We're Still Bummed About the Grammys

Our Culture and Arts staff here at Legal Schnauzer recently went into a funk after the Eagles Long Road Out of Eden was almost shut out at the Grammy Awards.

It was our considered opinion that Long Road was far and away the best album of 2008--we are showing our age here; we still call them albums--and we remain mystified that the Grammy folks failed to consult us before handing out these awards.

Turns out, we're still miffed about the Grammys. That's because the album we consider the second best of 2008, Lindsey Buckingham's Gift of Screws, did not get nominated at all.

This kind of injustice gets us riled up here at Legal Schnauzer, so we decided to do something about it--by highlighting Mr. Buckingham's superb work to our massive international audience.

Lindsey Buckingham is best known as lead guitarist, chief arranger, and co-lead singer and songwriter (with the ever mysterious Stevie Nicks) for the mega-group Fleetwood Mac, which is about to embark on a nationwide tour. Christine McVie, the other singer/songwriter in the classic Mac lineup, left the band a few years back.

Buckingham has produced five solo albums that have drawn far less attention, and generated a fraction of the sales, of his work with Fleetwood Mac. But if you want to grasp the musical genius of the fellow who truly drives one of the biggest bands of the pop/rock era, you need to check out Buckingham's solo work.

If you like dazzling guitar work, innovative percussion, lush vocal arrangements, and creative compositions that call to mind the best work of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, Buckingham's solo material is for you. And if you like quirky, in the best sense of the word, Buckingham's solo stuff is must-have material.

Admittedly, Buckingham's solo work is not everyone's cup of tea. Mrs. Schnauzer tends to put up with most of my musical tastes--with the exception of my hometown favorites, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. ("You're playing that hillbilly music again!). But she doesn't quite know what to make of Mr. Buckingham. She seems to dig his more mainstream, pop-oriented efforts. But his "esoteric" works leave her scratching her head. ("Hmmm, Lindsey's sounding weird again.")

We had the good fortune of catching Buckingham's stop at the Davis Theater in Montgomery on the 2007 Under the Skin tour. I've been fortunate to see some pretty good concerts over the years, but that was No. 1 in my book. Even Mrs. Schnauzer seemed to enjoy it, particularly when Buckingham brought down the house with a rollicking version of the Fleetwood Mac Classic "Go Your Own Way."

The title for Gift of Screws comes from a poem by Emily Dickinson:

Essential oils are wrung
The attar from the rose
Is not expressed by suns alone
It is the gift of screws

I haven't a clue what that poem means. But it sounds cool. And for you single guys out there, I bet you can impress the ladies by quoting this poem. It's short, easily memorized, and is guaranteed to make you look deep and literary. (Let me know how this Legal Schnauzer "love tip" works.)

Anyway, let's enjoy a few tunes from Lindsey Buckingham's solo catalog. Here is a live performance of "Did You Miss Me," one of the more pop-oriented tunes from Gift of Screws. It has kind of a Chris Isaak/Roy Orbison vibe:



Here is the title song from Gift of Screws. Beware, this comes under the heading of "quirky" Buckingham material, what Mrs. Schnauzer would call "weird":



Buckingham is not known for political songs, but here is one that I think fits that category. "Treason" has rather oblique lyrics, but I'm guessing it's a pretty good shot at the Bush administration. That's how I choose to hear it, anyway:



Finally, we must include a song from Buckingham's 1993 masterpiece, "Out of the Cradle." If you want to try only one of Buckingham's solo albums, this is the one. It is a stunning piece of work and has held up remarkably well over time. The album's opener, "Don't Look Down," is Buckingham at his absolute best. This is a live performance from the Tonight Show With Jay Leno Show in 1992. For you guys out there, please note that Lindsey had a couple of serious "guitar babes" in his solo band from the '90s. Enjoy.

Lindsey Buckingham Provides a Soundtrack for the Sorry State of Affairs in Postmodern America

We are overdue for a musical interlude, and with both political conventions now completed, this seems like a good time to ponder tunes that reflect our social condition heading into fall 2012.

For that, we turn to Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham, who might top our list of favorite musicians over the past 45 years or so--at least among artists who are mere mortals. Don Henley (Eagles), John Fogerty (Credence Clearwater Revival), Burton Cummings (Guess Who), and Robert Lamm (Chicago) would be other strong competitors for the No. 1 spot. (We would have to designate Lennon and McCartney as immortals, deserving of their own private pantheon.)

At the least, Buckingham would be tied for No. 1 on our list, even though he once rarely ventured into political or social territory. That has gradually changed over the past 10 years, both in his solo work and his occasional forays with the still mega-band Fleetwood Mac.

If I had to pick the five most profound issues facing our nation heading into the November elections, the list definitely would include these two:

(1) The expanding income gap between the wealthiest Americans and everyone else;

(2) The failure of the mainstream press to hold public officials accountable, especially on matters of justice;

I recently realized that two Buckingham tunes, one of recent vintage and one that goes back about a decade, address both of these weighty matters. The first is from his most recent solo release, 2011's Seeds We Sow. "One Take" is a biting, searing commentary on the dangers of greed. To my ears, "One Take" is a complex, multi-layered tune, with several possible storylines going on at once.

First, the chorus hearkens to Buckingham's folk roots by borrowing from Brewer and Shipley's 1971 classic, "One Toke Over the Line." Second, the lyrics could be a meditation on fame, focusing possibly on a bad actor in the world of film or stage. ("I've got a publicist who covers up the avarice.") Finally, Buckingham dispenses with ambiguity and seems to make it clear that this bad actor is from the ugliest side of the corporate world:

I'm just another madman 

Looking for another fall 

And I got to make a killing

Cause a journey of a billion 

Always starts with something small 

I'm just another madman 

I turn it off, I turn it on 

And I won't be denied 

No, I won't be satisfied 

Til the middle class is gone.

The character at the heart of this song is not a nice guy. Sounds like he could host a Mitt Romney fundraiser.

Let's give "One Take" a listen:





Perhaps Buckingham's turn toward social commentary started with "Murrow (Turning Over In His Grave)," from Fleetwood Mac's 2003 release, Say You Will. Behind a blistering musical track, Buckingham mocks a somnolent mainstream press that has come to be owned by corporate interests. Here is a live version of "Murrow," featuring Buckingham's solo band:





"One Take" and "Murrow" definitely fall in the category of quirky, left-of-center songs for which Buckingham has become known. But he still is capable of turning out pop classics that would fit in the Top 40. One example from Seeds We Sow is "When She Comes Down," which features the kind of gorgeous, layered vocals that evoke the Beach Boys of the Pet Sounds era. It has a celestial, otherworldly feel, and one YouTube commenter said, "I want this to be the last song I hear in this earthly body." I can understand that sentiment:


 


Finally, we have a song that combines Buckingham's social sensibilities with an accessible pop track. It's a Fleetwood Mac tune called "What's the World Coming To," from Say You Will. Here is a live version, featuring splendid vocal harmonies with Stevie Nicks. Modern rock music doesn't get much better than this. Enjoy:


 

Lindsey Buckingham: Celebrating a Musical Genius

These are wacky days on the justice front. The U.S. Supreme Court has loosed corporate interests to wreak untold havoc on our democracy. Alabama Governor Bob Riley is waging a crusade on gambling that mixes Three Stooges buffoonery with middle-of-the-night, Gestapo-like tactics.

We could use a break from all the nuttiness. And what better way to get it than with a musical interlude from one of our Legal Schnauzer favorites, Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham.

Buckingham is best known for generating numerous monster hits for Fleetwood Mac, including "Go Your Own Way," "Big Love," "Tusk," "Second Hand News," and "Monday Morning."

But we have a special admiration for his solo work, which tends to float under the commercial radar. Buckingham long has been a quirky sort, given to experimentation on several fronts--with a dazzling finger-picking guitar style, inventive use of percussion, and a knack for lush, Beach Boys-esque vocal arrangements.

We have touted Buckingham's most recent solo work, 2008's Gift of Screws, as one of the hidden musical gems of recent years.

Buckingham's solo albums tend to not generate hit singles and radio airplay. So we were delighted to discover that two of our favorite cuts from the album can now be heard in live performances on YouTube. The videos are from an episode of A&E's Private Sessions.

The first is Love Runs Deeper, which would have been a massive hit if it had been written 25 years ago and released on a Fleetwood Mac album. Buckingham's wife, Kristen, provides assistance with the lyrics, and the results indicate that her appearance on the album is not just a throwaway to the missus. Her stuff is good, and you can check out the lyrics here:




The second cut is "Great Day," which Buckingham was inspired to write when he heard his young son, Will, fooling around and singing, "It's a . . . great day, great day." Dad thought that could be a song, and Will Buckingham receives a writing credit. The final result features some snapping percussion and a searing guitar solo at the end--along with vivid lyrics.

We don't like to throw the word genius around too often. But we think it applies to Buckingham. As you watch the guy's guitar work on "Great Day," keep in mind this is someone who has never had a music lesson. That's the kind of gift that can only come from some kind of higher power. And Buckingham's brilliance certainly helps us forget--at least for a little while--all the legal chicanery taking place all around us.

Enjoy.

On Siegelman, 60 Minutes, and Such

Will the Real John Price Please Stand Up?
One of the questions raised by Larisa Alexandrovna's report that 60 Minutes was likely to kill the Don Siegelman story is: Who the heck is John Price?

Alexandrovna closed her piece with a cryptic note, saying that citizens might want to contact U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and ask him "who John Price is, you know, just for shits and giggles."

Well, your humble blogger has an enquiring mind, so I tried to figure out who John Price is. I stumbled upon a federal court case involving a John Price, of Price Rubber Corporation in Montgomery, AL. This John Price had been convicted in a murder-for-hire scheme that reads like it's right out of a Barnaby Jones episode. (God, I'm showing my age here. I know who Barnaby Jones is!) A reader left a comment saying that he or she had found evidence of a contribution to Sessions from a John Price in Montgomery.

The folks at the Cannonfire blog have another John Price in mind. They say he is a major Bush supporter who was ambassador to Mauritius (small tropical island off the eastern coast of Africa) until he developed legal difficulties over some questionable business deals and financial transactions. This John Price evidently made his money in the Utah real-estate market.

My guess is that the Cannonfire folks have the right John Price. But I'm glad I came across my John Price. I didn't know people still did murder-for-hire schemes. And who knows, maybe Jeff Sessions does have some connection to Price Rubber.


Talk About a Real Quid Pro Quo
Speaking of the Utah John Price, it turns out he is a real champ as a fund-raiser, reportedly raising $1.3 million for George W. Bush in 2000.

What was Price's reward? Why, the ambassadorship of Mauritas.

Which raises this question: How is this different from the deal that landed Don Siegelman and Richard Scrushy in federal prison. Siegelman was charged with taking money for an education-lottery fund and rewarding Scrushy with a seat on a state hospital-regulation board.

When Siegelman (a Democrat) conducts business in this way, the Bush Justice Department considers it a bribe. When George W. Bush himself conducts the same sort of business, the Justice Department evidently considers it smart politics.

That's what we mean by selective prosecution.

Focusing on America's Corporate Media

Even if 60 Minutes winds up running the Siegelman story, one still has to wonder about the integrity of our modern, corporate-owned press.

In fact, the only question is not: Will 60 Minutes run the story or not? There is also this question: Could CBS run the story, but do it in such a watered-down fashion that it is pretty much worthless? Could we wind up seeing a version that is approved by the Bush White House and U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions?

All of this raises the ghost of Dan Rather and the $70-million lawsuit the former news anchor has brought against CBS and its parent company, Viacom. Rather was dismissed from the network after a 60 Minutes II story on George W. Bush's National Guard service appeared to have been based partly on inauthentic documents.

I came across two splendid stories about the Rather situation, and both shed considerable light on what might cause the network to be squeamish about the Siegelman 60 Minutes story.

The first is "Dan Rather is Right," by Eric Boehlert at Media Matters. Boehlert notes that several right-wing bloggers drove the Rather story, but they never proved that the CBS memos were forgeries or that the Bush-skipped-out-on-his-National-Guard-duty story was false. In fact, Boehlert says the CBS report could have (and should have) been broadcast without the controversial memos. "And if it had been, the results would have been exactly the same," Boehlert writes. "Meaning, the documents were irrelevant because they provided texture (the supposed frustration of Bush's commander), not new facts about Bush's service."

We also learn that CBS has caved in to political pressure before. In September 2004 it decided not to run a previously scheduled and factually solid story done by the late Ed Bradley that chronicled how the Bush administration had misled the country into war.

Boehlert notes the network's strong ties to the Bush administration. The brother of Rather's replacement, Bob Schieffer, is a longtime friend and former business partner of Bush. After instant polls showed John Kerry clobbering Bush in their first 2004 debate, CBS commentators announced it had been virtually a draw. And CBS owner Sumner Redstone announced he was voting for Bush because, from a Viacom standpoint, "the election of a Republican administration is a better deal."

The second story is "Dan Rather Stands By His Story," by Sidney Blumenthal at Salon.com. Blumental says Rather intends to show in his lawsuit that he and his producers acted responsibily in presenting information in the Bush National Guard story and that the information is true. "Indeed, no credible source has refuted the essential facts of the story," Blumenthal writes.

Noting that Rather has said he is not interested in a financial settlement, Blumental gets to the heart of the lawsuit: "In his effort to demonstrate his mistreatment, Rather will detail how network executives curried favor with the administration, offering him up as a human sacrifice."

Pressure from the Bush administration started with the Abu Ghraib story in 2004. CBS had the story first, including some of the damning torture photographs, but only ran it upon learning that Seymour Hersh was about to scoop them for the New Yorker. And the network ran the story only once and did no promotion for it. "CBS's self-censorship set the stage for its reaction to the Bush National Guard story," Blumenthal writes.

Why would the network be so anxious to stay in good graces with the Bush administration. Blumenthal notes Sumner Redstone's desire to have loosening of media-ownership rules. "The Republican administration has stood for many things we believe in," Redstone said, "deregulation and so on."

Murrow Turning Over in his Grave
That last quote from Sumner Redstone reminds me of a song by one of my musical heroes, a fellow who, for my money, is one of the true geniuses of the modern rock/pop era.

I'm talking about Lindsey Buckingham, who wrote a song called "Murrow Turning Over in his Grave" for Fleetwood Mac's 2003 Say You Will album. Buckingham is the singer/songwriter/guitarist/arranger who, along with Stevie Nicks, helped turn Fleetwood Mac from a relatively unknown British blues band into one of rock's mega groups of the '70s and '80s.

Buckingham is best known for his work with Fleetwood Mac, but he has done some brilliant solo work. His 1992 album, Out of the Cradle, is his masterwork, with the title coming from a Walt Whitman poem. For anyone who appreciates inventive guitar and percussion work and lush vocal arrangements (not to mention superb melodies and lyrics), Out of the Cradle is a must have. The guitar intro and opening song "Don't Look Down" are worth the price of the CD by themselves. You can hear segments of the songs here.

And then we have Buckingham's 2006 release, Under the Skin. This is an almost all-acoustic album, with very little drum or bass. It's pretty much Buckingham and his guitar, and his fretwork is stunning. The album is superb from start to finish, with "Down on Rodeo," "Cast Away Dreams," and the title song being particular highlights.

The wife and I were fortunate enough to see Buckingham perform on his Under the Skin tour at the Davis Theatre in Montgomery. It was as good as any concert I've ever seen, better than the two Fleetwood Mac shows I was fortunate enough to see years ago. By the way, the Davis Theatre is an excellent venue, a spot I was not familiar with until I heard about the Buckingham concert. It's in downtown Montgomery, not far from the state capitol, and is part of the Troy University at Montgomery campus. Very nice.

But back to "Murrow Turning Over in His Grave." It is a scathing indictment of corporate media, set to a rip-snorting rock track with several dashes of the vocal quirkiness for which Buckingham is known. Great stuff, and I suspect Buckingham had folks like Sumner Redstone in mind when he wrote it.

Was hoping to find a video of Buckingham performing "Murrow." But one doesn't seem to be available on the Web. You can hear a segment of the song, along with other cuts from Say You Will, here.

And you can read the lyrics to "Murrow" here. Pretty clear our guy Lindsey is not real pleased with the corporate media. Join the crowd, LB.

Shout Out to the Soul Patrol

We've been following the football/academic controversy at Hoover High School, and as part of our coverage, I posted recently about some of the better athletes that have come through Hoover, either at Hoover High or its predecessor, Berry High School.

I noted that 2006 American Idol Taylor Hicks, a pretty fair basketball player in his days at Hoover High, almost certainly was the most famous ex athlete from Hoover. That prompted an outpouring of readers, and commenters, from Hicks' dedicated fan base, the "Soul Patrol."

It was a delight to have them join our Legal Schnauzer audience. We spend most of our time here dealing with judicial corruption, politically motivated prosecution, ethically challenged attorneys, and other less-than-cheery subjects.

So it was a treat to be joined by the "Soul Patrol" and their unbridled enthusiasm for a Birmingham boy made good. Actually, I already knew all about the "Soul Patrollers;" I'm married to one. My wife and one of her girlfriends can go on and on about "cute" and "sweet" Taylor is. Sometimes, I think they even talk about his music.

As for me, I hope I can do my small part to help spread the word that Hicks is an artist worthy of appreciation by a broad base of music lovers--not just his "girlyfans." (Don't get me wrong. I like the "girlyfans." I'm married to one.)

And Hicks' story really goes beyond music. Here are a few things I find interesting about "Gray Charles":

* I like his back story, the fact that he had to slug it out in bars and clubs for about 10 years before becoming known; the fact that he doesn't have the standard "rock star" look; the fact he is not from a standard rock star-producing place. It's a tale of persistence, and having the goods to back it up, when the time came.

* In numerous newspaper and magazine articles, and in his book Heart Full of Soul, Hicks has talked about repeatedly facing rejection from the mainline music business. I can identify with that. I've had numerous mainstream journalists, and quite a few lawyers, tell me my story of being victimized by corrupt judges was not worthwhile. So I decided to tell it myself, on this blog. And in recent weeks, our reporting here has been cited by the highly respected and influential Scott Horton at Harper's.org. And it has been cited in documents filed as part of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's investigation on selective prosecution by the Bush Justice Department. I would be the first to say that my story lacks the warm and fuzzies of the Taylor Hicks story. But having followed Hicks' rise from obscurity to American Idol, I like to think his toughness in the face of rejection rubbed off on me just a little.

* I like the fact that Hicks crosses racial boundaries. I like the fact his key musical influences are folks like Ray Charles, Otis Redding, and Sam Cooke. He sends the message that a white guy from Birmingham's suburbs can truly appreciate the talents that people of color can bring.

* I like Hicks' politics, I think. Actually, I'm not absolutely sure what his politics are. On a visit to the White House, he was gracious to George W. Bush--as he should have been. But I seem to recall reading somewhere that Hicks admires Bill Clinton. That, plus his affinity for black music, makes me think Hicks is a Democrat. Good for him.

* I like the fact that Hicks appreciates those who came before him. Three of my musical heroes are John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Don Henley (Eagles), and Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac). Fogerty often has spoken of his love for great blues artists, such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Robert Johnson. Henley grew up in east Texas, listening to country greats like George Jones and Merle Haggard and reading Henry David Thoreau. Buckingham clearly has been influenced heavily by the Kingston Trio and Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. I think it's impossible to be really good at something if you don't appreciate those who have come before you. I think Hicks understands that.

* Finally, I just like Hicks' music. Looking back, my wife and I have major regrets that we never went to a Birmingham club to see Hicks perform in the days when he was unknown. I do recall seeing his name regularly when I would check the club schedules in The Birmingham News or in our two alternative weeklies, Birmingham Weekly and Black & White. So his name was familiar when I started seeing stories about him making the cut week after week on American Idol. We started tuning in to Idol and came to appreciate Hicks' ability to take a song by Rod Stewart or Elton John and make it his own. And after Hicks had won, we heard his two independent CDs--In Your Time and Under the Radar. Those told us that he was more than just a singer--he could play music; he could surround himself with strong musicians; and perhaps most importantly, he could write. Songs like "Son of a Carpenter," "Heart and Soul," "West Texas Sky," and "The Fall" show an artist who is serious about the writing craft.

* My wife is forcing me to write one more story about our connections to Taylor Hicks. We went to City Stages 2006, Birmingham's major annual music festival, and one of the primary attractions was our new, homegrown American Idol. We didn't see Hicks stand in with Snoop Dog one night. But we were there for his Sunday afternoon appearance with The Little Memphis Blues Orchestra. The schedule, however, presented a problem for yours truly. On at the same time were The Grass Roots, one of those blast-from-the-past acts that were a big part of my adolescence. (Herman's Hermits and the current incarnation of The Beach Boys also were on that night.) I'd wanted to see The Grass Roots for more than 30 years and never been able to catch them. So when Hicks and LIMBO were a bit late coming on, I decided to head for The Grass Roots stage while my wife stayed for the LIMBO show. I know this story sounds like I'm a fuddy dud who lives in the past. And I have only one defense to that charge: I knew I'd have plenty of opportunities to see Hicks in the near future, and I wasn't sure I'd ever have a chance to see The Grass Roots again. (Heck, lead singer Rob Grill has had hip surgery and can barely walk.) Indeed, the wife and I were fortunate to get tickets for the second of Hicks two shows at the Alabama Theater on his first nationwide tour. It was a terrific show, with the Homewood High School drum corps joining Hicks onstage for "The Runaround," followed by a solo version of "My Home's in Alabama."

Anyway, I'm going to write periodically about Hicks here at Legal Schnauzer. There are plenty of negatives about Alabama, and I write about some of them here--our corrupt state courts, our sorry and unethical politicians, our racist constitution. But there are lots of good things about Alabama, and Hicks is one of them. In fact, I have another post coming soon about his sports days at Hoover High. Hope the Soul Patrollers will stop by again to visit.

Don Siegelman's push to shine spotlight on corruption gains momentum with Neil Cavuto interview on Fox, plus report of documentary screening in Montgomery

Neil Cavuto

Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman gained traction this week in his effort to shine light on corruption related to the political prosecution that sent him to prison for more than six years.

First came reports that a news Web site had arranged for a showing in Montgomery of the documentary Atticus v. The Architect: The Political Assassination of Don Siegelman. Then came a mostly favorable interview yesterday with Neil Cavuto, of Fox News, in which Siegelman argued that President Donald Trump should pardon him.

A screening of the Siegelman documentary is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1 at the Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts on Troy University's Montgomery campus. (Note: Mrs. Schnauzer and I were fortunate to catch a concert by Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham in March 2007 at the Davis Theatre. As a long-time fan of Buckingham's work, I consider this perhaps the finest concert I've ever attended. And we give the Davis Theatre two thumbs up as a venue. It should be a fine place to view the Siegelman film.)

Prattville-based Alabama Political Reporter (APR) is sponsoring the showing, after the Capri Theatre canceled a scheduled screening because of complaints from board member Leura Canary, who was U.S. attorney for the Siegelman prosecution. From a report by APR's Josh Moon:

“Atticus v. The Architect: The Political Assassination of Don Siegelman,” as the documentary is officially named, was originally set to be shown at the Capri Theater in Montgomery in July. But former Federal Prosecutor Leura Canary, who serves on the Capri board, convinced her fellow board members in June to rescind that rental agreement.

Montgomery residents were outraged, and a heated Capri board meeting a few days later ended in nasty exchanges but no change in the vote.

That’s when APR owners Bill and Susan Britt decided to step in.

“When we heard that the documentary showing in Montgomery had been cancelled because of pressure from the so-called political elites, it wasn’t surprising,” Bill Britt said. “We don’t like censorship at APR, and we decided we’d do whatever we could to give Montgomery residents an opportunity to see the film, to judge for themselves the contents of it.”

It only makes sense that the film be shown in Montgomery. But Moon reports it was a challenge to make the screening a reality, and it might not have happened without a push from Dr. Jack Hawkins, president of Troy University:

Much of that story took place in Montgomery, and the city served as a backdrop for much of the documentary.

Siegelman served as governor in this city. He was tried in this city and found guilty by a jury that resides in this city. Many of the people featured in the documentary reside in Montgomery.

And yet, time and again, APR ran into fear and bureaucracy when trying to find a location to show the film. Every venue was surprisingly busy or uninterested in accepting their usual rental fees to show “Atticus.” Some never returned calls. Others had exorbitant insurance demands.

Enter: Troy president Dr. Jack Hawkins. . . .

“We are committed to freedom of speech and transparency,” Hawkins wrote. “Within the Academy and within a free society there is little room for censorship.”

That did the trick. A contract was prepared and signed within days.

Many props to Hawkins, the Britts, APR, and Troy University for making this happen. How is this for irony? The Davis Theatre has a seating capacity of 1,200 (compared to 700 at Capri) and almost certainly is nicer and more spacious than the film house. Our message to Leura Canary and the cowards on the Capri's board: Stick it up your collective ass.

Davis Theatre, in Montgomery

As for the interview with Neil Cavuto on Fox, Siegelman pushed the argument that Trump should pardon him. Cavuto said that is unlikely to happen, and he's almost certainly correct -- in part, perhaps, because Trump might soon be headed toward impeachment, indictment, conviction, and imprisonment himself. With any luck, Attorney General and former Alabama U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, who played a major role in the Siegelman prosecution, also will be headed for the federal slammer soon.

Cavuto did note the dubious nature of the Siegelman case, which also ensnared former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy:

Cavuto stated with amazement that "Normally you look for a big ole suitcase of cash but there was no suitcase and no cash [in your case.]"

He warned "this could happen to Republican or Democrat, anyone in power, because . . . [in] campaigns you get money. . . they could be perfectly innocent but all of a sudden it looks like a 'Pay to Play' deal."

The interview can be viewed at the link below:


Don Siegelman interview with Neil Cavuto of Fox News

Has Mainstream Journalism Officially Died in Alabama?

Bob Lowry (left) with
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers

Bob Lowry, perhaps the last real mainstream journalist in Alabama, is out of a job. That should concern every citizen who thinks that reporting plays a critical role in our democracy.

Lowry, who started his journalism career in 1977, most recently was Montgomery bureau chief for The Huntsville Times. But the Times has closed its bureau, and Lowry came to an agreement to leave the paper. That means the fourth largest city in Alabama, and one of the nation's premier centers for high-tech and space-related industry, will have no one covering the state capital.

Even more alarming are signs that Lowry's ouster might have been part of a political hit. As regular Schnauzer readers know, I too am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience, and I was unlawfully fired from my job as an editor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where I had worked for 19 years. Did something similar happen to Bob Lowry?

It's not just my opinion that I was fired for unlawful political reasons that violate the First Amendment and other federal/state laws. I have absolute proof, in the form of a tape-record conversation with a UAB human-resources official named Anita Bonasera. It's indisputable that I was targeted because of the content on this blog about the Don Siegelman case; Bonasera admits that. Here is how I've reported on the tape in a previous post:

So why was I really fired? The answer is obvious in a three-minute audiotape of a conversation I had with UAB human-resources official Anita Bonasera a few days after I had been placed on administrative leave. I had been told that I could file a written response to the charges against me, and I called Bonasera with several questions about that process. In the first part of the audio I try to explain the nature of my job description, addressing charges that I had engaged in excessive "non work-related activity." From about the 1:50 to 2:10 mark, Bonasera admits that I was targeted because of my blog, especially its content about the Don Siegelman case. You can listen to the tape here: 

Audio: UAB and the Cost of Blogging About the Siegelman Case

That gives you some insight into Alabama's political environment over the past few years, and I have an ongoing federal lawsuit about my termination. How might this ugly environment apply to Bob Lowry's exit at The Huntsville Times? Lowry has signed a separation agreement with the newspaper and is not able to discuss what took place. But we see signs that he might have been targeted by Alabama's GOP thugs.

For one, Lowry was perhaps the only mainstream journalist in Alabama who reported seriously and wrote critically about the Bob Riley administration. It has been reported in several venues that Riley contacted higher ups at the Huntsville paper in an effort to get Lowry off his back.

For another, Lowry has written critically about state representative Mike Hubbard, a staunch Riley ally and now speaker of the Alabama House. In early August, Hubbard made a well-publicized trip to Huntsville for a speech and a tour of high-tech facilities. Not long after that, word leaked about the Times' plans to close the Montgomery bureau and send Bob Lowry packing.

Is that a coincidence? Given what I know about the habits of Republican thugs in Alabama, I would say it is not.

The whole story leaves me with two thoughts:

* I hope Bob Lowry finds a new outlet for his reporting and writing skills. Alabama desperately needs him;

* I hope someone eventually teaches the Riley/Hubbard crowd that it's a real bad idea to screw around with people's jobs. Victims don't take kindly to it--and some are liable to fight back in a ferocious fashion.

This reminds me of one of my favorite artists, Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. He just released a new CD, his sixth solo effort, and it's called Seeds we Sow. Political thugs in Alabama, and elsewhere, have been sowing some bad seeds in recent years. And we suspect the bad guys eventually are going to reap an unpleasant harvest. We would suggest that the thugs check out the lyrics to the title track from Buckingham's new album. They carry a lot of meaning. And here is a live performance of the song, from the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California:

Taylor Hicks Measures The Distance

Regular readers know that we occasionally like to take a break from justice issues and write about "rock and/or roll" (to borrow a phrase from Reverend Lovejoy, of The Simpsons).

Perhaps in another life, we will come back as a writer for Rolling Stone.

In this life, our taste and knowledge of popular music is limited to artists who made their names in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Our musical heroes include John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival, Don Henley and the Eagles, and Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac.

As for modern rock acts, well, I'm pretty much clueless. I do know a little about John Mayer and Matchbox Twenty. I like some stuff I've heard from Sister Hazel. And I heard a great tune one time by Barenaked Ladies, but I don't remember the name of it.

We do, however, "get" one modern artist--and maybe that's because he's a throwback to another era. It might also be because he's from right here in Birmingham, and Mrs. Schnauzer thinks he's cute.

We're talking, of course, about Taylor Hicks, a 1995 graduate of Hoover High School. Hicks is best known as the 2006 American Idol, but we have anointed him the "official musician of Legal Schnauzer," a title we are sure he will treasure always. (Actually, Hicks--or perhaps his publicist--sent us a nice note after one of our posts about him. The artist known as "Gray Charles" still has a hometown touch.)

We've covered some interesting territory with our guy Taylor. We noted that he was a pretty fair high school basketball player in his day and deserves a spot among the best known "sports stars of Hoover." We gave a "shout out to the Soul Patrol," Hicks' devoted fan base. We noted the debt Hicks owes to the rootsy music of Otis Redding. We predicted a possible "Idol" future for another Birmingham musician with a sports background.

We even concocted an imaginary conversation between two of Hoover's finest--Hicks and infamous former football coach Rush Propst.

For good measure, Hicks helped inspire us to write about the many things we like about Birmingham and Alabama--in spite of all the legal crap we've had to put up with.

So it's with great pleasure--and a big dose of hometown pride--that we announce to Schnauzer readers that Taylor Hicks is set to release his second post-Idol album. The CD, titled "The Distance," is due in stores today.

Those of us who have heard Hicks' two independent, pre-Idol recordings know that he has serious writing chops. And those are on display on The Distance, with Hicks sharing writing credits on seven cuts. Mary Colurso, of The Birmingham News, has a nice overview of the new CD.

The first single, "What's Right is Right," is a soulful number that is right in Hicks' wheelhouse. And the video has a bluesy feel, shot in the clubs and on the streets of Chicago. Enjoy.

What's Right Is Right

My Life as a Target of Corrupt Bushies

Perhaps you have read Raw Story's article about my recent termination from my job as an editor in the Publications Office at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Lindsay Beyerstein, Larisa Alexandrovna, and the whole Raw Story crew did a world-class job on the story, and I'm continuing to see the profound impact of their work, based on a major spike in traffic to my blog.

The story, I suspect, resonates with people for several reasons. For one, I'm just a regular guy--not a public official or a major contributor to political causes. But people with direct connections to the Bush Justice Department came after me anyway. Why? Because I dared to tell the truth on a blog about their corrupt activities in Alabama. Also, most of us have to work for a living, and I suspect many people can identify with the myriad dangers in the modern workplace. For many workers, I suspect, the greatest fear is being essentially "set up" on the job and fired for something you didn't do--all because of political machinations outside the workplace, in my case. That's what the Raw Story piece is all about.

I had worked at UAB for 19 years and did not even have as much as an oral warning in my personnel file until some folks in the management food chain evidently got nervous about the content of my blog, Legal Schnauzer.

UAB never gave me clear written reasons for my termination. The main charge seems to be that I used university resources to write my blog. This is false, and in fact, I've never touched the first keystroke on my blog while at work. I know because I cannot access my blog without getting into a certain, password-protected e-mail account. And that e-mail account never had been opened on my work computer. In fact, a representative from UAB's IT department confirmed at my grievance hearing that his investigation showed I had never blogged at work.

UAB evidently claims I was "researching" my blog at work. But part of my job description is to keep up with current events, particularly those connected to Alabama. Over a period of two-plus years, the tale of the prosecution of Don Siegelman and Richard Scrushy was the biggest news story in Alabama. And it had direct connections to UAB. Siegelman, as a former governor, was once ex oficio president of the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. And Scrushy unquestionably is UAB's most famous alumnus, a man I've written about (or edited stories about) numerous times.

I was responsible for keeping a story file of ideas that might turn into articles for one or more of our 20-some publications. This research that UAB now calls "now-work related activity" actually was a central part of my work.

What about UAB policy on this kind of thing. Based on my research, UAB has no clear policy about computer usage. I've scoured the You & UAB Handbook from one end to the other, and I can see nothing regarding "researching a blog" or anything else regarding use of the Internet on a university computer. Obviously you don't check porn or gambling sites or anything else that is inappropriate in a work setting. (Although I don't see an actual UAB policy even on that.) But an employee getting fired for keeping up with news when part of his job involves keeping up with news? Sounds nuts to me.

Best I can tell, I was terminated for violating a policy that doesn't exist.

The university does have policies regarding "political activities of university employees" and "safeguarding UAB equipment." But neither of those is applicable to the allegations made against me, and I will explain why in a separate post.

But the facts are clear: I was fired, on the surface, for two "reasons:" (1) Doing part of my job (keeping up with current events connected to Alabama); and (2) "Violating" a policy that doesn't exist. That might sound bizarre to some readers, but we are talking about Karl Rove's Alabama here.

Actually, evidence will show, I was fired because of pressure from sources external to UAB. I am conducting research that gives me a real good idea of where the pressure came from and what was used to apply the pressure. I also have a strong indication that a certain member of the University of Alabama Board of Trustees was involved. I feel certain the plan to get rid of me did not originate at the UAB campus in Birmingham.

That's not to say some strange things haven't happened at UAB and that people at UAB should not be held accountable. Certain folks at UAB have acted almost as if they operate in some sort of parallel universe, where up is down and left is right. How else does a 19-year employee, with nothing but positive job reviews and a history of good relations with people across campus, wind up getting fired.

I clearly was fired for political reasons, some perhaps having to do with internal UAB matters. But the main political reason appears to be the fact that my blog deals critically with the Bush Justice Department and its handling of a number of apparent political prosecutions--particularly the case of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.

In fact, I have irrefutable evidence, in the form of an audiotaped conversation with a member of the UAB Human Resources staff, that my termination was politically motivated by the fact I write a blog having to do with the Siegelman case. I will be posting that audio in the coming days, and I will be going into many other details about my unlawful termination.

But first, I thought it would be appropriate to show you the human side of the Bush Justice Department scandal.

Most of the victims of the scandal have been public officials (Don Siegelman in Alabama, Cyril Wecht in Pennsylvania, etc.) or financial backers of the Democratic Party (Paul Minor in Mississippi). Mine is the first case I am aware of that involves a regular citizen, a case where someone was targeted merely for writing truthfully about his experiences with corrupt individuals who have ties to the Bush Administration.

So what's it like for a regular guy to be a target of a corrupt administration? What's it like to lose your job simply for speaking out about matters of public concern?

We invite you to come along for a peak at life inside the "Schnauzer den." First, here is an introduction:




Next is a clip about two important characters from the animal kingdom who add a lot to our household:



Next is a clip about some of my interests, mainly from the world of sports and music. As a child of the 1970s, I'm into music from artists like The Eagles, John Fogerty, Lindsey Buckingham, plus Birmingham's own Taylor Hicks:




Also, we have a clip about my wife's eclectic tastes, which range from Scottish history to music by everyone from Glenn Miller to Barbra Streisand to the Village People.



Finally, we have a clip about the kind of issues that matter most in SchnauzerWorld. And they have nothing to do with the law.