On Monday, I'll post the answers to my SONG LYRIC CONTEST. Last chance to email me with your answers, winner gets a CD of the contest songs! To mix it up a bit, I've changed some of the lyrics, but they're still the same songs, so you have double the clues to work on. Good luck, super sleuths.

(1) Don't cry, there's always a way/ Here in November in this House of Leaves we'll pray

(2) When I am dreaming, I don’t know if I'm truly asleep or if I'm awake/ And when I get up, I don't know if I'm truly awake, or if I'm still dreaming

(3) You're a nut! You're crazy as a coconut!/ What does that mean?/ That boy needs therapy!

(4) My hyperbole is hyper, my energy kinetic

(5) You slip you slack you clock me you lack/ While I'm reading on the road by my man Jack Kerouac

(6) And the day clocks in late/ Takes the keys from the moon, kicks up his feet and falls asleep, yeah/ And I wonder what you've dreamed that makes you smile that way at me

(7) You cry out, you beg for connection/ The truth you seek is straight ahead/ And every direction

(8) After clearing a path to the water pump and taking a four hour break/ By hour 27 we were all good

(9) Varick Street and I drove South/ With my hands on the wheel and your taste in my mouth

(10) I woke up in a horse's stomach upon a foggy morning/ His eyes were crazy and he smashed into the cemetery gates

(11) When I get to California gonna write my name in the sand

(12) I looked into your eyes and saw a world that does not exist/ I looked into your eyes and saw a world I wish I was in

(13) Nothing left for me to do but dance/ Off these bad times I'm going through just dance

(14) For you shall be tomorrow/ Like you have been today/ Id this was never ending/ What more can you say?

(15) 'Cause life is just a funny dream, and some day I’ll share this dream with you

(16) I would never be so dumb/ To say they stole an election/ They bought the damn thing fair and square/ The emperor's in his underwear

(17) Mister anchor assure me/ That Baghdad is burning/ Your voice it is so soothing/ That cunning mantra of killing/ I need you my witness/ To dress this up so bloodless/ To numb me and purge me now/ Of thoughts of blaming you

(18) Women and children first/ And the children first/ And the children

(19) He just couldn't understand/ That his father was not a man/ And it all was just a game

(20) I'm leaving you a message/ I'm leaving you a trace/ I'm leaving thoughts for you/ I hope that time will not erase


If you choose to respond, lemme know if you cheated to get any of the answers. Cool.

You might be thinking, "Doug, it's a Monday night. Why are you drunk?" Well, I'd have to place the blame on Chris Couch. And the devil. And the word "vagina", which is the sole property of aforementioned devil. Oh, but seriously, it has a lot to do with the keg of Killians, too.

Frodo failed!

I don't really know if it's a hoax, Dennis, I just said that because it sounded like you were trippin out.

I have a cell phone! Not really, actually Tyler left his phone at my house, but I've been carrying it around pretending to be trendy. Rock my celly, dawg!

incredibly creepy, or brilliant scam? You decide.

Reckless Administration May Reap Disastrous Consequences

by U.S. Senator Robert Byrd
Senate Floor Speech - Wednesday, February 12, 2003

To contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human experiences. On this February day, as this nation stands at the brink of battle, every American on some level must be contemplating the horrors of war.

Yet, this Chamber is, for the most part, silent -- ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. There is nothing.

We stand passively mute in the United States Senate, paralyzed by our own uncertainty, seemingly stunned by the sheer turmoil of events. Only on the editorial pages of our newspapers is there much substantive discussion of the prudence or imprudence of engaging in this particular war.

And this is no small conflagration we contemplate. This is no simple attempt to defang a villain. No. This coming battle, if it materializes, represents a turning point in U.S. foreign policy and possibly a turning point in the recent history of the world.

This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the future -- is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international law and the UN Charter. And it is being tested at a time of world-wide terrorism, making many countries around the globe wonder if they will soon be on our -- or some other nation's -- hit list. High level Administration figures recently refused to take nuclear weapons off of the table when discussing a possible attack against Iraq. What could be more destabilizing and unwise than this type of uncertainty, particularly in a world where globalism has tied the vital economic and security interests of many nations so closely together? There are huge cracks emerging in our time-honored alliances, and U.S. intentions are suddenly subject to damaging worldwide speculation. Anti-Americanism based on mistrust, misinformation, suspicion, and alarming rhetoric from U.S. leaders is fracturing the once solid alliance against global terrorism which existed after September 11.

Here at home, people are warned of imminent terrorist attacks with little guidance as to when or where such attacks might occur. Family members are being called to active military duty, with no idea of the duration of their stay or what horrors they may face. Communities are being left with less than adequate police and fire protection. Other essential services are also short-staffed. The mood of the nation is grim. The economy is stumbling. Fuel prices are rising and may soon spike higher.

This Administration, now in power for a little over two years, must be judged on its record. I believe that that record is dismal.

In that scant two years, this Administration has squandered a large projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion over the next decade and taken us to projected deficits as far as the eye can see. This Administration's domestic policy has put many of our states in dire financial condition, under funding scores of essential programs for our people. This Administration has fostered policies which have slowed economic growth. This Administration has ignored urgent matters such as the crisis in health care for our elderly. This Administration has been slow to provide adequate funding for homeland security. This Administration has been reluctant to better protect our long and porous borders.

In foreign policy, this Administration has failed to find Osama bin Laden. In fact, just yesterday we heard from him again marshaling his forces and urging them to kill. This Administration has split traditional alliances, possibly crippling, for all time, International order-keeping entities like the United Nations and NATO. This Administration has called into question the traditional worldwide perception of the United States as well-intentioned, peacekeeper. This Administration has turned the patient art of diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name calling of the sort that reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and sensitivity of our leaders, and which will have consequences for years to come.

Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling whole countries as evil, denigrating powerful European allies as irrelevant -- these types of crude insensitivities can do our great nation no good. We may have massive military might, but we cannot fight a global war on terrorism alone. We need the cooperation and friendship of our time-honored allies as well as the newer found friends whom we can attract with our wealth. Our awesome military machine will do us little good if we suffer another devastating attack on our homeland which severely damages our economy. Our military manpower is already stretched thin and we will need the augmenting support of those nations who can supply troop strength, not just sign letters cheering us on.

The war in Afghanistan has cost us $37 billion so far, yet there is evidence that terrorism may already be starting to regain its hold in that region. We have not found bin Laden, and unless we secure the peace in Afghanistan, the dark dens of terrorism may yet again flourish in that remote and devastated land.

Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing forces. This Administration has not finished the first war against terrorism and yet it is eager to embark on another conflict with perils much greater than those in Afghanistan. Is our attention span that short? Have we not learned that after winning the war one must always secure the peace?

And yet we hear little about the aftermath of war in Iraq. In the absence of plans, speculation abroad is rife. Will we seize Iraq's oil fields, becoming an occupying power which controls the price and supply of that nation's oil for the foreseeable future? To whom do we propose to hand the reins of power after Saddam Hussein?

Will our war inflame the Muslim world resulting in devastating attacks on Israel? Will Israel retaliate with its own nuclear arsenal? Will the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian governments be toppled by radicals, bolstered by Iran which has much closer ties to terrorism than Iraq?

Could a disruption of the world's oil supply lead to a world-wide recession? Has our senselessly bellicose language and our callous disregard of the interests and opinions of other nations increased the global race to join the nuclear club and made proliferation an even more lucrative practice for nations which need the income?

In only the space of two short years this reckless and arrogant Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous consequences for years.

One can understand the anger and shock of any President after the savage attacks of September 11. One can appreciate the frustration of having only a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting enemy on which it is nearly impossible to exact retribution.

But to turn one's frustration and anger into the kind of extremely destabilizing and dangerous foreign policy debacle that the world is currently witnessing is inexcusable from any Administration charged with the awesome power and responsibility of guiding the destiny of the greatest superpower on the planet. Frankly many of the pronouncements made by this Administration are outrageous. There is no other word.

Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent. On what is possibly the eve of horrific infliction of death and destruction on the population of the nation of Iraq -- a population, I might add, of which over 50% is under age 15 -- this chamber is silent. On what is possibly only days before we send thousands of our own citizens to face unimagined horrors of chemical and biological warfare -- this chamber is silent. On the eve of what could possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in retaliation for our attack on Iraq, it is business as usual in the United States Senate.

We are truly "sleepwalking through history." In my heart of hearts I pray that this great nation and its good and trusting citizens are not in for a rudest of awakenings.

To engage in war is always to pick a wild card. And war must always be a last resort, not a first choice. I truly must question the judgment of any President who can say that a massive unprovoked military attack on a nation which is over 50% children is "in the highest moral traditions of our country". This war is not necessary at this time. Pressure appears to be having a good result in Iraq. Our mistake was to put ourselves in a corner so quickly. Our challenge is to now find a graceful way out of a box of our own making. Perhaps there is still a way if we allow more time.

Dig it.

Having a 4 wheel drive SUV does not automatically make you good at driving in the snow.

Thanks for reminding us that under your administration, what we think and say doesn't matter. Have fun bullying your way to acheiving those short sighted short term goals, you fuck!

My sign said "Korea has Nukes, Iraq has Oil. How Dumb do we Look?" and Diane's said "American Bombs Make New Terrorists." They looked awesome, and once I get some pictures developed I'll post them here. Aaron Buzzas, who came all the way from the Gesundheit! Institute to Harrisonburg to take the bus to NYC, had a simple carboard sign with the simple message "No War on Iraq." His sign, we decided, was way cooler though, because he had put it on a stick. Good thinking, Aaron. Or was it? Little did we know, sticks are a big no no. As we got off the Staten Island ferry and took our first breath of Manhattan air, maybe four or five cops descended on Aaron to make him take the stick off his sign. Sticks, apparently, are dangerous. If the biggest thing the NYPD had to worry about today was pacifists with peices of wood, then it must be a damn safe city. Thanks for keeping America safe, guys! Did you hear that Iraq has been trying to obtain sticks? And Korea ALREADY HAS sticks!? What is the "president" doing to protect us from these evil evil men? Evil men. Evil. With sticks! I'm scared, here's my vote!

They closed off the rally before we got there, but we and countless other protestors saturated the streets of Manhattan chanting and trying to find a place to be seen and heard. It was good to see the streets crowded with protestors, but our not being able to be at the rally and our constant movement threw off the official count of people there. When we were there the estimated numbers were 700,000 to 1,000,000 (I could beleive that), but cnn.com is telling me only 100,000. And of course I expect the international peace rallies to be underreported while some fake evidence the Bush regime is parading for the media will be in the top spot at every network news report.

Almost half the people at the protest were taking pictures, and maybe every 10th person had a camcorder. On one hand, there's this strange Western preoccupation with seeing things in order for them to be real, but on the other hand, the cops were very aware that they were being watched. It's funny, on September 11th the NYPD were heros, but today, when they lined up with riot helmets and plastic handcuffs and canisters of tear gas, I was more worried about them than I was of some bullshit "terror alert" that was created to scare the american people so to better control them. The sad thing is: it works. Americans, on a whole, are dumb and easily lead wherever the hell you want to take them. Bush has been finding this out the past couple of years.

My favorite sign today "How did our oil get beneath your soil?

Saturday I'm getting up at some ungodly hour to get on a bus to New York City for the antiwar rally. I'm going to make a sign tomorrow and I'm trying to think of what to write on it. Brainstorming: "American Bombs Make New Terrorists", "This Is A Democracy: America Says No", "Remember Nuremburg", "Bush Sucks", "Korea Has Nukes, Iraq Has Oil. Figure It Out", "Cowboy Bush Is A Bully", "Quit Using Fear Against Us", "Real Leaders Don't Lie".

I dunno, those were just brainstorms.


The Internet is flooded with peace sites and messages, but this one is my favorite of the day by Michael Moore. See you on Saturday at NYC. I'll be the one with the sign accusing Bush of sucking (that one wasn't for real, of course)


"I truly am not that concerned about him." -"President" Bush On Bin Laden, 3/13/02

While reading this article, one of those annoying pop up ads that don't open a new window but instead cover up what you're reading popped up. The article was about peace. The ad was for the US Army and was glorifying violence. The article is good. Check it out. The army is not good. They waste our tax dollars developing ways to better kill people so as to dominate the planet. There must be a way to assure my tax dollars don't support that...

ok, so both dan and steve have song lyric contests on their sites, and honestly, I only started this to jump on the band wagon. I don't know if I'll ever even write here again, but knowing me I probably will. So, without further ado, I present to you, MY SONG LYRIC CONTEST.

(1) Please, I know it's hard to believe/ To see a perfect forest/ Through so many splintered trees

(2) We are all here in the act of creation/ Let’s fly away on our imagination/ You take me to the highest heights/ and into the depths of the deepest abyss

(3) He's a nut! He's crazy as a coconut!/ What does that mean?/ That boy needs therapy!

(4) Well it's the high stepping kid from the 5-1-4/ but now Brooklyn is the borough when I step out my door.

(5) Girl you're walking tall now with your fancy clothes/ You got fancy things going up your nose/ You get fancy gifts from expensive men/ You're a dog on a leash like a pig in a pen

(6) And the birds have returned/ They've got stickers on their suitcases and pictures of the big vacation

(7) You cry out, you beg for connection/ The truth you seek is straight ahead/ And every direction

(8) 'til then I'll just stand by the corner with a sign/ That's says "Will work for my double-decker double-wide"

(9) Slap myself to waking but now it's too late/ Cause I spelled your name out on my licence plate

(10) I woke up in a horse's stomach upon a foggy morning/ His eyes were crazy and he smashed into the cemetery gates

(11) everybody drowns sad and lonely

(12) I looked into your eyes and saw a world that does not exist/ I looked into your eyes and saw a world I wish I was in

(13) You know this boogie is for real...

(14) At the moment that you wake from sleeping and you know it's all a dream/ Well the truth may come in strange disguises never knowing what it means

(15) 'Cause life is just a funny dream, and some day I’ll share this dream with you

(16) Commandment three says do not kill/ Amendment two says blood will spill/ God sits in his rocking chair/ Two flat tires and one good spare

(17) Mass graves for the pump and the price is set, and the price is set

(18) We're not scaremongering/ This is really happening/ Happening

(19) The years have passed and so have I/ Making it hard for me to cry/ And if and when I have a son/ Let it all be said and done/ Let the sadness pass him by

(20) Look at me/ Time stands still/ This mountain here is now a hill/ Look away/ The time goes past/ These rocks will fall away at last

That, my friends, is what happens when you get a bout of insomnia and you're alone with a computer. These songs and these artists are very near and dear to my heart, so I'll post the answers eventually so you can check them out. So here's how this'll work: drop me an email with the songs you get (both without cheating and with cheating) and the winner will get something cool. So yeah, Dan and Steve, get on that.

Dave Matthews Speaks Out About the War

I hope this letter finds you all well and that in these uncertain times you find moments to be joyful.

I want to speak my mind about this war with Iraq, or I will choke on my conscience.

What is the motivation? Regime change? Shouldn't that be up to the people of the region and the people of Iraq? The only real threat from Saddam Hussein is to his neighbors and none of them support a U.S. invasion. Is it to stabilize the Middle-East? Wouldn't it only do the opposite by causing further death and suffering in a country that has had more than its share?

Is it to weaken Al Qaeda? Saddam Hussein is a genocidal maniac but he is not Al Qaeda. He is certainly more visible though. Is he our target because he is easier to identify than the illusive terrorist network? Surely it is more likely that an attack on Iraq would only strengthen Al Qaeda by feeding Anti-American sentiment. Putting out the fire with gasoline, so to speak. It is certainly not to liberate the people of Iraq who suffer under Hussein's rule, unless we call killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis liberation.

Saddam Hussein is a barbaric murderous dictator. I wish the world were free of him. But the answer is not to bomb this great culture of Iraq out of existence to stop him. Why must the children of Iraq die by the thousands to stop a tyrant? It is not justice. And if we kill him what will we achieve? We will have taken the most unpopular leader in the Middle East and turned him into the greatest martyr radical Islam has ever had. The U.N. weapons inspectors must be allowed to do their job thoroughly and any military action should be internationally agreed upon. We must not allow our government to turn us into a rogue nation.

I fear that our true motivation is about oil and our own flailing economy; about the failure to destroy Al Qaeda and about revenge. It is criminal to put our servicemen and women in harm's way and to put the lives of so many civilians on the line for the misguided frustrations of the Bush administration.

Bottom line: this war is wrong and this war is un-American.

Peacefully submitted,
Dave Matthews