"The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object."---Thomas Jefferson
I was hoping to be posting sooner, but I've been feeling run down. A physical therapy session a couple of times a week and exercises at home have made my shoulder a large, stiff, aching lump; on a good day it feels like a grizzly is gnawing on it. I'm getting a bit stronger, but it is going slow; I still can't work a stick in my vehicle, so I'm stuck at home a lot. Thank you for all the good wishes; they have been appreciated.
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My brother, who just retired a few months ago, picked me up Thursday and we spent part of the day up in some of the local canyons where some of the leaves are just starting to turn.
Hillside in American Fork Canyon
Down above Cascade Springs in American Fork Canyon
A conifer in which all the branches died and/or were broken off; it is sprouting new ones all over the trunk
I saw these on a maple; they look like wild hops.
Closeup of hop vine
Acorn on a Gambel oak
Ever present wild flowers
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We've been having grass fires here in the Salt Lake Valley, and the air is suffering. So far no one has been injured or killed, but some houses have been lost. My best wishes to those unfortunate people.
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Looks like Rahm Emanuel is trying to decide whether to leave the president to run for mayor of Chicago. I think he should do it.
Chicago is used to having corrupt, pompous bullies in local government, so he should fit right in.
Obama should be able to replace him easily; there are plenty of crooks and tax evaders available for him to draw from.
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Looking at the list I notice two by Clapton. Oh well, how can you have too much Clapton?
"It's In The Way That You Use It" by Eric Clapton
"Stardust" by Artie Shaw
"Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones
"Edge of a Broken Heart" by Vixen
"Mirage" by Pentangle
"She's My Girl" by The Turtles
"Love Me Two Times" by The Doors
"Come A Little Bit Closer" by Jay And The Americans
"Layla (unplugged)" by Eric Clapton
"A Summer Song" by Chad & Jeremy
A classic from older days
I like the electric version, but this one is my favorite
It's getting that time of year, and these guys always sounded good
It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted here; sometimes you just don't know what to say.
I was able to get off the oxygen tube a couple of weeks ago, that was a relief. Went to the doctor today, and I don't have to wear the brace on my arm any more. Starting Thursday I will be doing physical therapy a couple of times a week to get my arm to something approaching normal in strength and mobility. Right now I can raise my arm to about 40ยบ, which is higher than I could do before the operation. I still can't lift more than about a pound in weight, since my arm has atrophied somewhat since my injury. At least now I can work a mouse and type with my right arm as long as it is resting on the arm of my chair.
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Evidently some asshole religious leader is advocating a large-scale burning of copies of the Qur'an; I can't go along with that, I have to say. There are a lot of people in the Muslim religion that consider kafirs (non-Muslims)to be enemies, but that is no reason to be causing this sort of disrespect, any more than it would not be proper for them to do this sort of thing to the Talmud or the Bible. This country is partly based on the idea of freedom of religion, whether the other religion likes us or not. If you think I'm wrong, fine; it's how I feel.
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To my Jewish friends, I wish you a good Rosh Hashanah; may your new year be prosperous and happy.
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"Green-Eyed Lady" by Sugarloaf
"California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & the Papas
"With You There to Help Me" by Jethro Tull
"Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline
"Time for Livin'" by The Association
"Gingerbread Man" by Mindi Abair
"Ain't Even Done With the Night" by John Mellencamp
"Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield
"Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
"I Drink Alone" by George Thorogood
I'm still on oxygen, but my blood sugar is looking better and I had my stitches out yesterday. Will be wearing this sling/brace for another three weeks,
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Thirty-seven years ago, today, I did the smartest thing in my life; I got married to my wife.
Happy anniversary, Sandy.
I should start at the beginning...
Wed morning, went in for surgery. I in worse condition than was previously thought; when the doctor opened me up, it was to total carnage. My bicep was torn loose, and all the top tendons and muscles were flapping loose; there was nothing really holding my humerus in the socket other than the surrounding skin, so my whole shoulder had to be reconstructed. Got home 1530 that afternoon.
At 2200 that night, I lost my breath and was fighting for breath; my diaphram was not drawing air into my lungs, and I was struggling just to breathe. Went to emergency. My lungs were fine, they cat-scanned for blood clots in the lungs, checked my heart, could find nothing wrong; in the meantime I have an oxygen mask on, and I am struggling for every breath. Tests all night. Tests all next day (I've been awake for 30 odd hours by now, getting goofy).
Middle of the day, the pain starts shooting through my shoulder; there was an automatic pain killer pump connected to my arm (which is in a gigantic sling and spacer arrangement), and a couple of minutes later, I can breath. Turns out the pump had leaked some nerve deadener onto the nerve for my breathing, and the idiot emergency doctor had never bothered to mention the pump to the succeeding doctors, so they hadn't known about it until then. I can now breath, but my oxygen levels are not looking right, I have picked up a bit of pneumonia in one lung, so I have to stay on oxygen. Was able to get about an hour sleep after they gave me massive pain killers. Getting slowly better.
Get some news; during my testing they found out I have Type II Diabetes, so now I have more joy in my life.
By now it is Saturday, they decided to send me home with antibiotics, a machine for testing blood sugar, and some oxygen tanks.
So right now I have one working arm (my left), oxygen tubes dangling from my nose, and I am studying up on how to live life as a diabetic. The only reason I have made it is because of my amazing wife.
Typing is hard with one arm and the other complications, so I may not be posting for a couple more days, but I will be reading on the net. Thanks for all the support so far, and I hope to visit your blogs today and later.
...even though I wasn't turned into a newt. Hopefully anyone coming here knows the reference.
Through the miracle of modern science, and the local Walgreen's, my gout is almost gone; my toes are a bit sore, but the rest of my foot is pretty well healed up. Good thing; this weekend is the Park City Arts Festival, which we haven't missed in over twenty years. Arts and crafts, music, and lots of types of food. We usually have lunch at the Wasatch Brew Pub and Brewery; beer-battered fish and chips and a couple of local brews does a body well.
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Personally, I'm getting tired of the same-sex marriage fight; it's time to get this thing done and move onto other things.
I don't see why anyone should really care if gay people want to become legally married. Notice I say legally married; if a church or religion does not want to recognize it, that is their right, but the government does not legally have the power to keep couples from forming legal unions analogous to marriage. If your religious beliefs don't accept this, get over it.
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New justice for SCOTUS; not much experience as a lawyer, none as a judge, mainly worked as a clerk for Clinton. What did you expect? The POTUS wanted a rubber stamp, not a constitutional judge.
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"The Poor Side of Town" by Johnny Rivers
"It Doesn't Matter Anymore" by Buddy Holly
"I Don't Know Where I Stand" by Joni Mitchell
"Welcome to My Nightmare" by Alice Cooper
"Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac
"Sweet Lorraine" by Benny Goodman
"Dawning Is the Day" by The Moody Blues
"Bluebird" by Buffalo Springfield
"Ship of Fools" by Robert Plant
"El Paso" by Marty Robbins
Still getting by; I'll be glad when I can get this shoulder taken care of so I can start on the process of using my arm fully. Right now I can't even drive.
To make my happiness complete, Friday I woke up with a throbbing right foot; it seems like my body decided that this would be prime time to have a gout flare-up, so I also have the joy of hobbling about with my cane until my medication can bring it down to reasonable levels. For those that have never had gout, consider yourselves lucky. It feels like someone dropped an anvil on your foot and crushed it. The pain level is almost as intense and pleasurable as a well-placed, hard kick in the groin.
At least I have been getting a little more sleep than before; the doctor gave me some Percocet to dull the pain when I go to bed, so now I have been getting four to six hours of sleep, which is a definite improvement.
There are some mornings where, right after you get out of bed, you tend to duck, just on reflex.
It's been hard to work in the garden; hoeing and weeding with one arm and a bit of the other has been slow, so my garden isn't as nice and neat as I would like, but we have been picking from it. Tomatoes, zucchinis, herbs, onions, garlic, horseradish, lettuce, chard, and sorrel have all been contributing.
As usual, click to enlarge.
Tennis ball sized tomatoes
The tomotillo patch is doing well
Cherry tomato, about five foot high. Behind it is grapes, and to the left is a horseradish plant.
Japanese blood plums, starting to ripen
Found a homesteader in one of my grape vines; I'm careful not to disturb her or her nest.
I can't say I'm in favor of the Ground Zero mosque. I first read about this a few months ago, and it seemed a bad idea then, and still seems like bad idea to me. In my opinion, it is about as tasteful as erecting a Japanese Cultural Center on the deck of the USS Arizona. If they do go through with construction, I worry that there may be some major protesting, and eruptions of violence. The events of 9-11 are too fresh in most people's minds, and I don't see why they are pushing for this so hard; there are plenty of places it could be built without shoving it in the faces of citizens who saw their city come under attack by people touting the same teachings as will be in the mosque.
Just my opinion.
"Chitlins con Carne" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
"If Not for You" by Olivia Newton-John
"Never My Love" by The Association
"Tom Dooley" by The Kingston Trio
"Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" by Santana
"Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding
"Lili Marlene" by Dave Brubeck
"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" by Johnny Cash
"Me and Bobby McGee" by Kris Kristofferson
"Lady Willpower" by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
Metaphorically speaking, that is. About the only time I use a pen anymore is to sign my name to something.
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My shoulder quit improving a few days ago, now it just hurts worse. Went to the specialist today and got it checked out. It seems I have a bad rotator. From what we could see, not only is the cartilage bruised, I have several muscles that have torn loose from the rotator cup and are flapping away in there. Bottom line is that in a couple of weeks I have to go into surgery and get them re-attached. Oh joy. Following that, several months of physical therapy and awesome pain levels. I guess my summer is pretty well shot in the ass as far as doing much physical stuff. Oh, well, you have to do what you have to do.
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I don't know why everyone is so excited about the so-called "leaks" about the situation in Afghanistan; anyone with a lukewarm IQ has figured out all that info by now anyway.
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Trying to blog more often, but the pain in my shoulder has been interfering with my sleep; I'm lucky to get two or three hours a night, and that is broken up into an hour here, twenty minutes there, etc. When I go several weeks on little sleep I have trouble focusing on anything very long, so thanks for bearing with me.
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Since I am tired and somewhat ornery, I have been listening mainly to sixties stuff; it seems to cheer me a bit. These are all sixties or late fifties, so I don't know how many of you out there have even heard of most of them. Try to enjoy.
"Rhythm of the Rain" by The Cascades
"Monday, Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by The Beatles
"Strangers in the Night" by Frank Sinatra
"I Am a Rock" by Simon & Garfunkel
"Downtown" by Petula Clark
"White Bird" by It's a Beautiful Day
"Runaway" by Del Shannon
"Season Of The Witch" by Donovan
"Good Morning Starshine" by Oliver
This one is to wish a happy birthday to my wife.
She is the person who keeps me grounded, loves me in spite of my many faults, and takes care of me when I am down. She treats me better than I probably deserve, and doesn't give up when the going can get bad. To me, she is the most important person in my life, and I would be lost without her. I can't imagine what my life would have been like without her, and cannot imagine not loving her.
Happy birthday, Sandy.
Getting some movement in my right shoulder, finally. Right now I can move my arm almost a half foot in any direction. W00t! Should know in a few days if my shoulder is going to be alright, or will need surgery. Back is still complaining about the abuse, but the swelling in my jaw is almost gone, though it is still painful and has some large scabs on it. Seem to have a constant headache, also. I may have gotten a slight concussion, but since I didn't lose consciousness completely, I doubt it.
A word of advice: Don't get clubbed in the jaw, it hurts, and it's embarrassing to get your ass handed to you by a piece of wood.
Looks like the nation's left wing has decided to copy the tea party movement that they have been complaining about for months. Seems to show a lack of imagination to me.
The groups involved represent the core of the first-time voters who backed President Obama -- including the National Council of La Raza, NAACP, AFL-CIO, SEIU and the United States Student Association.
Now there's bunch of thugs, crooks and losers; personally, I wouldn't trust any of that bunch. I expect that they'll be too busy with each group trying to hijack the party for their own agenda.
Does anyone really care about a rich, spoiled, idiot who can't keep her shit together, no matter how many breaks she gets? I'm getting real tired of seeing her every time I try to read the news.
Mostly old stuff here; some of you might remember it from when you were quite young.
"American Pie" by Don McLean
"Burnin' for You" by Blue รyster Cult
"Alone" by Heart
"Time of the Season" by The Zombies
"Summer Nights" by Marianne Faithfull
"Songs to Aging Children Come" by Joni Mitchell
"At the Zoo" by Simon & Garfunkel
"Love of the Common People" by Waylon Jennings
"Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)" by Hombres
"Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer" by Nat King Cole
An old one of Waylon's from the late sixties. The lyrics are still valid in the modern world.
This one is here just because it was funny and quirky.
Not only did he have a beautiful voice, this song was one of my favorites from the early sixties because the lyrics draw such a good picture of summer fun.
Especially when you're right-handed and that's the one you can't use.
Yesterday I got to take a trip to the hospital for some x-rays; I managed to to trash my jaw, my back, and my shoulder, so I am here with my arm in a sling.
I'm supposed to get the use of my arm back in a couple of days (my shoulder won't move at all, and is one big mass of throbbing pain), but if that doesn't happen I will need an MRI and possibly some surgery. Oh, well, shit happens and life goes on. If I don't do a lot of commenting over the next few days, you know why.
"Moondance" by Van Morrison
"If I Had a Hammer" by Trini Lopez
"Overture" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
"Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers Band
"Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys
"Teacher" by Jethro Tull
"Touch the Sky" by Tim Weisberg
"Hell in a Bucket" by Grateful Dead
"You Know What I Mean" by The Turtles
"Handle With Care" by The Traveling Wilburys
Today is hundred and forty-third birthday of The Great White North.
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Looked in a bit at the confirmation hearings for the new Supreme Court justice.
What a joke. Not only is Kagan inexperienced, she can't even answer a question straight. She's even better at dodging questions and talking bullshit than the president who put her name out there.
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Another July 4 coming up; hope everyone is going to have a happy and safe weekend.
Seems like it isn't quite what it used to be, even when you take into account the rose-colored glasses that all children wear until they start seeing how the world works.
Fourth of July picnics were conducted a lot different than many do them today. Hamburgers and hot dogs that were grilled over charcoal, rather than the tasteless "healthy" hot dogs of today, that are cooked over propane. Homemade potato salad, pickled eggs, corn on the cob with real butter. People played games out in the yard, and then set off fireworks when it got dark. These days the adults are watching TV, the youngsters are playing video games, and the teens have their iPods cranked up to the max and are busy ignoring everyone while texting like crazy to their friends at their own family get-togethers.
Picture of me (the taller kid) and the family over at my maternal grandmother's yard. I was probably about 14 or 15 in this picture. Click to enlarge.
There also seemed to be more optimism back then; we had more confidence in our government and way of life, we waved the flag more, John Wayne was still making movies, and people didn't complain as much about reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in school.
Like it or not, however, the world changes. And for life to go on we have to work with those changes. Much of that requires adaptation, we have to change or fall by the wayside. But there are still a few things out there that don't need to change; people used to have more faith in their government, and were willing to do what was necessary to keep it. There are some living here who hate this country, and are more interested in running it down than on making it great; they either sit around whining, or try to make it into a place that is not America, but some oppressive socialist state. You expect this sort of behavior from the uneducated, but it is disturbing how much of our academics and politicians want to make us into a place where the government dictates how we live our lives, rather than leaving that to the individual. The founders of this country would be up in arms again if they saw how things are at this point.
But enough ranting; as I said before, have a great and safe weekend, and at least try to squeeze in a little time to reflect on what a great country this is.
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Some old, some older. Any favorites in this batch?
"Yesterday" by The Beatles
"Blues' Theme" by Davie Allan & The Arrows
"For a Few Dollars More" by Soundtrack
"Good Times Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin
"Alabama Blues" by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
"Don't Walk Away" by Electric Light Orchestra
"Photograph" by Def Leppard
"Holy Water" by Bad Company
"Iron Butterfly Theme" by Iron Butterfly
"Behind Closed Doors" by Charlie Rich
One of their best, in my opinion.
I remember first hearing this in the late sixties; the first image that came to mind for me was a picture of the Winged Nazgรปl of Lord of the Rings.
Finally got around to posting again; you'd think I could do it more often, but I tend to get writer's block a lot. When it comes to talking to people (even strangers) I have no problem at all, but give me a pen or a keyboard and I choke up. If any psychologists out there have any explanations or ideas why, please let me know.
If you don't like political rants, skip to the bottom.
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It appears that General McChrystal made some derogatory remarks (he has now apologized for the remarks) about some of the POTUS' appointees, and now Obama and his lackeys are acting all butthurt and whining about it. I guess he hurt their little feelings...
You know, that's the sort of reaction I'd expect from a twelve year old girl, not an adult. The civilian sector and the military sector are always going to bump heads, it's just the way things are. The politicians are always dumping on the military, but when one of them says anything bad about politicians, all hell breaks loose. Hey, personally I think most of those same people are a bunch of assholes, and I'll be damned if I'll apologize for feeling that way. How about we get some adults in office, for a change?
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."
-Mark Twain
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"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste."
-Rahm Emanuel
Saw the president's speech the other day about the oil disaster down in the Gulf. I was not impressed.
Basically, he used it as a platform for his energy-climate bill; some how windmills and solar power are going to cut down on our use of petroleum. What a total crock of bullshit. Most of the power in this country comes from coal, oil has nothing to do with it. He is using the oil disaster to say that we need caps on carbon emissions, and a system for carbon permits. Oh, and by the way, it's all Bush's fault!
Damn, I'll be glad when this egotistical idiot and all his tax-evading buttmonkeys are out of a job.
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Some so-called watchdog group is suing McDonald's for putting toys in Happy Meals. Evidently this causes the children to uncontrollably buy them, and their health is ruined.
"Such a meal gives a child age 4 to 8 years old half a day's calories, two days' worth of saturated fat, two days' worth of sugar, and a large dose of salt."
Tell me, those of you who have children, how many of you let children in that age group decide everything they want to eat, and give them the money to spend on it? What ever happened to the idea that the parents decide what the kids will eat, and take responsibility for it? We have enough goofy do-gooders in the world who think it is their job to tell everyone else what to do "for their own good".
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"Pretty Ballerina" by The Left Banke
"In the Mood" by Glenn Miller
"Fire at Midnight" by Jethro Tull
"Maggie's Farm" by Bob Dylan
"This Diamond Ring" by Gary Lewis & the Playboys
"Moon River" by Andy Williams
"Ain't No God in Mexico" by Waylon Jennings
"Take on Me" by A-Ha
"Short Change Hero" by The Heavy
"Sun Is Still Shining" by The Moody Blues
There are times when I am amazed at the people that are able to put out daily posts, and in a lot of cases, multiple posts. Seems like every time I get in the mood to babble on the Web, either I'm not near a computer, or something distracts me from it.
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I don't know what it is like in your neck of the woods, but around here the weather is more like the middle of my than a third of the way through June. We haven't had any freezes, but it's been raining most of the time, and the temperatures have been down in the low fifties. The garden is loving it, but so are the weeds and the lawn, which means more work when things dry out. My miniature roses are all in bloom, I may be taking a couple of pictures of them when I get a chance.
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For those who liked the pictures from Moab, I have a few here that my wife took.
This was taken from the same place as the last two pictures in the post about Moab; these kids were just to the left of us, and made a lot of people nervous by sitting on a cliff.
This is a small jay that was feeding and bouncing about us at one stop we made. I'm not sure of the exact species.
These little guys were all over the place.
Our state flower; the Sego Lily.
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For those who like retro type technology, you may find this item interesting. Hooking up a typewriter to an iPad or computer. Steampunk people should be able to do some very creative stuff with something like this.
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A lot of you are too young to remember Jimmy Dean before he became a sausage salesman, but he did do some good music on occasion. He passed on at age 81.
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So what kind of music are you listening to? Anything here strike a chord with you?
"We Must Believe In Magic" by Crystal Gayle
"Rain on the Scarecrow" by John Mellencamp
"When I'm Away from You" by Kim Carnes
"Galveston" by Glen Campbell
"Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin
"Maybe I Know" by Lesley Gore
"Mona Lisa" by Nat King Cole
"Bad Things" by Jace Everett
"Eight Miles High" by The Byrds
"Just A Pilgrim" by Jim Byrnes
This song may be familiar to you if you have watched True Blood on HBO.
One of my favorites from the sixties.
If you have watched Highlander: The Series, this next performer should be familiar to you, as the actor who played Joe Dawson on the show. Besides being an actor, he is an accomplished songwriter, blues guitarist, and singer who has put out several albums of music.
Got back into town Monday afternoon, been trying to get things together from the trip. Our short vacation was quite good.
We went to the Moab, Utah to goof off; my wife and I have enjoyed that general area for years.
For those unfamiliar with it, it is in the southeastern part of the state and is on the Colorado Plateau. If you are a fan of old westerns, a lot of the country would be familiar to you. Many of the old John Wayne movies were shot down there, and a lot of modern movies feature the area.
Double click pictures to enlarge.
I wasn't able to hike as much as I wished (back still bothering me), but we were able to take a few walks, drive into some interesting areas, and in general kill time having fun.
This is a boat that runs tours from evening into the night down the river canyon. The picture was taken from a foot/bicycle bridge that spans the Colorado River.
This is the bridge where you walk onto it.
Looking across the bridge.
There is a road outside of Moab called the Potash Road where there are a lot of cliff areas that have been used for beginning mountain climbers. This is one such spot.
Closeup of the young lady in the previous picture.
To the east of Moab is the Manti-Lasal mountain range. This is Lake Oowah; it is a favorite spot for trout fishing. Notice the snow drifts on the far end.
Cactus flower; they were all in bloom.
Looking out over Canyon Country from above.
A detail along one of those canyons, many of the roads are a lot steeper and more narrow than this.
I took a lot of other pictures, and may post some of them later.
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Any favorites in this batch? Any comments?
"Crippled Crow" by Kris Kristofferson
"Only the Lonely" by Roy Orbison
"Your Cheatin' Heart" by Hank Williams
"Crown of Creation" by Jefferson Airplane
"April Come She Will" by Simon & Garfunkel
"It's Up to You" by The Moody Blues
"Hellraiser" by Lita Ford
"Understand Your Man" by Johnny Cash
"Bounce" by Bon Jovi
"Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf
This is the anniversary of the heart attack that sent me into the hospital; I ended up with a stent and found out that I'd had a couple of earlier ones that I didn't know about. I also found out that I had sleep apnea, and that my breathing stopped on the average of 75 times an hour and probably contributed to the problem.
I'm taking a little better care of myself these days, so hopefully I won't have another attack in the near future; those things hurt.
I was just looking over the email that my spamblocker has shuffled over into the Known Spam folder; I think the majority of it is either Viagra or promises to increase the size of my wedding tackle. Next would be the myriad versions of the Nigerian Scam, and odds and end of other spam filling the remainder.
Judging my all the spam going out in the first category, I get this vision in my head of vast warehouses, overflowing with blue pills that are being frantically pimped in the emails. I don't even like thinking of all the "enhancing" pills, devices, etc that seem to be piling up somewhere with no one to use them to gain a Wonder Wienie.
Amazingly enough, there evidently are still clueless idiots out there being nailed by the Nigerian Scam. I have seen some that are claiming Nigeria, others claim to be from various people in the Mideast, I've gotten some purporting to be from Russia, South American countries, India, and some places that I think are pure invention. Every one of them claims to want to give me free money. Folks, if someone says they want to give you something for free, be very suspicious. TANSTAAFL
"If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot
"Understand Your Man" by Johnny Cash
"This Guy's in Love With You" by Herb Alpert
"Leland Mississippi Blues" by Johnny Winter
"Goin' Through the Motions" by Blue รyster Cult
"Autumn Leaves" by Cannonball Adderley/Miles Davis
"Our Guessing Game" by The Moody Blues
"I Wanna Go Back" by Eddie Money
"Run Through the Jungle" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Ride the Wild Surf" by Jan & Dean
I think this one strikes a chord just about everyone, at one time or another.
This is one of those tunes that is made for driving on a warm summer night with the top down on the Jeep, and the volume turned up.
The old surfer music of the sixties was sort of simple, but it also had a light-hearted energy to it that mirrored a happier mood and simpler outlook on things. In other words, it was just sort of fun.
In case you were wondering where the hell I was, I haven't been up to snuff lately. Since I was here last, the weather has been typical spring stuff (cool and raining), which plays merry hell with my old joints and such. My back has been doing its usual nasty tricks, my right shoulder feels like I've spent some time on the rack, and I haven't had much sleep to speak of. All of which is taking place while I've been putting my yard into some semblance of order, and tilling up and planting my usual vegetable garden. Thus, I've been spending a lot of time laid out with a heating pad on my lower back, and ice packs on my shoulder.
But enough whining about my problems, they're just a consequence of living past the age of 50.
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with."
-W. C. Fields
The president of Mexico has decided to tell us how to run our country. The president of our country has been hanging with him during this time, telling him how great it is they can get together over this.
To President Calderon: KMA. Don't come up here telling us we're picking on your citizens, and causing trouble in Mexico. The problem with Mexico is corrupt government and a class system that has most of the people on the bottom, and the aristocrats and criminals on the top. Why don't you go home and put your own house in order before coming up here and spewing that sort of drivel at us; we don't need your advice.
To our president: why don't you quit bowing and scraping to everyone from every other country, and start showing a bit of respect for the American people? Pull your nose out of Calderon's ass and start sticking up for us for a change.
Just my opinion.
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."
-Mark Twain
The Senate has passed a finance reform bill; this should be interesting. Every time Congress or the Senate gets together and starts "reforming" things, it make me nervous. What usually happens is that they manage to cobble together some sort of ungodly monstrosity that no one really understands completely, no one has ready from start to finish, and has all sorts of "Easter eggs" hidden in it. One thing I notice is that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are immune; since they are two of the big problems that helped get us into this financial mess, that seems sort of stupid to me.
"One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain't nothin' can beat teamwork."
- Edward Abbey
I'll be going on a brief vacation with my wife on Memorial Day weekend; we're going to spend a few days down by Moab, Utah, one of our favorite areas. I should have a few pictures when we get back.
Any of these look familiar to anyone? Any comments, complaints, or accolades? ; )
"Woman, Woman" by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
"Bring Me Some Water" by Melissa Etheridge
"Concerto No. 8 for Flute and Orchestra in G/G-Dur/Sol Majeur" by James Galway
"I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash
"We Don't Need Another Hero" by Tina Turner
"Someday Soon" by Judy Collins
"Dengue Woman Blues" by Jimmie Vaughan
"Fresh Air" by Quicksilver Messenger Service
"Chelsea Morning" by Joni Mitchell
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band
Last week I was working out in the yard in a t-shirt and short pants; woke up to snow this morning and it is still coming down. At least it's light enough that it isn't sticking much. Sort of plays hell with the blossoms on the fruit trees, though.
I'm curious to see how the situation in Arizona ends up with their new law on illegal immigration. I think they have some bad wording in it; where the law says the police can ask for proof of citizenship if they have reasonable cause to think the person is an illegal, I don't really like that phrase. Reasonable can mean different things to different people, and there is a high possibility of that being severely abused. The law should be more clear and specific.
That said, I don't see a problem with the intent of the law; to curb the flood of illegals coming in. Basically the law says the same thing that the federal law says. The only reason it passed is because the federal government refuses to enforce it. They have the manpower and money to go after harmless gun owners, they have the manpower and money to wage war on marijuana, but they can't seem to get their shit together when it comes to securing our border. This has been going on for several years, and the people in the state are tired of the federal government sitting around with their thumbs up their asses while they are getting a deluge of smugglers, thieves, and murderers coming in along with the illegals.
For some time now, the federal government has managed to poke its nose into a lot of areas that are not really their business; the Constitution tells what powers the government has, and it has overreached them badly. But securing our borders against invasion is one of the things that is specifically spelled out as the responsibility of the federal government, and they have been shirking that duty for decades. So to the assclowns in Washington DC and the White House, if you don't like what they are doing, then get your heads out of your asses and do your job like you are supposed to be doing. If you won't, then STFU.
Just my opinion.
Supposedly, the House and Senate are working on some sort of financial reform to try and stave off a repeat of the mess we're in today. The problem is that we have the same sort of crooked partisan politicians that helped get us here in the first place.
"Stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?"
- Will Rogers
My feeling on it is that both sides will bicker, insult each other, and finally jam together some sort of abortion like the health care fiasco. You have to remember, these guys may have been voted in to represent you, but they are working for themselves. Any time one of them gets an idea for some sort of funded bill, they all line up for a chance to cut a fat hog in the ass. And guess what? John Q. Taxpayer is the hog.
Looks like some people are getting ready to run against Chavez in the Venezuela elections.
My personal take is that either he'll find a way to eliminate them from running, he'll rig the elections, or he'll find some excuse to cancel the elections.
"Abracadabra" by Steve Miller Band
"Kind of a Drag" by The Buckinghams
"Low Down Mojo Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson
"Watching and Waiting" by The Moody Blues
"You Ain't Going Nowhere" by Bob Dylan
"Edge of a Broken Heart" by Vixen
"A Hard Road" by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
"Dark Night" by The Blasters
"The Look of Love" by Sergio Mendes & Brazil 66
"No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Alice Cooper
Nearly 8 in 10 people in the country say they don't trust the federal government and have little faith it can solve America's ills, the survey found.
In other words, one in five people trust the federal government.
Hell, I haven't trusted the federal government since Nixon was president, and I trust each administration less than the last. Give the results of the poll a read, you might find it interesting.
But Matthew Dowd, a top strategist on Bush's re-election campaign who now shuns the GOP label, says both Republicans and Democrats are missing the mark.
"What the country wants is a community solution to the problems but not necessarily a federal government solution," Dowd said. Democrats are emphasizing the federal government, while Republicans are saying it's about the individual; neither is emphasizing the right combination to satisfy Americans, he said.
I think he's probably right, bigger government is not the answer to everything.
"Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it."
-Lao Tzu
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Warning: floral photographs ahead
We've been getting some nice spring weather for a few days. Around here, that usually means Mother Nature is setting up to sucker punch you with a hard freeze or a snowstorm just when you get teased into thinking that spring is really here. Hopefully we won't get that this year.
Part of my front yard; the three photos under it are closeup shots within that area. The daffodils are miniatures; they are only an inch across
Future strawberries
My blood plum is blossoming nicely
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Looks like there are people concerned with the tea party movement; the government propaganda corp main stream media keeps trying to paint them as a bunch of extremists and terrorists in the vein of Timothy McVeigh.
What a load of bullshit.
Back when Bush was president, there was all sorts of complaints and accusations of all kinds, and we were told that from those people that “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” When anyone criticizes the government now, however, we are told that it is sedition.
More bullshit. Make up your minds, you two-faced assholes.
In this country we have the right to disagree with our government; as long as we are not violently rebelling, it is the right of any American to disagree and try to change, through legal means, the government. I disagreed with the Republicans of the Bush era on many things, and I don't see why the current bunch of hypocrites-in-office are any better. The fact that they are using their lapdogs the media as willing partners says a lot about how low both the politics and the Fourth Estate as fallen. I am an independent, and I know a lot of other independents and tea party followers, and I am getting a bit tired of seeing them vilified by people who don't have a clue what they are talking about.
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."
-H. L. Mencken
We have enough enemies without trying to manufacture them for purely selfish political reasons, from either side of the political spectrum.
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."
-Mark Twain
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Went to a local gun show Saturday; found a few odds and ends, but nothing serious. First one I've been to in a while, so I enjoyed the time. Ammo was selling like popcorn at a ballgame, but they didn't really have any good deals on anything I was in the market for.
Librarians in New York's oldest library have uncovered a surprising borrower with overdue books: George Washington.
The first president of the United States of America borrowed two books from the New York Society Library in 1789 but failed to return them. Adjusted for inflation, he has since racked up $300,000 (£195,000) in fines for being some 220 years late.
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Any favorites in this batch?
"Runnin' with the Devil" by Van Halen
"I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
"Time of the Season" by The Zombies
"I Don't Know Where I Stand" by Joni Mitchell
"Ship of Fools" by Robert Plant
"As Tears Go By" by The Rolling Stones
"Never Comes the Day" by The Moody Blues
"Prabhati" by Ravi Shankar/Sir Yehudi Menuhin
"Red, Red Wine" by Neil Diamond
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by The Animals
