Outlaws. . .

 (from IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN IT LOOKS;  HOW THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM COLLIDED WITH THE NEW POLITICS OF EXTREMISM by Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein)

". . . A new law that flatly outlaws the super PACs would be the best route.  But as  the DISCLOSE Act vote in the 111th Congress shows, passing any campaign reform law without sixty Democrats in the Senate and a Democratic majority in the House is next to impossible.  Also close to impossible would be reform of the FEC or a new set of commissioners, at least as long as Mitch McConnell remains Senate Republican Leader;  he has made it clear that protecting the FEC as it now exists, that is, as a lawless agency, is a top priority for him.  As Public Citizen's Craig Holman has noted, "[McConnell] is really the whole key to the FEC. . . . He realized several years ago that a very effective way to minimize the effect of federal laws is to undermine the regulator."  So absent a recess appointment strategy on the part of the president, the government has to look for other options to provide disclosure and prevent brazen and illegal coordination.  As a first option, the Justice Department could prosecute violations of the coordination bans in cases where the brazen behavior has been most evident.  Justice does not need to wait for the FEC. . . "

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Mama said . . .

. . . there'd be days like this . . . 

. . . and Mama was always right.  Well, at least mostly.

First, well it actually happened Sunday, not today. . . Russ' smart phone fell off the arm of the couch and did the triple back flip dive right into a glass of water. Pretty smart, in my estimation.  Not sure I could have done it.  They don't call it that for nothing.  (Hailey said the sound of the phone hitting the water will live with her for years.) 

He said he bought insurance for it but never heard from the provider about the insurance. Seems they have some kind of bogus email address for him and didn't call, write or otherwise pursue him regarding the insurance.

Then, the new business cards show 396 instead of 369 on the telephone exchange.  And darned if the Office Depot guy didn't have me proofread the card on the screen, in the store, before he pushed the "GO" button, and I missed it.  Matter of fact, it took me about two months to notice it.  Maybe that's why I haven't been getting any new calls!

The bathroom scale has also been behaving less than famously.  We noticed that we both weighed approximately five lbs more than formerly and that we care to. Discussions on purchasing a new scale have been underway for weeks.  We finally made our move and when ‘testing’ various models in the retail outlet we discovered that the most promising one actually adds about ten lbs.  Not a happy development.  Sometimes ignorance is, indeed, bliss.

Last, at the end of the evening as I sat down to write this, add graphics and music and get it ready for posting but remembered Pam said that no incoming email has been received.  I re-booted the router, twice now.  Nothing.  Checked the other hardware for the incoming fiber-optic line and discovered that the BATTERY NEEDS REPLACEMENT.

THE BATTERY NEEDS REPLACEMENT.  At 10:00PM when I want to sit down and relax and use the internet LIKE I DO EVERY NIGHT the BATTERY NEEDS REPLACEMENT.

Well. . . (De Capo Al Fine)

 

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All Eyes . . .

. . . on OHO. . .

Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak
(with special guests Lisa Griffee & Matt Graboski)
Friday, August 31, 2012@ 9:00PM On The Patio at
Bread & Circuses Bistro
27 E. Chesapeake Avenue
Towson, MD  21286
410-337-5282
http://bandcbistro.com/

Make your plans now.

Please visit http://www.ohomusic.com
for all things OHO

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR
(from BRICOLAGE by Oho)
© Copyright-OHO Music (700261236407)
Record Label: OHO Music




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For Now . . .

. . . it may need a little aging. . .

(Just follow the bouncing cursor;  oh yes, you have to make it bounce. . . )

You never want to have to hear a word
From me again
Never want to have to see my face
At your door
If there's so much as the mention of
My name
You can feel an uncontrollable
Fit of pain

I'm the one
That you said
You would love
Til the bitter end

This must really be
This must really be the end
Nothing could be fitter
This must really be
This must really be the end
Make no mistake it's bitter

You never want us to be seen again
In public places
Can't explain it to another friend
How it goes
You say there's torment that you feel inside
From many things
I can tell you that I still don't know
What that means

Long ago
We were friends
Far removed
From this bitter end

This must really be
This must really be the end
Nothing could be fitter
This must really be
This must really be the end
Make no mistake it's bitter

There's no candy coating
To make it go down easier
Not so simple to digest
No bright colors and no
Exotic flavors sweetening
What you see is what you get

You never want to have to hear a word
From me again
Never want to have to see my face
At your door
If there's so much as the mention of
My name
You can feel an uncontrollable
Fit of pain

With one fell
Swoop you sent
Me direct to the bitter end

This must really be
This must really be the end
Nothing could be fitter
This must really be
This must really be the end
Make no mistake it's bitter


The Bitter End
©2003 Raymond M. Jozwiak




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Worse. . .

. . . than it looks?. . . is that possible?. . .

(from It's Even Worse Than It Looks [How the American Constitutional System Collided With The New Politics of Extremism] by Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein ©2012 Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein)
". . . The Problem is Mismatch
We believe a fundamental problem is the mismatch between parliamentary-style political parties-ideologically polarized, internally unified, vehemently oppositional, and politically strategic-that has emerged in recent years and a separation-of-powers system that makes it extremely difficult for majorities to work their will.  Students of comparative politics have demonstrated that the American policy-making system of checks and balances and separation of powers has more structural impediments to action than an other major democracy.  Now there are additional incentive for obstruction in that policy-making process.  Witness the Republicans' immense electoral success in 2010 after voting in unison against virtually every Obama initiative and priority, and making each vote and enactment contentious and excruciating, followed by major efforts to delegitimize the result. And because of the partisan nature of much of the media and reflexive tendency of many in the mainstream press to use false equivalence to explain outcomes, it becomes much easier for a minority, in this case the Republicans, to use filibusters, holds, and other techniques to obstruct. The status quo bias of the constitutional system becomes magnified under dysfunction and creates a take-no-prisoners political dynamic that gives new meaning to the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan's concept of "defining deviancy down.". . . "

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Time's . . .

. . . sure fun when you're having flies. . .

I have reached the point in my life where I totally comprehend time, as it relates to me, and exactly how I choose to use it.

Take for example the Olympics.  I have absolutely nothing against the Olympics.  But let's face it, the pre-Olympics ceremony is just that - Ceremony!  It's a parade.  It's a spectacle.  It's razzle-dazzle.  It's a circus.  It's GRAND! It's just not the kind of entertainment that I prefer.

I just  don't need grand.  Grand spectacles on television offer me very little return on investment. Quite honestly, I don't have time.  I simply choose to use that time to do something more personally appealing, desirable and constructive to me, in my own estimation.

I don't need to see it.  Granted, I am not an athlete nor am I a fan of sports or athletics so I have no affinity for such things.   I work a forty-hour week.  When I have free time, I want to create music, whether my own, solo piano music or with Mystic I or OHO.  I want to spend substantial time with my loved one(s).  I also, sometimes regretfully [and sometimes fitfully], need to sleep.

It's all allocated.  There's no time left for glittery television spectacle which has no real direct impact on me or my life.

Call me a poop.  Call me no fun.  But do call me pragmatic. . . when it comes to my own time.

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Not really. . .

. . . dead, just bitter. . . 

Some additional modifications.  Percussion, tightening the snare.  Next, maybe piano with a better mic.  The Bitter End never ends . . .  ALL TOGETHER NOW . . .

You never want to have to hear a word
From me again
Never want to have to see my face
At your door
If there's so much as the mention of
My name
You can feel an uncontrollable
Fit of pain

I'm the one
That you said
You would love
Til the bitter end

This must really be
This must really be the end
Nothing could be fitter
This must really be
This must really be the end
Make no mistake it's bitter

You never want us to be seen again
In public places
Can't explain it to another friend
How it goes
You say there's torment that you feel inside
From many things
I can tell you that I still don't know
What that means

Long ago
We were friends
Far removed
From this bitter end

This must really be
This must really be the end
Nothing could be fitter
This must really be
This must really be the end
Make no mistake it's bitter

There's no candy coating
To make it go down easier
Not so simple to digest
No bright colors and no
Exotic flavors sweetening
What you see is what you get

You never want to have to hear a word
From me again
Never want to have to see my face
At your door
If there's so much as the mention of
My name
You can feel an uncontrollable
Fit of pain

With one fell
Swoop you sent
Me direct to the bitter end

This must really be
This must really be the end
Nothing could be fitter
This must really be
This must really be the end
Make no mistake it's bitter


The Bitter End
©2003 Raymond M. Jozwiak




What do YOU think?
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

You can NOW download your
very own copy of Ray Jozwiak's
newest release:
AMBIENCE & WINE

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