A Question We Should All Ask

It's an election year (for those who haven't noticed yet). The idiot brigade is out in full force. I can honestly say that in my 45 (almost 46) years on this planet, I have never seen a more disappointing group of Presidential wannabes. The GOP hopefuls are, if nothing else, a hateful bunch! They just seem to hate everyone and everything that isn't rich, white,Christian and conservative like them. Now here's my question:

How will all of that hate actually HELP the USA?

Think about it. Allow me to give some examples:

How will banning gay marriage actually HELP the country? Will it put food on any one's table? Will it create any jobs? Will it end wars? Will it fix the economy? Will it lower taxes or gas prices?

How will providing the same, if not more, tax breaks for the richest 1% of Americans actually HELP the country? If these same rich folks haven't created any new jobs by now, they're probably not going to.

These are just two examples...and I'll admit, they're the types of issues candidates like to rant about because they are emotionally charged. But take the question "How will ________ actually HELP our country?" and apply it to each rambling sentence coming out of each candidate's mouth. If you're lucky enough to actually get to speak to a candidate, ask them in person. I'm pretty sure you won't get an answer.

Just something to think about.

Comments

Clearing up the Great Gretsch/Rockabilly Sham!

I've had a long-standing friendly argument with a couple of friends about guitars. This has gone on for 20+ years. We're all pickers, and we're all usually lumped under the rockabilly category too. They both love Gretsch guitars. I can take them or leave them. Rockabilly fans have asked me many times why I don't play a Gretsch, which is often associated with rockabilly music. First, I point out that what I play ain't exactly rockabilly. Sure, there's a definite rockabilly influence...but there's also blues, jazz, surf, garage, punk, country, Tex-Mex, and even some Gypsy & African influences in my music. A Gretsch just ain't gonna cut it. Don't get me wrong, Gretsches have their place and their own, unique sound. But...for a picker who is coming from the afore-mentioned influences, a Gretsch just ain't gonna cut it. The new Gretsches, mostly reissues, are well-made guitars. MUCH better made than the original ones, which tended to ...

Since they changed YOUR life, how about YOU changing someone else's?

The recent deaths of Lemmy and David Bowie have caused a mighty ripple through humankind. People that I never would've guessed to be "fans" have shown their true colors. An old lady I know, it turns out, is a huge Motorhead fan. Folks I work with, who seem much more at home listening to bland modern country, have vocalized their lifelong love of Bowie's music and movies. These two musicians changed a lot of lives for the better. Both died of cancer. As a two-time cancer survivor, as well as being a musician, their death hit home with me...and hit hard. I was lucky enough, both times, to not only survive but to also have decent health insurance at the time. My out of pocket costs were minimal. Many aren't so lucky. With Obamacare we're all forced to pony up for affordable health insurance...or be fined. For many, it's just not feasible. One of the groups hardest hit by the US health care nightmare is musicians. Professional musicians make their liv...

Colin Hardy: We'll Meet Again

2026 has been off to a rough start. Not even a month in, and I’ve already lost a few friends. Now, before anyone reaches for the tiny violins and assumes I’m whinging - relax. I’m not. Yes, it always hurts to lose someone, but I’ve learned to use moments like these to lean into the good memories: the reasons we got along in the first place. This morning, I found out my old buddy Colin Hardy passed away over the weekend. Col hailed from Stoke-On-Trent (which I always jokingly called Stoke-On-Rye ). He was a working-class bloke through and through, but we shared a deep love of music — especially the old-school rockin’ variety. We first crossed paths on a music-sharing site and immediately began raiding each other’s collections. This was back in the dial-up days, when downloading a single MP3 could take half an hour if the phone didn’t ring. Eventually, we started emailing instead. Col sent me tracks by the likes of Crazy Cavan, Freddie Fingers Lee, and others. He was always hungry f...

The Real Memphis Mike (don't settle for imitations)

Search This Blog