Jerry Garcia Week: A Simple Twist Of Fate

Jerry Garcia was born on August 1, 1942 and died on August 9, 1995 at the all-too-young age of 53. So that means, once again, this week is officially (at least here at The Hal Blog) Jerry Garcia Week. Misunderstood by those who thought the Grateful Dead were more about drugs than music, and beloved

That Pesky Obama Birth Certificate

According to FactCheck.org: FactCheck.org staffers have now seen, touched, examined and photographed the original birth certificate. We conclude that it meets all of the requirements from the State Department for proving U.S. citizenship. Claims that the document lacks a raised seal or a signature are false. We have posted high-resolution photographs of the document as

Racist Anti-Obama Sentiment Inevitable

Did anyone really think America could elect a half-black president and not see the racism inherent both here and around the world rear its ugly head? Well, what may seem quite discouraging may, in fact, be a good start toward moving beyond this ancient brand of intolerance. Allowing these backwards thinkers out into the light

James Van Der Beek Unearthed in Archaeological Dig

As a result of having worked with Mr. Van Der Beek on THE PLAGUE, this came as no surprise to me. An archaeological dig in Turkey unburied former teen heartthrob James Van Der Beek, finally revealing where he’s been for the past decade. While the goal of the dig was to uncover ruins from the

Shatner, Palin, Beat Poetry. America The Beautiful.

The things you miss when you’re away. I was up in the mountains for the past four days living the rustic life and, upon my return, was greeted with the wondrous sounds of William Shatner reciting Sarah Palin’s farewell speech as beat poetry. You don’t see this in the mountains…

Craig Ferguson Figures Out Why Everything Sucks

I consider this post to be a companion piece to my post from earlier this week, DIY Plastic Surgery? WTF? Craig Ferguson, as his cold-open for the Late Late Show on Tuesday night, discussed America and the world’s obsession with youth and the extremes they go to in order to obtain/maintain. While this pre-monologue is

New Rider “Marmaduke” Dies at 64

Sad news indeed. New Riders Of The Purple Sage founder/singer/songwriter John “Marmaduke” Dawson died yesterday in Mexico of stomach cancer. NRPS was part of the S.F. music scene back in its heyday. They opened for the Grateful Dead more than any other band and Dead members Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart were actually NRPS originals.

Musical Synchronicity: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Thanks to Facebook and the reconnection to friends from my past, the music of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals found its way into my consciousness. A video sent to me by an old high school mate showing Ms. Potter singing and playing her heart out on a version of Neil Young’s CORTEZ THE KILLER instantly

Walter Cronkite’s Unaired Views On War In Iraq

Between 2000 and 2005, Mr. Cronkite narrated three documentaries for public radio. The producer of those docs, Reese Erlich, was simultaneously writing a book on the then-pending U.S. invasion of Iraq titled “Target Iraq: What the News Media Didn’t Tell You,” which he co-authored with Norman Solomon. In his recent article for Truthdig.com, Erlich states

Banned Sprite Ad Not Real

It was fun while it lasted. Heck, it’s STILL fun! Turns out that the ad was just a spec and not in any way commissioned or condoned by the makers of SPRITE. The ad was done by New York City-based director Max Issacson. John Jones IV, the gentleman who appears in the “commercial” stated: “The funny