A note to Fornicalia Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger:

How about you just shut the hell up? Yes, the Fornicalia budget has been stalled for six weeks now, going on seven. Your calling for the Republicans to just bend over and let the Demorats have their budgetary way is nothing more than a complete and total collapse of every positive principle on which you initially campaigned against Gray Davis. And the reason that I, for one, voted for you.

The Demorats want nothing more than to spend more money more money more money more money more money more money more money.

The Demorats consider a “budget cut” to be a situation where a particular division is not funded not only to its prior level, but isn’t funded to an additional amount. Not adding more money = a budget cut. How insane is this??

Semantics, boys and girls, it’s all about semantics.

It’s all the Republicans’ fault?

How about, Arnold, you check out the REAL budget? Maybe it’s time to call in Charles Grodin as accountant Murray Blum (from the 1993 movie “Dave“) in order to check out the true status of the Fornicalia budget?

But, of course, that would reveal the horrific fraud the Fornicalia budget truly is, bloated and lumbering and oozing from Demorat pork and failing social programs.

Six weeks going on seven. Perhaps, Ah-nold, it’s time to focus your concerns on the real truth: your budget and your control on the Demorats is completely out of control. The state is bleeding and all compartments are taking on water. Your public comments are ensuring that fewer and fewer persons are willing to bail.

Guaranteeing a sure sinking.

First off: I am not a massive fan of Michael Savage, the talk host broadcasting from his studios in San Francisco. I frequently like his messages but am not consistently convinced he is the best of messengers. I find his mantra of “Borders, Language, Culture,” however, absolutely, implacably etched in stone.

Recently, however, because Savage does in fact broadcast from San Francisco, an SF Councilman recently came out with a resolution condemning Savage (go here to see the resolution itself):

San Francisco leaders want taxpayers to pay for green cards, citizenship.

San Francisco city officials are trying to force taxpayers to pay for immigrants’ green cards and citizenship – and to bolster their case for the new tax, they’ve introduced a resolution condemning national radio talk-show host Michael Savage for what they call his “defamatory language. . .against immigrants.”

Supervisor Chris Daly, reacting to the new and significantly higher federal fee structure for immigrants seeking citizenship, imposed last week by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, complained that the fee hikes raise concerns that immigrants “cannot obtain safe pathways to legal immigrant status and citizenship” and “further exacerbates pressures on families, increasing stress,” according to the San Francisco Examiner.

Under the new fee structure, the cost to apply for a green card is now $930, up $605 from the old fee. Citizenship applications went from $330 to $595. On Tuesday, Daly asked the city attorney to draw up legislation that would subsidize immigrants applying for citizenship, green cards and petitions for relatives and workers.

On the same day, apparently to further generate sympathy for immigrants and bolster Daly’s bailout effort, Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval introduced a resolution condemning popular radio talk-show host Michael Savage, a mainstay of the San Francisco airways for years. Since he was syndicated nationally by Talk Radio Network, Savage has become one of the nation’s most-listened-to radio talkers.

Condemning the “defamatory language used by radio personality Michael Savage against immigrants,” Sandoval’s resolution is apparently in response to Savage’s July 5 broadcast, when the talker commented on a group of students who had announced they were fasting in support of changes in immigration policy.

“I would say, let them fast until they starve to death,” quipped Savage, “then that solves the problem.”

Sandoval’s resolution calls Savage’s comments “symbolic of hatred and racism,” according to the Examiner.

“I really for the life of me cannot understand why there is not more media outrage to what Michael Savage said,” Sandoval said in the Examiner report, which added that Sandoval plans to hold a press conference on the steps of City Hall Tuesday just before the entire Board of Supervisors votes on his resolution against Savage.

“The intolerant and racist comments of Michael Savage demand a strong condemnation,” Sandoval insisted.

However, almost all of the Examiner’s readers who posted comments on the newspaper’s website after the story sided with Savage.

Michael Savage, who takes little lying down, stated last week that he would hire an attorney to fight the City of San Francisco and the council’s resolution:

One of the nation’s top civil rights attorneys has offered his assistance in suing a San Francisco city supervisor who attacked nationally syndicated radio talk-show host Michael Savage for his tough stance against illegal immigration.

Daniel A. Horowitz of Oakland, Calif., wrote to Savage after Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval introduced a resolution condemning the radio talker urging him to sue the official, whom he compared to Adolph Hitler, Josef Stalin and Hugo Chavez in the way he attempted to silence political speech by rallying the mob.

“You have a strong federal civil rights action that you can file against Supervisor Sandoval and the city of San Francisco,” he advised. “You have a constitutional right to state your political opinions and no city official has the right to lie about what you said or to call for a mob to come to your door to threaten you and to try to have you fired.”

Horowitz said the Civil Rights Act of 1871, designed to tame the terror of the Ku Klux Klan, can be used as the basis for a federal civil rights action against the official and the city.

I am not Michael Savage’s number one fan; far from it. I AM, however, an advocate of complete free speech and free speech applies to BOTH sides of the aisle. Free speech is present, specifically, to protect ALL forms of speech and Savage has EVERY RIGHT to say what he will. (For your edification, Gerardo Sandoval is also the city councilman who opposed the USS Iowa having a berth there. Check this out. As far as Sandoval is concerned, the United States shouldn’t even have a military. His defense suggestion? Cops. The Coast Guard. Please click the link for complete info.)

When Michael SAVAGE’S free speech is removed, then YOURS is NEXT, people. And the Demorats are ALL about the removal of free speech and the institution of PROHIBITED speech. I repeat: when Michael Savage’s free speech is removed, then YOURS is NEXT.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the straw poll in Iowa — no mean feat.

Hugo Chavez says oil is headed to $100 the barrel soon.

Perhaps I am odd; well, in truth, I realize that I am odd and have been told so by numerous persons on innumerable occasions.

That being said (or perhaps more aptly, written), I tend to mark critical times in my life by various pieces of music that I found myself listening to at the time, or that I purposely sought.

The first “get-over” music I can recall: losing my second very close girlfriend, Linda Fertig, in the 70s. John Fogerty’s “Rockin’ All Over The World” pulled me through, as did Stray’s “Stand Up And Be Counted.” They seemed to work absolute magic.

Though I have to admit, my very first girlfriend affected me infinitely more; I worked at Chatham Village in Kettering, Ohio, on the maintenance crew and took a radio with me when I worked inside and out, shoveling snow, changing filters, mowing lawns, painting fences. Dawn Keller was in fact my first and most staggering girlfriend. I’ll not then and now ever forget her. Music, for me, at the time (1970 to 1973), was all over the map. I know that she was my first actual true love that surpassed, even, my first wife. But I suspect she knows this already. And more. Maybe our musical icon would be the Humble Pie concert at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. I smile when I think of her and associate her with the music of the times. There are SO many memories. Fairmont East High School, Chatham Village, my white 1966 Ford Fairlane, her mother, my mother. Those were wonderful days for the both of us. Only positive. Except for the make and manner of our parting.

In 1979, I encountered a critical incident where I ended up taking the life of another human being as a law enforcement officer. My friends the FBI came to visit (oddly enough, I ended up working for them almost five years later), as did the local DA. I was the subject of suits. I can clearly recall listening to nothing outside of a steady diet of Van Halen and Black Sabbath; more specifically, the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album. I replayed the title track and “Killing Yourself To Live” over and over. I do not know why.

I can write about this now, many years later, after having gone through many transmogrifications and adaptations. My final analysis is this: the heroin-dealing asshole died and I lived because I was the better shot at 25′ on a vehicle stop. He pulled his gun first. Inaccuracy was his downfall. Fuck him. I was younger and had better training. He was stupid and took 3 rounds to the torso, and one very nice scaldingly-hot round to his forehead. Center-punched. BABY. He fell like a fucking rock. There is much more to this story. That I shan’t reveal in public. The suits and hate and discontent are over. Besides, his survivors wouldn’t have the mental capacity to scan blogs, much less read.

As an aside: Never poo-pooh either the stainless 4″ K-frame S&W Model 66 or its concomitant .357 round. Trust me; it’s taken MANY years to get to the point where I can crow about my living and his death. And if you’ve never been there and find my analysis disturbing or inappropriate, well I can only say this: STFU. The asshole is dead because he was stupider and slower, and I was smarter and faster. Then. And that’s all that counts. For me, anyway.

Okay. Better now. Vented. Probably shouldn’t have done so in public, but, there it is.

Other music crises:

My divorce in 1988: listening to a steady diet of Talking Heads, 801, Smashing Pumpkins and King Crimson. I went back to my roots, to what I loved, to what was familiar. I have absolutely no idea why. But of course I do.

Fast forward to 2004: I severed a relationship of 17 years which, in public, I should not address to be fair. I found myself primarily listening to the newest Phil Manzanera album, 6 PM. It just seemed to typify my angst, my confusion, my resolution, my new direction, my temporary vacuosity.

It was slow, it was wistful, it was introspective, it was self-centered — it simply spoke to me.

My life, perhaps because I was in radio for so many years, revolves around music. Much of it remarkably obscure and esoteric. I associate radio and music with many chapters in my life.

I completely concur with Foghat’s philosophy from 1978’s Stone Blue album:

Wind tearin’ through the backstreet, I hear the rhythm of my heart beat,

Rain blowin’ to my face, I’m tired of being in the wrong place.

Blues knockin’ on my back door, I can’t jump from the second floor,

Turn up the radio higher and higher, rock and roll music set my ears on fire.

When I was stone blue, rock and roll sure helped me through.

Do you associate music with certain portions of your life?

What do you link with what songs and at what time?

You’ve read mine. . .

This is more honest than I’ve been in years . . .

P.S.

I began my blog in 2004; it actually “caught on” in 2006. Despite that, it’s taken me almost 30 years to reveal this information to anyone, much less proffer it in public. Some may be offended; some may not. For those offended, my first response is not kind. My second response would be: unless you’ve been there, read and listen. A book I might suggest:

On Killing, by David Grossman.

I have read many books over my almost 60 years. I enjoy classic science fiction, mystery, suspense, military fiction, cop novels, some westerns and — in terms of dealing with this post — books about armageddon; either self-induced or from external sources.

One of the finest books about a massive paradigm change for the entire world was written in 1953 by Arthur C. Clarke, entitled “Childhood’s End.” I read a small hardbound version of this book in 1970 and ended up “liberating” it from my then-girlfriend’s father so that I could read it again and again. Not quite armageddon but close enough that you could see it from there.

Whilst in high school, I happened to read Pat Frank’s “Alas Babylon” and it shook me to my entire core.

From there I read Nevil Shute’s “On the Beach,” later made into a movie starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner (1959) — then remade in 2000 with Armand Assante (actually, one of my all-time favorite actors), Rachel Ward and her now-husband Bryan Brown.

Perhaps the first and finest summation of armageddon can be found in George Stewart’s novel (1949) “Earth Abides.” In my estimation, you cannot omit this from your reading.

On this path, one should not omit the novel “Fail Safe” by Eugene Burdick and, actually, its predecessor, “Red Alert” by Peter George.

Frequently overlooked is the book “The Bedford Incident” by Mark Rascovich (1963). This was later turned into a movie featuring Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier (1965).

And perhaps the most overlooked book in this category is the detailed and exquisite novel “The Last Ship” by William Brinkley.

A few of my favourite movies regarding armageddon (that I shall mention here):

Dr. Strangelove (Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb); — one of my all time favorite movies regardless of category!

World War III: a 1982 TV movie starring David Soul (woke my ass up Big Time);

Red Dawn: 1984’s illuminating movie starring Patrick Swayze, directed by John Milius;

Also, not to be forgotten is “The Day After” (1983) with Jason Robards and JoBeth Williams.

What does this have to do with the Here and the Now?

One book proffered what I fear at this point:

What if, for example, China decided to invade our sovereign soil?

And, more importantly, what is keeping various nations from invading our sovereign soil?

Eric Harry postulates this in his novel “Invasion,” in which China decides to take action against the US and land troops upon our soil.

You’ve stayed with me for this long;

I ask you this: if Nation X decided to invade our shores, we would be able to repel their attacks or would we simply roll over?

Do we have, I ask, even the Will To Survive?