Off The Subject, but ...

Until this last year I had not noticed it quite so much. Maybe this trend has been experiencing an upswing. People go berserk either pro or con regarding laws they haven't read.

Even the president makes comments which indicate he either hasn't read legislation, or he lies about it to serve his benefactors. Serve can be considered a broad enough term to include anger, agitate, and turn group against group. It happens a lot. Obama is not the only one guilty of such things.

The banking laws were so complicated most people have no idea exactly who got bailed out and how. Stimulus madness, and all the great "shovel ready" this and that proved not to be much good to most people. Of course in the middle of that, an official, whose name and title I do not recall, wanted to be sure jobs weren't going to skilled white labor. Always the need to create villains and animosity. Blame that guy, not all the other groups.

The politics of condition of birth is devoid of actual universal philosophy. It assumes we are not all equal under the law, not all similarly human, which implies we ought not all have the same basic rights. That's why rights has been redefined.

Maybe underlying all this madness is a shift from the American model to the Continental model. That is what it was called at some point in time, in some circles. The distinction is that under the continental model, you only have the rights granted by the state. They are privileges, and only the state can grant them. Under the American model, you have (had) any rights not explicitly forbidden. The state only had powers explicitly granted. All other power and right was reserved to states, localities and individuals.

It is an important distinction. In one case the government exercises power only through the permission of the people. In the other case people only exercise power under the permission of the government. We've moved toward the latter. But it is a tangled mess and lots of money is made with no regard to damage done to freedom of the individual.

The reason a senator would argue for a bill she hasn't read is because contained in the thousands of pages are provisions which serve interests who keep her in power. It is self serving and deal making.

In the case of the Arizona law, an alarming number of prominent figures have commented on it without looking at the the text of it or the reality of it. I find it much more dangerous for cities and states to more or less declare war on another state based on a law that state passes that displeases them. The worst part is that the arguments do not address the actual law, but wrong summaries of the law. If they want to take some position, they should get the facts straight.

This particular issue is the worst case of demagoguery I've seen in a long time. Groups are being frightened and angered purely to serve the power agenda of organizations which seek nothing but their own power. Now we have little clutches of people, and hate groups who claim to represent all Hispanics. And they try to pit them aginst some imaginary white conspiracy. It simply does not exist as they claim.

La Raza is right there at the forefront. They want to take part of America back because they say we stole it from Mexico. Where did Mexico get it? Let's see, Spain played a part, and France, too. And if they give it to the Azteca then the Azteca will have to give it back to a variety of ancient nations, most of which end in ec; toltec, olmec this ec that ec. And where they got it, I'm not sure. The point is, be consistent in how you want to work this out. And if you do get your raqcist state, will you loosen Mexico's immigration laws? They are far more strict than ours.

It is easier to play on emotion and tell people they will get accosted buying ice cream even though they are citizens whose ancestors have been here for over a hundred years. No, you will get rounded up for looking Mexican. Fortunately, that is simply a lie. Unfortunately when the president or attorney general say it, or a loud mouth la raza racist thug says it, people believe it without double checking. The attorney general admits he has made all his comments based on stories in the paper and such but hasn't bothered to read the actual bill. It may surprise him that it only reinforces the federal law already on the books.

If you take a bus ride from LA to Dallas, somewhere along the way the feds will board the bus and ask to see documentation regarding your legality for being in the US. They go all the way through Arizona and beyond before that happens. Because it is close to the border, and because people sneak in and there are some issues, like dead ranchers and disproportionate amount of crime committed by those who enter illegally. Not all of them, of course. Just a higher percentage than other groups.

Some of my good friends in the ast were here illegally from other countries. Eventually they found ways to work it out. They were not criminals. The law is not as bad as state income tax or a score of other such things.

Since when do states up north have a clue what it is like to run Arizona? In the case of California, it ought not waste time and money grandstanding about other states' affairs. It has its own issues.

The sadest thing is that many of the resolutions condemning what they do over there have been brought forth by people who never read the measure. Those who have and still act in such a way are merely fomenting hate and fear, then pandering to that in order to secure votes. It is nothing short of criminal. No way anyone would arouse such passion if they read the bill. No way, that is, unless they are willing to flat out lie.

Life at the Resort

Or, all the president's men. That's an inside reference. I'm actually an insider of no influence in the grand scheme of things.

Due to the obvious gas consumption and time involved in commuting 60 or 70 miles per day, it was suggested I just stay at the site while on this multi day push. OK. I can handle that, except I am suspect of hidden cameras, so I dance and do unusual things for Their entertainment. Not really. Most f the time. I think I know where the eyes in the walls live.

It would take no time for me to get used to this upscale life. Upscale relative to the usual, although I do like my view on Ballistic mountain. Last night I heard a bat flying around in the pool/spa area. Have to take advantage of the heated spa to cure aching muscles. I need more substantial muscles I think. Too bad I can't sleep here like I do in my secret home away from home.

Perhaps the term "ballistic" as it applies to my life, the Tour, and etc., should be clarified. It is not meant in the sense of going ballistic, as in angry maniacal hooplah. It is meant in the sense of my life being like the travel of one shot out of a giant cannon. There you go, but where you end up, who knows?

Anyway, this is an unusual life. I try like crazy to deserve the breaks I get. It is easy to find a down side to every positive thing. I think that is a mistake. It is not that easy to avoid it. Only seeing the downer thing tends to shut off the solution. It tends to amplify the attention on what you don't want rather than find ways around the obstacle. In my case, recognizing reality can bring about a negative outlook. Things never get all set just right and stay that way. There's maintenance on the car. You'd think it should just stay as it is without help. Then you have to eat more than just once in a lifetime. On and on.

It may be that all the little obstacles and disruptions of the perfect static balance are what makes life life. If that isn't a confusing trickster scheme I don't know what is. It will probably be alright

Necessity May Be the Mother

There is that old saying that necessity is the mother of invention. Often I have questioned if that isn't a part time mother. A lot of things are needed but still go ignored. For example, people need to mind their own business and stay out of the affairs of others when they aren't being bothered. Nope. Doesn't happen---enter the parade of professional busy bodies that posture on the news every night for the last 40 or 100 years. So, freedom is needed, and once I thought it was invented, however a sure way has yet to happen. Maybe people just don't get that the invention is there, just not fully r properly applied. Inventions should be idiot proof. Too bad that one wasn't. They tried.

Perhaps invention is done when those official creepy people have their heads turned. Positive invention at any rate. Same with innovation.

Invention, innovation, whatever you call it. A contractor once told me the best way to find aq unique way to do something is to assign it to your laziest worker. The assumption being that he did not hire any incompetent or stupid employees. He did large concrete jobs like water treatment plants and such. His guy came up with a very clever quick, cheap way to form and pour a particular part of the structure that normally was all complicated and labor intensive. It worked well. That was a great company.

Anyway, on my job, I'm the laziest employee I have. And, true to form, I finally found a way to make this tedious, labor intensive, Raul garage door, special magic, artistic finish project much less labor intensive and time consuming. At least I think I did. So far so good. Tomorrow will tell the tale.

I'm still in the prepare the trashed doors stage. That is the key part, and the hardest. This things will be right yet. I'd say the inspiration was pure brilliance but it was really pure frustration with working an hour and having so little to show for it. It was a combination of impatience and dislike of doing too much damned work.

So, I tried or thought of everything I could imagine that might save labor---then I sat and drank my coffee. Then I took a break. Then I actually tried the idea and realized I got more done in 30 minutes than I did in an hour and a half of actually work--no breaks.

Then I went around the corner to the teak, round 2, job. This new improved set up, and the fact it can be protected from infidels and weather when needed, now, leave me somewhat encouraged.

Who would have thought a bottle of water and a scrub brush would be my new best friends?
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This group I play with has made a song I did with the Memphis band into an instrumental. Actually it is primarily me going as wild as I can while the guitars make a gentle rhythm. C minor. I'm not sure I ever had a band willing to do that. It is more their idea than mine and I like it. I don't go as crazy as I could yet, but this could be a chance to spontaneously combust under the right circumstances. It is kind of a risky thing, but I think it is on the right track. The right people have responded favorably the couple of times we played out. All the stuff we do is better now anyway.

I'm really happy with the original material in this group. No one cares that much about playing out so we do what we do. I'd kind of like to play some different gigs but at the same time, I think the creativity and talent of these guys makes it worthwhile to do whatever it is they have in mind. It took awhile but they have made me much better than I was.

Trying Not To Be An Ingrate

When I get into these projects which seem to never end, and which leave my back aching, I start to internally gripe about not being a sociopathic lawyer with the big bucks, or any number of other things. That is not good. I'm lucky to be where I am and have this work to get me by until I actually make the effort, or take the chance, which will put me in some other vocation.

When it goes my way I like this stuff. Right now it is slow going and not that easy. A normal person would think this kind of thing would be a fun hobby. And it is.

So, I thought I'd better be sure to recognize that this is not the time to be an ingrate. Just because sleep is my favorite hobby is no reason to lose all enthusiasm for more kinetic passtimes. I know what you are thinking. I'm not going there.

The point is, the mind can play tricks. You get what you want then you forget that it is what you wanted. How dumb is that?

Pecos Bill Bearing Down on Dallas

My friend, Mr S, whom I will here refer to as Pecos Bill in order to protect anonymity, has already toured the Pecos depot as he closes in on Dallas. Texas is a rather large state, so I hear, which means it may take a while to cover the remaining span.

Rumor has it that to kill boredom he has been riding with his head out the window, pretending he's a dog. If you see him, wave. Do not throw a frisbee his way, as that could cause him to jump from the bus in pursuit. Method acting. Or whatever kind causes you to believe the part, is what he may be employing. The risk is too high.

Any trouble making has been done in such a way that other passengers were framed for the offenses and tossed from the vehicle at high speed. In the middle of nowhere you can do that. It saves money on court costs and all the lawyers and other nitwits who take a cut. Even though innocents sometimes suffer, as in this case, the long term record of this system is actually a tad better than normal court for meting out appropriate sentences and not convicting the wrong person.

So, that's the story. The vicarious thrill of travel found in following the tour of another.

Who Ray! Another Tour to Follow

You'd think I was the one escaping a bad situation, heading off with only a suitcase or two, and having no idea what comes next, but knowing it will be OK. Having friends at the end of the ride is a big deal. It is what saves your life sometimes.

I've had good fortune that way. I am glad my friend will get to experience what it is like when you are surrounded by kind people. When others treat you as if they see some value in your existence it can often bring you back to life if you've struggled to see the value in yourself. The kind of people who will beat you up if you mope too much make great friends.

To me, it is exciting when you are going from a place and life which had become unworkable, stagnant and otherwise not pleasant, and you realize that for now, your only home is right where you are--even if it is a bus seat for a day or two. No looking back, and so little defined ahead that there is no way to plan beyond the very basics. Someone is bound to be willing to pay you to do who knows what. That's the first thing. After that can be dealt with later.

Whether someone noticed this, or I noticed it myself, I am not sure, but I often think I feel more secure with less real security. It is likely just a phobia regarding being responsible; like having a house and major possessions. I guess it is all the rules and regulations for everything I most dislike. I can't keep up. That doesn't make me irresponsible, just born with an inordinate sense of entitlement to be free and autonomous.

Whatever that all means, I was happier than I would have expected to get a call from Mr. (name withheld) as he crossed into Arizona. Finally, he got out of that L.A. area which was so toxic under the circumstances. Unbelievably good people at the other end.

Another case of life turning in unexpected ways, with a little help. Maybe it was only unexpected by some. I wonder at my vicarious thrill as someone else travels cross country with almost nothing, ready to start from scratch. Something about that scenario is so American, or gypsy, not sure.

I'm happy and relieved. No one wants to hear that a friend is out in the global climate change with only a cardboard box. But hearing that a friend is heading toward a sort of rebirth and an adventure into the unknown is kind of cool.

Redemption Themes

At K's the other night, we were musing about the songs he and the other guy write. One writes about leaving the girl, even though nothing is wrong with her, and the other writes more about her leaving because she died too young. Well, some of those were written by others.

The joke was that K is jilt the chick themed, and C is dead chick themed. Then I was asked what theme my songs fall into. I didn't have an answer at the time, but since realized almost everything I have written is about redemption in some way. At least that is what I call it. You are down and out, lost, or full of unrequited passion, then it turns around and you climb back up, find yourself and fly through the sky with the hot chick. All of it has to do with getting your soul back.

That sounds a bit strange. I'm not sure how else to put it. Feeling and being a participant in life after being on the sidelines like a spectator. Years of wishing you could be alive rather than just be here with a pulse but not much else. That's a kind of redemption. Especially if the starting condition felt like life wasted, missed, lost. Hopeless.

That is pretty much it. That is how my life has been. Little deaths and little redemptions. Yes I know the French or some other foreigners use that term in another context. It does, however, tie in I suppose. Multiple meanings are always nice. One might even say that life is actually its own metaphor.

Information is Too Sparse to Know Cause, but Effect is Consistently Clear

I'm reluctant to jump on any of the many bandwagons which seem to be everywhere across this country. There is the one about global warming, or climate change, or whatever, that insists it is all caused by humans and the earth is going to die.

So, green everything is promoted, even though in the grand scheme of things many of these products actually have as much carbon footprint as whatever evil they are replacing. That has to do with all the energy, toxic waste and processes which are required to manufacture the green thing. OK.

The truth is foggy on that front, but it is clear that everything proposed makes life more expensive and mobility much more difficult--especially for the less financially endowed. Ability to cover distances and live outside the urban hub seem threatened.

The oil rig disaster has many reacting by insisting that maybe drilling offshore is wrong and dangerous and ought not be done. We've not had troubles up until now, for the most part. This one is big time.

Without a satisfactory level of information regarding the cause of the explosion that ruined that rig, I am hesitant to indict the process altogether. Many have grown to hate the oil business, almost blindly, like a source to focus free floating anger. Some firms in that industry have definitely been too much in bed with the powers that be, but that does not make the entire concept bad. Refineries have been limited, exploration has bee gorssly retarded and then people bemoan dependence on foreign oil.

Someone is making big bucks off this set up. Maybe the very corporations that those who support all the limits love to hate. Stranger things have happened when it comes to regulations.

OK. Don't know what caused the mess. Don't know if every agency and entity involved did what they were supposed to do to contain it in a timely fashion or not. Maybe they acted as quickly as they could, maybe not.

No use having a strong opinion about that--not enough info, and the sources of information are notoriously full of half truths.

The one thing that stands out is that the reaction is going to limit the supply one way or another, and again what you get is curbing of mobility.

War on terror had that same effect. Ability to move about freely was squeezed. Almost everything going on results in restricted mobility. Or an insistence on being dependent and poorer than you were.

I hate to say it, but I'm not buying the spin on health care, climate, terrorism, drugs, immigration or Wall Street. That is not to say I buy the arguments presented by whatever is supposed to be the opposition in these matters. I'm not on any bandwagon, however I am coming dangerously close to believing what can only be classed as conspiracy theory. I do pick and choose, though.

Noting the Greek melt down and issues for Europe because of the euro, can we now quit citing how they do things in Europe as the glowing role model?

If fuel goes sky high, I guess I'll get the smallest possible bike that can cruise at highway speeds. That road trip is going to happen one way or the other.

Ancient Secrets of Rustic Cedar Garage Door Finish

Who would have guessed? To make the wood right at the big buck Brit's home away from home you need a large container of sour cream, one of strawberry spread, and a loofah. That's all there is to it, other than some 220 grit sand paper, and some 120 for the toughest spots. Oh, and a wire brush, used sparingly.

Not sure what's up with that strawberry spread. I think it is a berry cream blend. Just judging from the containers the secret formulas were in when Raul showed me how to apply the stuff. I was hoping he was going to ex foliate my back with the loofah, however that may have been a little too intimate and I would not have been up for anything more.

Actually, he is still holding out on the exact product brands, hence the containers. Just to be sure I tasted the sour cream sealer and the strawberry wax. They tasted different than the labels implied. I think I figured out what the sealer is. The wax, maybe, however what is used to tint the wax, I do not know.

No matter what all that is made of, the doors require a tremendous amount of detailed hand sanding. Tedious is the word for it. Of course, as soon as I'd prepared a couple of the planks, about an 8"by 2 foot area, I had to apply the final wax to see if I could duplicate the little bitty section he'd done to show me how it should look. He picked the one tiny part of the whole 500 square foot project which required nothing special.

At first the pieces I did looked like a nightmare. Way too dark and too much grain darkened. The wax did not wipe off to a lighter hue as it did when Raul demonstrated. Bummer. So, after trying to buff it wipe it, sand it, I called it a day. That was last night at sunset.

Today, I started anew on my quest to undo the bad wax job, before Raul comes back to the area and checks in to see how I'm doing. I've stretched the humility all I care to on this project. Out of the sky came a sudden thought. Why not try a scrub brush? Nothing. It had no impact. How about wetting the bush a little? BINGO!! It buffed down with this technique to a very acceptable finish. Maybe better than that little ringer piece Raul did.

In case you try this at home, I think the problem was that the sealer was not on thick enough. The stuff is very thin and milky so you do best laying more on as the first stuff soaks in but before it is very dry. If it dries, lightly hit it with 220 grit paper then put on some more. Let it fill the grooves a bit as well as just seal the wood. You hit it again with the 220 and then the loofah after it is completely dry. You used the 220 and the loofah before applying it, too. This is secret info.

The loofah is used at particular phases of the preparation. Whether it actually does anything, I can't say. I go through the motions anyway. He may have just thrown that in to see if I'd fall for it. Considering the massive amount of work yet to do, I may as well take no chances. I got myself in enough trouble as it is, and the loofah can't hurt.

What an odd life. I will do a bunch of work around the corner from the Brit's because I need the money and already have a handle on it. Both jobs need to be done within a close time frame. The garage door saga may be a losing proposition money-wise, but it is possible they will understand I was not given good info and went off the edge as a result. Either way, I took the job, messed it up, and am making it right. It is my responsibility no matter what. The around the corner place is a regular gig.
That owner is one of the behind the scenes people who run the world. Spooky. And ironic.

The guy who works for the major contractor, which builds most things around there, was by this afternoon. He's the one who found out who'd done the doors to begin with so he's kept up with this saga. He thought the panel I did looked great, which was a good confidence booster. I'd forgotten how it was really supposed to be, and he hadn't.

Soon I hope to once again be able to boast about what good work I do. Then I want to get big bucks to do things like tell people what I think. It would be sort of like using my mind. There are people who get paid to express their views, and actually thinking is optional much of time. Who would know when you are really using your brain and when you aren't? That's the gig I want; get paid to appear to be thinking whether I am or not.

In time, I hope I will again be able to tout my conscientious craftsmanship. This was a set back which dropped me down a notch or three. I shall again have the swelled head and inflated sense of self appraisal.

Maybe it's only 300 square feet. This is the kind of job where an inch becomes a mile.

Maybe It Is A life That I Need

Back in the old days, people found it interesting to read my drivel. Now, not so much.

I think it is the volume combined with the rants about the state of currents events. We've all been done to death with it and no one figures they have any power over it anyway. Actually the implied point in most of what I had to say is that real life is better than the collective conformity of responding to extortionists and liars who control various matters legal and financial.

Then I realized that my real life is largely uneventful and makes for no good stories, yet. That is merely a temporary issue. I'm working on putting a little more life into life.

K, the guitar player figured out how to record with his computer. He has a decent set up, and it would also work on my computer. Tonight I got a last minute call to lay down a harmonica track on a thing he's working on. He'll be up all night fooling with it. Like a kid at Christmas.

For much of the tune you hardly realize I'm in there, but that is as it should be. Pull it and you could tell the difference, but in the main you don't think, "oh there's a bunch of blues harp". The art of being a tasty side man, if I say so myself. People have often not understood that desire for blend, and just a hint of the instrument in there. Fortunately K got it.

Depends on what you're doing whether that's the ticket or not. What he has so far is pretty good. Once the3 others put their parts in, it is going to be alright.

Found out most of my Memphis friends did not get flooded, however one person's car did get flooded--total loss I think.

I only wrote this to force myself to write something. Write enough and eventually you will produce the Gettysburg Address.