Standing at the Crossroads

I am going to jail tomorrow. Yes, I will be spending the next 2 weeks in jail for a DUI that I received in November. It was my second in the last 2 years. So, I am sitting here enjoying the last few hours of freedom for the next 2 weeks.

Now, I am sure there are some that are judgmental saying, "good, you deserve it". Perhaps you are right. But perhaps, you might want to say, "there but for the grace of God, go I." It's certainly not something to be proud of nor something that I will be putting on my resume should I ever decide to look for another job. But, the consolation is if any, is that I will be getting work release, or I am supposed to, so that I can go to work. I will be allowed out for 12 hours a day to go to work and then have to be back after work and stay in 'the tents'. This is the infamous tent city run by the Maricopa Sheriff's Department and none other than Sheriff Joe Arapio. The ironic thing? I know Sheriff Joe personally. I used to technical direct at a radio station some years ago when Joe would fill in for a local show host. He also knows a good friend of mine that I have known for years. Every time I would see Joe, he would ask, "How is Steve?". And when Joe has come to the station, and I was working, he would always say hi. I doubt if I will see him though and even if I did, it probably won't make any difference nor would I expect it to.

Am I worried? not really. A little apprehensive, maybe. Am I scared? no, not really. I figured I brought this on myself and I have no one else to blame. Worrying about something you know is going to happen is pointless. The best thing to do is to just do the best you can, keep your head down and do what is asked and don't cross the guards. I spent a night in there for the 1st one and it was miserable. I didn't get much sleep with the PA blaring constantly and they are always trying to bust people for doing stuff like smoking cigarettes or pot or whatever. They also have a head count and well, they just want to intimidate people.

That's why they call it jail. I am not proud of it. What I did to get there was stupid. Luckily, I wasn't involved in an accident and I am not going to sit here and 'blame' anything or anyone for the circumstance I find myself in. I am certainly not looking forward to being there and I imagine the next couple of weeks, I will probably not get much sleep, except when I get a chance to get home and catch a couple of hours.

But that doesn't end it. After I am released, I will have to spend 47 days on house arrest or detention or whatever the hell you want to call it. I will be monitored for doing any drinking or drugs (that won't be a problem) and I will also have restricted movement as I have to spend 12 hours a day at the house except to go to work. Now, I have other commitments, so I will have to ask what I can and can not do. Since my mom is not in the greatest of health, I will have to do the best I can to make sure she gets and has what she needs. It might allow me some time to get back to working on some music and other things that I haven't been able to do.

Tent city or the 'Hanoi Hilton' as I call it, is a hole. It's old Army surplus tents, set out in a field with fences (obviously) everywhere, a guard tower, a PA system that blares constantly and a huge population. There is no TV, no smoking, no coffee in fact, not much at all. The good thing is, unless I do something that pisses off the guards and I am certainly going to avoid that, I can wear my street clothes. The inmates there for more serious crimes or for longer time have to wear the infamous pink underwear and the 'stripes' that you often see in pictures and on TV. The razor's edge you walk in the 'Hanoi Hilton' is that if you cross the guards the wrong way, they will 'roll you up', meaning they put you in 'stripes' and then you probably end up staying there longer than you should be.

The hardest part is when they take you in for processing and they make you wait in a 'tank' sometimes for up to 8 hours while they take their time. Then they shackle and handcuff you and take you over to the 'yard' where they let you go in. They call that place the 'con-tents'. It will interesting to see in the least. Since I have long hair, I am sure they are going to say I have to cut it. I will politely refuse if they do. The last time I was there they told me that if I didn't cut it, I would go in the 'hole.' I told the D.O. then you will have to put me in the hole. I am not in there for a long time, relatively speaking, and since I do take a shower everyday and wash my hair, or practice good hygiene, I don't see why it's a big deal. But that's part of the intimidation they use.

Anyway, I will try and post my experience while I am there and when I get a chance to get to the computer. I think given my current profession, working in TV and having done 'journalism' and being a 'journalist', I can offer some insights to those who want to know what it's like. Many of the people I will run across are like me, they have done a stupid thing and have to do time for it. I am hoping to get out relatively unscathed, but only time will tell. I have no expectations of what will happen and I am not going to live in fear of anyone or anything. I will get through this, more than likely a wiser and better man for the experience and perhaps I can counsel some of the people in there that struggle with alcohol & drug problems. Maybe I can help someone through their experience there and lead them on to a better life through AA or something. We'll see.

Either way, I am not proud of what I did, it was a very stupid thing to do and I am glad no one got hurt as a result of my careless actions. That being said, that doesn't make me a bad person by any means. It just means I made a mistake. I have thought long and hard about the implications of what happened and I am bound and determined to never repeat the experience. I have worked in the media too long and seen too many stories, some very tragic, that were the result of the very same careless actions that I myself am guilty of.

So, for those of you that know me, wish me luck and say a prayer for me. For those that don't, take heed from my mistake and kindly do not try and repeat it. It is not worth it. just like many times in my life when faced with adversity, I will face it alone. It always seems that I always have to go through such times alone, using only my own skills and knowledge to get through. I have friends that do matter and want to help, but ultimately, it will be just me having to go through this but I will endeavour to get through it as I always have, with God's help.

I will attempt to post all or most of my experience and stories that I bring away from the stay there. I am just praying however, that the time goes fast without any problems so that I can get back to living my life and moving forward. I am going to try and use it as a learning experience and get the most and make the most of a bad situation. Wish me luck, and I will see y'all on the other side.

Surprise!

You know, you really have to wonder if the 9.11 terrorists and their sick brothers-in-arms, the jihadists that we are fighting now, really understood exactly what those 'virgins' they were promised in martyrdom really looked like. My friend Vincent sent me this and I would like to think this is who is meeting those bastards in 'heaven'.

An interesting observation

This from my good friend Vincent at

Vincents Journey-Down the Road of Life;

"If you decide to write your elected official about illegal Mexicans ask him/her why he/she apologizes for past slavery of the 1800s yet continues to support slavery in America to this very day. For if you stop and think about it the use by big businesses to better their bottom line by using cheap labor of illegal Mexicans is nothing more but modern day slavery. In the 1800's there were those who ran human trafficking ships from Africa to America. It was Africans selling their own into slavery. Then plantation owners used the cheap labor to better their wealth. Today we have coyotes (Mexicans) who traffic in illegal Mexicans. Once the Mexicans are in America then businesses use them to better their finances. Yep once again it appears the politicians that run this country have proven to be hypocrites - say they are sorry for past sins of slavery yet fully support modern day slavery by refusing to do anything about the border."

Finally, an engineer explains women

I have a good friend that I grew up with. I met him years ago when my older brother hung out with him and then when he joined my old band as the keyboard player. His name is Ronnie P. We call him 'R.P.' and he is a very intelligent guy.

Ronnie is very technical and served in the Navy working on guided missile systems aboard a destroyer. When he left the Navy, he got a job working at what was then Litton systems doing highly technical work. Now he lives in Las Vegas working for a gaming corporation fixing and designing machines for gambling I guess. Either way, Ronnie is a very, very smart guy.

So, he sends me this email about women. Now, I don't think Ronnie came up with this, but still, it's the way an engineer would explain women to men, in terms that men can understand. Seeing as how I am an engineer myself, yep, this fits them to a tee. If anything, the below schematics are pretty funny anyway. My friend Son (pronounced Sawn) is always trying to a) convince me to find a girlfriend or B) set me up with friends of hers, but after seeing this, I am more than sure that I am in no hurry to 'find a woman', LOL. Click on each graphic to see it full and read how an engineer explains women to us men in terms we can understand.

Well, somebody isn't following their own advice

So, we have been hearing that some, if not all of the democrats screaming like stuck pigs before the slaughter about blowhard smarming. Oh, we're messing up the environment, we're polluting the earth, we're causing Global climate change with our use of the big ole' SUV's and we're all gonna die in something like 2050. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't like SUV's myself. Being a Colorado boy, I know what the purpose of an SUV is or as we called 'em, "4 wheel drives" are for, and I haven't seen too many Escalades and Tahoes' with any of that famous Colorado pinstriping. I prefer to call them Urban Assault Vehicles myself. But once again, the democrats show themselves to be the hypocrites they are. I haven't heard "Green Hanoi" Sheryl Crow or Laurie David saying anything about her buddies wasting jet fuel because these peoples egos are far more important than "saving the planet" and bigger than their cash appetite. "Yeah, these people are some piece of work. Below is the story from NewsDay.

2008 Candidates Rely on Private Jets

By JIM KUHNHENN

Associated Press Writer

April 26, 2007, 6:44 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- A flock of small jets took flight from Washington Thursday, each carrying a Democratic presidential candidate to South Carolina for the first debate of the political season.

For Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden, it was wheels up shortly after they voted in favor of legislation requiring that U.S. troops begin returning home from Iraq in the fall.

No one jet pooled, no one took commercial flights to save money, fuel or emissions.All but Biden, who flew on a private jet, chartered their flights -- a campaign expense of between $7,500 and $9,000.

Federal Election Commission rules allow candidates to pay only the equivalent of first-class fare to fly on private jets owned by corporations or other special interests. But a Senate ethics bill approved earlier this year would require senators flying on corporate jets to pay full charter rates.

The legislation must still be reconciled with a House bill and has yet to become law.

Several senators running for president are abiding by it anyway, either paying charter cost or avoiding corporate jets altogether, as Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain have done. Dodd pays full charter rates when he flies on private planes. The Clinton and Biden campaigns did not immediately explain their policies.

Candidates who follow the more lenient FEC rules have a financial advantage.

Democrat John Edwards, for example, regularly uses a jet owned by Dallas trial lawyer Fred Baron, who is also the finance chairman of his presidential campaign. His campaign pays first-class rate for those flights. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also flies on corporate jets and pays first-class rates.

Under FEC reimbursement regulations, a candidate flying in a corporate or union jet must pay the first-class rate unless the flight's destination does not have scheduled commercial service. In that case, the candidate must pay the cost of chartering the plane.

For candidates who are now eschewing corporate jets, the cost difference can be significant.

For example, a one-way first class ticket on United Airlines with four days advance notice is $694 per person. A typical one-way charter flight on a small Lear jet seating six people would cost about $9,000.

Critics of corporate jet flights for politicians say the difference in cost makes a private jet an extraordinary special benefit and can give corporate executives or union leaders unusual access to a candidate.

Thursday's debate, set on the campus of South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C., made for some whirlwind scheduling. Clinton, for instance, was scheduled to return to Washington Friday morning for an 8 a.m. address to the New York State United Teachers 35th Annual Representative Assembly, then fly back to South Carolina for an 11 a.m. event in Greenville.
Copyright 2007 Newsday Inc.

How to start your day with a positive outlook

I got this from my friend Steve. This is funny and so true. It's also so simple, I wonder why I didn't think of it!









-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen
Sent: Mon 4/23/2007 2:25 PM
To: Bobslayur
Cc:

Subject: How To Feel Better
Date: Mon, 23 Apr:09:10 -0700

Subject: How to feel better

for those of you who "LIKE" Hillary please delete this message

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

1. Open a new file in your computer.

2. Name it "Hillary Rodham Clinton"

3. Send it to the trash

4. Empty the trash.

5. Your PC will ask you, "Do you really want to get rid of "Hillary
Rodham Clinton?"

6. Firmly Click "Yes."

7. Feel better.

A couple of soldiers respond to Harry "the Body" Reid

Harry "The Body" Reid likes to give our military the finger.

The other day, Harry "the Body" Reid sat down with an interview with CNN. This was damage control for his comments that the war in Iraq "is lost". This guy is very dangerous. He is walking dangerously close to sedition, if not treason by the reckless comments he made. On top of that, he sends out Sen. "Schmucky" Schumer as Mark Levin calls him, to go on Fox News Sunday trying to spin what "the Body" said. I will post the clip later on this post of the video with Reid doing the interview on CNN. Otherwise you can view it at Hot Air-Reid calls War "lost"

What Reid has done is inflamed the military community. Reid is playing with American military lives. He also states, with glee, "We're going to pick up Senate seats as a result of this war." Nice to know that Reid is more concerned about picking up more seats in the senate than funding the troops. He is more concerned about political gains than fighting a war or the troops fighting it.

Or as Dean Barnett over at HughHewitt wrote; "

Harry Reid has said he will not believe David Petraeus if Petraeus reports progress in Iraq as he’s expected to do. In other words, in addition to his declaration of defeat last week, Reid has now in essence called General Petraeus a liar. Let us not forget that this is the same senator who nearly clucked with joy over the prospect of gaining additional Senate seats because the situation in Iraq would be less than satisfactory when the next election season rolls around."

This is from a marine Reserve officer in Iraq;

All,

I just wanted to let you know what is happening where I am in Iraq. I don't want to say this is in response to Harry Reid, but his comments the other day are not in line with what we're seeing.

We are winning over here in Al Anbar province. I don't know about Baghdad, but Ramadi was considered THE hotspot in Al Anbar, the worse province, and it has been very quiet. The city is calm, the kids are playing in the streets, the local shops are open, the power is on at night, and daily commerce is the norm rather than the exception. There have been no complex attacks since March. That is HUGE progress. This quiet time is allowing the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police to establish themselves in the eyes of the people. The Iraqi people also want IA's and IP's in their areas. The Sunni Sheiks are behind us and giving us full support. This means that almost all Sunnis in Al Anbar are now committed to supporting the US and Iraqi forces. It also means that almost all insurgents left out here are AQ. FYI, the surge is just beginning. Gen Petraeus' strategy is just getting started and we're seeing huge gains here.

However, you don't see Harry Reid talking about this. When I saw what he said, it really pissed me off. That guy does not know what is going on over here because he hasn't bothered to come and find out. The truth on the
ground in Al Anbar is not politically convenient for him, so he completely ignored it.

This war can be won. We just need the time to get the IA and IP operating on their own. Gen Petraeus is treating the war like a counter-insurgency rather than a stability operation. For non-military personnel, there is a HUGE difference between the two. What we've been doing in Iraq since Petraeus took over is completely different than what we were doing under Gen Casey. However, you don't hear the press or the democrats say that. Most of them
are too committed to saying we've lost to further their own political agendas that they cannot acknowledge we're doing something totally different and it is working.

and then this from Cpl Tyler Rock, sent to Pat Dollard;

Marine Corporal From A Bunker In Ramadi: “I Got A Message For That Douche Harry Reid”

This Email To Pat Dollard, Harry, And America, Direct From A Grunt On The Front Lines Of Ramadi, Is Just Hours Old.

Corporal Tyler Rock, 1/6 Charlie Company, on the left, at my old home, Camp Hurricane Point, Ramadi.

“yeah i know how you feel. its going to be very weird leaving this place and going back to america. weve been here for almost an entire year and have lived in the center of it the whole time. its crazy that when we got here it was so hectic and now its calmed down so much. so it was awesome to be able to see that turn out.

yeah news worth reporting…. well ramadi was once dubbed by everyone as the worst city in the world. but we have done such a great job here that all the families in the area have worked with us on driving out the insurgency and that we work directly with the IA and the IP’s. the city has been cleaned up so well that the IP’s do most of the patrols now and we go out with them to hand out candy and toys to the children.

you can tell that the people want us here to protect them from the thugs and gangs (insurgents). granted they would rather have peace and quit but they know that if we arent here they will be thrown around by the insurgents.

a good example is this one mission we did. long story short we got blown up in multiple buildings and had to run into a families house. i spent my christmas holidays covered in ash from the mortar fire and the IED’s, sleeping under a dirty rug i found in the house.

everyone was sleeping way to close for comfort just to stay warm. anyways. a family was there and they obviously didnt want us there. atleast at first. the daughters were very sick so our corpsman treated them.

they didnt have electricity so we got them a generator for power, they were cold so we got them gas heaters, we got them food and water and then we gave them $500. by the end of the week long visit with them we were drinking tea with them.

when we left we cleaned their house better than it was when we got there. i even have pictures with the family. they told us that they liked marines and they would help us as much as they could and they gave us some information on the insurgents in the area. we ended up catching a HUGE target down the road from there house because of it.

Part Of A Weapons Cache Seized Recently In Fields Next To What Used To Be An Insurgent Claimed Hospital. Thanks To 1/6, The Insurgents Don’t Claim It Anymore. Zarqawi Had Reportedly Been Treated There.

yeah and i got a qoute (sic) for that douche harry reid. these families need us here. obviously he has never been in iraq. or at least the area worth seeing.

the parts where insurgency is rampant and the buildings are blown to pieces. we need to stay here and help rebuild. if iraq didnt want us here then why do we have IP’s voluntering (sic) everyday to rebuild their cities. and working directly with us too. same with the IA’s.

it sucks that iraqi’s have more patriotism for a country that has turned to complete shit more than the people in america who drink starbucks everyday. we could leave this place and say we are sorry to the terrorists. and then we could wait for 3,000 more american civilians to die before we say “hey thats not nice” again. and the sad thing is after we WIN this war. people like him will say he was there for us the whole time. and for messages back home.

i have a wife back home who is going through a tough time. i just cant wait to be back home and see everyone. haha and i cant wait to go back home and get some starbucks. i love it when those people serve me. hahaha”

"Touch my burrito, LOVE my burrito..."

Ya know, if someone at a bar told you this story, you'd probably think they were BS'ing you and that they had drank one too many adult beverages. This story in some strange way reminded me of the old Mike Myers SNL Skit "Sprockets" where Myers character Dieter implores guests to "touch my monkey, LOVE my monkey! "Rühren mein Affe. Lieben meine Affe-monkey!" (excite/agitate my ape. love my ape-monkey!) This is a bizarre story and funny. The old adage that truth is stranger than fiction is very true here. This also ranks as a 'Twit of the Day' entry.




Captain America Arrested With Burrito In Pants

POSTED: 4:33 pm EDT April 23, 2007
UPDATED: 10:42 am EDT April 24, 2007

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- A Brevard County doctor dressed up in a Captain America outfit was arrested with a burrito in his tights.

What he allegedly did at the police station got him into more trouble. Doctor Raymond Adamcik, 54, would probably rather forget about the weekend when he was arrested on charges of battery, disorderly conduct, drug possession and trying to destroy evidence.

It's not what you would expect from a doctor or Captain America.

The Palm Bay family physician was at On Tap bar as part of a pub-crawl with other medical professionals. It was a sort of costume party on a bus that would take them around from bar to bar.

Everything was fine until, witnesses said, Captain America started getting too forward with a burrito he kept tucked inside his blue tights, a burrito that ultimately landed him in jail.

On Saturday night, when a costume party full of medical professionals stopped at On Tap Cafe, police said Adamcik had a burrito stuffed below the waistband of his costume and was asking women if they want to touch it.

When one refused, he allegedly took out the burrito and groped her. The woman called police and, when they arrived, the officers wrote in their report "there were so many cartoon characters in the bar at the time, all Captain America's were asked to go outside for a possible identification."

The woman pointed out Adamcik and the burrito was found in his boot. He was taken to the police station.

There, while in a holding cell, police said, he asked to use the bathroom and tried to flush a joint, also hidden in his blue tights, down the toilet. "The officer observed him try to flush something into the toilet. He tried to flush it. The officer was able to reach inside and grab part of what he tried to flush," said Jill Frederiksen, Melbourne Police Department.

The doctor wasn't in when Eyewitness News went by and didn't return calls.

He may now have to rely on a lawyer instead of his superpowers to get him out of the jam. "This is definitely an unusual situation. We don't usually arrest people in costume," Frederiksen said.

No super powers got Adamcik out of jail. He needed $2,000 cash bail and then, once he got out of jail, he still stopped to pose for pictures on the way out. It is unclear right now whether the doctor could lose his medical license if he's convicted.

Tuesday, Eyewitness News learned that Adamcik was checking himself into a rehab program and taking a temporary leave from his medical practice.

Copyright 2007 by wftv.com. All rights reserved.

Check out what "Green" Hanoi Sheryl's rider for concerts looks like

So, Miss 'one square of toilet paper' Sheryl Crow now says;

"And by the way guys, the toilet paper thing...it was a JOKE!!"

Really?

The link goes to her post on "HR Puffington Compost" (the huffington post). It doesn't matter Sheryl, it's already out past Pluto as we say in TV, the aliens are watching it. It's been all over talk radio and all the cable news channels. I didn't watch Leno tonight as I am off and I never really watch Letterman much anymore, but that story has leno and letterman all over it, and Conan too.

So, I played in a band for a long time. I know what it's like to have to lug equipment in, set it all up, get everything tuned and all the systems working, etc. I find it interesting that Miss "Green" Hanoi "one square" has for a rider. A rider for anyone that doesn't know is a list of requirements for performers when they play at a venue. So, Crow is doing the "blowhard smarming" college tour and the smoking gun has her rider. I present it below. Click on each page to see it full screen and read what she and her tour requires. I wonder how many carbon offsets she purchased from Al Gore for this one? Look at all the electric, gas and other resources that they use and then think about all the people required to use more resources to accomplish getting her all the required stuff. And I am willing to bet her bathroom is fully stocked with plenty of toilet paper as she is definitely full of, well, you know. Click on each page to read the whole rider. Courtesy the smoking gun.

Just a Cute Story

I found this on Drudge. I read the article and watched the video and seeing as how I have an interest in cats, I had to post it.

This came out of the UK and I think it must be a piano studio or a piano teachers house as at one point, a 'student' does a duet with Nora, the piano cat.

For all the worries in the world and all the Barbara Streisand that goes on, every once in awhile you run across something that tickles your insides. I wish Buddy was here to see this, not that he would watch, but still. This is just cute and I was in the mood for cute.


The piano-playing cat who caused an internet sensation
The Daily Mail
Last updated at 16:07pm on 23rd April 2007

The latest star to shoot out of YouTube knows the benefit of practice to make you purrfect.

Nora the piano-playing puss has caused an internet-frenzy, with 2.5 million viewers across the globe logging on to see her antics.

Nora looks cool as a cucumber as she wows her audience Her musical stylings probably won't impress true aficionados of classical music.

Aficionados of cats, however, will want to watch her over and over again.

"Sheryl Crow is a nutty 'Ho'..." Twit of the Day

Yep, at first I thought she might be certifiable, now I know she is. I am willing to bet she doesn't follow her own recommendations since she has the money to purchase (snicker) "Carbon Credits" or "Carbon Offsets". This woman is another one of those people that reminds me of a train going off the track. She and her nutty friends are something else.

My question is, what does the amount of toilet paper have to do with Global Warming? If she means saving trees, let me tell you something. Trees are a renewable resource and paper manufacturers would go out of business if they cut down all the trees there are, so, they have Tree Farms! The other thing is, we now have more forested land in the US alone at this point than we had in 1797 when the country was basically created. How you may ask? Well, partly through REAL conservation, environmental laws and the fact that paper companies create tree farms in order to stay in business. And you know what Trees (and plants for that matter) need to take in to create oxygen? carbon dioxide!

Ok, enough. I think I am going to put on my grass skirt and paint my skin and put a bone through my nose and go hop in my ox cart and go to the farmers market and get some sprouts (talk about methane) and some granola. Anyway, From the BBC;

Crow calls for limit on Toilet paper

Singer Sheryl Crow has said a ban on using too much toilet paper should be introduced to help the environment. Crow has suggested using "only one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where two to three could be required".

The 45-year-old, who made the comments on her website, has just toured the US on a biodiesel-powered bus to raise awareness about climate change.

She teamed up with environmental activist Laurie David for the shows. The pair targeted 11 university campuses to persuade students to help combat the world's environmental problems.

"I have spent the better part of this tour trying to come up with easy ways for us all to become a part of the solution to global warming," Crow wrote. "Although my ideas are in the earliest stages of development, they are, in my mind, worth investigating. "I propose a limitation be put on how many squares of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting."

Laurie David's husband, Seinfeld creator Larry David, also appeared. Crow has also commented on her website about how she thinks paper napkins "represent the height of wastefulness".

She has designed a clothing line with what she calls a "dining sleeve". The sleeve is detachable and can be replaced with another "dining sleeve" after the diner has used it to wipe his or her mouth.

The shows involved a short set by the singer, a talk by David and segments of Al Gore's environmental film An Inconvenient Truth.

Story from BBC NEWS
Published: 2007/04/23 12:14:53 GMT
© BBC MMVII

24 years ago

I have been in a strange mood today. Well, the last couple of days too. I don't know why, it might be because I am overtired from working so many hours and or the short turn around from having to be back to work earlier on Saturday after working till 2 am on Friday Night. I just get into these moods where I don't want to talk to anyone and I just want to be quiet. Sometimes people think I am in a bad mood, but I'm not, I just don't feel like talking.

I have been thinking about my father. Before I write anything more about that, it might also be because I went and got Buddy today. At least I got his ashes. Now I am not that sentimental of a person, I mean I have some things I do get sentimental about don't get me wrong. But I don't cry easily, I don't think I ever have, even when things got their worst. But I went and got the Razor today and brought him home. I think I have been avoiding it, seeing as how it took me almost a month to get him. I think I just put it off since it represents the finality of Buddy dying. I got his "English Gentlemans" picture that I love and I put it and his ashes on the fireplace in the den. I worry about how my mom will react when she sees it, but she wanted him to come home too. Buddy belongs here. He was a special kind of cat. I have never seen nor had a cat that was anything like him. Sure when he was a kitten he did kitten things, but as he got older he didn't. He would play sometimes with the other cats, but he pretty much did what he wanted to do.

I am glad he's home. I didn't cry or anything, but I couldn't help but notice this tremendous hole inside of me looking at his picture. I really miss him. Sometimes I wonder if having a girlfriend might take the sting away from such moments, but oh well.

My dad died 24 years ago at 7:21 pm on April 21st walking across Nevada Ave in South Colorado Springs. He was hit by a car and it has been disputed whether the guy ran a red light, but the end result is the same, he died. It was a pretty violent and quick death. I read the autopsy report a few weeks ago and it was almost too much to read with the trauma his body suffered. (Below, My father is on the right, receiving an award in Okinawa in 1967 click on the pic to see it full screen)

I don't know why I have been thinking about him. I did love him. We weren't the tightest, at least for most of my life, but around 22 we actually started becoming closer. That was after I had decided that I couldn't hate him anymore for the stuff he did to us kids when we were young. My dad was an alcoholic and could be a very mean one at that. I won't go into stories, but I can say, we did suffer physically, me especially, when he drank. I used to act as a deflector to keep him away from the other kids and my mom. I always resented my father for the way he treated me, and after my son Justin was born, I had an Epiphany. I didn't hate my dad, I don't think anyway, but I didn't really like him and I resented him. I guess resentment could be a form of hate. But I finally confronted him one day and I spent about 2 or 3 hours just speaking my mind and letting him know that I wasn't going to hate him, I would forgive him and not carry around that poison and that he was still my father. We didn't speak again for almost 6 months I think, even though my brother would say to me, "Dad asked how you are doing today."

I did love my father. He was really a very intelligent man. He taught me a lot of things about life and I learned to love a lot of things from him. My love of history and science, current events, the military, writing, learning and who knows what else came from my dad. I just turned out to be a musician and not the baseball player my dad thought I would be. My younger brother Bill did that. He used to slam me about my wanting to play music and write music. Eventually, he came to understand that I was pretty good at it and that I had a reputation as being a 'gun slinger.' But he also came to understand that it wasn't just some kick I was on. When it started to occur to him that I had become a good guitar player and was pretty well known in the 'Springs, he understood the dedication and work that I had devoted to playing and writing.

We got to be good friends, a father and son before he died. I remember one day getting up to leave his apartment as he was playing solitaire with his glasses on, they had rubber bands to hold them on his head, and I said I had to go pick up Justin and bid him goodbye. As I was walking out of the door, he said, "Bobby" and I turned around and said "yeah Dad" and he looked up and said, "I love you son, I am proud of you." I was stunned for a moment and then let it pass as I left. I mean he had said that before, but this time, there was a sincerity in his voice that I hadn't heard. I almost thought he might start crying, but like me, my father didn't cry that often. Only later as I made my way through the days that followed, did the impact of him saying that to me become apparent. I knew that he absolutely loved Justin. Justin was a baby and my dad would always offer to babysit him if my mom couldn't while I was working or on the road. He loved Justin. I remember how he would never ever drink, even when he had his retirement check, opting instead to buy food and clothes for Justin. He would take Justin to the library and check out books and then take him back to the apartment and read to him. He would teach Justin things and he was so good with Jus. My dad I think, was making up for what he missed with me and my brothers and perhaps my sisters.

I remember the night he died. Me and some of the guys in my band were on our way to talk to a club owner about playing at his club and party with a band we knew that was playing at the club. We had to get off the highway and cross Nevada Ave to go west and I remember looking down the road, about 2 or 3 miles and saw all the emergency lights. It was raining as it was April in Colorado and I made a remark to my buddies that there was an accident down by my dad's place. This was the day before cell phones were really even invented, so I couldn't call and my dad didn't have a phone anyway. I made a note of it and filed it away and proceeded to go party with my friends and only found out the next morning when my older brother Garrett woke me up to tell me that Dad had been killed the night before. I was just in shock when I realized that I had seen the emergency vehicles down the road the night before at the accident.

It took me some time. I think it just hit me really hard when he was buried, with full military honors, at Fort Logan Cemetery in Denver. I know that a couple of my sisters and my younger brother Bill had a really hard time as they had had a row with him and they were angry with him over something when he died. I wasn't. I went through the grieving process and little by little the pain eased for me. There are times that I can still hear his voice and see his face. It's hard to imagine that it was 24 years ago and now Justin is 26. I miss my dad sometimes. I know he's in a better place than here, as his alcoholism was getting worse and it was a matter of time before it finally killed him. But I have always wondered if he didn't purposely walk into the path of that car, though I doubt it. My dad wasn't big on suicide and the irony of it was, he wasn't even drunk or had drank any alcohol. He was actually walking back from the store with groceries to make stew with for me, my brother Garrett and Justin and we were supposed to go over that Friday night. He got killed Thursday night. As he got to take care of Justin more, he drank less and less and spent more time thinking about his grandson and talking to me about anything we could talk about.

There are nights like tonight where I miss my Dad, I miss Buddy, I miss just being able to hold a woman and just share a moment of complete silence knowing that we are together and the world can do what it wants and I couldn't care less. Let it go to hell. Maybe I am just feeling lonely right now, no, I know I am. There are times when I could appreciate a good woman and as I sit here tonight, thinking about my Dad, my Son, my Daughters and Buddy, I wonder, I just wonder. Life is a mysterious thing.

So much for the compassionate liberal, Alec Baldwin needs help

This man is sick, very sick. Embroiled in a bru ha ha with ex-wife Kim Basinger, Alec Baldwin calls his daughter and says the following things (clip below). This girl is 11 years old! How do you talk to your own daughter, even less an 11 year old, this way? This is so disgusting and vile. I would not and have never talked to my daughters this way and I just find it reprehensible that he would even do it. I imagine that Basinger leaked the call to the press to show what a vile person this waste of human skin really is. And, from TMZ.com;

"a family law judge was so alarmed after hearing the tape, she has temporarily barred Baldwin from having any contact with his child."

Good! for once a judge is doing something right.

This is the man that goes on Conan a few years ago and called for the deaths of people, simply because they were republicans! typical liberal mentality. This man should not be allowed to ever see or be around this girl again. I know that some privacy laws may have been broken here with recording and releasing the call, but when you hear the vitriol he unleashes on his own daughter, you really have to wonder how soon Alec will just go totally Jihad at some point and hurt or kill someone. Hopefully it's not his daughter or Basinger.

Warning! There is graphic language in this audio clip and some people might find it disturbing. I did. I can't believe that a 'grown man' would talk to an 11 year old girl, his own daughter too, this way.

How Alec talks to his 11 year old daughter. mp3

'Sheryl Crow is a Whiny 'Ho'

I am not a big fan of Sheryl Crow. Her music is okay I guess (a little too "chickie" for me, perfect if you want to watch a romantic 'chick flick' movie about hippies) if you're a young to middle aged working woman (or liberal) that drives an SUV (yes, for all their concern, a lot of liberals drive those big ole Urban Assault Vehicles) or a Yugo or maybe a Prius, who thinks that puppies are cute and believes everything she sees on the evening news. The title of the post is a take off from her song 'winding road' that you hear over and and over again on a Subaru spot. I sometimes hear a song by someone and then a 'ditty' starts going through my head, so one night while I was at work, that spot played and during the night at some point, I either saw or heard Sheryl Crow waxing on in her infinite Limousine Liberal double-speak about how bad the war is in Iraq and gosh darn it, we need to stop wars, give peace a chance, hold hands, try reasoning with the terrorists, get along and just eat cookies and take naps and well...you get the idea. So it just popped into my head, to her tune of 'winding road'. I am sure someone will take offense, but hey, I say what I think. Hey, Don Imus said it. I am using the vernacular of the 'street' and the language of the 'rap' culture. Wonder if the speech police will send in the the SWAT team now? Wow, could be kind of neat to see the "Justice Brothers" show up. Al & Jesse out front with a bullhorn. A bullhorn for a blowhard.

I do however respect her for the battle she has had with cancer. I would never wish that on anyone as I had had many friends or acquaintances who developed cancer and in some cases, it was fatal. I also think she is a nice looking woman, very attractive even and I am sure she is really a nice person. But I just became so irritated with her whole whiny diatribe against the war as if she is this generation's 'Green Hanoi Jane'. It's easy for the limousine liberals to wax on about what's best for the country, since they have the money and affluence and tend to be really out of touch with the realities of the world. I really get the feeling that she is easily led by her liberal buddies and when I can stomach it, I pop over to the 'Huffington Post' and read a little about her and Laurie Davids' excursion to bring 'awareness' to 'blowhard smarming'. They are doing college tours and blogging on the 'HR Puff n' Stuff' weblog run by none other than 'WitchiePoo' herself (Arianna Huffington, and what a rag that is) about their stops. She and David even wrote an open letter to Rush Limbaugh saying he doesn't 'understand' anything about 'Blowhard Smarming'. LOL, That made me chuckle, and they do know more don't they? after all, Al Gore said so didn't he? and when Al speaks, liberals listen right? Give me a break.

So, I forget where I was, reading something about their letter to Rush and I ran into a a great comment from someone and had to post it here. It just makes sense. You can't win with these wackos. They claim that no matter what the climate is doing, it's all related to 'blowhard smarming'. The good thing is, is that many people are just gettting tired of this whole charade and it's not getting the juice they would love to get from the average everyday working person. If you want to watch a bunch of liberals doing a massive circle jerk, watch the concert I think they are calling 'Live Earth'. How much you want to bet it's going to try and emulate "Woodstock" & "Live Aid". Nothing will be done to 'stop' 'blowhard smarming' (anyone care to remember the controversy surrounding Live Aid? good intentions, but the money disappeared and never went to help the people it was supposed to!) but alas, the granola crunchers will all go home feeling like they did something 'important' to help stop 'blowhard smarming.' I think that if scientists want to see what exactly hot gases are doing, take a measurement over London during the concert, chances are the methane cloud will be enormous. I mean, jeez, to me, most of those people are full of Barbara Streisand, well you know what I mean, anyway. Hope they make everyone use glow sticks cos if someone torches a lighter, that could get pretty nasty.

It's all just a thinly veiled hoax to get more of your money (more taxes anyone?) after trying to make you feel guilty for messing with mother nature. These people are really throwbacks to the socialists of the soviet union and the granola crunching, bead & sandal-wearing, lava lamp staring, groovy, cool, free love is ok as long as you believe what I believe, don't bogart that joint my friend"type of people. What's good for them is not for you and what's good for you is not going to happen cos you aren't smart enough to decide for yourself and they know best, in other words, snobby elitist's. This is a great comment though;

"Let me see if I have this right. If I'm a Global Warming Alarmist Disciple, I have to believe:

If it is too hot, it's Global Warming; If it is too cold, it's Global Warming

If it is a drought, it's Global Warming; If there are torrential rains, it's Global Warming

If there are no hurricanes, it's Global Warming; If there are too many hurricanes, it's Global Warming

If there is an abundance of tornadoes, it's Global Warming; If there are no tornadoes, it's Global Warming

If it's unusually cold or snowy in April, it's Global Warming; If it's unusually warm in October, it's Global Warming.

No matter what the weather event, it's Global Warming. Period."

Right on.

New Justice Brother Radio Spot

Here is the latest from the "Just Us" Brothers. I love these radio commercials. Wonder if it helps with their shakedown business. From the law firm of 'Sharpton & Jackson'.




New Justice Brothers mp3

courtesy Rush Limbaugh/Paul Shanklin

Rush Lays It Down

I was listening to Rush today and in the 2nd hour, he started talking about what the left will and will not do, what they are and are not. I tried to edit this for time, but in order to retain the context of his remarks, I had to leave it at 9:59 minutes. He just nails it on the head as usual. This is a summary of where 'liberalism' has taken this country and what a danger it is. This shows why he is on the cutting edge of 'socieital' evolution.




"If you listen to the left..."mp3

Sharpton 'distances' himself from his rap buddies

Hypocrite. Now that he and the other 'extortionist' Jesse "Mr Shakedown" Jackson have opened the pandora's box that was Imus, he is now having to try and distance himself from the whole 'rap' community for the garbage they put out. Hypocrite. Oh, and notice who is suppose to appear at this 'convention' (more like a panderfest), why could it be the usual suspects? why yes it is! maybe Hillary will delight them with her version of a negro spirtual! This is from the NY Post.




REV. AL DUCKS A 'RAP' (from his 'homies' that 'sing' Crap!)
NO HONOR FOR @#! EXEC

By CARL CAMPANILE
April 18, 2007 -- Seeking to avoid being labeled a hypocrite (LOL, he already is!), the Rev. Al Sharpton has "suspended" plans to honor the head of Island Def Jam Music Group - whose stable of singers includes foul- mouthed Ludacris.

"We don't want to be inconsistent," Sharpton told The Post. (ed. that is funny, really funny, Al, why stop now?)

Sharpton led the charge that forced CBS and NBC last week to fire radio shock jock Don Imus for calling players on the Rutgers University's women's basketball team "nappy-headed ho's."

Sharpton also has ratcheted up criticism against rappers who denigrate women in their songs, and the companies that market and produce their music.

His attacks have stung players in the rap world, who refer to the four-day convention of Sharpton's National Action Network, which starts today at the Sheraton New York, as the "Hip-Hop Summit."

Sharpton had earlier announced in the convention's program that he would present L.A. Reid, the CEO of Def Jam, the James Brown Memorial Cultural Impact Award.

One of Reid's star entertainers is Ludacris, whose song titles include "Ho" and "Move Bitch."

Another Def Jam singer, Lady Sovereign, recorded a song titled "Love Me or Hate Me. F- - You!!!"

Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z - who utters the n-word in his songs - also has his Roc-A-Fella record label under Def Jam.

"We have withdrawn the award for L.A. Reid," Sharpton said. "We put the awards on hold . . . We have suspended those awards."

Other honorees include filmmaker Spike Lee, who is out of the country.

Sharpton, asked why he was honoring Reid in the first place, said the record mogul has been a successful entertainment executive who long supported the late James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul" and Sharpton mentor.

Sharpton said he spoke to Reid about the change of plans. He said both agreed it would be inappropriate for the civil-rights activist to give the record executive an award at a conference where Sharpton has promised to name the names of corporations that support "gutter" rap. "We're going to target companies over the issue of lyrics. I'm going to be more forceful. I'm not going to send mixed signals," Sharpton said.



Meanwhile, all the major Democratic presidential candidates - Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson - are expected to join Gov. Eliot Spitzer by making appearances at the convention.


Hey, have you heard "Hillary's Rap"? Guess it is one of her contributions to the "Hip Hop Summit". Click on the link below to hear her 'singing'.

"Hillary's Rap mp3"