Gilmore says first Assembly term may be his last

Sitcom Pitch: My Mother the Mayor. All about the zany antics of two feuding political families. Banana peels thrown in the hallways of the State House to uproarious laughter at the pratfalls. The mother constantly chiding the the two lead characters (based on Dean and Nicole) to get along and yet turns and churns up more bad feelings herself to more laughter when the son has to correct the mother. The underlying sexual tension builds as the audience yearns for the two handsome antagonists to get together. All the support characters are in some level of politics,
too. Even the kids are running for student body president.

After the story in today's Bee about Danny Gilmore's buyer's remorse I'm still convinced that a tv show about the two political families would be viable. Or at least funny as we speculate about the plot and characters.

I'm learning how to shape a bridge saddle on my D16. Bone sounds a lot better than the plastic one it came with. Might go back to the Clown Cage and get another one and try it again. 4th time should be a charm. But, this one sounds so good, I'll light here and rest awhile. I just can't get over how the notes ring and sustain. Yesterday I just couldn't put it down, played straight through till my hand hurt.


"Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all other liberties." - Milton

My Top Ten Lame Rock bands


Journey
Styx
Doobie Bros.
Bay City Rollers
REO Sppedwagon
Poison
Twisted Sister
Men Without Hats
Hanson
Leo Sayer

Hope for local talk radio after all

Jocey and I were interviewed on KMJ back in the 80's before the right-wing hate talkers took over the spectrum. Thanks Donovan. Oh the good old days when the Bee owned seemingly everything in Fresno. Then they passed a law saying it was an unfair advantage for one entity to own the major newspaper, a tv station (ch.24) and the main radio station (KMJ). They basically gave the radio station to the right-wingers and left the Bee with only the newspaper. Now newspapers are going out of business.

I was listening with much frustration, as I usually do, to the Alan Autry radio show the other day as Bill McEwen sounded so intelligent compared to the former mayor when I thought, "They should give this guy a radio show. He's way more informed and intellectually honest than these "Obama is a communist" right-wingers".

KYNO 1300am got rid of stone-age Dr. Laura and replaced her with a talk show featuring Bill McEwen from the Bee. Finally some moderation in this boiling sea of intolerance that is talk radio in Fresno.

http://1300kyno.com/

I was going to put a link to the story by Rick Bentley in today's paper, but again, as usual can't find it at the confusing maze that is the Bee's website.

Conservative Media Freaked Out Over DHS Report


Considering what happened yesterday at the Holocaust Museum in DC this is especially poignant. DHS is doing their job and the right-wing media laughs it off and condemns it.

Jocey's Hard Rock Mix 22MAY09

1 Alice Cooper - I’m 18 2:55 Billion $ Babies 1973
2 Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion 4:34 Toys in the attic 1975
3 Kiss - Rocknroll all nite 2:45 Dressed to kill 1975
4 Montrose - Rock candy 5:17 s/t 1973
5 Robin Trower - Little bit of sympathy s/t 4:20 1973
6 Van Halen - Runnin with the devil s/t 3:32 1978
7 Roxy Music - Love is the drug 4:05 1975
8 Heart - Magic man 5:35 Dreamboat Annie 1975
9 Led Zeppelin - Stairway to heaven zofo 7:55 1972
10 Alan Parsons Project - Be like you 3:19 I Robot 1977
11 Edgar Winter Group - Free ride 45 3:05 1972
12 Jeff Beck - Ain’t superstitious 4:53 Truth 1968
13 ZZ Top - La Grange 3:51 Tres Hombres 1973
14 Motorhead - Ace of spades comp LP 1980
15 Beach Boys - Sail on Sailor 3:15 Holland 1973
16 Genesis - Firth of fifth 9:36 Selling England 1973
17 10cc - Blackmail 4:35 Original soundtrack 1975
18 Rolling Stones - Shattered 45 3:46 1978
78:02 787.7MB

This what we've been listening to the last week or so.

BUY LOCAL
I like buying local as long as it has good value. And the guy isn't a total crook. I see the buy local tag in the Bee on ads from only certain businesses, like Fresno Volvo and Fashion Furniture. By their definition buying a Volvo is still buying local. Maybe they're making Volvos in Arkansas like Hondas. I noticed Michael Volkswagon doesn't have the buy Local tag on their ads. Maybe it's because they know everybody thinks VWs are made in Germany and it would be a stretch to ask people to buy a VW and call it buying local.

We bought a dining set recently from Macys. On the bottom of the table is an easy to find tag that says, made in China. Checked out a lot of dining tables at other well-known furniture stores in Fresno and could not find one that didn't say made in China.

I think these are the same people who worked so hard to convince us that shipping all the factories overseas in the 90's was a good idea. And continued to give them tax breaks for doing so. And now they want us to buy local when it's not really buying local. The sales tax benefit is cited yet they have been against every tax that has ever come along.

The best argument for the buy local ad campaign is the massive Bee Buy Local section 30MAY09. Talk about math, I'm still going through it all. Anyone would have to be crazy to go against such a massive campaign supported by so many local heavyweights.

It all makes sense until you scratch the surface.
Call me crazy, but I have learned over the years to never, ever believe what is said in advertising.

These local high rollers now want us to buy local when we little people buy stuff, but where do the sellers of the luxury merchandise buy when they buy stuff?

Where are the things manufactured they sell? When they buy the labor to make the stuff where do they go to get it? They buy their manufacturing labor overseas.

I'm a really local guy, but this buy local advertising campaign is phoney. They were the ones who got us into all this financial mess and now they want to tell us how and where to spend our money?

I think the people have spoken. They don't want to buy those bloated gas guzzlers, they want a greener world to live in, universal health care and a government that works for them.

All the things the Republicans have been against for the last....ever.

Article from NYTimes in the Bee 20MAY09
Totally explains this typical top down Republican, pro-big business strategy. They can say it's 'local' even though it's actually manufactured or grown hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

Buy my 'local' music:
www.stagedive-records.com/mailorder

Voting today?

We went over the sample ballots last night and discussed it again this morning. The wording/purpose is confusing on several of the measures.

1A - This one is somewhat clear, in that, it creates a rainy day fund. Sounds like a good idea, but wouldn't just spending less solve the budget shortage?

1B - This is confusing. What are supplemental payments to local school districts? I'm all for generous funding of schools but this is unclear.

1C - We have to have a special election to "modernize the Lottery"?

1D - Take away money from children's services to balance the budget?
No way.

1E - Take away money from mental health to balance the budget? No way again.

1F - This one should have been 1A. It's clear that it says "Prevents pay increases during budget deficit years." We had to have a special election to determine this???

I've gone back and forth as to voting all yes or all no or not voting at all to protest these damn special elections/propositions.

MLK day 19JAN09 with my song, "Flatlanders" mixed into the soundtrack. A great holiday for all Americans. Civil rights in downtown Fresno. The marching bucket brigade was a highlight for me. I'll definitely go back next year. It was fun and inspiring.

3 car accident at Blackstone and McKinley Fresno. No one was seriously hurt. 4:20pm 11may09

I listened to KMJ today because they had the big march from Mendota to Firebaugh. Heard several of the politicians try to speak over the wind in the phone to the radio station. At one point ex-mayor Jim said the wind was louder than the one speaking. So, it was windy. On the local news later today they should have videos of how windy it was.

How windy was it?
It was so windy you could hear voices in your head telling you that a coalition between Republicans and Farm workers will turn out just peachy.

Must've been a lot of dust blowing out there, too.

Dust Storm Warning today
http://www.weather.gov/alerts/ca.html...

DUST STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PDT WEDNESDAY
FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...
WIDESPREAD BLOWING DUST IS OCCURING...REDUCING VISIBILITY TO NEAR
ZERO AT TIMES. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 40 MPH WITH
GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH POSSIBLE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A DUST STORM WARNING MEANS SEVERELY LIMITED VISIBILITIES ARE
EXPECTED WITH BLOWING DUST. TRAVEL COULD BECOME EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS. PERSONS WITH RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SHOULD MAKE
PREPARATIONS TO STAY INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

Clash of Ideologies 2feb09

Passage of the stimulus package comes down to whether a few Republican Senators can support it. The Dems have a 57 member majority and they need 60 to keep the opposition from stopping the legislation.
This is a good time to tune in to the debate on C-SPAN2 because anywhere you jump in it's easy to understand what's going on.

In spite of the American people voting in favor of increasing the majority of the Dems in the last few elections the Republicans still cling to their hardline idiology of tax cuts as a solution to all problems. Not one Republican voted in favor of the stimulus in the House. But, they were able to get 3 moderate Republicans in the Senate to support it. The debate goes on all this week. What's your opinion on this issue?

Democratic National Convention 29AUG08


What a great Democratic Convention! I thought speeches by Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana were some of the brightest moments. Tears of joy on the faces of some people in the audience was surprising.

I didn't care too much for Hillary's speech. She seemed conflicted and it came off as slightly dishonest. Although she did have a self-deprecating joke about the "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pantsuits" that showed some humility.

Of course Barack's speech at Invescoe Field was spectacular. But what overshadowed the quality and substance of the speech for me was the sheer volume of people attending: over 84,000! That giant stadium was filled to the rafters. I couldn't believe how high up the top balcony was. And Jocey and I couldn't see any empty seats. Just amazing.

These gigantic crowds Barack is drawing shows his wide appeal and massive support from the general public for his policies. I can't help but look for other Democrats in history who have had such popularity. JFK and FDR come to mind. And similarly we are at a once-in-a-lifetime point in history where Democratic principles can be legislated. Our majority in the House and Senate are set to expand and we will also have the White House. They will not be able to stop us from passing legislation that will turn this nation around and actually help the American people.

As a musician I have to comment on the wonderful orchestra that played during the first 3 nights of the convention at The Pepsi Center. They knew how to groove and use the music to make the event fun and meaningful. Excellent selection of Classic Motown and disco hits that lent an atmosphere of celebration to the historic event.
Stevie Wonder on the last night was just excellent. You could tell he was no stranger to arena-rock events as he belted out "Signed, sealed, delivered I'm yours" with a few newly added verses just for this performance. But, it was a wide selection of music genres that gave it all a democratic feel. I heard a bluegrass band opening at the football stadium. Didn't catch their name but I noticed the bass player was using the largest bass amp known to man: an Ampeg SVT. I guess when you're playing bluegrass in a football stadium an SVT comes in handy.

How many indicted Republicans does it take to screw in a light bulb?
100 - 1 to screw in the light bulb and 99 to take the bribe!

I wonder if Liberal am talk radio will ever come back to Fresno? Maybe when HD radio kicks in a station in the area will have the bandwidth.

Gig flyers torn down by Fresno City Code Enforcement
I was at Livingstones yesterday afternoon and saw a guy methodically taking down gig flyers from the telephone poles at the Ban of America, Livingstones and the Starline. At first I thought it was a bank employee or some disgruntled wingnut but when I asked hin what he was doing I noticed he had on a City of Fresno jacket that said Code Enforcement. He said he was there because it's against the law to hang up these flyers.

I asked him what about the bulletin board at the old Archer's Music just down the block and he said he was going to have to give them another $200 ticket for not removing the flyers from their property. What about the kiosk on the corner of Olive and Wishon I asked. He said that was ok because it was designated for such flyering.

I think someone had to call Code Enforcement to get them to send someone down to tear down the few flyers he actually got to. He couldn't begin to take down all the flyers as some are glued on, taped on or out of reach, etc. If he comes back every day for the next year there will be more flyers hung up. A city who claims to be local musician-friendly and yet takes down our flyers directly in front of the venue is highly conflicted.

As of Thursday, Feb 7 with 99% of California Precincts reporting, nearly twice as many Democrats voted in this Primary than did the Republicans. That is a significant number and reveals an energized electorate. I believe we are motivated by the events in politics over the last 7 years. Namely, it is the extreme displeasure of the electorate with the incompetent Bush administration and his corrupt cronyism. “Heck of a job, Brownie.” Bush said yesterday that he is praying for the victims of the deadly tornadoes in the South. And that he is sending FEMA down there to help out. I imagine they should be seeing them arrive there sometime early next year. Maybe he can give them a tax cut, too. That should help out a lot with all the loss of life and property.

Clinton 2,107,758
Obama 1,717,681
Others 234,274
total 4,059,713

McCain 975,363
Rominey 790,515
Huckabee 268,622
Others 290,163
total 2,324,663

Why I like Barack Obama for President 31JAN08



Don’t get me wrong I like The Clintons. She would definitely bring more policy expertise to the office than Barack. And coupled with her husband they would be a powerhouse of policy development. But, the very thing that would make them effective, (and I say “them” because we all know Bill would be a de-facto Vice President) is the thing that makes them vulnerable.

I was listening to Hannity the other day and heard a most hateful criticism of Hillary’s candidacy.
It was the usual smear and innuendo that paints her and her husband as sleazy charlatans that can’t be trusted.
They might steal the nation’s family silverware or he might cheat on his wife and embarrass everybody. He just pulled a chapter out from the Clinton Hate Playbook from 1998. It’s a well thought out and extensive playbook that’s already written.

That’s why my main reason for supporting Obama is strategic. The Right-Wing Hate Machine has to start all over from scratch when it comes to attacking Obama. Sure, they already have the Drug-Addled Limbaugh schtick of drawing comparisons between Obama and Osama, but a few one-liners is no book. They will also make fun of his middle name. But, his obvious vulnerability is going to be a lot harder to attack.

Even in the world of macho sports announcing it is taboo to be racist. And if you’re caught being overtly racist it could cost you your job. That’s why Rush lost his job announcing football, because of a racist comment. If they Swift-Boat Barack because of his race it could cost them their job. And the reason they spew out this hate year after year on talk radio is because that’s how they make money.

Therefore, I think Barack is a stronger candidate because he has less vulnerability than Clinton. Talk radio would have to start from scratch to develop an attack strategy. And, just as he said in his victory speech in South Carolina a few days ago, “Our time for change has come”. And putting the Clinton’s back in the Whitehouse to start that same 90’s political war all over again is not as big of a change as America yearns for. “Turn the page”

Hillary Clinton at Fresno High 22OCT07

It was a good speech. She doesn't need notes. Very well thought out. Support the troops not the war. After the speech she greeted folks. All the waving hands hoping to get an autograph or a handshake was touching. The most interesting part for me was where I was standing was where the 'protesters' were. There were about 15-20 of them holding various anti-Hillary signs. There was a biker with two big american flags on his Harley. There was a disabled guy in a wheel chair who yelled out, "Yeah, free abortions for all!" The grey-haired Republican women, who had t-shirts on that said they were the life of the party. One of them held a sign up that said: "Hillary lives in upscale Govt housing for free" I didn't understand the point of that one. The Ron Paul supporters and the IWW kids vied to be which one yelled out the loudest, angriest accusations. Seeing these two groups on the same team was funny. The Far Left (IWW) went so far to the left that they met up with the far right (Ron Paul Libertarians) and became allies in their common dislike of Hillary. Politics does make strange bedfellows.

FILE SHARING HURTS LOCAL INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS, TOO

Making this argument is like standing in the middle of highway 99 and trying to stop a giant tractor-trailer rig headed right at me. But, I’ve been thinking about this for a couple years now and I have to let it out.

Will the judgment against Jammie Thomas for $220,000 for file sharing handed down in a Duluth courtroom a few days ago slow down file sharing? I don’t know. I know it probably won’t slow down the file sharing of independent and out of print music. That is more widespread than ever before. The silence of local musicians and songwriters on the issue is due to the digital divide. A lot of small-time musicians and songwriters are being ripped off and they don’t even know about it. I highly recommend Google Alerts for finding out if there is anybody out there giving away or selling your music on the Internet.

I have refrained from criticizing file sharing until now because I wasn’t confident that I knew enough about it. Plus, I was afraid to speak out against this because of fear of reprisals. But I know enough now that I feel like my argument is logical and ethical.

There are some legitimate reasons behind the argument in favor of file sharing that I totally agree with. They all kind of come under the heading of: Major Label- Bad. The reason they are bad is because total power corrupts totally. I have been saying this for over 25 years. Thanks for coming to the party. They have had a near-total monopoly of the music business for many decades. We are, I believe at the beginning of another revolution to unseat the power of the majors. But, it’s going to be one hell of a war because this isn’t the first time they have fended off such an attack. And they won’t go peaceably. They will fight this with everything they have. This is also driven by the crux of the shift from the physical recording to the digital file. How far will it go? Will there be physical copies of albums in the future, or just digital files?

The majors have been unfair in the pricing of records they have sold over the years and people are wise to that now. They have also treated some of their artists unfairly, too. While they pour immoral amounts of money into a few top sellers they cast off smaller artists while at the same time selling their back-catalog and then turn around and refuse to pay royalties to these lesser knowns. Heck, I believe they won’t pay ANY artist royalties unless they are forced to do so under the threat of litigation.

But, if file sharing has made it hard for the majors to sell music it has also made it hard for anyone to sell music. Including local, independent musicians and labels.

There has been an awakening in Cities over the last few years over the value of local creative types. Localism is another issue I have embraced for decades and I’m glad they have come to this party as well. I have never had a problem with people making a few copies of my music to give to a few friends. In the rare instances when I find an album I like enough to buy, first thing I do is make a few copies to give to my friends. But, when someone uploads it to a web page and lets a whole album’s worth of music, artwork, photos, logos and track listings sit there 24 hours a day for perpetuity they distribute a lot more than just “a few copies to friends”. And it only takes a few of these guys to completely wipe out what little bit of sales a small-time musician/band could get.

What is it about the hard work that goes into writing, performing and recording music that these people feel isn’t worth being paid an honest days wage for an honest days work? I would be happy to get just a living wage for my efforts. Someday they will find a way to steal on the same scale other intellectual property like books and T-shirts. Maybe then it will stop.

I have learned to live in a new world of lowered expectations. Ok, so you won’t let me sell the 10 or 20 albums a year I could possibly sell if things were going really well. Will you at least let me be the one to give it away? So I can at least have the fun and prestige of distributing my own music? And know that I have retained at least some form of ownership of the music I have spent a lifetime writing, performing, recording and archiving? No, they won’t even let me have that. They even stole my ability to be the one to give it away.