Coyle and Sharpe  “Musical Animals”  (1965)
17. Laurie Anderson with Peter Gabriel  “Excellent Birds”  (1983)
18. Simon & Garfunkel  “At the Zoo”  (1968)
19. April Stevens  “Teach Me Tiger”  (1959)
20. “Baa Ram Ewe”  from the Babe soundtrack  (1995)
21. Ella Fitzgerald  “Someone to Watch Over Me”  (1959)
22. Laura Nyro  “Animal Grace”  (1995)
23. Dan Fogelberg  “Changing Horses”  (1974)
24. Linda Ronstadt  “The Dolphins”  (1969)
25. Donovan  “The Tinker and the Crab”  (1967)
26. Bill Callahan  “The Wind and the Dove”  (2009)
27. Ella Mae Morse  “Cow-Cow Boogie”  (1942)

[audio:Fred_FM_playlist_042510.mp3]
Fred FM playlist (25 April 2010)

Some notes on the songs:

• I am fully aware that the titular monkey in the Beatles song isn’t necessarily an animal (it certainly isn’t in my interpretation of the lyrics), but, hey.
• Quite a tough decision it was, choosing Linda Ronstadt’s version of “The Dolphins” over the one by Fred Neil, who wrote it.  But, in deference to what I interpreted as a request from Mr. Pinto last week, I went with the Linda version.  Fred Neil’s is really great, and I highly recommend searching it out, if you like the song.  There will definitely be some Fred Neil music in a future playlist.
• Ry Cooder’s “Cat and Mouse” is part of a song cycle about a Proletariat cat who befriends a Wobbly Mouse.  The song is a heartwarming tale of friendship and inter-species tolerance.  It is some of Ry’s most imaginative work.
• “Someone to Watch Over Me” = “I’m a little lamb who’s lost in the wood.”
• What happened to the fambly cat?

And here’s a post I scribbled a little while back about another dog song: “Jenny” by the band Chicago: click here to read it.

[Written to Alice in Frankfort, Indiana. Return addressed: Richard, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 1st Marines, c/o F.P.O., San Francisco, Calif. Postmarked at U.S. Navy, on 26 Oct 1944, A.M.  Envelope stamped on front, “Passed by Naval Censor,” and initialed by the Censor.]

Oct. 23, 1944

Hello Sweetheart,

     There isn’t much news that I can tell you. We are having some schooling on the different weapons that we may use. It’s been pretty boring so far. I’ve had all but 2 of them before.

     I saw “Guadalcanal Diary” the other night. It was a pretty good show. Oh yes, if you want to know exactly where I am, you can ask Bob Hope. He put on a show here for the outfit just before they hit Peleliu.

     I still haven’t been paid. Maybe they think I’m just here for a vacation. When, and if, they do finally give me some money, you can expect a money order in the next mail.

     I love you Sweetheart. About all I do in my spare moments is dream about you and the little place we’ll have in W.L. after I get back. It’s going to be a swell place and with you in it, it will be perfect. Sweetheart, I just can’t put on paper what I’m thinking – what I’m how I feel. I just can’t put it into words. I want to be with you all the time. On the other hand, I want to be away from you. I want to work for you; and when I come home at night, I want you to be there waiting for me. We are going to have a lot fun and we’ll be very happy together. I’m happy now just knowing that you’re all mine and that you are waiting for me. But I could be much happier. If we were only together, everything would be all right. We’ll have to wait though. I’m afraid there isn’t anything I can do about it. I’ll just see that I get back to you all in one piece. All you have to do is be there waiting in our apartment. Do you think you can manage that? I’ll do my best to keep my half of the bargain – you do the same. And Sweetheart, please write. I know you will and have. I’ve probably got quite a few letters from you some place on the way. The only trouble is, I haven’t received any mail yet. It’s hard to write to you. I don’t wh want to ask the same questions over and over but I want the answers. I can’t remember if I’ve asked them in other letters and just haven’t received an answer yet or whether I’ve just been thinking and wondering without putting it on paper to you. That will all work out too, I know. I’ll just have to wait till my mail starts coming through. How are you getting along there at home? You’re still there, aren’t you? How are the folks – the dogs – the farm – Purdue – the football and basketball teams? What happened to Button? Is she still at Indiana? What’s Marty doing? Do you still hear from Betty & Dorris? How about Dave – Harry – Lois, Jim & Danny – Mrs. Kirner? Boy, when you get this letter, you’ll have a job on your hands answering all the questions. That’s just part of them but I can’t go much farther tonight. It’s getting dark. You’ll just have to start a gossip column for me. I hate to leave now. It seems like I’ve actually been with you in this letter. I can see you and talk to you but you can’t answer. I know you will though Sweetheart. I can hardly wait for your first letter – a letter from my wife – the one person I love with all my heart. I love you so much Sweetheart. I wish we could be together. I miss you. If I could only have you in my arms tonight and always.

     Goodnight Sweetheart.
          I love you with all my heart
               Pleasant Dreams
                    x x

                         Goodnight Sweetheart

Trailer for Guadalcanal Diary (1943) [Spitball Army loves this movie, and the great William Bendix in one of my favorite roles]:

Ugh.  Is Henry James unfilmable?  The only two things redeeming about this 1984 Merchant-Ivory production (and I am a fan of most Merchant-Ivory productions) are the period locations and the unnerving characterization by Vanessa Redgrave of possesive feminist Olive Chancellor.  Christopher Reeve’s inauthentic-sounding late-1800s Mississippi accent distracted me from practically everything his character had to say, and the actress playing Verena (Madeleine Potter), well, [CENSORED].  But, to the original question: have you seen any good Henry James film adaptations? The Golden Bowl, The Portrait of a Lady (the one with Nicole Kidman), The Wings of the Dove…some were okay, some execrable, none were outstanding.  This makes me sad, as I always thought James’ The American would make a terrific movie.  Oh, well.

Here are about ten minutes of The Bostonians, so you can decide for yourself:

Estoy comenzando a creer que este compañero Tim James es un regalo verdadero. También pienso que si limitáramos los tipos de restaurantes en el estado de Alabama apenas para asar a las barbacoas y soportes del los hot dogs, nosotros no tendría que ser confundido tan toda la hora.

[Written to Alice in Frankfort, Indiana. Return addressed: Richard, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 1st Marines, c/o F.P.O., San Francisco, Calif. Postmarked at U.S. Navy, on 19 Oct 1944, A.M.  Envelope stamped on front, “Passed by Naval Censor,” and initialed by the Censor.]

Oct. 17, 1944

Hi Sweetheart,

    I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to write you today, but Mother Nature was on my side.  Last night I heard that we were to start training tomorrow so I decided I would write you while I still had a little spare time.  This morning I was put on an all-day working party.  It started raining around 9:30, so here I am.  No work till no rain.  Hope it rains all day.

     We had a U.S.O. show last night.  It was a concert affair and it wasn’t received very well.  I liked it though.  There were 5 artists and a swing band.  The band was for accompaniment and we didn’t hear much of them.  We had a pianist, a violinist, a soprano, a tenor, and a dancer. (2 women & 3 men)  I enjoyed the music but I thought the dancer was terrible.  She was introduced as a ballerina, but I couldn’t find any connection between her dance and ballet.  She just twisted and wriggled all over the stange stage.  After the show, we had a picture, “Chip off the old Block” with Donald O’Conner.  It was pretty good even if it was the 2nd time I’d seen it.  To-night we have “Standing Room Only.”  Would you care to join me?  You’ll be with me, Sweetheart.  You are always with me whether you know it or not.  I love you Sweetheart.  I’m just living for the day when we can be together back in the “Village”.  You are going to be there waiting for me, aren’t you?  How are you getting along on the farm?  Are your checks still coming in O.K.?  As yet, I still haven’t been paid.  Some of these days they are sure to break down.  I don’t need the money over here, but I would like to know if my name is on the payroll.  There is only one place to spend money here.  That is at the PX.  I have a little money but I can’t find anything I want to spend it on.  Guess I’ll just have to save it.

     The rain is over and I have to go back to work.  I’m still looking for that “first” letter.  It’s about time we were getting some mail.  Hope I have some.

          Goodnight Sweetheart,
     I love you with all my heart.
               Pleasant Dreams
                    Goodnight Sweetheart
                         x x

A clip from Chip Off the Old Block (1944), featuring Donald O’Connor and Peggy Ryan:

The opening of Standing Room Only (1944), featuring Paulette Goddard and Fred MacMurray:

Republican Tim James is running for governor in the state of Alabama, in the 2010 election cycle.  I have seen this commercial – apparently his second one – nearly a dozen times now on television.  It is riveting for the body language alone: James pauses inexplicably twice and stares at the ground.  I’m not sure what the point of that is (perhaps to demonstrate that this candidate is a ‘thoughtful’ man?), but it most definitely grabs your attention.  It completely distracts from the message, however; hence, FAIL.  See what you think.

Card is titled: “Indians in Scenic Colorado – 94.”

Publication information: “Published by Thrift Novelty Co., Denver, Colorado.  Natural Color Post Card Made in U.S.A. by E.C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wis. (HDY).”