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Political Tunes
Yeah, I gave up on writing about politics on here, and have been busy with the other music projects, but I haven’t stopped thinking about it.
Check out the myspace page (link to the right) for a couple of politically minded tunes “Tipping Point” and “Stupid White Cop”. I used to be against writing political songs, but these just popped out. I’ve got some ideas for more that may or may not come together in the near future.
For those of you who still believe that individual liberty is the foundation of our nation, and choose to question anything that may limit that liberty, despite the ridicule and scorn of the current rulers and their useful idiots, keep the faith. They used to love saying “question authority”. You don’t hear that anymore now that they are in charge.
But don’t worry. They have always been on the wrong side of history, and unlike them, I do not despise and look down my nose at my fellow citizens. I do not make an art of demonizing our country and everything we stand for. And I still have some faith that the majority does not either. Their act is getting old already, as evidenced by the tea parties and health care town hall meetings.
Let them call you ignorant, hateful, racist, stupid, uncaring, or any of the other debate enders that they like to employ. Remember, despite what they think, or how they act, they are still in the minority, and like most they will fall victim to their own overreaching and arrogance.
New Site
“Freak’n'Fuzz” has moved to ghostlyfreaknfuzz.wordpress.com.
Keep up to date on Gigs, the new cd, and our otherworldly adventures!
Whitey Bleu on Westsidewill Radio
The song “Law of One” from the album “Law of One” is being featured on todays westsidewill radio artists showcase. Heres the link:
http://www.westsidewill.com/artistshowcase/index.php
Give it a click and check it out
Road Worn Indeed
I’ve owned a lot of guitars over the years. Most have come and gone, some I’ve forgotten about, but friends claim that I owned them at one time.
In the early 90’s I picked up a basic American Strat, red with a white pickguard. I immediately blocked the crappy tremolo. Then I dropped a red lace sensor pickup into the bridge position. Eventually, over the course of about 15 years, it got Texas Specials, Locking Tuners, a custom shop bridge, a custom backplate, a cool looking tortoise shell pickguard, and frankly, I forget what else. It’s the one guitar that I feel is truly mine.
Along the way, through uncounted gigs, jams, and recording sessions, it also got a whole lot of wear, dents, scratches, and stains. It’s been dropped, kicked, burned, used to fend off drunken fools, and bitten. (The tooth marks are still in the neck)
The finish is peeling off the neck, I have to constantly tighten the strap locks. I even resorted to sliding toothpicks into the screwholes to secure them better.
Currently, I also own a PRS Custom 24, a 92 Strat Plus, and a Standard Tele. The tele, I’m in the process of “customizing”, but the PRS and Strat are totally stock, and will remain that way. In the last few years, I got rid of a custom les paul and explorer. Needed the cash.
For the last few years, companies, most notably Fender, have been selling “Road worn” guitars, which come out of the factory looking “old”. I don’t know why, I shouldn’t care, and I suppose it’s a good marketing device, but damn, that gets under my skin.
You know how many nights I’ve spent in hell holes playing for indifferent drunks, how many unproductive jams, how many hangovers, cigarettes, sunrises, bad 4 am burgers I’ve gone through to turn my guitar into a piece of crap?
Now I can just buy one that just looks like I’ve done all those things, from the comfort of my own home. Hell, I don’t even have to go to the guitar shop, I can just order it online and have it delivered. And it plays like it just came out of the factory yesterday!
No buzzes, no faulty wiring, no sloppy did it myself at 3 am soldering.
I always thought that scars should be earned, not bought. Just watch, coming soon, “ your very own scars, without the violence and fear, all done in a painless, pristine, surgical environment. Choose from switchblade across the cheek, bullet wound in the neck, or the ever popular shrapnel in the butt and third degree burn combo package!”
100 days sliding left
For anyone saying “this is not what I voted for”, you obviously were not paying attention during the campaign.
And all of the right wing talkers lamenting about Obama’s naïveté and his “doomed to fail” policies, well, I suppose you all have to say something.
The fact of the matter is that Obama is a left wing liberal. It’s his ideology, and he has not swayed from it. He has no reason to. He’s holding the cards, he has the power, and he’s using it to transform the United States into what he believes it should be.
The expansion of government, “soft power” foreign policy, intrusion into private business, the “we’re not so great” and “it’s our fault, but hey, it’s not me” stance towards the rest of the world, and soon government run health care, all come directly from the left wing playbook.
They believe that they are right. They hold the power. There is nothing at all naïve about it.
And to top it all off, the former administration paved the way with their giant growth of government and run away spending.
ON THE “TEA PARTIES”
I constantly find myself surrounded by left wing liberal ideologues. Just like any ideologue, no amount of argument, information, or facts can ever change their minds. It only strengthens their resolve.
I have found over years of this exposure that the best policy is simply to grin and nod.
So last week, when I was enduring the condescending looks , dismissive attitude, and the CNN like questions such as “I don’t understand what they are mad about” (ie-they must all be racists or lunatics) a thought did occur to me.
Most people in this country are not ideologues, and will listen to a good argument. The problem with the “Tea Parties” is that right now, the message is rather amorphous. Also, most people have in fact not seen their taxes go up, and politicians have become adept at using terminology and tactics that hide what amounts to tax increases.
Taxes are not the main issue; they are a symptom, a canary in the coal mine, of what the problem really is.
We should be holding “Constitutional Conventions”. What is really at stake, and what should be the main topic of discussion, is the limits that the constitution places on government, and how all the branches of our government have circumvented, knowingly misinterpreted, and just plain violated these limits.
They are all guilty, republican and democrat alike. In the name of public safety, rescuing a failing economy, fixing education, fixing health care, they have spent years accumulating power over “the people”. It becomes institutional, a goal, a way of doing business.
Some people welcome this “active” and “robust” government, seeing no other alternative. Some see this as an unacceptable intrusion into peoples lives and private enterprise.
Either way, that is the argument reasonable people should be having.
For now the people have indeed spoken with election of Barack Obama and the ousting of the republicans from the house and senate. Whether this is a reaction to 8 years of Bush and the neo-cons, or a true move to the left, remains to be seen.
Jefferson was absolutely correct in his belief that “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” We are living it right now, and have been for quite some time.
We must decide if this is an acceptable course or not.
But first, maybe everyone should take a look at what Jefferson had to say about limits on government power.
Sign Me Up
Hey Ms. Napolitano, please place me on your DHS list of extremists who bear watching. Here are my bonafides:
I did not vote for you know who
I believe that the constitution and bill of rights are to be upheld despite the fact that they stand in the way of your parties goals and ambitions
I believe that the 2nd Amendment has nothing to do with hunting and everything to do with the idea that an armed populace is the only thing standing in the way of tyranny.
I do not believe that paying more taxes is a patriotic duty.
I believe that it is my patriotic duty to question the government in all instances, and speak up when I don’t like what I see.
I believe that it is my patriotic duty to serve my country in national defence when called upon to do so.
I’ve chattered on the internet with opinions contrary to your administrations.
I attended a Tea Party on 4/15, in the pouring rain. Here’s some pics to prove it:
Even the hippie came
More people than the MSM is willing to admit
extremist propaganda
One more observation that is only notable because it’s no longer notable. After the tea party, we went inside to dry out a little. CNN was on the TV, and the reporter was at one of the tea parties, making every attempt to find any crackpot worth interviewing. After said crackpots made some unintelligible statements and scurried off, the reporter would smugly turn to the camera with a dismissive shrug of the shoulders. I watched for about 2 minutes before dismissively turning it off.
But that’s ok. Go ahead and think that everyone who does not agree with your ideology is a moron, as you do.
The worst mistake you can make is underestimating your opponent.
So, please place me on your list of right wing extremists, even though I have never considered myself very right wing, or very extremist. Not like those people who create “Man caused disasters”.
Blues on the Beach 09
We’ve been asked to headline this years “Blues on the Beach” event in Severna Park, MD on August 8. Anyone who was there last year experienced with us one of the most violent thunderstorms I have ever seen.
Roger the roadie jumped on the proverbial grenade, trying in vain to keep the equipment dry in the high winds and sideways downpour.
before the storm
After the deluge, we were forced to take our soaked gear and butts back to my place, and do our best to dry everything out and make sure it was still workable. Luckily, nothing was permanently damaged.
So when we were contacted about playing this year, I of course said “hell yeah!”.
So we’re gonna get the whole group together, adding a bassist and drummer, and who knows who else. Roger claims that he’s going to do some cowbell. God help us.
Hopefully by then the “Ghostly tales of Annapolis” cd will be ready to roll. Here’s some pics from the last recording session.
Le Freak
Bob Bon collapses after a grueling drum session
For those of you in the MD/DC area, hope to see ya on August 8th. The organizer promises no rain this year.
This week in Freak’n'Fuzz 4/4/09
Well, we finished all the tracks for the new cd, tentatively titled “Ghostly Tales of Annapolis…and Beyond”
Val Bob Bon Peppin put some mean dunes on one of the songs, added some more percussion here and there, and Freak, Jeff, templar, or whatever he’s called this week made his usual short work of adding keys and vocals.
I think the cd is gonna sound great!
Big announcement and some pics coming later in the week.
The week in Freak’n'Fuzz 3/22/09
The “Ghost” album is almost done being tracked. An all day marathon this weekend should do it.
We’ve been working hard to get some gigs in the Annapolis area. Always a tough scene, with all of the steady acts in the area, now especially hard given the economy.
We’ve taken to calling ourselves the” recession boys,” playing cheap since 2007.
Oh yeah, and Jeff now thinks that he’s a reincarted Knight Templar.
