Harleys, Cars, Girls & Guitars

Facebook Will Give You a Fat Ass

I’ve had a few days off between project work, and I’ve made the mistake of spending some time on Facebook (hereinafter “FB”). Whew! People are spending their entire day in that wasteland!

I got sucked into a couple of political discussions. Nothing brings out the stupid like talking politics. These discussions very quickly degenerate into “Your momma wears dirty underpants” hysteria.

FB is the new refuge for couch potatoes. If you really want to grow your ass and spread it out, sit all day in front of your computer BSing on FB. Since I already spend at least 6 hours a day in front of my computer working, adding on a few hours of FB is damned near fatal.

FB is addictive, I’ll admit. Some jackass taunts you over some political nonsense that neither of you have any control over, and the adrenalin starts running. You want to get even. You refuse to let that jackass have the last word. This can go on for hours.

The answer, now that spring has arrived, is to take a walk, get on your bike or go work in your garden. Forget about whether some imbecile is getting his rocks off by calling you a racist. That imbecile called 300 other people racists today.

Most of FB is a waste of time. Except for the bits that give me a little laugh, or give me a chance to maintain a real friendship.

And, please, don’t get into a competition with me about how many FB friends you’ve managed to corral. I’m not in the game.

Don't Sing Kung Fu Fighting in England

Yes, you will be arrested in England for singing Kung Fu Fighting. The song was number one on Billboard in 1974.

A pub singer, Simon Ledger, was arrested for "suspicion of racism" after singing the song last Sunday. A Chinese couple was offended by the song and called the police. As you can see, racist YouTube still allows this song to be posted to its site.

Carl Douglas, who wrote the song, called the arrest "political correctness gone mad."

Ledger was arrested sometime after his performance in a Chinese restaurant!

All those bands that have "Play That Funky Music White Boy" in their repertoire... beware!

Lone Wolf Says Obama Birth Certificate's a Fake!

Just when you thought it was over. Go to Lone Wolf's site for his story. He says that the certificate is an obvious Photoshopped fake.

Above, the released photocopy of the entire certificate. I've highlighted in red the area I'm going to discuss. Lone Wolf argues that the type and signatures on this document have been lifted from another document and pasted on top of green safety paper.

Here's that highlighted area, incredibly magnified in Photoshop:

The interesting thing is that the identifying marks of the green safety paper don't show through the ascending stroke of the “b” as you would expect. Also, all of the letters are surrounded by white. This doesn't seem correct.

The method of lifting a graphic item from a document in Photoshop is to select a color range, in this case black. The selected graphic item is then pasted onto a new background, say something like this green safety paper. The problem is that the overlying image gets “feathered” into the underlying image, leaving the signature white border.

Don't know what I think of this, but the controversy ain't over.

UPDATE: Despite what some readers are saying, I have not indicated that I believe that Obama's birth certificate is a forgery. I'm not an expert in signature authentication, and I've never looked at the original documents.

You're a Racist if You Vote Against Obama

Yes, that's going to be the Democrat's campaign strategy in 2012! The Great Bigot Hunt continues! You've got to wonder why the Democrats don't just nominate a black lesbian for every office.

Then, they could continuously experience that sanctimonious orgasm of calling all opposition racist, sexist and homophobic.

Yahoo is closely affiliated with the Associated Press, a very leftist news agency.

President Obama's going to have a rough time running on the issues. Four or five buck a gallon gas is killing him, although he doesn't seem to get it yet. Stagflation is setting in for the first time since the Carter administration.

I doubt that this time around calling everybody racist will work for Obama. But, I might be wrong. Last time around, the Obama campaign called President Clinton racist, and it worked!

Times Square Subway Mosaic

Amazing what you can miss! I've passed by this mosaic a million times, but never quite noticed it. The underground walkway between the 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue subways at 42nd Street features a series of these mosaics depicting New Year's Eve revelers in Times Square.

Of course, the mosaics are dirty, covered with decades of soot and dust. New York's subway features brilliant mosaic art in its stations and walkways. Cleaning and shining it up isn't a budgetary priority.

Took the trip to Manhattan today to visit a client on Wall Street. Someday, I'll have to devote the time to photographing Wall Street. The oldest part of Manhattan, Wall Street projects a jumbled, brute charm. No unified architectural style like Paris. But, fascinating and powerful nevertheless.

Easter Greetings from Woodstock!

Father George delivered a very emotional mass this morning at St. John's Catholic Church. The pews were full of kids and moms and dads.

I have a great day ahead of me. A ride on the Harley through the Catskills. Cubs vs. Dodgers on TV. Dinner with Big Joe & Family, followed by a jam session if we're still sober enough to play. The Karaoke Queen left me a refrigerator full of food. My daughter drove over for Easter dinner yesterday. Her wedding is not far off. Grandkids on the way! So, my life is blessed.

Easter is the day for mulling over the mystery of death and the afterlife. My father has been gone for over a decade. My brilliant and devoted wife, Myrna, has been gone for almost seven years.

So, the eternal question: Do we believe because we cannot bear the finality of death, or because we are destined to be resurrected and to live again with our loved ones in the next life? Won't be long until I find out. I believe that Dad and Myrna will be waiting for me in the next life. And, it is true... I cannot bear to think that they are gone and lost forever.

The mystery of the Resurrection seemed so abstract when I was young. Now, it is central to this old man's life. Living without the hope of one day being reunited with Myrna is unbearable. We will be together again one day... if only in the grave.

From my own song about Myrna, You Were a Riot!

You were a riot!
I'm glad I tried it
You really took this cowpoke for a ride
We rode all through the night
And we held each other tight
I'm glad I tried it
Babe, you were a riot!

I'm going to lay down with you
Again one day
Do you see the two love birds singing to one another on the headstone? That would be me and Myrna.

Zonked!

The doctor put me on muscle relaxing meds to try to stop the muscle spasms. I've been struggling with sciatica for two and a half months. The meds are putting me to sleep.

I'm taking a morning and an afternoon nap, and falling asleep in front of the TV at night. Fortunately, I'm between projects. Back to work, probably, next week.

The leg does seem to be getting better. And, I'm having some incredible dreams starring big breasted women.

Pink Maltese in Woodstock

Lunch yesterday at Bread Alone in Woodstock. These pink Maltese, and their pink haired owner, were showing off across the street.

I'd love to have a dog again. Annie, the Springer Spaniel, has been gone for a few years. She was such a great doggie. Unfortunately, Springers are expensive dogs... $800 to $1,000. This semi-retired gent can't really afford that.

My daughter says I ought to go for a pound pup. I don't want the problems of a pound pup, but I may have no choice.

I spend a lot of time alone, working and playing music. A doggie is a great companion and provides an incentive to get outside and exercise.

Maybe I'll check into rescued Springers.

Today's Inexplicable craigslist Music Ad

What the hell is this all about? I've been tossed out of bands for the horrifying sin of being a non-Democrat, so this ad doesn't entirely surprise me. Somebody please tell me what being a vegetarian or vegan has to do with playing music.

If you click through to the band's website, you'll discover that this is a “glam rock” band, whatever that is. Not surprisingly, they don't seem to have any gigs.

What's the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan? This site will explain it all to you.

Why would I listen to music because the people playing it are vegetarians or vegans? Why would I care whether a musician is a Republican or a Democrat? God alone knows. Apparently, these things are very important to some people, particularly to kids.

I'll have to take that back.  Recently, I encountered a group of knuckleheads in their 50s and 60s who refuse to play music with people unless they agree with their politics.

And, in Woodstock, getting booked at the local clubs is almost entirely based on professing far left politics.  Of course, what difference does it make whether you get booked in Woodstock?  The club isn't going to pay you anything, and you'll be lucky to draw 20 people.

Buying a New Car... It's Crying Time Again

Damn! I don't want to buy a new car. Unfortunately, my 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid seems to have hit the wall. 148,000 miles. Tires wearing out. Mechanical problems. I don't want a new car payment, but it appears I have no choice.

The Escape was a great car. Absolutely no mechanical problems until recently. My one complaint is that it was a little noisy. I like the truck styling. My back won't tolerate low slung bucket seats. So, the level, high back Escape seats served me well. Buying the Hybrid was a mistake. 90% of my driving is on the Thruway at 75 mph. Hybrids are meant for stop and go city traffic. If I go for the Escape, I'll buy the non-hybrid.

The competitor is the Honda CRV. Honda is justifiably revered for mechanical reliability. It's priced just about the same as the Escape. But, the curved styling of the CRV is more car-like. Surprisingly, the CRV has a little more cargo space. I routinely lug around two keyboards, two guitars and two amps, along with all the secondary stuff necessary to do a gig.

Price is just about a wash. Both cars list at around $24,000! I can remember when that nearly bought a house. Honda offers a lower trade in than Ford, because Hondas retain their market value better than Fords.

The deciding factors may be style and towing ability. I much prefer the truck styling of the Escape. Ford is throwing that away in its 2012 models, so the 2011 models are the last to maintain this style. Also, the Escape is rated to tow up to 3500 pounds, while the CRV is rated up to 1100 pounds. If I ever do retire and travel the country, I might buy a trailer for my Harley.

I'm learning pretty heavily toward the Escape. What a pain in the ass to take on a car payment! I don't want the responsibility. But, I've reached the point where the choice is a car payment or car repairs, along with the problems of potential breakdowns.

Breaking down at 2 a.m. on the Thruway on the way home from a gig is not something I want to risk. I'm too old for that.

I'm hoping this is the last car I ever buy.