Walt's Blog of Music, Politics, & Life

2009-03-23T12:42:00.002-05:00

I saw this on one of the political blogs that I keep track of, and HAD to spread it around. Funny stuff!!!

2009-02-10T13:00:00.003-05:00

I see that the Metropolitan Opera has scheduled an opera by Shostakovich this next season. It's a satirical opera called "The Nose." More about the opera can be found here...

I think "The Nose" is an inspired pick!

2009-01-20T09:50:00.004-05:00

Wow, it's been a long time!

Anyway, I'm TOTALLY psyched for the Inauguration today. As I write this, "W" only has another 2 hours left as Preznit. We will get our 44th President, a skinny black guy with a funny name. I'm planning on watching the Inauguration on TV, which I can't recall ever being motivated enough to do before. This one, however, will be historic, something I want to be able to tell my grandkids about some day. It got me thinking about moments in history that I've witnessed on the TV, and I think the pending Inauguration of Barack Obama ranks right up there with these other moments of televised history...

The Beatles on Ed Sullivan
Neal Armstrong stepping onto the Moon
9/11

Anyway, that's my own personal list of history that I've witnessed on the flickering screen. Anybody else got ones to share?

2008-04-11T12:06:00.004-05:00

What is it with right-wing morons? I regularly read and post to a politics blog run by the local newspaper. Whenever I make a post that these troglodytes don't agree with, instead of rebutting it with actual facts (admittedly hard to do, since most of my posts are already fact-based), they go right into personal attacks. Copyright violation accusations, starved for human interaction, and on & on. The worst of all, is when they say I stink at playing the trombone. Low blow. (Ha ha, I made a trombone pun!)

Well for all of you moronic, FauxNews watching, pro-war cheerleading sheeple, I have only this to say- "Fuck you." It's a free country, with actual right of free speech guaranteed by our Constitution. If you don't like what I have to say, try to use the few remaining brain cells you have left functioning, and come up with an actual coherent fucking argument. If you can't do that, why don't YOU guys go move to France, or something. You know, the old "Love it , or leave it" line. I actually don't believe in that last bit. Instead, just don't read my stuff. Or, read it, say to yourself "Geez, I don't agree with that." and just let it go.

BTW, I post under the name WaltTrombone, and supply a link to my website. I'm not the one hiding behind an anonymous pseudonym, trashing other people's posts in between surfing the net for free porn sites, eating Cheetos, and wondering whether you should make a truck payment or an alimony payment.

Keep it up with the personal insults, and I'll give it right back. Just so long as you realize that, in a battle of the minds, you are hopelessly unarmed. Think you can keep up with me, go ahead the comments, as always are open. Unlike, for instance, on the blog put out by the pro-war Republican candidate fr Congress in the district where I live. I'm sure he doesn't even dare open comments up, because the stuff he spouts is about as ill-informed and out of touch with reality as it gets. Keeps spouting off about war and bravery, but he can't get up the nerve to solicit comments from the very people he wants to represent. Here's news for ya- If you can't be bothered to listen to ALL the people in the district, you don't fucking deserve to be their Congressman.

You think I'm a vulgar pottymouth? Too fucking bad.

2008-03-03T15:33:00.000-05:00

Proof that the surge is working in Iraq!!!

Why just this past Sunday, a well known head of state came to Baghdad on a 2 day visit that was announced long before his arrival. He travelled in a normal limousine, not a heavily armored vehicle. Instead of staying in the heavily fortified Green Zone, he stayed in one of Saddam's former palaces, and met openly with Iraq's President Talibani at the first official state reception of a foreign leader in Iraq.

Why, who could this paragon of confidence in the surge be? Could it be our own Commander-in-Chief, George W., who has led us to this shining moment?

Actually, it's the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also known as President I'm-mad-in-the-head. WTF? So, we need to stay in Iraq to make things safe, only they're not safe for Americans, just Iranians?

Way to go, W!

2008-02-01T16:05:00.000-05:00

This is gonna be great!

Just in the last few days, when it seems like John McCain will be the anointed candidate of the GOP, it seems that he doesn't appeal to some of the right's minions. Michelle Malkin and Ann Coulter have each said that they would rather vote for Hillary Clinton than McCain. Rush Limbaugh says this signals the demise of the Republican Party. The National Review staff is in a tizzy.

It seems that they think that McCain is not conservative enough. They don't like that he doesn't want to deport all the brown people that are here cutting our lawns, working at McDonalds, processing our meats and produce. How far towards Joe McCarthy do you have to be to please these bloviating harpies?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of McCain. There was a time, back before the 2000 election, when I really respected him, and could have even voted for him. Then, Karl Rove and his evil minions started push polling in the SC primary, calling up potential voters, and asking them loaded "survey" questions. Ones that suggested that he had an illegitimate black child and that his wife was an addict. I don't know about you, but I would have totally went after anyone who smeared my family like that. Instead, he ends up endorsing Bush, and later embraces him publicly. Now, McCain is little more than Bush without the mispronunciations, total policy suckup to W. Some TV commentators recently characterized McCain's platform as "less jobs, more war."

So, anyway, sit tight and fasten your seatbelt, it's gonna be a bumpy ride for the GOP. (Not that I'm complaining...)

Pass the popcorn, please...

Schadenfreude, anyone?

2007-11-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

Long time, no blog!

So, anyway, I am a published arranger now! My arrangement of Christmas tunes for tuba quartet is now being published by Cimarron Press. Yay!

One thing about it that is stuck in my craw...

It started out with the name Tuba Christmas Medley, which was my working title for it. A few weeks after the release, my publisher gets a letter from the Harvey Phillips Foundation, the folks that run the TubaChristmas events. I'm not a big fan of these, mostly because there are too many non-tuba players who show up at these things carrying a tuba that they have never played before. Add in the HS kids who only know how to blat. OK, so it's not my thing, but it's cool that the tuba gets some exposure. It's not like I HAVE to do them. I'm usually lucky enough to be WORKING the days that the local ones are held. I sure as heck ain't gonna turn down work for a freebie.

So, Harvey, or somebody in his inner circle, gets lawyered up, and sends Cimarron a letter alleging Trademark infringement, because we dared to use the word tuba in front of the word Christmas. Cimarron and I contend no infringement, since Harvey owns the trademark on TUBACHRISTMAS (That's just how it's listed on the register of trademarks, BTW.), said trademark to be used for "entertainment, namely organizing festivals featuring musical performances." (A direct quote from the tm registration.)

So, how does the title of a musical selection infringe or deny Harvey's events? So, anyway, because it would be more money than it's worth to fight them on this, the title of the piece is now "Christmas Medley for Tubas."

Speaking of money...

I once played at a Goldman Band concert with a tuba ensemble, in honor of Harvey Phillips. After the performance, I went up to Harvey and thanked him for everything he had done to promote the tuba. (I'm getting to the money part, patience...)

I take it back, no more thanks for Harvey, because, with this petty little incident, it all becomes clear to me now. Harvey is only interested in promoting Harvey, and any notice for the tuba is merely secondary.

2007-06-23T20:06:00.000-05:00

Ok, so, like, my 13 year old daughter, like, went on a date yesterday? And, like, the young lad is, like, super-polite, and keeps calling me, like, "Sir?" Like, I was just so, like, blown away! (The young lad in question is 17, so he's going to have to do a lot more than call me Sir to get on my good side anyway.)

But, dude, if you really want to, like, get on her Dad's good side, like, don't wear a Hooters t-shirt. I'm just sayin'...

2007-01-25T11:45:00.000-05:00

OK, I wrote last week about someone on the GOP side looking to adjourn and cut out of work early. Well, this week it happened again, but on WEDNESDAY! See the vote details here...
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/house/1/votes/55/

So, does anyone know- "Who's the lazy mofo who keeps bringing up these motions?" That way, we can toss their slacker ass out in the next House elections...

2007-01-21T21:14:00.000-05:00

So Hillary's in the race? Good for her! I was sorta hoping that she would choose NOT to run, but only because I know all the nastiness that's on it's way. I guess she's a big girl, and is ready for it. Go Hillary/Obama '08!!!

2007-01-19T15:26:00.000-05:00

I found an interesting little quote from Founding Father James Madison. Hmmm, this doesn't sound TOO much like, let me go out on a limb here...the Bush Administration?

"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."

James Madison, author of the BILL OF RIGHTS (some of us still remember those rights!), 4th President of the US. One of my new heroes...

2007-01-18T21:56:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know, it's been a while! Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a good holiday season.

I just had a good laugh looking at John Hall's voting record. (BTW, congrats to Congressman Hall for beating Runaway Sue Kelly, our former rep!) Some background as to my amusement... The old GOP-controlled Congress got very used to their old work schedule, wherein they basically only met from Tuesday to Thursday. A 3 day work week???!!! How do I get one of them jobs? Anyway, just before lunchtime today (a Thursday,) someone, probably a Republican, made a motion to adjourn. Obviously looking to leave work early, head home, do some fishing, or whatever... When put to a vote, that motion was shot down pretty much along party lines. No- 233, Yes- 184. Sorry boys, Speaker Pelosi (I LIKE the sound of that!) said you should expect to work Monday-Friday just like the rest of us, and by gum, that's what you're gonna do!

In other news, I'm back playing in the Iona College Pep Band. The music is as fun as ever, but the team is, how to put this diplomatically, lacking in the experience necessary to put a complete game together. Their record now stands at 0-17, having just tonight lost to Canisius, 72-65 in OT. Their free throw percentage is around a miserable 30-40%, and they have too many turnovers. Last years team went to the NCAAs, but 4 out of 5 starters graduated, and this years team has had some injuries and academics sideline key players. If they could get the free throws happening, that alone would make up most of the margins they've been losing by.

That's all for now! I'll try to post a bit more often, stay tuned, and feel free to drop me a note to nag me if I let too much time go by!

2006-11-04T20:31:00.000-05:00

Recently, Sue Kelly made an actual public appearance, at the dedication of the new control tower at Stewart "International" Airport. (International is merely a grandiose wish, as no international flights currently fly into or out of Stewart.) Standing next to Sue in this Times Herald-Record photo is Mr. Charles (Chuck) Seliga, President and COO of Stewart Airport. Sue touts on her website that she pushed through federal funds for several projects at Stewart. Mr. Seliga, according to FEC records, gave Sue $1000 in November 2003, and lo and behold, Sue announces in July 2004 that she has gotten $1 million towards improvements at Stewart.

Since then, Mr. Seliga has given more money to Sue, $500 in August 2005, $500 in May 2006, and $500 in August 2006, for a grand total of $2500 to Sue. Mr. Seliga has also given $1000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee, back in May 2005. Coincidentally, ( or not?) Sue has been touting the millions of OUR dollars that she has directed into infrastructure improvements (the tower, access road, runway improvements) at Stewart.

What's the beef, you may ask? Don't you want the flying public to be safe, or have a pleasant flying experience? Well, yes I do, but consider this fact- Every other airport in the US is owned or run by some facet of local/state government, but NOT Stewart. That's right, Stewart is the ONLY privately owned passenger airport in the US. So, essentially, our tax dollars are going to improve a private corporation's facility, and hence, it's bottom line. Whose bottom line, you may ask? National Express Group PLC, of England, is the parent company currently holding the lease at Stewart. Apparently, their bottom line isn't good enough, because they are currently looking to unload Stewart. So far, no takers. So, our money goes into what is essentially a dead horse, to help sweeten the deal for any prospective buyer. Kinda like those shows on HGTV, where they fix up a home to make it more sellable. Not so sweet a deal, considering that very few flights go to or from Stewart, practically no direct flights to anywhere folks might want to go. Sue probably doesn't ever use Stewart herself, since there are no direct flights from Stewart to Washington DC that I could find.

From the Times Herald-Record, Feb. 9, 2006-
"There's a new control tower that's almost done and terminal renovations going on behind the scenes. A new hotel will be built on the airport approach road and airport operator National Express says more projects like that may be in the pipeline. And airport officials are trying to get federal funds to build an international terminal, to enable foreign charter flights to come and go.

Yes, there's a lot going on our local airport these days, and it's moving Stewart in the right direction, said marketing director Tanya Vanasse.

"I think we'll have a lot of accomplishments this year," she said. "I think we'll move ourselves forward quite a long way from where we are now."

Now, if they can just get some of those pesky airlines to set up shop here ...

Airport officials say they're working on it, doggedly, but that the airline industry is in a tough spot right now and few carriers are expanding."

The tower, approach road (Drury Lane), and other renovations have already been paid for, and Stewart is looking for more federal handouts for an international terminal, for passengers that the airlines will NOT be bringing here? Public sentiment is also against the type of expansion that Sue is pushing for, since we here in the 19th don't want a replica of LaGuardia or JFK here in the Hudson Valley. Nor do we want the increase in noise, pollution, and traffic that such an airport expansion would bring. I think I can speak for most Hudson Valley residents in saying that , if we wanted to live in Queens near LaGuardia, we'd be living in Queens! (Nothing against Queens, I like visiting friends there. Just not rural enough for my taste...) An airport that, remember this, is privately owned.

Mr. Seliga seems to have gotten a good deal for Stewart. $3500, in return for millions of our dollars. From what I can tell, Mr. Seliga does not seem to be otherwise motivated to contribute to the political process at all, because, other than his contributions to Sue and the NRCC, he has not made any other donations to any other candidates, according to the FEC. Quid pro quo? Just a coincidence? Two more days to decide if Sue REALLY is looking out for us. I decided long ago...

2006-09-09T20:12:00.000-05:00

A quote to make your day...

“For us to get American military personnel involved in a civil war inside Iraq would literally be a quagmire”
Dick Cheney, in 1991.

So, Dick, and I mean that in so many senses of the word dick, how's that working out for you? Ready to take that Stay the Course crap and shove it? What a fucking putz...

2006-08-22T21:08:00.000-05:00

My oldest daughter, Rebecca, had us in stitches at the dinner table tonight. She told us "Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Then, if they don't like what you say, you're a mile away from them, and you have some new shoes."

Priceless pearls of wisdom from the tweens...

2006-08-19T15:06:00.000-05:00

Just found this site, I must say that I agree 100%. Not that I'm against anyone expressing their own support of the troops, it's just that saying it doesn't make it so. Get off your butt and actually DO something. I've sent goodie bags to Iraq, written emails to troops, supported the troops by trying to get them home (the best way to support them, IMHO!), and I've volunteered playing Taps at veteran's funerals. What have you done besides put a magnet on your car, then go about your daily life?

2006-07-18T10:46:00.000-05:00

"Regime change in Iraq would bring about a number of benefits for the region. …Extremists in the region would have to rethink their strategy of jihad. Moderates throughout the region would take heart, and our ability to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process would be enhanced."— Vice President Dick Cheney, Aug. 26, 2002

So, Dick, how's that working out? Asshole...

(Thanks to subgenius.com for the pic...)

2006-06-27T10:22:00.000-05:00

So, Rush Limbaugh got caught with some Viagra in his luggage that was not prescribed for him. A plethora of things pop into my mind...

1- Who would want to have sex with Rush? Ewww, I'm feeling queasy...
2- Rush likes to preach a strict moral code on behalf of the GOP, but sex outside marriage is OK?
3- Didn't he learn from getting busted for his oxycontin use?
4- I hope this is considered a violation of his plea bargain, and they send him off to the clink.

,,,and my favorite image, one totally at odds with the manly image Rush likes to portray...

5- Rush needs help getting it up! ROTFLMAO!!!!!

2006-06-23T11:07:00.000-05:00

So, just to let all know that I did NOT get arrested while playing at the Merchant Marine Academy graduation! Bush was the feaured speaker, in case you hadn't heard or guessed. Same old song & dance, Iraq, terror, freedom, Iran, blah, blah, blah... One graduate, an underacheiver, like the C-in-C, gave W a big bear hug after getting his diploma. The kid took 6 years to get through a 4 year program, I'd have been delirious myself at graduation. I would have refused to shake his hand, if it were me in his place, though. It's really hard to play the tuba while biting your tongue, did you know that? I had toyed with the idea of turning the gig down, but the $$$ were more in line with a Halliburton contract. I can be bought, or at least rented. If I had turned down the job, nobody would have cared anyway. You've got to choose your battles, and getting paid is always a better alternative to sitting home for free. (especially in Bush's economy...)

One interesting thing I noticed this morning... One common spelling for W is Dubya, as you may know. Ever notice that your spell-checker wants to correct Dubya to Dubai? Coincidence? Perhaps not...

One last Bush bash for today, courtesy of Comedy Central's Joke of the Day...

One day George W. went out to dinner with a Jewish friend. The friend recommended a kosher place nearby.
They arrived and Dubya's friend ordered them both the house specialty: matzo ball soup. The waiter brought the bowls and George looked at the soup suspiciously, but his friend urged him to try at least one taste. So he took a bite of matzo ball and slurped some soup and clearly liked it.

After Dubya was finished he said, "Mmm mmm, that was good! But tell me, do you Jewish folks eat other parts of the matzo, or just the balls?"

2006-06-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

Busy weekend for music coming up! Friday night, the Bensen-Scott Big Band is doing a wedding. Saturday finds me hopping a bus up to Queensbury, NY (near Lake George, about 2.5 hrs. one way) for the Hudson Valley Volunteer Firemen's Parade. That one is with the always fun Tappan Zee Bridgemen, and we're actually marching in the parade twice! On Father's Day, Sunday, I won't be sitting by the pool, drinking beer, but playing euphonium in the Bronx with the Lehman College Community Band.

But wait, there's more! Monday morning, at the ungodly hour of 6:30, I have to be at the US Merchant Marine Academy graduation. It's an early start because of security procedures for a certain mucky-muck. One whose name has been mentioned here many times before... I won't mention his name, because I don't want to be strip-searched when I get there. It'll be a pain enough getting through security with a tuba, I'm sure. Also hard to play the tuba whilst biting one's tongue. I promised my wife I wouldn't do anything to get arrested.

More details next time...

2006-05-30T09:19:00.000-05:00

I saw this on EvilBible.com, and had to share...

Top Ten Signs You're a Fundamentalist Christian

10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.

9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.

7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" including women, children, and trees!

6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.

4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects - will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving."

3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to "prove" Christianity.

2 - You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

1 - You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history - but still call yourself a Christian.

2006-05-26T13:43:00.000-05:00

I just thought this was a great picture!!! (I have no idea WHO it is, don't ask!)

2006-05-25T13:51:00.000-05:00

Don't get me started...

2006-05-14T09:40:00.000-05:00

Quote of the Day

Here was today's Quote from my Mac's Desktop Widget...

"First and last, what is demanded of genius is love of truth."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I guess that explains the vast intellect and the lies...

2006-05-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

Jazz Band gig coming up!

I'll be performing (playing lead) with the Wednesday Night Big Band on Wed., May 17, @ New Rochelle HS. The band is part of the Adult Education courses offered in New Rochelle. The HS Big Band will be opening up the concert at 7:30, we'll be going on around 8:15. Admission is the ever-popular FREE. Come on by and say hello, if you're in the neighborhood. Email me if you need directions...

The players are not famous (including me), and come from all walks of life. There are retired surgeons, dentists, schoolteachers, artists, and guys with current day gigs like teachers, accountants, lawyers. It aint Woody Herman's Herd, but we can hold our own, and it's a fun bunch to hang out with every Wednesday night!

2006-05-05T10:07:00.000-05:00

"This year's election offers the chance, after four decades of one-party control, to bring to the House a new majority that will transform the way Congress works. That historic change would be the end of government that is too big, too intrusive, and too easy with the public's money. " Some might think that this is a recent quote, a Democratic diatribe. They'd be wrong.

It's a quote from the infamous "Contract With America," back in 1994. Since then, Republicans have INCREASED bureaucracy in Washington, after Al Gore streamlined government offices and policies during the Clinton administration. Republicans have made things harder on normal folks, while easing the burdens of corporations. Witness the Medicare Plan D Debacle, for instance. This Republican administration is certainly more intrusive, as evidenced by its illegal wiretap program, and surveillance of such "dangerous" terrorist groups like vegans and Quakers. Mr. Bush and his enablers in Congress have pissed away a $150 Billion surplus, and turned it into an $8 TRILLION deficit. Since Bush took office, the US Government has BORROWED more money than all of the previous administrations COMBINED.

Bill Clinton managed to balance the budget and reduce government bureaucracy, even with a hostile GOP majority running Congress. W and the Mayberry Mafia can't even get it right with a defacto one-party rule. I've said it before, and I'll say it again- The last good Republican President was Eisenhower. Barry Goldwater would be considered too-moderate by today's standards, and Abe Lincoln would not recognize what his party has turned into.

It's time for a change in Congress, if for no other reason than to hold the power of the Executive branch in check. To the die-hard Republicans out there, think about this very real possibility- "Would you want Hillary Clinton to have the same power as George W. Bush?" Yeah, I didn't think so. The point is that NOBODY should be allowed to piss all over the Constitution the way that Mr. Bush has. Time to wake up and pay attention...

2006-04-11T20:58:00.000-05:00

There is a disturbing new trend on Broadway, concerning live music and musicians. What is it with these cheapskate producers, who hire incredible actors, top-notch technical people, then want to go cheap on the musicians? There's a production of Sweeney Todd running now that has the actors playing the instruments, in a kind of high art, the loonies-are-putting-on-a-show-for-the-attendants concept. Patti LuPone is playing the tuba, fer chrissakes! The same producer is said to be putting together a revival of another Sondheim show, "Company." A London production of Jerry Herman's "Mack & Mabel" just opened there with the same concept.

Where does it stop? When the NY Philharmonic is populated by players who haven't touched an instrument since high school? For that matter, if I choose to go see a Patti LuPone performance, shouldn't I expect her tuba playing to be of the same caliber as her acting and singing? Should I expect Alan Baer of the NY Phil, Gene Pokorny of the Chicago Symphony, or Carol Jantsch, recent winner of the Philly auditions, to be able to step in for Bernadette Peters or Robert DiNiro?

If we wouldn't pay $60 or more to see a HS production of a show, why should we pay the same amount to see a show that has the highest of professional standards in every area EXCEPT the music? Patti LuPone hasn't played the tuba since Kennedy was President. She has performed Sweeney Todd with the NY Philharmonic. I bet it sounded a helluva lot better then than it does now, with "musicians" that haven't touched an instrument since the Vietnam era, or never advanced in their guitar playing past the garage band level.

All to save the producers a couple of bucks, garbed in the excuse of "the director's artistic vision." They can't cut anywhere else, and the musician's union is a joke. Some guy who can pull on a rope at the right time, plug in a light, or move something heavy gets to make big money, while the musician who spends his life honing his craft, and endless hours every day maintaining his skills gets cast out into the trash in favor of people who treated playing an instrument as a high school dalliance. The message is clear- Forget about being a professional musician, just take some acting classes instead...

2006-04-07T10:36:00.000-05:00

W's Daddy had this to say...

" I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious, of traitors."

I wonder how #41 feels about #43 being revealed as the instigator of leaks from the White House? I know that I'm royally pissed-off. That lying sack of fertilizer stood there and told us that he would not tolerate any leaks from the White House, and that whoever did it would "no longer be a part of this administration." Now, it turns out that HE was the leaker. The right is trying to spin this by saying that the President has the authority to de-classify secret materials. Isn't there a procedure that has to be followed in such cases? I'd bet there is, and I'd also bet that it was not followed. The material was still classified when Libby was told to leak it, and the mere act of telling someone to leak it does not absolve the President of following the law concerning release of classified material.

Legal arguments aside, what was done is MORALLY wrong. Secrets were leaked for the express purpose of MARKETING a war in Iraq to the American public. Yeah, Saddam was a bad guy, blah, blah, blah, I've heard all of those arguments before. They don't stand up to the fact that the President stood there and lied to us all in order to get us to go to war. Those are the facts, and the White House does not deny them. Alberto "Torture and wiretaps are OK" Gonzales says that since the President has the ok to de-classify whatever he wants, then no crime was committed.

I don't tolerate lying from my kids, and I won't tolerate lies to advance a bogus agenda from this President, either.

2006-04-04T19:50:00.000-05:00

I've written a few times already about reactions to the sign on the back of my car that says "America Stands With Cindy." Cindy is Cindy Sheehan, who is probably the most famous protestors of the Iraq War. I had been thinking about removing it, because these large angry men have been objecting to the sign, and I don't want to get into an altercation with them, verbal or otherwise.

Two things happened in the last few days that have caused me to reconsider removing the sign. First, I was driving down the Taconic Parkway, when a black woman of about 45-50 passed me. She gave me a big thumbs-up as she went by, and on the back of her car were bumperstickers proclaiming her to be the proud Mom of a soldier. That was a great feeling!

Then, today, I was reading a magazine that my wife gets, and the entire issue was devoted to Patriotism and Education. Inside, there was a brief article by Cindy Sheehan, and she wrote about some of the letters she has gotten from other moms who have lost loved ones in Iraq. Today, April 4th, is the 2nd Anniversary of the death of Cindy's son, Casey. There are too many omens, signs, or whatever you want to call them, that are telling me to keep the sign up on my car, at least for now.

Most of those who denounce Cindy Sheehan do not even have anyone from their family over in Iraq. They haven't lost a loved one there. Most have never served in the military. I fit all of those categories myself. The difference is that I would never question the motives of why Cindy protests against this stupid war, nor would I question her motives if she supported it. She has paid a price that 2342 other families have also paid, and all of these families deserve our utmost respect. So, I support her cause with my sign, and I volunteer to play Taps at military funerals, and I send care packages to Iraq, and I give money to the USO. I'd venture a guess that most of the folks who hate Cindy Sheehan haven't sacrificed anything more than a few bucks for those stupid yellow ribbon magnets.

Thank you Cindy, and thank you to that lady on the Taconic!

2006-04-04T13:57:00.000-05:00

A great quote about patriotism...

"My country, right or wrong' is a thing no patriot would ever think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying 'My mother, drunk or sober."
-Gilbert K. Chesterton

If anybody needs to have it explained, let me know. (You'd probably be one of those "right or wrong" types if you DID need it explained...)

2006-03-30T15:37:00.000-05:00

Mark Twain said this- "An inglorious peace is better than a dishonorable war."

Yeah, and it's cheaper, too! How much money are we going to piss away "rebuilding" Iraq? Like with the deal that contractor Parsons got, to build 142 medical clinics in Iraq. Well, 2 years and $200,000,000 later, they've only managed to build 20 out of 142. Now, they've negotiated a buyout of the contract with the Army Corps of Engineers, so that basically means that they are getting paid anyway. What a load of crap!

2006-03-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

Here's an Irish joke for ye...

A married Irishman went into the confessional and said to his
priest, "I almost had an affair with another woman."

The priest said, "What do you mean, almost?"

The Irishman said, "Well, we got undressed and rubbed together, but then I
stopped."

The priest said, "Rubbing together is the same as putting it in.

You're not to see that woman again. For your penance, say five Hail Mary's
and put $50 in the poor box."

The Irishman left the confessional, said his prayers, and then walked over
to the poor box. He paused for a moment and then started to
leave. The priest, who was watching, quickly ran over to him
saying, "I saw that. You didn't put any money in the poor box!"

The Irishman replied, "Yeah, but I rubbed the $50 on the box, and according
to you, that's the same as putting it in."

2006-03-27T20:24:00.000-05:00

Busy, busy, busy!!!

Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely NOT complaining! Besides all the stuff in my last post, I also did a Lehman Band concert yesterday afternoon, on euph. Lots of fun stuff, 2 movements from John Corigliano's Gazebo Dances, Swashbucklers (themes from old movies like Sea Hawk, Conquest of Cortez...) Whistler & His Dog, Jager's Symphonia Noblissima. Other stuff, too. I've been having a section of the Corigliano, the Tarantella, running in my head all day...

This morning, I was back at Ted Blumenthal's for our Monday morning quartet session. Today, I got to read through the 1st part on the Bozza Quartet. Man, that piece is tough, especially sightreading the 1st part. I've done the 3rd and 4th parts before, they aren't as whacky as the lead part. Glad there's no band rehearsal tonight! We only play quartets for 1.5 hours, but it's high intensity, no breaks. Like E.T. said, "Ouch!"

Coming up this week, I'm doing Guys & Dolls over at Horace Greeley HS, in Chappaqua. Yes, that's where Bill & Hillary live these days. I doubt they'll be at any of the shows...

2006-03-18T20:05:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is a Yonkers Philharmonic concert, we're playing on La Gazza Ladra, and Capriccio Espagnole. Fun stuff for low brassers. The orchestra's also doing the Bruch Violin Concerto and The Birds by Respighi. I don't think I'll ever get to do Mahler with this bunch, but the trombones are getting more fun stuff to play. I'm finally getting to the point where I don't have to think about what I'm doing when I play my Xeno trombone. I got it this past summer, but didn't really get a chance to play it much until October or so. I've been playing quartets at a friend's, Ted Blumenthal's, every week since December. That's helped my chops a lot, plus I'm getting to play literature I never got to do in school. I did THREE St. Patrick's Parades last weekend. Saturday was beautiful, we did a doubleheader, but Sunday sucked. Cold, rainy, and long. Coming up this week, I'm doing Annie Get Your Gun at Valhalla HS, that's a fun show. This may be the 1999 version with Bernadette Peters that we're doing. I've done the original orchestration, we'll see how this one works. Anyway, that's what's going on these days musically...

2006-03-16T14:22:00.000-05:00

One of the things I like to read in the paper is the section with "This Day in History," which has events from the past, birthdays of famous folks (although I will confess to not recognizing many of the celebrities under 30!), and the Quote of the Day. Here's the quote for today from someone else I never heard of, English poet Coventry Patmore (1823-1896)...

"Nearly all our disasters come from a few fools having the 'courage of their convictions.'"

Remind you of anybody?

2006-03-15T11:31:00.000-05:00

From the NY Times...

"Television evangelist Pat Robertson said Monday on his live news-and-talk program ''The 700 Club'' that Islam is not a religion of peace, and that radical Muslims are ''satanic.''

Robertson's comments came after he watched a news story on his Christian Broadcasting Network about Muslim protests in Europe over the cartoon drawings of the Prophet Muhammad.

He remarked that the outpouring of rage elicited by cartoons ''just shows the kind of people we're dealing with. These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it's motivated by demonic power. It is satanic and it's time we recognize what we're dealing with.''

Robertson also said that ''the goal of Islam, ladies and gentlemen, whether you like it or not, is world domination.''"

Pat, Pat, Pat...

Lots of folks might think that YOUR followers are also "crazed fanatics" whose goal is "world domination." Should we bring back the Inquisition? What is it about politics that encourages religious extremists, both Islamic and Christian?

Jesus said "Love your neighbor as yourself." If someone came up to you and told you that you have to worship in only one, approved way, and that way conflicted with your own beliefs, wouldn't you resist? Isn't that the basis for KEEPING religion and state separate? Mutual respect, remember that? Jesus also said, "Let he who has ears to hear, listen." He was acknowledging that people have a free will to believe as they wish, and that it doesn't give anyone the right to impose one set of beliefs over another's. Jesus DID say to teach the Gospel, He DIDN'T say to FORCE people to listen and believe in them.

Let me just say that I DO believe in God, I just have a hard time with organized religion. There are too many different religions that ALL share the same basic moral belief system of "Love your neighbor as yourself" that I think it impossible to say that only one particular brand is the right one. I feel that they are all different manifestations, and that those who insist on one over the others are merely interested in advancing their own agenda. Even tracing back Catholicism, the doctrines that are followed today were imposed by the winners of the arguments set forth at Nicea or even as far back as Peter. Who's to say that THEY were right, or didn't have an agenda to push?

I like this quote from the Gospel of Thomas, one of the Gnostic Gospels that was banned by the Council at Nicea-

Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you and it is outside you.

When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty." It seems to me that Jesus was saying that religion should be a personal belief, not subject to external interpretation or decree. That's how I believe, and there isn't anyone who's going to force me to believe that gays are evil, or that abortion is wrong for everyone, or that women can't be priests. (BTW, I'm not crazy about abortion, and don't feel that it should be used as a form of contraception. At the same time, I have no great need to legislate my belief on someone else. There's that pesky "Let he who has ears to hear, listen" stuff again! I also have no use for those who would criminalize abortion on one hand, and cut back on supporting that child once born.)

2006-03-04T18:58:00.000-05:00

What IS it with these right-wing war-mongerers who feel compelled to comment on the pro-Cindy Sheehan sign on my car? This guy today at Stop & Shop walks by, won't even look at me, and growls "Cindy does NOT speak for America, asshole!" Well, I guess that MIGHT be true if you only count the 25% or so who think the war in Iraq is a good thing, and that W is doing a "heckuva job!"

Well, I guess we should be grateful that the guy could actually READ the sign, that's more than W, who's still working on "The Pet Goat," and has his staffers TELL him what's going on, instead of cracking open a newspaper himself.

These idiots who go for the "My President- Right or Wrong" thing really tick me off. If your President is consistently WRONG, shouldn't we, as good citizens, point that out? Or, should we just bend over, grease it up, and say "Please, Sir, may I have another?" And, hey, why is it that, these brain-dead GOPers, who are all My Country, right or wrong, and Support the Troops, etc., were so against Bill Clinton? Wasn't HE our President, too? At least Clinton didn't cut the VA budget, then tell you that he supported the troops. These fucking hypocrites are just repeating the propaganda that is spewed at them, and they don't even question it.

Look, you don't have to agree with me, but for chrissakes, THINK for yourself! Read something in the newspaper besides the sports and gossip. Try to wrap your brain around the FACT that every deal, every law that's passed, that goes down under the Bush Administration benefits some big corporation and/or someone in the administration. If you are in a tax bracket where you are making all of your income from wages, and NOT from dividends or interest, then trust me, they are not looking out for you. The Bushies can point fingers all they want at others, that's a favored tactic to deflect blame, but they are probably the most corrupt, useless administration since Grant, and THAT'S saying something...

2006-02-26T19:12:00.000-05:00

The next time some GOP asshole blames Osama's attacks of 9/11 on Bill Clinton, tell them that Bush's buddies in the United Arab Emirates fucked up the best chance we had to take him out BEFORE 9/11!!! Still think that W is looking out for OUR safety??? Read the following, from Huffington Post's Michael Smerconish

"...consider the following, beginning on pg. 137 of The 9/11 Commission Report.
"Early in 1999, the CIA received reporting that Bin Ladin was spending much of his time at one of the several camps in the Afghan desert south of Kandahar. At the beginning of February, Bin Ladin was reportedly located in the vicinity of the Sheikh Ali camp, a desert hunting camp being used by visitors from a Gulf state. Public sources have stated that these visitors were from the United Arab Emirates.
Reporting from the CIA's assets provided a detailed description of the hunting camp, including its size, location, resources and security, as well as of Bin Ladin's smaller, adjacent camp. Because this was not in an urban area, missiles launched against it would have less risk of collateral damage. On February 8, the military began to ready itself for a possible strike. The next day, national technical intelligence confirmed the location and description of the larger camp and showed the nearby presence of an official aircraft of the United Arab Emirates. But the location of Bin Ladin's quarters could not be pinned down so precisely. The CIA did its best to answer a host of questions about the larger camp and its residents and about Bin Ladin's daily schedule and routines to support military contingency planning. According to reporting from the tribals, Bin Ladin regularly went from his adjacent camp to the larger camp where he visited the Emiratis; the tribals expected him to be at the hunting camp for such a visit at least until midmorning on February 11. Clarke wrote to Berger's deputy on February 10 that the military was then doing targeting work to hit the main camp with cruise missiles and should be in a position to strike before the following morning. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert appears to have been briefed on the situation.
No strike was launched. By February 12 Bin Ladin had apparently moved on and the immediate strike plans became moot. According to CIA and Defense officials, policymakers were concerned about the danger that a strike would kill an Emirati prince or other senior officials who might be with Bin Ladin or close by. Clarke told us the strike was called off after consultation with Director Tenet because the intelligence was dubious and it seemed to Clarke as if the CIA was presenting an option to attack America's best counterterrorism ally in the Gulf. The lead CIA official in the field, Gary Schroen, felt that the intelligence reporting in this case was very reliable; the Bin Ladin unit chief "Mike," agreed. Schroen believes today that this was a lost opportunity to kill Bin Ladin before 9/11.
Even after Bin Ladin's departure from the area, CIA officers hoped he might return, seeing the camp as a magnet that could draw him for as long as it was still set up. The military maintained readiness for another strike opportunity. On March 7, 1999, Clarke called a UAE official to express his concerns about possible associations between Emirati officials and Bin Ladin. Clarke later wrote in a memorandum of this conversation that the call had been approved at an interagency meeting and cleared with the CIA. When the former Bin Ladin unit chief found out about Clarke's call, he questioned CIA officials, who denied having given such a clearance. Imagery confirmed that less than a week after Clarke's phone call the camp hurriedly dismantled, and the site was deserted. CIA officers, including Deputy Director for Operations Pavitt, were irate. "Mike" thought the dismantling of the camp erased a possible site for targeting Bin Ladin.
The United Arab Emirates was becoming both a valued counterterrorism ally of the United States and a persistent counterterrorism problem. From 1999 through early 2001, the United States and President Clinton personally, pressed the UAE, one of the Taliban's only travel and financial outlets to the outside world to break off its ties and enforce sanctions, especially those relating to flights to and from Afghanistan. These efforts achieved little before 9/11."
In the footnotes for the above referenced information, there is the report that at the time the United States was considering striking Bin Ladin's hunting camp, Richard Clarke had high-level meetings with UAE military and the ruler of Dubai. They denied that high-level UAE officials were in Afghanistan. Subsequent reporting, however, suggested that Clarke had been misled. Additionally, the footnotes indicate that concurrently with the UAE being tipped off to the CIA's knowledge of the camp, one of the tribal networks major sub-sources, within Bin Ladin's Taliban security detail, was dispatched to the North, further handicapping reporting efforts."

So, a big fuck you to all who still blame al Qaeda on Clinton. Face facts- 9/11 happened on Bush's watch, Osama is STILL on the loose, and George is selling our port security to the guys who are responsible for Osama still being alive!!!

2006-02-26T09:27:00.000-05:00

I just came back from Washington, DC yesterday. My wife was speaking at the World Congress on Parkinson's Disease, so we made a family trip out of it. Got to see lots of the monuments, a highlight for me was seeing the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

All 3 documents are pretty faded, but they've done a great job of keeping them up, especially where Bush and cohorts have been pissing all over the Constitution and Bill Of Rights.

As we were driving home, some old fart with Marine Corps League license plates flipped me the bird, probably over the sign in my back window that says "America Stands With Cindy," referring to peace mom, Cindy Sheehan. Well, I guess free speech even extends to dumb fuck jarheads who are too stupid to realize that Cindy is fighting to keep our troops from being sent to fight for lies and bullshit, instead of noble causes. I salute that Marine for doing his duty, he looked old enough to have been in either Korea or Vietnam. Hopefully, he earned his indignation, instead of being some REMF. I also offer him back that same one-finger salute, just for being a mindless "My President, right or wrong" drone, and for being so tactless as to flip me the bird in full view of my wife and kids, and his own wife sitting next to him. Brilliant debate, Marine! Semper Fi!

2006-02-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

I DO occasionally write about other stuff besides politics, here's an excerpt from a recent post on the OTJ Forum that I wanted to share...

"...just the act of putting the mouthpiece into the horn at all, let alone endeavoring to produce a sound out of it, starts us down the path of resolving one problem, only to discover another. Thoreau said that "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them." Then, there are trombonists, whose lives are not quiet, but are no less desperate..."

2006-02-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

Osama video surfaces...

"The reality shows that the war against America and its allies has not been limited to Iraq as he (Bush) claims. Iraq has become a point of attraction and restorer of (our) energies." So, Osama thinks that Iraq is a great recruiting tool, and perpetuates terrorist hatred of the US. Well, DUH!!!

Bush and his sycophantic toadies keep promoting Iraq as defeating the "War on Terror," always forgetting to mention that the insurgent violence pretty much goes up and up the longer it continues. They say that the media doesn't report the "good news" going on in Iraq, without mentioning that reporters would essentially be committing suicide if they left the uniits wherein they are embedded, or left the Green Zone. (A not entirely safe area, either. Too bad their missiles missed Paul Wolfowitz, a main architect of PNAC and proponent of the war, when he was there in the Green Zone. That would have been sweetly ironic...)

Whether or not you agree with W and his policies, one cannot argue with the fact that Osama is still at large, even though the Shrub vowed to get him, Dead or Alive. How can the US fail to find a 6 foot, 5 inch Arab, schlepping around a dialysis machine? This September coming up will be 5 years since the attack, but by George's own admission, "I don't spend much time on him."

2006-02-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

This one is from September 21, 2005

A friend and legend passes...
This first part is from the ITG website...

"William Vacchiano died on September 19, 2005. During his long and distinguished career in the New York Philharmonic, Vacchiano played under the baton of such noted conductors as Leonard Bernstein, André Kostelanetz, Dmitri Mitropoulos, Leopold Stokowski, Igor Stravinsky, and Bruno Walter. In 1935, Vacchiano auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic on the same day, and was offered contracts with both orchestras. At the Philharmonic audition, Toscanini asked him to play a soft passage at the end of Debussy's La Mer. The maestro asked him to return several times, after short breaks, and repeat the excerpt. After the third time, Vacchiano was offered the job. When he called to tell Simone Mantia, the manager of the Metropolitan about receiving two contracts on the same day, Mantia told him, "Go with the Philharmonic; it's a better job, and God bless you."

Vacchiano is credited as being among the first to use a variety of trumpets pitched in different keys to fit the demands of the music. During his 38 years with the New York Philharmonic (7 years as assistant principal and 31 as principal) he never missed a concert in which he was scheduled to perform.

Vacchiano's affiliation with the Juilliard School began in 1931: the school was called the Institute of Musical Art at that time. He studied there with Max Schlossberg, and went on to teach at Juilliard for an astonishing 67 years (1935-2002). He also served on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music (1935-2002), and the Mannes College of Music (1937-1983). In 1995, Vacchiano estimated that he had taught more than 2,000 trumpet students. Many of these students went on to play in virtually every major orchestra in the United States."

My wife studied with Bill, and went to see him last week. I got to know Bill through her, and we will miss him deeply. He used to play in two of the concert bands that I perform in, and it was a real treat to hear THAT SOUND coming from right behind you. He'd just quietly sit down in the 2nd trumpet seat. If you asked him if he'd like to play 1st Cornet, he'd tell you that he was too old for that stuff, let the kids have a chance. We used to give him a ride home sometimes, and the stories he told were incredible. He got a kick when I would try out my meager Italian on him, and he loved telling bawdy jokes. Even in the last few years, he would still go and play occasionally with the band at Queens College, although I think he just enjoyed hanging out with his students! He was 93, and still sharp as a tack, although he couldn't hear too well. We should all be so lucky to live so long and so well, and to be loved by so many! He's probably already showing Gabriel how to transpose and working on his sound.

Arrivederci, Gugliemo! Gioc bene la vostra tromba! Li amiamo!

2006-02-17T11:17:00.000-05:00

Originally posted February 25, 2004

Wherein our hero ponders leadpipes, Part the Second
A while back, in the first installment of this topic, I wrote about trying out the #3 leadpipe that came with my YSL 691. I've had it in there since Christmas, and honestly forgot that I had changed it until re-reading my earlier blog posting! It's doing everything I ask of it, lets me play louder without distortion than the #2 did, with a darker sound. I can also play softer. It took a while to get to the point where I forgot it was in there, due to the different resistance and intonation. The weirdnesses are gone, and it fits in nicely tone-wise with the usual Conn/Bach/King mixed-up sections that are the norm in the freelance scene. Think I'll stick with this setup for a while...

2006-02-17T11:15:00.000-05:00

Originally posted January 7, 2004

Wherein our Hero ponders leadpipes- Part, the First
For the longest time, I've been using the #2 pipe that came with my YSL691 (.508 bore, straight tenor). At Christmas, I got this urge to switch to the #3 pipe, and have noticed some changes. The first is that the tone is a little mellower, darker. I can play a little bit louder before it gets totally nasty. These are good things, to be sure! I had tried this pipe when I was still playing trombone with the Westchester Band, and Ed Aim, the 3rd trombonist, didn't notice that I was using the 691 until the next to last concert. He thought that I had been using my 682 (.547 bore, with F attachment), because it sounded that dark and big. The smaller horn was definitely a lot less work; the band has about 15 trumpets, and only 3 trombones, so dynamics for the trombones were kicked up at least one notch to balance with the trumpets. The #3 pipe also seems to fit in better in the Iona College Pep Band. This group has NO students, all local pros. 4 trumpets, 3-4 bones, electric bass, and drums. Most are using small bore horns, like King 2B's 3B's, Conn 6H's, Bach 16's and 36's. Just something about the overtones with the #3 gets the chords ringing in a way they didn't with the #2. I'll see how it fits in this rehearsal band I do on Wednesday nights, once they start up again. I play lead, so it may or may not work. We shall see... Negative things I've noticed are that the horn's intonation and slotting are totally different from the way it played with the #2. I have to tongue a little harder to get the same point at the start of a note. It has a little more resistance, so that I have to adjust the amount of air I put into it. To give it a fair trial, I'll probably have to play on this pipe for another couple of months. After all, I've been playing the #2 almost exclusively since I got the horn, about 4 years ago. As I get used to it, the intonation and slotting will be less of an issue, I'm sure.

2006-02-17T11:12:00.000-05:00

This one was the most recent (1/13/06) from the old blog format...

Bush has to deal with a bigger deficit than he planned!
Of course, this assumes that he actually plans anything...

"WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 - The White House acknowledged on Thursday that the budget deficit would climb back above $400 billion this year, erasing the brief improvement last year and complicating President Bush's vow to cut the deficit in half by 2009."

Most of the extra deficit is due to spending on Hurricane Katrina, and something DOES need to be done to bring the budget in line, but the Republicans are cutting back on programs that serve the poor and middle-class. In the meantime, they want to make the tax cuts permanent for people like Paris Hilton, Michael Eisner, and Bill Gates. Also recently announced is that the Iraq War is projected to end up costing US, the taxpayers, about ONE TRILLION DOLLARS!!! (This will include caring for all the veterans who got wounded, assuming BushCo doesn't do away with the VA altogether. He's working on it...)

Relying on trickle-down economics, where the rich get taxcuts, and are then inspired to create good-paying jobs doesn't work. See the Reagan economy for proof. What, in my opinion, would turn the economy around, is government provided healthcare. Then, companies don't have to spend profits on providing coverage, and employees actually make a living wage. America is the ONLY industrialized nation that doesn't have national health coverage, but yet we complain about jobs going overseas and wonder why. Job gurus speak about the next boom in jobs being in the service industries, which is techno-babble for retail, restaurant, and custodial help, jobs that Americans don't want, and are happy to have filled by illegal aliens. Critics of universal healthcare use scare tactics, saying that it will bring a massive, wasteful government bureaucracy, and they point to Medicare and Social Security. However, in fact, Medicare and Social Security use only 1 or 2% of their budgets in operating costs, the rest goes to benefits. Contrast that with outfits like Blue Cross or Aetna, where over half goes to administrative costs!

Taxcuts sound like a good idea to me, too, but how much of those cuts actually make their way back into our working class pockets? Ask yourself that question, and answer it honestly. Don't forget to figure in the state and local tax increases as a result of less federal spending. Ask yourself who really benefits from BushCo's policies, which pander to corporations and the wealthy who run them. Hey, if you think you've got enough trickling down to your wallet, good for you! If you're like most folks who actually work for a living, I tend to doubt that you feel like you're better off. If you want to be a moron and vote AGAINST your own wallet/best interests, go ahead. Freedom also means you can be stupid, unfortunately.

2006-02-17T11:11:00.000-05:00

Another oldie, this one about Pat Robertson...

A Man Of God, Or A Wackjob?
Televangelist Pat Robertson had this to say about the massive stroke suffered by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon...
"The prophet Joel makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who divide my land.... Ariel Sharon was dividing God's land and I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the European Union, the United Nations or the United States."

WHAT!!!??? God smote Ariel Sharon? Listen, Patty-boy, God created the whole world and all the people in it, He doesn't give a rat's ass about our property disputes. This is like saying God is worried about if Israel's neighbor puts their fence over Israel's property line. I don't think God cares how we divide it up. I think He DOES care about if we fight over it, or try to kill each other. And Pat, that whole interpreting the Bible literally thing is pretty stupid, don't you think? Most of it is metaphorical, stories written to explain things to simple folk who had no friggin' clue that the Earth wasn't flat, wasn't the center of the Solar System, that eating pork, shrimp and lobster won't kill you, that lepers aren't sinners, and on and on. Science disproves stories told in the Bible almost every day. If you don't believe what science tells us about the world, then stop being a fucking hypocrite, using (gasp!) SCIENCE to beam pictures of your pasty-white face and the sound of your cracker drawl to all those gullible folks who, for some strange reason, believe what you say and send you money. If you're going to insist on taking the Bible literally, how about the part where Jesus (a liberal if ever there was one) told his followers to cast aside their worldly posessions and preach the word? Pat, ready to cast off the expensive suits, mansions, media empire, private jets, shady deals in African diamond mines? Ready to go live in a cave, eat locusts and honey, and walk around, preaching the word? I didn't think so.

I think God must keep you around for entertainment, otherwise He would have smote your sorry hypocritical Bible-thumping ass long ago. And Ariel Sharon? He's got a much better shot at Heaven than you. Remember "Blessed are the peacemakers?" Jesus definitely did not say "Blessed are the fence-building, exclusionary, warmongering profiteers." The Bible told me so, Pat...

2006-02-17T11:09:00.000-05:00

Another oldie from the previous blog...

Why I play Yamaha instruments
Some folks just have preferences for a horn that plays a certain way. Some prefer a horn that sounds a certain way. Everybody's different.

As I've gotten older, I've come to realize that, for the majority of my playing, I don't need a horn that'll handle the loudest volume without getting too bright, because I simply don't play in groups that require that. Brightness and lightness are subjective, of course, but even here, many first trombonists are moving to smaller gear, Ralph Sauer comes to mind. Many players love the huge dark sound that players like Alessi and Friedman get, but fail to take into account that their equipment choices are based to a large degree on how loud they have to play in their particular halls. (NY's Fisher Hall is notorious for it's design problems, and Chicago's hall makes the low brass sound softer at the podium than out in the hall.) I'll go so far as to make a prediction- When Joe Alessi gets between 55-60, he'll switch to lighter gear.

As for me, I love a nice rich sound, with a good balance of overtones, and I don't like to fight the horn to get it. So, for me it's Yamaha. Maybe it's not for everyone, but that's ok. I've played on quite a few Bachs, Conns, Edwards, and a few Shires. I suspect that if I were to visit Shires to put a horn together, I'd end up with a horn that was pretty close to my Xeno in sound and response.

Irv Karan (Slidebone.com) and I were talking about horns, and I told him that I consider a trombone to be just a tool, not some mystical combination of tubing and voodoo. Just a tool like a hammer or screwgun. As long as the nails go in straight, the foreman doesn't care if you use a 24 oz. wood handled framing hammer or a 18oz. fiberglass roofing hammer. Just as long as the job gets done right.

2006-02-17T11:03:00.000-05:00

I originally posted this on my old blog, back on Nov. 9, 2005, and thought it was worth saving into the new blog. Here goes...

Let's see if I was right...
This past November, after the Shrub got re-appointed, I posted this...

"To all my Republican friends and family- We'll see who was right, when George screws up again. Who's he going to blame it on then? When your state and local taxes go up to offset the federal tax cuts, when your kids get drafted, when he starts a war with Iran or North Korea, when he runs the deficit up another trillion, when gas costs $2.50 or more, when any of that happens, then maybe you'll realize that I was right way back then."

I'm getting worried, the administration has been mentioning places like Iran and Syria more these days, perhaps laying the groundwork for pre-emptive attacks, just like they did in Iraq. The deficit is up, too, from $668.1 billion, to a projection for this year of $780 billion. Yet, he still insists on making his tax cuts permanent, even in wartime! Gas was up to around $3.25 or so, and is back down around $2.65 now. No draft yet, between the stop-loss program and recruiting in poor areas, I guess they're keeping it going so far. An amazing amount of Army officers is choosing not to re-up, so they're increasing incentives for them to stay in. I guess the crappy medical system and low pay isn't enough incentive to stay in and get your self shot or blown up. W is watching his poll numbers slide, from around 50% in Nov. 2004, to an abysmal 35% currently. People are catching on, George! If you STILL support this asshole, you're probably like those kids who put their fingers in their ears and chant, "I can't hear you! Lalalalala..."

I'm predicting that things will start to get lonely around the White House. Rove will get indicted, too, and when the Traitorgate investigation starts sniffing around Cheney, he'll resign for "health reasons." (It's not Plame-gate, exposing a CIA operative makes you a traitor! Call it what it is!) The House will swing back to the Dems in 2006, and then watch that lying sack of shit get impeached for REAL lies that got over 2035 killed so far, not for lying about getting oral sex. BTW, stop blaming things on Clinton, your boy has been in there 5 1/2 years now. He's either had his chance to fix things (a BETTER chance, actually, he has a majority in both houses of Congress!), or he's fucked it up royally on his own. Tune in next year to see how right I was...

Just Trying

2006-02-15T14:58:00.000-05:00

...out a new way to post my blog, and add comments, photos, etc. I hope it works!