tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50435542011-07-08T04:24:25.234-04:00Opinion and review of politics, sports and music culture and their effect on liberty and the endless search of a good time.Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.comBlogger231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-57403263776835685342010-05-28T10:28:00.002-04:002010-05-28T10:34:15.312-04:00

Myself like most people hate seeing the millions of gallons of oil gushing up from the seabed polluting the Gulf coast. I even hate reading about it. There is a lot of blame to go around, and it looks like BP should carry the most; how in the hell did they not have some kind of contingency plan? An explosion causing a disruption in the pumping would seem to be something you would plan for. It

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-23629302977238244702010-03-23T10:48:00.001-04:002010-03-23T10:48:33.822-04:00

Obamacare will not be a medical nirvana: it is all about control. This law will involve extreme redistribution and mandates that will ultimately lead to higher premiums, lower quality care, fewer doctors and fewer jobs. We don't have the money to pay for it, Medicare is already bankrupt. Jobs will go away as businesses can't afford new taxes or pay higher insurance rates. Physicians will limit

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-76295733642301382602010-03-18T09:33:00.001-04:002010-03-18T09:34:45.989-04:00

"It is not because men have passed laws that personality, liberty, and property exist. On the contrary, it is because personality, liberty, and property already exist that men make laws." - Bastiat - The LawRightfully so. No only if our elected representatives in government would deem those words and pass that sentiment.

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-4662018677473695292010-03-16T13:14:00.000-04:002010-03-16T13:15:34.886-04:00

1. Formulate a bill behind closed doors.2. Vote on the bill without reading it.3. Ignore the American people's will4. Use sleight of hand and un-Constitutional tactics to ram it through.5. Proclaim an "historic moment".--Now that's Change We Can Believe In....

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-84415469960809688502010-03-15T10:20:00.003-04:002010-03-15T10:42:55.403-04:00

King's Under The Dome is a massive Senate health care sized tome, that pits what King does best: the trials of tribulations of a large cast from everyday USA against an unseemly occurrence that brings out the best and worst of society. Set in his fictional Maine universe, the small town of Chester Mills suddenly finds itself encapsulated by an impenetrable force field, that cuts through

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-69294478912382290212010-03-14T13:49:00.002-04:002010-03-14T13:59:55.514-04:00

Obama and many people are decrying the Supreme Court's Citizens United vs. Clinton which removed limits on corporate spending on elections. I believe that it is a victory for free speech, that there shouldn't be any limits but full disclosure. It is a double-edge sword: if a certain company or interest group you do not like donates money to Candidate A, then that could harm the candidate in the

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-20159699466216454032010-03-03T07:48:00.001-05:002010-03-03T07:51:43.143-05:00

It is hard to live up to hype as being the best burger in the world. And honestly, how could any place have that? There are great burgers, good burgers, and awful ones. The one at Le Tub was great. The place itself is fantastic, a throwback to old Florida. Cheap beer, funky decor, and a beautiful view of the Intercoastal. I've read about the wait for the food and the servers, but both were

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-70549475571452311352010-02-18T06:57:00.002-05:002010-02-18T07:01:19.641-05:00

The reuniting of the Right produced the Mount Vernon Statement signed by many leader conservatives such as Ed Meese and Brent Bozell. I agree with the statement and its ideals, but I really doubt a lot of these 'signers' bona fides.They claim to support the Constitution and want smaller government action in America. But where were these guys during the Bush administration's obvious growth of

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-45365345586004705382009-12-30T17:27:00.002-05:002009-12-30T17:31:30.574-05:00

With all the debate about having National Health Care where the government guarantees insurance for everybody to reduce the uninsured, why haven't policies wonks and Congress looked to the states? The Jan 2010 issue of Reason discusses how NY, WA, MA and TN have all implemented some form of government health care to reduce the amounts of uninsured. MA famously implemented even imposed the

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-77329974452274531422009-12-21T15:36:00.002-05:002009-12-21T15:42:03.925-05:00

One of the main questions I have been asking, and surprisingly no one in the GOP noise is. We can always argue IF Congress should vote to drastically increase government control in health care, but what if the question is CAN Congress vote on this legislation? I am unsure how the Commerce Clause can be pulled to have governmental involvement in health care (especially since it still doesn't

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-21530108191378183602009-12-18T12:44:00.003-05:002009-12-18T12:55:36.127-05:00

Once again the environmental lobby and their pals in the Socialist/Communist Left have proven what a shame 'climate consensus summits' are. Copenhagen is a farce that will accomplish nothing in the realm of actually improving the environment. Rather it will be a wealth transfer of BILLIONS of dollars from Western governments to dictators. How else to explain the standing ovations from speeches

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-33037882870299328352009-12-01T09:05:00.002-05:002009-12-01T09:17:09.147-05:00

Wow I can't believe it has been this long since a blog post. I guess I can't blame much other than 2009 has been a very turbulent year for me both personally, politically and professionally. On the negative front I lost a close family member, lost/regained/lost a job, am witnessing the growth of governmental power in the US unheard of for the last 60 years, and have been dealing with a

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-91516180912707122692008-11-18T11:58:00.002-05:002008-11-18T11:59:18.595-05:00

Apple Pan harkens back to the old days of Los Angeles burger consumption, when the main thoroughfares were lined with burger joints. Dating back to the 1930s when this area was pretty rural, and located on Pico Blvd, it still is housed in the original space with a horseshoe counter, griddle in the middle, the servers are all old men in paper hats and aprons, and drinks are served in paper cups

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-91932748775770719032008-10-10T14:46:00.003-04:002008-10-10T14:47:52.632-04:00

20 min documentary on The Winstons "Amen Brother" drum break; one of the most widely used samples in history. Goes into great details of the birth of sampling, copywright laws, and the use of drum breaks in particular.Amen Brother Documentary

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-37216520309917437032008-08-21T10:35:00.003-04:002008-08-21T10:49:28.973-04:00

So today I downloaded(legally - I paid for it) the new Bloc Party record, Intimacy. I've given it only a cursory once over, and I have to say it is great. I think it is more put together than the haphazard Weekend In The City, giving more hard hitting guitars, vocal hooks and of course the fantastic "drum machine" drumming of Matt Tong. My first impressions are that this is a pretty hard

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-33702853342804690232008-01-24T12:16:00.000-05:002008-01-24T12:17:48.508-05:00

Mr. Bartley’s is a Harvard institution, located right across the street from Harvard Square since 1960. It is a very small, loud yet friendly place. The walls are covered with political bumper stickers, a few long tables, and a bar where you can order directly to the soda jerk making all the old-fashioned drinks such as egg creams, frappes, and lime rickeys. Being by myself, I chose the latter

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-88459516026490604562007-11-13T17:46:00.000-05:002007-11-13T17:48:45.941-05:00

1988. I remember that year well, as that was the year that hip-hop really blew up as an art form and popular music across the United States and was the first year of a period of unparalleled creativity that spawned the best hip-hop releases. A white kid like me living in suburban Northern VA didn’t have much access to hip-hop, I got most of my fix from my next door neighbor who moved there from

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-54208890795454357702007-10-25T16:10:00.000-04:002007-10-25T16:11:31.275-04:00

Kansas City, MO - Home of jazz and blues, Arrowhead, the George Brett Super Highway, and of course mouth-watering, cholesterol-laden, smoky barbecue! Now I have been to Kansas City before and have tried about 6 different joints, so I’d like to think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. But first some background: Since KC is smack in the middle of the U.S., and was once a main

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-1078954215440735542004-03-10T16:30:00.000-05:002004-03-10T16:50:57.076-05:00

Jay-Z - "99 Problems"off The Black Albumproduced by Rick RubinWhy wasn't this the lead single? Definitely the best banger for the buck off Jiggy's claimed last LP, "99 Problems" should be the party stomper and circle former of 2004. Proving that today's hip-hop doesn't need the minimal drum programming, synth lines, and guests that plague the modern world, Jay-Z rips it ontop of hard drums and

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-902532572003-03-06T14:18:00.000-05:002003-03-06T14:28:56.000-05:00

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart 7"Factory Records 1980 (produced by Martin Hannett)Maybe its because I just saw 24 Hour Party People but I really have been getting back into Joy Division and New Order. I guess I have always been a casual fan: I own Unknown Pleasures and think "Blue Monday" is one of the greatest songs ever recorded, but I guess I was too busy with other music to really

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-890425222003-02-13T12:50:00.000-05:002004-03-09T17:07:05.170-05:00

Duran Duran – RioEMI Records 1982 (produced by Colin Thurston)Ah the 1980s. Rising like a phoenix out of the depressing blackness of the 70s, the world of Reagan and Thatcher destroying the vestiges of socialism and communism bringing forth the glory of freedom and the idea that the world has something to look forward to. The crushing welfare state in Britain is dismantled; America is trying to

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-889933042003-02-12T16:28:00.000-05:002003-02-12T16:39:01.000-05:00

Missile batteries surround D.C. So jeeps outfitted with Avenger anti-aircraft missiles are surrounding the Nation's Cap. I'm in Kansas City right now to fly home to D.C. tomorrow night; maybe I should stay in the Heartland where I guess the chance of getting hit by a terrorist is less. But I haven't been home in two weeks, and I have a lot of records I need to listen to and I have this party to

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043554.post-889770572003-02-12T10:51:00.000-05:002003-02-12T16:42:05.000-05:00

The Conflict"These are the times that try men's souls". I am opening my blog with a quote from Thomas Paine's The American Crisis written in December 1776. At that time the Revolutionary War was just underway, but the movement to American independence was not universally supported by the colonies. Even though General George Washington led his fellow patriots into battle against the British,

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13422799213281405742noreply@blogger.com0