Check it out. The Harris Brothers are playing all over town(s). And now we have a youtube channel!
2011/10/28
2011/08/11
Debt ceiling thoughts - maybe time for a referendum?
The debt ceiling has been raised, Armageddon has been averted, for now. Brinkmanship is the new catch phrase in the media as our representatives brought us directly to H hour before coming up with an agreement that none of them were comfortable with. This agreement will supposedly give Congress the necessary wiggle room to assume yet greater debt to run the US government until the 2012 election.
This was quite a process for a group of people who profess to be professional policy makers. Perhaps this is our problem in Washington DC. These professionals are anything but. Legislators are intended to be elected representatives performing a service role, not holding a strict line in order to retain a job. These past few months have served only to show that not a single representative on Capitol Hill was interested in averting a debt crisis, or legitimately reducing the overhead required to run the federal government. They were instead worried about their so-called careers, and their reelections.
The American people have been led to believe over the course of several decades that the longer a person serves in the Senate the more capable they become of navigating its intricacies and standing up for the people he or she represents. This latest Washington debacle has proved otherwise. The representatives in Washington, regardless of the length of their tenure have shown only that they lack the capability or know how to effectively compromise or develop meaningful legislation. They took the nation “to the brink” and then once there, handed over a shoddy piece of work.
The rating agency Standard and Poors was correct to downgrade American debt after the event. True, we have more capability to finance our debt, and US Treasuries remain a safe place for investment in an unsure global economy, but our government is ineffective and ill equipped to manage it. Any investor should feel a slight tinge of worry that the US financial management is in sorry hands indeed.
If anything, the great debt debate should have proven that longevity in the House or Senate does not prove utility. The men and women who are attempting to manage the debt crisis are ill-equipped despite their years of expertise. There is no reason why term limits should not be instituted to keep fresh blood and new ideas in the houses of Congress, while ensuring that duplicity, tight relationships and back hallway deals do not. With term limits the capabilities for including earmarks in legislation as well as the longevity needed to assist gerrymandering of districts are also removed.
Service to the nation by representation must be reestablished. The “jobs” created by the present legislators should be abolished to allow true service-minded men and women to take their place. Citizens interested in service to the nation should have their say; they certainly cannot perform worse than our present leaders.
Unfortunately the present parties in Washington, despite their governmental ineptitude, have the US electorate firmly under control. The expense of running for office and the wealth these parties can generate makes it almost impossible for the average citizen to compete against the incumbent candidates. The big boys club in Washington makes it realistically impossible for an independent candidate to compete against these well-greased machines.
It is time for a vote of no-confidence in the US legislature. Both bodies of the legislature have lower approval ratings than any president ever. They also have the lowest approval ratings that they have ever received. With their recent performance they cannot expect them rise anytime soon. Now is the time for a referendum to extract governance of the United States of America from the clutches of a powerful group gone wrong.
Remove the present government and its ineptitude. Put in naïve servicemen who may fare just as badly but who have not entitled themselves to the same absurd compensation, meager schedules, perks for non-performance and job security. It is time to put someone in office who can be removed from office.
This was quite a process for a group of people who profess to be professional policy makers. Perhaps this is our problem in Washington DC. These professionals are anything but. Legislators are intended to be elected representatives performing a service role, not holding a strict line in order to retain a job. These past few months have served only to show that not a single representative on Capitol Hill was interested in averting a debt crisis, or legitimately reducing the overhead required to run the federal government. They were instead worried about their so-called careers, and their reelections.
The American people have been led to believe over the course of several decades that the longer a person serves in the Senate the more capable they become of navigating its intricacies and standing up for the people he or she represents. This latest Washington debacle has proved otherwise. The representatives in Washington, regardless of the length of their tenure have shown only that they lack the capability or know how to effectively compromise or develop meaningful legislation. They took the nation “to the brink” and then once there, handed over a shoddy piece of work.
The rating agency Standard and Poors was correct to downgrade American debt after the event. True, we have more capability to finance our debt, and US Treasuries remain a safe place for investment in an unsure global economy, but our government is ineffective and ill equipped to manage it. Any investor should feel a slight tinge of worry that the US financial management is in sorry hands indeed.
If anything, the great debt debate should have proven that longevity in the House or Senate does not prove utility. The men and women who are attempting to manage the debt crisis are ill-equipped despite their years of expertise. There is no reason why term limits should not be instituted to keep fresh blood and new ideas in the houses of Congress, while ensuring that duplicity, tight relationships and back hallway deals do not. With term limits the capabilities for including earmarks in legislation as well as the longevity needed to assist gerrymandering of districts are also removed.
Service to the nation by representation must be reestablished. The “jobs” created by the present legislators should be abolished to allow true service-minded men and women to take their place. Citizens interested in service to the nation should have their say; they certainly cannot perform worse than our present leaders.
Unfortunately the present parties in Washington, despite their governmental ineptitude, have the US electorate firmly under control. The expense of running for office and the wealth these parties can generate makes it almost impossible for the average citizen to compete against the incumbent candidates. The big boys club in Washington makes it realistically impossible for an independent candidate to compete against these well-greased machines.
It is time for a vote of no-confidence in the US legislature. Both bodies of the legislature have lower approval ratings than any president ever. They also have the lowest approval ratings that they have ever received. With their recent performance they cannot expect them rise anytime soon. Now is the time for a referendum to extract governance of the United States of America from the clutches of a powerful group gone wrong.
Remove the present government and its ineptitude. Put in naïve servicemen who may fare just as badly but who have not entitled themselves to the same absurd compensation, meager schedules, perks for non-performance and job security. It is time to put someone in office who can be removed from office.
2011/05/17
Announcing: Rain Bird
Finished album number 2: Rain Bird. It's better. And good too. I promise. Working on production next week when I get back from Wales. Yay? I don't know. We're tired.
2011/03/30
Woo hoo Wales
In Wales again. This time my luggage didn’t arrive when I did. My single pair of underwear suffered for a few days, but the jet-lag gave me something to focus on besides my smell. I finally have socks and everything arrived just fine. I’m still a little tired. Having a great time here again, work, work, work, but it’s still exhilarating and keeping me interested. To boot, its spring, the daffodils are out and I’ll spend the weekend with some friends in Amsterdam on my way back to the states. Like old times.
It’s hard to remember that I just spent the weekend with the dogs on the beach. Even Nilla and FrankenOlly went (the sewn version of our poor ripped up Jack Russell). My Jake is handsome and filling out nicely, and both he and Nessa Rose are happy to be on the farm. I can’t complain, though it is quiet for what seems like the few days a month that I return to Virginia without them.
It’s hard to remember that I just spent the weekend with the dogs on the beach. Even Nilla and FrankenOlly went (the sewn version of our poor ripped up Jack Russell). My Jake is handsome and filling out nicely, and both he and Nessa Rose are happy to be on the farm. I can’t complain, though it is quiet for what seems like the few days a month that I return to Virginia without them.
2011/03/18
The last day
Today is my last day at my big corporate job. I'm going off on my own. Consultant man. No strings, no ties. No desk, just balls. Or brains. Or whatever it takes to succeed in business without a business. Pretty exciting.
2011/03/07
In Wales
I'm in Wales. I landed shortly after I landed this new job. I worked 12 hours a day for a week, slept somewhere, and then found a weekend. It was a nice weekend in England. Chester to be exact. There were some horses, no dog, a few beers. Some long runs and a pie or two made their way in. Really lovely, as they'd say here. Can't complain all in all.
Today I'm back in Wales. Another long day. I seem to remember being very enthusiastic about this job and all the work I have yet to do when I was doing my Welsh scurrying last week.
Now it's Monday. In Wales. And Mondays in Wales are just like Mondays in other places.
Here's to Tuesday in Wales. When I'm enthusiastic and exhilarated to find myself in Wales with life and work ahead.
Today I'm back in Wales. Another long day. I seem to remember being very enthusiastic about this job and all the work I have yet to do when I was doing my Welsh scurrying last week.
Now it's Monday. In Wales. And Mondays in Wales are just like Mondays in other places.
Here's to Tuesday in Wales. When I'm enthusiastic and exhilarated to find myself in Wales with life and work ahead.
2011/01/31
Radiator Leak?
Add pepper. Why? I don't get it. Dad says if you have a small leak in your radiator to put ground pepper in there. "Works every time," says he.
So naturally, I do it. And of course, it works. What the hell? How does that work? My truck has been overheating and popping and fuming (strange in this wintry* cold). I finally added a little pepper to my truck and tada! Runs like a gem. Huh?
My truck is becoming a winter treat. Pepper in the radiator and a layer of salt on the body.
*Whoever decided that the "e" is removed from "winter" when a "y" is added to the end is not my friend. That's a stupid rule. "Wintry" looks nothing like "winter" and loses all its panache. Lame, lame.
So naturally, I do it. And of course, it works. What the hell? How does that work? My truck has been overheating and popping and fuming (strange in this wintry* cold). I finally added a little pepper to my truck and tada! Runs like a gem. Huh?
My truck is becoming a winter treat. Pepper in the radiator and a layer of salt on the body.
*Whoever decided that the "e" is removed from "winter" when a "y" is added to the end is not my friend. That's a stupid rule. "Wintry" looks nothing like "winter" and loses all its panache. Lame, lame.
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