Just read a great post on the Arizona illegal immigration law by Roland Hulme that Andy at Andy's Place linked to. Andy says Hulme is a legal immigrant himself and a liberal. Hulme's article is the most sensible thing I've read on this issue. Please take a look at it.
Hulme's post made me feel so much better that I feel the need for some Freddy Fender and Texas Tornados. It also gives me the chance to post a pic of the sultry Katy Juardo. I didn't feel compelled to post a pic of a Camaro, but I did anyway. The 1970 edition looks especially sharp.
I'm mad. Everything I looked at in the news this afternoon ticked me off.
First there was this little item on the "60 Minutes" website about that late night woodpecker, Conan O'Brien. Seems Conan is finally whining talking about how he felt when he was "betrayed" by Jay Leno and NBC earlier this year. Conan says, "He [Leno] went and took that show back and I think in a similar situation, if roles had been reversed, I know...I know me, I wouldn't have done that."
Yeah. Sure. We know you Conan. We know you're just a poor red haired entertainer. You're not a professional. You don't understand or care about the business side of broadcasting. Your ego prevents your understanding the simple truth: your version of the Tonight Show sucked. You must be in denial about your show's ratings (which put you so far in the toilet that you probably were below some of Leno's turds). You don't care about the fact that NBC gave you a $33 million golden parachute. You don't care about the fact that NBC gave your obviously over paid staff members another $12 million to split among themselves.
Poor, poor Conan. I feel so sorry for you dude.
And then there was this abomination, an ABC News item that almost made me wretch.
Since the legislators in Arizona have passed and the governor has signed that terribly awful racist law that simply allows peace officers to question anyone they might suspect of being in the country illegally, some people are calling for Major League Baseball to move this July's All Star game, currently scheduled for Phoenis, to another major league city.
"I think that when people, states, localities make decisions this monumental, they should know the full consequence of that decision," Rep. José E. Serrano, D-N.Y., said. "I think Major League Baseball, with 40 percent Latino ballplayers at all levels, should make a statement that it will not hold its All-Star Game in a state that discriminates against 40 percent of their people."
Where to begin? Let's see. Hey Jose. Hey Serrano. Hey Asswipe! The bill is aimed at ILLEGALS, not Latinos who live there legally. Are you saying that all 40% of Latinos in Arizona are illegal? I don't think so.
But there are over 400,000 of them living there illegally. And the state has been lobbying the Federal government for years to do something about the porous border. And recently, Mexican drug cartels have entered the picture and the murderous violence has escalated. So the frustrated legislators finally decided to do what the Feds haven't done and wouldn't do.
What I think, to paraphrase your wording Jose, is this: I think that a person, especially a Congressman, who makes a statement this stupid, should admit he's an idiot and go straight to the nearest community college or adult learning center and find someone who can teach him to read. The bill isn't aimed at all Latinos, it's aimed at ILLEGALS of any ethnicity or nationality. Don't you know you just can't do that kind of blatant distortion and get away with it unless you write for the NY Times? Geez.
I hear Conan is out of work. Maybe he could offer to teach Serrano to read. Or maybe the two of them could get together and use some of Conan's extra cash to travel around Arizona and talk to some LEGAL Latinos. See what they've got to say about the illegals who are (a) giving them a bad reputation and (b) probably taking their jobs. Also, if they happen to interview a legal Mexican immigrant, they could ask him what he thinks about a red headed egotist who isn't happy with his $33 million parachute and also what he thinks about a Puerto Rican American who thinks he knows what Mexican Americans want.
A couple of weeks ago, Pat Conlon over at Born Again Redneck, did a post playfully suggesting that the country is so split that we might as well go ahead and divide it up geographically. He even supplied a map, which I couldn't find (sorry Pat).
This morning, my friend Jeanne forwarded something to me that picks up on that theme and develops it in detailed language as opposed to visually depicting the geographical division. It's presented as a divorce settlement. I think you'll agree it hits the nail on the head.
Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al:
We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce.... I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.
Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.
Here is a model separation agreement:
Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.
We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military.
We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel.
You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).
We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps, homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood .
You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.
We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N.. but we will no longer be paying the bill.
We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.
You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.
We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya or We Are the World.
We'll practice trickle down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot.
Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.
Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you Answer ["no, and in that case I ask] which one of us will need whose help in 15 years?
Sincerely,
John J. Wall
Law Student and an American
P. S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Barbara Streisand, & Jane Fonda with you.
P. S. S. And you won't have to press 1 for English when you call.
Yesterday was my 70th birthday. If you'll pardon a little graveyard humor, I'm at the place where the milestones are beginning to look like gravestones.
My wife Joyce planned a great birthday for me yesterday and we enjoyed it fully. We ate a vegetable lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, The Black Eyed Pea, and then spent a couple of hours at Barnes and Noble browsing. We then went to the Regal Streets 16 to see "Clash of the Titans," a 3D remake of the 1981 film of the same name. Yeah, it was a bit cheesy, but it was my birthday. Believe it or not, to us the monsters weren't the most impressive special effects, the flying horses were, especially Pegasus. The movie wasn't bad and we had lots of fun trying to remember the mythology. Since it was a rainy Tuesday and a matinee, the theater was empty. It felt like a private showing. When the movie ended we stopped next door for a brick oven pizza and beer and after that came home to frozen vanilla yogurt on top of Joyce's great apple crisp. A great day. So great we could do it again today. And tomorrow.
But of course we can't. You can't relive the past. Even if we tried really hard, some things would be different. There'd be people in the movie with us. We'd have a different waitress at the pizza place. You know what I mean.
And really, when people talk about doing something over from the past, it's something they screwed up, not something they enjoyed.
But reliving those screwups is impossible too. There aren't any second chances and in this life, despite what the New Agers who believe in reincarnation say, you don't get no "Next Go 'Round."
In my three score and ten, I had plenty of screwups that I'd like to change. But overall, I had a lot more experiences that I wouldn't change for anything and I'm thankful for that.
One of my favorite groups is the Old Crow Medicine Show. Here's a video of their great song, "The Next Go 'Round."
In a ceremony honoring 2009's World Champion NY Yankees, Obama went for a cheap laugh and got it. He said...
"It's been nine years since your last title -- which must have felt like eternity for Yankee fans. I think other teams would be just fine with a spell like that. The Cubs, for example."
According to the Chicago Tribune, this remark drew laughs from "players, coaches, members of his Cabinet and Congress and other guests." The Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908.
I ain't laughing.
It's 58 degrees now in our neck of the woods. And looks like we won't get back to the 70's again till Thursday. Papa would call this locust winter. I think. Mama J might have disagreed with him and they would have had a little discussion. Truth is, it's kind of confusing. There are lots of little short winters in these parts that precede the actual, continuous, burn the back of your neck, humid as a hot wet cat heat that is a Tennessee summer. There's blackberry winter, dogwood winter, redbud winter, etc. And they all seem to overlap. But whatever you want to call it, the weather can stay cool tomorrow though. I'm operating the chainsaw.
Today in the Tennesseean there's an article about outlaw country singer Dale Watson. He's recently recorded a new album in Nashville which he looking to sell to a label. Why is this news? Watson hasn't been coy about what he thinks has happened to country music over the past few years. Here's a couple of videos to explain what I mean. They're live and kind of rough in the audio and video departments but worth a listen/view. The first one is "Nashville Rash."
Lyrics to "Nashville Rash"
Help me Merle, I’m breakin’ out in a Nashville rash
It’s a-looking like I’m fallin in the cracks
I’m too country now for country, just like Johnny Cash
Help me Merle, I’m breakin’ out in a Nashville rash
Shoulda known it when they closed the Opry down
Things are bound to change in that town
You can’t grow when you rip the roots out of the ground
Looks like that Nashville rash is getting’ ‘round
Ain’t it funny how things can really change
Rock and roll back in the 70’s are country hits today
Breaks my heart to see my heros fadin’ away
The victims of Nashville rash, it’s Nashville’s ways
Help me Merle, I’m breakin’ out in a Nashville rash
It’s a-looking like I’m fallin in the cracks
I’m too country now for country, just like Johnny Cash
And Buck Ownes and Faron Young and Johnny Bush
And Johnny Paycheck and Charley Pride and Loretta Lynn, Mmmmmmm
Help me Merle, I’m breakin’ out in a Nashville rash
Aw good god it’s gonna be the death of us
*******
And if that little ditty didn't make clear his attitude toward the music now produced in Nashville and called "country," here's the clincher for you. This Dale Watson anthem is called "Country My Ass."
Here are the lyrics to "Country My Ass."
He ain't even near twenty, but he says he's seen plenty of hard times,
'Cause he's been on his bus for five days and in his hotel for five nights.
And his satellite dish is broke and the new band is treatin' him mean. (Yeah, I know.)
And there's still another week to go: he misses that karaoke machine.
Hey, that's country, my ass,
Who do they think we am?
Force-feed us that shit.
Ain't you real tired of it?
Tell 'em, stick it up high,
Where the sun don't shine.
Get pissed, an'get mad,
cause that's country, my ass.
Now, she's out there too, she's got her own secrets too. (Shhhh, don't tell nobody.)
She can't sing a lick and in a bucket, she couldn't carry her tunes. (Now wait a minute.)
She's pretty as a picture and she sure got a nice set of...wits. (Yeah.)
And she misses her producer slash boyfriend who seduced her, er produced her a hit.
(Chorus: Hey, that's country, my ass...)
Now don't get me wrong, to each his own I believe.
But they've took the soul out of what means a whole lot to me.
'Cause I can see Hank and Lefty, they're spinning around in their graves.
And if they were here now, I think y'all know what they'd say. (Don't you?)
(What they'd say?)
(Chorus)
********
Watson's been around awhile and I like his attitude and what I've heard of his music. I certainly sympathize with his feelings about what's happened to country music over the past two decades. When I say I like country music, I usually add the qualifier "old" country music.
But the history of the music shows that there have been other such cycles in the past. Randy Travis started his career by helping to return CM to its roots. Earlier, Willie and Waylon and the boys reacted to the so called "Nashville Sound." What goes around comes around. Still, I like Watson and may buy a CD. Or do a download. Or do whatever one does these days to purchase music.
The wind got up a bit last night as the storms passed through, but it wasn't too bad in these parts. According to the Tennesseean, Nashville and Middle Tennessee got mostly strong winds and heavy, driving rain. Certainly we didn't have anything near as bad as the folks in Yazoo, MS.
We had over a hundred locust trees on our place when we first moved here 37 years ago, but over time, most have been blown down or rotted or fell of their own volition. A couple more of the old, weakened ones were blown over in last night's storm. They fell away from the house so there's no damage, just a lot of chainsaw work for me next week. Here's a pic of one of them...
Here's another view of the same tree...
The top branches came over into the driveway about three or four feet when it fell and it would have done some damage to our car had we not pulled it in the garage last night. Since we got about $6000 damage to our car in a hailstorm in TX in 2008, we've been wary of the ice from the sky.
The strong winds blew some locust blossoms onto our deck as well. But there are still a lot of them waiting to fall next week.
While I was out there surveying the damage, I noticed that the trumpet vines (at least that's what we call them) are beginning to flower.
.jpg)
