Grateful Dead

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Neil Young has re-formed Crazy Horse for his newest album of folk songs. One of those is "God Save The Queen" and for this he was interviewed by the BBC. As usual, Neil completely transcends all mundane concerns and goes cosmic in the middle of the interview, sounding like a native-American fundamentalist protestant minister (if that makes any sense). Go to the interview at bbc.com and you'll see the context I'm referring to.

Wow! Giants baseball fans must be ecstatic this morning after the gem big Matt Cain threw last night at home at AT&T. He struck out fourteen and had help from his right-fielder who made a highlight reel diving grab on the warning track. This is the second perfect game thrown in the majors this year. I remember when they used to be rare... Maybe it's time to lower the pitching mound or put some kind of more lively ball in play.

Amazing feat, eh Anna? 14 K's ties Sandy Koufax's record for strikeouts during a perfect game. Melky Cabrera and Gregor Blanco both made key running catches in the outfield. Phillip Humber tossed a perfect game earlier in April, for the White Sox.

an absolutely brilliant game. congrats!

an absolutely brilliant game. congrats!

Maybe this tells you what you need to know about the North Carolina Republican party...Article III from the party's platform: "Government should treat all citizens impartially, without regard to wealth, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, sex, political affiliation or national origin. We oppose all forms of invidious discrimination. Sexual orientation is not an appropriate category." I'm so glad that the authors oppose all forms of invidious discrimination, except the forms that they don't oppose. Come on folks, don't be shy, tell us what you REALLY think. Note that the first qualifier is "wealth?" Maybe I'm reading too much into that one. Naaahhh...

What with the polar ice caps melting and sea level rising as a result, planning coastal develpment can get to be a little tricky. With predictions for as much as a meter rise in sea level by 2100, the last thing that you want to do is build homes, hotels, and roads in places that will be underwater in 20 or 30 years. Fear not, though. The NC legislature has figured out a nifty way around this pesky problem: a Bill currently making the rounds would mandate the method used to predict how quickly and how much the waters will rise, to the exclusion of all other means of projecting rising sea levels. Specifically, only historical (going back to 1900) trending data can be used for these calculations -- current data and extrapolations from those trends MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED. Not coincidentally, the "historical" method for making these projections shows only an 8" increase in water levels through 2100. Note that scientists who argue that our current climate warming trend is not the result of human activities, who argue that it is part of the natural warming/cooling of the earth and not due to manmade GHG emissions, generally do not deny that we ARE going through a warming period. Some politicians, it seems, disagree. I'm thinking that future Wishful Thinking legislation could be key in solving nearly all of our country's problems. If only we don't let the facts get in our way, the future is bright, my friends. Buy those sunglasses today! Matt Cain, what a game. I'm hoping for his sake, and the Giants, that he doesn't suffer the same fate as Phil Humber, who seems to have forgotten how to pitch since he tossed his perfect game. A lot less likely for that to happen to Cain, I think.

Reserving the right to discriminate. Three cheers for those crazy no-ka-lah republicans.

Lets all stick our heads in the sand and pretend there is nothing wrong. That will certainly take care of the problem! Barnum-like con-men can continue to front for rich interests and swindle people who don't feel they need to pay attention to the news. I don't know how anybody can be that much in denial. I was outside for two hours yesterday at the peak of a bright, sunny day that might have been 75 degrees and I got a sunburn! I gather the newest topic at conservative think tanks is: How do we make money as the planet crashes and burns? They have to get that last load of gold bricks lowered into the survival bunker. The timing is quite tricky...

Since the US bombed a Pakistani troop position and killed 24 troops last October the Pakistan government closed down resupply routes through that country. (Speaking of which, Obama recently declared that any military age male in the vicinity of a Coalition air strike is an enemy combatant. Guess the Coalition is done apologizing and compensating for that class of collateral damage) Anyway, that left a huge pipeline filled with supplies backed up in Karachi. The US has been resupplying through northern routes, utilizing Turkey and Russia and other countries to the north of Afghanistan. There is one tunnel going under a mountain in Afghanistan that is now backed up for almost three days with thousands of trucks waiting to pass. The US Quartermaster Corps is crowing that they are moving even larger amounts of goods now than they were before, albeit at a much greater cost. Still, the US would be very grateful if Pakistan would reopen the routes through it's country. Not likely. The Pakistani government and people have basically told the US to stick it. The US has come, in return, to recognize that powerful elements within the elites in that country are the enemy. "A fine state of affairs, General Olllie!" "Don't start with me, General Stan. I've had quite enough of your fly-boys bombing the wrong people!"

I'll be doing two shows this summer: Furthur on July 5th and Mickey Hart's Mysterium Tremndum at Salisbury Beach on July 18th. Both are tour openers. They should be good shows. After that I've decided to call it quits on attending further Grateful Dead related acts. I've supported a lot of the post-Jerry acts in the past and for the most part haven't been disappointed but there comes a time to say "It's been a great ride! Thanks for the memories...". I think now is that time. I wish the younger fans and the older "young-at-heart" heads the best times in the future. My interests will now gravitate to folk and blues and bluegrass, looking for the best in each of those genres. Thanks for the memories!

While there are a lot of baby-boomers in their fifties who are already suffering greatly after being buffeted about by strong economic winds they haven't really felt the intense shock that will be surely be coming as they reach old-age and find that the social safety net is being pulled out from under them. Medicare cuts, higher retirement age and reduced social security benefits are three things that are surely coming. We shouldn't have our heads in the sand regarding these looming issues. Why? Because the national debt is soaring. The interest on the debt is now 250 billion diollars a year and will shortly shoot up to one trillion dollars a year unless drastic steps are taken. The Bowles-Simpson approach to cutting the debt will surely be adopted in some modified version by a bi-partisan commission. There will be many other cuts to social programs as well as deep cuts in the military. It'll be worse if these cuts come with a Republican president rather than a Democratic one but the crunch IS coming, no matter which is in power. An interesting thing to know would be what percentage of baby-boomers don't have steady occupational jobs till age 65 that would allow them to retire with social secuirty, 401k, pension and investment income... I would venture to guess that the figure is somewhere around 80% who don't have that kind of security. Probably another 30% have some combination of two or more of those. That leaves a probable 50% who are counting on a meager bank account and a social security check to see them through retirement. If the social safety net is cut, the age at which social security may be collected raised and the amount of social security reduced -- as well as section 8 housing and food stamps -- the vast majority of baby-boomers will be suffering greatly. Their ability to pay for rent, groceries, utilities and health care will be slight. If their kids are not in a position to help them for whatever reason, who can they turn to? This is going to be a horror show. This is something to think seriously about and plan for in the future. I could make predictions about what this 50% would do, but it would be dark and depressing. I don't see any way out of this for the people who haven't worked hard and scrupulously saved for their retirement.

I just watched the special on the 20th anniversary of the LA Riots, the worst single riot in American history: 58 dead and 1 billion in damage in three days of rioting. It was brutal. I don't think enough attention was paid to our system of justice in this country that allowed the 4 cops to walk after the whole thing was on video for the world to see -- Rodney King being beaten by baton wielding maniacs. Rodney King, recently found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool shortly after the 20th anniversary of the riots... The footage in this video was gripping. Reginald Denny being pulled from his truck and bludgeoned with a brick. The mania that grips a crowd and turns it into a wild animal bent on blood lust. This is something that every person would rather forget and in forgetting we are doomed to repeat it in the future. Apparently corporate America decided that no white people would be interested in watching this special. The only sponsor of commercials was Burger King. In 1993 the Dead started to play the LA Sports Arena and did 9 or so shows there through the end in 1995. This venue is in South LA and borders the trouble area. There was a couple of years following the riots where everybody just chilled out and caught their breath. Race relations between the Koreans and the black community have improved. Race relations between blacks and whites remain largely the same. As long as we just spend money to contain pockets of poverty we will never be rid of this problem. Slaves brought from Africa become free, gain rights and are integrated into a social welfare system. A very few of the best and brightest and most athletically capable break out of this cruel segregation while the rest, including a large percentage of talented, above-average people, are doomed to lives of poverty and mediocrity based simply on the color of their skin. If ever there was a recipe for anger and frustration periodically over-boiling, this is it.

This controversy is an election year political ploy to keep something in the news that should have been put to rest 2 years ago. It concerns a Justice Department hatched plan to track guns as they pass through the hands of Mexican drug smugglers and hopefully identify more of them and how they operate. They put miniature GPS trackers in the guns. Unfortunately, nobody at Justice picked up on the detail that the GPS trackers have batteries that would wear out, leaving the weapons totally untraceable. Major Duhhh moment for the Obama administration. 2000 guns found their way into Cartel hands and one was used to kill a border agent. OK, big screw-up. It happens. This one was heinous though and somebody high up gave a green light to this and didn't want to be embarrassed. So when Justice was initially contacted they denied the existence of the operation. Asked again, they admitted it's existence but provided no details. Now, republicans have locked their jaws on this like a pit bull and won't let go. US Attorney General Eric Holder has now been cited for contempt of Congress for not releasing requested documents and the Obama administration has, for the first time in it's amazingly free of sleaze history, invoked "Executive Privilege" to hold off this firestorm tempest in a teapot. The general reaction has been: Congress has better things to do than dwell on this act of stupidity. Minor blip on the radar. Still, one has to wonder who would have been embarrassed by full disclosure of the decision-making process in this particular matter.

Smith was on Morning Joe this morning talking about his interactions with different musicians in the 60s and touting his new book: Off The Record. He kept bringing up the Grateful Dead and how he was petrified of being dosed by members of the entourage to the point where he was freezing in NYC one evening as he got into the backstage area of a Dead show and Garcia offered him a coffee to warm up but he said -- "No thanks, I'll get my own coffee." This anecdote has been cited several times somewhere on this site. Apparently he got quite scared as he was told that he would never understand the music of the Grateful Dead unless he tried acid, which he was certain he would never do. The Grateful Dead, an American icon of the 60s still making the morning talk shows now and again.

Jerry Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts of sexual child molestation. He was a football coach at Penn. State. He got what he deserved. Now, the Penn. State community wishes to put the whole affair behind it as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it will not be able to. Civil trials and criminal allegations against administrators will be pursued. These people were alerted to Sandusky's activity and their response was: "Jerry Sandusky is a great guy with a golden heart. He would never do anything like that." I guess the institution of Penn. State will have to learn the hard way, like the Catholic church, that there are laws to be followed when a child cries out about such deviant conduct on the part of adults, whatever their position. I feel most sorry for the victims -- all of them, including the talented athletes whose performance will be overshadowed by the whole sordid affair. It is impossible to stop those people with these tendencies from perpetrating these crimes but we can at least do the due diligence necessary to find out if their is merit behind allegations when they are brought, no matter how unlikely it seems.

As I write this Tahrir Square is crowded with people fainting from heat stroke, waiting for news about who has won their election. Unfortunately, no matter who wins, the military has now stripped the presidency of 98% of it's powers. The choice was between the right-hand man of former president Hosni Mubarak and the candidate of the Muslim brotherhood. It seemed that the Muslim Brotherhood candidate had won but the military immediately stepped in and said the president had no authority to declare war, ect.. The military has even taken the discredited former president under it's wing, putting him in a military hospital instead of the common jail cell he had been condemned to after being convicted by a civil court. The people of Egypt who have worked so hard to free themselves from tyranny are now faced with a united front of military uniforms. How unutterably sad! Man, the Middle East is broiling these days!

Not that anybody gets credit for doing something altruistic.

...for trying to introduce some positivity into this thread.

And stopped their companies from sitting on huge piles of money and started to invest in our country we could start growing again. Growing in a smart and sustainable way. That is the only sane course of economy. Everybody screams growth, growth, growth but if increased GDP just uses up scarce resources and unclean energy we lose in the long run. But there again is another problem. Corporations are steadily trained on the next quarter's profit. If they miss their expected goal without giving the market forward "intelligence" their stock gets hammered mercilessly (at least the publicly traded ones). The business community got spoiled by 8 years of Dubya. Industry wrote their own rules and taxes remained slight. Now all they do is sit around on these mountains of cash and say "We can't invest because the regulatory atmosphere is uncertain. We can't fully understand the ramifications of new tax law." Blah, blah, blah! One is left wondering -- if Obama gets re-elected will they continue to sit on the sidelines another four years? That would be inhuman. As the story about Starbucks suggests there is so much that could be done with those mountains of cash. Really, if the risk that their might be losses is 2.4% higher in a kinder, gentler, greener Obama administration is that really a reason to watch people suffer?? I think about exactly these things every single day as I watch people become more and more withdrawn and worried. Financial problems are becoming extreme overstress. There is a real fatigue out there and the social fabric is tearing. That is not good. Please Starbucks guy, evangelize your fellow CEOs!

is not easy. Especially so because they are the first industrialized country to go through these extreme pangs because they created such an extensive social safety net. They try to wiggle here and there and are now just basically begging the Germans to give their small & midsized businesses a tax break. They are also hiring more government workers than they are downsizing. All of this means they are not meeting the requirements of the bailout. They are daring the Germans to pull the plug on them. Ireland, Portugal and Spain each have felt similar pain, with Italy right behind them. The difference there is the situation is not as dire and they are not as vociferous, though the Spanish are starting to bang pots and pans in daily street demonstrations. It could be us. Not now, but say in five years without meaningful moves to cut the budget and increase taxes and business-side stimulus. If inflation gets out of control and interest on the national debt goes to 1 trillion per year, 80% of us without jobs may be in the street banging pots and pans. Including the elderly, the handicapped and children, the most vulnerable.

More hope and continuing thoughts and prayers to all those impacted by the wildfires in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. My son's natural resource classes in Pingree Park, CO have been suspended until the High Park fire is brought under containment. Mother nature just won't bring-in any cool Colorado rain to help out.

The Supremes narrowly voted to uphold Obama's health care reform. Roberts was the swing vote. The law is constitutional based on the IRS being able to impose a tax. That was what the administration had argued before the court. Now we're all required to have health insurance or have the IRS impose penalties on us. It seems like it is a victory for the insurance companies. In fact it is shifting the burden of paying for health care from the few to the many. A lot of compensating loopholes that were odious in the extreme unilaterally imposed by the insurance companies over the years have now been closed. I don't know whether to cheer or cry...

Well I know it is sacrilege to say so, but I am finding all this tiki taka style of Spain boring. It's the equivalent of a band noodling on prettily without any tune and without any destination. Spain don't even bother having a striker now. They just try to pass the ball round and round and bore the oppostion into making a mistake so they can pass it into the net. And if anyone dare interrupt them by upsetting their pretty patterns they fall over clutching their heads. Good on the Portugese by going at them for a while and showing them up..shame they ran out of steam. I hope the Germans or Italians give them a good old fashioned kicking.

It was by far the best match of the knockout stages. The rest have been bore draws or totally unbalanced with one side adopting negative tactics. At least this was an entertaining fight with both sides adopting an attacking style and thinking they could win. Italy neutralised Germany skilfully and they should have had one or two more, but it was not one way traffic. Looking forward to the final. Interesting to see how Pirlo will deal with Spain's 8 midfielders and what kind of mood Balotelli is in. Maybe Spain will decide to start playing football too and actaully try to score a goal. Hope so. I really hope Spurs do not hire Villas Boas.

Last week, the UN cultural organization Unesco put Timbuktu on its list of endangered world heritage sites, fearing damage following the coup which toppled the Malian government in March. Islamists regard shrines as idolatrous.However, some Muslims, especially Sufis, regard them as an accepted part of Muslim worship. Witnesses said Islamist fighters began attacking the shrines on Saturday morning, using shovels and pickaxes. "This is tragic news for us all," Unesco chairperson Alissandra Cummins said in a statement to the AFP news agency. "I appeal to all those engaged in the conflict in Timbuktu to exercise their responsibility." Timbuktu was a center of Islamic learning from the 13th to the 17th Centuries. 700,000 manuscripts survive in public libraries and private collections. Books on religion, law, literature and science. Letters between rulers, advisers and merchants on subjects as varied as taxation, commerce, marriage, divorce, adoption, and prostitution Ansar Dine spokesman Sanda Ould Boumama told the AFP news agency the shrines would be destroyed, "all of them, without exception". He went on: "God is unique. All of this is haram (forbidden in Islam). We are all Muslims. Unesco is what?" ***** UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It is trying to identify and preserve world heritage sites that are under attack due to development, neglect, war and other and other assorted crises. They have done a wonderful job with limited resources. This reminds me of the Taliban around the turn of the millennium attacking the massive stone sculptures of the Buddhas at Bamiyan in Afghanistan. It marked the beginning of a bad period for the Taliban and this would seem to also mark the beginning of a bad period in Africa. It is like time going backward. Kali-uuuugaaa! Kali-uuuugaaa! (The whistle is screaming)

Thanks for thinking of us Ted! June has been hell on earth for Colorado. So many people affected by these infernos, heat, drought etc.. The Springs were like a scene right out of Terminator last week, unreal... Cheers to DSO for throwing that benefit show at Left Hand Brewery on Friday. Please bring us some rain!! ((((Colorado Rain))))

Vicente del Bosque's Spanish national team became the first side to successfully defend a European Championship title, as well as the first to win three consecutive major tournaments after their triumphs at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. Accused in some quarters (including this thread) of having lost their ability to excite, Spain produced a thrilling demonstration of attacking football to confirm beyond doubt that this remains a golden age for Spanish football. Of course, it is easy to win when the other team goes down a player for a third of the game. In more exciting news, Tiger Woods prowled to his third victory this year in the AT&T at Congressional in Bethesda. There were flashes of the old Tiger brilliance with his short iron game and putting, executing several amazing shots that nobody in golf even attempts. He surpassed Nicklaus as the second winning-est golfer ever, capturing his 74th PGA title. At 36 he is almost a cinch to surpass Sam Snead with another ten wins, as long as his knee holds out. While he is not completely back in prime form, the only real question is how many more majors he can add to the 14 already in his bag. It's a shame he couldn't close the door at the US Open a couple of weeks ago. Speaking of the US Open, did anybody catch the interview with winner Web Simpson at Olympic in SF near the 18th green? Some wild and crazy guy stepped in front of the camera and made several distinct loon bird calls, looking directly into the camera with a mirthful smirk. Ahhh, that priceless San Francisco treat!

And I was missing Puyol and Villa a lot too! Puyol and Piqué are an awesome dynamic duo that Piqué and Ramos are NOT! I was pleasantly suprised by this Italian team, and will be keeping an eye on Balotelli in the future-for sure. Highest win in competition history, btw!

You have to wonder about the Supreme Court. Are the decisions they make fair and really unencumbered by political designs? I've never thought so and Roberts changing his mind and writing the majority opinion in favor of the individual mandate in Obamacare certainly added proof to the pudding. Don't get me wrong. I'm in favor of Obama's landmark healthcare legislation. It's just that it goes against Roberts grain to change his mind and make such a ruling. It also shows that the justices can really do just about anything they want and always find some reason to justify it. It's really very scary when you think about it. The result of this decision is to enhance Obama's chance (already quite good) of winning the election. If Roberts sat back one night six weeks ago after knocking back a couple of scotches and said "I can't go down in history as the man who sunk millions of people's only chance to receive health care", that would be a good thing. If somebody reached out to him from Chicago to seal the deal for Obama, then that would be a very bad thing. One of the worst. The Supreme Court was never envisioned to be a king-maker. They shouldn't even make important decisions like this in an election year unless it is a critically time-sensitive issue. I want to believe Chief Justice Roberts is a good man with a good heart. I am so jaded and cynical about the nature of American politics, though, that it is hard for me to believe that the man appointed by Dubya to lead the Court could have had an eleventh hour pang of conscience. I really hope I'm wrong.

I'll toast a cava with you, as long as it's a very dry one! :D

Iran and the US today underlined their military readiness for conflict should faltering diplomacy over Tehran’s atomic activities fail, as tensions rose over tougher western sanctions. Iran said it successfully fired several dozen missiles in war games in its central desert region designed to show its capacity for counter-attack. US officials, meanwhile, detailed a quiet US military build-up in the Gulf region that includes deployment of warships and F-22 stealth fighter jets. The belligerent posturing came on the day technical experts from Iran and from world powers, including the United States, were due to meet in Istanbul in the latest round of talks. Iran refuses to bow to Western demands that it curb its sensitive uranium enrichment under the pressure of punishing economic sanctions that were ramped up last week to their most severe level so far. ***** How far does the US go in sticking by whatever best bud Israel decides is a threat to itself? The US and other western allies have really gone way out of their way to isolate Iran on this issue, to the point of having the monetary system pull their SWIFT code, the means by which the entire world moves money bank to bank. There really is not much more that the US, Israel and other allies can do. They've already had some success with cyber war, Israel played the big bluff in threatening to launch unilateral attacks on Iran which were said to be most likely in April, May or June of this year. The Obama Administration warily advised restraint and asked Israel to endure as sanctions did their work. Now this saber-rattling. Very unnerving. I am reminded of the Nostrodamus quatrain that starts with something like: "The war will be well underway when..." I am also nervous that there is no mention of this through any of the major news outlets. Ho-hum summer doldrums, everybody going to the July 4th bar-b-q. I, for one, see the entire Mid-East at a broiling point right now. Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and a whole host of minor players are in the mix right now. Russia is lurking in the background. A unilateral attack or deliberate provocation and attack could start the conflagration. Just sayin' I'm not asleep to the possibilities which are all too evident this holiday...

Hats off to Spain..after being quite boring and circular in their play in the last 2 rounds they finally turned it on and looked like a team with a purpose! If they had a Spaniss Messi (Torres does not compare) to complete their pretty patterns, they would be truly up there with the immortals. It's a shame Italy were not at their best and that they had to playy 30 minites with 10 men. At least they continued with an attacking style and did not retreat to their customary defensive approach. I am in Tirana in Albania right now working with 6 Italians..they are in deep mourning. What was wonderful at the end was so many of the Spanish team not strutting around and beating their chesfs, but happily, unselfconsciously playing with their kids. That made me like them a lot more :-)

Yeah his story is tragic, and I think he will age and mature and improve on the pitch-like any fine rough scrappy wine! :D I LOVE the stories about him messing with Mourinho, trainer from hell and coach of the odious Ronaldo!

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apologized on behalf of the US yesterday to Pakistan for the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers who were killed by US helicopter gunships. At the same time Pakistan announced that the US would be able to resume land re-supply routes through that country. Newscasters in the US fell all over themselves to say: * We only apologized for the deaths, not the attack, where both sides were at fault * We really don't need the routes right now, just when we retreat later next year * We delivered more goods through northern routes at a staggering cost of 2.5 bill. * Pakistan lost hundreds of millions in aid and oil sales What they didn't say is that the US rarely apologizes for anything, they just quietly compensate the families of victims. Friendly fire incidents and collateral damage are such pesky annoyances during war. To be fair, damage to humans, animals and infrastructure are keen considerations in planning attacks such as the "Shock & Awe" campaign in Baghdad at the start of the war in 2002. (Is the real concern the cost of rebuilding infrastructure or reverence for life?) The US has spent a considerable amount of money in the design of weapons such as smart bombs that allow greater accuracy and have less chance of mistaken casualties. We are a kinder, gentler empire and we are ridiculed by our enemies for our concern and sympathy for both combatants and non-combatants in a war zone. The karma, The karma!

Happy 236th Birthday USA, you ROCK! Wave the flag, pop the bag Rock the boat, skin the goat Trap the rat, bell the cat Ball the jack, chew the fat Shoot the breeze, lose the keys Feed the poor, stop the war Make the signs, connect the lines Pay your fines, save your dimes Chorus: Wave that flag, wave it wide and high Summertime done come and gone, my oh my Meet the best, read the rest Hide in caves, walk on waves Pull the tooth, stretch the truth Catch the flicks, get your kicks Play your rags, pick up sticks, Trim your wig Try your tricks, impress the chicks Watch the bands, dig and dance Live in shame, die in vain Catch the flu, burn the stew Shine your shoes, sing the blues Wave that flag, wave it wide and high Summertime done come and gone, my oh my ***** Enjoy your holiday and be safe!!