Endangered Species Act

These are god's creatures - his creation if I was in charge I'd make sure to honor god's creation by protecting it, fostering it and preserving it to the best of my ability. As humans we are given the choice of free will. To not recognize and see that something larger, better and more complete than man has spun this Earth into existence is childish. Man's endeavors will never equal or match this. It would be wise to know our place in the face of creation and to harmonize our endeavors with our environment. Anything less than that is sacrilegious and only results in diminishing our spirit and worth as caretakers, managers of the great, diverse, wondrous gifts that are here for us to see, and that provide for our very existence. This is a test I assure you and the choices we make will define us forever as short sighted plunderers or true partners with the creator (whoever or however you define him/her).

Representative Pombo's "Extinction Bill" (H.R. 3824), which passed the House last year, would fatally undermine the Endangered Species Act.

ESA Summary
Pombo's Hypocrisy
H.R. 3824

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Robben Ford

Back to music; I’ve been meaning to post something about Robben for a long time. As even now my musical tastes evolve I find that the Robben Ford Band is the perfect blend of smart lyrics, great phrasing and awesome singing. The man has a voice, and although he's on the verge of guitar god status it's his voice and song structure that is so rock solid. We caught Robben touring with John Mayall and his latest version of the blues breakers. Honestly, John's new stuff isn't doing it for me. Now John has legions of fans and I am sure they love every note and to be fair he is a little long in the tooth, but Robben Ford kept that show going. Someone else on that tour worth mentioning is Eric Bibb. I never heard Eric before but I can tell you he is a wonderful performer, player and singer. Well this is what John Mayall does he finds talent and brings it to the world. How the heck he got that figured out I’ll never know. I mean the Stones plucked Mick Taylor from him, and his latest tour sold a ton of CD’s for Robben and Eric. So hat’s off to John. So what about Eric Bibb? Well he possesses a clear booming voice and is definitely having fun on stage. If I was still on the air both Robben and Eric would be getting plenty of air time. Both players are fantastic, underrated and hopefully not under the radar for too much longer. All in all it was a good show in a beautiful venue.

Speaking of underground talent just because I never stumbled across Robben Ford doesn’t mean he hasn’t been out there doing it for years with legions of fans. Both he and Eric Bibb have long, long, resumes and lots of pedigree. If you haven’t click on the Eric Bibb link for his history. Robben Ford well the laugh is on me. He was on stage back in 1974 as I was fortunate enough to catch the one and only George Harrison tour. Well I was only 14 years old at the time but our paths crossed. Robben is also on Court n Spark – Joni Mitchell and worked with Little Feat. He also toured with Phil Lesh. Legions of people have seen, heard and witnessed both of these men play.

Why am I just finding out about them now? It is because mainstream media is by and large devoid of soul. The corporate commercialization of music has homogenized the market and aimed for the lowest common denominator to secure the most sales. Well music sales have tailed off another 100 million this year dropping 7% on total unit purchases. This can be attributed to the internet and downloading but I feel strongly that their model of making middle of the road music has produced soulless, unoriginal, white noise, for years. That has got to do something to the overall excitement about music. Noise is money as the Talking Heads used to say but the same old noise year after year is just killing the market. Robben Ford is precisely the kind of talent corporate music biz executives should be pushing. He would fit perfectly on any radio format that played Bonnie Raitt. It’s a no brainer. But when money is the biggest consideration talent and creativity gets ignored, water downed, and exploited. It is all the more reason to dig below the surface and think for yourself. Robben Ford and Eric Bibb get my vote as great musicians, wonderful talents and deserve a listen. Support them and you will deliver a message to them. A message to keep doing what they are doing, help them survive as musicians, and come to your town for a party despite corporate America being utterly clueless. So what if they are not on the bill board top 100. When it comes to what really matters or what’s really happening the people chasing the money and holding money aloft above all else are just destroying the landscape both the musical and the planets. Keep on thinking free my friends. See you next time.

Paul

The Death Penalty

In a country that preaches killing is wrong it is completely hypocritical to have state sponsored executions. In a country that coined the phrase moral majority it is hypocritical to have state sponsored executions. In a country whose president used religion to get elected it is wrong to have state sponsored executions. In a country whose leader professes to be a born again whose wife is portrayed as a pure religious woman who turned his life around it is wrong to have state sponsored executions. In a country whose legislative body has repeatable tried to legislate morality it is wrong to have state sponsored executions. In a country whose political leaders pander to the fevering religiosity of the fanatical and corrupt it is wrong to have state sponsored executions. An eye for an eye in the Old Testament but the Ten Commandments say though shall not kill. The contradictions abound on the book we place our hand on as we testify and take office. But if killing is wrong and one looses their freedom for the act then why must we kill to further prove we are right in our judgment that killing is wrong as we do and sanctify the very act we abhor.

Killing is wrong in any way state or fashion. Situational ethics spell hypocrisy. Defend your life as you must but even then killing is still wrong and the knowledge of that makes us whole and keeps the course as we journey through life together. Ask any soldier on any side - killing is wrong and if we all followed that one simple rule this world would be one giant step closer to Utopia.

Our politicians (hardly leaders) are hypocrites and phonies tarnishing the very concepts of the religion they so frequently trot out to get elected. A bigger scare on the face of the earth does not exist and the secular are more pure of heart.

Another opportunity has been wasted to elevate the consciousness of mankind. All excuses for killing are wrong except to meet the killers on a battlefield the Hitler’s, and those who cherish death and bloodshed and look to inflict the same. But even after the battle when the right thing to do wins again - the right still know that killing is wrong and it separates them and makes them right, whole and complete as there is no joy in death or in giving death even for those who seek it. Killing is wrong and we need to lead by example and use death sparingly in defense of our freedoms, civility, and spirituality. A man behind bars will do what he can to avoid death even lend his voice against the path that lead him to be behind bars. He is caged like an animal for acting like an animal although god breathed the very knowledge of right and wrong into his soul. We know the difference inherently; no book or writings need to tell us. Teachings only remind us of what is in our bones. Now another voice for peace and understanding is silenced, another voice for civility gone. Whatever his motives may have been whether innocent or a liar who knew more than he that killing is wrong, and now more potential death row voices are silenced why speak out if you are going to die anyway, as bitterness over takes the truth, and forgiveness is ignored, and our moral high ground is lowered yet again by the politically expedient measures of those who lack vision but gain power through corruption and greed. Worried about getting reelected selfish and puny, cowards they falter in the face of the ultimate truths of our reality and they are not leaders and they are not men.