294 Rude behavior

Another On-The-Road podcast. This time from Lafayette, Alabama. I talk about the rude behavior of my roommate. Total running time: 35 minutes 09 seconds. (Stereo) MP3. Recoding device: Zoom H2. Click here to listen or right click to download this podcast.

Muscle Shoals HS Stage Band 1976 (Full version)

This is the full version (all 3 songs) performed by the Muscle Shoals High School Stage Band of 1976 in a competition in Savannah, Tennessee. The first song performed was called, “Woodchoppers ball”. I cannot recall the name of the second number. If you recognize the song please let me and the other listeners know its name. The third number is called, “TSOP” or “The sound of Philadelphia”. The band was under the direction of the late Mr. Charles M. Stratford. We won this competition. The quality of this recording is bad. It was recorded with a Magnavox Cassette recorder in Mono. You will hear two people near the mic talking from time to time during the performance. The male voice is Johnny Powell and the female voice is Denise Slusher. Click here to listen or right click to download. This recording will not be made available in the feed. If you were a member of the band during the time of this recording please leave a comment. Thanks

Note: I found a wonderful version of “Woodchoppers ball” posted on YouTube by a professional jazz band. Go here to see the YouTube performance. It’s awesome!

293 Afternoon delight

The roommate is out and I’m being bad. Total running time: 38 minutes 30 seconds. (Stereo) MP3. Outtro music: “Remember the time” by Michael Jackson. Mic: Shure SM7B; Mixer/Preamp: Mackie DFX6/Presonus TubePre; Recording device: Garageband. Click here to listen or right click to download this podcast.

Watching the debate

I was anxious as I watched last nights debate between Barack Obama and John McCain. I worried that Obama might make a mistake and hoped for one from McCain. I honestly think both men scored points. Both made hardcore supporters happy. It is independent and non-committed voters I am more concerned about.

While most post-debate polling showed Obama as the victor; I am not so quick to claim victory for my man. It really does not matter what Nick Thomas thinks. I live in a solid red state. Alabama is not going to flip for Obama. So I am more concerned about swing states and swing voters who will decide this election. It is somewhat disconcerting that I have no control over their perceptions. So I sit back waiting for the latest unbiased public opinion polls (if they exist) and worry about this countries direction. Will I continue to feel like an outsider? Or will I finally feel like I am a part of this country? Bush and his cronies have been masterful in portraying anyone not in favor of the war in Iraq as less an American or just naive. I beg to differ. I hope one day to find myself in the majority. No longer a reject, but an integral part of the country I call home.

Palin is a ding-a-ling

Listen to this audio clip of a portion of the Katie Couric interview of Sarah Palin. Prove me wrong when I say: “You’d have to be mentally impaired to believe Sarah Palin is capable of being the Vice President or potentially the President of the United States of America” after listening to this air-headed anwer to a very important question by Couric. Did Sarah really say that? What did she mean? Shouldn’t we expect more from a woman who could one day be the next President of the USA? Are we comfortable with the dumbing down of the Presidency? Was she the most qualified Republican woman John McCain could find? This isn’t a beauty queen we are voting for. Give me a break! How do Republicans spin this interview with Katie Couric? They cannot very well claim Couric is sexist! Maybe she’s just a part of the liberal media elite Rethugs like to claim when they are on the losing end of an argument. Facts are a stubborn thing aren’t they? It is the Republican philosophy of deregulation that got us into this financial meltdown. John McCain championed this philosophy in his 26 years in the Senate. He is a “Johnny come lately” to banking reform and regulation. Now that the sky is falling he is in a panic. Trickle down did not work and it is not clear if a bailout of Wall Street will keep us from falling off the cliff. We are in for tough times and the Republican party owns this mess. They broke it. They own it.

Conservative columnist says Palin must go

Sarah Palin’s recent interviews have made a few conservatives concerned that she may sink a sinking campaign. Read Kathleen Parkers own words. My take? Please leave Sarah Palin alone. I want her to stay right where she is. Her presence in this race is definitely helping Obama. This is almost bizarre!

292 A trip to McDonald’s

The last day of my vacation starts out with a trip to McDonald’s. I talk about what fun I’ve had during this extended weekend and how much I am looking forward to returning to work on Tuesday. Ha! (Stereo) MP3. Recording device: Zoom H2. Total running time: 26 minutes 02 seconds. Click here to listen or right click to download this podcast.

New old video posted

I uploaded a new video to my Web gallery this evening. Go here to view the video. Its an old 8mm film my dad took of us playing in a rare snow in late 60’s Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The lady throwing snowballs and helping us kids build Mr. Snowman was Butch and Marty’s mom. Her name was Shelba S. I will never forget the time I was in Butch and Marty’s house and I accidentally saw her naked. It was not a pleasant sight and may have had a direct influence on (or at least cemented) my homosexuality. Ha! The quality of the video is not so good. I used an 8mm projector (I purchased on Ebay) to project the film on a wall while I steadied my digital video camera to capture the images. I’ve thought about sending all of these 8mm films off to a lab to have them transferred to digital. I may do that . . . someday. I also included a still black and white picture taken on the same day the film was shot. We’re all standing around Mr. Snowman. I am front right in the picture. My brother is standing behind me. My refugee (kidding) sister is left (rear) in the picture. Jay G., (the little boy in the pic) was an asshole and I hated him. Butch S. is in the center of the pic. I can still hear Jay crying and trying to bite me with those rotten teeth. I liked his younger brother Barry very much and never fought with him. Barry was close to my age and my first boy crush. I wonder to this day whatever happened to Barry Golden. Global warming has made snowfalls like the one in this video a thing of the past. It hardly ever snows like this anymore. Looking at this video and old pictures of myself makes me wonder what happened to make me the person that I have become. This picture was taken at a time in my life when I was becoming increasingly sad and sensitive, while the world around me was becoming harsh and cold. My only comfort during those early years was my mom. When I look back at these images I feel like I’m missing something. That some part of me was left behind. And I sometimes wish I could go back there.

Note: Now that I think about it, there is no way that little boy in the pic and the film is Jay G. I think the little boy must be Brian G. who is Jay and Barry’s youngest brother.

291 Pretty woman

What I know or don’t know about what’s going to happen this weekend. Is no news really good news? ALSO, I comment on Thom and John Ong’s most recent podcasts. I’m still behind on yours Ben. Thanks for the comments, Mark in Canada, Thom, Greg b. and Ben. Total running time: 40 minutes 42 seconds. (Mono) MP3. Mic: Shure SM7B; Mixer/Preamp; Mackie DFX6/Presonus TubePre; Recording device: Zoom H2. Click here to listen or right click to download this podcast.

Muscle Shoals High School Stage Band (1976)

Somewhere in the mix of sounds you will hear the sound of my trumpet. I never sat 1st chair first -not even close, but I loved being in the stage band. This was (to my knowledge) the first competition of the Muscle Shoals High School Stage Band which was held in Savannah, Tennessee in 1976. The Stage Band was under the direction of Mr. Charles M. Stratford. There were six trumpets in the band at the time. Doug H., Tim M., Kevin S., Wes W., John L. and me. But I’m not saying my real name here. This was one of three songs performed at the competition. A friend in the band used my cassette recorder to record the performance. The quality is bad. But I think you can see that aside for some mixing board problems, i.e., the Tenor sax solo is way to loud, everything came together quite nicely. Solo Trumpet is Doug H. Click here to listen or right click to download this musical performance.

290 Changing plans

It’s doubtful this weekend is going to work out as planned. Paul is still having issues with his health. I’ll let you know when I’ve heard something definite. A pisser for sure. Total running time: 43 minutes 03 seconds (Mono) MP3. Recording device: Zoom H2. Click here to listen or right click to download this podcast.

NOTE: When I tell the story of Highland Park Elementary School I mention a man I’d meet in later years at a party. At the beginning of the story I say he was my elementary school teacher. I meant to say he was my elementary school principal. Sorry. Glad I re-listened to this.

Also it was the Greatest Bands in Dixie contest in NO, La.

289 Countdown

If everything works out as planned “Paul in London” and his lover, Michael will be here in Pelham next weekend. I talk about their visit and worry about how the after-affects of Hurricane Ike might affect our plans. Will gasoline be in short supply? Gas prices have increased rapidly since Ike’s landfall. Mic: Shure SM7B; Preamp/mixer: Mackie DFX6; Recording device: Garageband. Total recording time: 22 minutes 56 seconds (Mono) MP3. Click here to listen or right click to download this podcast.

288 Politics, sex and religion

A little talk about politics then I finish the podcast talking about sex with my roommate. Total running time: 40 minutes 47 seconds (Mono) MP3. Recording device: Zoom H2. Click here to listen or right click to download this podcast.

Racism rears its ugly head

It seems racism is alive and well. Read this. It appears young Republicans learn well from their elders. A former executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of College Republicans, wrote on his Facebook page in late July that Obama has “a pair of lips so large he could float half of Cuba to the shores of Miami (and probably would.)” The young thug apologized for the remarks after he was caught. This just goes to prove that racism is alive and well in the good ole USA. I’ll not soon forget the night I was on a gay chat service, Gay.com, in the Alabama State Room. One young gay man made the following comment: “This country is not ready for a coon to be president!” Have we learned nothing in the years since Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights marches of the 60’s? Why is there such intolerance? And what does this bode for gay rights? Is the rhetoric of this campaign fueling the flames of hatred? It appears that Republicans remain bitter after the civil rights legislation of the 60’s. That was when the once solid Democrat South flipped and changed to a solid shade of red Republicans. They cannot tolerate change! It is a word that is difficult for them to utter and only came to the McCain campaign late and when all seemed lost. Now they use it in a mocking fashion against the Democrats. As if to say, we can take what is rightfully yours and pervert its meaning. The only thing more frightening than John McCain as President – is Sarah Palin as President. The Republicans at one time railed against Obama’s perceived inexperience. Now that Sarah Palin is McCain’s VP, the game has changed. Now the Republicans are all about change. In the words of John McCain: “Change is coming to Washington!” The change McCain is offering is hollow and meaningless. You see, McCain follows the doctrine of right-wing Christians. Their bible is unchanging. You cannot add to or subtract from it. To those who follow this doctrine – life begins at conception. There is no room for compromise. There is no room for change. To those who follow this doctrine – Eve was made for Adam, marriage is sacred and meant to bond one man to one woman. There is no room for compromise. There is no room for change. There is a war being waged in this country. To those who follow this doctrine. There is no room for compromise. There is no room for change.

Palin’s comments on earmarks makes her nose grow

Governor Sarah Palin likes to claim she’s a reformer, but as Governor of the state of Alaska she has racked up in the kind of pork barrel programs Senator McCain likes to rail against. Read the antidote to the Palin lies here. Obama has never denied his record. Palin just did.

According to the article: “Alaska asked this year for earmarks totaling $198 million, about $295 for every Alaska citizen. Palin has cut back on pork project requests, but under her administration, Alaska is still and by far the largest per-capita consumer of federal pet-project spending. The governor did reject plans to build the notorious “Bridge to Nowhere” after Congress had cut off its financing.”

Mild mannered or maniac?

John McCain is well known for his temper tantrums. Go here to read the story. Five years in a prison camp may have adversely affected the Senator’s ability to control his anger. It’s my way or the highway.

287 Q&A

Could it be that I am so blinded by my affection for my roommate that I can’t see the truth? Total running time: 53 minutes 28 seconds (Mono) MP3. Mic: Shure SM7B; Preamp: Presonus TubePre; Recording device: Zoom H2. Click here to listen or right click to download this podcast.

More insight into the woman who would be VP

Go here to read the truth about the woman who wants to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.

Alaska state jet didn’t fly on eBay

From CNN Correspondent Christine Romans

Since being named as Sen. McCain’s running mate, Gov. Palin has mentioned several times that she put a government plane up for sale on EBay — including during her speech before the GOP convention.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin bolstered her fiscal-conservative credentials early in her term by putting her predecessor’s state jet up for auction online.

“That luxury jet was over the top,” she told Republican National Convention delegates when she accepted the party’s vice presidential nomination Wednesday night. “I put it on eBay.”

Since Palin was chosen as Arizona Sen. John McCain’s running mate last week, the story has become a cornerstone of the Republican effort to paint Palin as a reformer who took on her own party establishment.

“How many saw her speech a couple of nights ago? Wasn’t it fabulous?” McCain said Friday during a campaign stop in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. “You know what I enjoyed the most? She took the luxury jet that was purchased by her predecessor and sold it on eBay — and made a profit.”

But it turns out the twin-engine Westwind II was a tough sell on the Web — and the state eventually pulled it offline and sold it through an ordinary brick-and-mortar brokerage, for a loss, a spokeswoman said Friday.

“Governor Palin has been correct in saying that she put the plane on eBay,” McCain campaign spokeswoman Maria Comella told CNN. “They did end up selling it for $2.1 million. but not on eBay.”

Palin’s predecessor, Frank Murkowski, bought the jet for $2.7 million in 2005. The following year, Palin unseated Murkowski in the state’s Republican primary and became governor: Upon taking office, she wanted to unload what former aide Meg Stapleton called “a symbol of corruption.”

Stapleton told CNN that Murkowski paid too much for the jet, and that it was costing taxpayers money just sitting in the hangar.

“Eventually you had to concede and say, ‘How often are we going to pay these bills and waste more state dollars?’ ” she said.

When putting it on eBay failed, aircraft broker Rob Heckmann was called in to sell the jet. Businessman Larry Reynolds bought the five-passenger jet for sold for $2.1 million. And Reynolds is now seeking another $50,000 from the state for unexpected maintenance issues with the aircraft.

–CNN’s Sara Lane contributed to this report

286 It happened

Remember what I was hoping would happen with the new roommate? I think you’ll find this one interesting. Total running time: 45 minutes 02 seconds. (Mono) MP3. Mic: Shure SM7B; Preamp: Presonus TubePre; Recording device: Zoom H2. Click here to listen or right click to download this podcast.

Note: In this podcast I mention that my new roommates picture is in my .org picture album. I double checked and noticed that for some unknown reason the pix in that album are not being displayed. I’ll work on this. My plan is to redo my .org page from scratch.

Fact check of Sarah Palin’s speech

Go here to check fact against the bluster of her acceptance speech. What a bitch she is! Can you imagine someone like this being a heartbeat away from the Presidency?

More fact check links: Go here.

285 Intervention

I talk about suicide intervention from a very personal perspective. Total running time: 34 minutes 51 seconds (Stereo) MP3. Recording device: Zoom H2. Click here to listen or right click to download this podcast.