Saturday, May 30, 2015

3 Chords & the Truth: Music for a summer's eve


It's Friday night here in Omaha, by God, Nebraska. It's windy. And it's rainy.

There's been rumbles of thunder; it's muggy. It's starting to feel like summer.

If there's some particular feel to this week's edition of 3 Chords & the Truth, it seems to me it's a summery feel. It's upbeat. It's smooth. It's . . . summery. At least to me.

Dunno what else to say about it, apart from it's a danged fine listen. As always.


THE BIG SHOW is good music. And fun. And sonically edifying.

I'm not exactly sure what "sonically edifying" means, but I like writing it. Just like a like me a good summer's eve. Just like I like me the Big Show.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.


Thursday, May 28, 2015

But at least their brains are on a diet


http://www.gallup.com/poll/183257/colorado-springs-residents-least-likely-obese.aspxOy, veh.

1) Sometimes, understatement is not a virtue. By Channel 9's news writing standards, King Kong was larger than most apes.

2) At what point did the ability to obviously state the obvious become optional in journalism?

3) Holy crap.

You gotta kill somebody


Yesterday, Nebraska had the death penalty. Today, it doesn't.

Be that is it may, the execution executive branch of state government isn't taking the unicameral's override of Gov. Pete Rickett's veto of legislation abolishing the death penalty lying down. On the question of making murderers dead -- despite Nebraska not executing anyone since 1997 and its problems obtaining the proper drugs for lethal injection -- Attorney General Doug Peterson's attitude can only be described as "never say die."

Because he wants to kill. Kill! KILL! KILLLLLLL!
Doug Peterson
One day after state lawmakers repealed the death penalty, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson is questioning a portion of a repeal law dealing with the fate of the 10 men currently on death row.

But State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, the sponsor of the repeal law, said Thursday that the attorney general doesn’t have a case.

"There’s no legal issue here," Chambers said.

Peterson, in a press release, said its office, "at the appropriate time," will seek a court decision to resolve the state’s ability to execute those currently on death row.

He pointed to language in Legislative Bill 268 that states: "It is the intent of the Legislature that in any criminal proceeding in which the death penalty has been imposed but not carried out prior to the effective date of this act, such penalty shall be changed to life imprisonment."

"We believe this stated intent is unconstitutional," Peterson said.

Only the State Pardons Board, under the state constitution, can change a criminal sentence, he said, the Legislature cannot do that.

Chambers, in an interview, said he knows that and reflected that in drafting the bill. He said he also made it clear during floor debate on LB 268 that while the Legislature’s "intent" was that death-row inmates get life sentences, the body has no power to do that.

"Courts have always said that intent language has no legal effect," the senator said. "We recognized that the bill would not change the (death) sentences."

However, Chambers added, LB 268 removes the state’s method for carrying out a death sentence.

Because of the new law, the 10 men on death row would continue to have death sentences, he said, but the state would have no way to execute them unless the Legislature enacted a new method of execution.

"And the Legislature is not going to authorize any method of execution," Chambers said.
NOW, BEING that Nebraskans deserve full disclosure from its elected officials, Peterson should immediately reveal whether he ever sat on the Group W bench and, if so, for how long.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Tonight's vintage vinyl listening


It's always 1963 somewhere.

Tonight, that would be here in the 3 Chords & the Truth studio here in Omaha, by God, Nebraska. For I am the king of all I survey in used-record stores and the Goodwill.

And to tell you the truth, a lot of these vintage LPs, assuming they haven't been abused by teenagers -- and this is one I'm pretty sure wouldn't have been -- sound spectacular. Better than many, many brand-new ones hipsters are paying upwards of 20 bucks for these days.

The moral you can take away from that is this: Sometimes, it is better to be old and cheap than young and hip. Sayeth your Mighty Favog.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

3 Chords & the Truth: In the dark


Sometimes, you have a brilliant plan, and you execute it to perfection.

Sometimes, not so much.

This week's edition of 3 Chords & the Truth your premier musical destination on the Internet, falls into that second category. The funny thing, though, is that in the humble opinion of your Mighty Favog, it didn't turn out half bad.

Sometimes, I guess, just winging it and saying "whatever" can work out just as well as the best-laid plans with the best-case execution.

That works for me. I mean . . . whatever. Right?

WHEN IT comes to putting together yet another stellar edition of the Big Show, the only thing that matters when it comes right down to it is this one simple thing: It can't suck.

Methods of achieving that goal are secondary.

So just listen in yet again and let your ears be your guide. I mean . . . plan or no plan, I haven't steered you wrong yet. Right?

Right???

IT'S 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.


Monday, May 18, 2015

Do the Freddy


We bid a fond farewell to Mad Men in a manner that we hope might earn Roger Sterling's enthusiastic approval. Sal Romano certainly would have loved it.

So let's all do the Freddy.

Well, not literally. Eww.

Today's listening


This afternoon's LP listening (and digitizing) -- a 1972 British repressing of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 1970 debut album.

Though manufactured in the United Kingdom, this album was released for the West German market. If you couldn't figure that out from the album number, it would be hard to miss the German price tag . . . in Deutschmarks.

I'M ALWAYS finding stuff like this here in Omaha, a.k.a., Ground Zero, a.k.a., home of the U.S. Strategic Command. If you have an Army or Air Force base in your town, I'd imagine the used-record pickings are equally good.

What would you say the chances are this will show up on some future edition of 3 Chords & the Truth? Me, I'd put the odds at 100 percent.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

3 Chords & the Truth: It's a secret


You'll never know how much I really loved it. You'll never know how much I really cared.

Listen . . . do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell?

Closer . . . let me whisper in your ear. Say the words you long to hear -- what the Big Show's paying tribute to.


Listen . . . do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell?

CLOSER . . . let me whisper in your ear. Say the words you long to hear -- screw it, I can't tell you.

I've known  the secret for a week or two. And nobody knows, not even you.

Listen . . . do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell?

Closer . . . let me whisper in your ear. Say the words you long to hear . . . nope. Still not telling you.


It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.


Thursday, May 14, 2015

The times of your life


This week on 3 Chords & the Truth we remember the times of your life . . . our life. Somebody's life. Or at least a pop-culture approximation thereof.

Cryptic? Yes. So I guess you'll have to listen to the Big Show to figure out what we're up to.

That is all. Be there on the Carousel. Aloha.

Saturday, May 09, 2015

3 Chords & the Truth: Making you glad you're alive


This week's 3 Chords & the Truth is the kind of show that will make you glad that you're alive.

With that said, just dance where you might be -- and push back against the world's darkness harder than it pushes on you. Because we should be glad that we're alive.

ME, I'm just glad you're listening to the Big Show.

So let's dance, shall we? Life's too short to waste on anger, despair, paranoia and finger-pointing . . . and that's just what we see on Facebook.

Eschew that. Listen to this.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.


Tuesday, May 05, 2015

An up-and-coming epic fail


Repeat after me, Omaha World-Herald online person in charge of Facebook updates:
"This is s***. This is Shinola.

"This is s***. This is Shinola.

"This is s***. This is Shinola."
On the other hand, that unknown editor probably is too young to know any more about Shinola than he or she knows about Garth Brooks.

ON THE third hand, one commenter is "pretty sure" the up-and-coming thing was a joke. To me, that doesn't matter. A newspaper's credibility can be trashed one lame ironic remark at a time just as well as it can by one glaring display of cluelessness at a time.

And credibility is about the only weapon "legacy media" like newspapers have left in their arsenals, particularly when they're counting on people to purchase access to their "product," which is reliable information. After all, if it's bulls*** you want, you can have your social-media fill of that for free.

Saturday, May 02, 2015

3 Chords & the Truth: Better than a million apes


A million monkeys trying to come up with Shakespeare . . . or an average episode of 3 Chords & the Truth . . . will come up with something akin to this.

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THAT DIDN'T work out so well, did it?

So don't monkey around -- leave the quality music programming to your Mighty Favog, not a bunch of apes . . . or your local radio station, for that matter. We'll all be happier.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.