Mutton Rock.
The first take of the now-famous campaign video ad was to use the "Demon Sheep" graphics to the Pink Floyd classic "Sheep" from "Animals." Watch and compare, and it is quickly obvious that the Pink Floyd track for "Demon" is vastly superior to the literal-minded voice-over. Battle of the two "Demons," and the director's cut wins all hands. Genius mash-up of sheep, Campbell, dollar printing press and the kind of Floyd exultation that made the group a stand-apart for generations. Only the anarchistic Grateful Dead, the early, Cold War-era Stones and some pieces of the gamer "Tommy" opera from the Who generated this sort of political edginess all alone in the lyrics and music. Am told that Pink Floyd is useful for many, many scenarios, and that the mind just grabs onto the lyrics and enthusiasm and makes the images work accordingly -- a virtual opera of the mind. Mutton Rock.
Does It Help California?
Once Tom Campbell is cleared away from the underbrush, Carly Fiorina will direct her campaign against the undefeated, imperious Barbara Boxer of Los Angeles, who has gifts, moxie and a motive. The "Demon Sheep" success (with Pink Floyd) promises that the Fiorina camp have laid claim to British rock elite. How does the sometimes cranky "I am Woman" Boxer answer in music? Not folk, not surfer, not disco. Carly Simon vs Carly Fiorina?? Yikes. A Pink Floyd offensive can easily turn into a Monty Python offensive by Fiorina. With Meg Whitman running a grinding ground game against the deeply eccentric and unfocused Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown, this leaves Fiorina free to use guitar chords as trademarks. Rename the state E-Cal, and rename the senate seat (R-Pink Floyd). The "Demon Sheep" costume, which already attaches to a twitter, will dominate Hallowe'en.
What Does California Do for POTUS?
It is a surprise that the Chicago Way at the White House does not see California as necessary to the polling and governance challenge. Bill Clinton travelled to California as often as possible, especially when he was in trouble after '95, and it always welcomed him as a superhero. He enjoyed media on a scale of Spielberg. But POTUS looks to ignore California for these odd dashes to Florida or New Hampshire or Ohio -- day trips, up in the morning, back in time for golf or a virtual cigarette in a securely not-photographed room (well aways from the stageset Oval Office). Why does POTUS ignore California? POTUS does not appear to have any interest in the Boxer vs Fiorina race, and certainly disregards Jerry Brown. POTUS continues as if he is the only brand that is carried in the country. Unusual. POTUS delivered a vague and cheerful pep talk to the OFA team these last days, and he again used the old campaign rhetoric of how the hard stuff was hard, and that changing Washington was hard, and that it was hard not to give up but it was the right thing to do . . . and so forth. The cheers were pre-fab. POTUS appears distracted, and, if he were not POTUS, there would be the suspicion of boredom.
>POTUS appears distracted, and, if he were not POTUS, there would be the suspicion of boredom.
In this January 29 piece, the Washington Examiner's Byron York arrived at a very similar conclusion.
I once read an account of the night that the overrated Sinclair Lewis accepted his Nobel Prize. At the end, the author--still clad in his tuxedo--had passed out in a champagne-filled hotel bathtub, while surrounded by hookers. While I have to give the man credit for really knowing how to cut loose, I suspect that he and his liver found the following day something of a letdown.
Similarly, winning the White House will have turned out to be rather more enjoyable for Obama than actually living there. The job of the Presidency, unlike that of community organizer, requires actual work, whether to be an actively competent Chief Executive, as was Eisenhower, or an energetically bad one, as was Bush II.
It certainly works. I am told that 'Dark Side of the Moon' works for '2001 Space Odyssey' as well. ...and I am quite certain that 'Ummagumma' would work quite nicely for anything including (perhaps) a reading of Julia Child's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking'.
I'm a bit surprised that Pink Floyd would allow its music to be used for this particular purpose. I understand their politics track to the hard left. Ditto, the Stones, Neil Young and practically anybody else you can think of. Expect the band to start complaining about it in the near future. It'll be too late, of course. Damage done.
Several species of small furry animals gathered together in Congress and grooving with Harry Reid ...?
Howoomph!
Ummagumma...I haven't heard that in a while. Remember Saucerful of Secrets? Live at Pompeii? Anyway, when I think of Obama, I think of Rand, which leads to 2112 by Rush. Ah, the Temples of Syrinx. Now's there's a band that understands (Neil Peart really) Rand.
Many great quotes from Ummagumma. Some favorites:
"And the river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees.
Laughing as it passes through the endless summer, making for the Sea."
"Following the path as it leads towards the darkness in the North
Weary strangers' faces show their sympathy - they've seen that hole before."
"Set the controls for the heart of the Sun .... the Heart of the Sun ... the Heart of the Sun!!"
I like Cream/tales of the brave Ulysses: The tiny purple fishes run laughing through your fingers and you want to take her with you to the hard land of the winter...