Raise Taxes… Or We'll Have To Kill Zoo Animals

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I’m surprised they haven’t tried this in California. After all, if they can use the inadvertent death of a minnow in the Sacramento Delta to destroy the ag industry in parts of the Central Valley (which decrease revenue from agriculture), then heck, they might as well use the creatures to get a sympathy vote for tax increases.

I Can Cry If I Want To!!!! UPDATED

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Jeremy Dendle, my ol’ room mate – This is for you!

Note the presence of Thomas Dolby toward the end of the song. He and Dave Stewart were best buds from what I can gather. More Here.

…. and here’s Pazeekah crying if she wants to….

PS. I am grateful that you introduced me to Dave Stewart / Barbra Gaskin and Dan Pena is still grateful for letting us play your Icicle Works album at our get-togethers.

UPDATE! “Spin”, the last album they recorded, came out in 1991. I’m very happy to report, they have a new album “Green and Blue“. Yes, I’m going to get it!!!!!!

Joanne: Told Ya So

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My wonderful bandmate and I were talking about the recent ramp-up of hostile rhetoric and actions coming from North Korea. She was very very concerned, frightened even. I’m all…. meh. My speculation was that these gyrations are due to the imminent demise of Kim Jong Il. This is just the government’s way of preping or the handover to his son. “See, look How Strong We Are”. Well, this came up on Drudge today. Kim Jong Il… is ill. OK, he has been for some time, but new photos show how bad he’s looking. Happy Trails.

More On Palin – Conservatives Play The Victim Card…. For Ratings.

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On many conservative blogs, you’ll read something like this:

The amount of vitriol and harassment Sarah Palin has endured following November as a losing prez or VP candidate is no doubt unprecedented in American history.

Uhm, someone doesn’t know much about the revolutionary period. Please read up on the history of John Adams vs. Jefferson vs. Alexander Hamilton vs. Aaron Burr vs Madison vs John Marshall. Then read up on the alien and sedition acts. Then read up on the Jacksonian period of politics, then read about some of the slander aimed at Abe Lincoln early in his career (though that wasn’t too bad). Revolutionary war hero and Washington Aid de Camp Hamilton had it much much much much worse than Palin. He was slandered to the point where he couldn’t even run for dog catcher!

One blogger said about me: Read more »

Sarah Palin Resigns – My Thoughts

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Just listened to her speech. She’s leaving because (I guess) there were too many inquiries, both legal and from the press corps.

Well, she had legal investigations. What do you expect when you act in a maverick fashion. You don’t follow normal protocol, you get called for it. And she also blames the media. Gee, there’s a surprise. One of the most over-used GOP whines. The media is liberal. Get used to it. And the Letterman thing, like so many of the other brough-ha-ha’s, would have died if you just left it alone. It was a stupid joke. Does she realize she’s admitting that she can’t handle the attention and burden of public office. But there are already bloggers who are running with this sad excuse as a legit reason to quit. As governor. Of a state with a population only slightly larger than the city of Fresno.

And that sports analogy? She’s not passing the ball – she’s tanking the game!

Bottom line – she quit ’cause she couldn’t govern and couldn’t stand the pressure.

GOP. Is this really who you want to be your candidate????

Sad answer will probably be yes.

PS. Some on the intertubes are noting she looks aweful thin…. and she does. But if she’s ill, then why not just say so? There certainly would only be positives of going in the direction of honesty, like sympathy and understanding, rather than go off on some poorly thought out sports analogy.

I'm Getting This – Update: Got It…. FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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It took two weeks, but now it is officially mine!!!! Went into the garage, hooked it to my stack (which has been collecting dust as of late), started practicing to Police songs… Man!!!! This bass growls just like I remembered. Here is an example (go to “Message Of Love” or “Inspire Me” for an example). I’m gonna have to start a new cover band so I can play the thing to its potential.

Previous Post:

A red Peavey Dyna Bass. I am a HUGE fan of Peavey basses. I used to have a Peavey Dyna Bass 4 stringer in the 90’s. It was a terrific bass. It was my workhorse for many years. Fantastic tone. Made me sound better than I was. It, along with my Yamaha 5’er, got stolen in late 2000, and I couldn’t find a replacement for the Dyna. So I got another Yamaha. But deep in my heart, I longed to have my old bass back, but know it is likely I will never lay my hands on that beloved guitar. I still look around to see if it will surface. Cliffie, my San Diego guitarist, got his beloved Charvel back after fourteen years, so it’s not impossible. Regadless, I’m finally going to be playing a Dyna Bass, and it only took nine years. Told you I was a procrastinator!!!

dyna

For A Friend.

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I wrote this for a friend I lost fifteen years ago. I didn’t find out he was gone until I heard friends talking about him the night after the funeral. I never got the chance to morn in a “normal” way, so I wrote this instead.

JUST ONE TEAR

Who’s to say
That the road we take
Is the road we should be traveling
Who knows
If the path we take
Is the one we should be on

Without you here
Life is slowing down
And any sense it made’s unraveling

No need to try and wonder why
Or dwell on things we left unsaid
I’m only left to sit and hope
Yours was a life with few regrets

Who’s to say
If what we do is right or wrong
I guess now I’ll never know

I can say I knew you, You were a friend of mine.
I don’t now how to say goodbye, You were a friend of mine

There must be something more to say
It may be better off this way

You were a friend of mine

This would come out fine
If I would cry just a little
This might come out better
If I could cry just a little

Just one tear
You were a friend of mine.

The Tea Party Movement – Mission Creep Sets In.

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I was afraid of this. I am seeing more and more non-fiscal issues getting pushed into the TP agenda. From a link I provided in the previous post, a quote from one of the Tea Party organizers in Madera confirms that the message of fiscal responsibility is slowly being pushed to the side by those with other agendas:

The “Tea Parties” initially started as a tax protest movement after Democrats swept the White House and Congress. Rogers wants the “Did You Know” section on the handout to let the public know their movement like the Declaration of Independence isn’t just about taxes. “If people don’t wake up concerning our freedoms, we’re going to find ourselves completely stifled and unable to be a free people anymore.”

I haven’t seen the “DYK” part of the handout yet, but…..

Dammit People. Just stick to fiscal stuff. Leave the rest to others!!!!

I have been at odds with my blog-pals over at Gay Patriot, in stating that the reason the Republicans lost their way was because after the Republicans won on the “Contract With America”, fiscal conservatism took a back seat to social conservatism. Sorry Dan, but sooner or later you’re just going to have to admit I’m right on this.

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City Tries To Ban Distribution Of Declaration Of Independence….. On The Fourth Of July!

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Yes, you read that right:

This Fourth of July, families at the City of Madera’s fireworks celebration at the Municipal Golf Course will have a bounce house, face painting and kettle corn available. But not annotated copies of the Declaration of Independence.

At issue is not U.S. political history, but contemporary politics at what is intended to be a family event, according to the city. Taking a different view is the Madera Tea Party, a protest organization that opposes fiscal irresponsibility by the government. It had hoped to discuss the nation’s founding principles.

Apparently, city officials are quoted as saying that passing out the Declaration Of Independence would be “offensive“. There’s a bit more to the story than meets the eye (isn’t there always). What city officials are bothered about are the contents on the back of the DOI the Tea Party guys want to pass out. It contains a “Did You Know” facts sheet. They should have stressed that that was what they disagreed with, and said the DOI on its own would be fine. We have to be very careful here. Any group, supporting who-knows-what agenda, could use the same tactic and pass out something that, unlike the Tea Party, has no connection to United States politics at all. Or, what if someone passed out a DOI with lathering praise of President Obama on the back. Thee are a few Republicans who would go completely ballistic over that.

Keep in mind too that folks in Madera, like much of the San Joaquin Valley are typically conservative and the governments tend to reflect that. So this is probably not a “liberal” thing.

Still, some one in the public relations department has really dropped the ball on this one.