Love The Moody Blues

Moody Blues - Candle of Life 1970

Where do I begin? I first heard the Moody Blues played on the radio - no doubt about that. But my first meaningful introduction came from my older sister. She was very impressed with them, and showed me her album. I was old enough to understand the lyrics, and read along while the music played. I didn't really think much of them for a few years. Until..,

The drugs.

Somehow listening to music stoned changes the perception of music. I suspect it slows the brain waves down (studies concur) and increases dopamine levels which increase association. That and the euphoria, and relaxed state all open music up to a new level.

I don't feel I would want to listen to rap music while high as I'd get depressed, and paranoid, but music like the Moody Blues certainly guided a generation during their junkets to higher levels of contemplation.

Aside from the drugs the Moody Blues experience certainly was grounded in the Hippie movement, in sharing, and love. There was a optimism, certainly a deep funk too, but an optimism which says - we matter - and very much.

As the years pass I wonder often where youngsters in their twenties could conjure up such wisdom. Some suggest that artist, writers, and musicians tap into an "old soul", and listening to the Moody Blues seems to drive home that that may in fact be possible.


Moody Blues - Question - 1970

Lyrics, dedication to a higher purpose, and fine music craft make the Moody Blues one of the best recorded musical groups in the last Century.

Sometimes in my deepest secret moments I wonder what kind of world it would have been if the Hippies had won the day, and if the world were somehow persuaded to live in peace. I wonder what kind of world it could be - instead of the horrors we see unfold each day.

I don't know if mankind will ever allow itself the option of knowing peace, we are such a perverted race, but listening to the Moody Blues gives me a sense of hope that maybe, just maybe people could get along long enough to create a world based upon mutual respect, understanding, and love.

And I'm not even high.

Here's some lyrics to consider.

Moody Blues
Question

Why do we never get an answer
When we're knocking at the door?
With a thousand million questions
About hate and death and war.

It's where we stop and look around us
There is nothing that we need.
In a world of persecution
That is burning in it's greed.

Why do we never get an answer
When we're knocking at the door?
Because the truth is hard to swallow
That's what the wall of love is for.

It's not the way that you say it
When you do those things to me.
It's more the way that you mean it
When you tell me what will be.

And when you stop and think about it
You won't believe it's true.
That all the love you've been giving
Has all been meant for you.

I'm looking for someone to change my life.
I'm looking for a miracle in my life.
And if you could see what it's done to me
To lose the the love I knew
Could safely lead me through.

Between the silence of the mountains
And the crashing of the sea
There lies a land I once lived in
And she's waiting there for me.

But in the grey of the morning
My mind becomes confused
Between the dead and the sleeping
And the road that I must choose.

I'm looking for someone to change my life.
I'm looking for a miracle in my life.
And if you could see what it's done to me
To lose the the love I knew
Could safely lead me to
The land that I once knew.
To learn as we grow old
The secrets of our souls.

It's not the way that you say it
When you do those things to me.
It's more the way you really mean it
When you tell me what will be.

Why do we never get an answer
When we're knocking at the door?
With a thousand million questions
About hate and death and war.

It's where we stop and look around us
There is nothing that we need.
In a world of persecution
That is burning in it's greed.

Why do we never get an answer
When we're knocking at the door?

Wind Versus War

Thirty Story High General Electric 3.6 Megawatt Wind Turbines

Place enough Wind Turbines offshore (30 miles offshore where no one can see them from the coast) and you could generate enough power to electrify the entire nation. In fact there's so much wind that simply using wind along the gulf coast would power the U.S.

With approximately $250,000,000 per year being wasted on the Iraq war debacle one can only imagine what the United States could have used that money for - how far along we could have been in a bid toward energy independence.


Finest Hour For War President Bush

President Bush rejected a move toward independence from Middle East oil, and instead lied to the nation and lunged the country into a war in Iraq.

A real leader would have used the attack on the Twin Towers to spur the United States towards energy independence. It would seem only prudent to move the United States away from importing oil from nations which finance terrorist groups - terrorist which vow to destroy the U.S.

Instead of leading the nation to independence we were misled into supporting an attack on Iraq. Instead we were encouraged to remaining silent while the U.S. Constitution was trampled upon by those sworn to defend it.

The moment was lost to greed, and corruption while the good of the nation was ignored.
We are more dependent upon imported oil than ever before, and we sit and watch, and do nothing while the cheap oil that is the lifeblood of this nation begins to run out.

Real patriotism isn't based upon mindless support of ineffective military action, it is grounded in love of nation, and an honest appreciation for the real threats that face this nation.

How many more oil wars must be waged simply because the oil industry runs this nation's energy policy? How many more brave soldiers must die in unnecessary wars? How long must we continue to watch our government do nothing to reverse course on global warming?


Bush Kisses His Benefactor

As the world runs out of cheap oil the question remains, how long will this nation remain vulnerable to blackmail from regimes unfriendly to the American Way?

While wind isn't the only way to produce clean, plentiful, and locally produced energy it is clear that the huge fortune wasted on the Iraq war should have been spent in securing this nation from further attacks, and on ending its addiction to oil from unstable and unfriendly regimes.

Mr. Wizard Dies

Mr. Wizard Conducts Science Experiment

Mr. Wizard has died. I'd watch Mr Wizard whenever he'd be on the Tonight Show, or if I'd accidentally find him on children's television decades ago.

His pace was a bit slow for me, even as a kid, but on the Tonight Show he'd rush through his demonstrations. He'd have no other choice but to move quickly. Tonight Show host Johnnie Carson always found a way to goof things up, or act as if he did, which would make everyone laugh.

Science could be fun, and funny.

I found this snippet from Don Herbert's CNN Obituary interesting,

"Born in Waconia, Minnesota, Herbert was a 1940 graduate of LaCrosse State Teachers College and was an Army Air Corps pilot during World War II. He worked as an actor, model and radio writer before starting "Watch Mr. Wizard" in Chicago on NBC".

I didn't know any of that. Another member of the Greatest Generation, and another American World War II Veteran has departed.

Photocredit: New York Times

David The Gray Exposes Himself

Photo From Anonymous Communist

Local Blogger Anonymous Communist does the unthinkable and Exposes Dave of The11thhour!

As we can see in my edited Anonymous Communist photo (above) Dave is going BALD, BLIND, and GRAY!

Dave has become a GEEZER!

Despite that, he's a very handsome man, if you don't mind me saying so Mrs. TEH.

No Confidence In Attorney General Gonzales

AP Photo: A Confident Attorney General Alberto Gonzales

The U.S. Senate voted on a historic "No Confidence" Cloture Motion (S.J.Res.14) on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Unfortunately, thirty eight Republican Senators blocked the Motion which needed a 3/5th's majority to pass.

In my opinion Alberto Gonzales is one of the worst Attorney Generals in the history of this nation.

Is that surprising coming out of this Administration, which is certainly one of the most corrupt, and incompetent administrations in the history of the United States? Sadly, it is not.

From Gonzales' role in authoring legal advice on the U.S. torture of prisoners of war (which he endorses) to his lies to Congress regarding his role in firing U.S. Department of Justice prosecutors for strictly political reasons, Alberto Gonzales has shown his loyalty to an administration which has itself shown nothing but contempt for the U.S. Constitution, the people of this nation, and the people of the world.

Democrats knew going into the vote that the measure had no chance of winning, yet they've now forced those 38 Republican Senators who protected, and continue to enable Gonzales, to find some way to justify the unjustifiable. Hopefully this will cost those 38 Republican Senators at least a few votes. Anyone who wants good government surely could not support General Gonzales.


Obama Misses Vote

Barrak Obama out campaigning missed this vote. While it was a foregone conclusion that the Democrats would fail to reach the required sixty votes it still would have been nice if the Illinois Senator could have been in Washington for the vote.

Several Republicans crossed the isle and cast votes against the Attorney General (see below in red).

One interesting vote is Senator Stevens from Alaska. What's with that? He appears to be unwilling to vote against Gonzales, yet perhaps the corruption is even too much for Senator Stevens to endorse?


Here's the roll call from Senate.Gov

YEAs ---53
Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Byrd (D-WV) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Clinton (D-NY) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI)	Feinstein (D-CA) Hagel (R-NE) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lincoln (D-AR) McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL)	Nelson (D-NE) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stabenow (D-MI) Sununu (R-NH) Tester (D-MT) Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---38
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Cochran (R-MS) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC)	Dole (R-NC) Domenici (R-NM) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ) Lieberman (ID-CT)	Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA)

Present - 1
Stevens (R-AK)

Not Voting - 7
Biden (D-DE) Brownback (R-KS) Coburn (R-OK)	Dodd (D-CT) Johnson (D-SD) McCain (R-AZ)	Obama (D-IL)

SUBWAY Art

SUBWAY Downtown Springfield, Illinois 2007

Parked SUV Reflections
Lap Top Tie Man
Eating His Subway Sandwich
At Lunch Time
In Downtown Springfield
Illinois

.

SUBWAY Sixth and Adams - Springfield, Illinois 2007

Downtown Springfield, Illinois can be an interesting place to romp about at lunchtime.
The photo which I took, and use here was taken of a gentleman eating his subway sandwich while using a laptop computer.

I Am Nerd King

I Am Nerd King

I have taken on a avatar. His name is Nerd King.

Expect to see Nerd King from time to time. I'm not exactly sure what to do with him, but he's got style, he's got class - by George he's the Nerd King that's what he is!