It’s an ache I still remember…
May 18, 2012
Oh, I’m back baby… In a big way.
I just have to get over that song from last week. I’m still addicted to it, as you may have noticed from the title of this week’s post. Although, I bet someone is saying to me…
You said that you could let it go… and I wouldn’t
catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know…
Alrighty then, you asked for it – you got it.
I’m moving on – but before I go too far, we have to talk about…
Obama-One-Kenobi is Suddenly Pro Gay Marriage?
Of course he is. I can’t figure out why people are so shocked about this.
Maybe people have forgotten – he’s a politician!
It’s funny, I saw an article in the New York Times that stated (something like), 60% of Americans polled believe this was purely a political move. You think? Just how stupid do THEY (the politicians) think WE (the people) are?
The more likely scenario is, of course, that he has always been pro-gay marriage and way back when he said that he was not – that was the political move. I mean, let’s think about it… He’s a Democrat – so, most likely, he’s always supported gay marriage. Next, he’s a Democrat, so changing what he says, in order to meet the political agenda of the day goes with the territory. Finally, he needed some Republican votes in order to win last time. He knew people wanted change and that statement probably put a few Republican supporters at ease. Now he doesn’t have a chance with those Republicans, so it’s time to lock in the Democrats.
Personally, I think the gay population should be allowed to do whatever they want to do. Who cares? In fact, I say we make heterosexual marriages illegal for a while – you know, just to even out the score.
At the end of the day, none of this has any real bearing on politics. None of this has anything to do with what people actually want from the government. Things like insure domestic tranquility and provide for common defense – certainly not tell us who we can marry and who we can’t.
Blow it out your ass, Motorcycle Man
I am the devil, do you understand?
Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-Roll
I’ll admit it… I’ve always been a bit of a Bon Jovi fan. I know, I know. I’ve heard it all before. I’ve heard Bon Jovi referred to as a “candy-ass” rock-n-roll band ever since, back in the day, when all rockers were supposed to be tough guys, hard rockers, surrounded by booze and women. The thing is, that we have to recognize the importance of, and give equal credit to, the bands that, although they may not fit our criteria for serious rockers, they helped to pave the way for making our music acceptable in society. That way, now that we’re older, it’s OK.
I could argue that, thanks to guys like Billy Idol, for the first time in 20 years, we’re getting a new album from Public Image Ltd. on May 28th and thanks to bands like Bon Jovi, today our parents and our children have heard of Metallica, Megadeth and most importantly, Guns & Roses.
Having said all of that… Have you seen this?
John!!! Advil? When we said, “sex, drugs, and rock and roll”, we weren’t including 200mg of ibuprophen in the drugs category. Axl would never go there.
Maybe that’s how we should all start living our lives… WWAD? What Would Axl Do? Of course, it might get boring after a while, when the answer always comes up as, let’s punch the guy in the face…but then, it’ll probably be fun, at first.
The point here is that, I think we need to return to the basics.
And this brings us to today’s musical guest, Radio Moscow.
Their music distribution company describes them as…
“Yes, they have long hair. Yes they may be stoned. Yes this is the kinda music
that caused a stir 40 years ago. And so what? It’s the music of the gods.
They know it, we know it and Dan Auberbach (of The Black Keys,
who not only discovered the trio as pot-infused miscreant teens,
but also produced their debut) is fully aware of this too.”
Bring that shit on.
Here’s Radio Moscow performing Broke Down just last month in Paris.
Sweet! Come to Bonnaroo next year, my brothas…
What Would Archie Do?
So, another version of WWAD is What Would Archie Do?
Now we’re cooking with gas. And that brings us to, why I have to get out of here. Once again, I am headed to make sure the Florida Keys are still surrounded by water.
Here’s me official invitation…
Now, who should I take?
Oh, yeah… Look for me on television…real, actual television – maybe.
But don’t look for me on a speedboat. I gotta go in style, Mutha F*#ck#r.
If you see a 50′ Bertram, you should be looking for me there because…
There’s a pretty good chance that, by the time you read this, I’m On A Boat!
Holy crap. This things starts at 10:30am?
[Yelling off camera:]
Barnsley… Get the chopper ready. I gotta get to Key Largo!
Barnsley? [Looks around]
See ya – wouldn’t wanna be ya…
– Arch
Now and then I think…
May 11, 2012
…of when we were together.
Yes. Another week, another post – I am out of control.
There wasn’t going to be one this week but… I have two very important things on the agenda.
First of all, I have seen The End of The World, as we know it. At least the part whereby America rules the world’s finances. So, I felt compelled to pass this information along to…well, all my loyal readers. That’s you.
As you know, I have ranted in the past about our country’s overspending and over importing – to the point where we have essentially sent all of our money overseas and then borrowed it back so that we could buy and borrow more. Soon, we will be so over-extended that we’ll never be able to repay our debts, that is.. unless someone loans us more money.
It’s a vicious circle.
I like to call that Donald Trump Syndrome. I guess they key is to owe so much money that no one can afford to have you go bankrupt. Of course, sooner or later, it all has to come crashing down. That is, unless you come up with a lucrative reality TV show deal that essentially saves your ass. That’s unlikely to happen for America.
Well, in as much as all of this “reality” is accurate, all along, I thought the end would come completely of our own doing. But now I have discovered the even bigger brewing plot designed to help us along into financial obscurity and strategically overthrow us… moniteraly.
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die…
Does anyone remember the gold standard?
Once upon a time, the US Dollar was base upon gold reserves. So, anyone you gave a dollar to, could, theoretically, go and cash it in for gold. It even said so, right on the front of the note.
The brilliant thing about the gold standard was that it didn’t allow for us to arbitrarily fluctuate that amount of US currency in circulation. In essence, there could never be more currency in circulation than there was gold stashed away in Ft. Knox or wherever – perhaps an underwear drawer, somewhere in the White House.
The basic idea was that, you could buy and sell whatever you needed to buy or sell, in gold, without having to carry any bulky gold bars around. Also, paper money was then backed by a guaranteed value. It was brilliant. Nevertheless, like the temporary brilliance of a bottle rocket, the US eventually moved away from the gold standard and, today – the US dollar is mostly backed by air.
It is, of course, still the thing that everyone wants. We are still the number one economy in the world. Let’s face it – we are everyone’s best customer and, somehow, the US Dollar has remained the World’s Reserve Currency. This means – in a serious nutshell – that everyone compares their “dollars” to the US Dollar and is willing to transact in US Dollars. An example might be… If Russia wanted to buy oil from the King and the Boogie Men, both countries would convert their money into US Dollars in order to calculate or negotiate their price. It’s the world’s accepted standard for money.
No one really seems to understand, however, how important this is for us. This gives us huge leverage around the world. It puts us at the center of the world’s economy and, most importantly, it is what allows us to do what we have been doing – like continuing to operate, even though we have huge deficit spending and huge insolvency on our national balance sheet. So, what’s the end game…?
China
In the last few years, as the US recieved a downgraded credit rating and we continue to lose control over our national debt, the International Monetary Fund started talking about possibly replacing the US Dollar as the world’s reserve currency. The impact of such a decision would be catastrophic here. The US could no longer do what it does. We would then have to answer to others and we couldn’t just – irresponsibly print more money to bail out banks, mortgage companies and automakers. Things would change quickly in America. Nothing would be so laissez-faire, as it is today. But what could possibly replace the US Dollar?
Enter China and the Yuan. The Yuan is the base unit of Chinese currency. I know it seems a bit crazy that the world might pick the currency of a communist country upon which to base its capitalistic system but – they are the only ones in a position to take this over and the only ones who are actively working on a plan to make this happen.
Get this – and Google it, if you don’t believe me… China has been buying gold and mining for gold, all over the world. That’s what they are doing with all their money – they are hoarding gold. Up until last year, it was illegal for Chinese citizen to privately own gold – just like it was in the US, not to long ago. But last year, after the Chinese goverment could only stock up on gold so fast, they decided to invoke the help of their 1 Billion citizens. The government then decided that it was OK for the Chinese people to own gold and, since then, has been encouraging them to buy and hold – gold!
Why? …and why now?
I believe that, if IMF ever really starts looking to replace the US Dollar as the World’s Reserve Currency, China is planning to present itself as the only country in the world today with enough gold to actually back its currency. A brilliant move by the Chinese – not good for us. And really, REALLY – if it came down to an international vote – no one in their right mind would say, “no – the US Dollar is worthless but let’s stick with that”. No one.
Think about this.
We’ll talk further in a future episode.
Let’s move on (for now)…
Told myself that you were right for me,
but felt so lonely in your company.
But that was love and it’s an ache I still remember…
The second important thing that I needed to pass along, as soon as possible, before everyone on the planet has heard of this guy and I get little or no credit for being on the forefront of music is…today’s musical guest.
The problem is, no one is really sure how to pronounce Gotye.
Barnsley thinks it’s pronounced Gotcha.
I prefer to say Go Tie, or Go Thai – if you’re a fan of Asian food.
Really, really… I think it’s more like Go-Tay.
In any case, I think you’re going to like him.
Here’s Gotye with Somebody That I Used to Know…
Brilliant. I know. That song is addictive… Watch. You’ll see.
I can see you reaching for the replay button, right now, aren’t you…???
The hot chick showing up 2 1/2 minutes in doesn ‘t hurt either.
It’s perfect timing. That’s right around the time when I ask myself,
“why am I watching this painted naked guy singing?”
The hot chick is Kimbra, by the way…
Here she is looking Gagalicious…
And now you’re just somebody that i used to know…
Well, alrighty then.
I’ve said my peace and brought you your song of the day.
My work here is done…
BTW – a big thanks to my Gotye connection.
Love ya, Mean it.
– Arch
I just met a girl named Blue Jean…
May 4, 2012
She’s got a camouflaged face and no money
Alrighty then, I know I pick on Barnsley a lot, but today I need to talk about his sheer genius. Just the other day, we were in dire need of some champagne. Of course, technically, to call champagne by that name (champagne), it needs to come from the champagne region of Fra
nce. Otherwise, you have to call it sparkling wine. For example, all the bubbly from California is simply referred to as American Sparkling Wine. The question is, what do you call Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand?
Well, just the other day, Barnsley brought home a bottle of Zeal, Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc (from Marlboro, of course) and I say we call it awesome!
If you’ve been following along in the home version of our game, you might remember that I’m a big fan of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, but the sparkling version just threw this whole thing into a another level.
If I were you, I run out and get some immediately. And here’s the best part, it was delicious and only about $10. So if you decide to make mimosas, you wont be wasting the pricey stuff. It’s genius.
[Yelling off stage:]
Barnsley! Mimosas for everyone.
[Looks around:]
Barnsley?
Oh, Blue Jean…
Is Heaven any sweeter than Blue Jean?
Sweeter? I always thought of Heaven as being low calorie
yet – no Nutra Sweet required.
Alrighty then… I’m back in California (again) this week.
Someone told me there’s a girl out there,
with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair…
And I gotta tell you, I’ve stayed at some pretty awesome places in my day, but my hotel room this week was over the top. My room had two bathrooms. There’s only one of me! There’s a living area, a dining room table, a giant private patio area…
Check out this shower head…
Nice? I know.
And look it’s one of those bathrooms where there’s telephone next to the toilet…
How handy is that?
I can see it now. I’m sitting on the toilet, reading my newspaper, maybe my business is taking a little long – I can call someone.
“Hello… Barnsley? Hey, it’s Arch. I’m on the toilet. It’s going a little slow in here, I’m going to need you to bring me a glass of that sparkling sauvignon blanc… Hello? Barnsley?”
I’d love to tell you where I’m staying but I have no freakin’ idea where that is.
Somewhere in Palm Springs. Someone else paid for me to get here. Someone else told the cab driver where to go. I think I’m somewhere near Palm Springs.
It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time
So hey, you may have noticed that, by some strange coincidence, quite often, our musical guests involve a hot chick lead singer. Well, for those few of you who are disturbed by this, it’s time that we disturb everyone else. To start with, it’s amazing that I even gave this group a listen. After all, my first “exposure” to them involved this disturbing picture of lead singer, Beth Ditto…
Ha! Made you look.
I am aware that, by definition, she is stil a hot chick.
But I have a feeling that she’s moonlighting as a US Airways flight attendant.
But hey, if you’re able to get past all of this,
I think you might just enjoy Gossip, performing Perfect World…
And just for good measure, we need to run this photo of Ekatarina…
That’s it. We’re all done for today.
I gotta rock. I gotta roll.
See ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya…
– Arch
You can lead a horse to water…
April 27, 2012
…but you still can’t get him to listen to Wilco.
(Originally titled: That’s what she said. )
That’s right, I’m back “so soon”…
Two weeks in a row. It’s groundbreaking. Kind feels like old times doesn’t it?
Well, you know, sometimes the jokes just write themselves…
So, really… This is what you are going to name your new Asian restaurant? How do you suppose you pronounce that? I like to think it’s pronounced Fook U. I can imagine calling there for take out. They answer the phone in their best Chinese America accent… “Oh a sankyo for calling a Fook U.” Then I say, “Hey… Fook U2 buddy, I’m going to P.F. Changs.”
What up my peeps?
I hate to be that guy. You know, the guy who tells you that he’s got lots of really cool stuff going on but isn’t allowed to talk about it. Nevertheless, I have a lot of really cool stuff going on. Unfortunately, I can’t talk about most of it.
I guess without getting too deep into the details, I can say that… My production company, Mariachi Static Entertainment, is actually working on some things… We’re working on putting together a reality-style show. Of course, I can’t talk about it. I’m also working on editing a book, a biography, actually. Not my biography, but it’s very exciting, none the less. Probably shouldn’t talk about it.
I’ve been giving a lot of thought to getting back “on the water” lately. I’ve cracked my mental fortune cookie and contained a picture of a boat. I guess I can talk about that all I want…
That’s what she said.
For those of you who never had the priviledge of getting naked in my floating mini-van, my last waterbound vessel was a 1993 Silverton 361 Express Cruiser.
No complaints but, I think, in the future, until I go for wind power, I’m going to have to go either bigger, taller and more handsome, like the Silverton 42 Convertible …or maybe I go lighter and faster – something that’s get me out to the islands quickly. Maybe what I need is a little boat, just to get out on the water. Later, when I get my big, tall & handsome guy, I could use it for a dinghy?
[Looking off Camera]
What?
Oh, Barnsley… You are such a homo-phobe.
No one is going to take that the wrong way.
Speaking of “off camera”. I have an important safety tip for anyone out there who ever gets in front of a video camera. Friends don’t let friends film each other in-front of a green screen. Otherwise, things like this happen…
Speaking of bad photography, I recently appeared in the South Florida Business Journal, along with my friend, V-Spot..
Of course, I must have been too busy watching the Naked Crisco Twister game that was going on “off camera” and couldn’t take a moment to look at the photographer. Ah, sure… That guy’s not looking at the camera, no problem. We’ll use the photo anyway. I’m sure Mr. Kobain doesn’t mind looking like a goofball.
(God forbid – me looking like a goofball, what’s next?)
Orion Music Festival
I think I have to go… This is Metallica’s Music Festival. They are headlining both nights and playing two complete albums. In fact, they are performing “the black album” in its entirety. Live! What could go wrong? And get this, I’ve looked through the entire line up and it’s absolutely a dude-heavy line up. But then there’s Best Coast! I think it’s a sign that I need to go to this thing. Check it…
The Gaslight Anthem, don’t I like them? I enjoyed the Gaslight District in San Diego. That must count for something. And then there’s a musical act called, “Fucked Up”… Seriously? Maybe it’s pronounced Fooked Up? That actually kinda gets me in the mood for Asian food, ne’s pas? Pardon my French.
Alright, I guess since we’re talking about music, we should get to this week’s musical guest… Are you ready? Originally, I was going to invite Caitlin Moe onto today’s show. I mean, growing up, we never had hot violinist. I’m really diggin’ her music (and singing). For now, just a photo will have to do…
‘Cuz I’ve been feelin’ very Cubano lately. Although the Castro brothers can’t seem to shrivel up and die, and even if they did – that doesn’t mean we’d end up with a free Cuba, apparently there’s been a surge of Cuban Punk Metal Bands forming around the island – mostly in Havana. Although they are frequently arrested, mostly for their anti-governmental lyrics, they continue to play wherever and whenever they can. I love it.
One such band that I’ve been following a bit is called “Porno para Ricardo” or, in English, Porno for Ricardo. How great is that? They di one song called El Cake, which talks about how all they ever have to eat in Cuba is cake and everyone is completely sick of it. But this week, Porno Para Ricardo is going to play for us, “Como Joder a un Communista”.
Loosely translated: “How to F-up a Communist”. Here it is…
Hey… The bass player was wearing a Miami Dolphins shirt.
Where’d he get that? Come to think of it, where he get the guitar?
Where’d they get all this stuff? And the video camera? And access to YouTube?
Keep up the fight my brothers and keep the music coming.
Well, I say short and sweet is the way to go these days.
What? No – that’s not what she said. I’m talking about my blog posts.
I think I’m done for the day.
Stakes are high and so am I,
I got me a rock ‘n roll band,
It’s a free for all…
See yous all next time.
– Arch
This bed is on fire with passionate love…
April 20, 2012
(Originally titled: I bet you think this post is about you.)
Finally… I’m posting something new.
Well, don’t just stand there…
Welcome back, my friends
to the show that never ends.
We’re so glad you could attend!
Come inside! Come inside!
I know I haven’t posted anything in several weeks.
Rest assured that I’ve heard your moans. <smirk>
I’ve also heard you compain about my lack of postings.
Trust me, I hate to ruin your Friday mornings…but I’ve been busy.
Life is busy and so many things compete for my blogging time.
- Should I blog or have something to eat?
- Should I blog or get some sleep?
- Should I blog or bash myself over the head with a cynder block?
- Should I sit mindlessly on the couch doing absolutely nothing (or possibly making up a few new fart jokes that only I think are funny) or should I make a blog entry on the same damned computer that I have to stare at for everything else in my life?
So…
Now that I’m here, what should we talk about?
Money? Frank never talked about money.
<This paragraph should be spoken like Tony Montana.>
Well look wahappen to Frank. I had to cancel his contract.
Barnsley too. I toll-im to do som-sing, he dinn do it. So I had
to buy him one of those first class tickets to the resurrection…
What is up with money these days? I can’t wait to have nothing to do with it. Charge all you want, beat yourselves over the head with gold bars, I won’t care. I’ll be somewhere powered by the wind. It’s just irritating that everybody and everything is designed to get you. I guess that’s capitalism.
I went to buy a pack of gum a few days ago. It was $2.85. At first I thought nothing of it. Then, when I realized that two dollars couldn’t buy a pack of gum anymore and I had to break a twenty, I was like… WTF?
Just a few hours later, I get a call from “my travel agency”.
United decided to change the flight I’m going to be on, in the near future.
At first, I thought it was just a simple time change, but NO. Check this out. I booked a flight at a particular time, paid extra to be on the flight I wanted to be on and now they were calling me to move me to the cheaper flight. There was no need for the change other than to make room on my plane. I don’t think so. I looked it up and my flight was still a valid flight.
I was on the $260 flight. Now they were trying to put me on the $151 flight “for free”. So I say, “hey… If I wanted to change flights, you’d charge me the difference in airfare plus a $75 change fee. I’ll make you the same deal.”
The girl on the phone was like… “what?”
I said, “pay me $109 plus a $75 change fee and I’ll switch planes”.
She thought I was out of my mind. Oh, I’m in my mind – alright. I have a whole team of people in there dedicated to making sure I don’t get screwed by the airlines. Lookie here United people… I’m flying United because I was a loyal Continental customer. Continental never tried to charge me $260 then move me to the $151 flight. What kind of crap is that?
Needless to say, they didn’t go for it.
I even told her I’d accept Visa, MasterCard or JCB.
OK. I don’t actually accept JCB but I knew she didn’t have one of those.
So guess what? I ain’t switching planes. I’m on my original flight.
Thank you very much. And I repeat… WTF?
This week, the musical guests are plentiful. I haven’t been a bloggin’, but I’ve still been listening to music. The “new music” guest of the week is Best Coast. Has anyone else been listening to them? They’re like the California version of Florence and The Machine…or at least I find them to be very Machinesque.
The lead singer is Bethany Cosentino.
Bethany Cosentino
I approve.
I know, she’s no Blake Lively…
Gratuitous Blake Lively Photo
I always loved that green dress.
Hey, guys! Eyes down here. I don’t even know who that is.
I just typed “hot chick green dress” into GoogaBingHoo and she popped up.
Uh… What were we talking about? Oh, yes… Bethany.
I think she reminds me of a young Exene Cervenka.
Exene Cervenka - 1981
So, anyway… Best Coast.
Here they are performing When I’m with You.
Am I missing something here? Did Ronald get fired from his former gig and now he’s out stuffing himself at In & Out Burger. OK, that’s cool with me. I love In & Out Burger. I’m practically a vegetarian, except when there’s an In & Out Burger around. Then all bets are off. Word Up, Bethany. Call me if the redhead doesn’t work out. I’d make a great ex-husband.
Another John Doe.
OK, let’s see who gets that reference.
Big prize to the winner (to include wine).
So, now you’ve got me thinking. What is Exene Cervenka up to?
Well, after 35 years of performing, she’s still at it.
Here she is last year at SXSW…
Wow. She still sounds a lot the same. She’s awesome. I love her.
Call me, X. I’ll be waiting for you under a big black sun.
Of course, I love all the old punk singers who aren’t dead.
OK, fine. I love the dead ones too.
I love you, Sid!
I love you Nancy!!!
So… How lucky are you? That was like having two musical guests in one easy to swallow gel cap. I know. It’s like ibuprophen for the soul. And I’m not done yet. There are more coming up. More! But first I have to discuss…
One of My Problems with The Fuzz
In general, I tend to not like The Police. I’m not talking about Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland – they’re just fine. I don’t know that they need reserved parking spaces all over the world…
…but other than that, I have no problem with them. I’m talking about the man, the law, the fuzz. The guys who can turn on their light, sirens, and run red lights if the coffee at Dunkin Donuts is at risk of getting cold.
IMHO, we live in a society where it is important to have law enforcement. Unfortunately, our kind needs to be “policed”. But I really think we need to start applying some common sense to the laws that we pass and how we choose to enforce them. I have numerous examples, but I’ll just dwell on my recent trip from West Palm Beach to Boca Raton. It took about an hour… normally a twenty minute drive.
There were two car accidents. They were only partially to blame for the delay. A big part of the blame has to go to cops…
Bad boys, bad boys.
Whatcha gonna do?
Whatcha gonna do,
when they come for you?
Bad Boys!
No. Not the TV show.
There were accidents, with cops, pulled off to the right shoulder. Everyone else was, of course, trying to do their best to get past the accident site. Well, just ahead there were MORE cops who had pulled people over on the left shoulder. This happened twice. Once after each accident.
By my best guess (different from Best Coast), the right most lanes were blocked or otherwise distressed from the car accidents, so people were using all available lanes to get through. So a few lawmen, with nothing better to do, decided to go hang out just past these accidents and pull over drivers who had gone into the HOV lane without having the appropriate number of passengers in the car.
Really?
So people are trying to get past this huge delay, as best they can. They you pull them over, thus creating more commotion on the highway and further delays to everyone else…during rush hour??? That’s just sick and disgusting. Seriously. I have no respect for you. Don’t talk to me. You are cut off.
What else up?
Last week (not this week) the Coachella Music Festival took place in Coachella Valley, California. I really need to go to Coachella one of these years. I came very close to going last year. Can’t go next year. I’m going to Glastonbury 2013, baby! And what about Bonnaroo? I can’t believe I’m not going this year. I thought I’d be OK but I’m not. I’m sad. I’m Bonnaroo homesick. I need my bobbleheads. I need my Which tree. I need to get my “arch” on. I need my Bourbon Chicken. I need to smell the burning aroma of illegal shrubbery. Mr. Jimmy and I need our fair share of abuse…
Get your mind out of the gutter. That’s a Stones reference.
Rolling Stones, not Stone-Z Stones.
Uh… Did I mention that I am now 50% shareholder in a motorhome?
Are you with me? Who wants to go to Roo…???
But anyway…
Didn’t go to Coachella this year. Not gonna make it to Roo.
I probably would have gone to Coachella had I only known that Pulp was going to be there. Who is Pulp you ask? Probably the most important English alternative “original wave” rock band ever… You know, if you don’t count The Clash.
Seriously, I would have gone just to see Pulp. And now, as long as the YouTube Coachella Police don’t remove this video, you get to see them from the comfort of your very own…wherever you are.
Here’s Pulp with Common People…
(Please excuse the banter at the begining.)
I love that song. I think it’s an anthem for our generation. I love those guys. It’s awesome that they are still performing and came to The States. Sorry I missed it. Well…
I may not have made it there but, YouTube had three live feeds going and I watched a lot of the shows. Many of them are now posted for all to see. You should stop by and check it out. Immediately. Do it now… Run!!!
Wow… It’s APRIL.
Did you file your taxes? I hate taxes. It’s not just that I hate giving the government the first third of my annual income. I really wouldn’t mind if I were seeing value. All I see is wasteful spending. Don’t get me started.
Instead, let’s focus on good things. There are lots of April birthdays.
I send sincere best wishes to all of my April birthday friends and soulmates.
Having said that, like my friend (George) used to say, “I am taking off”,
as he twirled a finger above his head. I’m signing out. I’m done for the day.
Be Well, Be Real, Be Safe…
– Arch
Now that I’ve said good-bye, I want to leave you with… My final musical guest of the week… James, performing an old favorite, live at Coachella last week.
My therapist said not to see you no more,
She said you’re like a disease without any cure.
Here’s James with Laid…
When are you coming home?
<This concludes our broadcast day.>
<Static…>
Not regular static, that’s Mariachi Static, of course.
Moving at one million miles an hour…
March 23, 2012
Using my power, I sell it by the hour
I have it so I market it, you really can’t afford it
Yeah! Really can’t afford it.
You know, I’m really trying to keep things on the sunny side here. Remember my old newsletter, Mariachi Static? Things got pretty dark over there every now and then. Not here. Not on ArchieKobain.com. Now that my actual name is actually on the product, I don’t think that’s the kind of Archie momma would have wanted to raise…
Archibald! Whatchu talkin’ about?
I daint raise no nay-sayin’ cracka!
I can’t believe how politically correct I’ve become. I started to write, “I daint raise no nay-sayin’ nigga!” …but at the last moment I decided to change it to “cracka!” I don’t want no trouble with the ASPCA, the NAACP, AAMCO, the FBI, CIA or the WWJD crowd.
This way, I guess I’m only offending the people of Florida. You see, I believe “cracka” comes from an old song, from my old friend, Hugh Burns, pest control entreprenuer and lead vocalist for Hughie Burns and The County Line.
We drink beer and our women chew tabbacah,
We ain’t nothing but a bunch of Florida Crackas…
Oh, yes.
Speaking of my new improved behavior, I really should apoligize for my last post. I got all negative on Delta Airlines and… I just want to apologize. I’m sorry that you, so often, provide such a crappy customer experience. Instead of ragging on you, I’ve decided to start a support group for you. I am hereby officially launching the I Have a Crappy Airline Support Group. I’ll be sending an official invitation to Richard Anderson in a few days. I’m sure that he and Doug Parker will want to be charter memebers. (Look it up.)
Wow. It feels so much better to be positive and help my fellow man.
Besides, it’s not like Delta Airlines is Apple and killing people at their factories in China?http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/ieconomy-apples-ipad-and-the-human-costs-for-workers-in-china.html
I think this pretty much seals the deal for me…and possibly Apple. I guess it’s time to face the music, on your iPod – of course, sell your Apple stock, and admit that Steve Jobs, the master of technology media hype, is dead. I’m not declaring Apple dead but… How long will the general public allow a few corporate yo-yo’s back in Cupertino decide what technology we should have access to?
iPad carrying drones already don’t get Flash for some reason. Once upon a time, Apple claimed that it was because Flash was buggy. Somehow, I see a much bigger political and monetary pissing match than that.
Now the question is… How could they have released The New iPad and it still has no USB port, no HDMI port… Really? Well, that’s OK. You’ll still sell a bunch. The experts are saying that there will be another Billion users on the Internet by 2015. So, inadvertently, a bunch of those folks will buy Apple products and, of course, those die-hard Apple-heads will always line up to buy the new one the day it comes out…but the lines sure were smaller this time. It’s funny. The headlines read Customers Flood Apple Stores, but the video clips were of people saying, “zero…there was a zero minute wait to get one”.
Oh, news flash… Steve Wozniak was standing on the streets of Los Angeles at 2am waiting for stores to open so that he could get his. Of course, Steve has openly admitted to still being on Apple’s payroll. So, am I suppoed to believe that a guy as busy as The Woz, who gets over $40K for a speaking engagement…
http://www.bigspeak.com/steve-wozniak.html
…is actually standing on a street cornert at 2am to buy an iPad? Really? I wonder how much that costs Apple?
Well, if you’re going to keep releasing mediocre technology, treat people with that snotty “Apple store demeanor” AND blow up your factory workers in China, I’m totally done with you.
There. How’z that?
Now I think we’re onto a positive spin, n’est pas?
Pardon my French.
Well, I’m not going to write a whole lot today…in fact, I’m not even going to dig up a musical guest. My brain is way too fried. I need a vacation. I need one of these…
Probably the bike. The girl looks a little young.
Anyway, I just wanted to get something out there so no one thought I’d died, moved to Todos Santos, or begun executing Plan #3. Plan #3, however, could very-well be on its way soon. Look.
I am now the proud 50% owner of this…
Archmobile
And I’ve been spending a lot more time looking at this…
You know… I don’t think there’s anything better than being offshore on a calm sea, lights off – in the dead of night, and laying down on the deck to watch the billions of stars, as they watch me. I think I’ll be doing that a lot more often. Soon.
And I remember…in my mind,
They say I’m daydreamin’
Is it all that it seems,
or am I all the things I’m looking for, yeah!?
And, and I see what I see, a new world is over me
And I’ll reach up to the sky and imagine I’m a spaceman
In another place and time
I guess I’m looking for a brand new place
I remember living in a different life
Is there a better life for me?
That’s it for today, my peeps.
Love ya – mean it. Buah, ha, ha, ha…
– Arch
Delta Airlines is the worst…
March 3, 2012
This post was originally to be titled… “February was so long that it lasted into March”
Then I was going to blame leap year.
But I have important things to complain about: Delta Airlines.
The cool thing about complaining online these days is that all the big airlines, like Delta, are undoubtedly using something like Reputation.com, which attempts monitor the company’s “online reputation”. This means that shortly after my post hits the airwaves, someone at Delta will probably be reading it.
Hello Delta Person. I challenge you to create a better airline experience.
It’s funny. Years ago, I had a friend who was an airline pilot and it was always his dream to fly for Delta. Way back then, Delta commanded that kind of respect. Supposedly, they even had a secret policy of only ever interviewing people once. If you interviewed with them and they didn’t hire you, they never asked you to interview again. They were the hot shots of the ski. Today, I think they are the Yugo of airlines…
Yu Know (rhymes with Yugo), I never actually rode in a Yugo but I know that it was cheap (MSRP: $3990) and I have to imagine that every Yugo owner wished they had spent a little more on something different. Beyond that, I bet it was uncomfortable and, at any given moment, its passengers were deciding whether this trip was worth it or if it was better to just hang themselves. It was just like flying on Delta.
I know Delta Person is probably thinking, this isn’t a fair comparison. For starters, you can’t have a flight attendant in a Yugo. Maybe not, but you can put one on a Yugo…
I’m really diggin’ those boots, baby…
I think Delta and I are like a couple who went through a bad divorce. Once upon a time, I loved Delta. I was a SkyMiles Double-Secret Probation Kryptonite Level Member. Then came the time that I was headed to Steamboat Springs through Atlanta in First Class. There I was at the Delta Crown Room and I couldn’t get internet access without paying a fee. Really? I guess the Crown Room Membership plus the First Class ticket “combo” wasn’t enough money for them to give me a little internet access.
Then, I board the very long flight from Atlanta to Steamboat Springs (aka Hayden, aka Yampa Valley Regional Airport) and First Class had unlimited Doritos and those damned Biscoff cookies for us to eat. That was it? I had just flown coach on Continental from Houston to Santa Ana and had a cheeseburger… for free. Not here. This is Delta where we nickle and Dime Every Last Traveler Aboard.
Seat Assignments
These days, when you try to book a Delta flight on the average travel site, you usually can’t get a seat assignment. This is their new strategy for trying to get you to buy a premium seat and pay an extra $25 or more. So you book a flight and inadvertently get assigned either no seat or a middle seat. When you look at the seat map, only middle seats are available, unless you want to pay extra. I think this makes for a deceptive business practice, since at this time, you’ve already purchased the ticket based on the originally shown price, which you had probably compared to other airlines.
Bags
Then comes the luggage thing. You want to check a bag? You guessed it. That cost more money. But actually, it cost a lot more than you think. In my opinion, when you pay to check luggage, the only thing you gain is not having to deal with your luggage, but you still have to deal with everyone else’s.
You see, because they are charging passengers to check bags, more people than ever attempt to carry their bags onto the airplane. So here’s what happens… YOU pay and check one bag, then carry-on something essential like your laptop bag. Most other travelers, however, were too cheap to check a bag, so when you board the plane all the overhead compartments are full. The flight attendant gets on the overhead paging system and says, “if you are carrying a small item, like a laptop bag, please put it under the seat in front of you”.
So now, you paid to check a bag, everyone else took the overhead spaces and you can’t stretch out your legs because that’s where your laptop bag goes. How is this fair? I think if I checked a bag, I should get priority access to the overhead space. Hell, instead of paying $25 for checking a bag, I’d pay $30 for guaranteed overhead space, so I can be comfortable and not have to deal with baggage claim and the potential for lost bags.
I think Air Tran was doing this. For about $40 you got to check a bag, a better seat with extra leg room, and priority boarding, which assured you space in the overhead compartment. Brilliant!
It doesn’t stop there..
You see, I don’t want an aisle seat just to be an airline seat snob. I actually have somewhat of a bad knee that acts up every now and then, and on long flights I need to get up and walk around a little bit. So, as a courtesy to the other passengers in my row, I’d rather sit in an aisle seat. This way I don’t have to bother them if my knee starts acting up.
But here’s my scenario… I pay Delta for my ticket, then I pay Delta to transport a bag for me to the place where the airplane was going anyway! Now I’m having to sit in a cramped seat with no leg room because all the other cheap bastards on the plane took all of the overhead space. So, I fall asleep in my seat, hoping to make this trip seem as short as possible but, because of the way I am having to sit, my bad knee ends up slightly in the aisle. Remember, I can’t stretch my leg. That’s where my laptop bag is. Well, sure enough, along comes a flight attendant pushing a drink cart and crashes it into my bad knee.
Now my knee hurts way more than usual and the goofy-assed flight attendant, who just obviously doesn’t care, says, “oh… sorry” and thinks she can make up for this with an extra dose of Biscoff cookies.
Guessing that beating a flight attendant over the head with your laptop bag is highly frowned upon by the authorities, I have to just sit there rubbing my knee and only imagining what she might look like roasting over an open fire, while trying to figure out how to get back to sleep without having my knee wander into the aisle again. Fortunately, I’d packed some ibuprophen to go with my microscopic bag of pretzels and, of course, those damned Biscoff cookies.
In conclusion…
Growing up in South Florida, there was a time when Delta Airlines was the premiere airline that serviced us. And since it was their main hub, the joke was that if you died in South Florida, you would have to change planes in Atlanta on your way to hell. This is no longer the case. You no longer have to wait, as Delta Airline has worked tirelessly to bring hell right to you, the minute you book a flight with them.
E’nuff said.
Touch Me, Baby… Tainted Love
Driving home the other night, listening to First Wave on XM Radio, after Delta delivered me to my destination, like Steve Austin – a man barely alive, I heard a song that I hand’t heard in a long time and, quite honestly, I’d forgotten what a great song this was. They played the long version of Soft Cell’s Tainted Love / Where did our love go? combo. It’s actually 9 minutes long but it’s excellent.
Now, I usually try to feature live performances as the musical guest, but the sound quality on the studio version is so much better. The research department scoured through a number of the You Tube videos out there and decided that if we were going to play Soft Cell, we’re going to link two videos.
So this is for you, Delta Airlines… Where did our love go?
And if you want to see them in a live performance, enjoy this one…
Well, I think that’s all I have for today.
Except for…
Happy Birthday, Stone-Z!
See you in two weeks.
Safe Travels (to everyone – stay off Delta.)
– Arch
And the moon kept on rising…
February 17, 2012
I’ll tell you something, I know what you’re thinking…
I’ll tell you something, I know what you’re thinking…
You’re thinking, “Where’s Archie been?”
I know. I’ve been missing in action. Maybe I’ve been hanging out at YOLO, getting hit on by Restylane frequent flier Romanian chicks named Ronka.
Cherry Ice Cream smile, I suppose it’s very nice…
Ronka: You are going to The Monkey Club
Archie: No. I don’t think I am.
Ronka [speaking to her friend]: He totally denied me.
…or maybe I was hired by the Israelis to blow up some Iranian scientist. Anything is possible. Actually, the Israelis hired me and I had Barnsley do it, after picking up a few cleverly made bombs on eBay, of course.
Hmmm? Moments after I posted that a bunch of…
Barnsley, a bunch of black Chevy Suburbans just pulled into the drive and now, “we got two honkies out there, dressed like Hasidic diamond merchants”.
Can you find me a bottle of the 2008 Cubanisimo Estate Pinot then go out and see what all the commotion is about?
Barnsley?
Well. Maybe while we figure out what those guys want, you should probably listen to this week’s musical guest. Just know that, when I said that I wanted to play Caitlin Rose, there was much debate over which song should be featured. But hey, “this is my god-damned law firm”… right? So, in the end, I won.
Please enjoy, Caitlin Rose with this rendition of Shanghai Cigarettes…
I didn’t know Abe Lincoln played bass?
What… Too twangy? It wasn’t too twangy. Get over it.
Q: How old is this girl, like 16?
A: Nope. She’s 24, turning 25 soon.
Oh… give me a, give me a, give me a redneck girl.
So, what else is up?
Other than I think Barnsley was arrested a few minutes ago?
I guess I could sum it up with… “Wow. What a week.”
I feel used and abused. Unfortunately, no one used or abused me.
Instead, I’m just tired… physically, mentally and possibly, psychologically.
I’m not even sure what that means…
So, why am I bothering to write, when I may not have the energy?
Well. There’s lots going on.
They say, “everything’s alright”
They say, ” better days are near”
They tell us, “these are the good times”
But they don’t live around here
Billy and Christie don’t…
Bruce and Patti don’t…
Mitt and Barrack don’t. They don’t live around here.
But let’s not talk about those two yo-yo’s. Respectfully, that’s Mr. Yo-Yo and President Yo-Yo. At the risk of confusing people, let’s talk about this…
I couldn’t believe that Nancy was turning on her old friend, Colbert. Of course, that was before I knew that he didn’t even like kittens. She is absolutely right. He needs to be stopped. Herman Cain thinks so too…
http://blip.tv/play/AYLn8HsC.html?p=1
OK, so… Is anyone not following?
It’s funny, as these things get posted on YouTube & Facebook, you get an incredible amount of dipsticks voicing their opinions and totally not getting the underlying satire and collaboration that is going on here. It’s classic. It’s epic. Do you get that Pelosi and Colbert and the rest of them are in on this?
And what’s this all about?
It’s about what I have been saying the whole time.
It’s about trying to get the money out of politics.
Let’s start with a history lesson. In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt said…
It is necessary that laws should be passed to prohibit the use of corporate funds directly or indirectly for political purposes; it is still more necessary that such laws should be thoroughly enforced. Corporate expenditures for political purposes, and especially such expenditures by public-service corporations, have supplied one of the principal sources of corruption in our political affairs.
No need to look this up on Snopes.com. It’s real.
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=501
So where have we gotten in the last 100 years?
Let’s see… We have a Democrat President who talked about campaign reform when he was running for office and has essentially not uttered another word since. After all, he can’t risk the re-election dollars.
Then we have, the most likely next President of the United States, Mitt Romney, who thinks corporations are people. Here’s the clip…
Mitt thinks that corporations are people. And he thinks that the money that the huge corporations make are going into the pockets of people. Really? Maybe some people but not “the people”. How many times do we have to see CEOs and high-level corporate shareholders get rich, while their employees get laid off? Right now, corporations are sitting on trillions yet they are not hiring. Apparently, Mitt doesn’t get that and he just told us that he doesn’t get it. He is obviously NOT of the 99%.
Again, let’s not focus on the unfortunate facts of the upcoming election. As in the past few elections, we’ll have to decide on the lesser of two evils, instead of picking a great candidate. So instead, let’s focus on getting the money out of politics.
Are we stopping Colbert or not?
So, although neither Pelosi, Cain nor Colbert has called me, I think this is all to bring a little attention to the DISCLOSE Act. Granted, DISCLOSE isn’t perfect, it isn’t ideal. Plus I think it has a bunch of loopholes. But it may be a good first step toward getting the money out by forcing transparency into where the Super PACs get their money. Of course, DISCLOSE got shot down in Congress the first time it was introduced… Now it’s back. I believe it was re-introduced a few weeks ago and… I think I like it.
You should read about it…
Here’s a Huffington Post Article
Did you read it to the end?
Here, I’ll get you the good stuff.
The initial DISCLOSE Act passed the House of Representatives by a 219 to 206 vote with only two Republican lawmakers offering support. Both of those lawmakers –- Reps. Mike Castle of Delaware and Joseph Cao of Louisiana — are no longer in Congress. It ultimately failed to pass the Senate by a single vote, with all 59 Democrats backing the measure but no Republicans offering support.
Not a single Republican voted for transparency in the money that corrupts Washington and lets us know who is buying our politicians in our political auction process. Isn’t that amazing? I hate those guys.
And again, it’s this Republicans vs. Democrats mentality that limits us and prevents our country from doing the right things and moving forward, as the great nation that we are supposed to be. Everyone decides that it’s better to win their little “Us vs. Dem” battles than to do what is right for the country.
Sure… Those Republicans like their money and Mitt thinks corporations are people. Are they all just that pig-headed? Oh wait… There’s John McCain. Isn’t he a maverick? 🙂
“As you know, I think the outside super PACs and others is so disgraceful that I’m ashamed of the United States Supreme Court in their decision on United,” Sen. John McCain said, in reference to Citizens United.
Thanks, John.
I’m going to have to find that picture of us in 2000 – scan it and post it.
I apologize. I’m rambling.
I think I need to take a few years off and just hang out with Simon Konecki.
Expect great things upon my return.
I’m thinking that I should be back to normal around March.
Please excuse my abrupt ending but the black SUVs are back.
I gotta get to my safe room.
Love yoos…
– Arch
For those about to rock…
January 27, 2012
We salute you.
It’s time, my friends. It’s time to get serious.
I mean, I love to goof around as much as, if not more than, the next guy but…
This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco
This ain’t no fooling around.
This ain’t no mud club or C.B.G.B.
I ain’t got time for that now…
OK, maybe we can goof around just a little.
Also known as, there’s always time for a quick story…
So, I did a little traveling in the past few weeks. And, if you’ve been following my adventures over the years, you know what happens every time that I get into an airplane. Well, there I was… Sitting in seat number 11D. An aisle seat, in coach, on the starboard side of a Conti-nited Seven Forty-Airbus Something or another. Yes. I continue to prefer aisle seats, in spite of the inherent dangers. Mostly, the risk of falling asleep and then getting smacked in the side of the head by the hips of a flight attendant who doesn’t quite fit down the aisle.
See "Jiggly Butt" at http://www.illwillpress.com
I think Conti-nited has been poaching employees from US Air. But anyway…
There I am in my aisle seat. Some guy is sitting at the window. And we have an empty seat in-between us. As you probably know, an empty seat next to you when flying coach these days is like winning the lottery. Usually, at the last minute, just when I think I’ve won, a huge smelly guy shows up, carrying two backpacks, three laptops, and a four-foot Subway party sub.
Well, this time, something amazing happened. About the prettiest girl that I can remember ever seeing randomly enter an airplane is standing in the aisle next to me. She points to the empty seat and says to me, “hi…excuse me. That’s my seat.”
Of course, I look at her all confused like. “What? Yeah. Probably not.” But she seems pretty convinced, so I let her in and she sits down, settles in, flips her hair, makes the area smell all pretty, then starts to read a trade journal. I think it was something like Supermodel Today.
I look over and the guy at the window is dancing in his seat as if he were listening to the soundtrack from a bad 1970’s porno-flick and dabbing on some Old Spice. I think he’s feeling randy, baby… Then he gives me a side glance and makes that face that Butthead makes when he says to Beavis, “Heh, heh… We.. are going to score.”
But suddenly, the needle scratches off the record and there’s a giant woman standing in the aisle, holding the world’s largest duffle bag, three sandwiches and some left-over vegetable lasagna, and she says to our supermodel, in a shrieking voice, “you’re in my seeeat”.
Now things are making sense. Sure enough, the blond supermodel had confused seat 11B, across the aisle, with 11E, next to me. Naturally, the easy thing to do would have been for the woman still standing to take seat 11B. However, based on her size and the size of the people in 11A and 11C, not only could they not all fit in the same row, but it would have probably capsized the airplane. So…you guessed it…
Out with the supermodel and in with the vegetable lasagna.
Austin Powers was not happy. I quickly fell asleep, as usual.
And we can all rest assured knowing that all is normal in Archie Travel Land.
Now, let’s get down to business!
Did you watch the State of the Union address?
I did.
Do you know how easy (and fun) it would be for me pick apart the speech? Well, I’m not going to do it. No more distractions. El Presidente delivered a very nice election year speech. He said a bunch of stuff that got his fellow party-following-drones all excited. He said a bunch of things that, undoubtedly, moved some on-the-fence Americans to believe in his leadership. He even went as far as to say…
America is back. Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline… /…doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Wow! I guess, while I took a few days off to visit the Vegas strip…
View from The Mix @ Mandalay Bay
Do a little skiing with my friends, Stonsey and V-Nap, in Steamboat Springs…
Stonsey, V-Nap and Archie @ Steamboat Ski Resort
And watch a little football action in San Francisco…
Giants vs. 49ers NFC Championship Game
…President O must have balanced our national budget, figured out how to pay down our national debt, corrected our trade deficit, made us competitive on the world market, and put a few million Americans back to work. Excellent. This means that none of us should have any trouble selling our houses, obtaining financing for a new home, or asking our employers for a raise. Party time! Someone send that guy an intern (in a blue dress, of course).
But hey… I’m not here to criticize the President, the Democrats, the Republican candidates, or the Republicans at large. The reality is that, I don’t care who wins in 2012 because, at the end of the day, it won’t matter.
As long as the system is broken, and we continue to be distracted by politics as usual, we’ll never fix the root problems. Power will continue to shift from side-to-side and Washington will remain broken. We have to focus. Let’s fix Washington first. We can worry about electing the right candidates later. Right now, it just doesn’t matter. In fact, for the first time since I turned 18 years old, I may not vote this year. Why should I waste my time?
Root Cause Analysis
Right now, Washington is broken. Instead of making sound decisions to get our country back on the right track, Washington just backs the special interest groups that have purchased our politicians in an auction. In order to stop the extraction of America, we have to loosen that financial grip. Today, 96% of the time, the politician with the most money win. Essentially, the position is bought. That doesn’t sound right. That doesn’t sound like the plan that America’s founding fathers had in mind, but it’s the plan that we have and we need to change it.
In his State of the Union speech, President Obama mentioned that many Americans believe that Washington is broken, but he failed to mention the primary factor in the breakdown. That’s because he is one of them and therefore, avoids the topic of campaign reform. He is dependent on their money for re-election. As will be the next President and the next President, until we get the money out of politics.
Our only hope is focus.
I truly believe that our two major political parties constantly work against us. They purposely keep us divided. They pick issues that many people get very passionate about and they bring those issues to light, in order to distract us and prevent us from teaming up against the real issue that is keeping our country down – bought politicians.
They always want to talk about religion, abortion, gay rights, healthcare, military spending and national defense, jobs and social security. Some are excellent topics that should be discussed. Others are purely personal issues that have no business in the politics of a free society. But they are all topics that deeply affect many Americans, in one way or another, and the two political parties don’t see eye-to-eye on any of them. The parties are divided and therefore the nation is divided. And I know we’ve all been taught that divided – we fall.
This is brilliant on their part. As long as the general population continues to foster this “us vs. them” mentality, and we continue to root for our party, as if we were rooting for our favorite football team, we will never get together enough support to pass a constitutional amendment to get the money out of politics. So the AIGs, Enrons, Halliburtons and the like will continue to buy their politicians and continue to profit at America’s expense… at YOUR expense.
Imagine the United States without dependency on foreign oil. That’s not going to happen until we end the flow of dollars from oil company lobbyist into Washington. The oil companies are making too much money. Being dependent on foreign oil is bad for you and me, but it makes the oil companies filthy rich. That is the primary reason why our cars don’t already get over over 50 MPG and why we don’t have competitive fuels at the pumps.
We could go down the list and hit banking, the financial markets, trade – everything that extracts money from our citizens, sends our money overseas and ultimately ends up in the pockets of the tycoons, we could fix. We can get America back on track. We just have to stop lining political pockets with cash and restore a sense of doing what’s right for our country first. If the rich want to get richer, they’ll have to invest in our new America, led by innovation and the drive to be self-sufficient.
So what do we do?
Here’s Archie’s roadmap:
1. If you really want to vote in this year’s elections, join Americans Elect. This organization has now earned the right to be on the ballot in a number of states. They expect to be in all 50 states by the November elections. The goal is to get a candidate on the ballot by Americans, not by a political party. This may seem silly but this would be a major step forward in showing that America is tired of political party driven politics as usual. Check it out. I was skeptical at first, but it’s an awesome and growing idea.
http://www.americanselect.org/
Also, their tour ends in the next few days and they were only going as far South as Orlando but, it would have been great to catch the Crash the Party tour. Check it out. Maybe you can still make it to UCF on Monday…
http://crashtheparty.org/
2. We have to reverse Citizens United. If you don’t understand it, read about it. Learn about it. Stick it into GoogaBingHoo. If you trust me to give you some reasonably unbiased articles, you can read this one.
Citizens United Turns Two: Democracy is Not a Game
Read this article to understand why I will NOT be voting for Mr. Romney…
McCain Goes Off Message: Predicts Unlimited Political Giving Scandal
3. Do something. Tell someone. Educate someone. Get involved.
There are a number of organizations out there fighting for the same cause.
Be careful. Remain focused. Let’s get the money out of politics first.
We’ll fix everything else later.
While I hate to endorse what may appear to just be another website trying to be point-counterpoint. I am behind the folks at United Republic. This is a non-partisan group, trying to report the facts as they see it and trying to create a national movement to get the money out of politics and regain control of our country.
http://unitedrepublic.org/
My favorite, however, is… Move To Amend – http://movetoamend.org/
You should join Move to Amend. If not, at least read through the website, watch the videos, understand what we’re talking about about and help us get the money out of politics.
I love these guys. They just recently organized Occupy the Courts on the two year anniversary of Citizens United. Unfortunately, I was traveling.
Otherwise, I would have been at my local court house.
Read more: http://movetoamend.org/OccupyTheCourts
Well, I think that’s all I have for today.
Although, have I put you guys onto Lissie yet?
Barnsley! Have we played Lissie yet?
Barnsley?
He was just here. You’d think after going back to England for a month he’d be paying attention to the show. Hmmm..?
OK. I think I haven’t played Lissie for you, so here she is… Normally, I would be highly offended by anyone trying to remake any Metallica song, but when it comes to Lissie, I’ll make an exception.
First of all, she’s a pretty girl…
Lissie
Then, I think she has Ashton Kutcher in her band…
Not Kutcher
Finally, take a peek at her remake of one of my favorite Metallica songs…
Nothing Else Matters
And I think by the end of the video, you’ll agree with me.
She’s talented and…
“I need me some Lissie.”
Anyone else feel tingly?
I think it’s the smile at the very end that does it for me. Too cute.
And did you get my subliminal messaging…?
- Let’s get the money out of politics.
- Nothing Else Matters
Thank you.
That is definitely all the time I have for today. My apologies for not posting more often. Unfortunately, life has been busy and it doesn’t seem to be letting up any time soon.
Enjoy. Keep up the fight. Peace…
– Arch
Fahrvergnügen…
January 6, 2012
(This is a test.)
When translated to English, “Fahrvergnügen” means:
a. Happy New Year
b. Where is Alicia Silverstone these days?
c. Driving Enjoyment
d. I have a BlackBerry and if you’re going to sit like that, I’m going to take your picture.
e. All of The Above
I hope the correct answer is “d”.
Fahrvergnügen!
Ah, it’s 2012 and I’m all fired up…
I love January. The P&L starts over at zero. It’s like having a clean slate. It’s like being born again. It’s like having friends in high places and, suddenly, your criminal record has been erased and everyone calls you Dave.
We’re talking about feelings, we’re talking about passion, we’re talking about soul. We’re talking about physical, emotional, spiritual, psycological, and sexual energy…
Yeah. That’s what 2012 is going to be all about.
Now everyone stand up and SCREAM OUT LOUD!
Wherever you are, Jane.
Come out tonight!
?
Yeah. I probably need to ease up on listening to Cowboy Mouth.
But seriously… Let’s make this our year. Let’s erase the sins of the past. Let’s not sit by and merely highlight the problems, while everything around us continues to go to hell, in the proverbial handbasket, of course. Let’s do what is right. Let’s think before we act and make sure that each of our actions is the right action. Let’s return America to being the great country that we all know it can be. This needs to be a grassroots effort. It needs to come from the people, not the politicians.
How do we get started?
First – stop rooting for your team. Politics is not a game and the Presidential election is not the Super Bowl. It’s not about having your team win. It’s about electing representatives who will do what is right for America instead of doing what benefits them and the corporations who buy them via the PACs (political action committees).
This will be extremely hard to do. Imagine being an elected offficial for just a minute. Imagine being faced with a decision whereby, you know – that doing the right thing for America means going against the wishes of those who gave you tons of campaign support and essentially got you elected in the first place. And again, you know – that doing the right thing for America means that you will lose their support and, most likely, not be re-elected.
This is the trap. It’s the reason why we need to get the money of out of politics. It’s the reason why we need to enforce term limits and not have career politicians. It’s the reason why we have to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision that corporations have freedom of speech and, therefore, the right to vocalize their support of a candidate by giving them unlimited amounts of money. Corporations aren’t people. Only people deserve that kind of freedom of speech. Let’s make 2012 the year that we demand campaign reform and the removal of money from politics.
Not convinced yet? Wait until you see how many political ads will be running this year, now that the Supreme Court opened the flood gates on this corporate funneling of cash, turning PACs into Super PACs.
Alicia, by the way, seems to be having a fine time running her website/blog: The Kind Life.
Call me…
Finally, let’s make this the year that we all step up and be Americans. Let’s make this the year that we see what we are allowing ourselves to become and say, “I don’t want that!”
For example: I don’t want government handouts. I want to work for my money. I want our children to work for their money and learn how capitalism empowers innovation and a better quality of life. I want government to make money available to entreprnuers via a solid plan and solid banking system so that I can start businesses and employ people and create wealth for myself and my employees, and pay that money back, and pay my fair share of taxes for things that we actually need from government, like the assurance of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Maybe 2012 will be the year when we figure out how to fix Social Security? And by fix I mean… 1) I’m a big believer in keeping promises, so if we promised things to millions of people, we (first) need to figure out how to make good on those promises. 2) Let’s not fool future generations and make them pay into a program that is broken and won’t be there for them, as promised. Personally, I don’t want Social Security. I’d settle for a refund on what I’ve paid in. In fact, I’d be willing to negotiate a lower amount, in exchange for a one-time payout. Give me my own money back. Thanks.
Maybe 2012 will be the year when each and every one of us looks intelligently at the future and understand that it will take short-term personal sacrifices to make the long-term viability of our country feasible… And we can start taking steps towards a stable America. Let’s give America the seal of approval that “Made in America” is supposed to represent.
Let’s listen to today’s musical guest… Bell X1.
I love these guys. I find their music fresh. It’s perfect for a new year.
Here’s their song The Great Defector, recorded live in Dublin.
Let me know if you liked them.
Maybe 2012 will be the year that we can reform our tax code, simplify it, and make it fair for all Americans. And I’m not talking about putting heavy taxes on the rich and having them pay for things for the poor. It has been proven, time and time again – when you overly tax the rich, they figure out how to take their money and go elsewhere. Then your tax revenues go down. It’s stupid.
That’s right, Mr. Buffett. Your plan is stupid. I don’t want you to pay more than me. I just want you to pay your fair share. Saying, “let’s tax the rich more” is a very popular idea, after all – there are more poor people than rich people. But that’s the problem, there aren’t enough rich people to really make a dent in our fiscal challenges. Plus, sooner or later, you and your rich friends will hire top notch tax experts and figure out how to legally move your money elsewhere and pay less. So, just pay your fair share, then shut up.
What I’m taking about is giving the rich (and others) incentives to put their money to work in our country and put everyone around them to work, so people can work their way our of poverty without government handouts. When Obama says it’s time that we need to spread the wealth a little… Let’s tell him, “No… thanks!” Let the wealthy keep their money, just don’t rip-off the rest of us – we’re willing to work for our share. We’re Americans, we’re capitalist – not socialist.
Let’s make 2012 when we start taking more responsibility for our own actions and for our own destiny and let’s stop pointing fingers at others, or at situations. I don’t want to hear complaints about the economy. I want to hear what you are doing to survive and thrive, in spite of the economic climate.
If you get drunk and drive off a cliff, don’t file a lawsuit against the city for failing to put a guard-rail there. The city should file a lawsuit against you for wrecking their cliffside. You are in control of your own destination. Government should need to keep you safe from yourself. Be smart, be vigillent… Be an Amercian! A real American. One who doesn’t need things from government or from his neighbors. Be strong. Be self-sufficient.
Now I know that this next video is going to seem “Republican”. I don’t know – it probably is. As you know, I’m not necessarily pro-Republican. I’m mostly anti-the-two-big-political-parties and hate the us vs. them mentality but, I also call them like I see them.
The bottom line is that, when Democrats are allowed to run things unchallenged, bad things happen. That doesn’t mean that Republicans should run everything. As groups, I don’t trust either. Nevertheless, this video exemplifies what happens when you lean too far to one side. You should watch it. Please take 13 minutes out of the 40,996,800 minutes in your life expectancy and watch this video. It’s shows the reason why we can’t depend on government entitlement programs. And why we need to take control of our country back, before the entire nation turn into Detroit. I loved this video when it came out a few years ago and it’s more relevant today than ever…
That’s it. That’s my New Year’s blog update. I wish everyone the very best for the New Year. I wish everyone the very best America for the new year. I wish for each and every one of you to be the very best Americans that you can be in this new year. Then, let’s make the changes that we need to make for it to all fall into place.
Peace
– Arch
Archie Kobain 