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May 29, 2008

Awesome jazz guitarist to play for free Saturday night

My friend Phil Sparks will be performing his masterful jazz guitar work on Saturday evening  at 7 p.m.

He will be playing for free at Backstreet Buzz Coffee House, 234 SW Market St., Reidsville. 348-2899.

I am here to tell you that if you like jazz or the guitar, Phil is the man for you.

I met him two years ago at the local music shop. I saw this guy working the fretboard in a way I had never seen in person and had to let him know how impressed I was. Phil is as humble and friendly as he is talented.

Backstreet Buzz is Reidsville's new coffee house and is a great place to get that big city feel in this little old town.

For my 15 or so readers in Greensboro, this event is well worth the 25 minute drive up US 29.

If you need directions, just leave me a comment.

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 07:11 AM | | Comments (0)

May 28, 2008

"It is contained only on planet earth."

Via 60 Minutes comes the best summary I've heard yet on the subprime crisis and how far it's tendrils reach into the world economy:

"One hundred of the world's biggest financial institutions now are on the hook for a reported total of $379 billion in bad debt - and counting ...

... Asked how many of these securities are out there, Grant says, "A trillion with a T-plus.

Asked who bought them and owns them, Grant says, "You know, state pension funds, the hedge funds bought them. Foreign central banks own some of these things, if you please. So the ownership is very widely dispersed, which accounts for the general anxiety, and the persistence of anxiety."

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 12:10 PM | | Comments (0)

May 27, 2008

Bush, Mccain, dead wrong on GI Bill

NYT:

"So lavish with other people’s sacrifices, so reckless in pouring the national treasure into the sandy pit of Iraq, Mr. Bush remains as cheap as ever when it comes to helping people at home." 

I try. I really do. I don't want to criticize my own president, but he makes it necessary sometimes. I know W. has said he doesn't care about history, or how it will judge him, but you think somebody in his administration would know something, if not much, about history.

Opposing updates to the GI Bill is ridiculous. The GI Bill is one of the fairest, if not most effective, policies this country has ever had. Giving incentive to serve, in the form of money for college for service personnel, is a double good. You reward them for effort by giving them a larger opportunity that requires even more effort. There is no handout involved.

That's why Bush, and McCain, are so wrong.

Hoover was wrong too, about a lot of things. Bush has more in common with Hoover the more I think about it.

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 06:53 AM | | Comments (0)

May 23, 2008

Small donor Republicans need to get in the game

For what my small voice is worth, I am urging all Republicans to support local and state level candidates with their donations. I believe that our local and state candidates represent the best hope to improve the Republican Party. I am very excited about our candidate for governor and have sent him a small donation. I urge all working class Republicans and conservatives to send $25 or $50 to the candidate of your choice.

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 03:49 PM | | Comments (0)

May 20, 2008

A never ending story

I give the NCGOP props for using technology, but I kind of doubt it will change much. Probably about as much as my cost of war counter has changed. ($521 billion if you are scoring at home.)

When I heard that state revenues exceeded projections by about $100 million my first thought was that would be great to give it back to the counties for local projects. Wouldn't that be a great winfall for local capital projects.

I asked my local state senator if he thought that might happen. "Not hardly," he laughed.

My local state representative is already telling people there is an equal shortfall in the DOT trust fund account for the year.

I've become pretty determinist in my view of never ending increases in government.

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 03:58 PM | | Comments (0)

It's not gay marriage that really bothers me

I think this proves that we, as a nation, have lost our way:

"What happened to him?

We know what happened initially from the accounts of three M.P.’s: Mark Nagy, Jason Kenner, and Walter (Tony) Diaz. Al-Jamadi was put in a stress position, a “Palestinian hanging” — a low-budget crucifixion without the nails. His arms were handcuffed behind him and then the handcuffs were suspended from a window frame. [5,6,7] (As a prisoner becomes weaker and weaker, greater and greater pressure is put on the arms, potentially pulling them out of the sockets.) He is left alone in the room with a C.I.A. interrogator, Mark Swanner, and a C.I.A. translator, identified in various reports as Clint C. [8]"

 

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 06:48 AM | | Comments (0)

May 14, 2008

Not your everyday radio station

If you like music as much as I do, may I suggest you check out IranianRadio.com and their podcast stream on I-Tunes. I'm specifically referring to their Traditional channel, which plays Persian sonati. Very cool.

Updated: Even better is Putamayo Radio, a stream of a weekly radio show from the Putamayo label, purveyors of the best collection of world music in, well, the world.

Guess I don't have to listen to Simon at work anymore and thank God for that.

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 09:33 AM | | Comments (3)