Guitars Under Attack

Crack agents of fish and foolishness departments raided Gibson guitar factory. The instrument manufacturer must prove its innocence, and will no doubt receive no compensation for the cost of doing so. Their fret boards are of exotic wood that must be shown to come from approved sources. I do not think Gibson has gone black market on this.

If you own a vintage guitar, you can be asked to prove and document where the ebony fret board or other parts came from, when they were built etc. Before a certain date, it is grandfathered in, and after it has to meet certain criteria. The thing is, you have to prove it in any case, especially if you travel with it in or out of the country. Customs can take it away from you if you bring that old family heirloom, the old old Martin guitar, if you do not have papers and proof of every detail. And who generally has that?

Maybe now that guitar players are being touched by the police state, they'll be less likely to jump on every ridiculous bandwagon that results in more power to the state. Isn't it about time people refused the encroachment of totalitarian, police state tactics in this country? We need to insist that the burden of proof be put back on the accuser--the state--and let the accused be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Gibson's CEO supported Obama's opposition in the election. Hmmm...much like the various profitable GM franchises who were forced to close, although some of their less profitable competition wasn't, when that company was semi nationalized. I so much wish we'd trash this two party dynasty.

Trouble on the Horizon?

Here in east San Diego back country we experience mini micro climate. My weather may vary significantly from that of points east, west and north which are near enough to see from my cluttered, yet lovely, back deck.

Just now as I gazed to the east I noticed dark clouds and a pocket of rain slightly to the northern edge. I also heard thunder and witnessed long lightning bolts at the southern edge of the eastern clouds. The troubling aspect of this is that, where the lightning was, there was no rain, and everything out there is highly flammable dry weeds and such. It is a mystery to me why you can't mow down swaths of that stuff near roads and in ways which would contain brush fires. There is no shortage of volunteers who would supply the labor to do that.

People don't realize that much which could be done to mitigate fire dangers in the west is forbidden due to odd ideas that it protects habitats and certain vegetation. So, in the name of protection we ensure that these things are likely to be destroyed by fire. I guess it satisfies everyone involved in making these rules since it also ensures the destruction of human habitats and property. You know, down with people and all that.

I hope the lightning did not manage to ignite the landscape. It is troubling that there was lightning but no rain for miles around it. I'm not sure I've ever seen that before.

In the mean time, I keep trying to find out what shape the Outer Banks of NC and the Norfolk area are in as Irene saunters through. I am really sick of the AP reports which are so completely obsessed with NJ and New York and Bloomberg. Your mayor is a fuquit, NYC. Sorry you can't do what LA and New Orleans did and ignore the incompetence of local officials by blaming Bush. Truth is, the mayor and governor were guilty of criminal neglect, incompetence and hobbled the federal effort. Not to say FEMA activities aren't rife with corruption, stupidity and bizarre practices. Farther up the ladder you go, the more that happens.

Anyway, so what is what in God's country east--NC and VA? I did see that Nags head beach houses were in the water a bit---an absolutely predictable situation. The pic I saw showed them still standing but the water was up the stilts on which they stand a foot or two. I very much like Nags Head and the entire area. The stick houses which show no signs of aerodynamic design and consideration still puzzle me.