irregardlessly’s blog

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From his Facebook.

"Jon Anderson Hi you YES fans out there, I realize that Chris Alan and Steve are touring as YES now, but I won't be up there singing, 'they' would rather carry on as they are in their version of YES.....I do feel sad about it of course , but it's their choice, so if you buy tickets for a YES show this year, I'm sorry that I won't be there singing........keep the faith, maybe next year......we will see.......cheers.....Jon

Today I almost went back to Windows.

Started out the day in Ubuntu 8.04.

Tried to upgrade to 9.04.  I had a lot of problems with my graphics card.  Also, I couldn't install icepodder.  Who knows what other problems there are, I gave up at the point.

I thought I'd give Mandriva a shot next.  I installed the latest and greatest.  Everything was fine until I went to use the Amazon MP3 downloader.  There are 4 linux versions, but none of them are working with Mandriva.

So back to Ubuntu I came.  I grabbed 8.10 and that's what I am using.  Everything is working fine.  Hopefully the 9.04 issues (especially those related to my hardware) will get ironed out... else I will be stuck on 8.10 forever.

Yesterday I was playing MLB Power Pros (highly recommended; my favorite baseball game since Baseball Stars).  Roy Halladay was pitching for me, but I was crushed by Tony Clark for 2 home runs.  Tony used to be a pretty good power hitter, but hasn't had many opportunities lately.  Today I opened up the box score for the Diamondbacks game... Tony Clark hit 2 home runs!  What a weird coincedence; I didn't even think he was a starter.

Link to article from 1999 about the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act (via BoingBoing).

He is on the wrong side of one of my pet issues.  See Link.

Anyone have any interest in going to these?

I saw these fun snippets on someone else's blog and thought I would respond to them for fun.  I figured if one blogger that no one will read wants to espouse this, another blogger that no one will read may as well refute it.

Thought for the day: Did you ever stop to think that the ponzi scheme of Bernard Madoff is no different than the same scheme thrown at us by the Congressional shysters (house and senate) with our Social Security money. Same thing. Yet we vote them into office and treat them like royalty when they are nothing more than thugs.

Madoff's scheme was deceitfully sold as an investment opportunity.  I'm not sure how much investing he was actually doing, but he was certainly lying about the results of the investment.  Social security is not an investment, it is more like an insurance policy.  You (more or less) what you are going to be getting out of it.

Thought for the day: One of the signs of how easily we are bullied by small and vocal groups is how many universities, among other institutions, dare not even refer to the Christmas vacation but instead refer to "the winter holiday."

Bullying?  I call it being accommodating to people of other religions.  I think it is an unnecessary, but kind, gesture.  I don't understand the need to shove your religion down everyone else's throat.  I believe the Puritans fled to this continent to escape that kind of thing.

Thought for the day: Wal-Mart has done more for poor people than any twenty liberals, at least nineteen of whom are almost guaranteed to hate Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart also kills small businesses and many of the people who work there barely make a living wage.  They are hardly saints.

Thought for the day: The union thugs who made Detroit Detroit are now seeking to inflict that same handiwork on the rest of us. They see a perfect instrument in Barack Obama, their willing houseboy.

The auto industry bailout was approved by George W. Bush, so who is the real houseboy?  Also, say what you want about the unions, but Detroit is a shell of a city now.  Detroit has a 9.5% unemployment rate, one of the worst in the nation.  Doesn't seem like the unions are doing much to help the situation there.  GM makes many cars in Mexico today, by the way.

Thought for the day: According to Obama: Water Boarding is Torture but Saline Abortion is not. The abortionist removes as much amniotic fluid as he can by using a needle and syringe. He would then replace the amniotic fluid with a concentrated saline (salt) solution that would poison and kill the fetus. The woman would then go into labor and expel the fetus. How pleasant. (1-25-09)

Is this a defense of water boarding?  Didn't John McCain agree that was torture?  I don't think we need to sacrifice our ideals as a nation in order to provide safety for our citizens.  Whether you are against abortion or not, it is amazing to me that people defend torture.

Thought for the day: Good Morning, Suckers. Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are playing the Obama voters for fools with the so-called stimulus package. The massive $825 billion package is not even targeted on programs to stimulate the economy. Instead, it is laced with runaway government spending for increased welfare, overgrown bureaucracy, pork, political payoffs, food stamps, condoms and other waste. A 40 year wish list for liberals. Welcome to socialized Europe. The greatest re-distribution of wealth the world has ever seen, Well, you young people who voted for this trash are going to be paying for it. Not me. (1-28-09)

I'm against government bailout/stimulus packages as well, but I don't see how this one was any worse than the last one that George Bush pushed for.  If you recall, that one was voted down by Republicans until enough pork was thrown in to change their minds.

Also, I find it strange how conservatives are now decrying bailouts and deficit spending when the Bush administration ran up the biggest deficits in the history of our nation. 

While I am mostly against the stimulus package, I think it is the government's responsibilty to take extraordinary measures to protect its people in times of need.  Today's economic climate is mostly unprecedented (except for the "big D").  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  What is unacceptable is runaway spending when times are good.  The Clinton administration balanced the federal budget during one bubble.  How did the Bush administration do during another bubble?

Please don't mistake me for a bleeding heart liberal, I just can't stand the extreme propaganda from either side.

I'm obsessed with these guys right now.