Mr. Heartbreak

Maybe it sucks to have it in the middle of a CD, but I always loved it and thought it was a great track to start off Side B. Least favorite: their covers of stuff like Kansas City, Please Mr. Postman ...stuff like that. Least favorite original: probably something off the first record or two, like Hold Me Tight, which is pretty lightweight, to put it kindly.

Not to get too crass about it, but I suspect that your average lawn care guy would give his left nut for a day to live in a mansion that has elevators for the owner's cars. Wow, this has really, really gotten away from serious discussion about the issues.

Not as much as being an actual shoeshine or lawn maintenance guy.

You're right. But in the minds of most of us, taxes are taxes. The rich need to pay more, or they soon won't have anyone left to cut their grass or shine their shoes. Here is another reality check for the wealthy: 27% of Americans don't save any money on a monthly basis 17% save $50 or less 12% save $51-100 So 56% of us now save a paltry $100 or less per month...pretty frightening. Only 15% of Americans save $500 or more per month. I was putting away $400 per month on a middle income until my divorce but now - like most of the people mentioned above, I suspect - I can't afford it. I'm goin

Sorry I did not see Jules' earlier post asking me why we should remove the cap at which SS taxes apply. The answer: because people who earn large sums of money per year need to pay a higher tax rate going forward, the way they did up until Dubya cut everyone's taxes. The revenue is needed.

It was a private conversation with two registered Democrats. She's not declaring this stuff publicly or even campaigning for Obama. I was just passing along the story. Don't shoot the messenger.

So it turns out that one of my co-workers knew Paul Ryan years ago: she actually went to the same high school with him, although she was not in the same class. She told a couple of us a rather funny story about how he was running for some type of office at the state level, I believe, and came literally running up to her at the state fair to try to secure her vote. He grabbed her hand (and held onto it) and started out with, "I know you're a Democrat, but..." She said the whole time he was talking, all she could think was, Eeewww. You're touching me. Stop touching me. Hahahaha. Anyway, out o

The current Social Security fund deficit of $1 trillion was primarily caused by two unpaid-for wars and tax breaks for the rich. This country spends an outlandish amount of money every year on propping up and/or expanding the military industrial complex that Ike warned us about. We need to seriously slash that part of the budget and apply it toward Social Security. The other thing to do is what ih8music said, raise/remove the cap at which SS taxes apply. It should be removed, actually. Problem solved. The concept that "Social Security is going broke" is ridiculous. It's like me taking 50 dolla

Sparky, I totally understand where you're coming from. I have read a lot about it, and even got scammed by a multilevel marketing group called the Institute for Global Prosperity. Their whole shtick was to talk about The Creature from Jekyll Island and about how the IRS was never properly ratified, blah blah blah, the currency system is a fiat system, we don't really have to pay taxes to the federal government, etc. They really educated me, for a price, of course. They, too, said the sky was falling. This was over ten years ago. Bottom line, the founder was indicted on income tax evasion by

http://packetpushers.net/reactive-jobs-vs-proactive-jobs-the-time-management-struggle/children-hiding-under-desks-in-cold-war-drills

Wow, holy shit. I can't believe he still sounds this good. Totally psyched to see these guys in November.

And Romney is bolstering his conservative cred by putting an Ayn Randian on the ticket. Does no one realize that Ayn Rand wrote FICTION? I think if our society devolves further, it will be because of the constant undermining of the social contract. Too many people out for themselves.

Way to energize us on the left. I was seriously thinking of just voting to reelect Obama, but this makes me motivated to campaign for him. And yes, I live in Florida. I think Ryan is as morally repugnant as anyone I have seen on the far right - literally proposing Social Security privatization or cuts, when it's barely enough to subsist on for anyone today as it is, and proposing draconian Medicare cuts while giving tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. I make a middle income but have NO 401(k) in my company. I have gotten royally fucked in the stock market multiple times, especially in

I finally got around to watching all of the Yahoo version of the performance, and I was underwhelmed too. While it was nice to see my man Neal Casal in there (boy, I hope he gets to open for, or at least do some lead vocals for, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood show I'm going to later this year), I felt like the Weir and Donna vocals were mostly pretty weak. The version of Scarlet Begonias was rather tame and went on far too long, and the Days Between was downright painful. I have enjoyed a few Ratdog shows in the past, but I think I will pass on seeing any of these types of shows in the future.

Good point, Lou. Still, there are some differences between the two, policy-wise...notwithstanding Sparky's comments to the contrary. For example: http://www.washingto...pm_business_pop

Sure, Sarah. Better yet, how about I put it on my blog, and you can link to it? I could use the traffic.

I suppose it would be easy to add to, or expand on, the Romney "Weaknesses" list, too. What has the guy done since he left office in 2007, with what wikipedia describes as an approval rating of "34 percent in November 2006, his rating level ranked 48th of the 50 U.S. governors?" Run for office. I suspect that even most of the people voting for him would describe him as "a typical politician, lies constantly, will say anything to get elected." I see him as offensive and unacceptable on many levels, but the "out of touch aristocrat" one is probably the most egregious. I don't think he's got

I think you covered most of it. As an Obama supporter, I am loathe to add to the "Weaknesses" list, but one that occurred to me is the enthusiasm gap within the base. I will admit that, although I campaigned for him in '08, I am much less likely to do so now....even though I'm in the swing state of Florida. They have already called me and asked twice, and I am still telling them, "I'll get back to you." Honestly, I prefer to get paid for my work, and they aren't offering. I may decide in October to make some calls, but not really feeling it. I suppose if Romney gains traction after the bi

http://www.rollingst...oiv-FcMhtVBK34A

Unfortunately - much to the chagrin of the saner Republicans out there - that has become the de facto GOP platform. It is an Ayn Rand/social Darwinism view of the world. If you are not rich, that sucks for you, but it's your own damn fault. You should have pulled yourself up by your own boot straps, blah blah blah. The demonization of the poor (lazy, entitled, etc) has now expanded to the middle class, where teachers, policemen and firefighters are targeted too. It seems many of them will not be satisfied until the nation in 2013 resembles the nation in 1913 more.

Damn, that is a serious bummer. I have some pretty great Olivia Tremor Control material, although I was not particularly familiar with Elephant 6. A loss of a very interesting talent, and way too young. Jeez.

I have a few of the Pure Jerry releases: Vol. # 4, 6 & 9, and then one from July 29 & 30, 1977, whatever # that is. Looks like the one I connected with most is #9, which is labeled "San Francisco Bay Area, 1978." I kept versions on my iPod of Mystery Train, Catfish John, Second that Emotion, Mission in the Rain, Lonesome and a Long Way from Home....almost the whole thing. It's got Donna on it, and she is in good pretty good voice.

Sometimes I can't help but wonder how many of today's popular musicians spend the kind of time and energy on their music that Steely Dan did. I'm guessing very few at best. http://youtu.be/0_KCcxFKTuk

I have never used this service, but it looks like some of their band descriptions are pretty amusing: Really covering all the bases there....

Shug, if this were Facebook, I would just click "Like" and move on. But since it's VC, I will post an actual response. Thanks for the review, and for the details about Melvin & Co.... I must admit, having seen the Dead a handful of times in the 80s, and once in '91, along with one JGB show in '89, I have never seriously contemplated going to a JGB show since Jerry's passing, but your post has made me reconsider. I would love to see a good band - any band - do a respectable job on Mississippi Moon or My Sisters and Brothers. I have been to some Ratdog shows (that's a whole other thing, but