Merry Christmas!!
December 22nd, 2007
I wanted to take a moment and wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In spite of personal trials and tribulations we still managed to make it through another year on this planet. And, if for nothing else we should at least be thankful for that. After all, like this forum proves, we are not alone in our suffering nor are we alone in our joy. This year, for me personally, has been amazing, heartbreaking, incredible, exhausting, exhilirating, trying, and whatever other word that ends with “ing”. And, for many of you, I’m sure that this year can be described as such. Yet, I am home for Christmas and my kids will have presents under the tree on Christmas day.
I want to thank all of you that have attended the shows, bought cd’s, blogged, etc…your contribution is immeasurable. You have made me feel like a king when I have been but a pawn. When my path was filled with doubt you set me on one filled with hope. You have been there through and through and I cannot thank you enough…May you have a wonderful holiday season and may next year be even better than this year!!
Peace and love,
RM

Ho! Ho! Ho!!!
December 2nd, 2007
First, I sincerely hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving with friends and family. Secondly, I would like to thank everyone that have come out (and will, hopefully) to our Christmas Party Tour this year. The crowds have just been fantastic and we (the band with the very talented Ephraim Owens on trumpet) have been having a ball. My voice has been holding up fairly well, despite leaving Nashville with almost none at all. I know I messed up a couple of songs in Pittsburgh (so sorry). However, it wasn’t because we were partying before the show. Besides, anybody that knows me, knows that I don’t party before a show. Now, after the show…well, uhum… I just made a joke (on stage) in order to not make any excuses about my voice. Luckily, we have a couple of days off and I get to relax at the Mohegan Sun. I know, I know…poor me!
It has been fun getting to meet some of the forum folks and getting to know you. You guys are the best and I thank you for all you do in helping to spread the word. I’m looking forward to the rest of the shows in all these great venues in all these great cities. I’ll check back in here after a while…
Peace and love,
Raul

New York, New York…
August 9th, 2007
What a wonderful, overpopulated, over-occupied, crazy, frenetic ball of energy that town is. I love it of course. It is like no other. By the way, we have said it for years but it is now official…It is actually quicker to walk ten blocks than to drive ten blocks in Manhattan. Nonetheless every trip to Gotham is worthy of remembrance. This one started with a visit to WFUV(Fordham University’s wonderful radio station). I usually visit the station by myself with my guitar. This time the band accompanied me as we had been driving from Nashville. The station has a wonderful new studio and its very capable staff rearranged a couple of things to make way for the expanded lineup. I don’t mind doing these visits by myself but if I have the band…Not to brag about my band here, but they really have the ability to sound great under any circumstance, regardless of equipment or situation. And of course, they lived up to their reputation as world-class musicians. Rita Houston was our very gracious host and we had ourselves a lovely interview. We got to perform several songs from the new record, we talked about the upcoming shows…mission accomplished. During one of the breaks, I pointed out to Rita that on their brochure/flier/ promotional pamphlet, used to promote upcoming events, there was a very unusual photo of me. It turns out it wasn’t even me! It was a photo of an impersonator from a television show from the UK! I laughed my ass off at their horror. At least the name was right, as was the time and place. Anyways it was very funny. After years in this business, trust me, little things like that are nothing to get mad about. Besides WFUV have always been very supportive and it is always a pleasure to visit with them. Now, it was time to get to W 29th St. from where we were (Brooklyn) and enjoy some midday traffic. Luckily, Rita gave us an alternate route to the one we received from Mapquest. It proved to be the right move for us.
We finally made it to our hotel with just enough time for a much needed shower and a change of clothes. We still had to make time for a soundcheck on the boat. We unloaded the van and checked into the hotel only to come out a few minutes later to the friendly welcome of a $150.00 parking ticket! $150.00! How’s that song go…”if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere…” Nothing we could do about it now. Chalk it up as another road expense. We had a boat to catch. So off we went to the pier with midtown bumper to bumper traffic accompanying us all the way.
After a brief soundcheck, Marty Smith (stage manager) showed us to our dressing room for some much needed “chill” time. Our dressing room was at the back of the boat (stern) and on a lower deck (very glamorous). After a while somebody came back to tell us that there was this wild crowd on board and they were ready to rock. We immediately threw that person overboard to fend for himself in the currents of the Hudson. (I’m just kidding here). However we did look at him with our usual bit of cautious optimism. Mind you, we really had no idea what to expect. Suffice it to say what transpired on these next two nights was really unbelievable. On the first night, the crowd was so loud I could not hear my introduction nor could I see who did it. (I think it was John Platt from WFUV). The second night Claudia Marshall from FUV introduced me. As crowded as it was on the first night, the second night was even more crowded. I never get to be a tourist in all these great cities that I spend time in. So when we pulled in front of the Statue of Liberty I stopped the show so that we could just take a moment and admire. Thank you to everyone that went on that boat. You really made it special for us, New York.
The next morning I was off to Sirius Radio for my guest spot on Jeremy Teppen’s Outlaw Country radio show. I had the opportunity to use my radio voice for an “After Hours” special which will air through August. (More details on that later). In speaking with Jeremy, we may even turn it into a regular show for me. (Deep radio voice) “this is Raul Malo on Sirius, with the “After Hours” radio show”…Anyways, it would be a heck of a lot of fun. After the taping at Sirius I had to make my way across town to the J&R record store in the financial district for our in- store performance. I was so tired at this point that I don’t think I ever took my glasses off. I wasn’t pretending to be cool I was just preventing people from a hideous site, my bloodshot eyes. In spite of my well worn hangover, the show went well and we got to do a little shopping. After the in-store, we had nothing to do. Done? Finished? What? No way. An afternoon in the greatest city in the world with no more responsibilities? Well, guess what I did. I went back to my hotel to my very, very cold room and went to sleep! Man I’m old.
Next stop, Amagansett. Now, on paper this gig really does not make a lot of sense. There are no hotels out there. (They are always booked.) So you basically go way out of the way only to leave after the gig. The traffic is, well, horrible. You take about an hour to travel a mile or so. The money’s pretty good, sure, but nothing to retire on. Yet no matter what, we always come back. For starters, it is always a really fun gig. The crowds are always ready to party with you and let their hair down, so to speak. The club (Stephen Talkhouse), though at first glance is probably nothing to look at, is one of those places that has a vast and rich musical history. And the staff (great folks) treat the musicians with respect and class and always find a way to turn a difficult journey into a pleasure trip. It’s one of those places that make you feel like you’ve been there and in some ways I have. There was a Stephen Talkhouse on Collins Ave. in South Beach where the Mavericks played often. (Back when South Beach was cool and you could actually go and hear live music.) So, I have a personal musical connection to the Talkhouse. Seeing as how some of the folks that worked the club in South Beach have at different times worked for the one on Long Island, it becomes a bit of a trip down memory lane for me. I’m not one to reminisce much, but it is nice to talk to folks from the old days. After all, in the end all you have are memories so they may as well be good ones.
Anyways, there is my story for that wonderful, crazy week in New York. Thanks everyone for coming out to the shows and for spreading the word. Take care…
Much Love,
RM

Release Week!!
August 3rd, 2007
Well, it’s finally out!! “After Hours” has just come out and what a week it’s been. My journey started on sunday, July 15th, with a very delayed Southwest flight out of Nashville. For the record…I hate flying. And more importantly I hate flying in this day and age. It is so uncivilized. You have to take off your shoes; your shampoo has to be in a plastic bag; old ladies have to take off their jewelry; you can’t wear a belt; you have to take out your computer; you have to surrender your bottled water, your perfume, and what’s left of your dignity all to justify an annual budget of 80 billion dollars!!I secretly wish for the airlines to all go out of business and/or become so expensive that we as a people force our beloved and forward-thinking leaders to develop the railroads as they have say, in Europe and Japan. But, that’s just me…or is it? Anyways, after many,many Heinekens I was ready for my wonderful flying experience in the middle seat of an oversold flight. And because it was so delayed, my plans with Ozzy (Jefferey, tour manager) to go dine at our favorite Thai restaurant(Chandara on Sunset and Cahuenga) were now ruined. Oh well…we opted for option #2 which was to go to the hotel and get as much rest as possible since I had to be up at 5:00 in the morning to make a radio station visit to KKGO 105FM. Shawn Parr and Robin Banks do the morning show and their energy was much appreciated and needed, as well as Elliot Kendall’s (from Universal) who drove me around at that ungodly hour. Well, the show went off without a hitch. I sang a song… talked about the record… they talked about the record. Mission accomplished!
Next, we were off to breakfast at the Urth Cafe. For some reason this place has the best coffee on the planet. Come to think of it, I’ve never really bothered to find out why they have the best coffee. Partly because I don’t really care why, but also I’m pretty sure that if somebody were to tell me, or if I were to read it somewhere, chances are I wouldn’t retain any of it! (Between all the songs I have to remember, people’s names, etc.) my hardrive is pretty full. Anyways, breakfast was delicious. My favorite part, though, was watching Elliot put one of those anti-theft “Clubs” on the steering wheel of his Isuzu Trooper with 230,000 miles on it. All this, in spite of the fact that our table was on the sidewalk and we could literally throw our eggs at the car! Too funny! Anyways, a good start to a very busy week. After breakfast, it was back to the hotel for a 10:00 am interview with KGSR in Austin. (More on Austin later). Then at around 12:30 Robin (from Universal) came to pick me up to take me to a tv taping for “Extra!” That will air later this month we’ve been told. I was supposed to do this interview for the last record (You’re Only Lonely) but it was bumped because it was the day of Brittney Spears’ divorce! You gotta love pop culture.
As musicians we have to do all these other things to get your name out there (interviews, tv, radio, etc…). And you do all that to get to play your songs for a couple of hours. Is it worth it? Absolutely…we always have fun when we play. Add in a great crowd like the one at the “El Rey” theatre in Los Angeles, and you forget how tired you are. We played a lot of the new record for the first time. Once we got through those first six or seven songs we really started to loosen up. I want to thank everyone that attended for making it a special night for us.
Show is over. Back to reality. In bed by 2:00, up at 5:30 for a 7:30 flight to Austin. Luckily, the very friendly lady at American Airlines upgraded me to first class and I got to sleep a little. (I think she felt sorry for me). Landed in Austin around 1:30. Straight to the hotel for a shower and some lunch. I know this sounds like a crazy schedule (and it is). But this being release week you kind of prepare mentally for this and just accept that you are not going to get much sleep. Plus, I knew that we would have a lot of support in Austin. And believe me, that positive energy from a great crowd makes it all worthwhile. So, off to our in-store performance at Waterloo Records, truly one of the great record stores in the world. And one of the few independents left. When I first got there, there was nobody there. It was still early and it was raining, and everybody kept saying not to worry…”this is Austin”. Sure enough, in what seemed like minutes, a line formed around the outside and there were three hundred people there to greet us! Unbelievable! A lot of people helped us put that show together and I thank them…John Kunz(owner of Waterloo), Robin Kirby(from Universal) and her regional sales staff–Dale, William, Carissa and Zulma, you’re the best.
Austin has always been one of my favorite cities and it never fails in its support not only of my music, but the arts in general. I love it. And after a long day of travel, and a show, etc…we were ready for a night off. We ended up at Gueros restaurant on Congress where the margaritas are not too sweet and the fish tacos are actually fresh. After too many of each of those, I was ready for bed. I must have been really tired because I actually went to bed at a reasonable hour in a town that never allows me. (Noticed how I blamed the city!)
Thursday, July 19th…12:00 noon on the air at KGSR. Artists like me don’t get a lot of radio airplay. So when a station does play my music, believe me, I appreciate it. Brian Beck was our very gracious host. I played a song or two, talked about the record, he talked about the record, mission accomplished. Then, back to the hotel for a quick workout, a light lunch, and off to soundcheck at Antone’s. Antone’s is one of the many legendary music venues in Austin. And it’s late, great owner, Clifford Antone, was a legendary fixture and a main ingredient in the colorful stew of characters that somehow keeps itself replenished in this city. His love and support of the arts and its artist spilled out into the streets making Austin a haven for old troubadours, bluesmen, and honky tonk heroes.
For years, legendary blues piano player “Pinetop Perkins” resided in one of the offices of the club. I know because at our last show he was trying to walk across the stage in the middle of our set. At first, I didn’t know what to make of this. I didn’t realize he was alive, much less living in the club! Well, it didn’t take long to realize that it was actually “Pinetop.” Soon thereafter we went into full reverence mode. He wanted me to announce that he was selling his new cd… in the middle of our show, mind you. What am I to do? Never mind that I never announce that my cd’s are for sale. ( A very counterproductive policy I might add…I’m so full of it sometimes). Well, I’ve never been prouder to make an announcement with commercial consequences than that night. It was truly an honor and an experience that I’ll never forget.
Back to the show…a great crowd had assembled that thursday night. We basically played the same set we played in LA. I’ll leave the reviews to the reviewers. The crowd seemed happy and that’s what counts. After a small “after” show party, it was straight to the hotel for some much needed rest. Wake-up call was set for 9:00 am. as I had to be at WKUT at 10:00 am. It might as well have been 6:00am. My host this morning was John Aielli and he was very kind to me even though I sounded tired. Nonetheless, I played a couple of songs; he mentioned the record; mission accomplished. Then off to Magnolia Cafe for a much needed breakfast of bacon and eggs. Meanwhile the rain kept pouring down in monsoon-like tenacity making sleep the only real option for the day. After all is there anything better than going to sleep after breakfast while it storms outside? I think not.
For friday night we wanted to perform a special for the first one hundred fans who purchased the cd at Waterloo Records. Our friend, Steve Wortheimer (owner of the Continental) offered to let us do this party at the Gallery (above the Continental). It proved to be the perfect setting for a lovely intimate evening of socializing, cocktails, and music. Out of all the sets we did that week, this was my personal favorite. If for no other reason that we played a bunch of songs we had never played before. Also we were accompanied by one of Austin’s finest musicians, Ephraim Owens, who performs regularly at the Gallery. The sound of his trumpet reverberates in that room to create one of the sweetest sounds on this planet. If you’re in Austin, make sure and stop by the Gallery, especially if Ephraim is performing.
This pretty much sums up the week’s activities. It sounds like a lot of stuff, doesn’t it? It is really difficult to promote a record to say the least. But I feel fortunate to have a great team and a great band that can play in any situation and under just about any circumstance. And through it all, we always manage to have a good time…making all that hard work seem like no work at all. Thanks to everyone mentioned in this article for their hard work. And a special thanks to the fans for coming to the shows and buying the records. You’re the ones that really make all this happen. What a week!
thanks so much
RM
P.S. next week…New York

California…
May 13th, 2007
I just got back from a fantastic visit to the West Coast. Started the trip with a visit to the record label (New Door/Universal)to say hi and play a couple of songs, and get to know them a little better. Well, they couldn’t have been nicer. They are good folks that care about music, and I felt real enthusiasm from them. Needless to say, I think that having “After Hours” and the “Christmas” cd on (New Door/Universal) is going to be a big help to my career. And I’m looking forward to working these records together with them.
This was on friday afternoon. Friday evening the guys got in and after a nice meal we headed towards Palm Springs for the StageCoach festival in Indio. I did not know that this was the first one of these. It was really well run and organized. The weather cooperated as well. We started our set and after a technical problem that was resolved quickly by our man Ozzy, we got under way and finished to a nice standing ovation from a very enthusiastic crowd. I hope they do it again next year and they invite us back. After the festival, “Sin City” records/ marketing group, threw a great party at a beautiful house in the desert. Shila Morrow, one of the founders of “Sin City” group, invited us and of course, we accepted. It was nice to see old friends and make new ones. We got to hear some great music from a couple of new bands. One was “Dead Rock West” and the other one was “StoneHoney”. They each had a very unique sound. And I must admit it was nice to be entertained for a change. They were both really great and very nice people.
The next day we had a long drive to Paso Robles. Luckily our man Ozzy, had not participated in the “Drinking” Olympics, as I like to call them, and off we went at noon. Pretty mellow sunday night we had. Pizza. Beer. And the “Sopranos”/”Entourage”. The next day we went and checked into the “Paso Robles Inn”, which is a fantastic old hotel with lots of charm and atmosphere. We spent a lovely day in “Paso”. After breakfast we went for a walk. Weaver needed a guitar cable and I needed a haircut. We found a nice little music store with some cool instruments. I wish I could remember their name…Anyways, after Weaver got his cable, the owner’s wife set me up with a hair salon that they knew of personally. See, this was a monday. And apparently, hair salons (or at least in Paso Robles) are closed on mondays. I can’t say that I blame them. The weather alone warranted a day off. Nonetheless, I was off to get my hair cut. I ended up at a very nice place called the Park Avenue Salon. It is family run and I got to meet all of them. The girl that cut my hair, her name, I think, was Jenifer. We got to talking about music and invited her to the show. She cut my hair in exchange for tickets. (I definetely won on that exchange…lol) I never saw her at the show and never got to thank her again. So if somebody from the area ever goes to the Park Avenue Salon, please tell her I said thank you.
After my haircut, I stopped across the street at Yanagi Sushi for some of the most delicious fish I have ever eaten. I didn’t even tell Weaver that I had sushi in the afternoon without him. It would’ve ruined the show as we would have been beside himself…lol.
Now it was time for soundcheck and eventually the show itself. Let me just say that Maria and the “Malomamas” were out in full force that night. Maria and the Templeton Arts Center did a fantastic job of promoting this show. The crowd was so enthusiastic that it made for a really great night. There are plenty of reviews on the website so I won’t get into one. Plus it would be kind of weird to review my own show. However, from an artist’s perspective it was everything you could want…great gear, great hall, and a great crowd. Oh yeah, and a great aftershow party at the Pine Street Saloon (stumbling distance to the hotel), all added up to a wonderful experience in Templeton/ Paso Robles. Thank you all very much!! Also, special thanks to Chad Stephens from “Cat Country” in San Luis Obispo for bringing us on and for promoting our show with his “on-air” partner Andy. By the way, Chad, nice job on “If I Can Dream” at the Pine Street Saloon!!
Next we were off to see our old friends at the “Crystal Palace” in Bakersfield. It’s always a pleasure to play there and see old friends, Jerry and Mel. I also got to say hello to the folks at KUZZ after soundcheck. They did a fine job of promoting the show ensuring that we were greeted with a lovely, and rowdy audience. Thank you again to all those that did the road-trip from Templeton. And, neeedless to say to all the “Mamas” and “AZDave” for making this trip very memorable. You guys are the best!
All in all, this year is shaping up nicely. Of course, when the record comes out we will need all the help we can get in promoting this record. Even with the support of a great label like New Door/ Universal, promoting records is very difficult. There may come a time when we may need your help. A lot of you ask me “what can I do?” Don’t worry. When the time comes we will coordinate our efforts. For now, just keep doing what you’re doing and we’ll be just fine…Thank You!!
peace and love,
RM

Gruene Hall
April 21st, 2007
Just wanted to tell you all about our latest experience. First, the shows were great fun as always. The crowds there really have a good time and they did not disappoint. Everybody seemed to be in a fantastic mood. The weather was absolutely perfect and the moon lent us its glow every night as we sat out on the porch enjoying the fruits of our labor.. We got in late wednesday night, after a long drive from Nashville and checked into our cabins next door. If you ever have a chance to stay at Gruene Mansion, do so. It’s a lovely bed and breakfast that has some of its cabins facing the Guadalupe River. Connie, who prepares the breakfasts, is a gem of a lady who took care of some very hung-over musicians. Thank you Connie! Que Dios te bendiga! Christy was also very helpful with whatever we needed as was the rest of the staff. It’s a very special place and luckily there are people still committed to keeping places like this alive. There are great restaurants everywhere (The Gristmill), specialty shops like Grandmother Moons Magical Emporium, owned by a very sweet lady named Carolyn Sue Arent. Also visit Gruene Coffee House owned by a fellow musician named Jack. Great coffee with live music and he plays vinyl records…very cool place.
Now, just chilling in Austin at the hotel. We play at midnight tonight so I am trying to save my energy. Will let you all know how it went. Peace and love, RM

Washington…
February 27th, 2007
Well, got back last night after a very long 16 hour day. Luckily we flew back through Dallas and avoided Chicago and their huge mess. First, thank you to everyone who came out to the shows this weekend…SOLD OUT!! First time as a solo artist in the area, and what can I say? The Triple Door is a fantastic venue with a great staff that go out of their way to accomodate the artist(s). A little note to Joe’s Pub (perhaps someone should visit the Triple Door, or any number of venues throughout the country and see how to treat an artist properly!! Especially one that has sold it out everytime they’ve played there!) Love New York…HATE Joe’s Pub!! Fortunately, the fans in the New York area have always been very enthusiastic and supportive. And as always, the crowds at Joe’s were fantastic and a good time was had by all! Anyways, back to Seattle…After A great night at the Triple Door, we drove over to Moses Lake. What a drive! Pretty hazardous conditions, but we made it. The Wallenstein Theatre is a converted movie house that actually sounds wonderful. We had a fantastic crowd that braved the weather and made us feel like a million bucks. Again, thanks to Rich Victor and everybody else who had something to do with us being there. Hope to come back when it’s not so cold!!
This year has started out in a fantastic way. I just signed my new deal with New Door/Universal. We are getting ready to release the “After Hours” record. We just shot photos for the album cover. (Ironically enough, at Joe’s Pub…lol. Of course, we are not using any of them. All they did was hurry us up and act like we were always in the way. Hard to get a good picture when you’re getting yelled at!) Alright, no more bitching about that place. We did the Don Imus show that week as well. Right away, You’re Only Lonely jumped into the iTunes top ten!! Thank you Don! And before our New York trip, we were in Texas. In Houston we played my buddy Jason Lewis’ place, called Warehouse Live! Great venue, and of course they treated us right. After all we are family! By the way, Rockin’ Robin Guitars in Houston is a fantastic place for musical instruments. I bought a ‘66 Blackface Fender Super Reverb that I cannot wait to play my old Jaguar through. And I also bought a Theremin. (I’m not going to bother to explain what it is. It is the strangest instrument ever! And they sell them there!! Big points in my book.) However, we did have to drive to Austin after the show because we could not find a hotel. Hard to believe, but true nonetheless. So we had to stay an extra night in Austin…Aaaaw! Poor Us! Well, Austin, everybody knows is one of my favorite places on the planet. The fact that they keep all the major chains out of South Congress is a monumental achievement worthy of recognition and emulation. Ahh, privately owned businesses…what a concept! LA Zona Rosa is a great venue to play…thanks for having us. Of course, Steve and Celeste and everybody else at the Continental make that place a treasure. Check it out when you’re in town. Then, off we went to Abilene to play one of the most beautiful theatres in the country, the Paramount. Great venue, great crowd…thanks for having us!
Well, we will be out this year, Jay, Robert, Tom, and myself promoting the new album. I hope we get to see most, if not all, of you at one show or another. Again, thank you to everyone who has bought a ticket or a cd or has somehow helped spread the word about our music…you’re the best!
peace and love,
RM

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
December 24th, 2006
I want to wish every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It has been a year filled with challenges, rewards, great moments, sad moments…I would not have it any other way. I have many things to be thankful for. And You (the fans) are at the top of my list. You make it all worthwhile for the band and myself. You all have spent your hard-earned money on coming to see us, on buying records, etc…Thank You. May your holidays be filled with joy and merriment (specially merriment)! May all your wishes come true in this New Year. So from Robert, Tom, Jay, and myself…Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Go Vote!!
November 2nd, 2006
Hello there everyone, It’s been a while since I’ve posted here and I am sorry about that. I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween. We did, thankfully. And, of course, with three boys, it is quite an event in my house. Gone are the days when the same costume would do for all three. (One year they were all Spiderman). But it seems that they’ve developed this thing called “personality”and so we had Max(youngest) as “Wolverine”; Victor(middle) was “Nacho Libre”; and Dino(oldest) was “Scarface”. Yes, Scarface…and he hasn’t even seen the movie!! I thought, for sure, the nuns at his school were going to tell me what a horrible, irresponsible, negligent parent I am…LOL. Well, they didn’t thankfully. (at least not for the “Scarface” thing, lol).
Autumn is in full bloom in Tennessee and it is lovely here right now. Of course, that splendor is coupled with election time which somehow manages to bring out some of the worst traits in human beings I have ever witnessed. Here, in Tennessee, we have one of the most vicious senate races in all the land between Harold Ford Jr.(D) and Bob Corker(R). The poison hurled at each other should shame us all. However, I know that this behavior is not indigenous to the “Volunteer” State. Every night on the news, and on the airwaves we watch as our glorious republic withers away to nary a reflection of its old self. I know that this doesn’t sound like a big cheer to “let’s go vote”. Part of me wishes that our useless, spineless, cowardly congress, would go spread their “democratic” values in places like Darfur and Fallujah! And I mean literally drop them all off for four years, or so, and see how the “natives”(no racial slurr intended) take to their kind of “democracy”! Let them feel what it is like to actually get shot at. Let them see the faces of the kids they continue to put in harm’s way for the almighty dollar. Let them meet the families of the 2800 killed in action… not to mention the 10’s of thousands of Iraqis that have perished. I am not writing this as a liberal or a conservative. I AM a fed up AMERICAN, who has grown tired of the way things are. Never in our history, has the “corporation” wielded such a heavy stick. Everything is for sale…from our tallest skyscrapers, to our ports, and now to the one device whose sole purpose is to ensure our republic endures…the voting machine. Apparently our voting machines are owned and manufactured by a Venezuelan company!! Never in our history have our universities and high schools graduated less students. Never in our history have we ranked below other countries in research and development, or in infant mortality rates, or…you get the picture. So, how do we change things? Well we can try by voting next week. BUT, I don’t mean the kind of usual “stick to your party” votes and then go on about our business as our schools continue to disintegrate along with our civil rights (Habeas Corpus), and our national security. I mean, vote for who YOU really think may do some good and then hold them accountable throughout their term. If they don’t do what they said they were going to do…OUT! Do NOT allow these people to act as if it is their right to be in congress. It is not their right, it is their priviledge and they need a big reminder next week!!
Thank You and God Bless,
RM