Miss Lee Morse...
She's 111 Years Old Today...

Miss Lee Morse was born on today's date, November 30th, 1897. Her music has become part of my life. I first found out about her approximately a year ago. I've collected her records, I've started my own "Yahoo Group" about her, (www.groups/yahoo.com/group/Miss_Lee_Morse) which features photos, audio and numerous Lee Links. I've even exchanged e-mails with her Grandson, John, which was an HONOR.

Lee Morse recorded over 200 songs, and I've heard at least 95% of those. Mr. Ian House, who maintains a wonderful Lee Morse website, http://www.leemorse.com/, has almost the complete Lee Morse songbook posted there. Some time ago, he sent me a CD collection of her music, complete with shrinkwrap he actually dipped into the Clearwater River, near her family's old homestead in Kooskia, Idaho, where she grew up.

There's a really sweet lady in San Francisco who calls herself "Confetta" (what a great name!) who has erected numerous websites in Lee Morse's honor. In researching Lee Morse's life and music, I've met some really cool people along the way. And I've had the honor and privilege of hearing The Music of Lee Morse.

You can also type in 'Lee Morse' in the blog-search box, at upper left, to see all the other posts I've written about her. I've detailed her history, I've written of her Life and Times, and I've tried to make anyone who frequents this blog aware of her. But this post is about Lee Morse, her music, the person she was, and the impressions she's left upon the ears of her listeners.

So I thought, "what song would be the Best Single Song which would reveal more, perhaps, than any other song she sang, the person she was and the passion and intensity she brought to her music?" And I chose one tune. And I think Miss Morse would say, "that's just the song." (She actually said that line in a 1930 film short, "Song Service"--available on Ian's site, detailed above, or on YouTube, as well as many other sites.)

Why did I choose this song? I believe she took her relationships very seriously. I believe she was emotionally fragile. She was devastated when her second husband, Bob Downey (also her pianist) left her for a stripper. By then, she was living in Rochester, New York and her friends were worried about her; she took it so hard.

Having become aware of the joys and passions she felt, I think this One Song sums her up more than Any Other Song she ever did...it's a song that she wrote...in essence, at least to me, it's the Pure Essence of Miss Morse. And it's quite possibly the most Beautiful Song Ever Written. I've enclosed it below. Happy Birthday, Lee...



Miss Lee Morse...not just another singer or songwriter...an Artist in the true sense of the word...a true musician...she wrote almost a third of the songs she recorded. For that, too, I admire her...



Miss Lee Morse, born November 30, 1897 in Cove, Oregon; she passed away December 16, 1954, in Rochester, New York. And her music lives on...

Just in case You haven't had enough yet...
...here's another annoyingly innocuous little holiday greeting...

There. That oughta give ya somethin' to chew on...

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Consumer Warning: A long, rambling album revue lurks below. You've been warned.
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Singing The Changes...
...and listening to the changes he's sung...

'What's THAT about?', you ask...it turns out that "Sing The Changes" is a song on the new album by The Fireman (Paul McCartney and 'Youth'). The title is "ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS" (not 'electronic' as I previously posted). I will say this right off...if it's 'marketable' Paul McCartney that you're after, this album's probably not for you. I believe the gentleman who bills himself as 'Youth' is a Current Big Producer, but I'm also not surprised that I've never heard of him, since I just don't run across the opportunity to listen to a lot of new music these days. Does that make me ignorant? I'd like to think that there's just so much new music out there, it's hard to keep up with it all. Especially since I've been immersing myself in pre-rock and roll music lately, but that's a subject for another post, another time.

That doesn't mean I don't like what current music I hear; quite the contrary, there's an alternative-rock station in my neck of the woods, and for the most part, I like what I hear, although the damn station never says WHO THE ARTIST is. And I'd really like them to tell me! So you could play me some modern songs, and I might say, "oh, yeah, I've heard that before", but I couldn't begin to guess who did the song...anyway, back to the album I'm writing about: This newest "Fireman" album reminds me of his (McCartney's) 2002 album, "Driving Rain", in that the ballads seem a little fractured; the louder music exhibits a certain "offhanded streak of panache", and phased vocals and various rhythmic approaches dominate the sonic landscape. Throughout this album, I can hear a sort-of 'industrial'-type sound; harsh, 'out there' and Just Kinda Strange.

McCartney, speaking of this album, said he did it utilizing a fairly immediate process; he'd snatch a phrase from here, another phrase from there, then he'd knit all the various musical and lyrical pieces together, doing each song in a day's time, which is a lot faster than a whole lotta other artists record. So, as I listened to this album for the first time, I decided to keep that sort-of immediacy going, so here are my reactions to a lot of what's on this album; take it with a grain of salt, but it's at least a point to start from (Song titles included in "quotation marks" are from 'Electronic Arguments' unless otherwise specified)...


Cover art by McCartney. Thankfully he's better at creating music, huh?
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In one of the album's tunes, "Light From The Lighthouse", I detect a real country-ish feel; almost gospelly-spiritual, in a way. It's a 2/4 toe-tapper, which reminds me more of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", filtered through thousands of electronic gadgets. "Two Magpies" is an acoustic ballad that tells me one of two things: Either Paul's losing some of his vocal smoothness with age, or producer 'Youth' wanted to go for a really gritty feel. Nice ballad, but gosh, Paul's what, 66 now? I'm only 54 and I'm already losing some of my high register (not that I had that much to begin with). "Sun Is Shining" is an optimistic-sounding song, and the only thing differentiating this tune from Standard McCartney is the production of the track; echoey, sparse, but nonetheless, it's a tuneful track. "Highway" is a more-or-less straight-ahead rocker, while the album's leadoff track, "Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight" definitely reminds me of "Helter Skelter" with a trickier time signature...
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"Dance 'Til We're High" sounds initially like a re-written "Be My Baby" (The old Ronettes Record), in that both songs have the same rhythm kick, but really, this is a Pretty Good Paul McCartney song. As a matter of fact, it seems as if Paul's melodic muse has returned to him in quite strong fashion here; it's one of those melodies no one but Paul could've written. I think that people who've been initially repulsed by this album couldn't get past the first song, the aforementioned "Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight", which IS a wild, coarse song, but after that, if you keep a really open mind, you can settle in for an hour's worth of some Pretty Good McCartney music.
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Another 'Electronic Argument' track, "Lifelong Passion" has an exotic feel to it, sounding as if it were based on some monochromatically mystical Far East melody; these modal-type tunes tend to let the mind wander, and perhaps create its own melody, but...it doesn't sound that strange to me. Let me explain...I've always appreciated experimental music, as long as it didn't totally lose me. Early Pink Floyd music, for example, is just strange stuff, and it's up to the listener to Really Get Into The Music, because the music doesn't register instantly, unlike chart hits which are oh-so-ear-friendly-can't-get-it-outta-my-mind type compositions.
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I suspect this is the kind of album that will only improve as I hear it more. I appreciate the range of material, the willingness to experiment, but then again, I might come from a different place than a lot of today's audience. Maybe not. But there was a time when Hit Singles were not needed At All, and this newest 'Fireman/McCartney' album returns me to that frame of mind, to that time. This album makes me think of such obscure bands as Man and Barclay James Harvest, yet is firmly supplanted (in places) by a sort of heavy, funky techno-groove. Hybrid music, for sure. An absorbing combination of sounds here.
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"Is This Love" actually reminds me of a Moody Blues album track, "Visions Of Paradise" from their 'In Search Of The Lost Chord' album from 1968. "Is This Love" features hushed harmony vocals and quiet, lush instrumentation in a sort-of Far Eastern musical dreamscape. While I love the good ol' oldies, and bright, sunny, marketable pop, a side of me has always loved the more obscure side of things; I've always craved a balance between Music and Lyrics, and I've always liked music with a sort-of 'dark' edge to it, which is probably why I became a big U2 fan; their music is so darkly organic, and yet it packs a punch. And if I had to give this 'Fireman/McCartney' a one-word description, 'dark' would come awfully close.


I'll just bet McCartney's thinking, "this album's gonna surprise a lot of people." And it has, and it will.

"Lovers In A Dream" might sound like a self-indulgence (indeed, it might be just that), as it repeats the title phrase over and over, but you've gotta remember that many early psychedelic bands used the very same technique, going for a kind of 'hypnosis' based upon repeated mantra-style phrases. I know that sounds awfully analytical, but honestly, I've heard a lot of music like this down through the years. So while this album may be a real departure from what Macca's recorded before, it's not that 'waaaay out there'. It's a McCartney album that goes in a slightly different direction, 'tis all. "Universal Here, Everlasting Love" is yet another sound experiment, this time, modal in nature, with sound experiments that crossfade into a driving 4/4 rhythm that would be great music for a James Bond Car Chase; it's adventurous in that manner.

"Don't Stop Running", the album's ten-minute closing track, is very abstract, very lush, and it moves at a medium-heavy tempo, and this is where McCartney really gets into the 'Electronica' 'Dance' thing that seems to be so popular these days. Yes, this track is self-indulgent, but consider that there's a lot of songs on this album that came before this one. As a matter of fact, the last three tracks on this album, concluding with 'Don't Stop Running', do really seem to come from a space deep within. This is the kind of mind-music that will be interpreted differently by everyone who hears it, and they'll all be right, at least to a degree.

This is NOT a perfect album, and it's not for everyone. I've listened to Paul McCartney make so much Pure Pop music over the years, that I am surprised by this album, in that, I didn't know he had it in him to make such a "mental"-type of album. Parts of this album seem to come from a place deep within, and it's Really Interesting to know that McCartney actually gets into what I term, 'Progressive Rock' music. Then again, McCartney listened to a lot of classical composers in the years following The Beatles' departure from the stage into the realm of ultra-melodic studio-style music (Referring to the 'Strawberry Fields'/'Penny Lane' period), and maybe he was waiting for the right time to release something like this new album. It's quirky, yeah, but it's also intriguing. Very intriguing.
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I'm very pleased McCartney released something like this. While he Obviously Doesn't Need My Money, I'm glad I bought this. A good value, too. It contains over 75 minutes of music, of which I'm sure everyone would like at least half of. This one'll surely grow on ya.

All Pumped Up...
It's a Gas, at least I thought it was...
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I drove by my favorite gas place a few times last week, and each time I drove by, the Price At The Pump was a little lower. $2.10, then $2.06, and by the weekend, $2.01. I almost decided to get gas then, figuring that under-two-buck gas was Not Gonna Happen. Well, guess what...it happened. I drove by today, and SCREECH!!!!! My eyes popped out when I read the Gas Sign. $1.95 a gallon. After popping my eyes back in my head (pop! pop!) (oooh, that hurts), I pulled in for some good ol'-fashioned Low Price Gasoline. Of course U gotta remember that the State Of Oregon doesn't let you pump yer own gas, which is probably the reason that prices are a little higher here, especially in my Neck of the Coast. But, it's under $2.00 a gallon. I almost regret that I don't have a big gas-guzzling Dodge Ram Pickup Truck (or something similarly sized) so I can pump several thousands of gallons of fuel into its tanks, 'cos I'm Saving So Much all of a sudden...

I pulled up to the pump and the attendant (who is also the owner of the gas station) asked me, "What'll It Be?" "Oh, let me have $15 dollars worth of regular; I usually get $20, but prices are so low". And it's true. I got more gas today for five dollars less than I paid last time for gas. So anyway, my conversation with the attendant/owner continued thusly: "I sure do like the prices these days; I bet a lot of people are getting gas now, and you're probably making more than ever, right?" "Well, no; when gas was higher, we were making 17 or 18 cents a gallon; right now, we're down to about 8 or 9 cents a gallon." So I said, "well, (I say "well" a lot, probably too much), yeah, but gas is cheaper, so a lot of folks must be coming in, right?" And he said, "Nope. What with the economy, it's hit a lot of people and they're not buyin." So not only is the Gas Station owner making less per gallon, he's selling less of those gallons too.

Now, let me get this straight...Gas Prices are lower. Gas costs less than it has for A Long Time now. All of a sudden, deflation has knocked gas prices down to approximately 1980 levels. (I just saw a Car ad that said something about "in these days of high gas prices...", only Gas Ain't High right now.) Add to that, the fact that 2008 dollars don't go as far as 1980 dollars. Except at the Gas Pump. And a gallon's still a gallon, so you'd think that motorists would be falling over each other, Buying Gasoline in much the same fashion as shoppers virtually kill each other during Christmas Shopping Season, making sure they get That Big Gift Item That Is Already On Sale 6 weeks before Christmas For a Ridiculously Low Price, 'cos people don't have as much disposable income as they used to have, and Economists Say It's Gonna Be A Gloooomy 'Black Friday' 'cos people are hedging their bets, gettin' thrifty and not payin' any more than they have to.

Evidently people have been hit so very hard by the latest frenetic undulations in today's economy, that they just ain't buyin', no matter how low the price. Or, they're buyin' a lot less. That goes for gasoline and everything else. And here I thought Saving Money was Good For The Economy, but it turns out that "nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'," and if people don't have the money, they can't buy, no matter how deflated the price. And I am Utterly Mystified. The Curse of High Gas Prices has eased for the time being, but it's gonna take a while before the American Marketplace really benefits from this. Because, if Gas Prices are low, and we're still not buying as much gas as we used to, you can figure that Americans aren't going to be buying as many Ronco Dial-o-Matic Weenie-Wobblers, or Zenith "Mammoth" 15,000 square-foot three-dimensional television screens, or Dr. Scholl's Nuclear Feet Massagers with built-in rotating devices for Added Orthopedic Pleasure. Or much of Anything Else.

We all knew that higher gas prices would tend to remove The Major Automotive Beasts from circulation. Rejected "Rams", booted "Blazers", Forsaken Fords, all of those big overbearing trucks litter the landscape. They ain't sellin'. So the automakers in Detroit are desperate, trying to get "bailed out"? Serves 'em right for manufacturing trucks the size of Your Average Parade Float. Those in the industry all knew Gas Prices were Volatile, especially these days! But, Buying Public, you're at fault too. Someday, maybe American Motorists Will Have The Sense to buy "Economy" vehicles even when times are good. But, oh, no, you've gotta hit the consumer in the pocketbook before he/she reacts. Maybe I'm not the most Shining Example of Economy, since I drive a Dodge Intrepid, but it has the "small 6" engine, has plenty of get-up and go, and gets better mileage than a lot of vehicles out there. America, you don't have to drive YUGO's, for cryin' out loud, but "Economy" has got to start somewhere. I'm STILL seeing too many humonguous vehicles on the road. Maybe that'll change. Maybe we'll yet see scenes of Dodge Ram Pickups, lined up on a conveyor belt going into a big processing plant, and out the other end comes Reynolds Wrap, perhaps. A sort of automotive "Soylent Green."

Could it be? Gas pumps going to seed because the economy's tapped everyone out?

It's getting to be quite the economical wasteland out there. Gas prices are low, low, low; a case of "gas, gas everywhere and no money to buy it with." I'm wondering if this time around, as things cycle around and around (I'm sure gas will be going up again if the overall Economy improves), Will People Learn From This? And not buy oversized vehicles the size of Sherman Tanks just because gas prices are low? And is that already happening? Indications are just that. Layoffs in Detroit. You've been making ALL THE WRONG TYPES OF VEHICLES, YOU GUYS! I have a 1999 Dodge Intrepid. It's not an economy car, but it's not a guzzler, either. And it's definitely not a Recreational Vehicle. Meanwhile, still I see yuppies, boomers, elders, all types of people driving those huge pickups with the cab up there so high you almost need to breathe thru an oxygen mask while you're driving (and I'm close to sea level, ha ha). Either that or they're driving RV's the size of Greyhound Buses (which get about 4mpg; I know, 'cos I asked a bus driver).

Today, I heard the news that President-elect Obama said he might have to delay those tax cuts he promised. And he is advocating a $700 BILLION-dollar economic stimulus package. Will those cuts, if they ever happen, actually stimulate the economy? I'm thinking they'll go for basic necessities purchased by people who've been laid off, and their cash supply is tight, so there isn't actually a lot of New Money which'll go back into the economy. Who knows?

A Somber Anniversary...
November 22, 1963, Forty-five years later...

Maybe my memory is fading as I age, which is entirely possible, or maybe it's just the passing of the years that pushes things further and further back, resulting in my memories becoming something akin to Ancient History. While online this evening, I looked down at my computer clock in the right hand corner, and for some reason, moved my mouse over it, which reveals the date. November 22nd. The Day President John F. Kennedy was gunned down.
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I was too young at the time, all of 10 years old, to actually know much about the President, or how good of a President he was, and I couldn't fully appreciate the devastating political problems of that time, such as The Cold War, Guantanamo Bay, or the Cuban Missile Crisis. I didn't know much about anything at all when I was 10, and living in North Idaho, we were far, far away from the racial problems and general unrest of those turbulent times.
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The general consensus seems to be that JFK had made some fairly serious political mistakes early in his term, but that he was coming of age, and would have only gotten better and better, if he'd not been Taken Away. When I see his picture, he doesn't look like Old News; there's still something fresh and vibrant in his character, humor and appearance; it's almost as if he could somehow magically come back down to earth and Pick Up Where He Left Off.

John F. Kennedy seemed to have the hopes, wishes and dreams of All Of Us pinned upon his lapel. Hopes, wishes and dreams that were eradicated with a few bullets from the Texas School Book Depository in Downtown Dallas. I think that was the first time in my life when I felt fear, like somehow, the Nasty Old World had managed to worm its way into my Psyche, interrupting, for a time, my childhood. I couldn't fully appreciate it, but hindsight tells me he was taken away from ALL of us.

It wasn't until 1980 that I had really felt the sting of someone being taken away from me, when John Lennon was gunned down. I'm not equating Lennon's importance with JFK's; but with Lennon's passing, I felt cheated, I felt shock and horror, with the empty realization that The Dream Was Over. That must've been similar to the way adults, young and old alike, felt about John F. Kennedy being senselessly gunned down As The Nation Watched.

Soon, this country will have Another Dynamic Young President. He has the potential to be Really Great. Like Kennedy, he'll make mistakes along the way, but when he speaks, he speaks of dreams, of things we can do, and holds out the hope that Things Can Indeed Get Better. I find myself caring more, now, about the Presidency, than I have in much, much too long of a time. And maybe things will be okay, or at least improve somewhat, which is really all I ask.

Back in 1963, the Young President was still a couple of generations older than me. Now, the Young President is Younger than me by quite a few years. I'm excited that he's "a breath of fresh air", yet has the sense to put experienced people around him to help him navigate what has to be the Toughest Job In The World. And I don't ask much of the President. I just want a President I can be proud of. A scandal-free President who will Talk to Us and Reassure Us. I hope we can all somehow come to Unite behind him. If all he focuses on for a while is the economy and reducing our involvement in Iraq, then perhaps this country will be on the way to some kind of Healing.

I'm glad that I managed to remember the date of November 22nd once again. It's forever a part of me. My 4th grade teacher had left the classroom for a moment, and came back in, weeping. She was a tough old teacher, so I knew something had to be Really Wrong. She told the class, "The President's Been Shot". Things were never, ever the same after that. One can only imagine how different the world might be, but for November 22nd. And the world instantly became a colder, harsher place after November 22nd.

I think I'm finding that I actually care about Our Nation more than I thought I did. I've always been fascinated to see someone who is really good at what they do. And I would like the New President to be really, really good. I have a personal stake in this; I actually Voted, something I haven't done in ages. So, Mr. Obama, "go forward, make us proud." And, Mr. Kennedy, I'll never ever forget you. Even if someday November 22nd whizzes by without me noticing, I'll still carry the memories of you deep within my consciousness. After all, you made us proud.
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Back in 1963, I had read Jim Bishop's book, "The Day Lincoln Was Shot". I'd say that's fairly heavy reading for a ten-year-old. According to the book, those close to the President gathered around him, and immediately upon Lincoln's dying, a Reverend remarked, "He now belongs to the ages." I'll never forget that line. And hearing about JFK's death so soon after reading the Lincoln book really blew my mind. At first I thot my teacher, Mrs. Hoppersted, was joking. And then, reality set in...

The Presidential Turkey in flight...
...the only living case of a Turkey being a Lame Duck...

WHAT THE HELL'S HE DOING IN PERU? Prezzident George Bush has flown to Peru, and I'm not kidding. Would I Lie? On my own blog? Well, not right now. So, WHY is he going THERE? What would be accomplished by him going there? I have no idea, and I'm pretty sure neither does HE. Why did he go there? Because he CAN. And it's probably a good place to hide out as his administration slowly evaporates away into the endless enigmatic ocean of Political Infamy. I wonder if us, as taxpayers, could somehow subdivide the cost of this excursion and translate it into a how-much-each-of-us-is-paying-for-it sort of thing, and then we could all write off that amount as a sort-of Charity contribution for the Prezzident. Although, there's something in it for us; we don't have to See or Hear Prezzident Bush while he's gone. Although, George Bush going to Peru makes about as much sense as Michael Dukakis riding in a Tank.


As God is my witness, there is such a thing...This is an Australian BUSH TURKEY. Gobble gobble...
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DUMMY UP, SARAH: Remember, that's what Archie Bunker always told his wife, Edith, to do? If Sarah Palin is trying to rehabilitate her image, now that she's Stuck Back In Alaska, she's going about it all wrong. Last Night, I became aware of a video of Former-and never-will-be-again Vice Prezzidential Candidate, Sarah Palin (rhymes with 'Failin') at a Turkey Ranch, officially Pardoning A Turkey. Turkey? Doesn't that mean, in a metaphorical sense, that if Sarah partakes of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, she'll be a cannibal? (you know, as in Turkey...) Clips of her being interviewed have appeared time and time again, with a sort of 'splotch' in the right-hand corner of the screen. Behind that splotch IS AN ACTUAL TURKEY GETTING KILLED, while she's rambling on and on about, "oh that doggoned media; they'll probably find something to speculate regarding this dumb thing I'm doing", yadda yadda yadda. And, honest, she actually described her appearance at the Turkey Ranch as "FUN", while the guy in the background hoisted a LIVE TURKEY into one of those cone-things that lops off its head. You can't make this stuff UP! (I have just seen an un-splotched clip of this; if it weren't so tragic, it would be HILARIOUS.)

Good ol' Sarah Palin, running off at the mouth about pardoning a Turkey, while hundreds of Other Turkeys behind her will soon adorn Thanksgiving Day platters all across Alaska. You know, Alaska, that state that you can see Russia from. Theoretically. Anyway, Sarah's gonna have some time on her hands, now that she's back in Alaska and probably will Never Have Any Kind Of National Platform Ever Again. What's she gonna do to while away the hours being governor? Well, next summer, she could perhaps sight-in her rifle and get ready for the upcoming hunting season...


Excuse me while I crawl off into the corner; I'm going to go have a nightmare right now...

I'm so sorry for exposing you to this image. What could I have been thinking? Well, it's better to burn out than to fade away, Neil Young once sang; in keeping with that, if I'm gonna Go Down Blogging, I might as well Go Out In Flames. A true case of pictorial Blogger-cide...
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GAS PRICES ARE DOWN; NOW WHAT? Gas down here on the Southern Oregon Coast, one of the most isolated areas in the country, is now down to $2.01 a gallon. Gas prices are down across the nation, too. Oh, yeah, and the Wall Street Bail-out's been done, touted, and lauded. In spite of all these positive things, THINGS AREN'T GETTING ANY BETTER. Read the business pages of the newspaper; please buy a copy so the newspaper doesn't go bankrupt! On those business pages, company after company after company, announcing layoffs after layoffs after layoffs. The crazy thing about gas prices, though, is that while they can drop like a rock (and have done so), the country still Will Not get better Anytime Soon. Those laid-off will continue to be laid-off. A talking head on MSNBC boiled it down for me: The bail-out money that went to Wall Street has not trickled down to Main Street as the bail-out evidently originally intended. So, nothing new has happened. And the economy has Not Yet Been Helped. Meanwhile, our Prezzident is in Peru and our heartless Vice Prezzident is probably hiding out in an underground bunker somewhere, with a team of heart surgeons standing by...


A tankful of gasoline costs more George Washingtons than it used to...

Back to gas prices: it's actually nice being able to buy half a tank for "only" $20 bucks; but the recent skyrocketing of Gas Prices had a benefit, too, for, all of a sudden, there were Less of those Huge Monolithic Overbearing and Very, Very Heavy Dodge Ram pickup trucks on the road, along with Less Ram-Pickup-Imitations made by Chevy and Ford and whoever else. out there on the road. I have a theory: The bigger of a vehicle you drive, the more boorish, overbearing and intolerant of Other Motorists you're likely to be. I heartily applaud the American Public for leaving their gas-guzzlers at home. And now that gas prices have Gone Back Down, the economy's so shot that hopefully no one else will wanna mortgage themselves to a Ram-tuff-type pickup Anytime soon.

So people are wondering, all of a sudden, why Detroit's automakers are having such a problem? Because they churned out pickups bigger than bulldozers, knowing all the while that the Gas Market was Highly Volatile, and liable to fall victim to Skyrocketing Gas Prices at Any Moment. Hey, money made it into the shareholders' pockets. The Real Rub is that sales of Big Pickups are down, and even tho gas prices are low enough so that you won't have to mortgage your house to fill up the tank of one of those Stegosaurus-sized pickups, all of a sudden a sense of thrift has barged its way into the American Public's spending habits, and they're trying to Save Money, and probably one of the ways they'll do that is to buy no-frills, smaller vehicles, you know, the kind that use less gas. Or, they might just keep the old 'beater' vehicles they're presently driving, providing Detroit with Even Less Money. That would be the old 'we can't afford a new vehicle' strategy. In terms of fuel economy, it'll be Really Funny if next year's Dodge Ram Pickup is the size of, say, a Volkswagen Beetle. The de-evolution of a Dodge Ram Pickup Truck, coming to a dealer near you soon.
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IT'S ALL IN MY HEAD: I've been having dizziness problems for the last year. The Flu I was afflicted so badly with in September '07 has evidently done some damage. I'd long thought that, and it was confirmed by My New Physical Therapist. After putting me through various physical paces, she thinks the innards of mine Ears are infected, affected, defected, and all sorts of Mean and Ugly things. I have balance trouble, and am a bit shaky on my feet. I told her I've had these symptoms for so long that I felt like I was exaggerating when I was trying to indicate how 'off-kilter' I've felt. This dizziness does curtail what I can do. I've come close to falling down in public places a couple of times. I have to walk slowly. If I walk for an extended distance, I need a Walking Stick. I won't use a Cane, for that would mean That I Am Old. But a Walking Stick is j-u-s-t fine. Anyway, the Nurse said that I actually Was Inflicted, that "it's not all in my head". That's when I told her, "Well, it (the dizziness) actually Is." I've been waiting for the dizziness to go away and it never does. But with treatment, hopefully I can get back to at least Mildly Abnormal. So, In My Honor (or what's left of it after this post), I Dedicate The Following Song To Me:


A little bit of Rock Trivia...Tommy Roe actually appeared onstage during a Beatles' early tour of England. So now you know.
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THE SHOWS MUST GO ON: Two of my favorite MSNBC Talking Heads are Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. They both sound so intelligent; wow, they sure have a way with words; their scripts gracefully balance disgust, humor, candor, political idiocy and incredulousness in a remarkably intelligent way; I've always been a fan of intelligence, something that I hope to possess some day. But here's the deal: At various times over the last two weeks, Keith and Rachel have been GONE, doing whatever richly-paid Talking Heads do when they're not broadcasting. And yet the shows go on. Right now, David Schuster, who reminds me of a deer caught in the headlights, is yammering away as a substitute on Keith's program, 'cos Keith ain't on tonight. And, the script still sounds crafty, cunning, nifty, and extremely Smartly Written. So I must ask...

Do Any of these Talking Heads have any sort of talent, or can you just plug in anyone behind the desk and have 'em read the Teleprompter, the script of which has evidently been churned out by Some Generic MSNBC writer who's paid to think of Intelligent things. And perhaps you could then put the Average High School Janitor behind the desk, and he'd sound like, oh, perhaps Eric Sevareid or Walter Cronkite. All he's gotta do, after all, is read the teleprompter. Meantime, I've just found out that Keith will be COOKING WITH MARTHA STEWART on Monday. Oh my gawd, the World Is Ending, isn't it? Flaming Liberal Keith Olbermann, who decried the criminality of the soon-to-be-gone Repubblican administration, COOKING with Martha Stewart, who is probably Republican and most definitely a Criminal who's done her time.


So, can anyone be a Talking Head on MSNBC?
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I'll close with this thought: Prezzident Bush went to Peru for God Knows What Purpose. Maybe it would be more appropriate if he'd gone to Argentina to hide out. That's where all the other Bad Leaders From So Long Ago went to seek sanctuary. Turkeys, all of them...

New Music from Paul McCartney...
...Now he's having "Electronic Arguments"...

"Electronic Arguments" is the title of Paul McCartney's newest record, although that could also sum up Macca's bust-up with the Evil Heather. Evidently, this record is supposed to be really 'experimental', but the two tracks I've heard, "Too Much Out Of Sight" and "Sing The Changes" sound, to me, like some of the more progressively far-out music of the late '60s/early '70s. I think they sound pretty good. The 'former' sounds like "Helter Skelter revisited" while the latter is actually good, heavy, driving melodic pop & roll...
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Not that Paulie needs any of my money, but I suppose I'll hafta buy the new album when it comes out (next week?). I haven't been the biggest fan of Paul McCartney lately; it seems like he doesn't know what to do with himself, so he comes out in favor of all his 'causes'. In one case, he had the leather seats ripped out of a new 'hybrid' car he'd bought and had transported from Japan, because leather seats went against his humanitarian efforts...he also got mad 'cos the car, made in Japan, ended up being shipped to him, instead of being flown to him. Paul was ticked off because being transported by boat meant that he made a "larger carbon footprint" on the Planet he's so desperately trying to save. Gee, Paul, nice to know you care...
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Paul McCartney making more money for an hour's singing than I could make in several lifetimes.
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Thing is, no matter how many dumb things Paul says or does, he still is capable of making Really Good Music. Why he hides behind a 'nom de plume' like "The Fireman" is anyone's guess. That's right, this album is listed as being by "The Fireman". What, is it too much pressure for Mr. McCartney to use his own name? If the album gets rotten reviews, I 'spose he can say, "look, this was a special project; it's not a standard McCartney album." How cynical I am. I amaze myself sometimes. Here's what The Newest 'Fireman' album will (allegedly) look like...
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'Electronic Arguments' artwork, painted by Paul. Uh, Paul, don't give up the music thing, okay?
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Two previous "Fireman" albums have been released, but those were largely ambient sound experiments, featuring no standard tunes, and immersed in all sorts of mysterioso sound collages, none of which sound relevant to anything McCartney's ever done. I read that the second "Fireman" album was the Worst-Selling Album of any associated with The Beatles/Former Beatles, etc...I've heard 'em both, and other than being a completist as far as Anything Beatles is concerned, I really have no reason to have 'em in my collection.
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Anyway, the new album, "Electronic Arguments" is coming out pretty doggoned soon, and I've deposited the following hyperlink, which will enable you to listen to a couple songs from it, "Too Much, Not Enough" and "Sing The Changes". I find 'em likable. It's "The Fireman"! It features songs! Vocals! Is it a great album? Probably not. Maybe, though. If it lives up to even half of what I've read, it should be interesting. Anyway, check the link out...
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http://thefiremanmusic.com/

P.S. I'm gratified to know that, while Nothing is Free these days, I was able to load these two songs, SCOT-FREE, into my Real-Player. Gosh...hope I didn't break any laws...

P.S.S.: Regarding things Beatle, here's the Newest (and strangest) reason I've come across yet as to their rise to fame...whaddaya think? Click this link:
http://home.nestor.minsk.by/jazz/news/2008/11/1804.html
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Paul McCartney's newest quest? He now wants to perform in China, 'cos he's never played there before. He recently accomplished the same thing in Israel, performing there recently. That's what the Rich Do. If they can't Collect Foreign Countries, they try to at least go to them. I have this nagging picture of Paul as a compulsive-obsessive musician...like the Energizer Bunny, he just keeps going, going, going...

Money don't get everything, it's true...
...but what it don't get, I can't use...

Brain-teaser: Who Originally Sang That Song? And what huge record company had its first hit with ? What year did it come out? Answers below, at the end of this post.

GIMME GIMME MONEY! (that's...what I want) WHOLE LOTTA MONEY!!! (that's...what I want) It sure is a good thing Money Wasn't Meant To Hang On To, otherwise, I'd feel pretty doggone bad. It all started some time ago when I got a Tax Notice, with a Delinquent Amount, in someone else's name. I called the Tax Office about it, and the sweet lady at the other end of the line said, "if you don't pay, we'll file a lien against you." Good ol' government clerks, huh? Turns out the doggone title company never did get SIGNATURES, so the tax bill was sent to the original owner, with my address, so even though it wasn't MY bill, it Most Definitely Was. And I ended up paying this years' AND last years' taxes on my residence. So, there went a buncha money. Things tend to get tough when it's the 2nd week of the month, and almost all your budget is FRIED. So I scrimped this month. Really scrimped. And it's a good thing I did...

I had to pay over $400 worth of bills today. The usual stuff; doctors, utilities, medical clinics, cable company and such. And it's a good thing I scrimped this month because that meant I only had to borrow $400 from my bank so after bill-paying, I'd have money left over, for luxury items, such as FOOD and GAS. If I hadn't borrowed the $$$ from the bank, I'd be sitting here right now with a 'negative cash amount' in my pocket. And, 'negative money' won't buy a whole lotta things. Of course, that means I have a bunch of money coming out of my Social Security payment next month, which will pay back the bank. But I'm digging my way out, and at least I know the money is coming. It'll get here. Eventually. Actually, USBank is my hero; they let me borrow (which I try not to do), and their repayment comes out automatically from my next 'automatic deposit'.


Looks like I need to go bird-hunting, 'specially if I could bag one like this...

So at least I got all the bills paid. With a (small bit of) disposable income left over. So, I went to Radio Shack because I needed some blank compact discs. And I ran across a gadget I just have to get, when I worm my way out of my own personal financial crunch. (Anyone wanna 'bail me out'?, heh heh...) Two years ago, I bought a CD recorder/player unit that also includes a turntable and AM/FM radio. The turntable they supplied is painfully low-tech, but that's okay, 'cos I can 'patch' into the CD unit from my stereo amplifier, which my high-quality turntable (that I got for free; it was gonna get thrown away) is hooked up to. So I can make CD's from records, and they actually sound pretty good. Some time ago I almost opted for a New Turntable which can plug directly into my Computer but decided against it, because, you see, I already have a turntable. Or two or three.

Today, I found out Radio Shack now stocks a sort-of connecting device that plugs into your stereo's output jacks, and the other end plugs into a computer USB port, and it's only $79.95. Far cheaper than the almost $400 that I paid for my CD recorder/turntable/AM-FM self-contained unit, even cheaper than the $200 it would've cost if I'd bought the turntable which plugs directly into the computer. I wish I'd known all that a couple years ago, but what with the rapid pace of technological growth, perhaps this new CD-recording device hadn't been invented, or perfected. And what with American technology, the self-contained CD-recorder unit I'm using now will probably burn itself out sooner or later, so this New Radio Shack CD linkup thing would be a great backup.

I say that because, already, half of the light on the radio dial on my self-contained CD recorder unit has dimmed, and it now flickers, which means a little light bulb in there is dead or dying, and I'm sure it couldn't be replaced by anyone other than a Rocket Scientist who has Time On His Hands. Or some Electronic Technician who charges an arm or a leg (or both) for his services. And, if I lose an arm or leg, then it's off to the hospital. After which I'll owe more medical bills.
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POLITICAL UPDATE: Auto Executives arrived in Washington, D.C. today, in STRETCH LIMOS, to beg and plead with Congress for an additional $25 Million Dollar bail-out. Let's see, Executives in Stretch Limos, asking for government money...some things don't change. (You can tell I had the TV on while blogging...)
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Answer to Above Brain-Teaser: "Money (That's What I Want)" was originally recorded by Barrett Strong. The record came out, in 1961, on "Anna" records, which was a part of Motown Records. As such, "Money" was the First Big Motown Hit. "Anna" was a member of the Gordy Family, which founded Motown.

SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED...
Yep, JAMES BOND's Back In Town...

First of all, I'm not any kind of movie-reviewer. Second, if I tried to review the movie completely, I'd probably end up giving away the ending. Well, in the end, James Bond survives another action-packed adventure, but you probably knew that already. The action in this movie is so F-A-S-T, it's hard to absorb everything upon viewing it all for the first time. So, when I go to the Theater to see a James Bond movie (something I usually Only do for a James Bond Movie), I'm hoping that I'm managing to Make Sense Out Of It All, knowing that everything's happened so fast that I'm bound to miss a few things.

Within the first 45 minutes of the show, I counted three of Bond's patented vehicle-chase scenes...and there was lotsa punchin', kickin', fightin', runnin' and jumpin'...although I've read some reviews that said this wasn't the best James Bond film ever, I wasn't disappointed. From an Action Standpoint, it was thrilling, but then again, most Bond movies are wonderfully choreographed, action-filled flicks that always keep me on the edge of my seat.

Daniel Craig, the "newest" James Bond (this is his 2nd Bond film in 2 years), is a more feisty, blood-and-guts, less glamorous sort of Bond; perfect with every hair in place Bond, as was Pierce Brosnan, and he doesn't play the character with a lot of humor (as did Roger Moore), and he's not as suave as Sean Connery, but Craig seems to portray a more emotional, maybe a bit more fallible, anger-driven James Bond. I don't have a favorite Bond Actor; I'm more a fan of the James Bond character than any one actor who's portrayed Bond. In this film, the Bond character threw me one surprise; he actually let one of his avowed enemies live; so maybe this Bond character is also becoming a bit more reflective, if not actually merciful. Judy Densch, who plays Bond's boss, "M", returns once again with her unique degree of tough sentimentality. I'm getting to like her character more and more. In a grudging sort-of-way, Bond and "M" seem to need each other, and that's nice.

It's my impression that the last two James Bond films with Daniel Craig are more hard-core, raw, fiery and physical, and if anything, the action is faster-than-ever; I found myself physically reacting to the action in the show. It's almost a little-bit scary, but at the same time, it's exhilirating, and watching this Bond film left me in a state of sensory-overloaded euphoric hyperdrive; there's so much happening, so fast. But, as with any Bond film, the viewer also gets to go 'round the world; every Bond film features glorious filming locations, and this newest flick is no exception.

The only drawback in the film for me is also what makes it so good; there is SO MUCH going on. It seems like, in movie-making, the trick these days is supplying tons and tons of action, to satisfy all the techno-junkies who thrive on modern-day video games and other computerized forms of digital animation with stupefyingly fast-paced action, and still let the Actor bring some individuality to the role he's portraying. Sometimes I do feel as if movies in general, and Bond films in particular, are faster, more brutal, tougher, more blood-and-guts than before, in an effort to keep pace with today's ever-more-sophisticated viewing public. But at the same time, this Bond film is loads of fun; definitely worth plunking yer hard-earned dollars down for.
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Of course, there probably is no truth to the rumor that I actually live vicariously through James Bond; he always gets the pretty girl, if not several...doggone it anyway...

Record Ramblings...
...a new 'sort-of-blog' I'm contributing to occasionally...

You'll see a new link in the left margin of this blogsite; it reads "Record Ramblings", and it contains information on Records and The Artists Who Made Them. Since I now have a digital cam, the new blog will contain pictures I've taken of various unusual records in my collection, or brief tidbits about those who were fortunate enough to be Immortalized on Vinyl. Basically, I was fumbling around all of the various little things that Yahoo lets you do, and I ran across something called "Yahoo 360"; I think it's supposed to be Yahoo's version of "MySpace" or whatever, but I'm not gonna use it like that. Instead, you'll find MUCH BRIEFER writings about things, as opposed to the often over-extended stuff I write here in this blog.

It shouldn't be that much more work for me, since I'm writing short little blurbs about the various things that interest the record-collector side of me. At this writing, I've probably got close to 20 entries posted there. The long posts in this blog can take me up to 2 hours to write and edit, whereas the briefer format in my new blog will be a lot easier (and less time-consuming) to write and edit. And if you STILL can't get enough of what I write (I can't imagine that happening!), I've also posted a lot of stuff over at my Miss_Lee_Morse Yahoo Group site, and you'll also find the link to THAT in the left margin of this here blog. Am I branching out? Diversifying? Or just torturing myself more? Probably a little of each.

Record Shopping in 1928 A.D....
Heading down to the record store for all the newest music...

Blogger's Note: I've used quite a few pictures here to illustrate my meager attempts at making a point. If you mouse-click on those photos, they'll get waaaaay big...

The record I'm featuring here is by Miss Lee Morse and Her Bluegrass Boys (no, they didn't play what is now known as 'bluegrass' music); her version of an old Cole Porter tune, "Let's Do It", backed with "If You Want The Rainbow"; these are but two of the over-two-hundred titles she recorded in her long career. Her records were on the charts between 1924 and 1932, and she recorded again in 1938, and long after that, in 1951. Of course, Promotion Is The Name Of The Game, and advertising hucksters were as busy then as now, honing their craft by finding just the right words...here's a couple pictures of this Lee Morse record, on Columbia, using the brand-new Electrical Viva-Tonal Recording Process...one with the copy-laden sleeve it came in...



You might remember the song, "Let's Do It"...'birds...do it, bees...do it...", etc. In this early version, the lyrics approach today's degree of politically-(in)correctness; the original lyrics contained the phrase, "Chinks...do it; Japs...do it..." and I suppose this version was recorded waaay back before anyone thought those references to be of a discriminatory nature; hmmm...maybe those 'Roaring Twenties' were a pretty wild time after all...on the above record sleeve, is contained the following highlighted copy...

Notice how the above promotional copy says that every Viva-Tonal Columbia Record, "is like life itself." That's probably stretching it just a bit, because after all, back then, after positioning Record inside Phonograph, you then turned a crank, in order to provide energy for the Turntable to Turn, and it was fortunate if the Music actually came out louder than the hiss of that old hard-rubber shellac record material whizzing by, the grooves of which were navigated with an ultra-heavy tone-arm with a steel needle that tracked at about 1,000 grams, give or take. So I'm kinda thinking that, no, these records weren't quite like 'life itself', but maybe folks back then were so starved for entertainment that they were more than satisfied with what little sound they could wring out of these records. Below are some of the Columbia phonographs referred to above...

Imagine, if you well, you and your sweetie are sipping lemonade in the parlor, getting ready to listen to the latest Hot Vaudeville Hits on one of these babies...first of all, you'd have to choose the correct Steel Needle for the record you were about to play. (allegedly, some styli-widths were better for symphonies, some were better for upbeat numbers...to me, it sounds like a ploy to get ya to buy more needles...) These vintage phonographs featured huge tone-arms with a great big circular-type swivel joint that enabled you to put the Steel Stylus on the record itself. And from the looks of things, the smallest unit here weighs approximately as much as your average Upright Piano...so if it malfunctioned, you couldn't very well take it to the shop to get it fixed. So, "Choice of Needle" and "Phono Maintenance" were probably why Columbia put these little blurbs on its record sleeves...

"Use each needle only ONCE?" What's THAT about? I know those old arms tracked heavily, but still...does that mean, Change The Needle With Every Record? Ack...Hope not! And, since the lightest of these old phonographs weighed half a ton, it was probably easier back then to go to your dealer and have him send someone to repair your machine. Although, comparatively speaking, technicians in those days were probably as overpaid as they are today, but whaddaya do? But I digress here...I was originally talking about the records. It seems the Columbia Records Promotional Department, at times, lent itself to some fairly fantastic claims...see if you can spot the line in the copy below that absolutely astounded me...again, from the Columbia Record Sleeve:

Perhaps whoever wrote this stuff had maybe been drinking a little too much of that old Cocaine-laden Coca Cola; he's obviously thought of every Strong Selling Point he could think of, and it is here he lays it on the line, describing the High Quality of Columbia Records..."They are the only records without scratch." What does THAT mean? When I first saw this promo copy, written over 80 years ago, I was totally dumbfounded. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECORD MADE WITHOUT SCRATCH! Nowhere, Not At Any Time. Ever. Even the most audiophile-related virgin vinyl has some surface noise and a little 'click' or 'pop' here and there. I have a few of these old Columbia 78's in really great condition, and it STILL sounds like someone in the studio was running one of those old Milkshake Machines in the background while the singer was singing!

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And now, a little brain-teaser...one of the bands pictured below did NOT record in the 1920's. Can you tell which one it is? (Cue 'Jeopardy' theme music here...) Take your time...

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*Since this is a family-oriented blog, I did some fancy editing of band image #2...

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Special Blog Reader's BONUS SECTION:

The TELETYPE that HATED me...

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While posting all the stuff about antiquated equipment above, all of a sudden I remembered something from long ago. Back in the 1970's, when I was working at a radio station, one of my duties was to clear all the old news from the teletype...an old, vibrating, heavy-as-heck automatic machine that pounded out news copy on rolls of cheap newsprint...the doggone machine kept vibrating itself apart on my shift...and in one such case, I unplugged it, went down into the machine's components, extracted garbled-up newsprint, re-threaded the teletype's ribbon, and it STILL wouldn't work...on the floor in front of the teletype, I saw a small spring, maybe 3/4 of an inch long, which had vibrated out of that hulking machine.

So, I began to examine all the places inside this dinosaurish contraption where a spring would fit...and I finally saw a couple of levers deep inside the teletype's belly where there were two small holes, one for each end of the spring. So I popped-in the spring and the machine came back to life! And I went home with teletype ink all over my hands, arms and all over my clothes. I looked like I'd just Changed Someone's Transmission. The next day, the owner of the radio station said, "...had some more teletype trouble last night, huh?" I wanted to hit the guy. So, somewhere, resting on top of a heap of twisted, rusting metal from machines that are no longer used anymore, there's an old teletype out there who had its last laugh at my expense. Ha Ha Haaaa HAAAAAAA!!!!!

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I swear that Teletype Had It In For Me. I could hear it from the broadcast booth, going "chunka-chunka-chunka-chunka", and right before I signed off the station late at night, it would stop working, so I'd spend 2 or 3 hours on my own time, after the shift was over, trying to put Mr. Teletype Back Together Again. Let's just say That Wasn't My Idea Of Fun.

I seem to be affected by
Post-Election-Seasonal Disorder...

Can it all Really Be All Over Already? Are we really Done? You mean, No More Political Ads for a while? I mean, isn't there still stuff waiting to be analyzed? For example, there are those who are saying that if the Real McCain had shown up for the Prezzidential Campaign, he'd be Prezzident by now. Assuming that, of course, he would've chosen someone else, ANYONE else as a running mate. Honestly, Joe The Plumber should have been John McCain's running mate. Aside from a plumber's obvious ability to fix LEAKS, Plumber's images would be re-vamped on a national scale, seeing as how "White House Plumbers" had received nothing but negative connotations during the Watergate Era. That was definitely a case where the Water-Gate Leaked. All over the place.

But, I've got Post-Election-Seasonal Disorder (PESD)...I'm still waiting for returns to come in; I'm still waiting for projections to be made, and I'm still craving the need to know what happened this year to the Republicans...can someone please give me some trends, some indications, facts, figures and some "well, he can win with this combination of northern states plus two or three southern states, or if he cleans up out west, then he could win by getting a couple of states up in the midwest, plus perhaps he'd get the swing vote in Puerto Rico to put him over the top", you know, that kind of thing...I need charts! I need hard numbers! I need vote tallies! GIMME those exit polls and PLEASE compare them to exit polls back when Bill Clinton mightily swept the election away from the Grand Old Party...(Goofy Old Party?) (Generation Older Party?) Obviously I need my head examined here, don't I? I'm just not well. I can't LIVE without election dramas happing EVERY SINGLE NIGHT on my TV screen. I'm going through WITHDRAWALS here! It's had a devastating effect on my output...

I'm not living up to my blogging potential. According to pre-blog predictions, I have fallen off with a downturn in overall activity. Readers in the 25-35, 36-50 and 51-100 age categories have all noticed a slippery-slope of lessening blog-production numbers...I'm assuming anyone under the age of 25 thinks I'm a doddering old fool, and so they're not going to find anything they can relate to here, so I'll just consider them as non-readers, and if I find a few young people do read this blog, I'll find a way to twist those numbers into something positive, but until then, it's a gloomy blog-o-nomic forecast for the forseeable future. After all, gray skies, harsh winds and a downturn in temperatures await me as this year draws to a close. I'll close this paragraph by saying that, even though I'm not running for (or from) anything, I'd appreciate your vote. Oh, let me kiss that baby. How about if we get our picture taken together? Here's my autograph. And remain assured that, even though 'quality' might be something of a nebulous descriptive here, I shall strive to keep churning out them blog posts, in case anyone actually reads this thing. Now, let me shake your hand and slap ya on the back. Vote for ME!

Oh, gosh, wait a minute...can you tell that I've just been through another political season? I'm waiting for the Spectre Of It All to Wear Off. I just got carried away; sorry 'bout that. Excuse me while I knock myself back into reality...(Slap! Biff! Bam! POWIE! OOF! Whack!!!)...there...I'm okay now...but anyway, we now have a New President. (I'll save my errant-deliberate-misspelling, "Prezzident" until he starts screwing up royally.) As far as Presidential political things go, I've been enthused by things I've seen in the paper, however. Paper. You know, NEWSpaper...as in Today's Printed News, Printed On Paper...perhaps a dangerous economical downturn is in progress, if we weigh the fact that Those Entities Which Bring Us The News are themselves shrinking, at a time when there's more baaaad news than ever. And, ironically, the very thing you're reading this blog on (the Computer) is probably to blame for at least some of that downturn. No newsprint needed here! No expensive presses to maintain! No ten-ton huge rolls of newsprint to have to load onto the printing presses! No pressmen's salaries! I'll have to turn to alternative methods of acquiring something to line my little parrot's cage with...

I have read, yes, in the newspaper, that President Obama (well, President-elect Obama) is doing what he can to overturn some stuff; for instance, he's gonna promote stem-cell research, something I heartily advocate. Embryonic cells, you know, that aren't taken from a fetus, so the nasty questions surrounding abortions don't have to be addressed at all...anyway, Obama is going to push for Embryonic Stem-Cell research, and I think that's GREAT. And, according to Obama's Presidential Press-secretary (Rahm Emanuel), Obama is going to move ahead on tax cuts for those making under $250,000 a year, which describes a whole lot of us here in this great nation. Never mind if he actually can be really effective (I hope he is), but it's just the fact that he's DOING SOMETHING that's got me twisting in my knickers. Mr. Emanuel has also said that among things to be focused on, pronto, by the new administration would be expanding health coverage, revamping energy policy and making education more affordable. Again, it looks like President Obama will be actually DOING SOMETHING he said he was gonna do. In my book, even TRYING to get things done rates waaay high! In short, "You GO, Mr. President."

Of course, all the conspiracy theorists out there are gonna have a field day with this administration..."hey, did you hear that Obama, you know, the President with "Hussein" as his middle name, has hired a guy named "Rahm" as Press Secretary? Them farreigners are gonna take over our nation, I tell ya..." I think Foreign Policy is going to be a Huge Thing for the Obama Administration to tackle. Look, we've been in Iraq, we helped overthrow their government, we've lost a lot of lives along the way, and perhaps the nations Over There just want us Out of there, and if they do indeed want us out, shouldn't we LEAVE? Just Leave? So this is something the incoming President will need to address. An editorial in today's Newspaper said that if Our Nation didn't do that, the situation in the (Middle? Near?) east would wreck the new administration in much the same way the Bushed Administration was plundered asunder. I tend to agree. I've long wondered why our country has felt it has to go around the world, cramming all kinds of Democratic principles down the throats from people who obviously don't WANT those principles. on everyone. And maybe we need to direct our efforts towards making this country better, for us, its citizens, to live in. I think that would be a welcome change. You know, focusing on stuff inside our borders for once.

Look, I know that no President can do Everything that he's set out to do. We all know that. But, based on the things I've read so far, I'm kinda excited that some semblance of forward movement is happening already. Maybe it's happened this rapidly with other incoming administrations before, and I've never noticed...and maybe my expectations have been lowered because we've basically had an Idiot Prezzident (there! I got to use my miss-spelling!) in the White House for the last 8 years, with a corrupt, secretive administration in back of him. People voted for John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton because of the promise of something totally different, and while each of those administrations couldn't live up to what we all expected, we're in a similar situation now. Do something, Mr. Obama. Even if you don't get your stuff passed, WE know that at least you're slinging ideas out there. This is why I'm excited. Oh, I know our huge government will always be a mind-numbing, faceless, monolithic entity that many of us Citizens can't fathom, but as long as there's the promise of a difference, some kind of a difference, somewhere...I'm kinda excited about that.
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They're coming to take me away, ha-ha-ha, hee-hee-hee, ho-ho-ho, to the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time, where those nice young men in their clean white suits can dump me in a padded cell with no access to political media, ha ha HAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

A Neat Little Mind Excursion...
...just the thing after an intense week such as this one!

Well, we've elected a New President. And for the time being, I'm going to be spelling "President" correctly. Unless I blog about George W. Bush anymore, in which case, my spelling will revert back to "Prezzident". But really, it's been a big week, maybe it's a Brave New World, and maybe things will get better? Maybe that's one of our country's best qualities, in that We in this nation Always have hope. And so this past week has been a week of possibilities, new directions, and I really hope that President Obama gets off to a good start.

But we can't be intense all the time. Life is serious enough without us picking everything apart and being serious about every little thing. Sometimes I think us Human Beings assume waaaay more pressure than our constitutions were built to handle. Now, what with Wall Street going thru its various economic undulations, and the economy in general pretty much passing wind, sometimes we need to focus on Something Else. And, so for a few moments, by reading this post, and then following the instructions, you can do just that....

Near where I live on the Southern Oregon Coast is located the Cape Arago (AIR-a-go) Lighthouse. It was decommissioned in 2006 and is no longer in service. It just sits there on a big rock, out there on its own, with its only visitors being seagulls and other various seabirds. It's enticingly close, but yet is so far away; there is No Public Access to it. I had to sneak onto Coast Guard Land to take closeup photos of it. Even then, I still could get only within about a football-field's-length of it. But it is a most wondrous place. And, wonder of wonders, near there is a small Native American Cemetery, where its occupants are eternally resting, just out of ocean's reach.



This is the Cape Arago Lighthouse, erected in 1930. Before that, various other lighthouses built on this site were literally ripped apart by severe winter breezes; however, this one's pretty solid, and will probably sit there forever. It doesn't serve as a beacon any longer; it just sits there, with its austere and forbidding beauty. This photo was taken some 300 yards away; the lighthouse is actually perched on a big rock across a channel of water, and the bridge going to that Big Rock has been locked up, and would probably crash into the water if someone as heavy as me tried to traverse it.

Anyway, if you liked the above photo, there are more like it; just look for "Cape Arago Lighthouse" in the "Missing Links" in the left margin of this here blog, and you'll see some really unique-looking scenery, that ya just don't see every day. So let this posting be one of daydreaming, contemplation and reflection; let it be a "Mind Excursion". Have a good weekend, everyone...
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One of the 'one-hit-wonders' of the 1960's was a group called the Trade Winds...and wouldn't you know it, that group's only-ever-hit was a little ditty titled "Mind Excursion", a catchy little tune that probably a lot of oldies stations DON'T play, 'cos it's so obscure. But it actually did make the 'top 40' (Or, was that the 'top 100'?)...

Election Observations in Real-Time...
...from the standpoint of a Really Ignorant White Guy...
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...and so it's come down to this...Election Night is upon us. I was watching the election returns roll in, so I wanted to jot some things down here in order to attempt to achieve a sort-of 'real time' type of effect...

As I type this, the Election Returns show that Barack Obama is Leading John McCain by a margin of 207-135, in terms of Electoral Votes tallied so far (at about 7:30pm on Election night). "It ain't over 'till it's over", Yogi Berra once said...and true to form, the state of Florida is holding out on us...they haven't reported in yet, although all the other states on the eastern seaboard have been accounted for.

If Barack Obama wins this election, several things, in my estimation, put him over the top. He's carried himself with an easy sort of grace throughout the trials and tribulations of this fairly horrific Prezzidential campaign. To my eyes, Obama was "nice" throughout the whole thing, no matter how nasty the McCain campaign became. He showed respect and deference to Mr. McCain, which accommodates the part of me that believes one should respect his elders. Yet, Obama was clear and definite about the things he wanted to do, and has already shown us that he wants to be surrounded by qualified people; his selection of Joe Biden, a grizzled political veteran, will (hopefully) enable his administration to function with (again, hopefully) smoothness and gracefulness in dealing with all the things Congress can throw at a Prezzidential administration.



If John McCain loses this election, (and he certainly seems destined to), there are several things to blame. First of all, McCain is an Old-Guard guy who's a Republican, who wants to be elected Prezzident, who would have to follow a soon-to-be Former Prezzident who just happens to be one of the Worst Prezzidents This Country Has Ever Had. McCain came out swingin' in the debates; he was throwing so much stuff out there that I was afraid Obama wouldn't be able to land any punches of his own. In the end, McCain appeared to hope that something, anything, would "stick" in his numerous diatribes against Obama. It got so bad that McCain had to actually come out and tell Us All that we didn't need to be afraid of Obama, because Obama is not an 'Arab', after all, and he basically had to say that his opponent was a nice guy. Talk about a strategy that backfired. There was a sort of simmering sense of Desperation in McCain's campaign...say something, do anything to get elected. I won't mention Sarah Palin, his extremely dubious choice as running mate; for that, you can read the post below this one.
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...at around 8pm, I paused to look up from the computer; that was when the California returns had just come in...and, Barack Obama had just become President-Elect...so I began typing again:

Barack Obama has just now been projected to be The Next Prezzident of the United States of America, as of 8:00pm PST. It just happened; I was watching MSNBC as it happened. It looks like, right now, at this very moment, as if we're all entering a new age. We have a Black President-Elect. We now have a President-Elect that is younger than ME, which is a first. And it looks like The Torch Has Just Been Passed, from something "known" to something "unknown". Things have been shaken up. I really hope that, under an Obama administration, that we, as a nation, can Get It Together. Maybe Barack Obama is a man for these times. All he, as Prezzident, has to do is show us that he CARES about us; show some compassion, concern and feeling, and be a CONSCIENTIOUS President. That's all I want. If his heart is in the right place, and I think and hope it is, he just might be a good leader. So, there it is...we have leapt off the cliff and into The Great Unknown. There Is Hope. I hope This works.
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Finally, not that my viewpoints are all that essential, but I wanted to write a little about myself, and how I, an Ignorant White Person, can try to relate to this occasion, upon seeing History made this evening...

I grew up in a place where there were almost No Black People. I was born in 1954; the first time I had ever spoken to a black person was when I was in Junior College in 1974. I'd seen blacks in Rock Groups, in some Movies, on "The Jeffersons" (an old TV sitcom), and of course, on some major league baseball teams and in the National Football League. If anyone is Racially Ignorant, It's ME. But for some reason, I always took offense whenever I heard someone utter race-baiting comments...certainly all the world's races have their inherent differences, but we're ALL people with our various incongruities, emotions, hopes and dreams, and in God's eyes, we're all EQUAL. I hope we can all just GET ALONG. Can we? This is really a Momentous time. I have seen History Made tonight. I just saw Jesse Jackson on TV, with Tears In His Eyes. As much as I've been alienated by Jesse Jackson's polarity, I can appreciate the struggles he and other Blacks have suffered through the ages; whether black, white, red, or whatever, our views and passions are deeply ingrained, and in spite of that, maybe this can be a Time of Unity for ALL of us.
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I've written a lot of crap in this blog, maligning politicians and the things they do; I've become bitter and delusioned with the Entire Political Process, and I am STILL skeptical of Everything that comes out of Washington, D.C. But at times like this, there's always hope. Do I dare dream? I think we all hoped for the best when George W. Bush first became Prezzident. And now, on the eve of another new Prezzidency, we can all hope once again. So here we go...into a new era...

This time around, I'M VOTING...
Heaven forbid I actually Involve Myself In Politix...

Well, here we go. Election Season is here. The time has come to vote. And, in spite of myself, this apolitical person I've come to be, I'M VOTING. I've long been an advocate of my own self-generated saying, "Don't Vote for Anyone; That Way, you can Despise Them All Equally." Isn't it worse to vote for someone, and then they SCREW UP? That makes sense to me, but a lot of people I've debated with have self-righteously told me, "If You Don't Vote, You Can't Bitch". I hear that over and over and over. I don't really subscribe to the old adage that it's our DUTY to vote; heck, if I'm forced into doing something, I'm Probably Not Gonna Do It. I have to really "feel it in my gut" if I'm gonna do anything about anything.

Folks, The Time Has Come. The choices are (painfully) obvious this time around. I have watched two campaigns for Prezzident; one which has tripped and stumbled and bumbled all over itself while the other has exemplified nothing but dignity and yea, verily, REASON. One campaign has engaged in baiting and innuendo, while (it seems) the other has sought to inform us that we need a "change", as if we didn't already know that after eight years of being "Bush-whacked". One campaign seems to be indicative of "more of the same" while the other campaign wants our nation to move in a different direction. And, one campaign touts a ticket where the Prezzidential Candidate has admitted he has no experience in Economics, where the running mate has virtually no experience at all, while the other ticket features a charismatic young man with political savvy running for Prezzident, who is backed by a Veteran Politician Who Knows His Way around Washington, D.C. I can only hope that in Joe Biden's case, "Veteran Politician" turns out to be a Good Thing.

I am not entirely comfortable with John McCain. I respect the guy, I really do, for all he endured as a Prisoner of War. He should always be admired for that. Does that make him QUALIFIED to run for Prezzident? I have not heard any fresh or exciting ideas from him, and I'm sorry, Mr. McCain, the Prezzidential Race Is Now Over. You can stop all your flaming against Mr. Obama. And McCain's running mate...oh my gawd, sheesh, ack...Sarah Palin is a true manifestation of the saying "it takes a village", because, basically, that's what she was mayor of before she became governor of a State that is the least-populated-per-square-mile state in the Union, and she's only HALFWAY THROUGH HER FIRST TERM, PEOPLE!!! I can't bear the thought of Sarah Palin in High Elective Office, ever. I thought Hillary was shrill, but compared to her, Sarah is a freakin' AIR-RAID SIREN...and, she's just smart enough to be Dangerous...

I've been disappointed before, when I've voted. So, frankly, I haven't voted in quite a while. But this is such a doggoned interesting election. Some say it's close, some say McCain's gaining ground, some say Obama and McCain are virtually tied, some say that McCain's only a key state or two from winning, others say it could be a landslide for Obama. The Prezzidents I've previously voted for promised something "different", and while perhaps there was no "difference" after all, I voted based on what I'd heard...and felt. And, I have grown to despise the Current Administration So Very Much that I feel Republican Leadership in the wake of George W. Bush is something this country can't TAKE right now. I care about our country, our nation, and I believe we should take care of our OWN problems before going off to fight everyone else's battles.

I'm tired of watching George W. Bush strutting around in some dilapidated sense of faux authority, bumbling his way through press conferences, refusing to listen to anything resembling reason, especially where our country's foreign policy is concerned. I'm tired of watching Our Prezzident being Barely Able To Complete A Sentence, let alone, exhibit at least some degree of Rational Thought. Can you say, "Puppet"? I knew ya could! I am Positively Sick of George W. Bush; the sight of him makes me Wretch. His greatest moment was when he was standing in the rubble of 9/11, and it's been downhill ever since. I'd say something about Vice-Prezzident Dick Cheney, but he's been quite the "invisible man" as of late. Where is he? What's he doing? Is he still in the White House Bunker, deep underground? Has he accidentally shot anyone lately? Is he on life-support, maybe? Awaiting a heart donor, perhaps? Did he have a heart to begin with?

I honestly cannot find the words to indicate, to sum up, the Total Disgust I feel for this administration. So I am voting this time around. And, frankly, at this point, if the Democrats win, and don't get everything done they say they're gonna do, I'll still feel, "well, they can't screw thing up any worse". (And I'll keep my fingers crossed.) So where did these political sentiments originate? How did I come to feel this way? Maybe, once, long ago, it just "happened". Or maybe it was more long-term. Maybe I was hallucinating; maybe I'd eaten something that didn't agree with me. Maybe it's the by-product of some long-repressed degree of anger and frustration. Or, maybe I Just Got tired Of It All. Along the way, I've lost Respect For The Prezzident. And now the Republicans want us to elect someone who's even MORE old-school than the Present Administration? NO, THANKS. So I guess you know who I'll be voting for...and perhaps after I've voted, images such as these will quit bombarding my brain...

This defaced photo from the Huckleberries Column at the Spokesman-Review Newspaper. Long May They Publish.
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Whoever gets elected President, I wish them well, and will hope that they, and our nation will continue to exist during these turbulent times, hoping in the end that perhaps all will turn out well. But...Let Me Make One Thing Perfectly Clear...I'll sure be glad when this administration is done and over with. Maybe then, I'll start spelling "Prezzident" correctly. As a sign of Respect.