". . . Trump didn’t build the pre-coronavirus economy he hails as his own. He inherited its major trends. This is true by just about every major metric, such as job growth and the decline in the unemployment rate, both of which had been steady during the Obama years and carried over into Trump’s presidency. . . Trump, of course, regularly claims he inherited a smoldering landscape of economic wreckage and turned it into a spectacular, glittering success. But it may now become harder to get away with this nonsense. . . Meanwhile, Trump might be in a better position to argue that he will rebuild our economy if he hadn’t thrown away whatever “economic populist” cred he once enjoyed. His massive corporate tax cut lavished most of its benefits on the wealthy while doing little for working people. He and Republicans are still trying to gut the Affordable Care Act’s health-care protections for millions. . ."
From Captain Beefheart's (Don Van Vliet) "10 On Guitar". . .
1. Listen to the birds.
That's where all the music comes from. Birds know everything about how it should sound and where that sound should come from. And watch hummingbirds. They fly really fast, but a lot of times they aren't going anywhere.
2. Your guitar is not really a guitar Your guitar is a divining rod.
Use it to find spirits in the other world and bring them over. A guitar is also a fishing rod. If you're good, you'll land a big one.
3. Practice in front of a bush
Wait until the moon is out, then go outside, eat a multi-grained bread and play your guitar to a bush. If the bush doesn't shake, eat another piece of bread.
4. Walk with the devil
Old Delta blues players referred to guitar amplifiers as the "devil box." And they were right. You have to be an equal opportunity employer in terms of who you're bringing over from the other side. Electricity attracts devils and demons. Other instruments attract other spirits. An acoustic guitar attracts Casper. A mandolin attracts Wendy. But an electric guitar attracts Beelzebub.
5. If you're guilty of thinking, you're out
If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something that is fur bearing.
6. Never point your guitar at anyone
Your instrument has more clout than lightning. Just hit a big chord then run outside to hear it. But make sure you are not standing in an open field.
7. Always carry a church key
That's your key-man clause. Like One String Sam. He's one. He was a Detroit street musician who played in the fifties on a homemade instrument. His song "I Need a Hundred Dollars" is warm pie. Another key to the church is Hubert Sumlin, Howlin' Wolf's guitar player. He just stands there like the Statue of Liberty-making you want to look up her dress the whole time to see how he's doing it.
8. Don't wipe the sweat off your instrument
You need that stink on there. Then you have to get that stink onto your music.
9. Keep your guitar in a dark place
When you're not playing your guitar, cover it and keep it in a dark place. If you don't play your guitar for more than a day, be sure you put a saucer of water in with it.
10. You gotta have a hood for your engine
Keep that hat on. A hat is a pressure cooker. If you have a roof on your house, the hot air can't escape. Even a lima bean has to have a piece of wet paper around it to make it grow.
What
do YOU think?
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html
AAAAANNNNNDDDDD. . . . .
My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:
(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)
Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore? Don't they know it's the end of the world, 'Cause you don't love me any more?
Why do the birds go on singing? Why do the stars glow above? Don't they know it's the end of the world. It ended when I lost your love.
I wake up in the morning and I wonder, Why everything's the same as it was. I can't understand. No, I can't understand, How life goes on the way it does.
Why does my heart go on beating? Why do these eyes of mine cry? Don't they know it's the end of the world. It ended when you said goodbye.
Why does my heart go on beating? Why do these eyes of mine cry? Don't they know it's the end of the world. It ended when you said goodbye.
by Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee performed by Skeeter Davis
Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano opens the May 23rd Monday Night Songwriters Showcase at Brewer's Alley Restaurant & Brewery with 30 minutes of solo, Gonzo, Fractured Jazz and Improvisational Terror Tactics at the Piano. (take the elevator on the right to the 2nd floor) 124 North Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701, tel: 301-631-0089, Fax: 301-631-1874 www.brewers-alley.com Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise (F.A.M.E.)
Download your very own copy of ANOTHER SHOT by Ray Jozwiak
