The Ravages of Fire and Water

Today is Friday the thirteenth, as someone pointed out.  It’s a mighty unhappy day in two places- - in New Jersey and in Boulder, Colorado.  Now they are calling the deluge of rain to hit northern Colorado as a “thousand year storm”.  They say they got a full year’s worth of rain in just three days and it came down in buckets causing wide spread damage, floating cars away, and impacting Saturday’s athletic events.  They say that a car will get swept away in a tide of water less than two feet deep.  They expended a considerable amount of time covering this on the ABC news.   Obviously this is just another symptom of global warming, which the tea party right takes pride in denying the political reality of.  The boardwalk that had just been finished being rebuilt after Hurricane Sandy has been burned down completely due to a fire of suspicious origen.   They said something about thirty structures going up in flames.  But Rush Limbaugh can’t waste any moment to twist the knife saying that if President Obama doesn’t make a public visit to New Jersey, and offer money, then he’s being politically inconsistent.  Rush Limbaugh called it ‘Not respecting me in the morning” almost as of Obama and Christie were lovers.  Obviously there is a desire to get their hands on the dastardly people that set this fire.   Out heart goes out to all those who regularly used it.  I can’t figure it out.  I guess it’s just another aspect of God’s sick humor. 

Jerry Brown has signed a major minimum wage hike bill, raising the minimum wage in California a full two dollars per hour more than it is now, to ten dollars an hour.  I don’t think it is a good idea because money just doesn’t drop out of nowhere.  We will pay for it in lost jobs and a slowdown in the state economy at a time when it is just starting to get going.  The reason why Jerry Brown has signed this raft of related immigration bills is because the national Congress is doing nothing about this issue, to Jerry changed his mind on the drivers license issue, for instance, and figured he had to be more proactive.  My guess if that Moe Kelly ever gets in legal trouble,  he’s not going to turn down a pro bono offer from a state certified attorney, even if he’s an illegal alien.  Rush Limbaugh has always talked about “the left coast” but anybody can see that this political rift between the Pacific coast and midland America, is growing every day.

There was a nine hour charity event on the sand of Huntington State beach tomorrow from the hours of noon to nine PM, that were going to sell alcohol, by which they hoped to raise an impressive amount of money for a charity.  But the Alcoholic Beverages Comission gave it thumbs down- - and some government officials didn’t want the event to be held at all.  My judgement call on this would have been to go ahead and allow the selling and consumption of alcohol because my instinct is that this will be a well behaved crowd.  Of course people are getting paranoid out there.  In Seattle at the NFL game, they will have ununiformed cops dressed up at ‘49ers fans, like the opposition, as bait to see whether or not they get up.  My question is whether these people have the right to start firing randomly into the crowd should they feel threatened.  Or are cops as inherently not as trustworthy as a southern redneck civilian?  I think it’s a good idea and a lot of teams are adopting a similar policy.   In another story about paranoia for out-of-staters, apparently they have perfected a scientific earthquake warning system that gives you a full minute and are given a verbal message of “the shaking starts in 55 seconds” or whatever, like a Disneyland ride.   I would be less concerned about my own safety than getting various objects out of harm’s way.

We had breaded fish for dinner, and two things were wrong with this fish.  For one thing- - as a strong break from food we’ve been getting that’s too hot to eat- - this fish was between luke-warm and cold.  But also there was too much bread and not enough fish.  We had potatoes au gratin with it, and also squash, with red Jell-O for desert.  I haven’t been inclined to make coffee this evening because I’ve been more hyper lately, almost as if they’ve dropped something from my medication.  I chased Donnie down the hall on the first floor because he’d closed up shop early and got my meds and bologna sandwich.  Jeopardy is on right now.   Janet has been curious about my coffee situation.  I’m glad she’s become so generous by nature she wants to check whether I’m out yet.  And of course by now you know that Dr. Levy did not come this week and Yom Kippur is tomorrow and in fact may be beginning even as we speak since sunset had fallen.   He wants to give us all an excerpt of his new book- - but I’m not sure why I care since basically I don’t like his writing style.  (I like my own much better)

I don’t know what Bob Dylan has been doing these twenty plus years.  All I know is the last time I heard him publicly he was worse than Linda Ronstat claims to be now.  I have never received any news that his cosmic status has changed from Andromeda D.  I don’t know whether he even considers himself a Christian or Jewish at this point.  And I don’t have the vaguest information what his take on all this tea party nonsense is.  The only thing I know is people I’d never suspect have come down with tea-party-itus.

We had Cheerios for breakfast and Bruce was spouting off his usual patter and it was driving Brenda crazy.  I told Bruce he should “tone it down” and then Bruce said something about me.  We finally got two big pancakes and bacon- - and mericle of mericles - - we got two pats of butter to put on them.  That was a treat.  It was Stephanie and then Moe Kelly, and I guess I didn’t start this file till after lunch.  I watched the soap opera.  Mrs Bernardi took the stand and that was a major mistake for the prosecution.  There was absolutely nothing she could contribute to the prosecution’s case, but she did give Justin a foot in the door to ask her about Timmy’s bank pass book.  She just kind of blirted out the truth uncontrollably - - and now the DA has egg on her face.  Nick was asked about his association with Vargis, and there came a point when the judge realized she was just on a fishing expedition. 

Whose Kidding Whom?

In the noon hour of her show, Randy Rhodes was reviewing some of the not too well publicised stuff about what the Assad regeim is doing in terms of imprisoning, raping and torturing by various means- - prisoners - - like throwing acid in people's faces.  I think President Obama has definitely under-played his hand on this one.   Of course various Republicans are disgusting in their responses.  Pat Buchannon, who seems to love all things Soviet lately- - praised Putin for his New York Times article the other day.  And Anne Coulter says "Vladamir Putin has made a monkey out of our President".  I'm sure the term "monkey" was not just an accident.   After all she could have said "jackass" or any other of a choice of non racially tinged words.   And I'm going to personally strangle the next person who says that "Assad is a good guy because he protects Christians".  My response to that would be "Maybe we better take a look at who these Christians really are.

One thing I’ll be able to do now is to go straight from this color to the blog posting because it’s Black right now.  I think my opening topic is “Whose Kidding Whom?”  You know I listened to Moe Kelly in his talk about California Drivers Licenses.  And I was with him when the hour started- - but the guy was such a jerk about it- - I’m not really sure I’m with him now.  Maybe Moe has studied “The art of contra-perswasion”.  It’s like Pastors who give Sermons complaining of low church attendance.  The person who has been subjected to more of these sermons than anybody else, is the guy whose been regular every week.   I’d be the first to say I’m not crazy about some of these leftist things Jerry Brown is signing into law, or legislation now on the fast track to that outcome.   I basically don’t think illegal aliens should be allowed to get drivers licenses.  In fact, it would seem to me that they should be nabbed then and there and turned over to ICE or somebody and deported.  That would solve a lot of these “insurance’ problems right there.  Moe Kelly draws a distinction between having the proper insurance, and being able to drive.  Just as the government draws a distinction between getting a Law Degree, and those things can’t be had earily- - and Moe kept talking about this Black fraternity where you are allowed to do this ‘Stepping’ or something and you can’t do the step without being a member of his club.  Just as Pastors don’t like you preaching from the Bible unless you have a degree from their seminary.  Maybe I’m just not as picky as he is.  When he talks about breaking the law and forever being a marked man- - I wonder how many women get married in Christian wedding ceremonies- - who have slept with other men besides their husband.  As a man I see virginity is something you can never go back to, just as a used product won’t fetch near the price in a store as a new one.  It’s the exact same thing.  Moe thinks you become a member of some “club’ who has certain “priveleges” that other people DON’T have.  It’s the old Judy argument when I proposed the plausible idea of Universal Salvation, Judy’s response was “What would be the point?”  My grounds on opposing licenses are not based on “the privilege game” but it’s more basic that I believe in respect for all laws.  Christians say they are not “legalists” but the ones who say it the most about themselves- - are the ones who the most restrictive and uptight on their world view.   This idea of tagging a license with an easily identifiable difference from regular ones- - - “Given to all us regular Americans, who knew Geronimo personally” - - seems a suitable compromise to me, but perhaps not for Moe.

We have the issue as to what constitutes poverty in this country- - and it could well be that Rush Limbaugh is right and that our statistics are really screwy.   For instance according to the survey- - the vast majority of poor people own cell phones, and have some sort of DVD playing device, and have a T-Vo or DV-R or something.  I didn’t have a DVD drive that worked until two years ago.  And there is still no way I can record a TV program coming off the air waves today.  When I lived in my apartment- - I did not have my own washer or dryer.  I went to a common facility.  And the AC I had then didn’t work that well.  Back in the eighties I did not have any air conditioning at all.  My parents lived in an air conditioned house, but I didn’t.  So like I say I think the government statistics are screwy.  They talk about having an income of twenty thousand.  I have not one year since living here- - ever had an income close to twenty thousand.  I think it’s more like fourteen thousand.  And of course I don’t have a car, and my California ID expired on my birthday back in 2007, so I’m not even “Me” any more.

According to Rush Limbaugh - - Michiel Gorbichev is a Christian, and has been a Russian Orthodox Christian for a long time, and while he was in power.  It’s funny how with my brain I perceive certain things the opposite of the way other people perceive them.  It’s like people telling me some of Emperor Nero’s closest confidants, were Christians, as if I’m supposed to go “praise the Lord”.  I think it was Michael Jackson, the talk show host, who said “I guess it’s well and good that Charles Colsen is a Christian now, but it’s just too bad he couldn’t have “found Christ” three or four years earlier than he did”.  It’s that old argument about ‘Having money you can’t spend”, like on Wheel of Fortune.  So if I’m hearing this correctly- - the leader of the Free World, who by everybody’s admission - -almost never went to church- - - has inferior than this Evil Russian Despot- - on the other side of the negotiation table, with his hand on the trigger.  I refer you to a statement Abraham Lincoln made (that Jesus Christ likes to take credit for) about how “A house divided cannot stand”.   By the way I believe in another Lincoln axiom too,  “Nobody is above the law - - and nobody is beneath it”.  I wonder how many Christian pastors would actually fail to pass this test.   It’s like this one case on channel 40 maybe ten years ago where this violent felon got out of prison by mistake on a clerical error and everybody goes “Praise the Lord!”   Actually I think there is another obvious point to this whole paragraph, and I’ll state it now.  Gorbechev is not nearly the threat- - and never was- - compared to the man sitting there now, Vladamir Putin.

I have wondered “Is there any limit to the extremism that the right wing will go to?”  Is there any lame brain scheme these people refuse to sign off on?  I have my doubts?   Rush Limbaugh made reference to some bill in congress now that will defund the Affordable Care act - - but at the same time safeguard to insure that the government will not shut down but stay in operation.  I’m thinking “Well OK - - it’s an extreme measure but perhaps I could go for that, since everybody hates Obama care”.  Because I saw this lady on FOX talking about the upcoming massive shortage of doctors and nobody wants to get into primary care any more- - due to Obama Care.  And she is saying all of this grim news with the biggest smile on her face.  But do you know what Rush Limbaugh’s take on this drastic compromise bill was?  He against it.  He regards it as kind of a whimpy sell-out to the “out of touch party leadership” or something.  Then Rush Limbaugh issues this challenge.  He said “How BADLY do you wan’t Obama Care ended.  If you agree that Obamacare will take us down the road to Socialism faster than any other threat to government- - what price are you willing to pay to prevent that.  So he’s questioning our Patriotism.   “Because after all you have to ask yourself what the Founding Fathers were willing to sacrifice to insure that they got the kind of government they wanted”.   Of course when congress is in a really industrious mood- - they will work from Tuesday - - to noon on Thursday, and that’s such an exhausting week for them - - they’ll have to take another week off to recover.  Rush Limbaugh seems just as eager to shut down the government- - as an accomplishment in itself- - as he is to end Obama Care, as an end in itself.  Like Grover Norquist, Rush wants to “Shrink the size of government will it’s small enough to drown in the bathrub”.   Randy Rhodes was talking about ALL of these Agencies personally financed by the Koch Brothers, Charles and David.  It could be that as few as two hundred people - - control all of the Money.

Now they are talking about “Rape and Torture – Incorporated” in Domascas prisons in Syria.   Randy just said that Vladamir Putin is supporting all of this stuff that Assad is doing in what euphanistically is called “the theater of war”.  The details are so grissley and explicit- - the topic actually merits its own lead paragraph.  But right now let’s shuft gears entirely.  Let’s do just a little cosmic commentary on Jewish people.  First of all I still do not know the specifics of any "Jewish planet" in terms of either name or location or history.  Not to sound self serving or anything but "I call them as they are reported to me".  Brian Epstein is a Sirius 0 with a “Tularianized brain” from that planet that’s “near by”, and in this case “near by” actually means within twenty light years or so.   I guess John Lennon is actually free to talk to him if he wants to - - and maybe he has, but if he has- - he hasn’t told me.  Then we have David Lee Roth- - who is actually destined, so I’m told, to end up on Reigel VI, and is the only Van Halen member this is true about.   Chieh Merin also is a “home planet Reigelian”, and in this case the term “home planet” refers to a star other than Reigel, and to the Reigel Sixers before they migrated to Reigel VI. 

Some Myths Refuse to Die

It is I, your trusty Host, who is by nature one strap and buckle short of a full straight jacket

We're not going to talk about Jesus today.  We may get back to kicking that melon down the road a little more soon, but today we are going to talk about that other legond - - Howard Richards  But we're going to do it a little different this time because I'm going to take myself entirely out of the picture, since none of the songs that refer to Howard, also refer to me.  There are a couple of Eagles songs that are about me and we'll cover them at the end.  My goal is kind of like a "The Bible as litriture" kind of class.

First of all there is the matter of Howard's age.  He wasn't anybody born March 30th 1948.  In fact I don't even know that he was an Aries, since his birthday is never mentioned in the mythology.   The first thing in the myth is that he played trumpet in the school band playing 'Purple Carnival".   This may be the "Carnival" mentioned in Desolation Row.  "Southern California Purples" is Chicago's contribution.  At some point Howard Richards was in prison but somehow broke out of jail before he served out his term.  This is referred to in "Band on the Run" and in "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" and two new entries that I, even with my omnipotent knowledge somehow missed,  "Jail Break" by Thin Lizzy, and also "Jail Break" by AC DC, which normally isn't on an American release.  (But I've heard and I think I recorded it)  Howard lived "somewhere in the Midwest' and probbly Chicago, but we're not positive.  We do "know" he died there.  Somehow he got the idea of coming to Southern California.  Here we have "Promised Land" by Springsteen, and probably "Hitch Hike" (by the Rolling Stones, if you please)  We aren't sure but we think this Howard didn't turn eighteen till 1974, which means he was born in 1956, or the year of the Monkey.  Myth has it that one of his first encounters with Robin- - was at Pete Richard's wedding.  But there is no reference to my being there, which I was.  Again, I don't exist.  I've been instructed to omit any reference to the fourth of July barbecue at "Kerry and Gay's" house- - as some jokers on Sirius A say.   Howard had a motorcycle, as evidenced by the song "Hellon Wheels".  He got the nickname of Sailor Sam - - after the reference on two Mc Cartney songs and also on Bob Dylan's 115th Dream.  This song would suggest that his jail time was done out here rather than back in the Midwest.  And for a time Howard was employed as an inturn or something working for a rock band "Underassisted West Coast Promo Man".  This song had the allusion that Howard was still rather poor.  Howard and Robin began a major romance and liked to drive a lot.  It is suggested they drove to Santa Cruz to the pike amusement park up there- - along the ocean, and that Howard was fond of pinball arcades  "Tombstone Blues"   And Zachery was conveived as their mad romance continued.  "Those Hollywood Nights" by Seeger and "Candy's House' and "Prove it all night" by Springsteen.  Zachery was conceived on a new moon just before sunrise "Brain Damage" and "Ol' 55"  - - later on Robin got a dog named Toby - - apparently in a rainy day at the shelter.  Howard and Robin used to like to run along the beach and also run with the dog "Born to Run" Springsteen.  Robin herself was kind of a former straight laced Christian from a restrictive school, but underwent a makeover, even to the point of using drugs "Life in the Fast Lane".   You can slip "New Kid in Town' in there somewhere.  Since we have no dates Howard's life did not necessarily end on December 30th 1975.  As to how the thing ended it's generally assumed that he dumped her because if his fiancee back home found out what he was doing he'd have Hell to pay.  "Brighton Rock".   Also "Victim of Love" and "Lying Eyes" allude to the fact that he's the one who broke it off.  And once again he hitchhikes to Chicago as in "Ride On" by AC DC. and also "When the Levy Breaks" and a song called "Going to Chicago".   At some point Howard got a car but was ambushed by gunshots.  "Shots" by Neil Young.  Also the song "Surfer Joe' on that same album, "He caught the big one and let it go" refers to his big chance at Romance.  "Desperado" also figured in here too messing with the wrong card, alias Woman.  The whole jealousy factor with the fiancee yields yet a new song I never suspected as a clue.  "The Wind Cries Mary".  They say his wife- - along with his sister- - was named Mary (from Madison)  There is the illusion to "Cinderela sweeping up on Desolation Row" and a similar reference to "The Wind Cries Mary".  The broken pieces of yesterday's life. 

But there are a few pieces that don't quite fit that are part of the Howard legond.  "Secret Agent Man" is said to be about Howard- - and also that he drove an Astin Martin like James Bond.  Also we don't know whether "Day Tripper" refers to Howard and Robin, or more likely, Pete and Robin.  That's a whole road we're not driving today.  "Drive My Car" makes reference to "Having no car".  The two songs that are about "Muah" are "On the Border" and "Good Day in Hell".  Actually "Hell" refers to the iffy relationship I had with Laura before we were married back in late 80 and early 81.  But then we have the idea of Howard being Latino.  It's assumed that just because Roger Shepherd was Latino then Howard had to be.  The Sirius A people say "not necessarily".  So I asked my Romulan friends what "Spanish" or "Spaniard" or any word like that meant in Romulan.  They came up with "span", which is pronounced "spawn".   "span" is third person singular, and they point out that it's an "irregular verb" and they gave me a whole lot of verb congegations I won't bore you with.  The word "Span" as kind of a non cognate- - means "to meat out" or to "to measure out" or "to allocate".  That definition didn't do it for me.  As you know there is that Adam in the Ants song "See the Spaniard eating chocolates".  That could very well refer to me.  Also "A Spaniard in the Works" just might refer to - - - you never know.  Someone had said that "I bet there is another meaning of the word Spaniard, and could I possibly be one".   Then we come to the Basque definition.  Thank you, Jim Cooper.  The BOSC came through for me.  People talk about the unusualness of the Basque language.  In that language "Spain" or the like means "On the Border".   There's a Paul Mc Cartney song called "Dear Friend with the line "On the border line".  I used to live on the border between Anaheim and Buena Park and slipped back in forth all the time with ease.  (just as some say I slip in and out of insanity with ease)  Of course it's no secret that I first got my taste for Tequila Sunrises, when I visited Hawaii in June of 1975, but that song isn't even on the album anyhow.  I think Jim Cooper referred to this album cover when he said "I guess that's the worm you find at the bottom of a bottle of tequila.  Maybe I suffer from middle child sindrone or something.  I'm one of these nuts who believes warring sides of an issue can be reconciled.

Revolution In The Air

This right wing web site said that in 2014 an economic disaster will overtake this country that will prove so horrendous it will be greater than Sandy Hook, Aurora, and 9-11 all rolled into one.  I don’t know for sure but I’ll tell you what there is a greater probability of.  And that is what we have assumed will never happen now- - a Revolution will break out in America either sparked by an adverse verdict in the Zimmerman case, or perhaps due to the Voting Rights Court Ruling.

Marsha Clark and Chris Darden would have thrown a fit if the defense in the OJ Case had presented a video tape of O J Simpson describing how he was NOT responsible for the murders of Nicole or Ron Goldman.  But in Sanford Florida at the Zimmerman trial you have all of this unsworn testimony freely being admitted into Evidence.

In the song El Paso there is a line that goes “My love for Thelina is stronger than my fear of Death.  At some point – the American people’s outrage against government abuses will be stronger than their fear of death.  With the vicious efficiency of governments now, I imagine there will be a horrendous slaughter of protestors, and then- who is to say?

Fifteen years ago virtually none of the factors were in opporation as far as my sister in law’s militancy for the Right Wing.  But back then nobody seemed to care.  Maybe they would mention Clinton’s activities in passing, but it wasn’t any big thing- - and at any rate- - politics wasn’t considered the primary role of fundamentalist Christianity.

President Obama has given up on most of the political agenda of his voting base – those most responsible for putting him into office.  But Barock Hussein Obama may perceive all of this differently.  One could invision his using a little Barbra Bush logic in saying of himself, “Actually I think it all worked out pretty good- - that is- - considering I’m a Black Man”

Edward Snowden protested against that which was strictly legal.  Jesus Christ went into the Temple to throw out the money changers, but not one time in scripture does it say that there was anything dishonest or underhanded about what the money changers were doing.

You could not sacrifice an animal in the Temple that didn’t have the official kosher tag on it.  But Neil would deny an alcoholic the right to “Believe in God as he or she understands God” because- - let’s face it- - Neil Savedra would like to put one of these kosher tags on God, too.

The Author of the Population Bomb made a bet in 1980 that a whole host of metal commodities would be much higher in price in ten years than they were in 1980.  He was wrong on virtually every count.  One could argue that possibly (or maybe not) it’s just that the guy’s knowledge of markets and economics wasn’t up to whatever sociological skills he claimed to have.

In the council at Nicia in the fourth century, the Church Fathers opted for “parity of the Gods” in the Trinitarian formula.  (the joker speaks)  “Oh, you mean, kind of like the potty parody that feminists are fighting for in our time!   (response) Wow I didn’t see that one coming.

Jesus said that your worst enemies would be the members of your own family and it would be relative against relative – three against two.  You with the lobotomy scars- - you say you know what this means.   RP Mac Murphy, “Well, I guess it would mean that a Full House will always beat three of a kind”

.

Our friend Neil Savedra says “He who looks hard and earnestly enough for the Answers of Life will find them.  Well, the Truth of that remark is dubious - - and I advise Neil not to get too hopeful about his being pleased- - even if in some sense this statement proved to be True.

We who do not believe are accused of such sins as “Rebellion against God” and ‘Denial of the Truth”.   Yeah, Denial is one of those barbed words.  Tell me is it any less of a crime for you to deny my truth that I talk to Mal Evan or Stu Sutcliffe, than it is for Me to deny your god or gods.  After all there is basically no physical evidence of either.

An angel told those on looker seeing the ascension of Jesus into the clouds “Why do you gaze up into space?  You will see this Jesus return just as he went up”.    Let me ask you- is there any possibility this scripture could be True?  I’ll give you a big hint if you’re having a problem with it.  Are any of those people seeing that sight still physically alive?  I rest my case.

It was 35 years ago when Chuck Smith announced that in Israel they were completing plans to rebuild the Temple of Herod “any day now”.  How’s that one worked out so far?

The Battle Aginst the Poor Continues

It was a warm and sunny (and dry) Easter week in 1968 when I was recording stuff off the radio and there was a news blerb of Martin Luther King's funeral where Coretta Scott King begins a speech with "The struggle for the Poor will Go On".   Well "The system" as Black people aptly refer to government in general, is at war with the Poor almost as a generic class.  You know it used to be that Conservatives tempered their words such as Ronald Reagan saying "I believe in helping the Truly Needy" and of course we all know about President Bush's "Compassionate consertavism".  But there is nothing the least bit compassionate about today's conservatism, it is thoughtless, malicious and vengeful.   You know people are talking about this war on Labor Unions.  I'll remind you what Barry Goldwater said in his book "The Conscience of a Conservative"  He said of Labor Unions 'Just because people SHOULD join doesn't mean they should be Compelled to join them".  He spoke of this in the context of giving to charities in general where it's something people Should do- - but it would be incorrect to Compel them to.  So what did Goldwater mean by this.  Why did he say a person "Should" join a labor union?  Because Labor Unions are responsible for keeping the overall wage market higher from what it would otherwise be.  People who do not join labor unions are profiting from the labor of another.  As such Larry Elder is way to the political right of Barry Goldwater.  He's the guy who stated that the way to keep these restless young huligans in line is to get them a job that pays three dollars an hour so that "They will have respect for the value of a dollar".  But Larry Elder commits a major logical error.  He errs in that he says "Market forces on their own will cause the wage floor to rise way above minimum wage if we just get the government out of the way to unleash the economy" and all of that.  But there is what I call the "vaccination factor".  Just as it would be a mistake to stop vaccinating for a certain serious disease because incidences of that disease have been reduced 95% or something in the past few decades.  Because clearly the incidences of that disease are reduced BECAUSE we ARE vaccinating for it.  You can clearly see how this chain of logic would extend to the voting rights law.  I would remind you that Henry Ford paid his workers what some would call the obscenely high ammount of five dollars a day, "So that they would be able to afford the cars that they were producing".  Henry Ford was a wise man indeed.  But today we are informed that ANY rise in workers wages has to be a bad thing.  Back then in 1907 or whatever people were calling such high wages "A crime against the economy itself".   I would remind you that Ford paid those high wages, in the true spirit of Barry Goldwater, not because he HAD to, but because he CHOSE to.  (Selah)

The biggest news of the day apparently is that congress has failed to act on student loans, whose interest rate will double from 3.4% to 6.8% - which is double the market- - just to inform all you Adam Smith fans.  I have absolutely no idea how they can justify such high rates.  The average college student works his ass off for four years hoping to better himself only to be saddled at the end of it all with an average debt of $35,000 - and no job.  Randy Rhodes spoke of something else I tried to alude to in a recent posting but she did a much more conceise job of explaining it.  She said that "Back when I started broadcasting people listened to you if you had Credibility and knew what you were talking about.  And if you didn't know what you were talking about and all your words were based on vitrial and anger devoid of facts, people would tune you out.  This is what I was trying to say is that certain people "You just stop listening to after a while' for the sake of your own sanity.   And the primary reason isn't "Well- - are you saying you're Better than me?"   No.  It's because you're an Idiot who doesn't know anything and I don't want your idiotic notions floating around clouding my mind".   People who use this "Do you think you're better than me (spoken often while you're sitting down and the other stands over you invading your "personal space" if you know what I mean)" but people who do this are changing the issue as if you will "aching for a fight".  Now we hear that North Carolina is cutting both the duration of unemployment benefits- and also the ammount to a level nobody could possibly live on.  You will remember that Newt Gingrich said that "The cure to the unemployment problem is to cut unemployment off and these lazy people will get off their butts and find work".  Of course we know this was not Newt's motive in saying this at all.  He knows that the more unemployed people there are actively working for work, this will drive up National unemployment figures so that they will be higher and he can say "you see- - President Obama's economic policies have failed".  But as Randy Rhodes points out (not that it wasn't abondantly obvious before) that cutting someone OFF of unemployment will do absolutely nothing to Create Job Oppertunities.  People seem to miss this point.  All it will do is increase cut throat competetion and drive down workers wages.  But it has another undesirable side effect for Business itself in that it will encourage a worker to quit the moment he can find a job that isn't paying starvation wages  Even the lowliest worker, after all, has to have hope.  (Just like the Simpson's episode last night)  So basically what you have is a constant turnover of workers so that any money a Business invests in training these employees is lost, and you have to start over.  But a more insidious principle is at work here just like with Health Care.  That is these tea party red states will cut off funding for people- - even if it means they Lose their Matching Federal Aid.  They call this "principle" and all, almost as if they were head of some small sovreign kingdom or something.  In other words they are so bent in doing injury to the workers- - they will gladly forfeit Matching Federal Funds to accomplish this.  (Selah)

Judy has this saying that "She understands what President Obama is like because he won't except blame for his own failures after Four Years in the office as President.  This is a symptum of some mental rationalization illness or something.  Knowing Judy she probably accused ME of the same thing in the next sentense, but I'm not certain.  Well- - look at the Church and "good people' through the ages blaming the Fall of Rome on moral decadence.  Because the Empire was Christian by the Emperor's own edict since 324 AD or something like that.  And the Empire didn't call till 412 or something.  That's a hundred long years to "fix' the problem if you thought there WAS one, and it didn't get fixed.  Part of the problem - - and my complaint about Pastor Mark has always been this - - "To solve problems you must keep the comunacation lines open".  That means the Republicans need to work with the President to pass bills like the gun bill and these numerous jobs bills, and now the immigration bill.  It takes two to tango after all.  And some at the Republican Convention quoted Clinton as saying "Just give us two years- - and if the economy isn't humming along the way it should be after that- - then you can vote these people out of office".  Well- - we didn't HAVE those two years.  The Republicans have been the defacto DESPOTS who have called all the shots in America since 2010.  To put it another way you have one half of one of the three Branches of Government calling all of the shots- - in kind of a tail wag the dog or something.  It's the Right Wingers won't "man up" and take responsability.  Samantha Brady was more of a "Man" on today's soap episode than George Zimmerman will ever be.  She answered every question firmly, forthrightly and Truthfully.  She gave a complete and conceise picture of exactly what went on in that hospital room.  George Zimmerman by contrast changes his story every other day- - and probably won't have to testify at all. One thing that got me physically mad was when some news show said "Zimmerman doesn't have to testify because the Defense attorney has already placed all of the key words on the record like saying that Trayvon Martin sucker punched Zimmerman and was the agressor and had this stealth deception to- use the conversation with the girlfriend as kind of a cleaver ruse".  And Zimmerman never has to swear to anything under Oath or to be cross-examined about it.

There are just plain old fashioned Bad Character traits in right wingers.  Gene Scott once said when some creditor accused him of "Bad Faith" said "Well, you know- - at least Bad Faith is better than no Faith at all".  I'd like to see him try and use that one in court.  My advocacy of Atheism is really an appeal to a basic notion of Fairness that Religion can't equal.  And I'll give you an example.  When King David wanted a drink from a certain fountain in enemy territory- - because that water was of high quality - - one of his men at great peril to himself sought to get it for him.  David poured the water on the ground.  What Onan did with his seed, David did with a scarce resource.  But I maintain it wasn't David's call to placate some God of his own imagination and turn to this God he himself invented and say "Look at my piety.  Just look at what I did for you?"  Where does that leave the guy who actually took the risk?  How would one expect him to feel?  People won't own up to their flaws.  For instance on the soap opera there are two people who after they have "Apologised" to you- - you feel like you've "been slimed" and need to go off and take a long shower.  The word contriteness is not in their vocabulary but they hurl ten indictments against you- - and engage in the most massive blame shifting campaign you ever saw. I am speaking of Christian Di Mira and Jack Deverous Jr.  Each offence, no matter how bad- - is eclipsed by the next one- - and you're left breathless even trying to keep track of them after a while.  People don't own up to things.  For instance Pete Richards will sometimes stop mentioning a topic so much he used to mention all the time.  And when it comes up in conversation he will turn on you saying 'Oh I never believed THAT.  Or worse yet, "If you thought I believed THAT then you are really Stupid".  What you would like to hear from them is "I misled you and crammed something down your throat repeatedly I knew wasn't true".  Take Paul Ryan and his love of Ayan Rand's writings.  As you know her hero role model is a psychopathic murderer.  And Ryan would insist that employees of his read her.  Now Ryan says "Oh, I was always a Christian".  The tea party people love to hide behind "God".  Often- - and Pete Richards used to do this.  He will say "Oh- I didn't do that to you- - it was just God teaching you some lesson".  They also love to use the scripture in Samuel about "The people haven't rejected YOU as King- - they have rejected Me".  So this gives license to every preacher to as it were "Sit in the seat of God", which is something Jehovah accused Satan of doing, which is why he was thrown out of Heaven.  You see when it comes to the Bible I can quote rings around them.  So then they'll attack me on psychological grounds.  Well, I could like to now attack THEM on psychological ground.  Because the whole Identies of these people is "God".  So they will tell you that the parable of the Tallents Jesus Christ gave his desciples- - is really about cut throat Capitalism, which is why Mitt Romney should be elected President.  There are times when I suspect "If these people weren't hiding behind "God" they'd be unable to look themselves in the mirror each morning.  All these people I mention from "The other side" if I dropped all of that instantly and never took it up again- - my moral and intellectual justification wouldn't change a quarter turn.  But for these people, if they had to give up "God" their whole Identities would be Gone.  I wanted to get back to keeping communacation lines open.  You see- - these people teach- - - they teach that one should never be "unequally yoked" with a spouse- - even if that spouse IS a Christian but "hasn't advanced as far spiritually as you have".  One time I heard Pete Richards actually use this line as a rationalization for the divorce of his first wife.  But there is a price to be paid down the line for this practice and we as a nation are paying it.  The red states are getting redder and the blue states are getting bluer.  So then there IS no "meeting someone- - who changes your whole view on things" because in the words of you know who "People don't change".  So it is no surprise that the words of Jesus are coming true that "Your own children are twice the children of Beelzibub than you yourselves are".  Because at least the initial convert has some notion in the back of his mind - - - at some time he knew what "Reality" and "The World' really was.  But their children and grand children have no clue.  This is why Mitt Romney was only a shadow of the man his father was, and his own children will probably grow up to be even shallower and more bereft of virtue and character than He was.  (Selah)

Yet many will say "OK the tea party really screws up Bible verses but the bottom line is that you should be a capitalist devoid of all governmental involvement- - because it Works.  Many state that mankind is evil and therefore needs some overlord to "show them the right way".  This is an anti democratic line of thought.  When "Eve of Destruction" came out in the spring of 1965 I wasn't crazy about the lyrics.  I had major questions about it.  The overall theme of the song I got "OK, war is bad.  We know that.  There is still racial hatred.  I know that too. We could blow ourselves off the face of the planet with an H bomb explosion.  I know that, too.  But when Berry Mc Guire became a Christian it said to me "This guy has given up on human nature and taken refuge in something else- - which will do nothing to solve any of the problems he enumerate in the song".   One thing that gets a Christian ticked off- - and Pastor Mark has said this.  It's someone coming up and saying to him that "When I tried Christianity and it just didn't work out for me".  Depending on the guy's life story- - this may have been incredibly sugar coating the problems he was facing that apparently Christianity wouldn't help him out with.  Gene Scott "It's invalid to dare to claim of Christianity "It doesn't work" because "Religion isn't supposed to WORK.  That's not how you judge it".   Pastor Halliday said to me "God is not a Utilitarian".  I'm not certain of the context of this remark but it probably had something to do with things I was seeing and hearing that were just pragmatically stupid and unwise- in a completely worldly sense.  And Gene again says stuff like "God likes to take his time doing things".  Well, the Roman Empire had a full century under "a benevelant Christian dictatorship", which is what Gene Scott has called himself.  Seemingly that wasn't enough time for God to act.  Gene Scott has said that "Turn the other cheek" doesn't work.  We know that "Prayer till you're blue in the face" doesn't work.  You can't "wear God down".  Just a few days ago I encountered a stubborn person who finally got around to seeing things my way.  My first thought strangely was "Well- - even THEY will change- - but God won't".   Even the computer in War Games was said to "learn something".  What does God learn?  Or put another way "Why is it necessary for God NOT to answer a prayer when it's prayed- and therefore the freshest and most relevent?  Why does god need "Time" at all, if he knows everything.  People say that democracy can't work in the long run because mankind is inherently depraved, and therefore God becomes Necessary.  But Thom Hartman points out that democracy is practiced even in the animal kingdom.  For instance in flocks of fishes, or flocks or birds, or herds of cattle- - there are indicators that they "vote" with their body language and when a majority come to a single concencus, then they head off in that direction.  And just to use a little Judy logic about 'Is this a person you can trust?  Is this a person you'd want to hire?" we know that a broken clock is right twice a day- - which means that clock actually has the exact Correct time fourteen times in one week.  But they say "But FOX news is Never right".  (Think about that)  I guess I'm asking myself- - if God is continually "overwhelmed by circumstances" so that there is this massive backlog of unanswered prayers, then how can a God like this which is 'Not a Utilitarian" and so doesn't rely on "What works", which apparently isn't important to Him, then what about Evolution.  You see Evolution - - regardless of what you believe about it- - Works.  We're here, aren't we?  Reasonably intact.  Would you trust such a delicate process of genes and chromosones to a god who apparently "gets lost walking from Olvera Street to China Town"?  Because- - I have found that my failures with Christianity are actually BELOW the odds of chance.  Which means I'd have fared better with pure Chance.  So again- - if we see such "good work" done with Evolution- - how come we don't see it from God in other areas?

A Diet Of Scitzos In the Morning

It was Breakfast with the Beatles.  Someone, perhaps that woman referred to (?) wrote an auti-biography called “Big Girls Do It Better”.   I assume she’s not referring to being a bus driver.  I was thinking of writing a thing called either “Black Men Do It Better” or perhaps “Scitzophrenics Do It Better”, but if you’re talking about love-making that’s problematical, particularly is it’s a woman involved with a scitzophrenic man.  Patty Boyd was on KLOS this morning.  Mal Evans has tagged her “Everybody’s Favorite Beatle Wife”.  As to the song “Wild Honey Pie” her opinion swaying a whole band who were against putting it on an album is interesting.  To borrow from Sara Lee a bit "Nobody doesn't like "Wild Honey Pie".  There aren’t that many songs that could be called “Psychedelic” on the White Album.  You have Piggies, and Glass Onion, and Revolution 9 and perhaps Dear Prudence, and that’s about it.  I’m looking for the first person to put out the roomer that Brian Jones really wrote Piggies and not George Harrison.  (remind me to run that idea past Valerie Shoffner next time I see her)  We of the classic music bent have these thing we look for called compositional integrity and Piggies has it.   I didn’t know “Hey Bulldog” was a problem because people asked them not to play it so much.   Last week it was cowbells and this week it's harmonicas.  According to one source, an early John Lennon harmonica was when he saw a new one in a store front window in Hamburg right when they arrived and decided to do a five fingered discount.  People from the other side have pointed out that from mid 1963 onward "The most indisputably pure John Lennon songs were the ones he did on harmonica".  (just to make the list more comprehensive- throw in 'It Won't Be Long" and 'Not A Second Time" to that list) (see *) There is one exception to this rule but KLOS decided to OMIT this particular song anyhow, and that one was "I'm a Boozer"   - - no it's I'm a Loser.  I have a very definite idea about how that song should end, and I mean End as in suddenly, and on one particular Note.  Certain songs you hear live versions of and are used to and you hear the studio fade-outs and they sound a bit odd to you.  (I was going to use the word "queer")  Two glaring examples come to mind.  One is "Smoke on the Water" and the other is "Something For Nothing" from the "2112" CD by Rush.  However- - consider that I've heard from two sources that Carl Perkins was present in the studio when songs like "I'm A Loser" (or is it "I'm a Luger?"  - - anyhow - - were recorded.  Certain songs on this album have a more organic, earthy quality that up to then had been lacking.  Sometimes Beatles bring in outside people and you can almost psychicly sense their presence.  Like Billy Preston's influence on the Let It Be sessions.  Arguably - - here we are going "round the bend" a little - - Yoco was this outside influence on the 'New York City" album, which makes this album great.  But then he needed a new Yoco for "Mind Games" and picked - - - Me.

(*)  And we can also include "If I Fell" and "A Hard Days Night" from that third CD in this "pure Lennon category that survives the double Romulan whiplash test.  By the way I was apprised about "Just Give Me Some Truth" by Syd Barret last week.  This song according to him was written in early 1968 and was meant to contain word gibberish to fill out the lines- - in the "jump rope jingles' tradition of "I'm A Walrus" that had the line "Yellow matter custard- - dripping from a dead dog's eye".  Syd did not even know Richard Nixon again was intending to run for President and had only fleeting knowledge of the term "Tricky Dick" to begin with.  And the original end of another line was "Mama's Little Short Cake"  (not "Chovenist")  As to the tune we see the clear Syd Barret genious and he points out he "uses the double sub-dominent, just the way I used that chord in that context in "Day in a Life".   He also says "I knew I wanted it to be a Beatle lead guitar part and I also wanted the lead guitar break to come relatively early, just as it does in "Nowhere Man".

"And now John Lennon will regale us with his talents on the mouth organ as he sings "Gona Go Down Town gonna see my Baby, Gotta See My Babe Gona Show Her My Ding Dong"

Certain songs I still have a “warped ear” because I’m used to hearing them on a fast turntable that I used to have, and they played one of them today, “Eat At Home”.   Others of this bent are ‘NSU” by Cream, “This Ain’t The Summer Of Love”, “What’s Coming Down”, which they evidently played, and “Can You See Me”.  Apparently “Coming Down” is officially titled “I Know I Know”.   There was something about Stevie Nicks mentioned that reminded me of that time exactly Nine Months ago I tried to remember her name and couldn’t, and I looked in the drawer and found two CD’s missing, which were “Return of the Rocker’ and “Yellow Submarine”.   The only remnant of YS I still have is that altered version of ‘Northern Song”.  Like that weekend it’s the 30^th and the next day I get to go to the ATM.  I went down to the courtyard for one cup of coffee and bread pudding from Laura and then back up.  Patty Boyd is just one of those people who exude positive vibes- - but I honestly didn’t know she was really into photography the way Linda M is.  And now we venture into the absurd.  Richi Valenz evolved in his guitar playing.  He claimed that Eric Claptin was a role model- - but two stronger roles were - - “The Swinging Blue Jeans”, which is a real group I’d call definitely formative.  The other is one of his Detroit Romulan friends named Dion R and the last name is some hard to pronounce Italian word.  He’s the other guy- - along with Cabrillo Capeta and Phil Wrigley- - the latter of course, who plays bass on Cold Turkey.  However what I didn’t know was on that same tape are several attempts at Savory Truffle- - not much in the way of singing but there is Black Bart on drums as before, and Phil on bass, Richi on lead, and Black Bart’s brother on organ.  Strangely the main lead guitar “bridge” is missing also.

This is Sunday June 30, 2013 and as long as we’re doing anniversaries of 1963 on this date in history our family went to some organized picnic at Irvine Park and me and brother Al won first place in a three legged race.  I think Dad has movies of the event.  I just remember that date of Sunday June 30, 1963.  I was still recording certain events involving the sun in the first half of 1963 and the last reading was for Sunset on June 24^th.  Just now that new lady gave me her last Time cigarette, saying she let me have a whole white cigarette because I hadn’t asked for one.  And I hadn’t intended to ask for one hearing she was short.  She talked on at length about her life history.  I am watching Meet the Press and Ralph Reed claims that even now post Court ruling if any state like Texas claims racial bias in redictricting- - then they are free to apply the portion of the Voting Rights law that was left intact.  On another matter I get uncomfortable when someone says that in 1963 there was little push in the country at large to abolish segregation on a nationally mandated level.  That is not even accurate, so trying to carry over this logic on to the gay marriage issue is doubly distasteful.  I remember reading Theodor White’s book, that both the Democratic and Republican platforms had strong Civil Rights advocacy planks, and the Republican plank was due in large part to the pressing for it by Vice President Richard Nixon.  But even in 1948 Hubert Humphrey pressed hard for a Civil Rights plank in the Democratic platform.  Now they are discussing the abortion issue.  Contrary to the impression left in blogger, I would actually have voted FOR this abortion ban in Texas, because I believe abortion is immoral, and also inhumane- - and anything that would limit it and save lives, I am for.  If that means closing down abortion clinics, fine.  Some people live by the adage “If you are able to get away with it, then it’s OK”, kind of a perversion of “No Harm; No Fowl”.

I got up at five thirty this morning after lying in bed a while hearing a lot of commotion in the halls.  I had time to listen to that UFO guy on KFI talking about the “Seti” project, that I don’t know what is.  The host was saying if he were given a chance to be on the first space ship to Mars or live on Mars for the rest of his “earthly” life (so to speak) then he’d do it, and “see what another world has to offer”.  I smoked all three of my remaining cigarettes before breakfast and possibly this was unwise.  Neil Savedra was the guy who mentioned the Chinese proverb about asking a question and “being the fool for five minutes”.  You see I didn’t know where I’d heard that, and thought it was something Leo Le Port might have said on his show.  But now Neil is talking about this college professor who chucks all of his vast acquired knowledge in the trash can because he’s “exposed to something new”.  I would hope one’s beliefs were not so shallow that merely by “meeting a Christian girlfriend” or even a future wife- - that that along would color one’s perception of everything else, but perhaps this happened with C S Lewis.  Then there was the line of Neil of “You just aren’t listening to the advice of another because you think you’re better than they are”.  I guess we need then to define who the “they” is.  Because may “they” in turn- - think, a la Dr. Levy, that THEY are better than you!  (Selah)  Being a sponge isn’t necessarily a bad idea but sponges in time get dirty and attract germs.

On the KNXT morning news they had on this rather healthy looking eighty year old lifeguard, who has been in that profession since he was a teenager, and enjoys teaching swimming to the next generation.  Then they had the case of a seventeen year old who forfeited his last year in High School and wasn’t part of his 1944 graduating class, all so he could join the Navy and serve his country in WW II.  Then there is this lady who wrote twenty steamy- - and pornographic Love Novels- - in the space of one year.  How could a person physically go literally from being booted out of their house for failure to make the mortgage payment, to writing twenty novels and having them all best sellers on-line?   People won’t even read my blog postings.  I have talent.  I wrote that “Suicide series” of things starting April first 1996 that went on for about three months.  There was that show “Nowhere Man” and each of these “bits” I typed would end in a different state of Reality, and the big question was- - which one was the real one?   I also wrote “History” and “Civil War”, which are also fanciful fiction with a lot of veiled messages and barbs at people.  But these two stories are badly organized.  Sometimes I think the stuff I wrote in 1996 and 1997 were better and more realistic and down to earth than my writings from 1998 and 1999 after I began taking Judy’s vitamins.  Because what strikes me about reading this stuff is that I seem so “up” all the time and I’m asking my screen “What have you got that makes you appear so emotionally up?”    Of course so much of my stuff was trashed by parents either when I moved here- - or like the day of Uncle Bob’s funeral when it was a day not unlike today.  It was oppressively hot and we were all hot and tired- - but presumably had a stop watch on us like the old KABC game show “Supermarket Sweep”.  Ideally I would have allotted myself maybe five times as much time to go through all of Dad’s tapes and pick out the ones I wanted in a more deliberative fashion.  But name me one time when Mom’s slogan doesn’t seem to be, like with my own writings “Just throw it out”.  And even at Dad’s funeral she had to be reminded by Pete Richards not to drown herself in the mundane- - and “to consider Dad’s passing as a whole life to celebrate and think of what sort of a person Dad was”.  This is a human being, a human life that passed- - and it isn’t “Just another chore we need to do”.   Mom always asked me whether I saved writings from things I sent to the TV media.  I told her I thought I had copies of the majority of things I sent.  But like for instance that “Gulf War I” drama I did that was a parody of Rush Limbaugh’s idea- - I typed that at ROP and ran off copies on the Printer- and I haven’t run across it yet.  And ditto for that letter I went to Mark Bove in February of 1991 that I ran off a copy on the Printer- - and hopefully saved a copy for myself.  Of course then starting in the early spring of 1991 the writings break off entirely and that material then and in 1992 and 1993 and in 1994 is lost, apparently.  There was a lot of good stuff written then, because I believed starting in the spring of 1991 my stuff became more focused and organized.  Flash: Event conflation Alert somewhere in the Previous Paragraph.  Can You Find It?

I went off on that longer than I intended to, but it’s important.  Now it’s ten after nine and the TV is still on.  The AC is working fine.  They are holding 5 and 10 K runs in the city of Pasadena this morning starting at seven AM to get it in early.  They were talking about doing a half Marathon, which would be 20 K but they may have canceled that.  Yesterday it got up to 121 in Indio and 122 in Palm Springs.  It was 118 in Phoenix, and Death Valley clocked in at 128 degrees, six degrees off the all-time record.  They are “only” predicting a 98 for Anaheim, so we get a two degree break from initial prediction.  Right now it doesn’t seem all that bad, yet, outside.  Last night they were comparing Audis and BMW’s on some station claiming that both car manufacturers have matched model per model- - with Audi now the growing trend because it costs a little less.   Friday afternoon at three on the Katie Kuric show they had the top of “over-parenting’ for a full hour.  There were various aspects of that and the concencus now is that perhaps a child should nurse from the breast until he turns two.  Someone coined the saying that “if you’re old enough to ask for it, you’re too old to get it”.  I like that one.  But in general they have been talking about these apron string parents like in Sixty Minutes for the past decade or so with the same observations made about the Millennium Generation that they feel “special” and “entitled” and as little kids they experienced being at bat “until they got an on base hit”.