Jazzing Up The Day With The Harlem Hamfats

It’s a lovely, overcast morning here…the kind of day that makes a person want to find a good book, grab a big cup of coffee and settle in for awhile. Of course, some nice background music would be icing on the cake and my morning browse through YouTube led me to some of the sweetest musical icing there is. Nothing fits mellow mood quite like the super-smooth jazz of the 1930′s…

♫♪♫♫♪♫♪

♫♪♫♫♪♫♪

Despite their name, the “Harlem” Hamfats were a Chicago band in the 1930′s whose members came from various places; for example, the McCoy brothers hailed from Mississippi, Herb Morand, John Lindsay and Odell Rand were from New Orleans and Horace Malcolm and Freddy Flynn came from Chicago. Initially, they mainly provided backup music for jazz and blues singers, such as Johnny Temple, Rosetta Howard, and Frankie Jaxon for Decca Records, but when their first record “Oh Red” became a hit, it secured them a Decca contract for fifty titles.

♫♪♫♫♪♫♪

♫♪♫♫♪♫♪

Rosetta Howard with The Harlem Hamfats, “If You’re a Viper”

♫♪♫♫♪♫♪

“Don’t you start no stuff and there won’t be no stuff…”

Recorded April 20, 1938

♫♪♫♫♪♫♪

If you enjoyed these tunes, you can find more stellar classics in ♫ The Jukebox ♫

The Difference Between You & Me

“The world is not divided between East and West. You are American, I am Iranian, we don’t know each other, but we talk together and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you. And our governments are very much the same.”

Marjane Satrapi, Author

Jump! For Peace

I love Keith’s contagious positive energy…

~~ Peace ~~

Checkpoint Resistance

These checkpoints are on every road leading out of Lost Causes. They are intimidating as hell; more often than not you feel like you’re getting swarmed as one agent leans in your window to question you and others run drug dogs and mirrors around your car. I’ve watched them grow from porta-potty sized outposts that were almost never open and usually manned by a single agent into something akin to the checkpoint you’d expect entering prison grounds. Millions and millions of dollars have been spent building these places up into outright terrifying and militarized monstrosities. 

DEA cameras line the exit into the DHS checkpoints…

—

Checkpoints (some would say illegal checkpoints) have been popping up quite frequently in the USA. As you see in this video, you DO NOT have to comply with their question’s or demands. Don’t forget, you have rights.

—

A note of caution to folks who are not accustomed to the checkpoints or who may not be aware of the consequences of what can happen if they decide to challenge the agents…

Agents are armed. They have police dogs, tazers, pepper spray and of course, guns. LOTS of guns. Some seem to be young kids who either piss themselves…or overreact with attitude when their authority is challenged. Others are older men with a real abrasive attitude that jump on every word you say to screw with you. A few are polite and one or two have seemed apologetic for what they’re doing. It’s a game of roulette as to which type is likely to be pushing themselves into your space to question you so be prepared for anything. Agents assume innocent things are a sign of guilt – don’t remove your sunglasses? They assume you are hiding something and react accordingly. Don’t mute your stereo because you’re jamming to your favorite song? You’re a punk and probably have drugs. Smile and be too nice? You are a suspicious hippie bastard, better check you out.

I have seen people cuffed and down on their knees on concrete in the blazing sun…and I’ve seen cars being dismantled – and if I understand correctly, once they have turned your car into a completely disassembled scrap heap, they are under no obligation to RE-assemble the vehicle. Call a tow truck, the bill is on YOU even if you are 100% innocent of any wrongdoing. Keep that in mind if you’re asked to pull over into a secondary lane…once they get you there, you are pretty much screwed.

Farmer’s Supreme Court Challenge Puts Monsanto Patents at Risk

Monsanto had filed more than 140 patent infringement lawsuits involving 410 farmers and 56 small farm businesses, and had so far received $23.67 million in recorded judgments.

Vernon Hugh Bowman, an Indiana farmer, is challenging Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, over genetically modified crops.

—

NYTimes Excerpt -  ”With his mere 300 acres of soybeans, corn and wheat, Vernon Hugh Bowman said, “I’m not even big enough to be called a farmer.”

Yet the 75-year-old farmer from southwestern Indiana will face off Tuesday against the world’s largest seed company, Monsanto, in a Supreme Court case that could have a huge impact on the future of genetically modified crops, and also affect other fields from medical research to software.

At stake in Mr. Bowman’s case is whether patents on seeds — or other things that can self-replicate — extend beyond the first generation of the products.

It is one of two cases before the Supreme Court related to the patenting of living organisms, a practice that has helped give rise to the biotechnology industry but which critics have long considered immoral. The other case, involving a breast cancer risk test from Myriad Genetics, will determine whether human genes can be patented. It is scheduled to be heard April 15.

Monsanto says that a victory for Mr. Bowman would allow farmers to essentially save seeds from one year’s crop to plant the next year, eviscerating patent protection. In Mr. Bowman’s part of Indiana, it says, a single acre of soybeans can produce enough seeds to plant 26 acres the next year.

Such a ruling would “devastate innovation in biotechnology,” the company wrote in its brief. “Investors are unlikely to make such investments if they cannot prevent purchasers of living organisms containing their invention from using them to produce unlimited copies.” NYTimes

One Billion Rising!

ONE IN THREE WOMEN ON THE PLANET WILL BE RAPED OR BEATEN IN HER LIFETIME.

ONE BILLION WOMEN VIOLATED IS AN ATROCITY

ONE BILLION WOMEN DANCING IS A REVOLUTION

On V-Day’s 15th Anniversary, 14 February 2013, we are inviting ONE BILLION women and those who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to this violence. ONE BILLION RISING will move the earth, activating women and men across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers, our solidarity across borders.

What does ONE BILLION look like? On 14 February 2013, it will look like a REVOLUTION.

 ♥♥♥

When One Billion bodies rise and dance on 14 February 2013, we will join in solidarity, purpose and energy and shake the world into a new consciousness. Dancing insists we take up space. It has no set direction but we go there together. It’s dangerous, joyous, sexual, holy, disruptive. It breaks the rules. It can happen anywhere at anytime with anyone and everyone. It’s free. No corporation can control it. It joins us and pushes us to go further. It’s contagious and it spreads quickly. It’s of the body. It’s transcendent…

By being a part of One Billion Rising we will all discover our solidarity and the scope of this issue. We will come to know that ending violence against women is as important as ending poverty, or Aids or global warming. We will come to see that it is not a local issue or particular to any culture or religion or village or age. We will come to see what is possible. When One Billion bodies rise and dance on 14 February 2013, we will join in solidarity, purpose and energy and shake the world into a new consciousness…

Learn More About One Billion Rising

Like A Phoenix: Power Beyond The Fall

So…you want a revolution, eh? Pissed off…fed up…you know bad things are going bump in the night but don’t know which way to turn for help when officers are murdering people – and pets – all over the place. Your government representatives have gone deaf and blind. Your online activity is not only not private, but can and will be used against you in court…doors are getting bashed in, your milk is no longer legal, your neighbors can vanish and be indefinitely detained & families are being terrorized by armed and masked SWAT men in the middle of the night…

It is time to do something…NOW!!

Enough is enough!! Our founding fathers would not have stood for this and neither should we!! 

The time for a revolution is at hand…!

Or is it..?

————————————–

————————————–

No one can deny that we are in dire straits both as a nation and as part of the global community of human beings…things are not good and changes absolutely must be made before we all end up in darker times and conditions than most of us could ever dream of living in – or even surviving. But…since it is premature to jump into a revolution…and it is obvious that we cannot continue on the path we’re on without serious negative consequences, where does that leave us? 

————————————–

I wish I could drop a big, happy rainbow here and say that there is no reason to worry, our leaders will all come to their senses soon and everything will be hunky-dory. I’d be a liar if I did. I honestly don’t think that things are going to be “okay” in the sense that we want for a long time to come still. The price of…everything…has risen so it seems. It’s not actually that prices are any higher – it’s that the dollar is lower, worth less…bottom line either way is that you get fewer items for more Monopoly Money than ever before. There is no denying the rise of the police state and ever tightening laws that are strangling us on every level from personal to business. The war machine is rolling over countries left, right and sideways; it is the Hexxus of Fern Gully, out of control and oozing death and destruction everywhere it goes. We find it acceptable to imprison citizens in order to satisfy corpo-political pigs and keep them all feeding at the trough of profit via human slavery…

Point B

This past week was a long and trying one in our home. My teen daughter has decided that she would be happier if she moved in with her dad. Aside from the fact that, like any parent, I want my kids here with me…I know that her choice is going to take her back near a darkness that is unhealthy. Letting her go…watching her walk out the door…setting out on a path that is going to be one covered in thorns and brambles and all sorts of things that could scratch her and tear at her…I just want to grab her up and run a million miles away in order to protect her.

The more rational part of me knows that I have to stand aside; to let her fight her way down this path regardless of what I feel & think and in spite of the hard times I see coming straight at her. I believe we are all here to learn and I know that sometimes trying to protect people we love can actually interfere in their ability to learn the spiritual lessons they need to grow.

I hope that I am wrong…I hope that my beautiful Motorcycle Girl manages to accomplish what she is setting out to do and that she will never feel an ounce of pain or a moment of sadness.

And if she does get hurt, I hope she remembers how to find her way back to me…to Point B…

Stand Up, Look Around

Original, talented…uplifting…

~ Rising Appalachia ~

- Scale Down -

Where Was All Of The Food?

“My food comes from the grocery store, of course…”

I’ve heard so many children make that statement above…and each time, I cringe inside.

Find An Organic Farm Near You

_____________

Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World

Policing The Police

Looking for ways to get active in the fight for freedom? Consider checking out the great work of CopBlock.org

If you watch the mainstream news or listen only to those who claim the right to control your life, it’s very likely that you have a pretty bleak outlook on the world today.

But recognize that such a reality – the belief that you yourself, can’t possibly hope to address those problems, as they’re so overwhelming – is the very paradigm being pushed by those attempting to usurp your rights.

Uncertainty and fear are peddled to gain your acquiescence.
Their very existence and the scope of their actions are directly contingent on the authority you grant them.

Fortunately many individuals are thinking for themselves.

They realize that though they’re rightfully disillusioned, there must be a better alternative.
If you’re watching this video, it’s likely you’re already familiar with Cop Block.

If not, I encourage you to check out Cop Block’s About page, but briefly, Cop Block is a decentralized project supported by a diverse group of individuals united by their shared goal of police accountability.

We do not hate cops.

We believe that no one – not even those with badges – has extra rights.

We live by that fact and seek to share it with others. Both to safeguard our rights and those of future generations.
We choose to focus on police, because they are quite literally, the teeth, or enforcers of the State.

In fact, police claim a “right” to initiate force.
It is that institutionalized violence that is the issue.
Cop Block was founded three years ago this month.
In that time, the project has grown from a Tumblr site, to a group blog, to its current iteration, as a heavily-trafficked resource.

It’s clear we’re having an impact. But I know we can do more.
That’s the purpose of this video. To help get from here to there.

Over the next few minutes I’m going to share some thoughts and ask for your help, so that we can make more likely a reality where the institutionalized violence we see today is replaced by peaceful coexistence.

My hope is for us to so thoroughly change the conversation about policing, that the need for Cop Block becomes obsolete.
I brainstormed components and tactics we could add or grow, and I incorporated feedback received from Copblockers.

What is certain is that a handful of folks can’t do it all.
Key is decentralization and a consistent message.

Thanks for your time. And if you’re not able to donate coin, it’s all good – we appreciate link love and even better, learning of your own peaceful, proactive efforts to cause those around you to think.

Remember, decentralizing is key, feel free to implement any ideas you have.
All content or graphics you see generated by Cop Block are free for you to use or modify.
And I’m always down to brainstorm – just shoot me an email at pete@copblock.org

A Child’s Truth

11-year-old Birke Baehr gives a 5 minute summary of our current agricultural process that every adult on the planet needs to listen to…

***

The Great Divide

I wonder if or when humankind will finally rise high enough to step across all of the Great Divides that have been created around us?

Not crazy about the imagery in the video but it was the best I could find. The words to this song never fail to move me…

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

While politicians lie and cheat
to get to higher ground,
we follow them like sheep
and salute them as we drown…

And you whose silence costs your soul
Learn to speak or dig your hole
Tomorrow’s here and it won’t wait
No time to hesitate…

Come good people and gather here
You who still hold freedom dear
Step across the waters
Bring your sons and daughters
Some will sink and some will swim
Some will walk on the water again
Some will rise and some will fall
Each one will hear the call…

Janis Ian

 

Welcome To LithiumLand

Long before the shooting at Columbine stunned the country, there was a shooting at my high school here in Southern New Mexico. I was 2 doors down from the office when a casual friend walked into the lobby with a sawed-off shotgun and started firing away. Luckily for us, no one was injured and M put down his weapon after only a half hour standoff.

A year or so after the shooting, I ran into M while hanging out on our cruising strip one Friday evening. No, I didn’t run away in terror because I knew the guy and believe it or not, he really was cool and funny and nice…just…troubled.

During the course of the evening, the shooting came up. I asked him what had gotten into his head that day to make him decide to blast up the school?

“Dude, you made me nearly piss my pants & we were cramped under our desks for an hour…WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT?” 

“They diagnosed me with a chemical imbalance in my brain and dosed me with Lithium a couple months ago. I felt like I was drowning inside my head so I went off of it 2 days before…I don’t know what happened, I just flipped the fuck out…”

He just…flipped. He had no better explanation for why he’d done what he’d done. He wasn’t particularly angry, he said. He had walked into the office and requested a pass to visit a student during lunch. Staff denied him. No big deal.

He went to his car to leave and when he reached down to retrieve his keys from the floorboard, his hand bumped the gun under his seat (it was the 80′s; we’re a rural place, we partied out in the boonies and it wasn’t uncommon for boys to carry weapons, have gun racks in the trucks, etc). From the moment his hand bumped the gun, his mind is a blank, he said. He wasn’t raging, wasn’t seeing red and really hadn’t been that bothered by being turned down for the visitor’s pass.

You’d think that after shooting off 10 rounds in a high school, a guy would be sent away for a long, long time, right? Obviously, this young man was in dire need of help. So why was he out cruising the streets less than 2 years later? Immediately after the shooting he’d been taken to the psych ward of our only local hospital. He feared being dosed with Lithium again so he placed chewing gum on the door latch and walked out of the hospital a few hours later.

He got no further treatment; there was no major manhunt…not even a blip on the news that he was free.

It’s been about 20 years since the last time I ran into M…every now & then I wonder if he ever managed to find the help he so desperately needed. There was so much potential in that young man and it’s sad to know that when he reached out for help, the system handed him a quick, untested, chemical fix…

There will never any way to be sure whether or not Lithium was the direct cause of M’s decision to shoot shit up that afternoon but after following numerous stories of troubled/drugged young kids turning inexplicably violent over the past several years, I really can’t help but wonder how much damage is being done by pushing pills instead of actual treatment and cures..?

And I don’t think I could ever get behind this latest push to drug-up and dumb-down the masses by more additives in our tap water -

Excerpt from Daily UK – “Lithium has been heralded by some experts as the next potential flouride, after scientists found suicide rates were lower in areas where the drinking water had higher concentrations of the element. 

Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna compared the suicide rates in different regions of Austria with the natural lithium concentrations in the drinking water…

…’The theory is that lithium in trace amounts enhances the connectivity among neurons and having exposure over a lifetime makes the brain more happy,’ he explained…” Full Story, “Should We Drug The Drinking Water?”

Pardon me if I remain somewhat less than convinced that lithium “makes the brain more happy”…and I bet my friend M might also disagree with that claim…

Related:

“Experts” Push For Lithium To Be Added To Our Drinking Water - Activist Post

Will drinking lithium in Happy Water sourced from B.C. mountains put a spring in your step and smiles on your face? (blogs.vancouversun.com)

Book Review: Growls Of A Wolf

A few months ago, I posted an interview with Howls from the Wolfpack author, Ronin. At the time I interviewed him, his latest book, Growls of a Wolf was in the final stages of editing and had not yet been released. I was fortunate enough to win an autographed copy of the book shortly after it came out and wasted no time digging in to the goods when it arrived…and if I were disappointed, it was only because the book ended before I was ready to be done reading.

“…The sheep begin to murmur

The ground underneath tremors

Some in fear, some in anger

The shepherd senses danger…” 

“Growls” covers just about all of my favorite topics – freedom, politics, common sense…and more freedom. Now, to be honest with my readers, I knew before I ever cracked the cover that I would probably agree with most of the ideas Ronin presented in the book. I’ve followed his blog Ronin’s Journey, for about a year now & know from chatting in forums that we are like-minded thinkers so it was no great surprise when I found myself nodding my head in agreement as I read through the book.

Ronin writes in a very down-to-earth style; no-nonsense, no bullshit. As a fellow ‘pissed off independent’ I appreciate the moderate voice of reason…

“Pass laws on the actions that physically infringe on people’s rights like murder, assault, rape, stealing or endangering kids. The actions that only affect you by choice – stay out of it.”

“If the government slowdown (it’s not a shutdown) creates the aftershocks the masters of fear (politicians & their media talking heads) say it will, doesn’t that tell you the government is too big, and we who live under it are weak? It’s WE THE PEOPLE – not kneel before the Federal Government begging for your monthly stipend…” 

While my favorite section of the book is the one on politics (huge surprise there, right?) I enjoyed all of the chapters & topics – from poetry to politics…focusing on Wolf Mentality, self-reliance, an independent mindset and way of living…Ronin delivers a dose of it all in his first solo book.

“Silent in the Shadows

Omniscient eyes

Small animals scurry

Under my watchful stare

Wind rolls over me

As it moves along its way…”

If you are looking for a unique gift for a special liberty lover on your gift list, look no further. Better yet, make it a package deal and grab a copy of Howls from the Wolfpack and keep a book for yourself – I promise you will not be disappointed!

Read my Interview with Ronin here.

Follow Ronin’s blog here.

Order your copy of Growls of a Wolf here.

E-Day Has (Finally) Arrived!

WooHoo! Yippee! Hooray!

Finally! E-Day has arrived!

Oh wait…that was just a dream I had that today would be something glorious to behold…I haven’t had a full dose of coffee yet this morning, pardon my slip between Dreamland & Reality. I wish I could be truly excited and twist my hands in anxious anticipation as I await the outcome of the elections this evening but it seems I am suffering from the side-effects of Electile Dysfunction and possible political burn-out. Maybe it’s just a migraine brought on by the sound of so much “baa-ing” ringing in my ears today that has me just a touch…disheartened by it all.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled at the way my vote was cast – but I’m also a realist and aware that come tomorrow morning I’ll wake up in a country where nothing has changed. And as today passes, I can’t help but flash back to my 1st time at the polls…and how much I have learned in the years that have passed.

On my 18th birthday I did two things I had been longing to do – get a tattoo…and to follow in the family tradition of registering as a member of the Republican Party. Naive little fool that I was, I was quite proud of both actions. 20+ years later and I still don’t regret the ink…but oh my how I came to be ashamed of my political affiliation!

MisBehaved Ink – Gift from my hubby for my 35th

My first vote was cast for Bush…no snazzy-jazzy sax player for me..! I had convictions…I had morals!

I was going to stand on the side of all things Right, dammit!

If it were possible to time travel I think my first jaunt would be back in time to bitch-slap the smug little voter I was back then. I’m sure I meant well but if ever there was a wasted vote, my first attempt would most definitely qualify as such. I voted for the ideas with which I was most familiar…the ‘convictions’  I claimed to hold were passionate regurgitation of household conversations and nothing more.

Who Is Jack Gault?

My name is Jack Gault.

I am one of Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson’s campaign minivans.

Live Free in Las Cruces, NM

Follow me around America as I spread the message of “Live Free”.

Learn more about Gary Johnson

Previous posts about Gary Johnson

The Fuck-It Point; When Is Enough…Enough?

The video below is a short and very powerful film about the darker side of life inside that which we call ‘civilization’. I wonder how we can consider ourselves civilized when our lives are so permeated with death, violence & destruction? Is it civilized to stomp out any and all life forms that happen to either provide something we need or stand in the way of the things we want?

Are we truly enlightened beings if we are willing to obliterate any culture or way of life that is not the same as ours? I don’t think we really are. We say we have ‘advanced’ as a species but is this REALLY true? Would beings who have truly advanced be willing to live inside a bubble that enslaves them? Enslaves others?

Most importantly, would advanced and knowledgeable beings continue to build, live inside of and participate in a system that guarantees their own destruction and the destruction of their entire life support? Doesn’t it seem odd that this is exactly what we do? We act more like spoiled children – taking, taking, taking and throwing temper tantrums & lashing out at anyone who dares to take our toys – than any kind of being with enlightened or advanced way of thinking/acting. What are we going to do when we’ve not only broken all of the ‘toys’ but completely obliterated the toy factory as well?

While I don’t believe in climate change the way it is being sold to us right now, to deny that we are not doing irrevocable damage to every part of this earth is both naive and dangerous. Just as we cannot cure our diseases with medicines that cause even more illness and disease, we cannot continue to mend the damage of technology and machines by creating still more machines and technology.  Spraying pollutants into the sky which interfere with our weather patterns in the name of saving us from ‘climate change’ (re: changing weather patterns) is insanity, pure and simple. And yet, that is exactly what we do…

So when will enough be enough?

 Would you defend your children from harm? If so, then isn’t preventing them from living on a destroyed and desolate planet filled with hunger and hardship, defending them from harm?

What lengths would you be willing to go to in order to preserve ALL life and leave it intact for future generations?

Have YOU reached your Fuck-It Point?

Growls & Howls; An Interview With Ronin

Posted below is an interview I had the pleasure of conducting with Ronin, contributing author of “Howls of the Wolfpack” and solo author of, “Growls of a Wolf” set for release this coming Tuesday, July 17^th.

For those of you who appreciate challenging the sheeple-flock mentality, who relate to no-nonsense and down to earth concepts of liberty, freedom and personal responsibility, Ronin’s works are a must-read. Written in the form of short stories, poetry & essays, Ronin encourages others to step outside the flock and begin the path of independent thinking.

“Growls” is billed as, “A blue-collar look at politics & today’s issues…Ronin cuts through the spin and shows the reasons behind the lies, how freedom is being lost and showing the principles to living life to the fullest…” and if his contributions to “Howls of the Wolfpack” are any indication, his solo book will not fail to deliver what is promised – and more.

So without further ado, meet one of my favorite up & coming authors, Ronin - 

♦♦♦

♦♦♦

MBW -What led you to write? Of all the artistic mediums, why did you choose words as your creative outlet? Why words instead of painting, music or sculpture?

Ronin- Originally I was an artist, but the more I read, the more I decided to put my imagination on paper. Then I got interested in politics and the best way for me to process is to write I found. Or to blow off steam. At first I wrote stream of thought and then later I refined it, made it more conversational, with questions to the readers scattered through out to get them involved in it.

At least that’s my goal. I haven’t seen a lot of feedback on my writing style.

Now as for putting it into book form, one of my friends brought up a group book promoting the ‘Think For Yourself’ mentality and our interpretation of it. From that, “Howls from the Wolfpack” was forged.

 Who in your life has had the most impact or influence on your way of thinking?

Thorin. He wrote a book that’s now out of print titled “Stalking The Flock” where he played the Devil’s advocate on all that I held sacred almost. My questioning style may have subconsciously came from that. He followed that with even more books that fostered the Think For Yourself mentality. Which is also known as the Wolf Mentality, or philosophy.

 At what point did you consciously realize that you identified with the Wolf persona? Was there one event in particular or was it a series of events that caused you to realize you do not view the world in the same way as the majority of folks seem to view it?

When I could walk without a care in the world at what others opinions were of me and that my hungry of knowledge couldn’t be satisfied. I realized my goal to reach that had been reached. I was wholly my own person, and I cherish that.

My name Ronin was a goal towards that, and it caused enough confusion among friends and family I explain it in “Why Ronin?” in Growls Of A Wolf.

And as for the last part of your question I realized I no longer think like most people when I bring up angles and questions they never thought of or just deem it unacceptable. To become a Wolf you have to look at everything you are and question if you’re a product of yourself, or your surroundings and influences. I go in depth on that in “Who Is Your Master/Bow To None” in Howls From The Wolfpack. By looking at everything I believed at the time and questioning it relentlessly only the steel remained. And by being that thorough, I knew how to get to the point at any angle.

You have 5 sentences in which to sum up your life…what would you say that you want people to know or remember?

I want to be remembered as a good husband and father who was his own man and taught others to stand on their own. And a dangerous enemy to have.

 Of all the threats mankind is currently facing what do you consider to be the greatest threat to our existence as free beings?

Apathy. We are so comfortable now, so entertained, that humanity in the First World, will only complain if that comfort is taken away. And if it is take away, they’re too soft to do anything about it. Only about 30 to 40% vote in General elections and even less than that in the Primaries where it really matters. The other 60-70% are comfortably numb.

In the Primaries I ignored the debates and campaign speeches, I looked for the candidates records. Then you have more of a choice than the 2 or 3 in the General Election.

Dreaming Out Loud

♪♫“I play the guitar because it lets me dream out loud.”♫♪

♦ Michael Hedges ♦

1953-1997

♫♪♫♪

“You can’t make your music good. You can’t try to be good. You can try to be present and you can try to remain open so what is going to speak to you can speak through you.”

♫♪♫♪