More bailouts? Because the last one went so well… November 18, 2008
Posted by onemouthband in : Randomnimity , add a comment
Another exercise in futility, this time against the US Automakers. Care to join me?
Here’s the letter I just sent to Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and our old friend who is still in office, President George W. Bush.
I oppose the $25 billion in emergency loans to the auto industry because they have done nothing to earn additional assistance. The market is holding them accountable for decades of poor decisions, and it is not the place of the US government to reward such flagrant stupidity.
I feel for those who will likely loose their jobs as a result, but no one has proposed a $25 billion dollar job retraining program and relocation fund (which would be a more permanent solution to the problem, rather than just a temporary one). Such a thing would be laughed out of every office of government. This proves that joblessness is not the issue here. Therefore I oppose ANY bailout of “The Auto Industry”. It is not an industry that is getting a free handout, it is a failing structure filled with failing decision makers who are using the hard-working little guy as human shields.
It is understandable that automakers should ask for a bailout, it is their job to ask for a bailout on behalf of their shareholders. But it is the duty of the US government to determine if that is in the best interests of the rest of the nation. It clearly is not.
700 billion fluffy nothings September 24, 2008
Posted by onemouthband in : Randomnimity , add a comment
Someone forwarded me this article from SFGate and I just laughed and laughed! You might cry, but I LOVE this stuff like I love George Carlin’s later years humor. Enjoy!
I Vote for Losers September 16, 2008
Posted by onemouthband in : Notes to Self, Randomnimity, Recommendations , add a comment
Some time ago I realized that I have a very poor voting record. I probably have a better chance of winning the lottery than voting for a state or federal official who actually makes it into office. The day I realized that was the day I stopped worrying about elections so much (beyond the local).
Sure, I’ll always vote every chance I get, but I don’t have the expectation that it will count for anything much really. That’s fine with me, actually. I am not attached to the results, because I firmly believe that there is just one possible outcome in the long term, and it ain’t pretty. I also think the closest thing our country had to a real election was in 2000 (remember that one?). Since then, things have shifted such that those in power are inoperably entrenched. Presidential races will either be just close enough to be believable but not enough to be any real threat, or they will be pre-empted by some great catastrophe. If those in power can win the easy way, they’ll win the easy way. If they have to win the hard way, there’s no reason to think they would hold back at all.
This is not an uninformed opinion, by the way. I’ve met some of the Thems of the world, and the experience is what led me to some of these conclusions. Rather than making me apathetic, this gives me a lot more courage to invest in how things are right here and right now. This is probably as good as it’s ever gonna get, folks. We are at the peak of access to information and the resources to do things with it. “Winning” is always temporary, and gives rise to a whole set of problems of its own. Risk all you can for the present, for the doing, for your soul and your world as it is. Or as I am so fond of saying, bet on the best, and be prepared for the worst.
It costs my mind and body so much to plug in to the rage and fear that permeates both ends of the political landscape. Personally, I make it a point not to listen to anything any candidate has to say, instead I just do some quick internet recon to see where their money comes from and vote accordingly. Maybe that’s why the folks I vote for always lose.
And yes, I am planning to vote for Obama…
Sam Rogers for President July 15, 2008
Posted by onemouthband in : Randomnimity , add a commentI now am A president, just not THE president. My music, web, and writing services and products are all going under one virtual umbrella called Snap Synapse. Yes, for those of you who pay attention, that is also the name of my publishing company with ASCAP. No, it doesn’t really mean anything by itself, but it’s fun to say.
Snap Synapse is a multimedia content production company. My past music catalog, future music/video projects, forthcoming ebook, web/flash development, and likely other unforeseen ventures are now their own legal entity. Meaning they can do things that I can’t, and other people can do them with me much easier. Weird, huh?
Website coming soon.
Where have I been? Where am I going? May 14, 2008
Posted by onemouthband in : Hybrid Cars, Randomnimity, Travels , add a commentYeah, so I haven’t been as forthcoming with my posts in the last few months. That’s mostly due to the upheavals in my personal life which I’m not ready to have out here on the internet yet. Suffice it to say that I am traveling around a lot. For example, here’s 5/9-25, including pit stops (I love my 60+MPG hybrid!).
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Wayback Machine: The Ferengi Years March 29, 2008
Posted by onemouthband in : Randomnimity , add a commentToday is 32nd birthday, and I’m in a reflective mood. Going through some pictures, I thought I’d post one from what was one of the higher points in my life. Here’s me in 1995 when I was a Ferengi (Star Trek alien) at Paramount’s Great America. My buddy David is the Romulan. It was the toughest job I ever loved…
Yes Really: Trash can be minimized December 29, 2007
Posted by onemouthband in : Inspiries, Randomnimity , add a comment
As consumers, we all have say-so about what gets made. We tend to wield this power poorly, but strikingly simple choices can have astonishing results. Here’s and example:
In my 2-person household, we generate only about one small cereal bag worth of landfill trash per week. How? I do most of the shopping, and I just don’t buy stuff that can’t be recycled or composted if I can help it. It’s that simple. We canceled our trash pickup and simply dispose of this meager refuse on our way in to the supermarket where most of it comes from.
What is left? Thin plastic packaging mostly, and that is truly hard to avoid. Usually dental floss and cotton swabs, bent staples and paperclips, broken rubber bands and any other small detritus not built for consistent reuse. Occasionally a spent lightbulb or toothpaste tube…
What’s not trash at our house?
- Glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard, etc. - This is all called recycling. Since we don’t have curbside in our neck of the woods, we sort it and drive it into town as needed while running other errands.
- Hard plastic - If it comes in plastic, we avoid it. If there are no available alternatives (yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.), look for brands that use either #1 or #2 plastic which is easiest to recycle. You don’t need to deprive yourself of essentials, there are almost always other packaging choices (i.e. roll-on deodorant instead of stick).
- Food - That’s compost, for the most part. Of course dead flowers and plants go this way too. We’re not vegetarians though, and any meaty/oily scraps go outside for the neighborhood cats and our resident raven to cart away.
- Batteries, broken electronics, etc. - These should not be trash at your house either because they are toxic. It’s actually illegal to put such things in your trash in California, so there are specific free recycling days for this stuff and facilities you can pay to take it off your hands anytime. Yes there are plenty of scandals and dirty secrets about what happens after that, but your local landfill is obviously not the solution.
- Used clothes & stupid stuff - Goodwill, Salvation Army, Hospice Rummage Shop, etc. are all great places to unload these.
- Styrofoam - Now this one is only for the hardcore. It used to be that it was accepted at recycling centers, but now it’s not because it seems nobody really knows what to do with the stuff. We don’t let it in the door if we can help it, but for the stuff that finds its way in, we have taken the intentionally drastic step of mailing it back to the president of the company that it came from. Yes, it costs some postage (not much, it’s light after all!), but that is offset from what we get from turning in our bottles and cans, and remember our trash pickup bill is $0. The ecological statement may never make it to the intended recipient, but at least there’s some justice in styrofoam again being the property of it’s creator.
So what is in your trash? Take a look at what’s there and ask yourself:
- What did it take to make this?
- Do I really need bring this in my home?
- What happens to this when it breaks / breaks down?
- Where will this be in the period between 50 and 50-million years from now?
Loss of Wisdom December 20, 2007
Posted by onemouthband in : Notes to Self, Randomnimity , add a comment
This morning I had my wisdom teeth removed. Well, technically, just my third molars (#1 and #16), but for me it meant more.
Dentists have been telling me for half my life that these teeth would need to be removed because I only had them on the top, and with nothing to oppose them they would eventually dig into my jaw. Being the skeptic I am, I preferred to wait until this was within 1mm of happening. By this time the teeth in question were about an inch long, and with such long roots that they required an oral surgeon to remove. Dr. Tolstunov (who looks to me like a kinder, gentler Vladimir Putin, though I doubt he’d appreciate the comparison) managed to remove them in about 5-minutes without an incision, stitch, or anything more than novacaine and what looked like fancy pliers. Aside from some disconcerting crackling that reverberated through my skull, I wouldn’t have even known what was up. Nice work, Doc!
The brevity rather disoriented me from my symbolic intent. I wanted to focus my time in the chair on giving up my wisdom, letting go of my sense of deep knowing. As long I as I can remember, I’ve always been consoled, grounded, saddened and satisfied by this inner sense of place and purpose. It’s not something I generally know how to make manifest in the world or interpret with reliability, but it does pull me through the world and always has. It’s gotten me in a bit of trouble in some regards lately, and part of me wants to be able to let it go. I have ignored my innate wisdom before, and always at my peril, but I’ve never really tried letting go of my need for it. Seems like a good thing to try.
Easier said than done. The teeth came out fine, and I’m recovering nicely. My need for wisdom has yet to be extracted…
Stuff on purpose November 25, 2007
Posted by onemouthband in : Randomnimity, Recommendations , add a commentEvery year people get me stuff I don’t want because they feel they have to get me something for the holidays. Has this ever happened to you? Have I ever done that to you? Oops, sorry!
This year I vow to stop the cycle of senseless stuff by getting people items of service and intention. Usually I have a new CD or other One Mouth Band marketing item to mass distribute, but due to miscalculations with the upcoming SoVoSo and Irrationals albums, I have no music to give for 2007 (look for them both in 2008!). Instead, most everybody is getting one of these babies! I don’t mind ruining the surprise because they’re not the kind of thing people tend to get all flustered about anyway. But they are useful, cool, intentional, ecological, and just plain logical. That’s my bag, baby.
And there will be gift certificates, plenty of gift certificates. Not the kind that encourages you buy more crap, though, the kind you can eat. Like those from Restaurant.com that you can often buy at somewhat of a discount and create the impression that you’re slightly more generous than you actually are (that’s not such a bad thing, is it?)
As for stuff for me, I am running out of time on my New Year’s Resolution to end the year with twice as much money and half as much stuff. Check out my Froogle list for things I actually want. Or do something crazy like invite me to dinner instead!
Happy Holidaze to all, and to all stuff on purpose!
Song for Elliot July 15, 2007
Posted by onemouthband in : Music, One Mouth Band, Randomnimity , add a commentMy old buddy Ryan and his wife Mika just had a bouncing baby boy! Well, he’s reported to bounce anyway, I haven’t seen it firsthand. In tribute to the wee tot breathing air, I improvised a little ditty that Ryan used as the soundtrack to a slideshow he shares with family and friends. Had I known he was going to do this, I wouldn’t have recorded it on my iPod, but I guess it still sounds okay. What do you think?
