Play Ball

FINALLY baseball season is here. Tis only spring training but my day wasn't the total gloom it always is thanks to an ounce of temporary joy from seeing the Chicago Cubs on WGN this afternoon, live from Ho Ho Kam Park in sunny Mesa, Arizona.

There've been some games in the past week on the MLB Network but who has that?! Not me and no games on ESPN yet so this is my first of the year.

I am a dyed in the blue & orange New York Mets fan ... but secretly I dig the Cubbies, too.

So does Eddie Vedder...

Bob Weir on Fox News?!!???

What's Bob doing on this channel?!? Hasn't he heard that Fox News is Fake News?! I've heard that Fox is nothing but Republican propaganda working to destroy Democrats and the liberal agenda. They're hateful racists. Well, that's what some very close-minded people might have you think. Of course it's not true otherwise they wouldn't give Democrats a voice . . . which they completely do. FYI: every Democrat is invited on Fox, probably every Democrat has been on. A lot of people should recognize this rather than propagate the lie that Fox is an unbalanced Republican mouthpiece.

It sure would be interesting to know what Bob's thoughts on the 2012 election are. Hey, Bob, you make a mistake supporting someone you thought was going to do good for America? It's okay, man, we all make mistakes.

Should have Mickey & Billy

I dunno why I always put Mickey first 'cause Billy was an original member and Mickey came later. In any frickin' case, it would sure be nice if this band had kept Mickey & Billy and changed its name from The Dead to Furthur just like they changed from The Other Ones to The Dead prior to 2004 (or was it 2003? I posted the first The Dead show which I'm a-thinkin' (without looking it up) was 2-14-03 . . . sweet SBD with Sammy Hagar and Joan Osborne.)

John Kadlecik in the starring role as Jerry Garcia this go-around is somethin' I ain't a-too sure about 'cause I don't wanna be hearin' the Grateful Dead replicated. No sir. Look, Jerry's gone and nothin's gonna bring him back so I wanna hear these Grate songs done similarly while paying a Grate tribute to Jer. I don't wanna hear 'em the same as I have many times over. I know the fans (in general, according to the applause) LOVE hearing "Jerry" up there, but for me, while I dig the tunes, the clone just ain't right.

Anyway, clone or not, still some pretty good music. Mayhaps someday, if I'm still alive, I'll get to post the SBDs for folks. For now, check this out...

2/24/2010 - Radio City Music Hall, NYC

Leaning Still Needed

Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, Keith Urban - Lean On Me - Hope For Haiti Now

You can donate,
as well as find out how to download this song, at:
hopeforhaitinow.org

Republican Propaganda?

It's sad that people who watch Fox News are labeled as idiots. It's also sad that people have decided that Fox News is "predetermined biased crap." It's not. There are no orders from the top to let people only hear Republican points of view. They often (but not always) give viewers the other side of an issue which allows viewers to make up their own mind based on those two sides. Some people don't like that, they don't like that the general population hears the opposing point of view. If it was up to them, people would only hear what they want them to hear. Anything else is threatening to what they want and what's threatening must be bad and denounced. The ends justify the means -- denounce always, denounce drastically, even if it's not true. It doesn't matter if they lie about Fox News because they've accepted that's it's better to run with the lie and look down their noses at people who don't think their way. I have so much respect for people who can discuss in a civil manner. Unfortunately some people begin showing their elitism and feel it's perfectly fine to display meanness when it comes to anyone who thinks differently. That's not right.

And here's an example of "predetermined biased crap." It would make sense, according to some, that this guy talking would be preaching the Republican party line, right?

He's a Democrat.

Punch Buggy Blue!

one of the commercials during the New Orleans Saints win in Super Bowl XLMIVSKH(?) (Seems I've lost count.)

featuring 30 Rock's Tracy Morgan and Stevie Wonder

Techno Dance Club Shakedown

Just try it.

Grateful Dead - Shakedown Street
[Tommie Sunshine & Figure Brooklyn Fire Edit] by tommiesunshine

(if you wish, you can freely download the mp3 at the dude's website.)

Helping Haiti

Sting - Driven To Tears - Hope For Haiti Now

You can donate,
as well as find out how to download this song, at:
hopeforhaitinow.org

President Failure

... one year later:





Hmmm... Fox News Channel but no Republican propaganda.
But . . . but . . . that's what some people think Fox News is.
If they'd actually just watch and have an open mind,
they'd see that's an irrational myth.

Playin' In The San Joaquin Valley

Your eyes do not deceive you, here is a show posted for your listening pleasure. Been awhile, eh? I've been wanting to post one for seemingly forever now, just have not been in the mood. I'm still not, really. Twasn't inspiration that moved me. I don't know what it was. But I decided to give a show a shot and see what happens.

32 years ago tonight...

Grateful Dead January 18, 1978 Stockton Civic Center Stockton, California

1st Set: Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo,
Mama Tried-» Me & My Uncle, Peggy-O, Jack Straw, Friend Of The Devil,
It's All Over Now, Row Jimmy, Lazy Lightnin'-» Supplication

Set 2: Terrapin Station-» Playing In The Band-» Passenger-» Space-»
Estimated Prophet-» Stella Blue, Sugar Magnolia

Encore: Around and Around

transcribed from: The Deadhead's Taping Compendium, Volume II: An In-Depth Guide To The Music of the Grateful Dead on Tape, 1975-1985 [out of print] The finale to the California tour occurred in the unlikely setting of Stockton, the second of two gigs the band played in this oft-maligned valley town. First set highlights include a nice, soaring "Half-Step" opener and a blazing mid-set "Jack Straw" that kicks things into high gear until the "Lazy Lightnin'" > "Supplication" closer. The nearly continuous second set is full of surprises, from the somewhat ragged "Terrapin" opener to the weird Bobby triplet of "Playing" "Passenger" (out of a long jam), and "Estimated," leading, just as surprisingly, straight into "Stella Blue." Things bog down at the end, with a sluggish "Sugar Magnolia" and a half-hearted "Around and Around" encore. MICHAEL PARRISH

Definitely in agreement on the 1st Set highlights. As Half-Step rolls forward it gains some nice momentum before an ultra-nice plateau that had me feelin' pretty darn good. After a nice Peggy-O, there's a false start for Jack Straw and if you listen closely, you can hear Mickey having a good time with it. The hottest part of the set is without a doubt the Jack Straw. Jerry turns it on for real here and Bob's rhythm work is crankin' at double time to try and keep up. Outstanding! Play this LOUD!!!!!

Another moment of beautiful perfection happens with the entirety of FOTD. It sadly cuts at the end but what a lovely version. Jerry hits some nice auto-pilot in Supplication, as well. What a great vehicle to spend some time in jamland to close out the set.

With the second set we finally get to hear Phil. I don't think he was that prominent in the 1st set but in set 2 he's an integral part of the proceedings, especially in Playin'. This version might actually be on the droll side without Phil in the mix as much as he is. The jamming might be a little disjointed here and there but still a great place to get lost in the music.

Estimated has me in a nice little bit of a trance. Keith's keys shine in a spot here and a spot there. There's an ethereal feel that is very relaxing and the way it slides into Stella is... oooooooooooo so yummy. Wow. The sweetness continues with Stella but I disagree with Parrish about Sugar Mag being sluggish. Jerry's cruisin' right on through it while Phil kicks it up a notch as do the drummers. This is a full-on dancin' good time tune right here!

Has tuning ever been a highlight of a show? It is for me here. Before the encore, Jerry plays around with a familiar song that won't be played by the GD or Weir for several years -- Blackbird. Kinda sluggish and has the longest Aud patch of the show by far, Around and Around is not the best way to end the show. Maybe if the SBD wasn't missing at the end it wouldn't be so bad. In any case, the Blackbird tuning surely makes up for it. So brief yet so very cool to hear!

The quality of the recording, for the most part, isn't too bad up through Terrapin; the worst problem is a little hiss, primarily noticeable during the quiet parts. But unfortunately towards the end of Playin' the sound problems really start. There are moments of slight muddyness and well over a handful of dropouts that have been patched with a questionable-quality Aud source. Except for two, each patch is a mere few seconds long, the longest (before the end of the encore) is maybe a minute or so. (Read the shnid text file linked below for more info.) Because the quality had a certain crispness to it, it's a shame these problems occur. This easily could have been given 3½ or 4 stars for quality but these problems knock it down, overall, to 3 in my humble opinion. But what are ya gonna do? Dig what ya can 'cause this is probably the best source there'll ever be for this show.

1-18-73 @ the Internet Archive: an Aud source for listening & downloading; the Soundboard for Listening Only

download it here if you'd like Source: shnid=13101 ♦ Audio Quality: Lineage: SBD>MR>?>D>CD>EAC>SHN patched with: AUD>MC>C>D>CD>EAC>SHN 1/18/78 - Part 1 ♦ Part 2 - 1/18/78 Stockton, Cali - 1/18/78 - Part Three

1-18-78 a.k.a. 01/18/78 a.k.a. 78-01-18 mp3 download 320 kbps no lossless flac, sorry

Post game wrap-up (post second listen of this show analysis): I know why I haven't listened to the GD for almost 5 months . . . and I hate it. I hate the why and I hate the fact that this music's been out of my life. Even with a show that isn't the most spectacular and with quality flaws like these, I'm left feeling . . . I'm left knowing that I've just listened to some of the best music on the planet. It hasn't healed me, it hasn't made anything better in my life . . . but I'm glad I listened to it. Like watching la di freakin' da, an hour here, an hour there, whatever dramas on TV as a distraction, I guess listening to great music is also a distraction . . . but a much, much, much better one.

So... what year is next? Don't ask for a specific date
but first one to ask for a year gets it.

Have you given yet?

clintonbushhaitifund.org

Haiti Needs Help

You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. Donations to the International Response Fund can be sent to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at www.redcross.org.

Please don't rely on governments to make everything better. As we know in the United States, they usually just make things worse... just as the current White House and Congress are doing right now with almost everything they touch.

Charitable donations are best spent by private non-profits, not by the government handing out checks courtesy of the American taxpayer.

David Loves Phil

David Nelson Band -- Box Of Rain

The Sunday Morning Drunk

I'm in Hell. That's life. Who needs pants? I don't give a crap if it's 20 degrees, shorts will be fine on a 2/3 of a mile walk to the 24 hour convenience store for a 6 pack. Beer needed, pants be damned. Can't find my jacket so two long sleeve thermal shirts and a short sleeve over that's good. 3:45 a.m., barely any cars on the road. No cars for 5 or ten minutes, Evanescence in the ears, but how come when there's cars, two at the same time pass in opposite directions? What are the odds?!? Bizarre. Gloves were need but just pull the hands inside the sleeves and it's allg ood.

Beer bought, walk home. More Evanescence. Though I was walking on a road, that's some great hiking music for a cold morning under the stars. Warm on the the way home, no more freezing hands. Grateful Dead terrapin hemp baseball hat keeps me head warm. Somethin' like 45 minutes later, home I am to drink. Air temp was below freezing so beer was cold right away. Nice. Evanescence finishes so how about some Pearl Jam in the ears? Loud, fast, joyless. There's no joy in hopelessness.

8:12 a.m. now and I'm on my last beer. Thankfully the convenience store closer to me (not 24 hrs) uis now open. NBeed more beer, spelling erros now be damhed. Screw 'em.

INXS - Dekadance. Shoryt EP before I play me some Temple of the Dog.

Tis weally messed up, Elmer Fudd would say with a "w" instead of an "r" -- Sunday morning church? Or beer? Beer and hopelessness. Screw the world, screw everything. Just give me loud, fast, somewhat maybe angry music and endless CSI: Miami's and NCIS episodes. Leverage on TNT and Psych on USa start soon. Family Guy's good for a laugh now and then, Community and 30 Rock and Parks & Recreation also... but what good is a laugh without joy? It's so false? Temporary? All laughs are temporary but I guess it's just momentary, something to fill up a tiny little part of life before death. A mometary distraction from the hell.

Someone commented here recently along the lines of -- "Play some Dead." Yeah, right. I wish I could. I want to. Badly. It's so0 messed up, ya know, the desire is tremendously tjhere for the Gratefil Dead and Jerry HGarcia to provide again some joy in this life . . . but it just ain't a-happenin'. Just ain't. There's nothing in life to be happy about. Happiness makes the GD and JGB awesome, just dopwnright freakin' awesome, ya know, great, splendid, wicked great, bitchgin', gnarly, killer, orgasmic, wonderful, mmmm, so goooooood . . . i know this . . . but I can't press play because there's no joy to be the door to that added Grateness. Do I make sense. Probably not. Do i care? No. Whatever. I just wish I had a home. I'm fucking homeless, I've nowhere that I fit in. Home is where the heart is and where's my heart? Stolen and I hate it. I hate life. I hatre myself. I hate the world. I hate life and I just wish I could slice my wrists open and bleed to death. Yay. Now there'd be some joy. Whatever. Temple of the Dog's playing, last beer's being drunk and tis perhaps time for me to get me another 6 pack. I dunno why. Seriously -- I've been great with maybe a mere one six pack in like the last 3 or 4 weeks, constanly battloing the d4esire to drink, but the alcholic compulsion is there right now. Why? It just is. Nothing else to say. Ramble ramble ramble. Country's going to hell. Whatever. Music plays, nothing gives me joy. Want to die. Whatever. Maybe I'll sober up and find a good video to post after this to deflect. Why',m I even typing all this crap? Beats me. Whatever. Life sucls. Did i mnention that already or not? yeahh ... i thought i did.

The Sad, Sad Truth

clip from Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld on the Fox News Channel


Exemplifies (with some humor) the far left
who want to suppress all dissent while making sure everything
Republican and/or Conservative appears to be evil and wrong.

Sidenote: interestingly, more people in America identify themselves
as either Conservative or Moderate than Liberal. Hmmmm.

Don't get me wrong, liberal is okay . . . but the far left loons,
they won't get American anyplace good. Join the middle, folks!
(and stay away from Media Matters . . . they don't matter at all.)

Liar In Chief

President Barack Obama, our beloved liar.





Minister of Shut The Hell Up And Don't Question How We Do Things




Nancy Pelosi: it doesn't matter what's promised on the campaign trail,
ha ha, we'll say anything to get elected . . . stoopid citizens.

Broken Promises

National security, in the spotlight again, is way more important than health care but it's fascinating the way Congress wants to move forward with this fiasco. The nimrods on Capitol Hill are so pathetically self-serving. Absolutely disgusting.

The Flamingo Kid has me perplexed

I'm confused.

Some people will want to propagate the idea that Fox News is BAD!!! That channel is Republican propaganda, everything they say is dangerous and completely one-sided, and it's just plain wrong for Americans to watch the "faux" news they put forth to the public.

(That's true, right?)

It's my understanding, according to some, that Sean Hannity represents all things Republican and what does that mean? That means he only cares about himself. The plight of the suffering means NOTHING to Sean Hannity and Fox News.

(Also true, right?)

Then what the hell is Matt Dillon doing on Hannity discussing the plight of the suffering in Sudan? Wouldn't this just be a waste of time to Hannity? Liberals, I ask you -- doesn't this go against everything Fox News stands for . . . in your opinion?? Or is it, perhaps, you're wrong in your assessment of that news channel?

Actually, far more important than slandering/spreading lies about Fox News is what Dallas Winston is saying here. Pay attention to that, won't you? (I hope because it's on Fox News, the importance of the cause isn't lessened. Is it?)

and consider helping out with a few bucks if it's in your heart to

because God knows the government giving tax-payer dollars
surely won't get the job done.

if you'd like to learn about how you can help,
check out:

www.refugeesinternational.org

Oh tidings of comfort and joy

Merry Christmas, Amy. I miss you.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman
Jerry Garcia & David Grisman
12/7/91 Warfield Theater, San Francisco

Merry Christmas?

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon