Working On A Dream

Working on a Dream is Springsteen's 24th studio album. I love it. It may be my favorite Boss album since Darkness on the Edge of Town. There was a time when I could have recited the lineage of his music, chronologically, alphabetically or phonetically. I've given that sort of thing up and now just enjoy the music. (Although I suspect I could give any Boss fanatic a run for his or her money.)

I was asked the other day why I haven't "grown up" and why I am like every other white guy born in the 60s and am in love with Springsteen. I don't know and I don't care. Label me what you will; that's your problem not mine. All I know is that his music cuts as close to the bone of my soul and heart as any other music or writing that I have encountered in my life. And that's enough for me.

This album follows 2007's Magic, a record underscored by fear, disgust and shame at the direction of the US under Bush. But now, as he plays to inaugurate a new president, the weight seems to have been lifted. The most political thing about Working On A Dream is that it is not political at all.

The Boss is in love, and doesn't care who knows it.

On Queen of the Supermarket, Bruce Springsteen drives a shopping cart rather than a Cadillac, swooning over a check out girl with wry tenderness. The E Street Band fill the supermarket aisles with a lush update of Roy Orbison-style operatic rock 'n roll.

At times the sentiments come close to Tin Pan Alley cheesiness. In Kingdom of Days he rhymes "I love you", "I do", and "blue", while also drawing attention to the moon and sun. Yet Springsteen is too substantial a songwriter to fall into cliché. The dark heart of love is glimpsed in the desperate epic Life Itself, while even the simplest songs contain hard won wisdom.

On rare occasions when he strays from amour it is to celebrate hearty male friendship. The album's opener, Outlaw Pete is a sprawling folk saga, comic and touching, with a wild arrangement that hearkens back to the kind of music Springsteen made in the early 70s, before he really started to define himself.

The epic qualities of the E Street Band's sound is easily pastiched (indeed, others have built entire careers on it, from Bon Jovi to the Hold Steady) but Springsteen is moving forward by looking backwards. He has clearly been listening to '5th Dimension' era Byrds, The Beach Boys, West Coast Psychedelia and even pre-rock big band ballads. The arrangements are as likely to include swoonsome strings and choral singing as Clarence Clemons' trademark ripe sax.
This, I suspect, is Springsteen's idea of a pop album. But don't accuse the Boss of going soft. If anyone can make romance sound like manly business, Bruce can.

Rock on.

Chris

Caitlin Dunbar Named a 2009 National Women's History Honoree

This year's theme, Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet, encourages the recognition of the important work of women in the on-going green movement. The 2009 Honorees include scientists, engineers, business leaders, writers, filmmakers, conservationists, teachers, community organizers, religious or workplace leaders or others whose lives show exceptional vision and leadership to save our planet.

The list of honorees include such luminaries as: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jane Goodall , Mary Hultman, Sally K. Ride, and our own Caitlin Dunbar, River Hill HS Student, who passed away in 2004.

“Caitlin Dunbar’s lifelong interest in nature and the outdoors lives on in the Caitlin Dunbar Girl Scout nature center established in her name by family, friends, and the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland following her sudden death from leukemia at age 15. This nature center offer stewardship activities on rescued wildlife and “hands on” environmental opportunities for Scouts and visitors to enjoy and appreciate.” Visit http://www.nwhp.org/whm/honorees.php to read more.

Caitlin accomplished much in her all to brief time. Her work and passion for the environment will continue on, as well the love of her family and friends for her.

A Message From Greenpeace

Dear Greenpeace Activist,

February 9, 2009

This Thursday, February 12th, people will be getting together all over the country to kick-start the energy revolution. Will you be one of them?If you don't have plans this Thursday evening and you haven't already signed up for a Clean Power to the People house party, it's not too late. You can either RSVP for an existing party in your area or sign up to host a party yourself if there isn't one already planned where you live.

The parties are in support of the March 2nd Capitol Climate Action in Washington, D.C. At the house parties, you'll be creating personalized "pinwheels" -- symbols of both clean power and the many people behind this movement. The pinwheels will be used by the activists in our nation's capital to represent those who couldn't make it to D.C. You'll also be joining an exclusive conference call with Mike Clark, interim executive director of Greenpeace USA, and Matt Leonard, Capitol Climate Action coordinator, to get the inside scoop on the action and to find out how you can get more people from your community involved on this important day.

It's our moment. Be a part of history and sign up today for a house party in your neighborhood.

Sincerely,

Ben Kroetz
Greenpeace Online Organizer

Obama Drops Challenge to Mercury Emissions Rules

In a sharp departure from Bush Administration policy, the Obama Justice Department today informed the Supreme Court that it is dismissing a challenge on rules dealing with allowable mercury emissions from power plants. The end result is that EPA "has decided consistent with the court of appeals' ruling to develop appropriate standards to regulate power plant emissions," the filing said.

EPA had set up new rules under which it would drop some power plants as the sources of mercury emissions, loosening more rigorous controls set during the Clinton administration. The appeals court had essentially struck down that new regime, and the Bush administration had appealed. The decision to withdraw the case leaves the older, more stringent rules in place.

Spin Madly On

I wrote this about five months ago and came back upon it today. Thought I should post it.

From 9.11.08

This morning I was cruising southbound on I-95, just before the merge with the Beltway on my way to the Greenbelt Metro station for the daily commute. Without warning a car cut across four lanes of traffic about half a car length in front of me and t-boned the auto next to me. Both cars spun into the trees in the median. If I hadn’t been driving the speed limit it could have been me crashing into that copse of oaks. I stopped and ran over to the car that had caused the accident and the driver was out, his face a sheen of blood, his head against the windshield. Another driver stopped and helped out until the ambulances came. Thankfully, none of the drivers/passengers appeared seriously injured. So I clambered back into the car and the world spun madly on.

Events in the day often make me muse about connections. That this event occurred on September 11 was not lost on me. It reminded me that seven years ago I flew into LaGuardia airport on the morning of the terrorist attacks. Again, if I had taken a later flight, flown out of National instead of BWI, overslept, missed my original flight, etc…

Anyways, what I’m getting at is that our lives can change for better or worse in the blink of an eye. A thin thread is all that stands between us and complete joy or utter destruction. What I learned (or perhaps re-learned) this morning is that each of my actions and decisions either strengthen or stretch that thread, each has implications for good or bad, irrespective of how tiny those decisions may be. If I drive the speed limit, choose to lie or to be honest, kiss Patrick on the forehead or let him go without displaying my love for him, respect my sobriety, cuss at the driver cutting me off or simply wave him/her through – all of these decisions have import, at least in my life. So I am trying to choose to make the right decision every time.

This morning, I choose to tell everyone receiving this e mail that you are important to me and that I love all of you unconditionally.

Let this great world spin madly on.