In the past month I have heard of two different people who chose going to jail over paying there fines. I am scratching my head and thinking "what the f*** are you thinking".
When I was 30 years younger I did spend a few days in jail for some minor misdemeanor stuff. I hated it. I was locked in a cell with 10 to 15 other inmates depending who was bailed out or moved to permanent residence. I was scared to death by the big black fellow that everyone in the holding cell deferred to. He liked me and I still did not want to make a long lasting friendship with the man. It was cold at night with only a thin sheet to cover yourself with. The mattress was a 30 year old thin bed roll with lumps the size of your fist. No pillow. The food was miserable tasting, white bread with peanut butter, no jelly, salty chicken noodle soup and watered down Kool Aid. The next day we had Bologna on white bread with butter and watered down Kool Aid. Breakfast was a treat, salty scrambled eggs, burnt toast and watered down orange Kool Aid. You had to get up early or the other inmates would eat your eggs. No TV, just stimulating conversation from the other inmates sitting around a hard picnic table in the center of the cell, telling you how they got screwed by the system or the "man". Not one guilty man in the whole cell. I know I was wronged by the Police Officers who beat me up in order to get me to go to jail. The rest of the guys I think were just lying about their innocence. Except for the big black guy, he said he shot his bitch of a girlfriend and was mad that she did not die. That dude scared me. After three days I had had enough. I shoved my way through some of the other guys, got to a telephone, called my attorney and said "GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE".
One of the people I know who has elected to take jail time over paying his fines I will call Clem. Clem was supposed to spend 28 days but only spent a week incarcerated then was let out early. He went back in front of the judge a week later who asked him to pay his fine and Clem refused. The judge told him to take a week and see if he could raise the money. Clem said even if he had the money he would not pay the fines he would rather work off his fines by spending time in jail. When I asked Clem why he doesn't just pay the fines his answer was. " Jail isn't so bad. I get fed, I don't have to do anything and they have cable TV. I get to have smoke breaks outside and when I finally get out I have a bunch of interesting stories to tell my friends. Besides it's a principle thing, I know it costs them more to lock me up than what the amount of the fines are. They are losing money on me". Clem went back to jail and spent the remaining 21 days on a low rent vacation. Semi private room at night and a large living room with couches during the day. It did not cost him a dime. It cost the taxpayers plenty.
The other person who chose jail over paying the fines I will call June. She only had to spend a week incarcerated then she was released early for good behavior. She knows how to work the system. She knew going in that they usually don't make misdemeanor cases spend the full time locked up because of over crowding in the jail system. All she had to do was keep her mouth shut and sit on the couch and watch cable TV and she would be cut loose eventually. One week later, three days early, she was paroled. When I asked her why she took the jail time over paying the fines her response was, "I was laid off from work so I had the free time. I could sit at home and watch TV or I could sit in jail and watch TV. Whats the difference?" Whats the difference? Nothing I guess.
This whole Prisoners Rights bullshit has got to stop. The ACLU has made it so nice in jail that people don't mind going to jail. They would prefer to go to jail than to pay a fine. These country clubs for the wicked are being financed by the honest hard working people of America. Believe me I am all for incarceration for the guilty. Lets go back to the days like when I was in jail where it was not an easy time to spend. Get rid of the couches put back in the wooden benches. Cut out TV completely or turn the TV to the religious channel. No semi private rooms just big holding cells. Make it a punishment to go to jail not a vacation. No smoking in public buildings needs to be enforced so that you can not smoke until you get out of jail. No going outside every fifteen minutes for a smoke break. Lets punish the guilty not just separate them from the rest of society for a short time. P U N I S H, make them miserable so that they do not want to go back to jail ever again. If they are miserable they will reflect on what they did wrong. If they are sitting around watching TV and it is not that much worse than sitting at home they won't learn a thing and they will be back for another vacation in a year or so. The Penal system should penalize wrong doers. The House of Corrections should correct bad behavior.
I heard Clem and June were adding up their Crime and Punishment points to see when they will be able to cash in a one night free coupon. Enough is enough.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
George Taylor Morris
George Taylor Morris passed away on Saturday August 1, 2009 from throat cancer. For those of you who are not familiar with GTM he was the morning DJ on the best radio program to ever grace the airwaves, Deep Tracks, on XM satellite radio. Between GTM in the morning and Earle Bailey in the afternoon and evening, radio did not get any better than this. George had this low gravely voice that wrapped around you like a familiar hug from an old friend. When he talked you listened because he was teaching you something about Rock and Roll music that you never knew before. He was a Rock and Roll historian. But unlike most DJ's he only spoke when he had to. He didn't talk just to hear himself talk like Pat St. John, or Pat Suck John as I like to refer to him.
Many mornings while I was driving to work I would think boy I haven't heard a certain song in years and within the next couple of days GTM would play the song. It was like he could read your mind and know what you wanted to hear. My hour to two hour trips to the construction sites I was working on were some of the most enjoyable hours of my day because of George Taylor Morris.
In the early years of Deep tracks I could write GTM and Earle Bailey an e-mail requesting a song and tell them when I would be listening and low and behold my song would be played. Yes, this was a magical time for music aficionados. We had a station playing the underground music that we wanted to hear without commercials. We had two voices that were comforting to listen to and we were gaining knowledge of Rock and Roll from two of the great historians of our time. This was a dream come true for George Taylor Morris and for his listening fans.
George also hosted a radio segment called "Artist Confidential" where he would have different bands join him in the studio. George would interview the bands and let them play their music. George had a way of coaxing the best out of the musicians. He would get them talking about subjects that fans wanted to hear about. Since George was so knowledgeable about the different bands he could ask questions that produced a certain flow between the artists and George. The conversations always felt as though it was just two old friends sitting down and having a beer and discussing Rock and Roll. George always seemed as though he was friends with the artists, he was on the inside with them. Not just an outsider trying to get an interview. Artist included Paul McCartney, Graham Nash, Faith Hill, Bob Weir, Willie Nelson, Odetta, Pink and Little Feat plus others.
GTM played the music that we all wanted to hear. If the song was being played on FM radio you did not hear it on Deep Tracks. If you heard a band on FM radio, Deep Tracks would play the band but a "B" side cut that you had forgotten about that was good. George also played new music that you could not hear anywhere else ie. the Stone Coyotes and Gov't Mule. Yes George you are one of the greats in the music industry.
George I have missed you since Sirius took over and you retired. Sirius ruined your station by hiring DJ's that want to talk to much and have nothing to say. Their voices are irritating. They play music that belongs on a station called Light Tracks or Lame Tracks not Deep Tracks. Since when did REO Speedwagon and Kansas belong on Deep Tracks? Sorry George, but radio will not be the same without you. I am really going to have to consider whether I am going to renew my contract with XM, Sirius radio. They are killing a good thing.
George I loved you for all of the joy you brought into my life by playing the music I wanted to hear. My condolences go out to George Taylor Morris's family, friends and fans. I wish I could hear the interviews George is doing now with the likes of Hendrix, Harrison and Joplin. Rest in peace George.
PS. If you can catch the tribute to George Taylor Morris by Earle Bailey do so. Earle did a fantastic job of catching the essence of George Taylor Morris and what Deep Tracks was all about.
Many mornings while I was driving to work I would think boy I haven't heard a certain song in years and within the next couple of days GTM would play the song. It was like he could read your mind and know what you wanted to hear. My hour to two hour trips to the construction sites I was working on were some of the most enjoyable hours of my day because of George Taylor Morris.
In the early years of Deep tracks I could write GTM and Earle Bailey an e-mail requesting a song and tell them when I would be listening and low and behold my song would be played. Yes, this was a magical time for music aficionados. We had a station playing the underground music that we wanted to hear without commercials. We had two voices that were comforting to listen to and we were gaining knowledge of Rock and Roll from two of the great historians of our time. This was a dream come true for George Taylor Morris and for his listening fans.
George also hosted a radio segment called "Artist Confidential" where he would have different bands join him in the studio. George would interview the bands and let them play their music. George had a way of coaxing the best out of the musicians. He would get them talking about subjects that fans wanted to hear about. Since George was so knowledgeable about the different bands he could ask questions that produced a certain flow between the artists and George. The conversations always felt as though it was just two old friends sitting down and having a beer and discussing Rock and Roll. George always seemed as though he was friends with the artists, he was on the inside with them. Not just an outsider trying to get an interview. Artist included Paul McCartney, Graham Nash, Faith Hill, Bob Weir, Willie Nelson, Odetta, Pink and Little Feat plus others.
GTM played the music that we all wanted to hear. If the song was being played on FM radio you did not hear it on Deep Tracks. If you heard a band on FM radio, Deep Tracks would play the band but a "B" side cut that you had forgotten about that was good. George also played new music that you could not hear anywhere else ie. the Stone Coyotes and Gov't Mule. Yes George you are one of the greats in the music industry.
George I have missed you since Sirius took over and you retired. Sirius ruined your station by hiring DJ's that want to talk to much and have nothing to say. Their voices are irritating. They play music that belongs on a station called Light Tracks or Lame Tracks not Deep Tracks. Since when did REO Speedwagon and Kansas belong on Deep Tracks? Sorry George, but radio will not be the same without you. I am really going to have to consider whether I am going to renew my contract with XM, Sirius radio. They are killing a good thing.
George I loved you for all of the joy you brought into my life by playing the music I wanted to hear. My condolences go out to George Taylor Morris's family, friends and fans. I wish I could hear the interviews George is doing now with the likes of Hendrix, Harrison and Joplin. Rest in peace George.
PS. If you can catch the tribute to George Taylor Morris by Earle Bailey do so. Earle did a fantastic job of catching the essence of George Taylor Morris and what Deep Tracks was all about.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Health Care Reform
While the Donkeys, Red Elephants and the Blue Dogs try to wrangle out a Health Care Plan that everyone can live with, I thought that I would throw out some facts to consider. H. R. 3200 is under consideration right now. The Elephants say that Obama and the liberal Democrats want to do away with private insurance. Why would that happen now if it hasn't happened yet?
Do you realize that 30% of Americans are on government sponsored health care? That is right 30%. Between Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and the VA for our military men, 30% of Americans are on the governments dime already.
54% of Americans are on employer sponsored insurance or purchase individual insurance. I know the plan that was offered to me at my last job wasn't very good. I was lucky that my wife had really good coverage that I could be covered under. I was told that my last employer was paying $7,000.00/year for each employee and the coverage wasn't that good. High deductibles on office visits and medications. Spotty care unless you wanted to pay extra.
16% of Americans have no health care insurance at all. That is 46 million people. This 16% of Americans is who I thought HR 3200 was trying to cover. You can keep your employer sponsered plan or individual plan if you want. The Government is working to cover the 46 million people who have no coverage. If your employer decides not to cover your health insurance any longer, do not blame the government for your immoral employer. Just as the banks are claiming that they must hand out bonuses to their best employees in order to hold onto them, employers will have to offer a good health care plan in order to hang onto their workers. Insurance companies are just going to have a bit more competition.
I remember a decade or so ago the insurance companies claimed that if every driver in the State of Ohio had Auto Insurance the cost of Auto Insurance would go down. Would not the same hold true for Health Insurance? If hospitals and Doctors are not stuck picking up the bills of indigent people, they should be able to lower their costs to insurance companies, who then could lower the cost of insurance premiums to individuals and companies.
Here are a few other statistics to consider. The United States is ranked 37 out of 191 industrialized countries in the world for their health care. We should have the best and be ranked number one. People like Republicans and Blue Dogs argue that this number is misleading because it takes into account items that favor socialized medicine. OK here are two facts that I don't think you can argue with. 1. The United States is ranked 24th in the world for total life expectancy. 2. The United States is ranked 2nd (hooray) in total expenditure on health care as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (Oh Boo). So we spend more but we don't live longer. Isn't that what it is all about, quality of life.
Radical, Right Wing, Alarmist, are claiming that HR 3200 Section 1233 is making doctors council old people into stopping nutrition so that they will die sooner and not cost the new government sponsored insurance extra money. I read Section 1233 and it sounded to me like a provision for the insurance company to cover a discussion about a Living Will or a Durable Power of Attorney with your doctor. I recommend to all of my readers even if HR 3200 does not pass please go out and get a Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney filled out and put on file with your Primary Care Physician. I do not want to be kept alive on machines just because Science can do it. Let me die rather than be a vegetable. But someone else might want to be kept alive at all cost. That is their right. Before you become incapacitated you must have your wishes spelled out with a Living Will and a Durable Power of Attorney. The hospital will abide by what you decided while you were still of sound mind. This is a good thing, not something to be alarmed about. This is what Section 1233 is about.
The United States is by far the best country in the world. We spend millions of dollars helping other countries with their health care. Before we help others shouldn't we have the best health care for all legal American Citizens first? Our system of health care works for the rich but it needs to be tweeked so that it works for the poor too. Don't be scared by the Radicle Right into not provideing health care coverage for 16% of Americans. Remember this Radicle Right fought against Social Security, Womens Rights, Civil Rights and Medicare because they would be the downfall of America. Here we are still going strong. Lets help 46 million Americans afford health care.
Do you realize that 30% of Americans are on government sponsored health care? That is right 30%. Between Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and the VA for our military men, 30% of Americans are on the governments dime already.
54% of Americans are on employer sponsored insurance or purchase individual insurance. I know the plan that was offered to me at my last job wasn't very good. I was lucky that my wife had really good coverage that I could be covered under. I was told that my last employer was paying $7,000.00/year for each employee and the coverage wasn't that good. High deductibles on office visits and medications. Spotty care unless you wanted to pay extra.
16% of Americans have no health care insurance at all. That is 46 million people. This 16% of Americans is who I thought HR 3200 was trying to cover. You can keep your employer sponsered plan or individual plan if you want. The Government is working to cover the 46 million people who have no coverage. If your employer decides not to cover your health insurance any longer, do not blame the government for your immoral employer. Just as the banks are claiming that they must hand out bonuses to their best employees in order to hold onto them, employers will have to offer a good health care plan in order to hang onto their workers. Insurance companies are just going to have a bit more competition.
I remember a decade or so ago the insurance companies claimed that if every driver in the State of Ohio had Auto Insurance the cost of Auto Insurance would go down. Would not the same hold true for Health Insurance? If hospitals and Doctors are not stuck picking up the bills of indigent people, they should be able to lower their costs to insurance companies, who then could lower the cost of insurance premiums to individuals and companies.
Here are a few other statistics to consider. The United States is ranked 37 out of 191 industrialized countries in the world for their health care. We should have the best and be ranked number one. People like Republicans and Blue Dogs argue that this number is misleading because it takes into account items that favor socialized medicine. OK here are two facts that I don't think you can argue with. 1. The United States is ranked 24th in the world for total life expectancy. 2. The United States is ranked 2nd (hooray) in total expenditure on health care as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (Oh Boo). So we spend more but we don't live longer. Isn't that what it is all about, quality of life.
Radical, Right Wing, Alarmist, are claiming that HR 3200 Section 1233 is making doctors council old people into stopping nutrition so that they will die sooner and not cost the new government sponsored insurance extra money. I read Section 1233 and it sounded to me like a provision for the insurance company to cover a discussion about a Living Will or a Durable Power of Attorney with your doctor. I recommend to all of my readers even if HR 3200 does not pass please go out and get a Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney filled out and put on file with your Primary Care Physician. I do not want to be kept alive on machines just because Science can do it. Let me die rather than be a vegetable. But someone else might want to be kept alive at all cost. That is their right. Before you become incapacitated you must have your wishes spelled out with a Living Will and a Durable Power of Attorney. The hospital will abide by what you decided while you were still of sound mind. This is a good thing, not something to be alarmed about. This is what Section 1233 is about.
The United States is by far the best country in the world. We spend millions of dollars helping other countries with their health care. Before we help others shouldn't we have the best health care for all legal American Citizens first? Our system of health care works for the rich but it needs to be tweeked so that it works for the poor too. Don't be scared by the Radicle Right into not provideing health care coverage for 16% of Americans. Remember this Radicle Right fought against Social Security, Womens Rights, Civil Rights and Medicare because they would be the downfall of America. Here we are still going strong. Lets help 46 million Americans afford health care.
Border Patrol
Recently Two women hiking along the North Korea border were picked up and jailed for crossing over the border into the North Korea territory. Now Iran has picked up and imprisoned hikers who accidentally crossed over their border. What is wrong with these numbskull's. An American walking any where near these hostile countries is just asking for trouble. I feel we should let these highballs sit in jail so that they don't try anything this stupid again. How many hundreds of thousand of dollars are going to be wasted on trying to retrieve these dunderheads? Let them rot.
You have to hand it to Iran and North Korea they patrol their borders and keep Illegal Immigrants out of their countries. I wish our country would patrol our borders this feverishly and treat any illegals caught as harshly as North Korea and Iran do. Maybe if we acted like these two countries we would not have the national security risks that we have. Lets get some control over our borders.
You have to hand it to Iran and North Korea they patrol their borders and keep Illegal Immigrants out of their countries. I wish our country would patrol our borders this feverishly and treat any illegals caught as harshly as North Korea and Iran do. Maybe if we acted like these two countries we would not have the national security risks that we have. Lets get some control over our borders.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Dave Mason Streetsboro 7/31/09
I was a bit confused and startled when I heard that Dave Mason of Traffic was going to play a free concert at the Streetsboro Home Days. A great guitarist, songwriter and vocalist coming to little Streetsboro for a free concert? Wow! I notified some friends and we agreed to meet there for hopefully a night of good music and fun. I must say that the night turned out to be most enjoyable.
I arrived at the venue just as Dave Mason and his band began to play "Empty Pages" the first song of the night. Pooch called me and I found him and Caserock under the basketball hoop stage left. The sound was a bit muddled for this first song but became better actually fantastic in a few tunes. For being outdoors and having a small sound system the mixer actually got it right. Every voice and instrument was heard crisp and clear. Clear as the starry 70 degree night that embraced us along with the music.
The star of the evening was Shar's 5 and a half year old daughter and the prettiest little rock and roller in the crowd, Lauren. Dressed in her peasant dress and sandals she danced the night away to the delight of the crowd. She shook and shaked to hits such as "Feelin Alright", "Forty Thousand Headmen", "We Just Disagree", Dear Mr. Fantasy", "All Along The Watchtower" and others. This little girl did not stop for the entire hour and a half that the band played.
The band consisted of Dave Mason on guitar and vocals, Gerald Johnson on bass, Johnne Sambataro on guitar and vocals, Alvino Bennett playing drums and Anthony Patler on keyboards. A very capable band that played the music so true that I could have sworn at times they were "Milli Vanilliing" it. They also showed that they were accomplished musicians on some of their extended jams. Short jams compared to some of the Jam Bands that I go to see but a jam none the less.
Hoss and Basha danced on top of a picnic table to the expertly played music enjoying the music and thanking me repeatedly for turning them onto such a good time. At 260 pounds I did not trust the picnic table so I just danced in the grass, safer, less risk. I even tried to teach Lauren some moth catcher moves and she just stared at me like I was crazy.
Good music, excellent sound quality, fun friends, beautiful night and FREE. Kind of like a soup line for music listeners in these tough economic times. Yeah, I will have to rate it a four twirl evening with some moth catcher hand moves thrown in.
I feel bad that some of my friends missed this show but they have a bad taste in their mouths from being stood up by Dave Mason on a few other occasions. Dave has a tendency not to show up to events at times. He showed up last night and made it a memorable evening.
I arrived at the venue just as Dave Mason and his band began to play "Empty Pages" the first song of the night. Pooch called me and I found him and Caserock under the basketball hoop stage left. The sound was a bit muddled for this first song but became better actually fantastic in a few tunes. For being outdoors and having a small sound system the mixer actually got it right. Every voice and instrument was heard crisp and clear. Clear as the starry 70 degree night that embraced us along with the music.
The star of the evening was Shar's 5 and a half year old daughter and the prettiest little rock and roller in the crowd, Lauren. Dressed in her peasant dress and sandals she danced the night away to the delight of the crowd. She shook and shaked to hits such as "Feelin Alright", "Forty Thousand Headmen", "We Just Disagree", Dear Mr. Fantasy", "All Along The Watchtower" and others. This little girl did not stop for the entire hour and a half that the band played.
The band consisted of Dave Mason on guitar and vocals, Gerald Johnson on bass, Johnne Sambataro on guitar and vocals, Alvino Bennett playing drums and Anthony Patler on keyboards. A very capable band that played the music so true that I could have sworn at times they were "Milli Vanilliing" it. They also showed that they were accomplished musicians on some of their extended jams. Short jams compared to some of the Jam Bands that I go to see but a jam none the less.
Hoss and Basha danced on top of a picnic table to the expertly played music enjoying the music and thanking me repeatedly for turning them onto such a good time. At 260 pounds I did not trust the picnic table so I just danced in the grass, safer, less risk. I even tried to teach Lauren some moth catcher moves and she just stared at me like I was crazy.
Good music, excellent sound quality, fun friends, beautiful night and FREE. Kind of like a soup line for music listeners in these tough economic times. Yeah, I will have to rate it a four twirl evening with some moth catcher hand moves thrown in.
I feel bad that some of my friends missed this show but they have a bad taste in their mouths from being stood up by Dave Mason on a few other occasions. Dave has a tendency not to show up to events at times. He showed up last night and made it a memorable evening.
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