Kick Him, Honey » Steve Earle

Steve Earle and the Pogues

Ben — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 03:42:18 +0000

Since I don’t seem to be listening to nothing else but Steve Earle since finishing his biography, here’s video of him and The Pogues recording “Johnny Come Lately.”

Steve Earle and Shane MacGowan in the same room. How could that go wrong?

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Steve Earle interviewed about Townes Van Zandt

Ben — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:54:14 +0000

I was impressed to hear that Townes sold more copies in the first week than any of Earle’s other albums. I could do without the pro-Obama stump speech, of course, especially given Obama’s desire to keep killing all the same A-rabs that Bush did, but I’m not winning that argument with anybody these days.

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South Nashville Blues

Ben — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:52:44 +0000

And CCKMP. There’s some banter between songs that’s been reminding me how much I enjoy being in my late thirties and living a pretty tame life right now.

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Quote

Ben — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:46:09 +0000

Lifted from Hardcore Troubadour: The Life and Near Death of Steve Earle, which I was up until fucking midnight with last night.

I write because I hate. A lot. Hard. — William Gass

Bad news, all day

Ben — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:38:22 +0000

There’s only one song that seems appropriate.

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Or maybe this.

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A pilgrimage from Aspen to Crested Butte

Ben — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 05:42:42 +0000

That’s what’s on my summer to do list.

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Churchill v. CU — Update

Ben — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:57:57 +0000

(Just got the following from Ward Churchill’s wife, Natsu Saito.)

July 7, 2009

On April 2, 2009, after hearing evidence for a month, a Denver jury unanimously found that Ward Churchill had been fired from the University of Colorado not because of research misconduct but in retaliation for speech protected by the First Amendment.

After more than four years of political attacks on Ward Churchill, a clear statement had been made: the University of Colorado had violated the U.S. Constitution when it fired Churchill, a tenured full professor of American Indian Studies.

The normal remedy in such cases? Reinstatement.

Today, July 7, 2009, Judge Larry Naves of the Denver District Court threw out the jury’s verdict, adopting the University’s argument that the Regents have “quasi-judicial” immunity from such lawsuits. In essence, this means that the Regents and University administrators are free to continue to violate the Constitution.

In a 42-page opinion lifted wholesale from the University’s pleadings, Judge Naves went on to explain why Ward Churchill should not be given front pay, back pay, or be reinstated.

All of these are irrelevant, of course, if the jury’s verdict is not upheld. But the fact that the judge went to such pains to adopt the University’s arguments — which often directly contravened the factual record in this case — speaks volumes.

This ruling simply confirms what we have observed so often. When given access to the facts, regular people on the street can make clear, reasoned decisions that uphold constitutional values. It is rare, however, to find persons in positions of power who will not bow to political pressure.

Attorney David Lane will, of course, appeal this decision. Ward Churchill’s reaction? “I can’t think of any way to improve upon Steve Earle’s line from The Hard Way: ‘There are some who break and bend. I’m the other kind.’”

Regrets?

Ben — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:58:05 +0000

From The Columbus Dispatch.

After all, an Earle quote that he now regrets — “Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that” — is one reason why the adjective legendary clings to Van Zandt.

Why the hell’s he regret it? It’s one of my favorite quotes.

Just got the album, by the way. And it’s fucking great.