People who have near death experiences all talk about a peaceful, euphoric , bright light enveloping them. From the moment we are conceived, we are moving towards that light. This is my heels diggin' in, I don't wanna' go, reluctant journey, into the light. Stephen







Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Spring Break



Vacation, back soon.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Food Chain / Guak (hey wakamoli)



One of the Babe's recurrent critiques of my culinary stylings has been that when I strike gold I don't hang around and mine it out.  Always on to the next big spice.  If I made BabeGuak every time this would be the recipe.  Plus a little Salt and Pepper.  Ventura County, backyard, basic guacamole.



If I was making StephenGuak, in addtition to the BabeGuak ingredients,  at certain times any of the following might become involved.

sour cream
freshly chopped garlic
fresh cilantro
sweet peppers
mexican oregano
lime or lemon zest
lime or lemon juice
honey
crushed red pepper
pine nuts
chive and onion cream cheese
roasted pablano pepper
crushed cayene peppers
red onions
yellow onions
white onions

I admit it, Adventure beckons always.

A Little Pukey Taste



The Pope was blamed directly for ignoring repeated pleas by senior American churchmen to take action against a priest who had molested up to 200 deaf boys.


Father Lawrence C. Murphy, who worked at the St John’s School for the Deaf in St Francis, Wisconsin, from 1950 to 1974, starting as a teacher and rising to director, allegedly molested scores of pupils, preying on his victims in their dormitories and on class trips.

But instead of being defrocked and the police called in, it is alleged that Father Murphy avoided justice and remained a member of the Church after a key intervention by the Pope — then known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Murphy was quietly moved to the Diocese of Superior in northern Wisconsin in 1974 and spent his last 24 years working freely with children in parishes and schools. He died in 1998 at the age of 72, still a priest.

******

No matter the consequences, or fallout, true or false, this  is deserving of the full bright light of honest disclosure being shined upon it.  Into every dark corner.  I have no axe to grind with Catholicism. But my axe is ground sharp enough to De-nut anybody who abuses children. No exceptions.  I have previously mentioned this subject.

This is about the power of the Catholic church. Either someone wants to besmirch the character of the Vatican, and diminish that power, or the Vatican harbors an element of evil intent on retaining power.  One or the other. 

We have to seek the truth in all things. Regardless of outcome we must DEMAND that deception is exposed.  If you are Catholic, ask your local priest DIRECTLY about this subject. And then pray for truth. I'm going to.

UPDATE:  This is a powder keg.  Glad I'm not the Vatican's P.R. dude.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Probably a good thing I don't have daughters



If this had happened to a daughter of mine, the death of the unborn child would not be the end of the killing. This is EVIL!  This immoral bullshit needs to be stopped.  How much of this kind of thing happens that we don't hear about?  I'll be calling my local school today to inquire about their policy.  You should do the same.

UPDATE:  Ok, about that "killing" thing. Sorry. I was fired up and the metaphor/reality contradiction momentarily confused me. That was a mistake.  I will temper my ardor.  Promise.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

New Paradigm = Must Make New Plan



Everything is different now.  All the old guy wires preventing haywire have been cut loose.  With the passage of this health care bill, what I used to call my government, has betrayed my faith in them.  I DON'T CARE WHAT'S IN IT!  It's about how they did it, and why they did it.  A manifestation of a death wish for American greatness.  The overt brushing aside of our Constitution. It made me think of this Johnny Cash song.  Pelosi and Obama fighting for the throttle. I need time to think, and plan, and music is helpful in that regard.  When I was a kid, I bought every Johnny Cash album that came through Skagg's Drug on Glendale Avenue.  The train  is at the crest.


New Colors


Gadsen flag


The First Navy Jack


Sunday, March 21, 2010

D-Day





The most corrupt government in our country's history is going to vote on health care reform today in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is the tipping point.  I'm going to take some guns, alot of ammo, plenty of targets, and go practice.  I feel like I'm going to need it.  In the past, others have felt the same way.  How long has it been since YOU read the bold, italicized section below?

***********


IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776


The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:

Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:

John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:

Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:

Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:

William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:

Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:

Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:

Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:

Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:

George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:

William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:

Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:

Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton



Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Hot Pants Are Hot . PERIOD.


Cooking has never been the problem.  The problems historically, have been more along the lines of  hormonal  distractions, and haute couture cluelessness.



See that cast iron skillet and yellow "lid"?  This is not the first time either of them have appeared on this blog.

family pic

I wasn't always this smart, or good looking.



I'm the little one.


My brother, Paul, is twittering. 

family pic


Hunters Call It The Rut / Hormones and All



Two of my favorites, together.  Bonnie Rait, and John Lee Hooker.  Bonnie's slide work is perfection. Subtle, with a soft swing under John Lee's gruff, almost spoken word. And then, at the breaks, she makes me go "WOW"!  Understated virtuosity.  Ever hear of the Boom Boom Room?  If you are West Coast Musicologically (I made that up) challenged, just Google boom boom room, SF.  They're talking about what I feel.


Hope you feel it too! 




Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Bragging Just a Little / Bersa 380



My everyday front pocket companion is a Bersa 380. Concealed Carry model.  All protrusions shaved and smoothed, including the sights. It's narrow, and isn't plastic.  It feels like an extension of my hand.  Just like a 32 oz Estwing.



  Some very knowledgeable folks think 380 might be a little light.  I have lots of other options as far as more firepower, but for everyday, walk around, pocket carry, my Bersa is comfortable for me.  Besides, I thought it was all about shot placement. 


9 yards.  Yes, coup de grace was planned.  I call it,  "and one for the road."  Full disclosure though;  That "betwixt the eyes" shot was with one eye closed, bearing down rifle style.  A habit that was hard to break when I first started alot of handgunning.  My neighbor, took one look at that target and left.



I was sad to see him go.  He was the only neighbor who liked my drumming.



Monday, March 15, 2010

Piano Lessons / "Yeah, but aren't you glad now?"


My cursed beloved.



Hal Gilbreath and I were on the run.  Outlaws. Desperate, single minded desperados, fleeing Mrs. Taggert's annual piano and organ recital.  We had one door, and the breadth of one church parking lot to negotiate and we would be free.  It was working, and then, out of nowhere, Nita, Hal's mother, had ahold of one of those generous ears of her son. She drug us both back into the church.  No way I  was going to continue the prison break by myself.  Plus I knew she knew my Mom.  Double busted.

I HATED piano lessons.  Did I mention that  I didn't like piano lessons?  I was in between 2nd and 3rd grade when my Mom signed both myself and  my older brother up for piano lesions. (I spelled it that way on purpose)  I took to it a little faster than my Bro.  He got to quit, I wasn't allowed to.  It was the bane of my youth. I was designated as family religious accompaniest.  Same thing for Hal. It was the wrong instrument for both of us, and we was havin' NO part of it. I can't remember what either Hal or I played at that recital,,,,,,,,,,the pain has erased the memory. 

Hal and I were running away,,,,, from humiliation.  I mean, for God's sake, hadn't Mrs. Taggert ever heard of Jerry Lee Lewis?  Nope.  She was the church organist at the prison we were fleeing.  Play either of these songs a little too passionately or with a little too much syncopation, and you were going to get WHACKED across the back of the hand with her little baton.



It wasn't that I didn't like playing music.  I LOVED  my grade school band teacher, Mr. Rodgers.  We played, Tijuana Brass, Neil Diamond, etc.,  and rocked the house.  Saxophone was my game .  I loved it.  I didn't have to do it, but instead I did it because I wanted to. Not like that effing piano.


Every single day for years on end, I had to practice that piano an hour every day, go to Mrs. Taggert's for an hour long lesson every week, and that one dreaded annual recital.  That hour every day of piano practice,,,,,,,,,,,sucked worse than any other aspect of my youth.  No basketball, no horse riding, no NOTHING,  until after that hour of hell.  My non-compliance with expected levels of diligence, resulted in my getting whipped with a leather belt many times.  But I've made my peace with all that.



Now I pound that ivory because I want to.  Not because I have to.  Big Difference.  And I play it like Jerry Lee would have.  But still, when people say, "yeah, but aren't you glad now?"  I say, "nope."  The pain of being forced is still too fresh.  I always imagine, how cool it would be now, if instead of piano, it would have been drums.  Imagine how much  better the neighbors would like it if I had a 40 year head start on the drumming they are forced to endure.


In the Bible it says,  "make a joyful noise unto the Lord."  All I want , is to be able to make my OWN kind of noise.  Don't worry, it will definitely be joyful.  My joy.  How I hear and feel it.  I'm sure Hal feels the same way.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Demons



There's been alot in the news the last few days about the explosion of child abuse cases involving the Catholic church.  Here in the U.S. we've known about the problem of predatory priests for years.  But Europe has remained relatively quiet on the father pedophile front. That quiet is over.  This thing is even being linked to the Pope by aggresive scribes.  The Vatican  is on the defensive.  They were already uncomfortable with their own chief exorcist.

 So this abundance of information suddenly pouring out into the info highways about the dark side of Catholicism has me pondering.  About Good and Evil.  The constant struggle between good and bad.  I have to admit I couldn't get a philosophical handle on it.  Till I took, and then uploaded this pic into my computer.  The second I opened this picture full size, it hit me.  Demons.



How appropriate that this is a Cholla cactus skeleton. The devil of cacti.  That picture just screams demon to me.  I believe in demons.  Every single one of you know there are TWO little voices in your head.  In constant opposition. 

 We have a conscience. Whether you believe it evolved over millions of years or was placed in you by God, you know you have one. If there was no evil we wouldn't need a conscience. 

 This battle against Demons, the shock troops of evil, isn't just a Catholic problem.I'm a born again Christian. Backslidden too much, I'll grant, but it's how I define myself.  And I have seen plenty of Christian leaders fall under the scythe of  ruthlessly relentless,  demonic attacks. 

Every mortal human has weakness.  Me more than most.  Our defiance in the face of demonic assault on our weak points, defines our character.  We all need to take a lesson away from this child abuse thing with the Catholic church.  The same evil waging battle in those pedophile priest's hearts and minds, is constantly after each and every one of our own weaknesses. We must recognize and confront the faces of evil every single time they come out to play.  Square your shoulders, lift your chin, and say,,,,,,,,"FUCK OFF DEMON!" 

Friday, March 12, 2010

Wrong on SO Many Levels


Life without mirth, would lose it's worth.




So, there's this gal, and her ex-husband is riding in the car with her. She's on the way to see her new boyfriend.  So far that seems a little odd, right?  But, hey,  maybe they get along better divorced.  Anyway, the real problem is not even that she had her driver's license revoked the day before for DUI.  I actually think the biggest problem is that the ex-husband reaches over and takes the wheel, in order for her to free up both her hands. Apparently she needed  both hands to shave her crotch!  I guess she wanted everything all tidy for her new lover.  I mean, seriously, couldn't she have just pulled over for a minute or two to work on that bikini line?  If she had pulled over to do the muff buffing, she probably would NOT have smashed into that pickup truck.  And she definitely wouldn't have gone to jail.  No word on whether or not the ex manscapes. 

pic by adrants

Thursday, March 11, 2010

We Don't Need no Stinkin' Treadmill!



My size 10.5 feet spend alot of time right here.  The neighbors just wish I was quieter when I work out.


Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Uno Mas



Monday, March 8, 2010

Awestruck in Havasu


If you have to live some place, you could do worse.

click on pics for goose bumps

Evening, March 8, 2010



Breathe deep, be thankful.



How cool is that?

Warning to Rahm.



Just so everybody is clear. If  Rahm Emanuel ever approaches me nekkid, and starts poking me in the chest, I'm going to cave his face in.  Even if he is fully clothed, and starts ranting and sticks his finger in my chest, I'm going to adjust his facial features.  A classic case of "little man" disease, Chicago style.  What a putz.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

The Little Bitch / It Must be Spring



WARNING!!  Graphic carnivore pics ahead. 









This is the best cat we have ever had. But, she is a KILLA!  Stone cold.



She's proud too. She brings it all home to show off.  Right outside the back door.  Like all good hunters, she eats what she kills.  Mostly.



  But hey, who does eat feathers?

Biorhythms? / Joie de vivre, please come home.



So if you've been around here before, you know I've been hiding lately.  When the "force" is not with you, hunker down. Time to de-hunker.  It's raining, I'm cooking, and  quite possibly it's time for some Carpe Diem.  Even when hunkered down you still have to eat.  I have been eating.


Big time cholesterol pout.

click pics to initiate drool sequence

Pretty boring, but moving along........Grilled pork tenderloin, roasted spuds, salad.


Roasted cajun chicken...........


became grilled chicken and cheese sandwiches.  After it was chicken and mashed potatoes w/salad





Finally.....RED MEAT!  Petite sirloin is good.


Damn chickens anyway.



chickens and corn, chickens and corn, chickens and corn........


Ahhh. Crock pot.  That's elk sirloin, quickly charred on the grill, then into the pot with Anasazi and small Red beans. Plus a bunch of veggie stuff as well.  That right there is COMFORT FOOD!



Pistachios with plums and tangelo are comfortable as well.


This is the Babe's idea of comfort food. Alfredo with anything and buttery bread.



She is NOT quite as fond of BBQ Pork Ribs.  She's weird.



Anyway,  Besides cooking and eating, what do you do to get the "force" back up and running?

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Nekkid Emperors / Senate Reconcilation Hypocrites




Obama and his minions are threatening the "nuclear option", reconciliation, to ram their unwanted health care down our throats. Thanks to Power Line for this link.







Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Cuz' I'm still busy and lazy


So on a beautiful afternoon at the beach, in Santa Barbara, I played drums with these people. About the most fun a guy can have with his clothes on. Serious hoola hoopin at about the 7:15 mark.



Cuz' I'm busy and lazy.



Probably my all time favorite YouTube Video