Song Talk with Morry Campbell

Call my Senator, and tell him you're not happy

As long as we're off of the songwriting topic already, I want to encourage everyone and anyone to call my State Senator and tell him how displeased you are that he is opposing fair and equal treatment for all New Yorkers.

Senator George Onorato, (D) District 012, pictured above, plans to oppose the marriage equality legislation that is soon to be presented and voted upon in the New York State Senate.

I don't know why he opposes it. I've been emailing him and calling his office for an explanation, and have not received one as of yet. I can only assume, however, that he's making this rather antiquated, regressive stand on his religious convictions. With a name like "Oronato," I'm guessing Catholic.

Please explain to him that he is is a Senator, and not a Cardinal. This is a democracy, not a Theocracy. Religious sentiment has no place in creating civil rights laws. Everybody deserves equal treatment under the law. (You know the drill: be respectful, but firm and to the point).

Call Senator Onorato and tell him to do the right thing. Tell him to support marriage equality in the State of New York.

Albany: 518-455-3486

Long Island City: 718-726-9706

email: onorato@senate.state.ny.us

Guerilla music promotion

I was accosted by a Rap artist on Sixth Avenue Thursday afternoon.  He was out hocking his CD, one he had obviously produced himself.  I hate being approached in the street, especially when it ends up someone is trying to sell me something.  So I was wary when he stopped me. I was immediately hostile, my first reaction, get rid of the guy as quickly as possible.  But he absorbed my first wave, and asked me if I knew the bass player from Pearl Jam, whom he asserted was from Montana (I was wearing a Montana sweatshirt).  And it turns out he was right.  Jeff Ament, the bass player for Pearl Jam, was indeed born in Montana, and not only that, but he was born in my home town, Havre.  Havre  Montana.  I was having a conversation on Sixth Avenue and 8th Street with a rapper about Montana.  And I ended up buying a CD. Now, I"m not a big fan of Rap music.  I've never understood the popularity of Rap.  I'm a bit of a philistine that way.  And yet I ended up buying the CD.  I'm going to see if I can explain to you, and to myself, why that happened.