What Is A True Angeleno?

I ran across this piece in the L.A. Times by Hector Tobar, about what makes and what represents a "true Angeleno," and I have to say, after reading it, I am in complete and total agreement.

1. Don't fawn over celebrities. You're walking down the grocery aisle and you spot someone from the world of television and film. Eye contact is OK. A rush for an autograph is not. We're blasé about the famous among us. We merely smile in acknowledgment. And if we must say anything, we limit ourselves to four words: "I love your work."

So fucking true! I can't tell you how many times I've witnessed the "Lucy Ricardo" reaction to stars in this town. Real Angelenos slightly acknowledge the person, and generally let them go about his or her business. If I added up the number of times I've run into "stars," or sat next to one at a diner, or had one sit next to me while our kids were having hockey practice, I could drop names like a mofo! But, such is life living in Los Angeles, and you can clearly tell those from here by their nonchalance around stars.

2. Use your turn signals. This is a city designed for fast, powerful vehicles. Many Angelenos seem to think that the rules of driving in the rest of the world don't apply here. They're wrong. To me, a real Angeleno is someone who may drive aggressively but who always takes the one minimal precaution that helps avoid a pileup. Unfortunately, there aren't enough real Angelenos on the roads these days. And while we're at it, real Angelenos stop for pedestrians in crosswalks too.

Spot on in my book. If you're going to cross into my lane quickly and cut me off, at least have the courtesy to signal, and maybe even a small hand wave that says "sorry, but I have to do this."

5. Know your shortcuts. We avoid turning on the GPS because we know more about our traffic patterns than any computer. We know that the usual rules of geography and geometry don't always apply in L.A., and the quickest route between two points is not necessarily a straight line. We know that at certain times of the day, a sinewy canyon road moves faster than the freeway next to it.

This is very true! Congestion is the hallmark of this city, especially if you tend to rely mostly on conventional methods of getting from point A to point B. Knowing all the little alleys, and side streets that cross large streets, but have a stoplight for traffic, is MAJOR knowledge of how to get around town without actually moving in parking lot style! Just on the insane side, I once drove from Los Angeles to North County San Diego (Cardiff/Encinitas/Leucadia) by just taking surface streets, and while it took only one hour more than just driving on the freeway, it was one hell of a way to drive south! (The only part that you cannot access is San Onofre, where you are forced onto the freeway for a few miles).

6. Appreciate Vin Scully. I'm sorry, but if you don't know who Vin Scully is, you can't pass your L.A. citizenship test. The legendary L.A. Dodgers announcer, still going at age 83, was born in the Bronx, but he's as Angeleno as they come. Drop Scully's name into a conversation, and it will instantly identify you as a real Angeleno.

No doubt about that one. Anyone and everyone who has listened to Dodger baseball on the radio as a kid (and on tv as an adult) knows the voice of Scully. If you have to even ask who he is, you are not from these parts!

Go read the rest of the article and the remainder of the top ten. You're also invited to add your own to the list, but I think he did a great job of describing us Angelenos!

Gil Scott-Heron

Gil Scott-Heron passed away on Friday. Although a great many articles written about him and his music try to attribute to him the origins of rap, etc., I always saw him as a blues man, personally. I thought it interesting that many stories connected him with the Last Poets from the 1960's who were more definitely a protesting type of group. Here is probably GSH's most famous song, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.



His most successful collaborations were with Brian Jackson. Both the above song, and this next one, The Bottle, appeared on the album Winter In America.



And to counter-balance the tone, here is sampling of the Last Poets - Run Nigger.



Last Poets - White Man's Got A God Complex


RIP, my brother.

Update: for Arno, what's the word ... Johannesburg

Police Arresting People For Dancing At Jefferson Memorial

Wow, this is pretty awful to watch. I don't know if it was a flash mob that went wrong or never got off the ground, but seriously, folks, arresting people at the Jefferson Memorial for dancing?

How much more bizarre does this country have to get for Americans to realize the magnitude of civil liberties that have been slowly taken away from us? Dancing? I think I need to put on the movie "Footloose." I thought we had progressed from that attitude, but now I find out that "dancing" in the eyes of D.C. police is "protesting!"

RIP, Jeff Conaway

Although he rose to fame in the TV show Taxi, he was the person on Broadway that played the lead character of Zuko in Grease, (which in the movie version was played by DUH John Travolta, reducing Conaway to playing a subordinate character, Kenickie). And, yes, I have been a closet fan of some reality television shows, so I did watch Conaway's performances on Dr. Pinsky's shows, "Celebrity Rehab."

I cannot imagine the physical pain that Conaway must have been experiencing to just end it all.

Stanley Cup Finals, Vancouver V. Boston

Game 7's are always exciting, especially in hockey. Steve Stamkos above, got hit in the face with the puck, but comes back, wearing a full cage face shield! He was out for about five minutes of game time. Only in hockey, baby! Real MEN!

It was a zero zero game until the third period, with about 7 1/2 minutes left, and Boston scored. Tampa's 1-3-1 format failed them and is what gave Boston that clear shot. Good luck in the finals against Vancouver.

Notice that no one touches the Wales Cup (nor did the Western division champs, touch the Campbell Bowl) as superstition in hockey is that the only cup touched is the Stanley Cup (although, over the years, a few players have touched it, such as Sidney Crosby in 2009, and I know Mario Lemiuex touched it a few times). Traditions and Superstitions.

Since 1991 there have been 4 times when a team's captain lifted their conference trophy and went on to win the Stanley Cup. Mario Lemieux (1991) and Scott Stevens (2000, 2003) both ignored tradition and left fingerprints on the Prince of Wales trophy. In 1997, Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman had no fear and lifted the Clarence Campbell Bowl, and a week later was celebrating a Stanley Cup victory.

Superstitions and traditions might not make any sense to hockey fans, but to hockey players, they're an important part of hockey life.

Whether hockey players grow beards during the playoffs, become best friends with the goal posts, walk or drive the same route to the ice rink each day, thats what makes the sport of hockey and hockey players so interesting.

We Live To See A Game 7

Boston just didn't have it, and Tampa pushed it to a game seven, this Friday. I'll be at my local watering hole, and will probably make them put it on the TV while tossing down a few drinks.

Still not sure, though, who I really want to stack up against Vancouver. Canada favorite Nuks, or Boston (hearkens back to the original six) or Canada vs. Land Of New Jersey Retired LOL!

I have a Tampa jersey ... no Boston jersey. Wonder if there will be hockey fans at the bar. I do control the remote from 5:00 p.m. on!

"Waiter, Waiter, Percolator"

For Arno ... don't have the song you linked to, but here, enjoy some Transfer, Manhattan style!

Java Jive


Ok, switching style ... but then, MT were masters of switching styles!

Trickle, Trickle


Not necessarily sticking to MT, but am on a roll!

Route 66 (come on, this is a classic done by so many artists ... hell, it was a theme in the original Disney "Cars" cartoon movie!)


This is probably my MOST favorite MT song ... or done by any other artist... "dry martini, jigger of gin ...."

Scotch And Soda!


I have way more MT than one necessarily needs, LOL!

Operator


GIVE ME JESUS ON THE LINE !!!!

Ok, just a short dip into doowop before closing out!

Gloria (and not the Cadillacs' version, but one hell of a "version!")


(Praying that I don't get a take down of this post from the music internet police!)

Last call, Manhattan Transfer style. My most favorite jazz tune has always been "Birdland" and no matter what version I hear, I love it. So, here is MT's version.

Birdland

Vancouver Moves On, But "OY, What A Game!"

Into second over time and a lost puck was the one hit by Kevin Bieksa. It was a weird goal because everyone, including Anti Neimi, thought the puck hat gone out of play, and they were all looking up in the air for it. But it rebounded off the glass and came directly to Bieksa, who one-timed it past a clueless Neimi.

Game highlights, but at around 6:00 we get to second overtime, and the weird goal.

Seems The Ryan Budget Just Cost Republicans Upstate New York

Democrat Kathy Hochul drew on voter discontent over Republican plans to revamp Medicare to score an upset win on Tuesday in a special election to represent a conservative upstate New York congressional district.

Apparently only two Democrats have held office in this district since WWII, but because of voter discontent over the Ryan budget, they voted in a Democrat who opposes said budget.

Nancy Pelosi's take:

The national implications became apparent only minutes after The Buffalo News and other news organizations declared Hochul's victory when House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., welcomed the new congresswoman as an "independent, strong, passionate voice."

"Kathy Hochul's victory tonight is a tribute to Democrats' commitment to preserve and strengthen Medicare, create jobs, and grow our economy," Pelosi said. "And it sends a clear message that will echo nationwide: Republicans will be held accountable for their vote to end Medicare."

Connecticut House Of Representatives In Action

House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, pictured standing, far right, speaks while colleagues Rep. Barbara Lambert, D-Milford and Rep. Jack F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, play solitaire Monday night as the House convened to vote on a new budget. (AP)

The guy sitting in the row in front of these two....he's on Facebook, and the guy behind Hennessy is checking out the baseball scores.

These are the folks that couldn't get the budget out by Oct. 1, and are about to control your health care, cap and trade, and the list goes on and on..

Should we buy them larger screen computers - or - a ticket home, permanently?

This is one of their 3-DAY WORK WEEKS that we all pay for (salary is about $179,000 per year).

Author and photograph uncredited and unknown.

First Set Of Recall Elections In Wisconsin Set For July

The recall elections for Wisconsin state GOP Sens. Dan Kapanke, Randy Hopper, and Luther Olsen will be held on July 12, 2011.

Excellent work, Wisconsinites!

How's That New War In Libya Working Out For Us?

And while we are on the topic of this President's illegal and secret actions, let's take a moment to bring up the unprecedented involvement in Libya!

Now the President believes he has the ability to conjure up "war powers" not actually vested in him and not authorized by Congress.

"The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation" -- candidate Barack Obama, December, 2007.

More from Glenn Greenwald:

When President Obama ordered the U.S. military to wage war in Libya without Congressional approval (even though, to use his words, it did "not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation"), the administration and its defenders claimed he had legal authority to do so for two reasons: (1) the War Powers Resolution of 1973 (WPR) authorizes the President to wage war for 60 days without Congress, and (2) the "time-limited, well defined and discrete" nature of the mission meant that it was not really a "war" under the Constitution (Deputy NSA Adviser Ben Rhodes and the Obama OLC). Those claims were specious from the start, but are unquestionably inapplicable now.

From the start, the WPR provided no such authority. Section 1541(c) explicitly states that the war-making rights conferred by the statute apply only to "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces." That's why Yale Law Professor Bruce Ackerman -- in an article in Foreign Policy entitled "Obama's Unconstitutional War" -- wrote when the war started that the "The War Powers Resolution doesn't authorize a single day of Libyan bombing" and that "in taking the country into a war with Libya, Barack Obama's administration is breaking new ground in its construction of an imperial presidency."

Well, that was then, and of course, Libya is now.

But even for those who chose to cling to the fiction that the presidential war in Libya was authorized by the WPR, that fiction is now coming to a crashing end. Friday will mark the 60th day of the war without Congress, and there are no plans for authorization to be provided. By all appearances, the White House isn't even bothering to pretend to seek one. A handful of GOP Senators -- ones who of course showed no interest whatsoever during the Bush years in demanding presidential adherence to the law -- are now demanding a vote on Libya, but it's highly likely that the Democrats who control the Senate won't allow one. Instead, the law will simply be ignored by the President who declared, when bashing George Bush on the campaign trail to throngs of cheering progressives: "No more ignoring the law when it's inconvenient. That is not who we are."

Of course not! Liar.

This war, without Congressional authorization, is illegal in every relevant sense: Constitutionally and statutorily. That was true from its start but is especially true now. If one wants to take the position that it's not particularly important or damaging for a President to illegally start and sustain protracted wars on his own, then it's hard to see what would be important. That is the ultimate expression of a lawless empire.

Welcome to our tyrannical Presidency.

The Secret Bipartisanship Of The Patriot Act

I was having a conversation with someone at my local watering hole last Friday, and when I indicated my dislike for the current president, he nearly went apoplectic on me! When he asked me why, and I started to explain all of the things that Obama has failed to accomplish when compared to what he campaigned on, I got the regular meme recited back to me that most liberals and progressives chant. That being the statement that Obama (1) has done incredible things and (2) what he hasn't been able to accomplish is because his "hands are tied" by Congress. He even said something akin to "after all, he's only the President."

I started to delineate all the areas of compromise made by the President, mostly with himself and the Democratic party, and the faux bipartisanship the Obama administration believes they have accomplished.

Actually, there is an interesting piece by, you guessed it, Glenn Greenwald, on the actual bipartisanship that exists up on the Hill.

First, consider what Democrats and Republicans just jointly did with regard to the Patriot Act, the very naming of which once sent progressives into spasms of vocal protest and which long served as the symbolic shorthand for Bush/Cheney post-9/11 radicalism:

[snip]

This will be the second time that the Democratic Congress -- with the support of President Obama (who once pretended to favor reforms) -- has extended the Patriot Act without any changes. And note the rationale for why it was done in secret bipartisan meetings: to ensure "as little debate as possible" and "to avoid a protracted and familiar argument over the expanded power the law gives to the government." Indeed, we wouldn't want to have any messy, unpleasant democratic debates over "the expanded power the law gives to the government." Here we find yet again the central myth of our political culture: that there is too little bipartisanship when the truth is there is little in Washington but that. And here we also find -- yet again -- that the killing of Osama bin Laden is being exploited to justify a continuation, rather than a reduction, in the powers of the National Security and Surveillance States.

How's that "transparency" campaign promise working out for America? When Obama campaigned on this rhetoric, and when he especially spoke distastefully about The Patriot Act, it is no wonder that his Administration works "in bipartisanship fashion" secretly to not only extend this horrible assault on American's rights, but enhance it to include spying on American's internet and mobile phone usage. And someone on another blog had the audacity to criticize me for mentioning a thought I had about moving to China ... as if only in China and countries like China, have privacy rights been trampled on!

So first they conspire with the GOP to extend the Patriot Act without any reforms, then seek to expand its most controversial and invasive provisions to obtain the Internet activities of American citizens without having to bother with a subpoena or judicial approval -- "they" being the Democratic White House.

And people actually want to argue with me that this President is better than not only what we had for the past 8 years with Bush, but will continue to be better than what the "other side" will put up in 2012 for votes?

The way a republic is supposed to function is that there is transparency for those who wield public power and privacy for private citizens. The National Security State has reversed that dynamic completely, so that the Government (comprised of the consortium of public agencies and their private-sector "partners") knows virtually everything about what citizens do, but citizens know virtually nothing about what they do (which is why WikiLeaks specifically and whistleblowers generally, as one of the very few remaining instruments for subverting that wall of secrecy, are so threatening to them). Fortified by always-growing secrecy weapons, everything they do is secret -- including even the "laws" they secretly invent to authorize their actions -- while everything you do is open to inspection, surveillance and monitoring.

China or America - spying on its citizens is just another job by the government. You tell me where the difference is.

Here We Go Again In Iceland

Iceland has closed its main international airport and cancelled domestic flights after its most active volcano, Grimsvotn, began erupting.

Having Fun With Legos, White House Style

Created by Lego fanatic Alex Eylar, 22.


For you Lego fans, this set up is just hilarious!

No Lead Is Safe In Hockey

After Boston blew past Tampa Bay in the first period with three unanswered goals, I was almost set to turn the television off and go run my errands. But, the hockey puck in me kept me put, and I am definitely glad I did. Tampa Bay came WAAAAAAAY back in the second period, scoring their three unanswered goals! Then, when it counted in the third period, TB got the winner (not counting the empty netter after Boston pulled the goalie).

Whew ... so the series is even at this point.

P.S. Take that, my new friend from Boston! LOL!

How Mad Would You Be If A Foreign Country Occupied Your City And Kept Killing Children Daily?

It's literally impossible to convey in words the level of bloodthirsty fury and demands for vengeance that would arise if a foreign army were inside the U.S. killing innocent American children even a handful of times, let alone continuously for a full decade.

It's the perfect self-perpetuating cycle: (1) They hate us and want to attack us because we're over there; therefore, (2) we have to stay and proliferate ourselves because they hate us and want to attack us; (3) our staying and proliferating ourselves makes them hate us and want to attack us more; therefore, (4) we can never leave, because of how much they hate us and want to attack us. The beauty of this War on Terror -- and, as the last two weeks have demonstrated, War is the bipartisan consensus for what we are and should be doing to address Terrorism -- is that it forever sustains its own ostensible cause.

[snip]

I wonder what would happen if a foreign army came to the U.S. and killed three American children in four days. Why do they hate us?

Only Glenn Greenwald can put it that succinctly. It definitely underscores the fact that so many progressive voters who actually voted for Obama have been hoodwinked by his foreign policy actions. Dumb (Bush) meets dumber (Obama). I really can't stand this man, and I never thought I would dislike a president more than I disliked Bush. But I do. I suspect many of us do, whether we voice it out loud or keep it to ourselves. Obama snookered the liberals into voting him into office by pretending he was going to change things. We thought change meant "for the better," but Obama's "change" just makes things worse. And he knows it, and it's obvious he could care less. He's the president, after all, so like Nixon, "it's not illegal if the President does it" mentality appears to drive him.

Sigh. I wish I actually gave a shit anymore. I care about this country, and I care about the world. But all this war, anger, hatred, my country is better than yours, my religion is better than yours, na na na na na crap is just stupid. No wonder the youth of today are so obnoxious -- look at the so-called adults running the asylum!

Welcome To The United Corporate States Of America

The Senate bill to repeal the oil subsidies to BIG OIL went down in flames last night, thanks to the Senators that were handsomely paid by BIG OIL to the tune of $21 Million. Does ANYONE in this country really believe these Republicans give two shits about Americans anymore? (H/T to Think Progress, click link in title).

... the oil-friendly Senate split 52 to 48 to end the subsidies. Though the majority of the Senate voted to repeal these oil tax breaks, the procedural motion required a 60 vote threshold. An analysis of campaign contribution records shows the gusher of dirty cash that fueled the filibuster:

A Center for American Progress Action Fund analysis finds that the 48 senators who sided with Big Oil received over $21 million in career oil contributions, while 52 senators who sided with the American people received only $5.4 million in contributions. Each senator who voted for Big Oil received on average more than four times as much oil cash as those who voted to end the subsidies.

So, there you have it. First, it used to be that only a MAJORITY in the Senate was required for a bill to pass. But after Bush took over, the Republicans began to slowly shift that watermark to the now infamous standard "filibuster" breaking magic number of 60. Pretty soon, the Republicans will end up with requiring a 100% vote for any legislation to be passed, thus ensuring that nothing gets done unless and until they completely wipe out the existence of any party in politics except the rich Republicans (and the few Blue Dog Democrats that don't have the balls to change parties and show their true red color).

Can anyone tell me what planet these people get their marching orders from? It's so difficult for me to cover these people, the stench oozes from the pages of material I read that I can't even bring myself to finish reading the shit. From Gingrich to Boehner, from Ryan to Cantor, add in all the nut jobs that are governors now, and toss in the idiots that support them in the press (Ben Stein, O'Reilly, "fill in the blank") and you have a boatload of people that support the handful of rich against the majority of NORMAL people. I mean, come on you people in Texas. Cutting teachers because "the budget" needs to be balanced, but putting up $25 Million a year to a handful of millionaires that want Formula One racing? Forget that Formula One LEFT the fucking state years ago, and they don't really want to go back, but that hasn't stopped the governor from using HIS state's tax dollars to give to HIS rich friends (of whom the investors most likely have a combined wealth larger than the state budget as it is) to supplement, SUPPLEMENT, their ill conceived plan (over the next then years, that's $25 Million a YEAR for ten YEARS) to build the racetrack and try to "lure" Formula One back to Texas. That's NASCAR territory, you idiots! And NO, not all car racing is the same. Oh, and gotta love this quote:

With 20 million Texans within 250 miles of Austin and a growing Formula One fan base in Mexico, the city’s annual race will be successful, Steve Sexton, president of track developer Circuit of the Americas LLC, said in a telephone interview.

Got that? MEXICANS? FAN BASE? I thought Texans hated the brown people, but they want to "lure" them across the border to watch rich people race expensive cars? I have to keep slapping myself just to prevent hyperventilating.

I just don't get it anymore. These deals used to be clandestine and made behind closed doors such that you had to dig deep to find shit and get it out in the press. Nowadays, none of these Republicans (and some Democrats) care about the pretense. They just shove their personal rich people loaded agendas on their constituents, leaving them without jobs, without retirement, without unemployment, without homes, without protection, without medical assurance and insurance, and shrug their shoulders as if saying, "what, you don't like this? vote me out, then" knowing full well that in this day and age, an individual's voting right is meaningless. With corporations dictating what the elected people do and making sure "their" people are elected (whether by hook or by crook) and especially now that some of these state leaders are legislating away voting rights (passing ID laws, trying to enact pol legislation [means testing, i.e., are you smarter than a fifth grader when it comes to American history and the Constitution, which by the way, have you checked Ms. Bachmann's credentials on that one lately?], stripping back or completely eliminating student voting, etc.), the deck has been stacked. Hell, even if everyone stayed home and never voted, the Republicans would still have "ballots" cast to prove they were elected!

I do commend some of my progressive peers for attempting to outrun this catastrophe by setting up comparable Karl Rove millionaire groups to fund progressives, for always looking for someone progressive to challenge in a primary, and for constantly raising the pom poms to get everyone on board. But I join the small, but growing handful of people that say who the fuck cares anymore. Just let it all blow up, let them ruin the country, because you can't fix it until it's no longer working. All we seem to be doing is putting the proverbial finger in the dike (and we see how well that is working for the Mississippi River problem don't we).

My new mantra: More wars, please! Build those plane parts the military has already said THEY DON'T WANT! Gut Social Security, do away with Medicare and Medicaid. And blow off unemployment insurance. Even though all of these programs are paid for out of "the people's" earnings, just let the rich take the money and run and hide. Let the guns be allowed in the bars so that those that are really hit hard by this pillaging of America (the ones with the guns in the bars) get drunk and stupid and start shooting the rich. An uprising cannot begin until it starts to affect those people most like to rise up ... and we are slowly but surely getting there.

Leslie & Kelly - Don't Come Around The Neighborhood

The "girls" circa the 1980's.

My Take On This Season's Survivor Redemption Island

This had to be the most boring of all the Survivor shows since day one, and I should know, since I have been watching it from day one.

One thing that needs to be said: This show is not about one's integrity. I am sick and tired of listening to people bash winners and others who have the temerity to "play" the game and vote people off! It's OUTLAST, OUTWIT and OUTPLAY. It's on the Survivor logo. It does not say BE NICE, PLAY NICE, MAKE FRIENDS.

Boston Rob played his entire tribe like a flute, and one note at a time, he blew them off. As host Jeff Probst said, Rob played probably the most perfect game in Survivor history. And, technically, that is correct. But, he could not have done that unless his tribe was filled with twits, and it was, hence Rob's ability to control and manipulate each and every one of them.

But the really creepy part for me this year was all the religion imbedded in the show. There was more talk about "God" wanting people to either be in the game or not be in the game, which is garbage. I cannot stand it when people thank "God" for a win (as if "God" gave two shits who wins the World Series, an Oscar, or Survivor - and who BLAMES "God" when they lose, anyway?). I can understand people of faith using their faith as a means to get through tough things, even if the "tough" thing is a game of sports, or a career in Hollywood, etc. Attesting to your faith is tantamount to agreeing that YOU, the person, did what you did, and your faith is what helped you, not "God." "God" is an intangible ... you cannot touch, feel, see, hear or speak directly to "God." Your faith in a "God" however, can give you strength to persevere, but I take issue with anyone that tells me, or says publicly, "God" wanted them to "win," "be where they are," etc. "God" doesn't "want." "God" is. People "want."

Hockey, Hockey, Hockey, Did I Say Hockey?

Since Blogger was down for a bit last week, I didn't really get to post anything. But, seriously, I was watching the hockey play-offs, and that is probably all I would have blogged anyway. I mean, with the state of chaos in the world, including the U.S., and nothing really good to report on, a week off didn't seem to matter much. Nothing uplifting to say, since Blogger is back up, except that Lakers got swept (yeah!) and that game 7 between San Jose and Detroit was a doozie!

With two games down in the finals, Boston definitely looked like it was asleep on the ice, especially during the power play. Tampa Bay was all over them, like flies to you know what. To be fair, though, Boston started out sluggishly in each of its series thus far ...

Last night's game between San Jose and Vancouver started out fast and ended fast. One of the better playoff games I've seen over the years. Although, in all honesty, I do not have a team I prefer of the four remaining, I had reasons to want to root for both Vancouver and San Jose. Vancouver is the only Canadian team still in it this year, and no Canadian team has won the Cup since Montreal steamrolled over Los Angeles in 1993. On the other hand, I have always had a soft spot for San Jose ever since they first came into the league, and my girlfriends and I would go to the Cow Palace to see them play (and support the team) before they eventually moved into a permanent arena in San Jose.

Both Vancouver and San Jose have never won the Cup (although when the Stanley Cup was a challenge trophy, it was won by the Vancouver Millionaires way back in 1914/15).

Boston and Tampa Bay have both won the Cup, Tampa Bay recently, Boston not so recently!

And, speaking of hockey, this little ditty came out during the Blogger breakdown. Seems the little tough guy, Sean Avery (who I detested both on the ice and off the ice, even when he played for the Kings, because he was such an ass) came out recently in an ad in favor of same sex marriage, which apparently brought the wrath of a few in the hockey world.

“Very sad to read Sean Avery’s misguided support of same-gender ‘marriage.’ Legal or not, it will always be wrong,” tweeted (Todd) Reynolds. He’s the vice president of Ontario-based Uptown Sports Management, which counts Chris Neil(notes), Cody McCormick(notes) and Mike Fisher(notes) among its hockey clients.

Avery, the New York Rangers agitator who is known for making headlines on and off the ice, stated his support for same-sex marriage in a video that is part of the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign, organized by gay-rights organization Human Rights Campaign.

“I’m Sean Avery and I’m a New Yorker for Marriage Equality. I treat everyone the way I expect to be treated and that applies to marriage,” Avery says in the video.

“Committed couples should be able to marry the person they love,” he adds. “Join me in supporting marriage equality.”

Of course, after his initial "tweet," Reynolds further tweeted he was not a bigot! Then another "bigot" tweeted, but this one got fired!

A Toronto broadcaster has been fired after he posted on Twitter about the debate surrounding New York Rangers forward Sean Avery’s(notes) support of same-sex marriage.

Damian Goddard was a host on Rogers Sportsnet. On Tuesday, he tweeted his support for hockey agent Todd Reynolds, who used Twitter to voice his opposition to Avery’s position.

Goddard wrote: “I completely and whole-heartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage.”

The TV network then issued its own tweet, saying: “Today’s tweet from Damian Goddard does not reflect the views of Rogers Sportsnet.” On Wednesday, it severed ties with Goddard.

In a statement, Sportsnet spokesman Dave Rashford said: “Mr. Goddard was a freelance contractor and in recent weeks it had become clear that he is not the right fit for our organization.”

Kudos to Sportsnet for not tolerating intolerance, even if it is a twit tweeting!

Since I Am Tending The Bar ... Tom Waits And Rickie Lee Jones!

Everyone and anyone that knows both of their histories, know they were a couple back in the "day."

For Arno! Hope you enjoy.

Danny's All Star Joint


Midnight Lullaby

Seawind

Back in the 1970's there was this band that my then boyfriend, Howie, and I used to drive up from San Diego every Monday to watch perform at The Baked Potato. They were from Hawai'i (this was before we moved there), and were fronted by this tiny little Hawai'ian singer named Pauline, and featured a horn section that even today still performs and is known as the Seawind Horns. They were at the forefront of what would become known as funk fusion jazz, and they would have guest performers such as Lee Ritenour and Harvey Mason.

I later discovered that they were actually a Christian band, but that really didn't matter because their music was at the forefront of the genre and they were awesome. I remember going to see them during the time that the "Roots" mini-series was first airing on television, and the band thanked the audience for missing the mini-series and coming out to see them.

Seawind. I hope you like some of the songs.

If memory serves me, they would open with this song.

Do Listen To


Wet Got A Way


You Gotta Be Willin' To Lose It


He Loves You


Make Up Your Mind


I sure hope I don't get a DMCA take down on this!

I can't remember all of their line up, but having their first double album still (but now on CD, because when Napster first came into existence, the band I was always trying to get a CD of was Seawind, so I typed in their name, and lo and behold, all of their songs popped up. I am proud to say that my first illegal downloads were of Seawind back in what, 1999 or 2000, somewhere around that time!

This song I loved the most out of all of their songs. I never equated the Christian aspect of it, it was just so damn fucking good, all the rifts, the funk, the jazz, the melodies ... I hope you like it.

The Devil Is A Liar


Going to close out the bar with what probably was a closer for the band as well.

Wings Of Love


I hope, at least, that those of you that read my blog and enjoy the music this "bar" plays, you'll become fans of, and appreciate, Seawind. Most of the contemporary jazz musicians of today owe their soul to Seawind.

American Lawlessness

Beyond the apparent indifference to how this killing took place, what has also surprised me somewhat is the lack of interest in trying to figure out how the bin Laden killing fits into broader principles and viewpoints about state power and the War on Terror. I've seen people who have spent the last decade insisting that the U.S. must accord due process to accused Terrorists before punishing them suddenly mock the notion that bin Laden should have been arrested and tried.

My sentiments, as well. Glad OBL is gone, but I just can't get my head around how it came down.

Another Assissination Attempt By Obama Administration Misses Mark, Yawns At Collateral Damage

" ... one policy where Obama has gone further than Bush/Cheney in terms of unfettered executive authority and radical war powers is the attempt to target American citizens for assassination without a whiff of due process. As The New York Times put it last April:

It is extremely rare, if not unprecedented, for an American to be approved for targeted killing, officials said. A former senior legal official in the administration of George W. Bush said he did not know of any American who was approved for targeted killing under the former president. . . .

That Obama was compiling a hit list of American citizens was first revealed in January of last year when The Washington Post's Dana Priest mentioned in passing at the end of a long article that at least four American citizens had been approved for assassinations; several months later, the Obama administration anonymously confirmed to both the NYT and the Post that American-born, U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki was one of the Americans on the hit list.

Yesterday, riding a wave of adulation and military-reverence, the Obama administration tried to end the life of this American citizen -- never charged with, let alone convicted of, any crime -- with a drone strike in Yemen, but missed and killed two other people instead:

A missile strike from an American military drone in a remote region of Yemen on Thursday was aimed at killing Anwar al-Awlaki, the radical American-born cleric believed to be hiding in the country, American officials said Friday.

The attack does not appear to have killed Mr. Awlaki, the officials said, but may have killed operatives of Al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen.

The other people killed "may have" been Al Qaeda operatives. Or they "may not have" been. Who cares?

Glenn Greenwald puts up a compelling argument against President Obama's singularly unique disregard for the Fifth Amendment (and he being a "constitutional scholar," at that) and his "shoot to kill" orders of American citizens abroad without having been charged with any crime, without having been arrested for any crime, and without the right to American due process.

But the notion that the President has the power to order American citizens assassinated without an iota of due process -- far from any battlefield, not during combat -- is an idea so utterly foreign to me, so far beyond the bounds of what is reasonable, that it's hard to convey in words or treat with civility.

I, too, find it hard to convey in words that are civil how horribly wrong this is and why it is just one of many reasons (but a primary one) I do not support the man in the White House. I like him even less than I did Bush, and that really says something.

Read the entire piece here, and feel free to comment.

Republican Leaders In Wisconsin Running Scared

H/T to Crooks and Liars.

It looks like Wisconsin Republicans are getting a bit nervous about the possibility they may lose their Senate majority via recalls this year. After a Democrat won a long-held solid Republican seat in a special election last week and ended the Republican supermajority, their legislative calendar has been ramped up.

Yahoo! News:

Republicans, in a rapid sequence of votes over the next eight weeks, plan to legalize concealed weapons, deregulate the telephone industry, require voters to show photo identification at the polls, expand school vouchers and undo an early release for prisoners.

Lawmakers may also act again on Walker's controversial plan stripping public employee unions of their collective bargaining rights. An earlier version, which led to massive protest demonstrations at the Capitol, has been left in limbo by legal challenges.

"Everything's been accelerated," said Republican Rep. Gary Tauchen, who is working on the photo ID bill. "We've got a lot of big bills we're trying to get done."

And they accused Democrats of being radical? Sounds like it might be time for another trip for some Wisconsin senators out of state.

The recall efforts have been surprisingly successful thus far in Wisconsin. Since many other states that have newly minted, er, elected Republican governors, we can expect this same thing to occur, as recall efforts pick up in those states as well.

An Interesting Dissection Of The Cost Of OBL To America

Like I said in an earlier post -- killing OBL changes nothing. OBL has achieved his goal, as he has said all along, to bankrupt America. And, unfortunately, OBL's death is not changing any one's thinking up on the Hill. It's business as usual. Keep funnelling money out of America, and keep cutting services to America. The American people see it. They are struggling. States can't pay their bills; people can't pay their bills, our economy is in the shit hole, and voting is really not an option anymore because whether it's a Democrat or a Republican, they are already bought and paid for by special corporate interests (who don't pay taxes to add to the coffers, but take money from the taxpayers to put into their coffers). True progressives just can't seem to get a foothold into any form of government.

As the article (read it in full, it's got lots of statistics comparing American involvement in wars gone by and the costs both plus and negative from such activities) states, the cost of OBL and his ideology is the gift that keeps on giving, or should I say, taking.

The greater expense we can attribute to bin Laden comes from policymakers' response to 9/11. The invasion of Afghanistan was clearly a reaction to al-Qaida's attacks. It is unlikely that the Bush administration would have invaded Iraq if 9/11 had not ushered in a debate about Islamic extremism and weapons of mass destruction. Those two wars grew into a comprehensive counterinsurgency campaign that cost $1.4 trillion in the past decade—and will cost hundreds of billions more. The government borrowed the money for those wars, adding hundreds of billions in interest charges to the U.S. debt.

[snip]

Most important, the fight against bin Laden has not produced the benefits that accompanied previous conflicts. The military escalation of the past 10 years did not stimulate the economy as the war effort did in the 1940s—with the exception of a few large defense contractors—in large part because today's operations spend far less on soldiers and far more on fuel. Meanwhile, our national-security spending no longer drives innovation. The experts who spoke with National Journal could name only a few advancements spawned by the fight against bin Laden, including Predator drones and improved backup systems to protect information technology from a terrorist attack or other disaster. "The spin-off effects of military technology were demonstrably more apparent in the '40s and '50s and '60s," says Gordon Adams, a national-security expert at American Univeristy.

Another reason that so little economic benefit has come from this war is that it has produced less—not more—stability around the world. Stable countries, with functioning markets governed by the rule of law, make better trading partners; it's easier to start a business, or tap national resources, or develop new products in times of tranquility than in times of strife. "If you can successfully pursue a military campaign and bring stability at the end of it, there is an economic benefit," says economic historian Joshua Goldstein of the University of Massachusetts. "If we stabilized Libya, that would have an economic benefit."

Even the psychological boost from bin Laden's death seems muted by historical standards. Imagine the emancipation of the slaves. Victory over the Axis powers gave Americans a sense of euphoria and limitless possibility. O'Hanlon says, "I take no great satisfaction in his death because I'm still amazed at the devastation and how high a burden he placed on us." It is "more like a relief than a joy that I feel." Majewski adds, "Even in a conflict like the Civil War or World War II, there's a sense of tragedy but of triumph, too. But the war on terror … it's hard to see what we get out of it, technologically or institutionally."

It is patently impossible to continue in this fashion. Just how stupid does one have to be to not get this?

The Republicans Just Can't Give It A Rest

All those silly and petty (oh, and add just about every other kind of derogatory adjective you wish to add here) Republicans. What cracks me up is that they don't have an independent operative brain cell amongst them, and it's apparent to anyone that listens, watches or reads about what they say.

Since OBL was taken out, the whiny little brats can't stop peeing all over themselves because, as the narrative has been going, our President has not given the "real" credit where it is due ... to Bush, and his waterboarding, etc. techniques. And this narrative, to a tee, is being shouted from the rooftops (ok, on television, but still ...) by every shill for the Republican party that can read the bullet points.

(shaking head, I stopped banging it on the keyboard when the letters started to come off on my head).

Little boys and girls, please, don't you realize just how irrelevant you have become since you all created your tea party express?

So, Cinco de Mayo ...

The cousin's kids are playing in the Bakersfield area. They put up a video they made and edited. Didn't impress me, but it did make me think about the years I lived in the San Joaquin Valley ...

Streets Of Bakersfield (You all know who performed on this!)


More "Flaco Jimenez" courtesy of The Mavericks


How I got to Manassas, I don't know, but whatever (maybe it was just next to the "M's" in my music list, LOL!



Hey, I'm gonna get wasted tomorrow at my regular bar ... Cinco de Mayo, tequila, beer, yippee!

Bin Laden's Death Does Not Change Anything

I've read a lot about the Bin Laden killing all morning, with everything from sheer joy, that he was buried at sea "according to the Islamic concept of speedy burial" to claims that Obama's "base" did not want him to catch the guy (from Scarborough and his ilk). I am pretty sure the latter sentiment is just the same old crap from the same old crappy people, who just have to take a jab at the top guy on any subject.

I am personally ambivalent about it. Yes, I am glad the man was finally found, as what happened on 9/11 deeply affected me, and still does to this day. But, did we send in special snipers or whatnot to kill Tim McVeigh? No, we arrested him, tried him, and executed him.

9/11 became the neocons' rallying cry to overthrow a dictator, a populist event. The America I had grown up believing was a just country, came down crashing during the Watergate era for me, and I learned then, and later with the Reagan era, that this country supported more vicious dictators, oligarchs and royalty than I ever imagined. It was all very "hush hush" and kept under wraps and denied in public, but 9/11 tore the lid off of it. Since 9/11, America's leadership has been brazen about invading countries, murdering innocent people, and basically having the same amount of blood on its hands as those that preceded, such as Nero of Rome, Napoleon, and Hitler. Not unlike the Catholic crusades of the mid centuries, America, spouting it's "Christianity" has taken it up as its mission, "regime change," as a further excuse to topple governments in the middle east (now that we don't have the big boogie man, Red Communist Russia to beat our chests and get into a war frenzy). Has this stopped the Taliban or the spread of al-Qaeda? No. Has this decreased terrorism and threats of terrorism against America? No. Has this drained American resources to the point that we support financially more wars and more rebuilding of the damage we do from these wars at the expense of our own people? Yes. Is there logic in this form of governing? No.

It saddens me that instead of developing into a world of peace, we, as Americans, are at the forefront of bigotry and hate, gleefully cheering on death and destruction, overtly and all in the name of 9/11.

Am I glad he is "gone?" Yes. But I would have preferred he go the American way, arrested, tried and executed. Today's American form of justice, from holding American citizens such as Pfc. Manning, without formal charges, to the travesty that is known as Gitmo, to Obama's "shoot to kill" orders for Anwar Al-Awlaki (a U.S. citizen abroad), sickens me. How can we say we are a nation of laws when lawlessness is our number one priority?

You Know What? Who Fucking Cares

Thank god I have a DVR so I don't have to listen to the wall-to-wall television reports about Bin Laden. And please, don't leave me any comments about how Obama "said" he was going to get Bin Laden and hid did. There is so much that Obama "said" he would do, and I will DELETE any fucking kudo's on my site about this.

At least there were two great hockey games today, and I am glad I watched them and both of my teams won.