Beware He Who Would Ask for a Blank Check

Be careful whom you give "blank checks to" in life.  Don't write divorce agreements that give your estranged spouse to right to a book that won't be published till after you're dead and the estate has already gone through probate, but she still gets the money.  Don't be conned into forgiving someone whom you really don't feel comfortable about forgiving.  This is the ultimate "blank check" so to speak.  Gerald Ford forgive Nixon for offences he had comitted or "may have commited" that were not yet made public.  They say if a Rich person loses all his money he'll soon get it all back, and then some.  Perhaps this is true with Hillary Clinton.  Being a million dollars in debt for her is not at all the same as a tenth of the ammount would be for us.  Keep in mind the loss of or sacrifice sacrifice of Property is best measured not in its ammount, but by how long it would ever take to get back what that Property was worth to you.  Many evangelists and politicians have no idea of true sacrifice because they get money and opportunities dangeled before them every day of their lives.  Remember that actual duress or threat will invalidate almost any contract.  More so when it's associated with violence.  Mitt Romney stole things from those workers of companies he took over, that those people will probably never get back.  Hypothetically,  it should make no difference whether to "forgive" someone based on replacability of property or status, but only a fool would ignore the "clear and present situation" of he whose forgiveness he is asking, if not demanding.  Poor people write "rubber checks".  Rich people make "rubber sacrifices".  They end up losing very little if anything in the long run.  Certainly stories about Mitt Romney and his wife living in some basement when they first got married is nothing short of silly.  You know- - Jesus may think he has stood in my shoes.  I'll tell you when Jesus has stood in my shoes.  When his Father disinherets him.  Come and do this- and then we'll talk.  (Selah)  The following text has undergone very minimal editing since Sunday.  On “Meet the Press” it was the news summary and then President Clinton followed by Reinz Previs. After this they had your usual IRS scandal blonde defender of the Administration. There was a little more of President Clinton - - and Obama reaching over the sneeze guard. Here is the transcript of the Bill Clinton interview with David Gregory. Afterward we have a few more "offerings".  We made a substitution today on "track four" of CD one on that little musical compilation.

DAVID GREGORY:

Do you understand some people who have been critical of Mrs. Clinton, Secretary Clinton, who initially had to explain talking about being dead broke coming out of the White House, or said in an interview that you all--

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

Look, you're in politics. One of the things that's a challenge for us is that somebody's always trying to change the subject. And the subject is how can we get this economy going? How can it work? And one of the things that we forget is-- she was joking about it the other day. Half the time somebody asking a question couldn't even vote when I was president.

And so you have to live in the moment, not with memory. It is factually true that we were several million dollars in debt. Everybody now assumes that what happened in the intervening years was automatic; I'm shocked that it's happened. I'm shocked that people still want me to come give talks. And so--  --I'm grateful.

DAVID GREGORY:

But when you say you pay ordinary taxes, as Secretary Clinton did, unlike other people who are really well off who pay taxes maybe just off capital gains, can you understand as a political matter that that could strike people as being out of touch?

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

Yes, but she's not out of touch. And she advocated and worked as a senator for things that were good for ordinary people. And before that, all her life. And the people asking her questions should put this into some sort of context.

I remember when we were in law school, she was out trying to get legal assistance for poor people. I remember she was working on believing in paid leave for pregnant mothers in the 1970s. So I think if you don't give the most in-depth answer to a question because you immediately remember what you felt like the day we left as opposed to what it looks like to everybody else now who's having trouble, you can say, "Okay, I've got to clean that up," which she did.

DAVID GREGORY:

Right. The reaction you think, bottom line, before I move on, has been unfair?

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

No. I don't want to-- you get to decide what's fair. You get to decide, because we've got the First Amendment. What I'm saying is the debate's the wrong debate. You need to be able to show, by their policies and their statements about current conditions, how candidates of both parties across the spectrum feel about the central challenge of our time, which is the demise of the American dream. And the loss of our leadership as the most successful middle-class country in the world. And the idea that now, after-- I think I had the lowest net worth of any American president in the 20th century when I took office. But I still could have been tone deaf. And, you know, now I don't, and we've got a good life, and I'm grateful for it. But we go to our local grocery store on the weekend. We talk to people in our town. We know what's going on. The real issue is if you've been fortunate enough to be successful, are you now out of touch and insensitive to the agonizing struggles other people are facing? That's the real issue.

DAVID GREGORY:

And the real issue you talk about as well is some of this pain people are feeling in the middle class, the sense that the middle class, that the American dream is slipping away. I look at some of the numbers, 3.4 million Americans who have been out of work for six months plus. You have over 7 million who, by their own admission, are stuck in lower-paying jobs, part-time jobs. How can a Democratic candidate for president-- what challenges would a Democratic candidate for president face running on the Obama economy?

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

Well, first of all, that's not what anybody should do. You should run on making it better. But he didn't cause the meltdown. The actions that his administration took kept it from being worse. And there had been a concerted effort to stop implementing his economic plan in the second term so none of you have any idea whether they would have worked or not.

DAVID GREGORY:

But you don't lay this at Speaker Boehner and the Republicans uniquely, do you? I mean, do you really think it's their opposition to the president that has forced him to have such impediments to get the economy growing again?

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

No. Keep in mind, the average crash takes ten years to get over; has always. We got the jobs back in about six years. We've now got to get the incomes up. Let me just put it this way: I believe if the two branches had been working smoothly together, and taking advantage of this time when interest rates were lower than inflation to cut long-term spending liabilities but invest now in modern infrastructure, we would be in a lot better shape. I think median wages would be going up. I think poverty would be going down. That is not what the Republicans believe. The Republicans believe government would always mess up a two-car parade unless it's something they want to spend money on. In Washington, I'm talking about. And they just wanted to cut everything and not invest any money into things that, at least I believe, are important. We need to try to get back to working together again. No, I'm not blaming them entirely. - - - But, I mean, how can you-- you tell me. Mr. McCarthy, from California, I like him. The fellow who was just elected to--

DAVID GREGORY: Kevin McCarthy, yes.

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

I like him. I had a great visit with him at the inauguration. So what's the first thing he does after he becomes the number two guy in the House leadership? What is the very first thing he does? He changes his position on whether we're going to fund the export/import bank. Because the conservative politicians say, "Oh, that's just a Wall Street crony capitalism deal." That's not a Wall Street crony capitalism deal. That's a financing device that allows us to compete with the 60 other countries of the world who are trying to save jobs in their countries, and they helped finance exports.

DAVID GREGORY:

I want to ask you about global leadership in the world. Iraq is back, unfortunately. A terror threat from this group known as ISIS is back and perhaps poses the biggest threat we've seen to the West and to the United States since Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The former vice president, Dick Cheney, said of President Obama in an op-ed that claims that Al Qaeda is decimated is clearly not true. That, in fact, Al Qaeda is on the march, the argument that America is less safe under President Obama. Do you believe Dick Cheney is a credible critic on these matters?

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

Well, I believe, you know, if they hadn't gone to war in Iraq none of this would be happening. So I think they-- [are not responsible for what's happening] --in Syria, but what happened in Syria wouldn't have happened in Iraq. Iraq would not have been, in effect, drastically altered, as it has been. But Mr. Cheney has been incredibly adroit for the last six years or so attacking the administration for not doing an adequate job of cleaning up the mess that he made. And I think it's unseemly. And I give President Bush, by the way, a lot of credit for trying to stay out of this debate and letting other people work through it.

DAVID GREGORY:

Let me ask you this: One of the issues about America's role in the world is if we pursue a lighter footprint going into places, intervening, then that which we leave behind can become chaotic. And so it becomes a question of what responsibility does the United States have to be part of that future of a country? This goes to Iraq. I've always believed that is the larger question about Benghazi. But you understand the political question about Benghazi, in many ways. Some have tried to make it about Secretary Clinton and her tenure. Rand Paul, on the program-- he may run for president in 2016-- called it disqualifying for Secretary Clinton. You have a response for that?

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

Well, let's go back to the first question because it's serious. That's not a serious comment; doesn't deserve a serious question. Rand Paul, when ten different instances occurred when President Bush was in office where American diplomatic personnel were killed around the world, how many outraged Republican members of Congress were there? Zero.

DAVID GREGORY:

Most formidable Republicans who could run for president, in your judgment?

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

If I knew, I wouldn't say. Why would I encourage them? Unless--

DAVID GREGORY: You’re so good at handicapping that side though.

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

Unless I thought it would cause that person to lose the nomination, then I'd announce it in a heartbeat.

DAVID GREGORY: And you're just a bit player as to whether Secretary Clinton runs?

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

That's exactly what I am. I'm a foot soldier in an army. I will do what I am instructed to do. And, no, look. You know, it's funny. You reach our age, you just look at it differently. We've had wonderful lives, we've been incredibly blessed. And we're looking forward to being grandparents. And I'm for it. You know I said in 2008, I say it every chance anybody's given me, of all the people I've ever worked with I think she's the most gifted public servant I've ever worked with, even if we are married. That's what I believe. And I believed it when we were going out together. And I believed it when I asked her to marry me and she said no. Nothing's changed my opinion in more than 40 years. But it has to be her decision. And I agree with what she said: The most important thing is not that you want the job, or can you win. The most important thing is why do you want the job, and what do you propose to do if you get it? And how are you going to communicate that to the American people? That's the only thing that really matters.

DAVID GREGORY:

We are in Denver; I've got to ask this last question. Back in the '60s, there was that saying, "Give peace a chance." I'm wondering if you think now it's time to give pot a chance. Would it actually help government raise revenue and deal with some of the things you're dealing with here at CGI?


PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:

Rocky Mountain high? Look, I think there's a lot of evidence to argue for the medical marijuana thing. I think there are a lot of unresolved questions. But I think we should leave it to the states. This really is a time when there should be laboratories of democracy because nobody really knows where this is going. Are there adequate quality controls? There's pot and there's pot; what's in it? What's going to happen? There are all these questions. And I think that, unlike where it is now, if the state wants to try it, they can. And then they'll be able to see what happens.

John Lennon says we might get hints about the Age to come by reviving Federation about the "Map Room" in the Great Pyramid and the "Magic Circle" or "Revolver" that picks you up in one place and flings you around and you end up in quite another.   This is an old Mal Evans teaching.  As to these songs, they differ from the Mc Cartney collection we put on line a few years back.  But these are the ones the Federation are contemplating for their next Mc Cartney compilation.  Again we have the number 34 cropping up, for a span of years from 1980 to 2014.  In case you are wondering, all the mid seventies Mc Cartney songs are already covered in the compilation "Blowing it in the Seventies".

MC CARTNEY HITS AND MISSES

- - - - - DISK ONE- - - -
SUICIDE (ENTIRE UNEDITED TRACK)
HELTER SKELTER (ANTHOLOGY SLOW VERSION)
ANOTHER DAY
BACKWARD TRAVELER / CUFF LINK
MONKBERRY MOON DELIGHT
HOUSE OF WAX
SINGLE PIGEON
TOMORROW
HIGH, HIGH, HIGH
SPIN IT ON
NOD YOUR HEAD
DON’T SAY GOODNIGHT, TONIGHT
O WOMAN O WHY?
LET ME ROLL IT
MRS VANDERBUILT
ONLY ONE MORE KISS
HELLEN WHEELS

- - - - -DISK TWO- - - - -
FLAMING PIE
MAMA MISS AMERICA TAKES 1 & 2

KREEN AKRORE
MAYBE I’M AMAZED
BACK SEAT OF MY CAR
TOO MANY PEOPLE

CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK
GIVE IRELAND BACK TO THE IRISH
THAT WAS ME
DELIVER YOUR CHILDREN
ARROW THROUGH ME
ROCKESTRA THEME
I AM YOUR SINGER
COSMICALLY CONSCIOUS
LITTLE WOMAN LOVE
MY VALENTINE
SMILE AWAY

I watched the Mc Laughlin group.  They had a thing on “Putin turning peacenick” and less a threat now.  There was a thing on ISIS and the correct rendering is “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria”.   And there was the obligatory thing on the IRS investigation.  It seems strange that one hard drive would crash- and then hard drives of six other employees would also crash- and not even the most tech savy experts could retrieve anything from it, and then the hard drives themselves were put in a trash compactor or something and “recycled” just like the metal beams from the Twin Towers, lest anyone else try and investigate them.  So I’m changing my position.  I think there is something fowl afoot - - with this information.  There are just too many coincidences.  I guess, just to be paranoid, I am wondering whether this hard drive “crashed” when Louise said it did, or whether it wasn’t actually much later, when congress was asking for information.  Then it was “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune” followed by Burn Notice.  I think I dozed off and them roused again at a quarter to ten or something and then made ready for bed officially. 

 Breakfast with the Beatles had Louise Harrison, who is several years older than George and actually held him as a baby in her arms.   So she has to be at least in her mid seventies now, so no wonder her voice reflects that of an old woman.  In CMK news of course we did a version of “From Me to You” with more liberal use of harmonica than the Beatle’s version, and also taken just a tad slower in tempo.  (There is harmonica during the vocals) And of course you know the Rickenbacker guitar is Richi Valenz’ guitar of choice, and I played a Rickenbacker bass on “Paperback Writer” in our CMK version - - that runs about forty seconds longer than the record.   But this was the strange era in September of 1963 when the Beatles couldn’t buy a play on American radio.  Louise Harrison left Britain in 1956 and lived in Canada for a while before coming to the US heartland.  Their father’s favorite song is “Old Brown Shoe” and I’m told that John Lennon plays the ‘Little Red Rooster” riff in that song.   Louise likes “Cheer Down”, which kind of stands out as one of those rarities from late summer of 1989.  They played “Run for Your Life” with the bass part an octave higher or something, and you could hear every note distinctly.  Then it was Laurance Jubar, whom Mal Evans calls “Everybody’s least favorite Wings guitarist”.    But this is in part true because Jimmy Mc Culloch is friends with Burt Lombard- - himself a guitar player- - and with whom I have had a lot of contact.   There was that forty second Beatle riff that Ringo was listening to on the train or whatever in HDN, and I was sure it was the Beatles, agreeing with Laurance, but Mal Evans gave a definite thumbs down on it saying it is not the Beatles – and of Neir Reigelian origin, and indeed there is no record (log) of it.   They played Norwegian Wood without the sitar and “In My Life” with the organ middle eight.   I wish you could buy the version of “I’m So Tired” with the dubbed guitar riffs.

We had spicy tomato soup for lunch with a ham and cheese sandwich, and their macaroni salads, which used to be good, have been lousy the past few times.  We had watermelon for dessert.   It’s 12:30 now.  We are coming up, so to speak, on the third year anniversary of the start of the 2012 campaign.  First Donald Trump was the candidate to beat in mid year, and then after the Iowa caucus it was Michelle Bachman- and I won’t repeat the whole list - - but normally the Iowa caucus signals the start of the campaign season.  Hillary wants to make sure she is running for the right reasons, and I honestly believe she hasn’t made up her mind, and there is absolutely no reason why she should have to this early.  And of course the first horst out the gate- - is almost guaranteed top stumble - - due to the fickleness of the American people.  And of course Dr Levy hasn’t shown up, and may not now till the end of July.  I would not put it past him that in addition to the three weeks in June he’s already taken off - - that he would take off another three or four in July.  He had an expressed the desire to go to Italy “In July” with his wife so - - whatever he said about summer outings for us is out the window.

Pink, alias Syd Barret is talking lucidly for the moment and has contributed a little to the intellectual dialog today.  Prior to the two tracks on Abbey Road (and Pink says that actually I was there when Maxwell's Silver Hammer was recorded too- - but that story gets a little weird.  I would note that "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" was the first song I ever heard off of Abbey Road and that when I heard it I had a certain sense of Deja Vu.  But the Swan Song for the longest time was "She Said' off of Revolver.  I am responsible for the arrangement and the lyrics - - which make more sense in the context of an incident in my life rather than Peter Sellers at a party in 1965.  Although Lennon himself came up with the base of a tune.  As you know this track features my all time favorite Ringo drumming.  I've always liked the rolling quality- reminding me in retrospect of the drumming on "Are You Experianced?"   I told George how to play the guitar- - much as on "Eight Days a Week" John is instructing George on how to play his part and George says "I'll try to remember, John, and if I don't then it's just too bad, isn't it?"   The guitar part is distinct in that is contains this "responsive refrain" quality.  Also the variences of tempo - - are not unheard of on my part.  In my piano compositions Song 16 features a few bars that suddenly go 3/4 time in anotherwise 4/4 time.  However - - "someone" suggested a slight alteration in my opening riff of eight notes, leaving out the fifth note.  Of course- "Pink" has a reputation for songs going completely off beat (tempo).  I believe the use of the fuzztone guitar on this track - - was come on just by experimentation and I heard this sound and said 'I want that on the song".