What On Earth?-Column #26, July 2004

Well, this is the month where we celebrate our independence from Britain, and, it's an important month, too, because we lost one of our own, last month.

Ronald Reagan, our 40th President (1981-1989), dubbed "The Great Communicator" for his communication abilities, who had been famous for tearing down the Berlin Wall ("Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"), and telling the families of the 7 Challenger victims, that "Nothing ends here, our hopes and journeys continue," died of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 93. And while his life has ended, his spirit continues to impress us all. Many of us know him for the above things, but also, we remember him for JELLY BEANS, one of his favorite snacks. Like California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger after him, he was also an actor, and he too, served as California Governor (1967-1975), before he went to the White House, and just like Schwarzenegger, he's also a Republican. He was also the target of an assasination attempt, and that led to him signing the Brady Bill in 1981. May God bless Ronald Reagan.

Now, let's start this column out with the Iraq situation, and this may come as a surprise to you: We handed sovereignty back to Iraq 2 days earlier than the June 30 handover date. This gives us plenty of time to let the Iraqis run the country, while our troops deal with the growing violence and insurgency. And deal with it we will, since we've seen a few beheadings in Iraq by these Islamic militants, Saddam loyalists, and so forth. Trust me, it's not as easy as you think, and if we leave before these guys are wiped off the face of the earth, it'll just go back to how it was when the war began a year ago!

And, as you may expect, July 4th is a busy travel day. And as usual, expect a lot of security at the airports. And, also the US is a high target for terrorists, so be careful out there!

And, tragically, we have fire safety to deal with this July 4th. If you're going to be firing up your grill and throwing chicken, burgers, and hot dogs onto there, do it outside! I know there are indoor grills, but if you're having cookouts, you should also be careful of how you use your indoor grills before you take the food outside. Another reason for fire safety is setting off fireworks. Don't let your kids set them off without your supervision. This decreases the chances of your kids being killed, as they're most likely to be killed if they set off the firecrackers alone. Also, if you're figuring out where it's legal and illegal to set off fireworks, call your local Fire Department, and they will determine which locations are safe and unsafe. And speaking of fireworks, they, along with parades, and cookouts, are the most popular things to do and see during the July 4th holiday weekend.

And, at this time of year, as was the case last year, the West Nile Virus is BACK. If you're going to be outside, wear loose, dark-colored clothing, and use those candles and sprays to keep yourself away from the mosquitoes and ants.

And with the West Nile Virus, comes the HEAT! If you have to be outside, be it swimming or whatever summer activities you'll be doing, don't forget the sunscreen, and SPF 15 is highly recommended. The temperatures and Heat Indexes can be as high as 100 or more, so take it easy out there!

Remember Michael Newdow, the atheist who sued a California school district, because he thought that the phrase "Under God" in the Pledge Of Allegiance was unconstitutional? Well, the High Court disagreed with him, and they dismissed his case. Why? Well, they said it was a patriotic, but not religious exercise. You don't have to say the "Under God" part if you don't want to. Your choice. Your freedom. Use it however you like.

If you've been driving around lately, the gas prices have been well, falling, but just a little. When I was in SF last month, they were as high as $2.50, and as low as $2.25. In Fullerton, another California city, they had to pay as much as $4 a gallon. FOUR DOLLARS. Imagine how much of a chunk that'll take out of your wallet! It could take huge a chunk out of mine.

OK, it's time for a little music history. This month, 23 years ago, July 1981. The Go-Go's, who originally began as The Misfits, rocked the music world by releasing their debut album, "Beauty And The Beat." This album contains recognizable hits like "Our Lips Are Sealed" (Track 1, co-written by Jane Wiedlin and Terry Hall, lead singer of a band called Fun Boy Three, who also sang their own version of the song, just like the Go-Go's) and "We Got The Beat" (Track 6, written by Charlotte Caffey), their most popular song, and my best pick among my favorite Go-Go's songs. If you will recall, the band was made up of Charlotte Caffey (Piano/Lead Guitar), Belinda Carlisle (Lead Vocals), Gina Schock (Drums), Kathy Valentine (Bass), and Jane Wiedlin (Rhythm Guitar). 2 other members, Margot Olaverria (Bass) and Elissa Bello (Drums), who were the with the band in its early heydays, had short-lived stints with the band, and were replaced, respectively, by Kathy and Gina. And you thought they couldn't rock the music world. Well, they did. Remember, some companies wouldn't sign all-girl bands like this one, because they thought that all-girl bands wouldn't be successful, even though they were selling out every crowd they ever had. That is, until Miles Copeland of IRS Records came along, and he signed them. As Belinda has mentioned time and time again, the management was all-female, and the roadies were all-female, just like her and her bandmates were. No males allowed. She said that it "was like a giant girls' club." She also mentioned that the Go-Go's also broke down the barriers for women in music. And by doing just that, they paved the way for other all-girl bands, like The Bangles, to compete against them. Now, many of you think they would be considered "The Spice Girls of the '80's." Even though Belinda has heard that a lot, she doesn't think so. She says that the Spice Girls are a vocal group put together by a mastermind, while the Go-Go's were a band that she put together with the help of the other women, and they also played instruments (except Belinda, of course). Then, we fast forward 2 years, to July 1982, when they released their sophomore album "Vacation," and the album's lead track (written by Caffey, Valentine, and Wiedlin) also happens to be the title of the album! Another great song on there is "Beatnik Beach," which is very appropriate for an album titled "Vacation." That also propelled them to the Top Of The Charts, like its' 1981 predecessor. And, let's not forget, the Go-Go's wrote their own songs. The Spice Girls didn't. Then, in March 1984, came "Talk Show" (which featured another unforgettable hit, "Head Over Heels", as lead track, and was written by Caffey and Valentine), which didn't do so well, and at that time Jane Wiedlin had jumped ship, and the band officially broke up for the first time in May 1985, and went on to solo careers, with Belinda being the most successful (with songs such as "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" and "Circle In The Sand"). Jane also had a solo career, but also joined up with 2 short-lived bands, "Frosted" and "Twisted and Jaded." Charlotte worked with Meredith Brooks in a band called "The Graces", Kathy Valentine and Dominique Davalos formed "The Delphines", and Gina Schock, formed "House of Schock", although she did join "The Delphines" for a short period of time. The Go-Go's had periodic reunions in 1990 and 1994, when they released a Greatest Hits CD each of those 2 years, with unreleased tracks on each one (1994's was titled "Return To The Valley Of The Go-Go's". But after each one of those reunions, it was back to their individual work. That all changed in 1999, with more tours, and again in 2000, when they released a 3rd Greatest Hits CD (all based on their appearance on VH1's "Behind The Music"), AND did more tours. On top of that, they announced that they'd be doing their first album of new material in 17 years, so, we fast forward to May 2001, and their newest CD "God Bless The Go-Go's" (featuring "Unforgiven", which they co-wrote with Green Day lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong) hits stores, and they do more tours. But even though it couldn't garner enough success, the ladies weren't going to break up again. At least for now, anyway, since they're still under contract. And with the ways things have gone for them as a group anyway, it doesn't look like they'll break up again.

Anyway, this month, at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, MA; John Kerry, who is also a Massachusetts Senator, will officially be nominated as the Democratic Presidential Hopeful. This will be the start of what WILL ALSO be the End of the Republican era, in all 3 branches. And we're sending the Republicans a message, and it's the same one he sent them a while back, and still continues to send today: "I have a message for the influence peddlers, for the polluters, the HMOs, the big drug companies that get in the way, the big oil and the special interests who now call the White House their home: We're coming, you're going, and don't let the door hit you on the way out!" We won't let those Republicans tell US what to do. Oh no, we won't. I've seen enough damage inflicted on this country by the Republicans, and we won't have any more right-wing House Representatives and Senators bent on mid-decade redistricting just for political gain, in the Legislative Branch, will we? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Are we going to let right-wing judges bent on rolling back the Constitution (and its rights) stay on the Supreme Court in the Judicial Branch? NO. Are we going to elect a right-wing President for the Executive Branch, who's bent on having a Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages passed? OF COURSE WE AREN'T. So, that's why I urge you to vote DEMOCRAT this year, instead of Republican. That's the only way we're gonna turn this country back around to the America we know it as. We need some left-wing politicians, desperately. In 2002, Democrats lost control of the House and Senate for the first time in 14 years, and we're desperate to win back control. With the help of Democrats like you and me, we can do just that.

OK, this wraps up another column. I'll see you next time. This is John Lee saying, "Go HOME!"