Reflections on - The Day After

 

First of all the official Senate vote on the debt ceiling measure was 81 to 18 who voted no.  Lindsey Graham voted yes.  Ted Cruz and Mario Rubio voted no.  Mc Connel voted Yes and Rand Paul voted no.  The House passed the measure by a comfortable margin and it went 285 yes and 144 votes No, or something close to that.  Clearly John Boehner was lying when he told the Networks the Sunday before last that there weren't enough votes in the House to pass the thing.  But John Boehner broke his word to Harry Reed in August that if the sequester were kept intact this whole series of issues wouldn't even be a problem.  The President signed the bill at four minutes to midnight, so I'm informed.  This morning all the government people went back to work and the Parks and the Monuments were quickly reopened, and most importantly the panda cam in the Washington zoo was turned back on.  They said that 24 Billion dollars was lost as far as the economy is concerned.  Rush Limbaugh denied it but he was not at all happy about the government springing back to life and things returning to what passes for normalcy in this country.  Rush was grousing and complaining and he in essence was saying "Wait till next time".  Apparently some crazy woman entered the House Chamber was talking about Gods will and how you can't serve too masters and "God is not mocked".  Of course the difference between her and other House members is s slight the distinction might be hard to make.  Ted Cruz obviously was on the air waves denouncing these accords.  This morning President Obama had a brief press conference reflecting his feelings about the whole thing and how you really can't call it a victory.  The President went on to push for the measures of three bills in particular, but most importantly would be the Immigration bill, which will actually stimulate the economy, and a stimulated economy will grow our way out of the deficet.  I never disputed the fact that Reagan and Bush talked about "growing our way out of a deficet".  My contention with this wasn't the truth of it- - but that this belief is over-emphasized to the exclusion of everything else.  Once this economy gets back on the track we will again see deficets continuing to come down.  Some have suggested we sue the Koch Brothers for the economic loss.  They have 88 Billion dollars between them, so paying a 24 Billion dollar fine would not be an excessive punitive payment for them.  One economic study said that by the 2040's that we would be paying forty percent of our budget in interest on retiring the national debt.  This of course is absurd since the figure is only eight percent now.  And any projection using figures in the last ten years of extrapelating a "normal" pattern from a flookish period in our history, where President Bush budgeted two Wars off the books, and funded Medicare part D where you can't negotiate with the Drug companies the way you can with the Veterans Administration.  The only real "discretionary spending' this President has done was the 750 or so Billion dollar economic stimulus plan, and forty percent of THAT was based on tax reductions.  So logically the Tea Party should be at least Forty percent Satisfied with the stimulus plan.  The difference between W Bush and Obama is that Bush threw away money we didn't have because he Wanted to- - and President Obama spent money because he Had to- - to clean up the economic mess that George W made.

It has been suggested that there have been criminal violations committed by the Tea Party in the past two and a half weeks.  First of all there is the 24 Billion loss in revenues to the economy.  But some would argue that what we have just been through is nothing less than a bloodless Coup that failed to come off.  If you think of it it in these terms it's really no laughing matter.  But some have spoken of violations of the Rico Act.  And there have been charges that this is "Racketeering".  As I understand Racketeering- - it is overtly threatening a government official with material harm- - if he does not either bend or break the law or otherwise exceed to some demands that can't be achieved by the normal democratic process.  I remember Humphrey Bogart in "Key Largo" saying to Edger G Robinson and his gang, "We fought a World War to get rid of the likes of you.  I didn't put my life on the line to come home to an America with guys like you still running loose".   They say that the Rico act is "Committing a crime to make money and using that money to commit other crimes".   So they will "pay to play".  Put the money in the money machine- - and the Congressman spits out the bill you've been wanting pass, by which you will profit.  And you take these profits to run advertizing campaigns to finance candidicies of other government proxies you want in office.  You want power so you can lust for more power such as robing union and pension funds.  You only oppress, in order to have the means to oppress even more.  Of course I have said that those who signed the Grover Norquist pledge- - are guilty of criminal activity because they violated their Oaths of Office.  They promised to serve the constitution and well and faithfully exercise their duties of office.  And these include serving the People and their interests, and not your own.  You can't be true to the legeslative process- - if the very Reason why you even got IN office was to dismantle the government - - by "Shrinking the government so that it's small enough to drown in the bathtub" as Norquest mandates.  But that's how it is now- - and nobody seems inclined to do anything about it.

In soap land- - Christine Di Mira is bounded on all sides by troubles and threats that could ruin all her plans, but she's not worried.  She's in that Rush Limbaugh state of deluded self confidence.   On one hand her fiancee was just informed on relyable information- - that Christine has had an affair and recently, and that Brady would never forgive her if he found out.  This was in a phone call but the other person isn't known to Nicole.  Then there is the flash drive, with the video time-bombs just waiting to go off.  And finally you have the Priest who is to marry the couple- - and his Memory of certain events is starting to come back- - and he should figure the whole thing out any day now.  Brady Black is such a first rate idiot in reality he deserves "Everything he Gets".  You can only warn a Fool so often, but one time- - if he is determined enough in his ways- - - he'll get the royal screwing of his life, with no one to blame but himself.

One preacher said that we need Christian hope because that "Otherwise we live our whole lives a pray to the fear of Death.  He would have us believe without Christ you walk in the shadow of death all the time.  The problem with this is that Christianity offers no material guarantee what so ever that we will somehow "Escape death" if that is even the goal.  We have no idea what is beyond death.  With no evidence at all- - it would seem that obsessing on a Fear for which there is absolutely no information- - Is Not Mentally Healthy.  Some have said "Do you want to cease to exist and exist in a state of Eternal Nothingness?"   The problem is that- - even if we believe theologians- - Everything needs to "Brought into existence" or somehow "Created".  As such even "Nothing" needs certain parameters in order to exist.  In order to say that "something vanished into nothingness" we have to be here IN A LIFE- - observing said "Nothingness".  If we didn't have the time and space and mental frames of reference in this life here and now - - "Nothingness" would mean nothing to us.  We therefore can't say what lies beyond death.  We therefore can't even say that "Nothingness" lies beyond Death- - if THAT is the thing you're afraid of.   I have spoken of Exestentialism as a "Gateway philosophy" to Christianity.  They spend there whole lives bemoaning the fact that "Life is meaningless".   So when someone like Chuck Smith comes along and says "Jesus will give your lives meaning" some of these exestentialists are of a mind set to fall for it.  I'm still trying to figure how "The Church" so to speak- - gave my life "Meaning" that somehow was unattainable to me before.  If you think about it and you would like your life to count for something and have meaning- - how can an Imaginary friend- - or phantom- or whatever - - of somebody else, you have to take HIS word even exists- - how can someone elses' theological imaginings give YOUR life this 'Meaning' you seek.  I dare you to just think about THAT.

A Debt Ceiling Deal Appears to be In the Works

I wouldn't break out the champaign just yet but it appears as if a deal will be struck to end the debt ceiling crisis and keep the government going for a few more months.  But the Senate won't even vote till after dinner, their time, and then the House gets the bill.  The big thing that has changed is that now John Boehner says that he will push the bill through and allow a vote on it by the entire membership of the House.  If we are lucky, the President will be signing the bill in the wee hours of tomorrow morning.  So how did we get here?  The senate worked out their bill at the beginning of the week.  Harry Reid and Mitch Mc Conell- - reached an accord where they are at least talking to each other now.  Johnny Wendell pointed out that US Senators can do this because Harry Reed represents the ENTIRE state of Nevada and Mitch Mc Conell represents the ENTIRE state of Kentucky.  That is that urban liberal votes and conservative rural votes and all the other interests must be given consideration.   Johnny Wendell points out that in the House they have Jerrymandered districts.  In the "special election" of fall 2005 I voted to keep jerrymandered districts here in California, and I was in the minority and that's not how we do things in California any more.  It seems that anything- - and especially Race- - is taken heavily into consideration in drawing districts to the advantage of the party in power.  So you may have Black districts that are 75 or 80 percent democratic, whereas in the rural districts they spread those out so that a fifty five percent majority will keep them afloat election after election.  As you know, invoking the 'What goes around, comes around' rule- - that if you speculate in high oil prices, it cam come back to bite you in the ass when the marked collapses.  In like manner- - with even a relatively small change in public oppinion you'll be able to "turn" a lot more red districts blue, than would otherwise be the case.  The powers that Be seem comfortable with this risk.  This senate bill extends the debt ceiling through to February 7th "so as not to interfere with Valentines Day" and it keeps the government fiscally afloat untill the middle of January of next year.  Some of these tea party members have said fantastic things.  On the Randy Rhodes show- - I heard this one lady respond to the question of "Do you love the United States less than you HATE Obama Care" and the lady goes on and on about what an unfair question that is, and then engaged in a torrent of lies and personal attacks.  I'd come back with "OK it's a stupid question.  Make me feel Stupid and answer the damn question- - and put me in my place".   As for John Boehner the sad truth is that his Bite is worse than his Bark.  He sounds reasonable, and then votes like a Fanatic.  This was not a good day for Rush Limbaugh this morning.  Rush carried on and on about how unfair it all was and how the republicans are conspiring with the media and the Obama socialists, and the Islamist extremists and God knows what else- - and the people are too dumb to realize that Rush Limbaugh is the only person where you can get the truth, about what the rest of the Media refuses to tell you.  Clearly Rush Limbaugh is not happy with the idea that this crisis could be resolved really soon.  This is in contrast to how he was a week before the debt crisis of 2011 when he was on Cloud Nine.  But it's not a case of "scoring points" just so that you don't have a shut-out.  But there is still a danger that against the quarterback's best intensions, John Boehner might still throw an interception.  It is not yet time to celebrate.   John Boehner claims "This is not some kind of game" but I think the Tea Party caucus views it entirely differently.  To them it's a case of "saving face" and as such- - as they see it- - nobody will love them any more if they ever lose a battle.  I think this despair is misplaced in that- - these tea baggers are such die-hards, reality has little to do with their perception of the world anyhow.  They've lost before- - many times, and it hasn't phased them a bit.  (Selah)

I got up fairly early about quarter after five [on Tuesday] and smoked my final cigarette.  I had Bill Press and Stephanie Miller on.  At nine it was Monique Marvez.  I am tiring of her endless examples about failed romantic relationships in her life.  If it isn’t her parent’s divorce and disparaging things she says about that, it one of her three ex husbands, and she isn’t all that old.  I think it’s an old wives myth that ex husbands and wives can’t have an aimiable divorce and actually be friends afterward, as long as they aren’t married to each other.  I agree with Monique about one thing, however.  I don’t think it’s a good idea to go off and get a tattoo or something s some sign of rebellion.  Soon I’d had enough and turned on ‘Let’s Make a Deal”.  They broke soon for one commercial and had a very few minutes more of the game, and broke for another longer series of commercials and I drew the line and just turned it off.  If they are going to have that many commercials BEFORE the half hour break, what will they do when they actually hit it?  I listened to Rush Limbaugh- - who once again was a more gratifying program than KTLK, which is becoming a trend for the nine o clock hours.  What Rush was saying was of course complete nonsense, but at least there is some sort of documentation of the crazy positions he has officially taken on issues.  Rush says “I really highly regard Ted Cruise and Sarah Palin if for no other reason than the Media hates them”.   Many have told lies about the democratic senate proposal saying they are attempting to “negotiate away the Sequester” when no such thing has been proposed in anything I’ve heard.  Rush also hates the “rank and file of the Republican party” now- - and he believes a compromise will be shoved down our throat.

There are other more personal reflections I have on this topic.  If you're wondering Cosmically what all the powers that Be are saying about this whole shut down debt crisis- - very little.  However yesterday - - Tuesday afternoon there was a sign from Alcyonne things were changing, and as you know Alcyonne is "The decider".  They write the script, and basically any changes go through them.  You may ask me "You are a determinist, so you aren't saying that the future can actually be Altered, can you?  That's an interesting subject.   There are relations with two different people (who hang out with each other all the time)  There was a "break in the ice" first with one of them, and then with the other, which was even a bigger fear.  And I'm asking myself Cosmically what is going on?  Because Chris Little or Jim Ward or one of those was saying that a settlement was "never going to happen" and I was inclined to believe him.   Even as late as this morning I was mulling over my mind while taking my morning shower, what I as President would say to Speaker Boehner in any face to face meeting.  I was thinking in terms of "Think of what your wife and kids would say and think about you as "Oh, your daddy is the one who economically wrecked America".   And frankly I would have played the race card saying things like "you and I both know darn well that none of this would be happening if I wasn't Black".  We all know what Nicole did today in an act of desperation.  Some may say she used the 'Nuclear option" to nuke the marriage of Christine Di Mira and Brady Black, but actually for you dunces out there- - she was strictly following Church Law.  And I was thinking of just what a "Horrible mistake' was made in the summer of 2011- - making that terrorist concession then and setting a President that would come back to bite me, as well as any future President in the ass.  I'm saying more than I intended.  And if the President had made me promise "I'll sign - but only if you solemly promise that this won't be held against me or any other Republican in the 2014 campaign".  And of course I would break my word as soon as the ink was dry on my Presidential signature.  And I would tell John Boehner to his face that I would have promised Speaker Boehner the moon- - or anything- - just to get him to Sign, because the soundness of the United States is more important in breaking a promise I made to someone under duress.  But back to our little question- - we know that Stephano prayed to God and made promises if God would spare the life of his son, who was in fact flat-lining on the opperation table at the moment.  Even the doctor who opperated on him said "It wasn't my genious- - some other Force wanted him to live".  I guess "The powers that Be" have decided that the October 17th won't be the day the United States goes bankrupt.  But that's not to say it can't happen another day four months from now, when we face this same crisis all over again.  Because we have gained nothing.  Yes it's a time to Rejoice - at least a little- - but we are still back to a month or so ago when Speaker Boehner promised Harry Reed that if the sequester was kept intact that Boehner would see to it that the debt ceiling was raised.  But returning to our question about the Future being Changed - - I talked to Stewart about it this afternoon.  He said "Yes there is an explanation as to how the future could be "Changed" and yet Determanistic Law be kept intact.  I think you know what the explanation is- - but if you tried to explain it to anybody you'd sound like a mad man".

In terms of baseball the Federation is routing for the red teams- - the Red Sox against the Tigers and the Cardinals against the Dodgers.  Of course as you know from 1982 that Federation Star Ships are called "Red Birds".   So the Cardinals are our team.  Detroit is ruled by what the Romulans often call "The White Horse group" and that doesn't refer to a brand of Scotch.   We told you that Mal Evans has "major issues" with the Taccomans - - overlords of the Dodgers now.  You want to know a really early Taccoman group, the group that made "I Love How You Love Me" in 1961, and also the Fleetwoods are also Taccomans.  I saw the former on an open montage of Phil Specter's Greatest Hits.  Johnny Wendell was talking about which group should be inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame, and I vote for "Deep Purple" if they aren't already there.  Johny Wendell talked about "gritty" rock.  Well the bands on Denelus II have for many decades now been described as "Grungy" rock, the adjitive form.  You have a lot of very early semilal groups that went on to be other things such as the Turtles (fresh from the Swamp) the Grass Roots, the Rascles,  and as you know many people left the M 51 Planet and emigrated to Denelus II including the Troggs and the Syndicate of Sound.  Status Quo thought of migrating but stayed on M 51 at least while they had their one hit.  And what they refer to as "The Stevie Wonder Band" at least as far up as "Yester You Yester Me Yesterday" is Romulan.  Stevie Wonder is NOT a Romulan but the Band was- - so in essence as a part of all those recordings He was.  But starting as early as "Sign, Sealed and Delivered" (the date is unclear) Stevie Wonder reverted to his native self with no overlordship.  In terms of rock groups- - I would like to add two groups to the ranks of the "Berliners" or "Berlin group", as we have defined them.  "Men Without Hats" doing the Safety Dance- - and Billy Idol.   And of course the Cars are Arkturians, if we didn't say.  And I'd like to add one more group to the "Negrons" and actually they are more often called "Necrons", which is a better non racial choice.  That group is the "Five Man Electrical Band".   As you know this group has all of the Chicago clones, as I call them but NOT Chicago.  And also you know the drill on other groups such as the 'Undisputed Truth", the Occasions, Al Wilson, Al Green, the OJ's ect. Oh, and there is another "Shining Star" in the Federation firmlement.  Earth Wind and Fire are proprietary Federation.  Their guardian angels today wanted to make sure I didn't think they were "One of those Necrons".  But I never did think they were.  I vote "Shining Star" as song of the day, and now with this government crisis passed, perhaps we can all Shine a little.

In personal news- - someone in this Building was targeted by the "Crestorians" last Saturday, I believe.  And as you may or may not know- - the Crestorians aren't too careful about "collateral damage".  They consider it just a "natural consequence of war".   Just don't do anything to piss them off and you generally won't have a problem.   They tend to be big on avenging "affairs of Honor".  The problem is a lot of us are suffering from the act of what I'd call a "directed cosmic hit".   In other news- - I haven't talked to my Mom in a month and a half, in fact since I last saw her right around the end of August (31st?)  One brother is seeing her on Saturday and apparently I'm not invited, and if I were to be I'm uncertain but what that won't be the day the World Series starts.  In case you are wondering I've still been pretty much able to avoid conversation with Judy in matters of government.

None Dare Call it Sabotage

I see two possible avenues of action the Justice Department could take.  We still have the old “Sedition” laws passed during World War I don’t we?  I think we can agree that if ever there IS such a case of sedition, it would be to undermine by speech or deeds, the workings of the federal government.  Maybe congress can’t impeach itself but the ‘High crimes and misdomeaners” portion still remains.  Why can’t Sec Eric Holder file charges against John Boehner for “obstruction of government”.  We know you can be impeached after all for “obstruction of justice”.  You can kick jurors out of the jury room for “failure to deliberate with the others”.  It’s rather obvious now that John Boehner is never going to allow an up or down vote on anything that contains provisions the tea party doesn’t like.  What is the world to think of us?  I’m a bit fuzzy on just who they blame in all of this.  China and Japan have spoken of the “De Americanization of world trade”.  Ironically, or perhaps not so ironically- - these people such as WND and the tea party say that it was the President’s goal all along to “crash the economy and create a demand for some radical new government”, and these same people say that ‘Any day now” China will pull all of its financing out of the US economy”.   We have already established that according to the Rolling Stone, this whole plan has been in the formation stage for the better part of this year.  So the Attorney General can add “conspiracy” to his list of charges.  But there is another way the Justice Department can get involved.  I don’t normally say this but I believe they should right now be drawing up charger for crimes that HAVE NOT YET BEEN COMITTED.   That is- - tomorrow morning when the bond market opens- - if the Koch Brothers so desire- - they can do as I proposed yesterday and start issuing a bunch of high interest bonds on a massive scale with a “no escape” clause.  You can’t cash them out early, but of course you’d be free to sell them, at a steep discount.  Because that’s just what will happen when the Koch Brothers give the signal to “end all of this”.  We know it will not end until they issue the order from on high, and then John Boehner will order a House vote on the latest Senate proposal, which sounds reasonable to me.  And we will all share a sign of relief.  But of course it would be a clear case of manipulating the economy on a massive basis, for great monetary gain.

Many people I suspect love to get in “people” occupations because they are in love with their own expertise at bullshitting every one they meet.  One time back in August of 1069 I was in Al Kaders’ group therapy session in Santa Ana- - and I took exception to all the gratuatus insults I was receiving- - and make no mistake about it- - weak willed people love to play follow the leader and if they see a leader insulting someone right and left and raking them over the coals, some self preservation instinct within them  (perhaps it’s a character flaw but I’m telling you it exists) will tend to go along with the flow, and join in the chorus.  I’m not saying these leaders can pull it off all the time, but often they can.  And Al Kaders would day in his defense that “Well when you go into surgery they cut you open and use a knife- - and it can cause pain and you bleed, but it’s a necessary first step in the operation to make you better”.  But of course they never graduate beyond the slice and dice stage- - and you’re left bleeding.  But today of course - - making a big incision with a knife is not a necessary part of every “surgery”.  We have endoscopic surgery now, which is far less invasive.  We also have chiropractic “adjustment” procedures or “treatements” and some with a laying on of hands call it “psychic surgery”.  But now let’s go to Christianity.  When the Greek speaks in ontological terms, the term “First” takes on a significance it normally doesn’t have.  Because the word “First” doesn’t mean “first in a series”.  For instance- - suppose Mary Wells didn’t have a “first” hit with “The one who really loves you”.  She could have her first hit with “Beaten to the punch”.  But there is a way in which the word “First” can be used that it not only means the starting point but “If you do Nothing Else, at least do This”.   We now come to the Christian gospel.  Walter Martin said the First thing you need to do in sharing the “good news” is to inform the person that right Now he is destined to spend an eternity in Hell when he dies”.  It’s important to establish this- - because without this one notion or “belief” about oneself established- - it’s pointless to say anything else because it will have neither meaning nor relevance.  Capish?   As such people may know little else about God and religion but they know they don’t want to go to Hell- - and deep down- - as they say in all these Sci Fi torture movies “We can access the deep and repressed Fear portion of the brain, often containing surpressed memories from childhood.”   People like Neil Sevedra love to taunt people with this "cognitive dissinense" for lack of a better term.  It could be said that Neil Savedra- - at least as he presents himself on his radio show- - doesn’t have a forgiving bone in his body.  Everything he says features the “preeminence of sin” how it can be compounded and grow- - and there is no remedy for it, and those who think they have a remedy or “Healing’ for it, need to be actively surpressed.  Those who would teach forgiveness for sins- - such as in abortions, need to be surpressed.  Neil believes that as a Christian we have no "rights" but heaven forbid that Satan be denied HIS rights, according to Neil.  The whole concept of "forgiveness" as far as Neil will allow for it at all is more in the nature of "cutting your losses and moving on".  This of course violates the very essence of what Jesus taught in the Bible as forgiveness being a "personal reconciliation".  Jesus will not save you from the consequences of your sinful actions.  But of course all this talk of Hell and such- - - is not based on so much as one Eye Witness of anyone actually having Been there themselves.  You gotta admit Christianity puts the worst stock and pyramid scheme hucksters on Wall Street and elsewhere to shame, for their brazenness.  What strikes me as highly disgusting and nausiating that Congress should begin every day with a Prayer, even when it's to conduct such dastardly actions.  But then Neil- - as a 180 degree polar opposite of the Jesus in the Gospels- - teaches this very thing, that prayer is best employed NOT to actually invoke God in some act of supplication- - but merely as a prop to impress your friends with how religious and devout you are.  It's strictly a case of "Hate your next dark [skinned] neighbor, but don't forget to say grace".  And neither should you ever look to God for anything because “You are the decider” in Neil’s world.  If your resolve is just strong enough - - you can literally Will Yourself- - to Believe everything I Believe and tell you to believe, and do whatever I tell you to do”.  That sounds like an oxy moronism but true.  The idea that God or the Holy Spirit has anything to do with all of this is anathema to Neil.  If you try to quote scripture about this he will say “That scripture doesn’t apply”.  In fact Neil has practically come out and said the Holy Spirit was virtually useless.

They say that the vast majority of K 9 biting incidents of suspects- - occurs in south LA and the southeastern “industrial area”.  David Cruise said that one hundred percent of all K 9 biting incidents of suspects have occurred with either Blacks or Latinos.   Dog bits overall among law enforcement is up 30% and among Blacks the figure has risen 33%.  So if anything the racial bias is getting worse.  But Passadena is where the situation is the most biased among that city’s PD.  They say that eleven percent of the city is Black- - but that ninety percent of those who are arrested for whatever- - are Black.  But the ratio is not nine to one.  It’s worse.  Because not only Blacks getting arrested at ten times their share- - White youths are getting arrested at one tenth their share.  If you put these two figures together the inescapable conclusion is that there is a racial bias by a factor of nearly a hundred.  That means that per capita that Blacks are a hundred times nearly more likely to be arrested by the Passadina PD.  Of course when you drive by and see the police detaining youths on the curb you think to yourself “Well there go those minorities again- always getting into trouble”.   But for good news-  holiday sales are predicted to have record gains this year- - if we still have a Country by then.

 We had vanilla ice cream for dessert.  I had seconds on the meatballs and carrots and they were out of rice.  So many sources now say that for Type II diabetes you can cure the condition merely by losing weight- - in a large number of cases.  Some have gone so far as to say you can cure Diabetes II by the surgical operation of an intestinal bypass- - when a healthier diet staying away from processed foods with sugar in it- seems the sensible thing to do.   Cosmically we have spoken of type I and type II White Andromadans.   The type I are the type interspursed with Romulans in sort of a “checkerboard pattern” so I’m told, in Bakersfield.  The type II White Amdromadans are genetically similar except there is some Atlanta Romulan in the mix, complicating the genetic breakdown a little.  The Lucasites of Fresno have this type II White Andromadan in their genetics- - and I’m not going to break all the rest down for you now.  I have been told there is ‘no fundamental change” in Bakersfield.  I was thinking because of all these cop beatings reported out of Bakersfield lately that something fundamentally had changed there lately.  Apparently not.   I gave Bill butts.  I still have that dollar, but Janet has behaved so strangely these past three weeks I am not even sure I could approach her for coffee even on a strictly cash on the line bases.  (trust me on this one)  I’d much rather deal with Glen - - because you can talk to Glen.  I think the moral of Chris Matthews’ book on Reagan and O Neil is that- - “You need to be able to have a working relationship with someone”.

On the soap opera Chad Di Mira was shot, and his survival appears dubious at this point since he’s been flat-lining and a nurse said “We’ve lost him”.  This is right after Stephano said a prayer to God for him.  Mrs Bernardi was actually relatively lucid today and wanted the Di Mira family to pay, since she now blames the Di Mira family rather than Sammy for her husband’s death.  Christine has been acting like an asshole, and Samantha gave an excellent dress-down speech to Stephano.  Daniel Jonas how has possession of the hard drive and has informed Eric.  They are putting antivirus software just in case the drive is booby-trapped.