Santorum - a "Big Government" Conservative

First of all as far as myself, I am not a Big Government conservative; I'm a Small-ER government liberal, if I must be pidgeon holed in that way.  Clearly there is unimaginable waste in military contracts, and there is waste in giving away free money like Obama did in the first stimulus.  Not only am I for earmarks,  I believe that ALL funds should be ear marked, for what they were intended for.  I've heard stories about government agencies who have a surplus of funds at the end of the year, and so invent ways to "use up all the money" on frivelous expenditures, to insure that they will get More next year.  We don't need corporate welfare.  We don't need to subsedize the drug and insurance companies the way Obama Care is doing.  But all too often what Republicans really mean when they say "cutting spending" is "Stick it to the poor".  The programs for the poor seem to be the first, and often Only place they look to cut expenditures.  And the funny thing is the tea party people are trying to scare retired folks by saying "President Obama wants to cut your medicare".  What kind of two-faced bullshit is that?  I don't see how certain people on the right (who have NOT gone nameless) can claim that they only will allow the purest of moral standards in government, and yet seem to ignore in total the whole Wall Street deboccle that Caused this recession to begin with.  And then they will say to this recovering heart patient just now getting back up on his feet "We have determined that your Fat content has been cut two percent and this throws things in imbalance, so here, eat this bucket of lard right now".  When people say "Let the economy recover so that jobs can return" I am all in favor of.  Gordon Gecko was a movie villian of the 1980's who made such statements as "i wrecked your father's company because it was Wreckable".  And he will go on to point to some piece of artistic crap on his wall and say "You know what I paid for this?" and quote some outlandish figure.  And then say ponthically "When you get to my status you realize that Money is the only important thing".  And now of course as Gecko gets out of prison he muses "It's funny, the things that I did that were illegal 25 years ago have become standard accepted business practice now".  And I say, "Well, Mr. Gecko, I just pasted over one of your great artistic master pieces and didn't have to pay a red cent for it.  And copyright laws aren't even a factor since I shot this picture myself".

Rich Santorum after tying with Romney losing by just eight votes yesterday, has now become the seventh official "Flavor of the Month" if you count all seven men running now and add in Donald Trump, and leave out Mitt Romney, who ironically has never Been a "Flavor of the Month".  He just consistently comes in first in every poll, that's all.  The Iowa situation breaks down this way.  Santorum and Romney were tied at 24% each with 59% of the people reporting.  By the time it had risen to 96% of the votes in, the numbers has risen to 25% and 25%.   Ron Paul stayed in third place and his numbers are 22% falling to 21% percent in the tinal tally.  Newt Gingrich was at 13% and rose to 14%.   Rick Perry was at 11% and dropped to 10% in the final tally, and Michelle Bachman was at 7% and dropped to 5% in the final tally.  So that's how the votes break down.  John Huntsman never took Iowa seriously.  I wanted to hear Rush Limbaugh's take on all this first hand, without just guessing.  Today Rush Limbaugh admitted on his radio something that  what Thom Hartman has been saying for years in that people like George W Bush are not against "big government".  Rather they embrace it.  We saw this in medicard part D and two wars against Islamic countries and the Patriot Act and Renditions and all the rest of it.  Rich Santorum is merely carrying out a long tradition of Washington insiders promoting beaurocracy and big government.  Certainly the creation of the Department of Homeland Security is an expansion of "big government", don't you?  You knew that Bush got that term from the Nazis.  Rick Santorum is all for earmarks, which in reality are not a bad thing, but the people have been TOLD that they are so Santorum is very attackable on this issue, such as his supporting the "bridge to Nowhere".  Actually Santorum endorsed Arlen Specter in his reelection bid against Pat Toomee (?) of Pennsylvania a few years back.  Of course in the last posting, the top one right now in "Soap Opera of Life" we outlined all the ways Rick Santorum wants to get government into your bedroom.  With all the video cameras around now "privacy" as we have known it through the centuries is fast becoming a thing of the past.  And like I say, Santorum has the anti gay vote down good and solid.  Rush says that President Obama is going to try and run a campaign where he speaks of trimming the growth of government.  The President has even shown an inclination to want to reduce the corporate top tax to 25% if we can close up some of the loopholes.  So now Rush just retreates to the old addage of "Everybody knows Obama is a Socialist".

Let me make one thing perfectly clear, and I know it already is but it's worth repeating.  35 years ago in my early years as a Born Again Christian I would have NEVER embraced the sort of conservative beliefs that Judy, an in law, has been spouting with such frequency since the first of September of 2008.  I would have considered such a person not only completely nuts, but also as un Christian, because there are any number of verses in the Bible to refute them, including virtually the whole of the New Testament.  In fact such a person as Judy who was this vocal back then would herself rick being drummed out of Christianity as some sort of weirdo, legalistic fanatic.  So when I praise Romney it's a relative thing.  You can't be like those on the right who embrace money one minute, and then criticize Romney for using all the resources at his disposal for getting Newt out of the race.  Some have suggested that Romney is saying to Big Money - - "You see what I did to Newt Gingrich.  And if you give he the resources I'll do the same thing to the President come the fall".   You know who ( ) whom I talked to the other day was surprised I had Anything good to say about Romney. He reminded me that it is just not a man's past actions that you have to judge.  You have to judge what he says now, like reading Mein Kamph or something, to get his mindset on what he would LIKE to get done if he ever got that much Power.  And that is what's wrong with Romney.  Meg Whitman found out from the voters that they wanted a Governor of California and not a Chief Executive Officer.  Running the country is not like running a business.  This is particularly true if you believe that somehow you can "speed things up" and drive people out of their homes or oppose an intervention by the government to save General Motors.  The whole thing of darwinism and "survival of the fittest" comes into play in these people's minds.  The trouble is that you just can't "fire" the people of America and wipe their memory from the face of the earth.  Government doesn't work that way.  Besides Charles Darwin would be to first to call the "Evolutionary" process business have been under as anything "Naturally" occurring.  It's highly UN-natural selection.  Like I say the conservatives love Big Government as long at THEY are running it.  There was apparently some Nazi who said to his comad after a bunch of Jews had been exterminated "My God, we have sinned against Natural Selection".  Oh yes- - enlightenment comes- - a little too late.  Romney above all else wants to be THEE hero of the tea party and he will continue to work tirelessly to gain their trust..

Clearly what we need to do is bring back the term "Extremist' into our vocabulary.  Why did it work with Goldwater but not with the tea party?  Randy Rhodes used to have the saying "Love the fetus; hate the child".  Now Santorum has expanded on that to "Love the fetus; hate the mother, too".  Rick Santorum not only wants to disallow abortions in the cases of incest and rape, but even to save the life of the mother".   If Santorum was ever even a little "liberal" on an issue as he puts it, being so was done only for the sake of expediancy.  We know people will do strange things in the name of expediancy.  You know, at least Michelle Bachman had the decency to tell us in advance she intended to start W W III with Iran and let the people vote on it and decide for themselves.  And they did.  George Bush lied in his own campaign about his Intentions as President, and then fabricated a story at Weapons of Mass Destruction he knew absolutely was a falashood before hand.  Vincent Bugliosi wrote a book claiming that George Bush should be indicted by the World Court for War Crimes.  Many times bills in congress get secretly passed under shall we say - questionable procedures.  The US Senate has not allowed itself to go into recess because they knew if they ever did, despite being gone six weeks that President Obama would begin making "Recess appointments" the way President Bush used to do.   What's good for the goose is good for the gander, I guess.  The buzz is that the Supreme Court won't touch this issue but let the President do what ever suits his fancy.  Today President Obama appointed Richard Cordray, Attorney General of Ohio, to the new government post of Consumer Protection Agency.  The Republicans had to go along with the creation of this office, but they would prefer it was never put into opperation.  That's how these Republicans think.  In fact among my whacko friends there is a lot of talk about how the President will make liberal use of executive branch appointments in the next few months to bypass congress.  And I really can't blame him for doing this.  Some ethical issues are clearer than others.  Often Christians are so far to the right, however, that even a normal "conservative" would balk at some of the moral choices these far right tea baggers would make.  Should be stone women who aren't virgins on their wedding day, for instance?   Some people with moral tunnel vision just may be pure in sexual matters but corrupt as hell on everything else.  On a new defunct soap opera there was this young woman named Teresa who was "ethically challenged' even by Samantha's standards.  She practically raped this one man whom she was in love with by drugging him with a probably illegal substance.  As it turns out she got pregnent with twins by two different fathers.  And later she wanted to use her own womb as an instrument of murder by saying that both twins were not viable, and the doctor should kill the one that wasn't Ethan's baby, the man she was in love with.  At other times on the show when someone else was gravely ill- - - she advocated letting her die to let the fetus live, because she would like nothing better to see this other woman out of the picture.  Pat Robertson we are told today in the news has been "talking to God" again.  Teresa did a lot of that, and look where it got her.  Apparently today told God for a certainty just Who the next President of the United States would be, but that God told him to keep it a Secret.  Hartman points out that "keeping things a secret" us usually not part of God's standard opperating procedure.  Of course in Hebrews there is a man mention who "has neither father or mother or genialogy, nor End of Days".   And what if the "little horn" referred to in Daniel who comes out of a "small faction".  That could be the tea party.  Anyhow this man we know from history- - had access to travel all over the known world, and a man to whom everyone was accountable to, and yet This Man was accountable to no one, and in scripture he seems to have been given the gift of Infalibility.  This is true to such an extent that Scripture itself has to bow in deference, according to this individual, if Scripture conflicts with his own Direct Revelation from God.  (Selah)

I would like at this time to acknowledge any new readers who have just found us.  And it is my hope that you will make these blogs a part of your normal blog rotation schedule.  I also highly recomend you start with the now header blog of "The Soap Opera of Life" and get a lot of good contemporaty background from that. On a personal note my computer has been custom built and supposedly is "ready" now.  But I am informed that steps still need to be taken.  One person still has to load the software programs.  After this is done, someone else will load in the anti virus and all the other protective goodies I don't need.  And finally my personal data will be put into that computer and then hopefully I will be given back my external hard drive, that already contains virtually all of my data.  Till then I will not be exactly at ease.

The White Judgement Hall

You know I believe we will be accountable to Somebody for the deeds done in this life. I can't say just where or when. Obviously my depictions of the other side are far from the point of varifiable scientific certitude. Allow me a little latitude there. But you gotta wonder about these ultra right wing Republicans and their campaign positions. Tell me how massive, and I mean Massive slashes in the governmental budget will solve this unemployment crisis we are in? And now certain candidates want to strip from the Federal Reserve its charter to help alliviate Unemployment stresses during bad times. What kind of "compassionate conservatism" is that? But Thom Hartman reminds us that before we do anything rash, such is hauling off and voting for the Green party in November, that the key thing to remember is that the next President will be appointing several new justices to the Supreme Court. But what's puzzling to me is just how appointing another right wing "Judicial Activist" will somehow limit the power of the Supreme Court? Of course you know Justices of the court should have compassion, as well as a sense of achieving Justice for the poor. And these woman judges on these TV show in small case Court, for them Empathy is an essential ingrediant. Empathy need not always mean seeing the good. I think you can have empathy Against certain people, such as Pastor Halliday, should you by some supernatural means get some glimpse into just how rotten and corrupt their minds really are. Of course I have Empathy for the lyrics of those final three Beatle tracks on side one of the White Album because those writers had empathy for me and my particular situation that I faced in the early 1990's. But you know - - some detractors have a point. That's why I'm almost dropping entirely a topic that I was going to raise in this "Story" we've been doing that we are going to Conclude in this posting. If a certain topic is no longer relivent in my life after about September of 1981 then I guess it won't be relivant to my readers. (for you Mark Campbell fans that date would extend on up to March 24th of 1983) But there may be a few of you who insist on "reading between the lines" and for you a certain Star Trek episode is offered up as a hint. It's the one where this black nerd with vision problems and this other individual were made invisible due to being Romulan cloacked and they couldn't get out of it, and nobody aboard ship could see them. And it just wasn't - - - uh - - "Fashionable" - - to come up with an alternate scenario where such a contingency would even happen. So they had to rely on Hints. Yeah, we know that Jordi had this visor and every time he got around Born Again Christians they would all become disoriented and forget who they were- - something like that. My memory isn't what it used to be. And the only people who could see them were Romulans- - who wern't helpful anyhow. And the other person Jordi was with was a- - - wait for it - - Oh I got it now- - it has something to do with the remodeling of the Anaheim Mall in the fall of 1993 and they encountered various - - problems along the way. They were also redoing the Freeway overpass at the same time for better traffic flow and all. I don't need to doctor history to make it conform to current realities, that's what church people do. I don't do that. And how about those Nebraska Corn Huskers, huh? Jim Cooper used to rout for them when I knew him. I guess the Corn Huskers got husked pretty good last Saturday. Well, I guess it is the Harvest season. Too bad nobody had any "Early Warning" on that one. OK we'll be back with the Conclusion of our Story that we were doing on the last posting, right after these two brief commercial time-outs.

- - - - - - - - -

Attention Homeowners: Are you tired of living in that same run down tract house three blocks from the border of Walter Barry's Nut Farm? Is your job getting you down? Wearing you out and making you old before your time? Well, what you need is Green Harbor Life Insurance. With our generous anuity program we will bring you into a Green Harbor of financial security - -you'll be financially set for life. And all you need to do to qualify is to quit your job and sit all day long in a big room with nothing to do with all these other people you don't know who are also bored out of their skulls, and all that is left to do is to Gossip.

- - - - - - - - -

"I love you- cause you tell me things I want to Know"

Anybody - Ask Me Why - I quoted this song lyric. This track was a B side as you know. Can anybody remember what the A side of the record was? It wasn't "Valerie", was it? I think this track was also used as a track on the classic Psychedelic Album released in late 1967, "Fifth Stone from Allan Klein", that featured the hit single, "Are You Psychedelicized?"

- - - - - - - - -

"If it keeps on raining the Levy is going to////Filler-er-up with the Regular. Attendant: Not unless I see a Ben first. Customer: Ah shucks, I just burned my Federal Reserve membership card last week. That was right before I went into the bombing Federal Building's business. Oh well, so much for the election of a Republican last year solving the energy crisis. Attendant: Is that a bottle of Heinz 57 Sauce I see in your grocery bag? Customer: Yes it is. Attendant: I'll trade you that bottle for gasoline. Now all they sell is Heinz 56 Sauce, since the Obama administration made them take the salt out". (I was going to use that joke elsewhere in the story but I'm using it here instead)

TIME FOR A CIGARETTE BREAK. IT HAS STARTED TO RAIN. OK - NOW I'M BACK WITH THE REST OF THE STORY

(We rejoin the program already in progress) God: (to the Walrus) Well, at any rate I still think I'm going to go down to your place of employment and kind of snoop around and satisfy my idle curiosity. The Walrus: You're God. You know everything already, what would be the point?" God: "Good point. Anyhow I wasn't intending to disturb your relations in the work place environment anyhow. That wasn't my plan". The Walrus: Just what plans DO you have for me, anyhow??" God: "You know, they were all, right. You ARE paranoid!" Just then the buzzer sounds. God: "Yes? - - - - - - - - - Thank you." (he continues) The other people have arrived. It's time to get on with the Trial. (continuing) "I want you all to line up with to get your ceremonial lamps and light them with the oil". As the line progressed the Walrus brought up the rear. And he'd hear those in front saying "Save some for the Walrus - - - Save some for the Walrus". And when the Walrus got to his turn he was told, "I'm sorry, we are out of oil". They all walked into the white marble judgement hall. (It's not so much like the MS Word background, but rather more like in Sketch, where I have bleached the thing out a little) God: (to the Walrus) Why are you here without oil in your lamp? The Walrus: "They can out". God: Dick could you come over here and give the Walrus a little oil so that nobody is embarrased here?" Dick Llyle comes over to light his lamp. But then the Walrus says, "Hey! My flame is yellow - - and all your flames are burning Blue - - like the Gas Company. (there was some general gee whiz murmering) The Walrus: "Are you going to be testifying for me". Dick: That's why I'm here. The Walrus: "Well go out there and knock' em dead". Dick: "I shall endeavor to do my Best". God: OK we are all here at a serious moment where the life of the Prisoner is at stake. I would now like to relate a little story that Harry Green told just before he left the church. It's about two Greek boys who were the best of friends. One was named Victor and the other was named Alexander. Both had all of the virtues, except the ones that really counted, and they had None of the Vices, except those that would damn them to Hell. Now Alexander was a really cut little boy with thick red hair. And one day he spray painted some graffiti on the wall, and passers by would stop and coment on that". The Walrus: I think I was in church that Sunday but I don't remember the sermon quite that way". God: I have a photograph of the grafitti right here. As you see the letters are in Greek. It translates to "Tweedle dee and tweedle dumb are a couple of assholes". Some in the crowd asked who they were and God just says "Oh they were just a couple of Johns". People in the group mused "Johns?" I have their names right here. John Mc Cain and John Huntsman. (general laughter in the crowd) God: OK let's get started now if the court clerk will bring in the official hour glass to time out the trial. The Walrus: "But the hour glass is empty!" God: Dag nabbit. Rick Perry stole the sand right out of the hour glass. Members of the crowd said "And look, he also scratched out all the S's in hour Shell oil buttons you gave us". God: How about that? What a rascaly guy. " Just then the receptionist came in. "Chips and oyster dip anyone?" The crowd all gathered around making yumming sounds as they tasted the oyster dip. Then it was the Walrus's turn to try it. "Ooooh! You tricked Me! There is no Oyster in this dip. This stuff tastes like Lard. It's terrible! Dick: "Mine is delicious yum, yum. God: OK before any of you are sworn in my remind you if you lie, you will get the same fate as the Walrus gets, whatever I decide. - - - At this point the crowds began to leave one by one, beginning with the ones who had known the Walrus the longest. In the end there was nobody there but the Walrus and God. And God says, "Where are they? All your defenders are gone." The Walrus. "They sure are". God: Well, neither will I exhonorate you either. Come and await the fate that awaits you, if the Sergent of Arms will open the steel door. - - The heat from the other side was eminating into the room like an oven door - - as you saw the reddish glow of the rocks within. God: So go now, and experiance God's grace no more. The sign over the door said "Abandon all Hope Ye who enter here". After hesitating a moment at the threshhold, the Walrus stepped resolutely through the Door". //// OK that's the movie, class. Mrs Krabopple has free crab apples for you all on your way out of the room. END

Don't Let The Door Hit You in the Ass

We have two Departures to report today. First of all Governor Christie of New Jersey has stated that he will not run for President in 2012. Obviously he looked at the tea leaves and they didn't bode well and he knew he could never be elected. After all he closets Moslems as his his friends, and believes equal rights for gay unions, and his imigration policy is less than strident. And worst of all he believes that Global Warming is actually real and not just some left wing myth. But personally I'd never vote for Governor Christie anyway based on his economic policies alone. And I wouldn't care if he spends his nights having gay sex with an Islamic Terrorist, I still wouldn't vote for him. We also have Hank Williams Jr. Now EXPN has dropped "Are You Ready For Some Football?" as its long standing theme. This is because recently Hank expressed offence at a golf course meeting between President Obama and John Boehner. He said "It was like watching Adolph Hitler playing golf with the Prime Minister of Israel". My question would be "Who is which?" Now we hear that watching Obama and Byden is like watching the Three Stooges. "But that's only two". So both of these individuals will be making an early Exit. And my final words to each is to not let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Yesterday Rush Limbaugh went on a major rant monologue against Herman Kane and also those "allies the liberals are trying to enlist in the drive by media to bolster their own image and get them attention". So it turns out that Herman Kane thought that it was a bit racist of Rick Perry to have this rock with the words "Nigger Head" written on it. And then this was painted over, but it's the very idea. Well now it turns off that Kane has backed off of his cirticism of Perry because Rush Limbaugh pounded on the table and reminded Kane who was really head of the Republican Party.

Well this whole Wall Street 99% movement is catching fire and spreading to other states all over the country. Now union people are joining in. And Hollywood Celebreties are now getting into the act. It's turning into a major national "Movement" kind of like Alice"s Resturant. You may remember how that went. Everybody when they get drafter goes into their shrink's office and sings a chorus of Alice's Resturant, and walks out. I think our side is trying to drive home the notion that ninety nine verses one is a pretty big number. One percent of the people own 44% of the property in America. You know one reason why the pin-ball table may be tilting in our direction is because of the withdrawal from the race by NY Gov Christy. After all in that one act this morning Gov Christy may have done more to insure President Obama's reelection in 2012 than any other thing any candidate has done this whole year, including the President Himself.

Yesterday I happened to watch the debate the Republicans had on September 5th in South Carolina where they reviewed each of the five candidates separately and gave each an extended chance to express their opinion. The five candidates were Mitt Romney, Michelle Bachman, Herman Kane, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich. Well needless to say it was a pretty Alice in Wonderland debate, even further out in right wing la - la land than they usually are. On the whole racial immigration Rich Perry says "Hell, we don't need no fence along the border. It's a river hundreds of miles long, for Christ's sake. All we really need to do is pull half the personnel from Homeland Security stationed at the Pentagon or Iran or Pakistan- - and ship them off to the border and station they a few yards apart all along the boarder in case any wetbacks are seen swimming accross. Of course these candidates don't want just anybody coming over and when and if they do, they don't want them bring any of that old world cultural garbage over with them. We must make it clear they are coming here to be 100% American. And of course we must make English our legal language. And they also want to change immigration policy for legals, too. Instead of such factors as job prospects or connections with friends and family already here in this family, they want to institute an intelligence test, and pick out those who in the top fifteen percent of the bell curve or something. OK. I'll get Governor Perry to work on that right now. He can consult with his Texas school text book buddies and they will have out a test for immigration to use within the week. Abortion was mentioned recurringly throughout the two hours. This one guy would ask every candidate about employing the Fourteenth Amendment to be able to guarentee the rights of every "Person" in America. Well even Ron Paul was a bit uncomfortable dealing with this question. After all it clearly state that this amendment applies to people who were Born on U S soil. The last time I checked "Born" didn't mean "Unborn". Mitt Romney was a little saner than the other four candidates. At least he admitted that some bank and financial legislation and tightening or derivatives and other things were necessary. Of course they all want to privatise all these government REIT loans from Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac, and Barney Frank. I've never heard of a "Bernie Frank" loan. I'd like to apply for one of those. None of these candidates seemed to trust that Committee of Twelve that's going to arbitrate cutting the government deficet. You'd have no idea from hearing these five candidates, that conservatives completely dominate these twelve. They're that paranoid. But the worst thing they want to do is to institute a constitutional amendment to insure a ballanced budget and to "create the proper legislative bias". But also they want to institute a two thirds vote requirement for raising any taxes. But they also under any case want to limit the entire national budget to a maximum of 18% of the gross national product. But they say the GNP isn't figured right. They say "In case of some horrible national emergency the national product will naturally go up as money is spent". And so in especially dire times they want to cut that 18% further because it will be too much. Of course they generally prefer consumption taxes to production taxes harder because they hit the poor among us harder. After all the lower 45% of the people aren't paying enough taxes. And Bachman wants to "repatriate" corporate money in foreign bank accounts at a rate of "zero percent tax". And most want to abolish the capital gains tax for anyone. OK maybe if you're a bum selling apples in the street at a small profit they might want to tax that. They want to abolish all inheritence taxes. They say they are worried about "Investment confidence with all these new securities regulation laws" but if they instituted zero capital gains it would be like pouring gasoline on a fire in terms of what it would to to fuel an even worse economic recession. And I'll tell you why. Because people realizing they can take one hundred percent of the capital gains from the bottom of the market in 2009 there would be a massive rush to sell stocks and to take a profit- and this would speed up the decline. And all these austere cuts in spending would drive the economy and the market down further and before you know it we'll have a full scale Crash on our hands.

They were guessing what G O P stood for. Some correctly stated that it stood for "grand old party". A majority of people thought it stood for Government of the People. Hey - don't give them any ideas! The'll steal it and adopt it as their own slogan. A minority thought it stood for "God's Own Party". And there was a small number who thought it stood for Gauntlet of Power. That one might not be far from the truth. And you know- - there is one thing I agreed with these debaters on, and that is the Supreme Court. Many people quoted speeches by Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. That's good company. Both men said that when the supreme court ruled counter to the wishes of the people that it was ucerping congress and the sovreign will of the People. I say a big Amen to that.

They said in the debate that nobody is trying to get out of this Country. Well, that's not what Judy says. According to her all the rich people are leaving because of our ever higher tax rates here. My philosophy is "Let them". They can take their money and go to the Camen Islands for all I care. But they have to leave behind all their markets here in America and our liberal patent laws and all the police protection they've been getting, and their seats on the New York Stock exchange, and all their lobbyests in congress, who write our bills for us. We can do without them. If Jefferson is right and our Nation is like a biological organizm, then having all these paracites and mutents gone should increase the physical health of the patient markedly. The way these right wing whackazoids are taking over everything - the whackazoid is going to become a new geometrical shape that's taught in math class. I hear that Charlie Daniels has also gotten into the whole right wing scene, "Et Tu, Charlie?" I don't think Charlie has been reading his Bible enough, especially the passage in Revelation where it says, "Be careful and let no man take thy golden fiddle". What is it with all these people I thought were regular guys putting in with all this right wing whacko indoctrination? Now it seems that Charlie Daniels is another of these celebreties who has taken to airing his floppies in public. For shame- - - For Shame!

I Am The Walrus - Final Chapter

A FRACTURED CLASSIC 1872 TALE BY MALCOLM EVANS

"Singing songs- -that Voice never share - No One Dare

-Simon and Garfunkle

And he turned to the crowds and open his mouth and he spoke to them in parables, lest the people understand and turn and repent.

I've Seen the Junkeys - I've Seen It All

I've seen Religion - from Jesus to [STEPHANIE MILLER 6 AM Weekdays]

Now the Walrus and the Carpenter were Best Friends. You know - - kinda like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, or Frankie Lee and Judas Priest, - - or Pat Garret and Billy the Kid. Well, perhaps those aren't the best examples but you know what I mean. You would see them together hanging out at the beach, or any place else. Unfortunately some people are confused about they because they got poor marks in Literature class in High School because they didn't read the material. Therefore some of these peoples' subsequent conclusions are flawed, even in certain song lyrics they were later to write. It's not that either the Carpenter or the Walrus were insensitive to the feelings of others whom they felt were in need to treat to some basic training road work out, it's just that sometimes, like Homer Simpson, their bodily impulses would over-ride and just- - take over. But in the course of time they saw each other less. And in the past three years the Walrus has hardly mentioned the Carpenter once in conversations. It was like he no longer knew him. Now the Walrus fancied himself to be an all around Nice Guy. But he had a bad habit of Deceiving people and leading them down the garden path, and then Abandoning them.

The Walrus was in police custudy in handcuffs being escorted by an officer of the law dressed mostly in black. They enter into the outer office of some building. Raphael: Just sit here and I'll tell God the prisoner has arrived. Over the intercom we hear "Raphael, bring in the prisoner" and they go into the next room. God: I don't mind telling you you are in serious trouble. Certain accusations have come to my attention against you. Certain people think you're a little flakey and certain lies have been told about them by you, causing them to lose all their friends and be thrown out of the social circle. Some people think that you're a "Day Tripper". Would you know anything about that? The Walrus: Look I resent being arrested by this officer here and frankly I deserve to know where I'm being held. God: Actually, you are dead right now. This is the land of the dead. You're not afraid of death, are you? The Walrus: Look, this arrest is an outrage. You know it and I know it. God: That's why I thought I might soften the blow a little by having you arrested by Raphael, since he's an old friend of yours. The Walrus: "I've never seen this guy before in my life". God: You knew him as Toby. Remember The Walrus: Even though I've never seen you before (looking at Raphael) your face looks familiar. I know, I've seen your face on one of my brother's record albums. God: No - - that would be Buck Dharma of B O C. Raphael here adopted an avatar kind of resembling Buck. The Walrus: Hey look, I'm not into Hinduism or nothing. God: Do you remember the day Toby died? The Walrus: "No but I'm sure it was a very sad day. My condolences". (address to Raphael) "By the way, what's up with the black? God: Raphael likes wearing black. Guy Owens has seen Raphael many times wearing black. The Walrus: I don't know. Seems a little inappropiate decore for heaven, if you know what I mean. God: Your brother Guy is puzzled why Raphael here doesn't look exactly as Guy remembers him from the time he knew him in Hamburg when he was alive. He still doesn't realize he's an avatar The Walrus: Look, as far as all this Hundo what's-it you're talking about I really don't - - . Just then the phone rings. God: You'll have to excuse me I have to take this call. Raphael, have the prisoner sit over there on that bench. Raphael: Come with me. The Walrus: Raphael, huh? Is that a Biblical name? Raphael: That all depends on what denomination you are. Are you Catholic? The Walrus: No. Raphael: Then for you Raphael is not a Biblical name. Just then Allicin Sweeney walks in. Alicin: "That isn't Raphael". God: Alicin, shouldn't you be doing your soap opera? Alicin: "Actually with all the employee cuts on the show lately I was protecting myself by getting a second job". God: They must really be desperate around here to hire you. It's all those senior employees leaving because of the stock market falling. They're activating their Golden Parachutes. Alicin: (To the Walrus) "That isn't Raphael". Raphael: (to the prisoner) Just sit down here and wait, OK? The Walrus sits down next to a long man reading a paperback novel. The Walrus looks at the cover. It's "The Hound of the BOSC-ervilles". "Oh, I see it's put out by Lear publishers. They must have gone out of business. Jim speaks: Oh, I see you're interested in this novel. It's really pretty good. It's just a paperback I bought at the local five and dime. (addressing the man on the bench) What is your name? Jim: Jim Younger. I know being arrested is a hassle. I just got out of prison serving a long sentence a year or so ago. Let me tell you life on the outside isn't what it's cracked up to be". The Walrus: I never thought about that. Jim: I have an older brother who got out of the whosgau the same time I did. The Walrus: If you don't mind my asking what year is this. I seem to have lost all track of time. Jim: This is 1902, of course. Time isn't all that important up here. The Walrus: If you don't mind my asking what landed you in prison in the first place. Jim Younger: I really don't want to talk about it. Why don't you ask my brother. He'll tell you". The Walrus: "Jim Younger, huh? You seem like a nice guy. Tell me- - if you've had trouble getting settled you can move in with me and my wife till you get your life settled. We have an extra bedroom. All I have to do is get my drums out of there". Jim: I'm not really sure that's possible. You see I kind of took things into my own hands. That's why I'm here now. The Walrus: "I'd like to hear about it. Tell me- - " Raphael: Allright you with the tusks, come with me. The Walrus: I don't have tusks. Raphael: Yeah, and oysters don't have feet. Tell it to the Judge. God: (to the Walrus) Sit down, relax. I thought we'd use this time before the other people arrive for the hearing to get to know each other a little better. The Walrus: "Well, far be it from me to turn down a conversation with God".

- - - - - - - - -

This is the end of side one. This is a vinyl audio recording. Had you not been so cheap and bought the CD this recording would not be interrupted here. Actually I'm including material in the middle of the file but later on I'm going to leave out a certain ammount of contraversial material twords the end, which is a little boring anyhow- - - . Turn the record over. This is a recording - - This is a recording - - - This is a re- - - - -

- - - - - - - - -

God: OK just take a load off and make yourself right at home. I want you to feel comfortable. Can I get you anything to snack on, perhaps some coffee or - - The Walrus: Some herbal tea might be nice. God: We don't use the T word around here. How would you like some coffee? The Walrus: Coffee makes me nervous. God: Why doesn't that surprise me? We have Defaf. The Walrus: Decaf will be fine. Do you have any cream. I don't take sugar. God: That's just like your brother. Actually I've got powdered coffee creamer right here. The Walrus: Don't you have any real Cream? God: Oh, we don't use dairy around here. We all gotta watch our health these days. The Walrus: Oh right- - sodium cassonite is so much healthier for you than fresh whole milk from Altadina Dairy. God: Did Jim Younger tell you that he had a younger brother who died of TB? The Walrus: "Jim had a - - - Younger brother?" God: Oh "Younger". I get it. You made a funny. The Walrus: Jim Younger died of poisoned tea?" God: No. While we're on the subject - - how do you feel about tea baggers. The Walrus: I'm 100% in favor if that. God: Personally I'm not into sexual perversion. Uh - - - how you think your Carpenter friend feels about tea baggers? The Walrus: Say, this cup of coffee is really great. I'm pleasently surprised. This is the first cup of coffee I've had that hasn't tasted like crap in ages. God: There's the jar. The Walrus: It says Osirus 56 corporation. It must be a new outfit. I've never heard of them. They do a really good job of sprucing up the flavor. God: That's what they pride themselves on. The Walrus: What's over in that big box? God: Oh It's just a bunch of junk I've been meaning to get rid of. The Walrus: Can I look through it. God: Fine with me. The Walrus goes over to the big box and starts pulling things out. The Walrus. There's a lot of really nice, old, framed portrates in here. These have gotta be worth something. - - - The Walrus pulls out a fairly large framed picture of the Carpenter and stares at it. The Walrus: Gee, the glass is busted. God: There's a story behind that picture. The husband smashed it over his wife's head during a bad marital dispute in the fall of 1953. The Walrus "Why, that was nearly sixty years ago. God: Well you know how it is. Everybody gets a little behind in their domestic chores. The Walrus: Uh huh. God then begins speaking in French for the next couple of minutes. God: You know he had a French wife and she was a real whore. Despite her youth she's already had two kids, and after her husband gets through raping her tonight she will have conceived one more. I have her picture here if you want to see it as a teenager. Her name is Denise. She grew up hating violence and distrusting men. And she particularly hates violent men. - - - The Walrus: Uh - - - God? - - - God? - - - you're speaking in Latin. I can't understand you. God: That wasn't Latin, it was French. The Walrus: It just sounded kinda like the words the Pope says over the Mass - - "Cuesta Amacido Tanta Mucho - - " God: I wouldn't know about that. I'm not Catholic. The Walrus: My brother took French in Jr. High school. My other brother Guy took Spanish. He wanted to take German but his grades wern't good enough. I myself took German. God: Well I happen to know much later on Guy also took German. You know, he's a real Heimy wanna be. The Walrus: How's that? God: Well, in a previous incarnation he was around people who spoke Yiddish all the time. The thing is he doesn't remember it". The Walrus: By the way, who's the teenage chick in that photograph on your desk. She isn't one of the new clients I'll be working with next week, is she? God: You don't recognize her? The Walrus: As a matter of fact I think I have seen her before, but God only knows where. God: You ought to be careful using an expression like that around me. It could come back to bite you in the ass." The Walrus again turned his attention to that picture of the Carpenter. God says, "Is something wrong?" The Walrus: I don't know. Those blue eyes, that drugged out expression, that long hair, that- - - God interjects, "Deer in the headlights look?" The Walrus: You know, I just don't feel as comfortable around the Carpenter as I used to be. God: Do you suppose any other people have picked up on that? The Walrus: I don't - - know. God: I know everything anyhow. The Walrus: I wonder whatever happened to the Carpenter anyhow. God: Oh don't you know? He died in an exploding off shore oil rig in the Gulf. Terrible ending. The Walrus: Well concern for such accidents is all well and good but President Obama needs to know that we Americans don't want him shutting down all these oil wells in the Gulf. In fact we need to open new leases and drill, baby drill. We need to establish American energy independance from the oil sheeks. God: You know, I hear the Carpenter was still a virgin at age 33. The vast majority of scollars say that. Your brother Guy is one of the few people who doesn't believe it. The Walrus: I knew there was Something wrong with him!" God: Then he got in with a bad crowd. He began hanging out with a bunch of drugstore dudes, much against his mother's wishes. She wanted to keep him healthy and clean and would never let anything dirty get through. She would say to him "I know you think you are a Superman but mama won't let you fly, but if you're good, she might let you sing". Just then a red bird flew in the window. The Walrus: There's a red bird in here. God: That's a robin. Just then the bird began pecking out the tune to "Love Roller Coaster" on a little child's toy piano just sitting on a table. God: I didn't know she knew that tune. You know- - she's really a smart bird- - - has a lot of secrets. She's not supposed to even be here. It's autumn. Shouldn't she be flying south for the winter or something? The Walrus: Continue with what happened to the Carpenter. God: Well, ten days later, the Carpenter was spotted at a little spot called Mother Thyatayra's Hen House, in downtown Houston, Texas. And it was kind of down hill from there. From there he met friends who got him into the oil business, and he was really successful in the oil business for quite a few centuries. The Walrus: I guess having a long life helps". God: Do you ever think about what is going on right now? The Walrus: I'm not sure what you mean. God: Well, even things that last a relatively long time don't last forever and when they are gone, what is a person to do? The Walrus: Gee, God, that's profound. God: I guess your Carpenter friend ended up getting killed not that far away- - on a rig just off shore from Bajor, Texas. The Walrus: Excuse me, I think you mean Bay City, Texas. I've toured extensively in Texas a couple of different times playing with my band, and got to know geography there pretty well. God: Oh, it's your first wife who's Bajoran. Tell me, does Texas still frown on inter-racial marriages. The Walrus: I never heard of Bajor, but my geography isn't infallible. Are the inhabitants there black? God: No, they're actually a little greenish. All Reigelians are greenish to one degree or another, some more than others. The Walrus: So, I'm really talking to the guy who created the world, huh? God: That's really flattering of you to say that. Some say I just created conditions which allowed the world to come into being. The Walrus: That's very interesting God: Marcion believes that God created me and that I created the world and that's why the world isn't perfect because I'm not perfect. Marcion is one of the most widely believed theologians in all Born Again Christianity and he doesn't get near the credit for all the influence he's had. The Walrus: How can the Creator himself be a Creation? God: Well I was kind of like the chief Archangel, kind of the heavenly choir director. The Walrus: So do you control all our destinies. God: Oh I get credit for all sorts of things I had nothing to do with. I rather see myself as a person who help direct and focus people's thoughts, so that they are able to better cope with their lives". The Walrus: How come Guy and Al aren't here to speak in my defence? God: Well, Guy had to attend a big sex party thrown at Charlie Sheen's house tonight. And I tried to contact Al but Dick Chaney cut the phone lines and I couldn't get a message through. The Walrus: You know sometimes I think Guy secretly wanted to be like me. Sometimes I even thought he wanted to Be me. God: I've known Guy for 35 years and I've gotten no such impressions about him. The Walrus: Then how come I don't feel better? God: Hell, how should I know? Maybe the coffee disagreed with you. But right now I want to talk to you about Mark. The Walrus: Mark Quakendol? "No" Mark Campbell? "No" God: I was thinking of a Mark or a more Pastoral role. The Walrus: Oh I don't discuss him. My relation with him is a thing of the past. God: You know Mark Campbell hated sheep herders. His whole People hated them in ancient times. It all goes back to a nasty experiance Mark had as a young child when he accidently wandered into a slaughter house and saw the sheep being slaughtered. There was blood everywhere. There was blood all over Bundy Drive". The Walrus: "Hey look, if you're pissed because Pastor Mark used to refuse to perform inter-racial marriages, I never agreed with him in that decision, OK? God: Pike was the first inter-racial marriage Mark performed wasn't it?" The Walrus: "Who is Pike". God shows him a photograph of Pike. The Walrus: "Oh, THAT is Pike. How come I never knew that was a nick name of his?" God: This is interesting you didn't know. I'm going to write that down right now- - . You know- - this is just a bit of spiritual advice, only a suggestion. I think you should study up on the life of the Carpenter like your brother, Guy has. You know, he's so smart on the Bible he could blow any ten other Christians out of the water. The Walrus: I feel really bad about neglecting him. Just then Raphael showed up and chimed in: "Yeah he really knew how to make with those crocadile tears to provide theatrics in front of his disciples. He's a jerk. In fact anybody who hangs around with him is a jerk". The Walrus: "Are you talking about the Carpenter- - - or Me?" God: Raphael don't you have somebody you need to go and arrest and make yourself useful. Raphael leaves. God: He makes me nervous. Law enforcement makes me nervous. Me and the LAPD had a really bad understanding just over 35 years ago and it ended really badly for me. In fact that's the reason I'm here rather than still being on planet earth". The Walrus: I think this line of conversation comes under the general heading of TMI. //// OK we are going to end the story here for now because we've gone on a little long, and bring you the ending another time.

---------

The program for this evening is not new. You've seen it through and through. Certainly you know your Life, your Birth, your Death. You may remember all the rest. Tell me - - Did you have a good World when you Died? Enough to base the Movie on?

Geeky Science for Born Again Christians

“We won’t be messed with or used as a Tool

And most of us got high marks in School”

- - - - - - - - - - -

“OK Mr. Born Again scientist. We’ll start off with a simple question. Define the word “Domension”.

“Well one time I saw the word DIMENSION in a FORTRAN computer program”

“I think I’ll give you 30% credit for that pathetic answer.

OK, another question. If I take my gun out into a big field and for purposes of discussion let’s assume I’m an infallible marksman and always hit what I aim at- - then how many different directional trajectories can I aim my gun and have success?”

:I cannot answer that question”

“Ok, don’t feel bad. One final question. How many different elements are there in a ten dimensional array consisting of ten elements each?

“One hundred?”

“I have one more suggestion for you. Don’t quit your day job”

Well Judy, God bless her, recommended that geeky science program again on channel 50.3. She thought I’d be smart enough to understand the things the instructor was saying. Well guess what? I wasn’t. What I did understand didn’t pan out. The instructor said that the speed of light is important in determining whether life formed anywhere in the Universe. I don’t see how and I doubt he could tell you if you asked him the direct question. I have a feeling he’d say something like, “I don’t know- - it’s just here in the script. He also stated he had “proved “deism” and the next week he was going to get into true Theology. Organized religion has not been able to make that link in five thousand years of trying, I hardly see how he is going to do it next week. People from Dr. Levy to Chuck Smith to Neil Savedra said “You can’t probe God. It’s just a matter of Faith. It’s a Decision you make personally”. Some of the other constructions of the show were a little silly such as universe creating machines with all sorts of dials on them to adjust the physical laws. The host points out “even such postulated machines would have to be made by Somebody”. Some of his “questions” could be answered by a bright fifth grader with a sense of humor. Abraham Lincoln was once asked, “How long should a man’s legs be”? Do you remember his answer? He said, “They should be long enough to reach the floor”. Some of the commentary on physical laws could degenerate into such silliness of “Just think how chaotic math would be of triangles didn’t have three sides or if squares didn’t have four”. As to his remarks on the gravitational constant I think of “Q” remarks on Star Trek in an episode after he’d lost his powers. Captain Piccard said “If we don’t do something that space station is going to crash into the planet when orbital decay takes its course” and “Q” just said, “Well that problem is simple; just change the gravitational constant”. If you change the gravitation of a planet causing a satellite’s orbit to decay, the solution is simple. Just supply more rocket power to the satellite so that it can stay in orbit. If we had less gravity we would have bigger stars and bigger, slower planetary orbits. If we had more gravity we would have smaller stars, and faster planetary orbits. So what’s the problem? The host spoke of “a host of such problems” but he didn’t get to the sixteen others on his list. He talked about string theory and multiple dimensional theory, neither topic I suspect he knows squat about. As to its “It couldn’t happen without God” declaration. Do you remember an axiom Stewart Sutcliff lived by when he came up with his multiple dimension theory. The axiom is “Anything that CAN happen HAS happened in some universe”. I don’t know about you but the word ANYTHING seems pretty all inclusive to me. If there is anything I’ve missed when I post these remarks feel free to register in comments. When I read comments they are usually trying to push some business venture or employment opportunity, or else pitch some new product. Maybe I should answer all those individual readers who took the time to write. But for now, the host’s doctrine of “Complicatedness” eludes me.

AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE NEWS

I made coffee in the morning and turned on KNX 1070. Obama’s speech actually wasn’t bad. The President said it isn’t a matter of one side “winning” or “losing” but whether the American people win or lose. That’s easy for we adults to see, but you know how petty these tea baggers are. They are like Christians. If they even think they might be losing an argument they’ll throw a tantrum and blame you. Basically the President needs to do more zingers like this to make his audience think. If he points out the Obvious, he will prosper. We had oatmeal for breakfast with a fried egg and toast and butter and jelly. The Republican response was on the subject of eliminating all these vast new business regulations. OK, you convinced me. Then it was that fish and crill oil combo and Astezanten and how it speeds up your brain and gives you good skin. OK there was another one at nine or something that talked about super energy fat burning so animals never gain weight. Anyhow, Astezanten has 60 times the anti-oxidant power of Vitamin C. And I guess half the fat cells of your brain consist of it. In between I had the computer on reviewing blogs. I know at eight thirty I switched the radio off and just lay on the bed a bit. And then I grabbed my wallet and my Chase debit card and went to the ATM at the liquor store and got the minimum of twenty dollars. It took a while to process. Then I bought coffee creamer and two packs of John Black cherry. I don’t imagine I’ll be spending any more money till Tuesday. There’s no need. I’m still a little fuzzy on what I did when. I also read up on Lee Michaels. He is from San Francisco not the South. And he was originally into surf music and not gospel. He knew a guy from the Grass Roots and also the Turtles’ drummer, I believe. And that John Baretta who drummed on the Airplane’s last album “Long John Silver” in 1972 and went on for years with the Starship.

Amanda Knox has been undergoing a murder trial in Perugia, Italy for the murder of her roommate four years ago. It was a British co ed named Merideth. The police broke down the door and she was stunned. The Police previously had DNA evidence, but then some court said that the DNA sample was tainted and they wouldn't allow the court to use it. Now the defense claims there is only "circumstantial" evidence. Her parents are visiting her from Seattle. She has been in prison all this time. None of us wishes the innocent harm. The verdict is expected to come on Monday. People have been saying this whole trial was unjust from the start. We should thank God in such cases at least Italy doesn’t have the death penalty.

Andy Rooney is 92 years of age and prides himself on being a "grumpy old man". He has the very same persona off camera as he does on camera. He says he used to be against War but then he ran into the Nazis and he changed his mind. They say that you know a liberal from a conservative, because the conservative is the guy who's been mugged. He says that if he had the last thirty years to do over again that he would be doing exactly the same thing. Well, we here in the blogisphere salute Andy. He is truely one of a kind and he'll be missed.

Some people have asked me "Marcus, how come you're so darned smart?" Well, I tell you a little secret. I remember what I learn. When I read a book or take a college course I make a point to remember it. Other people don't. Their minds are like a siev. When a preacher gives a sermon I remember it. Others don't. They go into some kind of spiritual trance, all right, but they don't remember anything substantive they could be given a test on. A lot of the incidents or many will say "stories" I relate to you readers are incredibly vintage. Many of the ones I choose NOT to relate are incredibly vintage. We we hear things and we forget them and for some reason they assume relivence later on in life, like trying to remember what you learned in higher math in high school. I just remembered that mystery "last name" that starts with an R. It wasn't Ramsey, it's Renkin, or Renkyn. OK that's a technicality. We forget that the Sunday morning show on KFI is called "radio theater". It isn't reality; it's theater. Just like Star Trek is theater. It's entertainment. If you're lucky you can pull away the occasional lesson from it. You have to remember that certain people such as Dennis Prager and Neil Savedra pride themselves NOT on their spirituality or "psychic enlightenment". Rather, they take pride in themselves in that they are "Religious". I had the idea of doing a biography on C S Lewis and calling the book "The Lying King". That title is not original with me. Rush Limbaugh must take credit for that one. The song "The lion sleeps tonight" seems to be a take off on an even earlier story I heard as a small child about a lion sleeping and forgetting the secret word to a magic tree. And the word was close to "Un-wung-ga-weah". But the lion was too proud to admit that he'd forgotten the real word and so made up a word and said it many times to the tree. And of course nothing happened. There was no dropping of the magic fruit. Some old people pride themselves with the expression "You know, I've forgotten more on that subject than you'll ever know". If I were them I wouldn't be too public about admitting it. People have another "Meme" that somehow "Loss in life is irrelivent". You get this particularly in Christian circles. Many people seem to pride themselves on what they've Lost almost more than what they Have. If a heart valve is leaking blood it needs medical attention. Some math whizzes say that investment "loss" will prevent the regular compounding of interest and principle, by which you can save up and accrew money. The secret to my own parent's success more than any other- - is that they were extremely tight with a buck. But contrary to what so many Christians believe, you ultimately are not measured in life by what you Have, but by what you Give. People like Gene Scott never seem to have this reality dawn on them. People should not "Trust" in objects, and for many God is a "Thing" to them. It's something they "Have". But rather we need to learn to trust our fellow man, as Jimmy Stewart said in that famous speech to Mr. Potter in "It's a Wonderful Life". If we can do this, we will Do Well. (Selah)

People fall into mental traps. Many people develope phobias they can't really explain but have no intention of altering. Many people believe that if they can just Avoid certain things that all will be well in their lives. But if Satan is really out there, don't you think he's smart enough to implant some fear in your mind that isn't your Real problem, and so that you invest time trying to avoid That Thing, and meanwhile you are ignoring the fact that you are screwing up every day in a thousand other ways. So you try and avoid fats, when it's carbohydrates that turn out to be the real problem. They claim to have trouble reading the road map but meanwhile they are so stoned at the time they don't know what they're doing anyway. People on the tea party right pride themselves on not violating the tenth commandment. This is the one about not coveting your neighbor's goods. Don't they think for one minute that a powerful business man bent on driving his enemies into the poor house is also violating the tenth commandment? Suppose you fixate on a belief system that seems to "work" for your neighbor and fixate on that and say "I want what he has". Aren't you too violating the tenth commandment of "coveting your neighbor's religion?" A wise person said to practice "Moderation in everything - - including moderation". Extremism in defense of your own moral convictions is no vice but moderation in the pursuit of Truth is no virtue. People who don't trust themselves have themselves as their own worst enemy, whom they are never able to get away from. (Selah) Many preachers fill your head with all these false ideas. They will say to you "I have secret knowledge - - but I know you're not ready to hear it yet and you just have to sit and listen attentively at my knee and trust me while I try to remember something I haven't made up yet." It is of little use if they say that the secret knowledge lies over in that THING over there and we'll call that THING God. You still have the same problem. As Dylan said long ago, but it's well worth remembering, "Do you take me for such a fool to think that I'd make contact with one who tries to hide what they don't know to begin with?" (Selah)

There's Wisdom In A Multitude of Counselors

You geeky science people out there, especially Leo Le Port and Thom Hartman, we have something for you, and anybody else out there who fancies themselves to be of above average intelligence, so stay tuned. And please read the next blog below this one. I do an Opus Magnum paragraph that slices up the tea party doctrine nine ways to Sunday into so many pieces even the vultures won't be able to find them. (Nephreteri sure has a way with words) You know, the whole core "meme" (to use s Wayne Dyre term) of the Tea Party is a rather alien one in American culture and that is, of course, "Greed is good". There are ample verses in the Bible that preach against Greed and trusting in money. If anybody uses this Meme, even Governor Christie, one can say "This belief is not in the main stream of what historically it's been to be an American." Indeed this Meme only dates back to Gordon Gecko in 1985. The trouble is that many people suddenly become saturated with hearing this Johnny one-note meme and think it's the Gospel.

GOD KNOWS WHEN BUT YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN

- - "Hey, Neil Savedra?"

You know it's a good thing Bob Dylan isn't dead because if he were he'd be rising in his grave in protest over KFI using his song, "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" this morning on the Jesus Christ show. You know, I didn't even mean to turn on the radio this morning. I meant to hit the TV and tune in the "Today" show. But everything has its reason. Today on the Jesus Christ show, our Holy Host was talking about Satan hiding in the good things in life we all seek, such as eating cantalope and the Lysteria bacteria. He says "If Lysteria hid out in animal feces there would be no problem". Neil then went on to talk about establishing big bounderies. For instance, if sex is a sin then don't have interraction with women at all if you're unmattied and you'll never be tempted. That makes a lot of sense. He says "And if you are told you are never to enter the state of Kansas, then don't even travel to America because that way you'll insure that you will never be in Kansas. Then Neil says "The problem with most people is that they want to see how close to sin they can get and still not be in trouble". Then Neil went on to talk about false teachers in the Church with appealing doctrines, and they sell a lot of books, and garner a lot of followers, but they are wrong when they preach doctrines such as "Everybody is saved". And then he went on to say how Satan transforms himself into other things such as a slice of cantalope, or an angel of light. And how if Satan only existed at a Mega-death rock concert there would be no business. (Sirius B will love the endorsement) So what is "wrong" with this approach. This brings about the necessity for "critical thinking" on the viewer's part. This doessn't mean to walk around with a scowl on your face all the time like some Ebonezer Scrooge all the time. This means to exercise some sort of independant intelligent judgement on the hearer's part when he tunes in something like the Jesus Christ show. For instance - - suppose you believe in circumcising your children for health reasons? Suppose you believe you should not conduct business on the Sabbath. You don't discuss money or make any deal or sign any contract on the Sabbath because for you the Sabbath is a special day and should not be tainted by commercialization. Suppose you have to have a love of the Nation of Israel. Suppose you believe in a God who practices moral equity and rewards the good and punishes the evil, and as Dr. Levy says "We are born with impulses tword good and impulses tward evil". You are all saying "Marcus, surely nothing is WRONG with any of these beliefs, is there?" Well technically each and every one of them is condemned somewhere in the new testament. Here's one for you. Let's take this "Big Boundaries" principle to its logical extreme. Everybody wants to be "Safe" right? OK. How often are "false teachers" of the Shinto faith condemned by Christian pastors. How about false Hindu teachers, or for that matter false teachers in Islam? Almost never. OK. How about false teachers in Christianity? Oh. Suddenly a light bulb is going on. Were we to follow Neil's logic we would be a Shinto or a Hindu or a Moslem, because these are religions that are "safe" from false teachers. There is kind of a human axiom out there. If there is a guy out there who says "Everyone else in my profession is a charleton, but you can Trust me!" you know that he is the One guy you should Not trust. Nobody else is that paranoid. Think about it. Not all of us walk around with the dissernment of a five year old, but people like Neil Savedra assumes that we do. But where does Neil get his OWN doctrines from. Would you trust a religion that cannonized eleven, and I believe, twelve books (if you count Acts) that were admitted into the Church Cannon by a guy who was later condemned (and almost Universally) as a Heritec? Think about it. There is all that "Doctrine" in those twelve NT books, and it was a heritic who first gave thumbs up on them. I don't know. I'd think about it. That's where you get this whole "Satan is hiding out under the bushes" or whatever- - doctrine. In fact a major teaching of this heriec is that Satan rules the whole world except for Christians, and all of nature has become Evil. But you can escape this "Evil" if you put in with our good god. But some of you are thinking, "Well, Lysteria is a bad thing and maybe I'll just avoid cantalope to be safe". Well as I said last time I have never stopped eating cantalope and I'm not worried. The odds of getting violently ill three weeks from now is about as likely as Herman Kane being elected President next November. But OK lets assume the worst happens. Let me tell you a little story you've no doubt heard before. Suppose a guy goes to the doctor with symptums. Perhaps it's a little chest pain or pains in his stomach. There is one of two things that can happen. Either the doctor says it's nothing, or you could have a serious disease. If it turns out to be Nothing- - then all is well and good. Now you're down to fifty percent. If you have a disease the doctor diagnoses there is one of two choices that could occur. Either you will get better, or you will die. If the doctor comes up with a treatment and you get better all is well. If you Die then you have one of two choices. Either you go to Heaven or you go to Hell. If you go to Heaven all is well. And if you go to Hell, you'll be too busy shaking hands with old friends you won't be worried anyhow. In light of this lets do a couple more examples. Suppose some hypothetical person in the fall of 1993 has sex with a girl named Angie. And two months later he begins feeling kind of chronically "a little ill" all the time, and the symptons hang on for months. Blood tests years later confirmed this person did indeed have Hepatitus B. But he managed to beat it without once even going to the doctor. So much for Obama health care. Can we infer that this person got the Hepatitus B from the sex? It might just have easily occurred from a visit to the dentist. He's had root canals. Or there are those bed bugs where he would wake with these round bites all over his body. It could have been carried in that. I mean- - if he got it from the sex then how come the girl isn't sick? "Oh I didn't think of that?" Suppose the very worst scenario sin-wise happens. Once again you're having sex without a condom and it's fall of 1989. And it turns out that soon the woman becomes pregnent. If she's married you're not legally liable anyhow. Even Dennis Prager will tell you this. It's what's known in legal lingo as a "freebee". The baby may not be yours. The wonan is not known as the sort of person who kisses and tells anyhow, and you know she's the sort of person with a lot of secrets. Nobody is going to question nothing. Anything short of the baby coming out a space alien and you're safe the way I see it. No harm no fowl. On the other hand those who play songs from artists as though those artists somehow endoursed your show- - now that's another matter. "Lay Down your Weary Tune" is a beautiful song. Dylan says it's an old Scottish tune he picked up somewhere along the way. Let's talk about DNA a little. If it's true that Apes have 96% or our human DNA, then DNA isn't the dead giveaway you may think. I've heard that we have DNA in our systems that's identical to that of a fly. Just to get cosmic on you for a minute, we have talked about "Half Breeds". These are Detroit Romulans who are 50% Andromadan rather than the usual 25% alottment. The reason is that 25% is a more stable DNA. It's a case of evolution and the "survival of the fittest". The half breeds have more features that are dissernably not human, if you're getting a physical from your Romulan doctor.

GEEKS - TIME TO TAKE PART IN SOME "QUIZ"

Some of you Science geeks may want to "check me out" and come to certain deductive conclusions of your own. First of all did you know that at no time have I ever seen one of these people from the Other Side smoking a cigarette? And I myself have never smoked a cigarette on another planet or seen others smoking there. Also there is something about the planets Bela Tagis IV and also Bela Tagis V (before it blew up) - - there is some distinctive feature both planets have that has never been mentioned in any communacation dating back to 1985, but it's none the less a deducable truth. It's something scientists can infer, even though in our writings we have never stated it. Also, do you know how I personally label Stars and label Planets and how to know whether I'm referring to a Star or a planet? This works most of the time however last Saturday (yesterday) I violated my own principle. But in general it holds. And also talking about the "dog star" system, we violate it there, too. How do astronomers denote Stars and how do they denote planets and how can you generally tell? OK we have another "logical deduction" question. You know like Spock, "I have merely deduced- - that you are a Liar". OK here we go. We said that Romulans are secretive about their cloaking technology. However with one governmental subset of another governmental jourisdiction- - - we may deduce that the Romulans have shared their cloaking technology with at least one People. Even though we have never expressly state it, it can be logically deduced. Remember a few postings back when I talked about a certain planet "most probably being cloaked- so our telescopes don't see it". If you are up on all our postings should have no trouble answering this easy question. Oh, by the way the same is probably true for Alpha Centauri "x". Now we put the "x" in quotes. Why did I do that and why is it a small x and not a big x. Knowing algebra here helps. If you know almost any imperitive algorithmic computer program language you know the "x" would not be in quotes in a default setting in a program. I put it on quotes for another reason. Tell me what that reason is. So what am I referring to specifically saying Alpha Centauri "x" when the "x" isn't supposed to be in quotes in a computer program?

The Liberals Regain their Political Voice

It’s refreshing to see that left wing protests are finally making the news. Liberals say there have been many large protestors over the past ten years but the media has ignored them. But if a tenth or fewer the number of tea baggers get together they will trumpet that in the media. Well, no longer. Now there are throngs of protestors camping out in New York City protesting Wall Street. They call themselves the ninety-nine percenters and they are out to protest against “corporate greed”. They have been camped out the past couple weeks or so and have been serving pizzas and stuff like that. What they need IS a “list of demands” in the Sol Allinsky tradition. And they should be demands that “the other side is physically capable of carrying out”. The demands should also “sound reasonable” but less than what they actually want, but at least they’ll have their “foot in the door” as in keeping with that adage “Give a nigger an inch and he’ll take a mile”. A group of these ninety-nine percenters were also protesting this weekend in Pershing Square here in Los Angeles. Of course there is a lot of corporate greed, but also a growing contempt for their patrons, who pay the bills. So you have things like banks hiking all these fees and instituting new ones. Flying is nothing like the experience it used to be. Now they over-book flights and cut back flights, and you have to pay for formerly free amenities such as pillows, blankets, or even a bag of peanuts. Now airline pilot resignation rates are ten times the normal rate for this fall because the stock market has dropped and pilots want to “lock in” pensions based on a figure as of a few months back. This drop in pilots will result in further flights being cut back. Judy has remarked many times recently that the US is turning into a Third World Country because no business offers decent service any more. And now to respond to all this government cut back caused by greedy legislators shrinking the tax base- - is now they are commercializing all sorts of things including these rigged voting machines, and they are putting up prisons right and left because “crime is a big business”. They say that the US has the highest per capita rate of imprisonment of any country in the world. Now we are pritizing the military with Blackwater and Haliburten. And these companies cost money because now they hire a cook they have to pay good money for to a private company. And in the old days as Hartman points out – if the base came under attack the cook would put down his skillet and pick up his gun and they’d be in business. But now they have to hire special guards to protect the private cooks. And of course these private outfits don’t have to abide by any military rules. So they commit atrocities on civilians that formerly a few hot headed officers might fantasize about but would not dare act on it, because they knew they’d be in for a court marshal. But these private companies have no restraints as to what they can get away with. Of course there is a gigantic tax shift from the money earners to the poor. Now the Union people are finally getting their act together and protesting- - hitting the pavement to make their demands. And we need more of this – a lot more. Sure people like Rush Limbaugh will complain, just like people on the right have complained that these Veterans who complain about a cut in medical services are “not real veterans”. Well I have news for people like Rush Limbaugh and Dick Chaney. Real veterans don’t get multiple draft deferments! The President was right in his speech this morning saying that this jobs bill is good for Americans. Period. It’s not a case of who “wins” and who “loses”. Harry Truman in 1948 ran against a “Do Nothing Congress” and Ronald Reagan did films campaigning for the Democratic Party, and quite eloquently, I might add. I guess I’m a little puzzled as to why America is so much further to the right than they were 64 years ago. You know, some will say “Well if liberals protest Rush Limbaugh will only complain about it on his radio show”. I say “let him”. The time he spends talking about Protestors will be less time he’ll have to spend making racial slurs against this President, or fawning all over Governor Rick Perry. They moved the fifty line way over to the right. We have to move it back where it belongs, and as Dylan said in a song, “Change our way of thinking”. If there are enough protests over a diverse enough number of things it will indeed “Change the American people’s frame of reference” when they make their political decisions in the voting booth next November.

It’s not enough that they are eliminating higher Science and History and Civics from our school cerricula so that the students have no cultural base. If you think about our generation was liberal in part because “out parents taught us to be” because they themselves had a full, well rounded “liberal education” they passed on to us and we ran with the ball. Today’s young people don’t have that, and haven’t had it in a generation because they have been “teaching to the test” to get more school funds they fight over because they are so scarce. Now cut backs have gotten so bad they are putting commercials right on school busses, and even on student lockers. What will be next? Will they be passing out free bottles of Gator Aid in gym class to try to create a habit of buying the product? Will they have the Dominoes Pizza History hour? Will they start off every school day after morning announcements with a ten minute promotional film from BIOLA College? Thomas Jefferson must surely be turning over in his grave. His vision was of an electorate who was educated. And he believed in education because that’s made the opinion of a voter informed and relivent, rather than just a puppet dangling from some corporate puppet master such as the Koch Brothers.

Nobody can claim that President Obama hasn’t macho’d up his presidency considerably these past few months. He’s even won over Pat Buchannon as evidenced by this weeks Mc Laughlin group program. Buchannon even declared that the Tea Party is a danger to this country. Now a high ranking member of the Hakani family operating on the Pakistani – Afghan border had been taken into captivity and we hope to learn more from him. Some say that the US has made such great progress recently because the computer treasure trove that Bin Laden left behind in Pakistan after we took him out. Hakani was instrumental in transporting troops from Pakistan into Afghanistan. They are speaking of renewed hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which can’t be a good thing for our fighting troops. Of course drone flights have been stepped up. The matter of killing innocent civilians seems now to be not so relivent, just as President Roosevelt didn’t want to be bothered with it during the final year of WW II in France. Even Eleanor Clift thinks the President is accomplishing a good thing. Others on the program said it won’t matter what the President accomplishes on foreign soil. The President could take out Lex Luther himself and it wouldn’t matter in next year’s election. Of course it was none other than President Ronald Reagan who in 1981 issued an absolute ban against assasenating foreign leaders. But it’s been argued that 9 – 11 nullified any edict that may have been in force before. Pat Buchannon says that congress should have formally declared War on Al Qaeda, and on this issue we are in agreement. That’s what we used to do when we went to war. The group argued among themselves whether Obama would take out more Al Qaeda leaders between now and election day. Of course other Islamic leaders were killed in that drone attack in Yemen yesterday besides Al Alaki. Every body counts, so to speak. The more we pile up the better we look. Perhaps like Rodney Dangerfield we can finally get back some of the respect we’ve lost in the world. Perhaps people will know that when the US says something it they aren’t just blowing smoke. Of course to macho up his image further, the Administration is warning Americans that reprisals may be taken for yesterday’s death. The psychology here, that the right uses is that fear is your best propaganda weapon and you never want to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs. I’m not a legal expert on this things - - whether it is OK to take out a US Citizen without benefit of due process on the grounds of “Self Defense”. I think there is a clear, if not present danger, where such a law enforcement attitude might lead.

I figured “I was talking about the stars? Fine. I’ll look at a star map”. Sometimes I get information from the Other Side and then check it out after I've already posted it. The funny thing is when I do this I rarely ever have to retract anything. To answer a question I think the Cremorian planet was 56 Ori and the mystery planet was 51 Ori. FH was looking just to the right and got confused because he thought the star had moved or something. I looked on my "Star Names" link but that didn't help. It's just those numbers 51 and 56 ring a bell from somewhere. I think this one is it. They are in near proximity. And the “Colors” star is that gamma Orion one in the upper right. As to that other really bright star to the right I’ve never heard it mentioned by the Federation. Maybe no planet is habitable. There are so many silly things you’ll never use like overlay, polygon, and marker. The least they could do is let you access the stuff you do use or used to like planets in motion. Sometimes I get news from the "Other Side" I don't want to hear. Like when Jerry Lieber died I thought "Well maybe he can rejoin some of those singers he made famous such as Elvis and the lead singer of the Coasters. However the one quote of Bones I was going to use but haven’t is talking about Jerry Lieber and why he is ignored by the Federation and Bones said “Because he is of the Jewish persuasion and despite appearances his loyalties lie elsewhere”. In other words in the after life he’s not in the picture as far as we are concerned. The stuff from June of 1997 I’ve reflected on before. And if I haven't, well, "the remarks will keep". I was going to mention the John Lennon Eileen therapy remarks too, which makes an interesting commentary in 2000. John Lennon was particularly interested in the "Arimid" period, or as some might say, the "Glass Onion" period. In terms of remarks that actually HELPED me, John Lennon was more helpful than Eileen was.

Terrorist Anwar Al Alahi Killed by US Drone

Home grown Islamic terrorist leader Anwar Al Alahee was taken out by our government today by a drone missile. Apparently President Obama gave the word to take this guy out, so we did. Alaki war born in the US in 1971 in New Mexico before heading up a Mosque in San Diego. Then he moved to Yemen. Alaki was a true 21^st. Century terrorist, who made liberal use of the internet. They say he gave a “religious and intellectual venier to acts of murder. Alaki was targeted for being “taken out” and I don’t mean, to dinner based on little evidence usable in court and with no due process. Now they are afraid of his ally “Internet followers” will plan vengeance. I have a question. How many murders are followers of Alahi responsible for verses how many murders have been committed in Jesus of Nazareth’s name? That kind of puts the thing in a whole new perspective. Jesus was also targeted by his government as a “security threat” who needed to be taken out. (Selah) Apparently people had been saying that Alihi was one of the few moderate Al Qaeda members who dialoged with the other side. I guess he was some kind of instructor at San Diego or something. Alahi (?) is connected with no less than three US terrorist events and he also knew two of the nineteen 9 – 11 hijackers. He was connected with the Times Square bombing guy in early May of 2010. I remember we were in the lobby of my Mom’s place talking about what a flook it was they fingered him to alert citizens. Judy had some weird theory about this guy I don’t remember now. I remember I had my old camera with me. Anwar Al Alahee is also connected with the underwear bomber, and he was on speaking terms with the “psychiatrist” associated with the Ft. Hood shootings or whatever. There is just one problem with his being dead. And that is the man is a U S Citizen and our government is not known for wasting its own people, no matter who they are. I imagine civil liberties groups will protest the killing, despite the fact that this incident will help give the President a badly needed boost in the polls. The Federation had no reaction at all to the death of Bin Laden, and this case should prove likewise. Their thinking is “So what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” Sometimes I get the feeling Al Qaeda is like the abortion issue. The right wants to keep it around so they have an enemy.

Facts accumulate that Dr. Conrad Murray is guilty as sin. He lied about how soon he called emergency. Because the paramedics team responded in twelve minutes and by the time they got there the body was cold. The paramedics gave him stimulant drugs to try and revive Jackson. But they noted that a forty dollar alarm, just may have alerted others of trouble. Dr. Murray was seen within minutes scurrying around scooping up Lasex and other drugs. As you know the legal term in instructions to juries is "Knowledge of guilt". Dr. Murray also has repeatedly claimed that he never administered Propothol to Jackson. That’s what the paramedics claim that Dr. Murray told them, and they have no reason to lie. Now a gag order has been slapped on the attorneys. Apparently he’s mad at the defense team for commenting on this trial prominently to the media. He’s tired of “repeated commentary on the credibility of witnesses and the proposed strategy. I guess my big fear is that the prosecution always seems to blow these high profile media cases despite it looking like a slam-dunk.

OK now that I’ve had another dose of nicotine medication I can think. By the way if anybody in the blogersphere is curious what Clint looks like, just think of Joseph Gordon Levitt. Actually there is a time when he could have played Clint, being only about five years younger. In other words Uncle Bob and I do have one quirky thing in common and that is we both have our mother’s maiden name as our middle name. I always wondered what the D in official addresses referred to. I thought it was a common name like Donald or Daniel. Of course my Dad has that weird French name I’ve heard nowhere else. And there is Nana’s whole “French Connection” and I guess that’s through her father. She’s a regular Vivian Alamaine the way she dropped those French expressions into the conversation. She says she got her belly from her father’s side of the family. You know all that geniological stuff only went back to the early 1800’s. But I heard back at the Upland house thirty years ago at a gathering that our family had its roots in Anendale, Scottland in the 1600’s. I don’t know. Maybe it was that guy who fell overboard on the Mayflower who was the link to America that early, or would have been. How would you like to be the baby on the “Never-mind” album cover by Nirvana. They are making a big thing out of that twenty year anniversary. In soap land John Black has been arrested. It’s nice to know how all the clues link up. They have an Austin who looks like the other Austin but has a different voice. And we have this mystery woman that Elvis plans to replace Nicole with. To me Nicole is in a distinct “Nefritiri’ position to be a mover and a shaker. She can dictate the terms of their divorce, or maybe prevent it altogether if she so chooses. Personally I think Nicole should divorce E J and marry me. We’re more compatible. I think Elvis needs to show her a little respect. How does Salem neglect a mayor with simotanious sexual relations with two sisters, one of which is a porn star and the other sister used to be a hooker - - as his credits? This is Middle America after all, where they have stricter sexual morays than we do out here. Maybe they should clue us in on this new “wife” that’s somehow supposed to give Elvis Di Mire respectability he’d lacked till now. Now he wants to clean up corruption in this town. “Victor, that means YOU”.

The Lysteria bacteria is back and on the rise and infecting the cantaloupe crop. Bill says it’s just in Colorado. But of course germs hide in the thick, rough skin. This is a bacteria you don't want to mess with. We have never ceased to have cantaloupe for lunches and nobody has gotten sick yet. It was then I learned that the incubation period for lysteria is from one week to two months, and when it hits you develop violent intestinal symptoms. This place would never get a cleanliness aware anyhow. We believe in the old fashioned approach here. Develop your own immune systems because we all know “Whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger”. I’ll take a coffee sip break now. You know there are a lot of TV movies about possible bacteria terrorist attacks and given the poliferation of experimental viruses and bacteria in labs around the country, I hate to say this, but probability speaking it isn't a question of whether, but when.

Today is September 30, 2011 and they are warning us of musty smelling water. We had a resident’s council meeting this afternoon and it was one of the longest, most boring meetings of all time. It was hard to hear people since carts were rolling by, they were running the dish washer in the kitchen, and it was a large resonant room and people weren’t speaking very loud, including Pete and JW. And Bruce would chime in with his irrelivent babblings that somehow made enough coherent sense for Pete to continue to listen to him. He kept going on and on about visiting the gift shop at Knott’s Berry farm. I asked whether it’s true that nobody went to the Bowers Museum and Pete said that was true. It was too close to the end of the month and nobody had any money. I asked if we could have flavored rice like we used to and also mentioned having pastries for breakfast like we had a long time ago. Apparently there is a continuing epidemic of stolen items. I guess we are blessed with an honest housekeeper. This evening I went out for a smoke and Bill said that Donnie had already come and gone. I tracked him down way down the east wing. If I were a name dropper I would brag to people that I’ve had a room on the West Wing for over ten years. Yeah, I’m a holdover from the Bush Administration. Of course I used to have house mates named John, Paul, and George at Palm Street in late April early May of 1977. But George only lived with us a short time, who was John’s brother. And Paul is a classified name anyhow. It’s just us chickens here. The coffee is ready now. The clouds look interesting enough to actually get out my camera and take pictures.

We had beef stew for dinner. Before this I had the KTLK guy on the radio, and at long last that model plane explosives story has finally hit the news. I was about twenty hours ahead of the learning curve on this one having put out the story last night. I checked over the Howard stuff this afternoon just to make sure I said what I wanted to say and no more, and had all the dates right. So I mixed the rice and stew together. There was squash, and we had a piece of chocolate cake for desert and Andy gave me his piece. I got a cigarette from Joe. I owe Francis two. I owe Bill Warrell one. I’ve gotten through today with no cigarettes and I’ll hit the ATM machine tomorrow morning and watch the spending so I don’t get precarious like I was this past month.