I am not a republican or democrat. I am an American

I was just wondering...Am I the only one that sees racism as overt ignorance?

I have found that discussing the possibility of Barack Obama as our next president with some people seems to give them a free pass to show their ignorance. I was discussing politics with several friends and mentioned that I had voted for Republican presidential candidates in the past. One friend said "Well, you're gonna keep it that way aren't ya?". To which I replied, "I am going to vote for the best person possible." His response, "Now why would you want to do that?"

Huh?

Because I have always tried to do that. Because I care about my country. Because I like to think I am not ignorant.

Hey there Hi there Ho there

Yes, I am still alive. I have just been going through one of those periods in my life in which the treadmill of life is stuck on too fast for conditions. It's mostly good but it has seemed to compress my hours and suck the energy out of me.

Contributions to compressing my time are: (in no particular order):

1. Work - the state of the American economy has affected our business. I'm not complaining; many have it far worse. I am just stating a fact. We are diligently working to attempt to slow the effects of the sagging economy. Not an easy task...but we are giving it a go.

2. My mother - A few weeks ago my 75 year old mother took a fall and broke her her leg quite badly. She is in a rehab facility at this point and my sister and I are working on housing that does not include her going back to her house. She has been showing signs of dementia for some time and despite our best efforts to get her out of her house, she was so reluctant and ornery that we backed off. Well, we can't back off. It's early stage Alzheimer's and the doctors confirmed that she cannot live on her own. I cannot list this one in the "Oh boy, this is fun" category. I'm really glad that I have my sister and my wife to help me with this or I would be totally nutso on this one.

3. Golf - I love it. I need it. The weather here in the Chicago area has been shit for golf! It was 86 degrees yesterday which was the first hint of summer. The temperature this morning was 46 degrees and the high temp for the day will only be in the 50's. Windy, cloudy...I'm really tired of this poor excuse for a climate.

4. Travel - We've been jumping around the country a bit lately. A little vacation and a little work travel combine to make the time seem even tighter. The travel will slow down soon I hope.

Other than my mom, we are all fairly healthy and happy so that's a good thing. Hope to write again soon!

New Blog Found

Thanks to my friend Barb for turning me on to The Shortest Blog in the World. Quite amusing!

B as in

Beatles - as I had written about before, the first music that was "mine" not my aunt's or my mom's. Thank you boys...

Booze - nasty stuff...has ruined many lives. I used to love a wee nip now and again

Beer - see above. Summer, European, belly, responsible for some of the worst commercials ever.

Bang a gong - on the radio right now...kind of a tough drum beat on Rock Band

Barack - man I hope he's for real and he gets an opportunity to give it a go

bitch - female dog, the other democratic candidate

Categories Food - burgers, bacon (everything is better with bacon), bok choi, bean sprouts, beets, blueberries, bleu cheese, bagels, bologna, beans, banana, beignets

Cities - Batavia, Bern, Bologna, Barrington, Bartlett, Baltimore, Bay City, Boca Raton, Berkley, Bala Cynwd

Cars - BMW, Boxster

Animals - bobcat, boa, bears, bats

Science - boron, bile, bauxite, biology, barium,

Bands - Beatles, Beach Boys, Beastie Boys, Barenaked Ladies, Billy Holiday, Bee Gees, Black Crows, Byrds, Boston, Buckinghams, Black Sabbath, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi

Songs - Beat It, Baby, It's You, Blackbird, Back in Black, Back in the USSR, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Badlands, Born to Run, Blinded by the Light, Because, Baby's in Black, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Brilliant Disguise, Brown Sugar, Beast of Burden, Black Cow

Wierd Word of the Day - bubal

A as in

This idea started with a note from the NaBloPoMo folks but it seems as if I am ripping off Sesame Street. I will free associate in an effort to do some writing and stay in touch with my blog a bit more...here we go. Feel free to add your entries or ideas.

Apple - ipod, computers, hip advertising, iPhone, Jonathans or Macintosh

Ang - lovely, wonderful, intelligent, sensitive, music nut, book nut, food nut, Rockband junkie, my daughter

AC \DC - not the electrical current, ok the electrical current...that's about all there is to this one.

armadillos - the one living next to my pool in Florida. Its time to move him with a little cayenne pepper. It won't hurt the little bugger but they have highly sensitive noses so it won't be happy with the pepper.

April - tax time, flowers and showers, in Paris, opening day

apathy - I was trying to think of a cute answer but who really cares?

America - I never thought this was a great band but I have to admit that, every so often, when one of their tunes come on the radio it takes me back and it feels good. Oh yea, the greatest country in the world. We need some work to get it back where it should be.

aging - too fast, beats the alternative, great for wine and some cheese, not for sissies, doesn't seem to be happening to my wife.

Allman Brothers - the most disappointing concert I have seen in the last year. Horrible production, the sound sucked. We walked out. It bums me out because I know these guys can play.

alimony, alimony payin' your bills... a Led Zeppelin moment...just came on the radio.

ass**** - one of my mothers favorite curse words, thieves, mean people, power mongers, political beasts, Barry Bonds, Heather Mills, Dick Cheney, Dick Rumsfeld, GWB, Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco, criminals of any kind

Categories

Food - artichokes, ahi, apricots, asparagus, anchovies, abalone, almonds, avocados

Cities - Abilene, Austin, Aurora, Arlington, Atlanta, Amarillo, Asheville, Amalfi (pictured), Aberdeen

Cars - Audi, Avalon, Altima, Avanti

Animals - Aardvark, Anteater, Antelope, Armadillo, Agouti, Anaconda, Ani, Alpaca, Appaloosas, Arabian

Science - Acid, argon, ammonia, agar, alkali

Music - Abba, Alabama, America, Allman Bros., AC/DC, Aerosmith, Asia, Animals, Arcade Fire, Average White Band, Arrested Development, Archies, Association, Afrika Bambaataa, ABC, Amoreena, Chet Atkins, Amazing Grace, Angie, Tori Amos, Average White Band, A Hard Days Night, Across the Universe, Any Time At All, All You Need is Love, And Your Bird Can Sing (went on a Beatles jag there)

Wierd Word of the Day - Aubade

Times up

This story just infuriates me...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Geraldine Ferraro, the only woman to run on a major U.S. party's presidential ticket, on Wednesday defended her comment that Barack Obama was ahead in the race for the Democratic nomination because he is black.

Ferraro, a Democrat who ran for vice president in 1984 and now supports Obama's rival Hillary Clinton, rejected what she called attempts by Obama's campaign to paint her remark as racist.

Obama, who has built up a strong lead in the state-by-state contest, dismissed the idea that his being black was an advantage and said Ferraro was being intentionally divisive.
Ferraro told CBS's "The Early Show" she thought Obama had been able to mount a strong campaign against Clinton because his was a "historic candidacy" that excited the country, as her candidacy did in 1984.

"For his campaign to take that and spin it and attack Hillary and me as being racist, I tell you, it is just appalling," said Ferraro, who is on Clinton's finance committee.

"My comments have been taken so out of context and have been spun by the Obama campaign as racist that it's doing precisely what they don't want done -- it's going to the Democratic Party and dividing us even more," Ferraro said in another interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Ferraro ignited the flap when she told a California newspaper that "if Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position."

"And if he was a woman he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept," she said.....

The story continues but I can't take any more. Let me get this straight...the country is caught up in the concept of a black man being president...hmmm. How cool. We've come a long way as a society. Oh, one more thing. That's bullshit.

As someone that has a lot of respect for Barack Obama, I can tell you that I have never once said "oh wouldn't it be cool to have a black president"nor have I heard it from any Obama supporters that I have spoken to. You want to talk about coming a long way...we're not seeing color. I see an intelligent, reasonable young American man that is reaching millions of Americans that are desperate for a real change in Washington. Now that is cool...that is progress...it's all that's right about this great country.

Okay, I lied a little bit. I am seeing color. The color is red. Everything about the Clinton campaign makes me see red. Ms. Ferraro is on Hillary's finance committee so I have hard time believing that this is not just another (in a growing series) of desperate, old school politics, attempts by the train wreck known as the Clinton campaign to slow down the soaring Obama campaign. Go away. Just frickin' go away. We have to right this ship we call America and I have bad news for you Clintonites, we do not need your input. We just need you to take your politics of greed and power and get the hell out and take your accomplices with you. If you don't take them with you, we'll get to them later.

I see one distinct difference in these two candidates that Hillary cannot overcome. No way. Never. The Obama campaign has a heart and soul. The heart is the desire to tackle the tough job of trying to affect change. The soul is the core values of remaining independent of PAC monies, representing "we the people", of being realistic in what can be accomplished, planting seeds of hope and acknowledging that politics as usual, needs to go. The Clinton campaign is steeped in blind ambition; not heart, not soul. They're running on empty. Their time is up.

Ya know, come to think of it, it will be cool to have Barack Obama as president, not because he's black, but because he's Barack Obama.

I'm still standin'

Wow...I haven't posted in over a month...I have thought about it from time to time but I just haven't been up to hitting the keyboard. I have something brewing at work and it is sapping my energy and eating up my attention. It's all good but it does soak up my dwindling brain power.

Just a few quick notes...

I love Rock Band. I am progressing on the guitar and drums...next I will move on to vocals. Fun game. It doesn't seem like you're "wasting" time when you are listening to music. It also introduced me to some music I might never have listened to. I think we will have a family rock concert on Easter! Sharpen up your skills out there.

This democratic presidential race has been very entertaining. Hillary getting desperate and Barack just pointing out her desperation. The republicans don't want any part of Obama. They are ready to "beat" Hill and Bill. I wonder how many republicans voted for Hillary in TX and OH. I think the numbers would be very surprising. I can't wait to see what happens with this one. This morning both democratic candidates claimed that they were "leading". Sure.

Global warming - theory
Unholy dependence on oil - reality
Maybe if we attend to the reality we will have the luxury of working on the theory. This country must pull the "oil needle" from its veins or we will continue to have little control of our economy (unless you like where our economy is heading). We will continue to be forced to butt into politics in the Middle East so that we can have some assurance that we get our "fix". This crisis spans the economy, foreign policy and the environment. Instead of fighting a symptom (the war in Iraq?) with billions of dollars, we probably would be better served fighting the disease with that $$$. This is not an option. We either solve it or...well...I hate to think of what will happen if we don't.

I was really sorry to hear about the death of Jeff Healey. One of the good guys...

Winter has overstayed its welcome.

The Robin used to be the first sign of spring. I think its the beginning of baseball spring training. Well, its here and it's spring somewhere.

Something to take my mind off the winter time / flu bug blues

I'm at home trying to beat a flu bug. We had about 10-12 inches of snow in the last day, so there is snow everywhere. Nowhere to go and no energy to go anyway so...I started looking at my pictures and found something that made me smile. This event goes back to last fathers day...

My wife gave me and the two boys a gift for fathers day that was unique and really very cool; Mario Andretti Racing School. We went to the Joliet Speedway and had a riot. I had my car up to 153 mph and nosed the boys out by a hair. The experience of driving an Indy car was incredible. I would like to do it again and since we have already been through it once, we will be allowed to drive even faster the next time. Scary? Initially I was a little nervous waiting to drive. By the time I was ready to roll I was not afraid at all. I like fast cars and this was the fastest I would ever drive a car legally. Plus, the cars are engineered to stick in the turns...they are not going anywhere. The Andretti folks were awesome as well; very professional. It was obvious to me that they took this very seriously and that safety was a priority. I can't thank them enough for the great day we had.

I know we all thanked M that day...but I will do it again...thanks hon.

You can see some pictures here

Bright Copper Kettles

Yesterday I got a text message from my son (who never reads this by the way). His text asked me if I ever heard of a guitar player named Andy McKee. I told him I had not and he said he would show me this guy when he came for dinner. Well, he came and he showed. Wow. There is a lot of talent out there to be found. Check these clips out. I found Don Ross up at CANdYRAT Records also. I ended up going to CANdyRAT and buying all kinds of cd's. Sweet styles...

Andy McKee



Don Ross




Incredible. Brilliant.

Whiskers on kittens

I had the opportunity to see Ben Folds this summer in Chicago. Great show. He is definitely having fun up on that stage and that's contagious. I have listened to most of his recorded music and some of it misses the mark on me but some of it makes me smile or think. I like to do both but I probably do the smiling thing a lot better. The video is for his song "Still Fighting It". Sweet song written by Ben to his young son...This is from the "Rockin' the Suburbs" CD which I love from front to back. A double selection coming up!


"Everybody knows it sucks to grow up"



"I am the luckiest" This one has made me get emotional more than once. I truly feel that I am the luckiest. To all my loved ones out there, this is how my love for you makes me feel.

Raindrops on Roses...

I have been thinking about this ever since I read another blog in which the author ranked a list of the "greatest guitar players". I have always had a fundamental problem with ranking artists and art itself. Who's to say what is the greatest piece of artwork ever? Now, if you create a list that is your personal list and do not disparage others opinions or argue that your list is THE LIST, that's a different story.

I'm convinced that appreciation of the arts is as personal as your fingerprints. There is no right or wrong...the art touches you and you experience a personal reaction to it; positive, negative or somewhere in between. There really is no need to justify your personal feelings for art to anybody. They're yours and they're personal. Nobody should try to convince you that you are wrong about your choices or that a particular thing that you like stinks...if someone or something "stinks" in your opinion it's OK to think it but its probably more mature to keep it to yourself.

I have a friend that absolutely loves ABBA...I don't. As hard as it is for me, if it comes up I just go silent on the subject. My real statement might be that ABBA can not be found among the 8500+ songs on my iPod. Did ABBA stink? Absolutely not. They were making music and it's music that has delighted millions. I admire anyone with the fortitude to make music...to put it out there. I don't have to personally love it or "get" it.

Music means different things to different people. Among other things, it can evoke emotions, vivid memories and mindless comfort. I am going to share some of my personal feelings and opinions about musicians or songs that touch me somehow. These will be my personal thoughts and feelings. I hope this stimulates me to get the words flowing here again.

The first example of music that can conjure a powerful emotion in me, comes from a rock hall inductee that rose out of the C&W world. He is one of my favorite pure guitar players. The song is, I still can't say goodbye by Chet Atkins, C.G.P. I cannot get through this 4 minute and 7 second song without crying (hearty weeping!). Beautiful sentiments by Chet and it gets me every time. When it randomly pops up on my iPod, I will change it if I'm not in the mood for purging my tear ducts. Do you have a song or performance that pushes your buttons?

Here's a sample of his playing...stunning touch....this is a cover of Don McClean's Vincent

Hot or Not

In honor of it being really uncomfortably hot in my office I think I'll do this list.

What's Hot

My Office
Rock Band
Barack Obama - Can we call him Rocky?
Hybrid Cars
The New England Patriots
Scrabble
Florida

What's Not

Hillary Clinton
GWB
Gas guzzlers
The real estate market
Brittany Spears
Greedy politicians
Greedy lawyers
Greedy everything

Gimme some hots and nots...That's all I can write. I am melting in here.

Drugs Suck or Just Say No

I have been away for over a month...let's call it a sabbatical. It sounds better than "being a lazy ass". I had lots going on with some travel, craziness at work and the holidays. All of those added up to what seemed like a lock of an excuse. It is an excuse...

I've been thinking about sharing the info below for some time...so here goes the ramble...

I had been feeling lousy off and on for the better part of 4 years. It all started with a visit to the doctor for a physical when I was about to turn 50. I was a picture of health until that visit to the doctor. Physical good; doctor bad. The first thing he did was put me on heartburn meds and a statin drug for reducing my cholesterol. What transpired after that is a horror story of sorts. I began to feel pains everywhere. I was getting nauseous, lightheaded, having nightmares and then I started having muscle cramps. Well, I stopped taking the statin and some of the problems went away. In the meantime, the doctors were looking for reason for the remaining issues and decided my gall bladder was not functioning properly and they convinced me to have it removed. Once gone, the problems they attributed to the gall bladder did not go away. Oops! Can I have my gallbladder back? Man!

Anyway the problems continued. Over the course of this journey, I had a bout with pancreatitis and generally felt horrible if I even had the slightest hint of an alcoholic drink. It sucked. I was seriously concerned that I had something really serious. Oh yeah, one other symptom that kept building was anxiety. I had never experienced it before and I really thought I was losing it altogether. And feeling like that was not me.

For some reason I decided to finally quit taking the heartburn medication (Zantac 150 twice a day) in November. Why I had never considered it before is beyond me. Within a couple of days all the symptoms were gone. I mean gone! No anxiety. No pains all over. No problem after a glass of wine. Me, I am me! OK I'll deal with the heartburn with Tums and Gaviscon...things that don't hurt me more than the problem! All of these symptoms turn out to "rare" side effects. Not rare enough.

For some reason my liver struggles with processing certain types of drugs. Did the pill pushing MD's ever consider that? No, they would rather give me more pills and lop off body parts.

The lesson is this...use the internet to do exhaustive research before putting anything into your body. You know your body better than anyone. Obviously, there are medications that are wonderful and necessary. There are also meds that are capable of poisoning you. I was being poisoned and the so-called experts were without a clue. Be careful. If you think a drug will harm you, just say no. I have and I'm feeling so damn good about that!

Cool Juke Box

A friend of mine sent this to me. Its kinda cool. It's amazing how many songs I have fogotten from the early 60's. I'm thinking it's mostly because I wanted to. The same can be said for a lot of these years...

Whoever did this did a nice job.

On My Way Back Home

Tomorrow.

I enjoyed the weather today including the heavy rains we got around 4:00 P.M. The area is in desperate need of rain so I was happy to see it. It was quite relaxing to sit under the covered portion of the lanai, listening to music with the rain in the background.

One more day and then it's back to the rudeness we call Winter. Cold, gray, blustery, damp....yuk. If you say you like it, you are making the best of a bad situation. I have done it for years. I have lost the energy to pretend I like the weather, I don't. I hate it. End of discussion.

There are good things about being back up north so I will concentrate on those things. I hope I get to spend some time with my kids and get some things done at work.

Oops

Well I blew the NaBloPoMo thing Friday. It was a combination of a somewhat busy day, internet service that was kind of flaky and brain damage. We had a party in the evening and when we returned I just plain went to bed. I was bummed when I awoke and realized that I messed up so late in the game. I gave it a good try as evidenced by my schlepping my computer from place to place. I guess I like the contest because of the pressure it puts on me to write something. Oh well I'll try again next year.

I will try to keep writing a little more frequently than usual. Thanks to those that read my rantings.

Jim, Jen and Eric are heading home today. It was fun having them here with us. I wish they could stay a little longer but it's not to be. M & I are coming home Tuesday night. I will be the one that's kicking and screaming. This weather here is really easy on my body and being able to play golf is good for my psyche. I cannot tell a lie, I love the weather here.

Later.

Thanks

Yesterday was the rant today a list of some of the things I am grateful for

I give thanks for:

the love of my children; how much I love them and the love I get from them.

the love of my wife; how much I love her and the love she returns to me.

all the people I can call friend.

the good fortune that has smiled upon me and my family.

my extended family; we have crazies and I love them anyway.

the overall health of all those in my life.

being born an American. I love this country and I think I understand how special this place is.

those that have given of themselves to preserve this country.

the talents that have been bestowed upon me.

the great turkey dinner I had today and the great turkey sandwiches I will surely eat tomorrow.

realizing my love for music. It is icing on the cake for me.

having the fortitude (read lack of brains!) that pushed me to start my own business 20 years ago. We have run our business how we wanted to run it and have developed a reputation in our business second to none.

my wonderful staff. They are my other family and I love them for all that they have done for me.

being blessed with a sense of humor and being an optimist most of the time.

I will end this as I did last year by imploring my readers to resolve to do something charitable on a regular basis. It is our responsibility to help those who need help. Not for what you expect to receive in return but because it's the right thing to do.
To all my friends and loved ones, I love you more.

Anti-Thanksgiving

This is my second annual Anti-Thanksgiving post. My daughter A came up with this idea and I like it.

I am not thankful for:

war - The USA has been involved in too many of these damn things. I know it's considered naive to think that wars will just disappear but if we don't work toward ending them for all time, it will never happen. As John Lennon said "imagine all the people living life in peace". I like to imagine that. Instead of spending all that military money we could spend it on taking care of each other...

my digestive system - plain and simple it's broken and those that are supposed to know how to fix these things are clueless.

United Airlines - once good, my hometown airline has now crossed over into a company that has lost sight of what it is they do. From what I see now they mistreat their passengers and don't care if they do. My opinion; but I have been mistreated just about every time recently. I used to fly them a lot; United you had me and you lost me.

that people in this world are still starving - Can't we figure this out?

the stranglehold that the oil business has on the world - the guys below should be helping with this; not helping themselves. We need to kick this habit and we had better accept the challenge and get it done. I have faith in the American people; it's our politicians that are holding us back.

politicians - Do something for us; not for yourself, the special interests that own you or for your damn party. Make this country better or get the hell out. Please!

people that aren't generous with the less fortunate - Find a local reputable food bank and feed some of your neighbors. There but for the grace of god...

greedy people - see above...money is a better slave than master

terrorists - having no remorse for killing people is brutal. It's uncivilized.

mean people - relax, be nice, there's no need to be nasty

the punks that stole my guitars - I can't believe that I have never heard a peep from the local police department. They caught one of the suspected kids wearing my watch for god sakes. I have not heard from them since May.

the celebrity culture - Who really gives a damn about the personal life of Brittany, JLo, Brad, Angela, and so on and so on? Leave them alone, they're human. Would you want all your personal foibles, real and fabricated, broadcast to the world? I think not. Take all the energy given to the pursuit of this crap and turn it for something useful. Just don't get rid of the ridiculous rags that you buy in the checkout line at the grocery store. Those are comic books anyway. OK so this rant is a little mixed up.

Heather Mills - go away, leave him alone. I don't care about you one iota. You married a legend and you cannot undo any part of that. It's bigger than you and, in fact, it's bigger than him.

religious zealots - religion is like silk underwear. If you are wearing it and are comfortable, good for you. If you wear it on your sleeve, it's not going to look very good and I really don't care to see it. I'll choose my undies (or not); you choose yours.

That was kind of fun...tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to sharing those things I am thankful for.

Location 4

We made it down to Florida. Happy to be in the warmth. When we left Chicago this morning it was cool and dreary; arrived in Florida to sunshine and 80+ degrees. I like it.

Unfortunately, the pool is not working right. The heat pump is not pumping heat so the water is a chilly 73 degrees. That will not do it. Hopefully I can get the service people out here tomorrow so that we can use the pool this weekend.

My body clock is our of kilter. From Vegas to here in the matter of a couple of days is tough. I feel incredibly tired. Getting this post in is a major effort. Hence, the drivel...

I did write down every tune that came up on my iPod while listening on the flight but I'm too tired to list them. I will do that; just not now. I need to lay my head down and slip through sleep's dark and silent gate. Soon. Very Soon.

Can't Trust That Day

Five questions for a Monday


1. Are there any songs that you dread hearing because it will get stuck in your head and you can't shake it?


2. Can you share a favorite Christmas memory or two?


3. This is a quote attributed to Albert Einstein. "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This is a quote from the show Northern exposure
"Sometimes the mind, for reasons we don't necessarily understand, just decides to go to the store for a quart of milk." Which one can you relate to? Both?

4. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall?

5. Do you understand the fascination that some people have with horror movies?